Showing posts with label supernatural. Show all posts
Showing posts with label supernatural. Show all posts

Friday, October 1, 2021

Halloween Heroine GHOST WOMAN "and the Plague of Werewolves!"

She returned from the dead to save her husband from lycanthropes...
...in her one and only appearance from Cambridge House's Star-Studded Comics #1 (1945)
If this series continued, we probably would have learned more about Ghost Woman's abilities and limitations, and her husband John would come to the realization that she was serving as his "guardian angel".
Unfortunately, publisher Cambridge House published only one issue each of three different anthologies featuring a number of interesting series, and then abruptly went out of business!
None of the strips packaged* by the Bernard Baily Studio were picked up by other publishers.
Personally, I'm surprised something similar to Ghost Woman hasn't come along since 1945!
Considering the ongoing popularity of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Twilight Saga, a concept like Ghost Woman seems like a sure hit!
Trivia: Editor/art director Bernard Baily, was the co-creator (with writer Jerry [Superman] Siegel) of comics' most famous ghostly avenger, DC's The Spectre, who wore a similar hood to Ghost Woman!
Unlike Ghost WomanThe Spectre continues to fight evil from beyond the grave, even appearing recently in a direct-to-video anime, voiced by Gary Cole...

*It wasn't unusual for a publisher to hire an independent studio to write and illustrate the contents for a given title, or, if it was a small publisher, the entire line of books!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Tell a Tale Three Times: Part 3 "Ghost of Castle Karloff"

This is becoming a just a tad repetitive...
...but it's the last version of this story, we promise!
You can find the first one HERE and the second one HERE!
This version is from St John's Strange Terrors #1 (1952), and it's the only time any iteration of this tale made the cover...
"Zoombies?"
Most comic book publishers used outside studios who "packaged" their books, providing complete writing and art services.
One of the the biggest one was Harry Chester Studios, which started out as a "packager" for MLJ/Archie and Centaur providing complete editorial and art services, before setting up their own comic publishing operation, Chester/Dynamic!
When Chester/Dynamic folded at the end of the 1940s, the studio returned to supplying stories and art to others, particularly St John Publishing.
Chester was an extremely budget-conscious (some might say [ahem] cheap) guy who didn't hesitate to recycle existing material with minor modifications for different clients.
Most people think the Lady Satan story was only modified once!
In fact, the Grand Comics DataBase notes the re-use of this tale as "Phantom", but not as "Ghost"!

In another example, competitor Iger Studios reworked existing art for a 1940s Spitfire Saunders story involving Nazis from Elliot's Bomber Comics, which was re-edited into a 1950s Phantom Lady tale with the heroine battling Commies!

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Thursday, August 9, 2012

Tell a Tale Three Times: Part 2 "Phantom of Marcos' Villa"

Last time, we presented a tale starring Lady Satan...
Now, here's that tale again (sort of), starring "Marietta" instead of Lady Satan, and featuring some rewritten plot elements and dialogue.
Published in St John's Authentic Police Cases #5 (1948), this version reworks the story with only minor changes to the art, including removing Lady Satan's mask to make her the maskless "Mairetta".
Curiously, Authentic Police Cases had already reprinted other Lady Satan tales, without making any alterations!
Tomorrow, yet another version of this tale, with another heroine, now named "Celeste" who is now the daughter of the dead man.
Plus, an explanation of why this re-use of the story occurred!
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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Tell a Tale Three Times: LADY SATAN "Wild Night at Wild Acres"

This tale was published three times in less than ten years...
...each time with a different heroine and supporting characters!
Here's the first version of this story...
Lady Satan was a magic-powered sleuth who initially battled the Nazis who killed her fiance, and, after the war, fought supernatural threats.
Her strip appeared in several Chesler/Dynamic Publishing comics, usually as filler whenever a page count came up short.
This tale from Red Seal Comics #18 (1946), illustrated by Ralph Mayo, was near the end of her career.
However, the story itself would see publication again...but without Lady Satan!
How is that possible?
Be here tomorrow for the answer!
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