The stories for this segment all came from four issues of Adventures Into the Unknown in 1952. The writers, who are unfortunately all unknown, packed each issue with werewolf and other lycanthropes.
“The Haunt of the Hyena” (Adventures Into the Unknown #30, April 1952) was written by an unknown author and draw by Lou Cameron and Rocco Mastroserio. It has Bruce and Norma inheriting an old house. When they arrive an old hag warns them of the weirdness of the place. Norma finds a stuffed hyena that Bruce tries to sell but when their friend hears the thing talking he returns it.
That midnight the hyena and a mummy (They have a lot of weird stuff in that house!) merge to create the Hyena, a monster that looks like a cross between a vampire and a hyena. The next day, the demon will absorb the couple as well, so he locks them up in a cell in the basement. Bruce tricks the Hyena to return to Magnolia Swamp, the scene where the evil doer had sunk a slave ship hundreds of years ago. A gigantic phantom appears and crushes the hyena to death.
“Werewolf Valley” (Adventures Into the Unknown #30, April 1952) was written by an unknown author and was drawn by Art Gates. The story begins with Duke Masters, lumber baron, setting up camp in Werewolf Valley. On the way there, the lumberjacks drive past protesters then met a girl on the side of the road. Her name is Marta. She warns Masters that the stories are real. He thinks she is a pretty looking mad woman.
Once the camp is set up, Marta draws one man after another away from the camp and bites them. Soon there is a gang of werewolves. They leave Masters for last. Marta confronts him. He tries to get his rifle before all the werewolves attack. Masters is not turned into a werewolf but eaten alive.
“The Wail of the Werewolf” (Adventures Into the Unknown #31, May 1952) was penned by an unknown author and drawn by Art Gates. Ted works for a radio studio and convinces Betty to go with him to a creepy old house to get sound effects. While napping, Betty’s spirit calls a werewolf. Ted tries to stop the beast but can’t. The werewolf explains that werewolves are stuck in the spot they are created, being allowed to travel only as far as they howl carries.
This monster plans to take over Betty’s body and escape its prison. Ted frightens off the monster with the sounds he has recorded. From this clue he figures out there is something the werewolf fears, the spirits of the dead. When the couple release the ghosts from a sacred rock, they tear the werewolf apart. ACG writers were fond of having ghosts be the enemies of werewolves. I really like the gimmick of the werewolf being stuck to one location, a new idea.
“Witch of the West” (Adventures Into the Unknown #31, May 1952) written by an author who is not known had art by Al Camy. The plot is mostly about a ghostbreaker named Donald Clark and the witch of the title. It does feature a werewolf on the last page. The witch summons it as Azazel. It bites Clark on the arm then two panels later it and the witch are defeated and gone. Not the most interesting ACG werewolf.
“The Curse of Ukpong” (Adventures Into the Unknown #31, May 1952) was written by an unknown author and drawn by Lou Cameron and Rocco Mastroserio. Craven is a mean-spirited man who has hired Ferris and his native porters for a safari. When a man drops a piece of luggage, Craven becomes enraged and shoots him dead. The natives are upset but Ferris feels he must intervene for Craven. The porters leave, cursing Craven with the power of Ukpong.
Later Ferris sees the witch doctor take Craven’s soul from his body and place it in a lion, which is released. This turns Craven into a lion man. He is a fierce monster, defeating an attacking leopard. Ferris tries to save him but an enchanted spear lances him and he dies.
“Were-Beasts Through History” (Adventures Into the Unknown #32, June 1952) was written by an unknown writer with art by Charles Sultan. A nice three-pager about Viking, medieval and African beliefs.
“When Werewolves Howl” (Adventures Into the Unknown #33, July 1952) was written by an unknown author with art by Lin Streeter. When a wolf kill Bobby Larson’s dog, Flash, he and his father track the animal to its cave. It is actually a werewolf, living with others of its kind. Dad shoots two of the werebeasts but the mother of the den gives her last pup to Bobby. Bobby raises Lupus, slowly learning he is a werewolf. They become good friends but Lupus needs to return to his pack.
Later, while hunting the wolves, dad runs out of shells. Lupus comes to the rescue, fighting his own pack until more hunters show up. They are amazed to witness Lupus’s death, where he changes to human and finally wolf as he dies. Ah, a boy and his werewolf…
I wrote the book on ACG–Forbidden Adventures: The History of the American Comics Group. And, during the research, found a synopsis written by Hughes that was never used titled “Cobra”. I used it to write my novel, “Snake: Nest of Vipers”. Interested? Airship 27’s “#Snake: Nest of #Vipers”. Is this #WWII #German #spy a mad woman or heroine? You decide. Cover by Ted Hammond; interior art by Greg Keyser.
http://robmdavis.com/Airship27Hangar/index.airshipHangar.html#snake #pulp #thriller #book #novel #WWII #spy #heroine