These are not new to anyone who has read my ACG Werewolves thread. But if you’d only like to see the Northerns, here they are again…
“The Werewolf Stalks” (Adventures Into the Unknown #1, Fall 1948) written by Frank Belknap Long and drawn by Ed Moritz, the ACG horror line opened with werewolves. The first two issues of AITU were penned by Weird Tales writer Frank Belknap Long, who set the pattern for all the horror comics to follow including the infamous EC Comics.
The action takes place up in Canada, where John Turner captures a timber wolf. Only it’s not. It’s a werewolf named Jacques the logger, a cruel and evil man. Jacques takes a special interest in Turner’s girl and goes back to civilization as a wolf. When it escapes, it comes to Turner’s house, and John kills it with a silver letter opener. The scene where the werewolf has a human head is freaky.
“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.
“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…
“The Midnight Howl” (Adventures into the Unknown #36, October 1952) was written by an unknown author with art by Ed Moritz. This Northern has Linda and Fred in the North Woods to test out a new airplane engine. A storm forces them to land. They encounter a werewolf, but Fred punches it. They keep moving and come to a village of log cabins. The inhabitants are also werewolves. Their Midnight Howl protects them from harm and insures they will caught their prey by dawn. Fred and Linda barricade themselves in a cabin, where Fred finds something in a trunk. He doesn’t show Linda.
The couple return to the plane. Fred has a desperate plan. They drag the plane back to the village, where the engine’s noise causes an avalanche that buries the werewolves. The Midnight Howl is now destroyed with the werewolves. Except there is still one left. Fred turns into a werewolf and reveals that he once came from that village. A trapper had found him and taken him to civilization. The sun rises and the Midnight Howl is gone forever, and so is Fred’s curse.
“Werewolves of the Rockies” (Forbidden Worlds #17, May 1953) was written by an unknown author and may have been penciled by Leo Morey. Inking was done by Ed Moritz. Lars Norden and his girl, Fria, are on the train going to a ski competition. An avalanche blocks the tracks so they go to a ski village for help. The men there seem creepy but willing to help. An ice crevasse blocks the path so the couple are forced to stay over night. At the full moon the men turn into werewolves. Lars and Fria go skiing in the moonlight. Lars cuts alder poles while Fria has an encounter.
The next day the men build a bridge to cross the crevasse. While they cross, Lars cuts the rope and kills most of them. One of the wolves that survives attack, but he blocks it with his skis then spears it with the alder pole hidden in his ski pole. The werewolves are all dead. Or are they? As Lars and Fria go back to the train, she changes behind him. Ken Bald chose to give away the end with his cover drawing.
“The Werewolf’s Fangs” (Forbidden Worlds #24, December 1953) was written by an unknown author and drawn by Harry Lazarus. In Alaska, Dirk Thorpe is chased by wolves. He is rescued by Lupal, a woman dressed in fur. She curses Dirk with lycanthropy. He wants to kill her but if he does he will lose his invulnerability.
When they return to town, Dirk calls off his wedding to Martha and marries Lupal. Martha marries Frank instead. Lupal and Dirk kill some townsfolk at the full moon. Lupal knows Dirk is still in love with Martha so she kidnaps her. Dirk strangles Lupal, making himself vulnerable. Frank shoots him dead with an ordinary bullet. Northern love triangle, werewolf style!
