Charlton werewolves seems like a logical choice. Charlton Comics had several lines of horror comics from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Not all their comics were based on children’s cartoons. Some classic artists drew for the comic company that never gets as much attention as Marvel and DC. Some of these underappreciated artists include Pat Boyette, Steve Ditko and my personal favorite, Tom Sutton.
The Charlton titles included Ghostly Tales, Ghost Manor, Monster Hunters, Scary Tales, The Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves and Haunted. The majority of stories concern ghosts, but here are eight that feature werewolves. After decades of werewolf stories in ACG, EC and DC Comics, what could the Charlton bullpen possibly find to do? The answer is a few different kinds of tales. We don’t see entirely boiler plate stories. Joe Gill and company tried to give a new twist in most cases.
“The Night of the Laughing Wolf” (Ghostly Tales #94, April 1972) was written by either Pete Morisi or Joe Gill. Art is by Pete Morisi. Igor Brodski uses his power as a KGB agent to kill a man and take his farm. After Drostrovich is killed by wolves, a laughing wolf haunts Brodski to his death. The idea of a ghost transferring to a wolf was used by Algernon Blackwood in “Running Wolf” (1920).
“That Old Gang of Mine” (Monster Hunters #4, February 1976) was written by Joe Molloy and drawn by Mike Zeck.The Baron von Deisler is tired of being a werewolf and the leader of the pack. He takes a witch’s offer for a cure. He pays her with treachery, shooting her. When the Baron encounters the wolves again, they only see him as prey.
“The Last Monster Hunter” (Monster Hunters #5, April 1976) was written by Mark Carlson and drawn by Mike Zeck. In 2137, the last of the von Helsings hunts werewolves. The beast eludes him but in the end he gets his prey. Only when the men arrive they arrest von Helsing. They are there to protect endangered species, like the last werewolf in the world. Science Fiction writers had done this before with Clark Ashton Smith’s “A Prophecy of Monsters” (F&SF, October 1954) and Brian W. Aldiss’s “Full Sun” (Orbit 2, 1967).
“Homecoming” (Ghostly Tales #123, October 1976) was written by Joe Gill and drawn by Steve Ditko. A witch comes to the Balkan village of Ruudberg. She wants the home of Karl Janik, who refuses to sell. The witch is a were-cat. She haunts Janik until one night she meets her match. A werewolf kills her. Karl goes to church to be forgiven his lycanthrope kill.
“The Hour of the Werewolf” (Monster Hunters #9, January 1977) was written by Nick Cuti and drawn by Mike Zeck. Colonel Whiteshroud comes to Montague Manor to figure out which of the inhabitants is a werewolf. Cuti does a great job of setting it up in the style of a cozy mystery like the film, The Beast Must Die (1974). I won’t ruin the surprise and give away the beast. The fun is in not knowing until the end. This story was twice as long as most Charlton werewolves, giving it enough time to take twists and turns. This is my favorite of these comics.
“The Doomed Ones” (Monster Hunters #10, October 1977) was written by Joe Gill and drawn by Enrique Nieto. Christian Haas shoots the wolves that surround his house. When he runs out of lead he has to turn other metals for his bullets. The werewolf leader finds out too late they are made of silver. Pretty standard for a Charlton werewolves but only it’s one page at least. Hints of “The Werewolf” by Clemence Housman.
“Grandma, What Big Eyes You Have” (Scary Tales #13, April 1978) was written by Joe Gill and drawn by Alfredo Elias. Redding, an unscrupulous antique dealer, comes to Wolfe Mansion. When the old lady’s granddaughter rejects Wolfe’s dinner invite he changes into a werewolf and prepares to eat her. Only she is armed with a gun full of silver bullets. He figures out something strange is going on at the mansion. This proves to be a captive werewolf who is being used as a blood donor for the old woman. In the end both Redding and the old woman get their comeuppance.
“The Arena of Lost Souls” (Scary Tales #43, March 1984) was written by Mike Pellowski and drawn by Mike Vosburg. After the world ends and the good have gone to heaven, there is only Satan and the damned left. Kane, a fat man, doesn’t want to die outright so he makes a bet with Satan. He will fight in the arena but he gets to pick his opponent. He selects a scrawny-looking guy who will be easy to beat. The moon rises and Kane soon learns that he has chosen a werewolf.
