Skywald Publications was created by former Marvel Comics employee, Sol Brodsky – the Sky of the name, and Israel Waldman – the wald of the name, who ran the reprint comic company known as I. W. Publications or Super Comics. Their line of black & white horror magazines, Nightmare, Psycho and Scream, chased the Warren Publications markets. Some of the professional artists and writers used pseudonyms, most likely to protect their work elsewhere. The company sold well but was pushed out of the magazine business by Marvel’s line of magazines such as Monsters Unleashed and Zombie Tales. Many of the new writers and artists, like Pablo Marcus, would end up at Marvel or DC shortly after.
During Skywald’s short four year run (December 1970-March 1975), the writers did include the occasional Sword & Sorcery elements in their stories. Whether they saw these in Warren magazines or just wanted to do some fantasy themselves I don’t know. Because of the rise of heroic fantasy with a dark edge in the pages of Creepy and Eerie, the idea of S&S in a horror magazine was not unusual.
Probably the best of the writers of S&S in Skywald was Gardner F. Fox. A giant in comics, Fox worked on Batman and created Hawkman. He also wrote the first S&S comic back in 1950 with “Crom the Barbarian”. During this time, 1971-1974, he penned new comics for both Skywald and Warren. Fox left DC comics in 1968 over their refusal of work benefits, and Fox wrote two series of S&S paperbacks about Kothar the Barbarian and Kyrix the warrior warlock.
“The Circle Of Circe!” (Nightmare #2, February 1971) was written by Gardner Fox, pencilled by Syd Shores and inked by Mike Esposito. Ulysseus loses in the arena and as his penance has to go to the Island of Aeaea and retrieve the Golden Tusks of Atlas. When Ulysseus won’t become Circe’s mate, she turns all the men into wolves. The warrior thinks she is a werewolf but the truth is much stranger. They are wolves from space. Fox is playing fast and lose with mythology to pull off a new twist.
Tom Sutton is another favorite and an important artist for Sword & Sorcery. Sutton would combine his love of S&S and SF in “The Future Chronicles” in The Planet of the Apes black & white magazines in 1974. This masterpiece is a true high point in that magazine and all S&S. Here we see him playing with the wiggle room between the two genres.
“Revolution!” (Psycho #2, March 1971) had story and pencilling by Tom Sutton and was inked by Dan Adkins. This piece is a Sword & Planet tale about the emperor of the planet Sade. He tries to quell rebellion with more and more elaborate arena games. Eventually the citizens do revolt and the emperor flees into outer space. His ship crashes and he tries to reach some kind of safety, sacrificing all his vassals in the process. He dies alone in a monster-infested river. Wow, that’s a 1970s bummer ending!
In the same issue, “The Quest!” written & illustrated by Chic Stone is a real fantasy quest. Shaman the sorcerer pulls Thomas Apollo from our world into a realm of magic. He does this with a painting of a woman guarded by a three-headed dragon. Together Apollo and Shaman face harpies, marsh men and an ugly giant. Only when Apollo tries to defeat the dragon guarding the beautiful Illana, daughter of Shaman, does he fail. The evil Lord Moloch laughs but Shaman says he will return with another hero. The last panel shows Shaman showing his painting to another unsuspecting rube. Very nice artwork by Chic Stone.
“Vault Of A Vampire” (Nightmare #3, April 1971) written by Al Hewetson has art by Serg Moren. Three men of Rome follow a vampire to its crypt and destroy it. Not much of a story here. Hewetson was managing editor for the series, working from Canada, though Skywald was located in New York.
“A Coffin For Captain Cutlass” (Psycho #3, May 1971) was written by Gardner Fox. The art was done by Serg Moren. Admiral Don Miguel hates Captain Cutlass and comes up with a plan for his revenge. He retrieves a chest that was buried with a horrible guardian. After taking over Cutlass’s ship Don Miguel releases the thing inside the trunk. It is a many-armed, one-eyed monster that stinks like rotting plants. Cutlass escapes and defeats the creature using water to dissolve it. He returns the favor to Don Miguel by shooting the beast onto his deck with a catapult then releasing a broadside of cannon fire.
Marv Wolfman is of course another comics legend, creator of Blade, Spider-Woman and many others. He left Skywald to become Roy Thomas’ protege in 1972 and would take on Marvel’s line of black and white magazines (ironically killing Skywald in the process).
In the same issue as “Captain Cutlass” was “The Love Witch”, written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by Ernie Colon. Burnick, the Love Witch, defies the druids of Stonehenge, as she sucks the life out of men with her kiss. She is plagued with dreams of a handsome warrior on a pegacorn that kills her. Eventually he figures out that the dreams are coming from Morpheus himself. She drives him away and the story doesn’t really end there. There will be a sequel. I suspect the Love Witch was intended to become their version of Vampirella. A pre-sampling of what Ernie would bring to Arak, Son of Thunder.
This issue had a special Jeff Jones cover as well as an interview with the artist.
“The Doom Star!” (Nightmare #5, August 1971) was written by Chuck McNaughton, pencilled by Tom Sutton and inked by Dan Adkins & Ralph Reese. A knight rides through a ravaged Europe as the Doom Star passes. The knight saves a beautiful girl from being sacrificed then faces off with weird animal-headed demons. After they disarm him, he learns the demons are actually aliens from neighboring planets. Humans are judged as cruel, destroyers of the environment. The aliens help the knight to see a better way. He goes to spread the word when he is knifed for his purse. Humans will never learn.
The Love Witch returned in “Love Witch And The Battle Of The Living Dead” (Nightmare #6, December 1971), written by Marv Wolfman, pencilled by Ernie Colon and inked by Jack Abel. The druids plan to kill the Love Witch by resurrecting the Hag Kreps (who the Love Witch killed last time). Kreps drags the Love Witch underwater and knocks her out. She takes her prey to the druids. They drive off her dragon Frijji. The druids perform a spell to send her soul into infinity. The Love Witch’s spirit rises up and burns all the druids to death. The witch zaps the hag with lightning but still she does not die. She casts a spell that lifts Stonehenge from ancient times into modern times. The Love Witch destroys a jet plane that attacks her.The Love Witch is looking forward to the fun she will have in our time.
Captain Cutlass shows up again in “The Cursing Of Captain Skull” (Psycho Annual 1972, August 1972) written by Gardner Fox and illustrated by Steve Hickman (an artist who would go on to do many S&S paperback covers.) Captain Cutlass is trying to stop Captain Skull from attacking a port for its women. Cutlass puts up a good fight but ends up being thrown overboard. He avoids the sharks long enough to get aboard a derelict ship. Tied up naked on the deck is a woman who can’t remember her name. Cutlass names her Joanna. To get his revenge, he has Joanna dress up like a lady then covers her in phosphorus. Pretending to be ghosts, Cutlass gets another chance at Skull, killing him in a duel. Cutlass and Joanna go off to roam the seas together.
“Where Gods Once Stood” (Nightmare #11, February 1973) was written by T. Casey Brennan with art by Carlos Garzon. Electra is calling to the god Serbius to step down from his altar and become a man. The god does, then changes his mind, but finds he can not return to godhood.
Psycho #12 is a very special issue. It featured a cover by Jeff Jones for “The Swordsman Of Sarn” (Psycho #12, May 1973) written by Gardner Fox and pencilled by Jack Katz. Inks were provided by Vince Colleta This is a real Sword & Planet epic. Steve Grimm crash lands on a planet where he finds a city. There he is attacked by a giant with a club. He defeats the monster only to find others guarding the beautiful Suanna. Men come for her and Grimm tries to defend her. She is the Tyrella (empress) and is being forced into marrying Thab Gon. Grimm is beaten and thrown into prison. He escapes and releases a space being who is also trapped there. Grimm fights all the swordsmen holding the girl. Once all are defeated Suanna disappears. Grimm knows he must go in search of her. This comic was originally intended for Space Odyssey #1.
A quick note about Jack Katz here. He was an associate editor for Skywald and drew their Jungle Lord, Zangar in Jungle Adventures for three issues in color. After this he would move to California and begin his epic 24 volume saga, The First Kingdom, a Sword & Planet masterpiece.
“Cassandra…Sorceress Of The Seventh Wind” (Psycho #14, September 1973) was written by Marv Wolfman. We begin by meeting Mynstrel (you guessed it, who is a minstrel) and his job of writing songs. One of these maddens Brandon the Blacksmith who is about to take it out of his hide when Cassanda, Queen of the Seventh Wind shows up and rescues him. Meanwhile in a distant castle, Morlock, the last survivor of Atlantis and a wizard, plans his revenge. Morlock and Cassandra fight. He is armed with lightning bolts and she with the flaming sword, Banshee. Morlock wins, taking Mynstrel. Cassandra and her lackey, Damon, go to Morlock’s castle. Cassandra seems somehow split, seeking herself. By Frelm, they fight enchanted monsters to reach Morlock, who has Mynstrel floating in a magic cloud. They fight again, this time Morlock dies. This doesn’t stop Cassandra. She goes into his mind and finds her missing self. Upon waking, Mynstrel is free. He explains that Morlock was not the last Atlantean alive. Mynstrel, too, is from Atlantis. He is the man who sank Atlantis fair!
A well drawn if sometimes confusing quest in the best style. The artwork by Don Heck and Mike Esposito often reminds me of John Buscema’s Conan. This is intriguing since Buscema took over from Barry Smith on Conan the Barbarian only four months before this comic appeared. John would go on to do hundreds of issues and define the quintessential Conan but that was years away. Heck and Esposito both worked at Marvel around this time.
“Tales Out Of Hell: The Kingdom Of The Dead” (Nightmare #19, June 1974) was written by Al Hewetson with art by Jesus Duran, looking a bit like Esteban Maroto at times. This is a dual story about a young boy named Walter Thurber in school and his dream of being the barbarian Darbaras Doom. The hero comes to the gates of the city to fight the evil that infests the land. He defeats the warriors but falls in love with the queen. He becomes blinded to the evils around him until she confesses she did not love him at first. In a rage, Darbaras cuts off her head and tries to rally the people. The doctors who treat Walter decide he is haunted by a reincarnated soul.
The tale is continued from there but the next segment isn’t set in a fantasy world but involves Rasputin and vampires. The boy’s name is a pretty obvious version of the dual story of James Thurber’s Walter Mitty. S&S comic stories where the hero is dreaming their adventures are pretty common in Warren, DC and Marvel comics at this time too.
“The Fiend Of Changsha! Part 1” (Psycho #21, October 1974) was written by Al Hewetson and illustrated by Sanho Kim. This story has Dracula arrive in China seeking the remains of Fu Manchu. A man named Chan’hai sees him so Dracula drinks his blood and turns him into a vampire. At the end of the first segment Chan’hai dies but he returns in “The Fiend Of Changsha, Part 2: Dead By Day, Fiend By Night” (Psycho #24, March 1975). You could argue this strip is not actually Sword & Sorcery but it had potential. The story was never completed. Sanho Kim would do more Asian Sword & Sorcery for DC’s horror comics.
There you have it, Just a smattering of S&S through many issues. A similar thing was happening in the DC and Charlton Horror comics around 1971-1973. As the decades went on, Sword & Sorcery moved into its own comics, no longer a tag-along.
These comics are available free at https://archive.org/details/skywald-comics
