American Comics Group had five horror titles including Adventures Into the Unknown, Forbidden Worlds, Out of the Night, The Skeleton Hand and The Clutching Hand. Scattered about these magazines were forty-one different tales of lycanthropes: werewolves, were-tigers, were leopards, etc. From the very first strip, “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.
“Shadow of the Panther” (Adventures Into the Unknown #9, February-March 1950) The author is not known but art was by Max Elkan. A scientist creates a spray that can change an animal into another animal. When he sprays a panther she becomes a beautiful woman named Mona. They eventually are about to marry but it all ends when Mona reverts to pantherhood during the ceremony. Remember, scientists. Don’t marry your lab specimens!
“The Werewolf Strikes” (Adventures Into the Unknown #14, December 1950-January 1951) was written by Charles Spain Verral, with art by Bill Ely. After the war, officers try to disband the Werewolf Underground, a rumored supernatural unit of Nazis. Outside their base, they see a man attacked by a wolf that escapes. Then they meet Marlene Lupus, the beautiful blond fraulein from Wulfstadt. Other soldiers are killed until our hero kills her with a silver knife.
“The Howling Head” (Adventures Into the Unknown #19, May 1951) The author is unknown but the art is by Lin Streeter. Tom and Cynthia come to town to look into rumors of a disease that makes people look dead but aren’t. They are staying at Lupus Hall, a house that has a wolf’s head on the wall in the parlor. A headless ghost shows up and chases Cynthia. Tom doesn’t believe her until he goes outside and sees phantoms. The headless ghost comes again and Tom fights it. In the end, only by destroying the head on the wall can he win.
“World of Werewolves” (Adventures Into the Unknown #20, June 1951) is by an unknown author with art by Ken Bald. Dr. Hugo Blodgett, Professor of the Occult is torn apart and his latest discovery, The 13th Book of Druidical Necromancy has been stolen. The lead detective falls for Jeanne Blodgett, the dead man’s daughter. The cop’s suspicions are proven when Jeanne turns herself into a wolf. She then traps him in that form. Unable to turn back, the Lieutenant kills her and burns down the house. The letter the werewolf write is hilarious. Look who the story is to be sent to…
“Monsieur Werewolf” (Forbidden Worlds #1, July-August 1951) was a text story by an unknown author. The plot has a researcher into folklore asking a local about the silly old werewolf legends. Of course, as he does this the man turns into a fanged killing machine.
“The Way of the Werewolf” (Forbidden Worlds #1, July-August 1951) has an unknown author and art by Emil Gershwin. A newspaper man, Larry Davis, is looking into reports of werewolves in India goes to the home of Dr. Ambrose Walker. He meets his daughter Canisa. The doctor puts him off so Larry sneaks into the house and reads how the doctor found his daughter. She is promised to the local wolfmen. Wolfmen show up and Larry runs to Canisa. The two flee but the wolfmen come for the girl because she is to marry one of the wolfmen. Larry saves her by releasing real wolves on the werewolves.
These first forays into werewolfery show a mix of traditional and more creative. Several end with the predictable silver dagger, but others are a weird combination of elements that are more surprising, like the animal turning spray and the headless ghost and the wolf’s head on the wall. My favorite has to be “World of Werewolves” with its Lovecraftian volume, The 13th Book of Druidical Necromancy. I also like the fact that the hero can do no more than sacrifice himself. No happy endings here.
