If you missed the last one…
Let’s continue our look at Golden Age werewolves in the other comics. I have to admit that I was surprised there weren’t a pile of DC werewolves for me to put in their own post but the fact is that the Silver Age came before that could happen. Comics like The House of Mystery converted to the Comics’ Code shortly after being created, replacing werewolves with aliens and superheroes. The comics survived but really didn’t deliver until the likes of Neal Adams, Luis Dominguez, Berni Wrightson, Tom Sutton and Mike Kaluta came along. DC caught up in the Bronze Age with a whole pack of lycantropes in the 1970s and 1980s. More about that here.
1953
“Bride of Horror!” (Ghost Comics #7, 1953) has Pamela dreaming that her fiance is a werewolf. The old legends at Woodbriar Castle tell of the bride who had her groom turn into a wolf during the ceremony. In the end, it all proves to be a plot by the old housekeeper and a doctor to prey upon the bride and the legend. More The Werewolf of Baskervilles than anything.
“The Weirdest Museum in the World!” (The House of Mystery #10, January 1953) has Thornton, the owner of a museum of strange exhibits in money trouble. When rumors of a werewolf are heard, there is a chance to save the museum. The old man goes hunting for the monster. Thornton tricks the money-grubbers and adds an attraction to the show. This is a classic real/not real style tale, a line that DC preferred in the early days with characters like Dr. Thirteen.
“Your Grave Is Ready” (The Unseen #9, March 1953) begins with ranchers shooting at a pack of wolves. They hit one but it turns out to be a “wolf boy”, a child raised by wolves. The local doctor, Curtis, raises the child as his own son, making him repeat a litany that is familiar to all fans of H. G. Wells: “Not to eat meat. Not to run on all fours. I am a man. Not a beast.” Unfortunately for John, when he sees blood, he turns into a werewolf. There are a series of murders that only end when John is shot by a silver bullet. He was raised a wolf but dies a man.
“Full Moon” (Weird Terror #5, May 1953) has Alex, a biochemistry student, discover the writings of Loup Garou. He uncovers the writer’s grave to see his wolf-like face. Alex creates a formula that turns him into a werewolf. He attacks and kills several people before his girlfriend, Alice, kills him with a shovel. It runs out the fangs and hair were all in Alex’s deranged mind.
“How To Become a Werewolf” (Worlds of Fear #10, June 1953) gives us handy info if we want to DIY.
“Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Werewolf” (Fantastic Fears #8, July 1953) relates the traditional story as a werewolf tale. This is a brilliant take on the connection between the fairy tale and the werewolf legend. Angela Carter would do the same in 1979. Her version was filmed as The Company of Wolves (1984).
“Death has Three Fingers!” (The Thing #10, September 1953) was written by Carl Memling. A detective helps the police look for a werewolf killer. They should have looked closer at their own….
“Her Lips Dripped Blood!” (Journey Into Fear #15, September 1953) Bill goes out to the country estate where his girl, Betty, is from. There he sees her grandfather’s gravestone that says “Here Lies a Werewolf”. People start getting attacked by a new werewolf. You guessed it. It’s Betty and Bill has to shoot her in the face!
“When Werewolves Die!” (Beware #5, September 1953) Two brothers, Paul and Charles, buy an old manor but have an old grave to deal with. The stone warns not to open it because of a werewolf. Of course, they do and Chuck takes the wolfskin belt from the corpse. The werewolf rises again but the men put her back. She is beautiful when awakened and Paul almost ends up a meal. They drive a stake through her heart and put her to rest. The wolfskin belt turns Paul into a new werewolf. He escapes. Some vampire cross-over here. This is not unusual. It was believed that a person who was a werewolf in life would return as a vampire in death.
“Dinky” (Tales of Horror #7, October 1953) features Dinky, a not-so-intelligent fighter. He gets punch drunk after too many fights and is let go by his manager. Dinky takes an old wolfskin and wears it, planning to scare his replacement. This turns him into a werewolf. He kills the new fighter then goes to the ring to take his place. A dog named Caesar leaps into the ring and tears out Dinky’s throat. The crowd is shocked to see the monster that Dinky became.
“The Werewolf of Washington Square” (Nightmare #3, October 1953) has Eric Lupin (that’s always a bad sign) and his fiancee, the beautiful Jane Newton are at the library at Washington Square. Jane wants to marry right away but Eric is reluctant because he hasn’t felt well since his trip to Europe. He goes to see Dr Jarvis. The doc gives him some sleeping pills but they don’t work. Eric starts preying on animals wandering the city at night. Jane is worried and follows him. He kills Jane then is shot to death by cops. The doctor tells us he was afflicted with Lycanthropy and death was the only cure.
Next time…1954-1955
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