I will try to make this as brief as possible. The Hammer comic strips and the Van Helsing Tales are coming to an end 🥲 They were published in the magazine TheHouseOfHammer (issues #1–18), Hammer’sHouseOfHorror (issue #19) and Hammer's Halls of Horror (issues #20–23). The title changes were due to legal problems when the magazine was distributed in the USA from issue #19 onwards. When issue #23 was published the parent publishing company Warner Communications sold the magazine output to W H Allen who promptly cancelled the title with immediate effect, with issue #24 in the wings awaiting printing, but never seeing the light of day. In total 17 films were adapted (all posted here with 2 on the Quatermass thread. Van Helsing had 20 tales published and Father Shandor had 3 stories published. So, today we get the final Van Helsing Tale and tomorrow the final film adaptation, The Mummy.
But as in all the best stories that is not quite the end…
Steve Moore and Anni Gleeson write the story and Dave G Chester does some very nice gory artwork.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
I don't think anyone has ever commented on a little mistake/plot hole in CR. Le Chiffre's henchmen and woman tear apart the clothes in Bond's hotel room in search of the cheque, but don't do the same to the clothes Bond was actually wearing when he was captured. Bond could have had the cheque in his wallet (a likely place for anyone who isn't a secret agent), his shoe, etc but we are not told that either Basil or Le Chiffre himself goes through the clothing Bond is forced to remove.
It is of course possible that they did, but Fleming simply neglected to tell us?
So, Hammer’s Halls Of Horror (it’s third title during publication) was unceremoniously shut down in 1978 after 23 brilliant issues. It’s Editor/Publisher Dez Skinn went on to launch Starburst magazine and after the third issue he sold it to Marvel whilst keeping the editorship reins and also launching the Marvel UK range of comic reprints of Spider-Man, Hulk etc. After leaving Marvel he launched Warrior (more of this at another time) and in 1982 he published the fourth incantation of the original The House Of Hammer magazine, this time just called Halls Of Horror (as the Hammer licensing deal had long since dissolved), continuing the number sequence this was printed as issue #24 and was completely filled with reprints from the first run of 23 issues. The long awaited publication of The Brides Of Dracula was printed in issues #27 and #28 and the final Van Helsing Tale in issue #29 (which will be posted tomorrow). Due to distribution difficulties (WH Smith refused to stock the title due to the then current video nasty furore in the UK) the magazine was losing money and issue #30 was the last to be published. This time a proper editorial was able to be printed stating that the most popular features would be merged into the sister magazine, Warrior. Because the Hammer strips were no longer able to be published the magazine had lost it’s way anyway, a rendition of The Monster Club was published, and though the actual movie was dreadful the comic strip is excellent (if anyone is interested in seeing it let me know).
The Brides Of Dracula (1960) - Script: `Steve Moore / Artwork: John Stokes
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
@CoolHandBond I appreciate all the background info. Dez Skinn is a name I've seen in other contexts but dont know much about him. Warrior I know (and own a couple issues) because it published some of the early works of Alan Moore.
The last of the Van Helsing Tales was printed in issue #29. The Father Shandor series had continued in Dez Skinn’s sister magazine, Warrior, and I will move onto that next week.
Van Helsing’s Terror Tales #21 - Script by Tise Vahimagi with Brian Lewis artwork.
A fitting end to the series which was mainly very good with the odd inevitable misstep.
Tomorrow, a MAD parody - FOR YOUR THIGHS ONLY.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Running jokes are one of my favourite things (as anyone who reads a certain thread will have noticed) and they were present and correct above. I also spotted one rather obvious joke which we used in our Shakespeare version of this all those years ago 😁.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,943Chief of Staff
You’re welcome, Sir Miles. Unfortunately this was the last of the James Bond spoofs that they did. There was a kind of mash-up in 2013 which I will post next week, though.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
I think For Her Thighs Only is the best spoof title they came up with: its funny cuz its true
whereas I dont know what the Spy Who Glubbed Me means, that ones mighty forced
I thought it might be a reference to a certain classic Woody Allen scene, but Allen wrote "gub" on the stickup note, not "glub", if they were trying to reference a Woody Allen joke they misspelled it
So, we come to the end…Casino Royale - Chapter Twenty-Seven:
I can’t praise this adaption high enough, faithful to the book, masterfully adapted and drawn. The originators deserve their recognition…
For the future, weekends will be for James Bond adaptations, weekdays for other comic strips. Starting next weekend will be a four-part original JB story with an appearance of a well loved face from the past. At some point after that will be the adaption of LALD which will follow CR as being faithful to the original novel.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
I too can't praise this highly enough. It has been a highly anticipated pleasure reading this beautifully illustrated and faithfully adapted version of a story I have read countless times and yet could enjoy anew in this guise.
Thanks again to CHB and- what's that you say? There's more? Come in, Mr Bond, I have not been expecting you!
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,943Chief of Staff
Many thanks again, CHB…this has been a weekly treat 🍸
Comments
I can only concur with what Barbel says…this has been excellent 🙂
Van Helsing’s Terror Tales #19
Scriot by Steve Parkhouse - Artwork by Sergio Goudenzi
Something a bit different from Steve Parkhouse this time around, and all the more better for it.
Enjoyed that one, CHB. Reminded me of the tone of one of those anthology TV series - Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, etc.
I will try to make this as brief as possible. The Hammer comic strips and the Van Helsing Tales are coming to an end 🥲 They were published in the magazine The House Of Hammer (issues #1–18), Hammer’s House Of Horror (issue #19) and Hammer's Halls of Horror (issues #20–23). The title changes were due to legal problems when the magazine was distributed in the USA from issue #19 onwards. When issue #23 was published the parent publishing company Warner Communications sold the magazine output to W H Allen who promptly cancelled the title with immediate effect, with issue #24 in the wings awaiting printing, but never seeing the light of day. In total 17 films were adapted (all posted here with 2 on the Quatermass thread. Van Helsing had 20 tales published and Father Shandor had 3 stories published. So, today we get the final Van Helsing Tale and tomorrow the final film adaptation, The Mummy.
But as in all the best stories that is not quite the end…
Steve Moore and Anni Gleeson write the story and Dave G Chester does some very nice gory artwork.
A good one to finish that series with.
The Mummy (1959) Script - Steve Moore - Artwork - David Jackson
A fitting end to the original run of House Of Hammer magazine. A few years later it returned - more details next week.
Casino Royale returns at the weekend with two more chapters.
The first and best of Hammer's mummy movies, faithfully rendered though obviously lacking Lee's presence in the title role.
Casino Royale - Chapter Twenty-Two:
As a bonus there will be two chapters tomorrow as one of them is very short.
I don't think anyone has ever commented on a little mistake/plot hole in CR. Le Chiffre's henchmen and woman tear apart the clothes in Bond's hotel room in search of the cheque, but don't do the same to the clothes Bond was actually wearing when he was captured. Bond could have had the cheque in his wallet (a likely place for anyone who isn't a secret agent), his shoe, etc but we are not told that either Basil or Le Chiffre himself goes through the clothing Bond is forced to remove.
It is of course possible that they did, but Fleming simply neglected to tell us?
I think it’s just one of those things that you expect was done without having to resort to describing it.
Casino Royale - Chapters Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four:
To be continued next weekend…
Eva Green will remain my favourite version of Vesper, but I like this one very much.
So, Hammer’s Halls Of Horror (it’s third title during publication) was unceremoniously shut down in 1978 after 23 brilliant issues. It’s Editor/Publisher Dez Skinn went on to launch Starburst magazine and after the third issue he sold it to Marvel whilst keeping the editorship reins and also launching the Marvel UK range of comic reprints of Spider-Man, Hulk etc. After leaving Marvel he launched Warrior (more of this at another time) and in 1982 he published the fourth incantation of the original The House Of Hammer magazine, this time just called Halls Of Horror (as the Hammer licensing deal had long since dissolved), continuing the number sequence this was printed as issue #24 and was completely filled with reprints from the first run of 23 issues. The long awaited publication of The Brides Of Dracula was printed in issues #27 and #28 and the final Van Helsing Tale in issue #29 (which will be posted tomorrow). Due to distribution difficulties (WH Smith refused to stock the title due to the then current video nasty furore in the UK) the magazine was losing money and issue #30 was the last to be published. This time a proper editorial was able to be printed stating that the most popular features would be merged into the sister magazine, Warrior. Because the Hammer strips were no longer able to be published the magazine had lost it’s way anyway, a rendition of The Monster Club was published, and though the actual movie was dreadful the comic strip is excellent (if anyone is interested in seeing it let me know).
The Brides Of Dracula (1960) - Script: `Steve Moore / Artwork: John Stokes
@CoolHandBond I appreciate all the background info. Dez Skinn is a name I've seen in other contexts but dont know much about him. Warrior I know (and own a couple issues) because it published some of the early works of Alan Moore.
I liked "Brides" though it seemed compressed compared with the film which has a slower, fairy tale atmosphere - I suppose that's inevitable.
The last of the Van Helsing Tales was printed in issue #29. The Father Shandor series had continued in Dez Skinn’s sister magazine, Warrior, and I will move onto that next week.
Van Helsing’s Terror Tales #21 - Script by Tise Vahimagi with Brian Lewis artwork.
A fitting end to the series which was mainly very good with the odd inevitable misstep.
Tomorrow, a MAD parody - FOR YOUR THIGHS ONLY.
That story would have fitted nicely into an anthology movie. I've enjoyed the series so thanks again.
You’re welcome, Barbel.
Another MAD look at Bond…
Casino Royale continues at the weekend.
Running jokes are one of my favourite things (as anyone who reads a certain thread will have noticed) and they were present and correct above. I also spotted one rather obvious joke which we used in our Shakespeare version of this all those years ago 😁.
I do like these MAD spoofs….thanks 🤣
You’re welcome, Sir Miles. Unfortunately this was the last of the James Bond spoofs that they did. There was a kind of mash-up in 2013 which I will post next week, though.
I think For Her Thighs Only is the best spoof title they came up with: its funny cuz its true
whereas I dont know what the Spy Who Glubbed Me means, that ones mighty forced
I thought it might be a reference to a certain classic Woody Allen scene, but Allen wrote "gub" on the stickup note, not "glub", if they were trying to reference a Woody Allen joke they misspelled it
Casino Royale - Chapter Twenty-Five:
To be continued tomorrow…
The long sad coda, nicely rendered. I am hearing David Arnold's "City Of Lovers" in my mind while reading.
Casino Royale - Chapter Twenty-Six:
A week is too long to wait for the final chapter so it will appear here tomorrow…
Thanks, I for one would like that very much.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s final chapter…although with some sadness as this has been excellent…thank you 🍸
So, we come to the end…Casino Royale - Chapter Twenty-Seven:
I can’t praise this adaption high enough, faithful to the book, masterfully adapted and drawn. The originators deserve their recognition…
For the future, weekends will be for James Bond adaptations, weekdays for other comic strips. Starting next weekend will be a four-part original JB story with an appearance of a well loved face from the past. At some point after that will be the adaption of LALD which will follow CR as being faithful to the original novel.
I too can't praise this highly enough. It has been a highly anticipated pleasure reading this beautifully illustrated and faithfully adapted version of a story I have read countless times and yet could enjoy anew in this guise.
Thanks again to CHB and- what's that you say? There's more? Come in, Mr Bond, I have not been expecting you!
Many thanks again, CHB…this has been a weekly treat 🍸