Daredevil # 6: The Good Junk!

Yesterday’s discussion regarding Brennert has led me to thinking about his Daredevil story, which has led me to thinking about Klaus Janson, which has led me to Frank Miller by way of the single K.G. Murray Federal Comics Daredevil issue in my possession.

There was a time when reading a monthly Frank Miller superhero comic was a lot of fun. When his art seemed a delicious invocation of Eisner, Toth and Kirby. When studying his layouts and pencils was pleasurable and rewarding. When reading a Miller superhero comic was exciting.

But somewhere along the line...

Let me put it this way - I’d quite happily settle for a Miller sketchbook, but the pleasure I get from reading All-Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder can only be described as ironic and perverse. And Jim Lee's art doesn't do much for me either.

But why be distracted by rubbish? No good reason at all! Enuff! This may be a junkyard, but it's not the local tip!

This issue of Daredevil is #6, it's from 1985, it reprints Daredevil #’s 170-172, and is still better looking than most of the Marvel comics on the racks today.

Now, if only Miller would illustrate a Brennert script…

In the meantime, reckon I might just start hunting down some of these black and white Federal Daredevil comics. They look like a lot of fun. Even if they do have the unfortunate habit of dropping splash pages...

Interlude on Earth Brennert: Alan Brennert's Batman in the K.G. Murray comics

Alan Brennert has only written a dozen or so superhero comics. Around half of them are Batman stories. Three of them are amongst my favourite Batman stories ever. And the best of the lot is “Interlude on Earth-Two” from The Brave and the Bold #182, January 1982.

But don't take my word for it - - here's the testament of Mark Cannon:

"This is my personal favourite of Alan Brennert's Batman stories and one of the most unsettling Batman stories I've read. It's probably the only Earth 1/Earth 2 which ever touched upon just how damn unnerving it would be to know that there were doppelgangers of yourself - especially ones who have died. Thoughout the story, the Earth 2 Robin and Batwoman are unsettled by the presence of the double of their dead friend , Batman is similarly unsettled by Batwoman, whose Earth 1 counterpart is dead, Robin can't help but feel resentful of Batman's presence, and Batman feels terribly out of place and spooked by the whole thing.

The story also has one of the most touching and heart wrenching Batman scenes ever, as Batwoman confesses that she had loved Earth 2's Batman, but that one day his whole attitude and approach to her had changed, and she knew, without ever actually being told, that he must have gotten married in his civilian identity.

It's interesting to note that several of Alan's Batman stories utilised parallel worlds. Next time somebody claims that the old Multiverse was nothing but a confusing mess, cite these to them. They couldn't have been done in the current DC Universe, and I refuse to believe that they would have the same impact if done as 'Elseworlds'."

Quoted from The Alan Brennert Bibliography

You’d think it would be one of the most reprinted Batman stories from the early 1980’s, but for some reason, it seems to have eluded the editors of DC reprint volumes such as The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told, and Batman in the Eighties. To be fair, these volumes do include Brennert tales, but the fact remains if you want to read one of the best pre-Crisis Batman stories ever, you need to scour back-issue bins and eBay to pick up an original copy of a 25 year old comic selling at a collector’s premium.

Or, you could buy the Australian edition of Batman #2 from 1982 for a buck or two.

I consider it one of the best-kept secrets of the Australian DC reprints.

It helps that it is hidden behind a regular Buckler cover from the period, which is not particularly enticing. And there’s a couple of bland Jose Delbo Batgirl stories in there to ward off interested parties. However, there is also a sweet Don Newton reprint (Newton shines in sleek black and white) and a couple of Irv Novick reprints (the Vince Colletta inks notwithstanding) to compensate.

But they are side dishes. The main meal is the Batman and Robin of Earth-2 reprint, complete with Jim Aparo art in black and white. Aparo is the unsung Batman artist of the 1970’s, hidden between the shadows of Neal Adams and Marshall Rogers. I suppose the fact that he had such a long stint on The Brave and the Bold led him to be taken for granted. I also sometimes wonder whether he was more popular with readers of the black and white reprints, because his line art has a tendency to be muddied with colouring on newsprint, and can also appear garish on the later Baxter paper (or similar) books.

But I'll leave Aparo for a later discussion.

I’ve drawn up a list of the Brennert Batman stories, citing their original appearances and, more importantly, their Australian reprints.

To Kill a Legend
Detective Comics #500, March 1981

Crime Fighters NN, 1982

Paperchase
The Brave and the Bold #178, September 1981
Batman and The Creeper #3, 1983

Time, See What's Become of Me...
The Brave and the Bold #181, December 1981

Adventure NN/#14, 1986

Interlude on Earth-Two
The Brave and the Bold #182, January 1982
Batman #2, 1982

The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne
The Brave and the Bold #197, April 1983

Super Adventure #6, 1985

There are two other Brennert Batman stories. One is Holy Terror, a prestige format book illustrated by Norm Breyfogle from 1991. Breyfogle was an inspired choice as artist as I regard him as the true inheritor of the Aparo Batman mantle.

The other is a short black and white back-up story in Gotham Knights #10, October 2000 with art by José Luis Garcia-Lopez.

At his best, Brennert is to Batman as Alan Moore is to Superman.

My suggestion: pick up copies of the Australian editions listed above for less than $2 each. Carefully tear out the Brennert stories. Pick up a copy of Gotham Knights #10 for another $1, and also remove the Brennert pages. Staple them together with a colour Aparo cover. Then put it on your bookshelf next to the UK Titan edition of black and white reprints of the Superman stories by Alan Moore. That’s where it belongs.

Ghostly Tales # 8

Ghostly Tales #8, $0.50 cover price, circa 1978.
Cover artist Rocke Mastroserio

My favourite K.G. Murray horror reprint titles are the first dozen or so issues of Doomsday and Haunted Tales (I’ll be covering them in greater detail later). The DC-centric Weird Mystery Tales is good value too if you can pick it up for a couple of dollars - especially for the odd Alex Toth inclusion.

But in general I rate the various Charlton-centric titles such as Ghostly Tales ahead of the Weird Mystery’s, mainly by virtue of the preponderance of Steve Ditko material. I doubt I’ve picked one up and not found at least one Ditko story therein. And if it’s not Ditko, a Pat Boyette back-up (or indeed cover feature) is not too bad as a fallback position. And some early Jim Aparo is always good value.

This issue is one I picked at random, just as a sample of K.G. Murray’s non-DC horror/mystery titles. There are others I’ll look at more closely later based on specific contents, but this is a good representative sample, pulled from the pits of the junkyard (you see the influence - reading too many horror comics unconsciously leads young impressionable minds to mimicking the language of the vile hosts… Wertham was right!!)


Attack of the Phantom
Pat Boyette
(Ghostly Tales 68, September 1968)

Curiosity Killed The Ghost
(Original unidentified, 12 pages)

Phantom Surfer
Steve Ditko
(Ghostly Tales 71, January 1969)

The Man Who Defeated Death!
(Original unidentified, 10 pages)

The Surgeon Must Also Die
Tony Tallarico
(Ghostly Tales 74, July 1969)

Last Express!
(Original unidentified, 10 pages)

Finders Keepers... Losers Dead!
Steve Ditko
(Ghostly Tales 70, November 1968)

Grave Ghost's Tales # 1

Grave Ghost's Tales #1, $0.50, Gredown Pty. Limited, no cover date. Cover artist R. Cortiella

I assume the date of this issue is late 1976 or 1977.

Not a lot to say about this issue. Just another regular Gredown horror magazine with heaps of pre-Code horror stories - and a Ditko reprint too.

Which, of course, is saying plenty!

I Am A Zombie!
Lin Streeter
(Adventures into the Unknown #50, December 1953)

The Sacred Rope!
Bob Forgione
(Out of the Night #15, July 1954)

Torture Travelogue
(Original unidentified, reprinted in Horror Tales Vol 2, #5, September 1970, Eerie Publications)

Please Stand By
Nicola Cuti/Steve Ditko
(Ghostly Haunts #52, October 1976)

The Knell of Doom!
Kurato Osaki/Paul Reinman
(Midnight Mystery #1, January-February, 1961)

From the Grave Below!
(Original unidentified, reprinted in Weird Vol 7 #1, February 1973, Eerie Publications)

Body Snatcher
(Original unidentified, 7 pages)

Dollars and Doom
(Original unidentified, 6 pages)

Chamber of Chills # 3

Chamber of Chills #3, Yaffa/Page Publications, $0.60 cover price, 1978.

I get the impression Yaffa/Page tried to do things in a relatively orderly fashion.

At least that’s the impression left by sampling Scream #3 and Chamber of Chills #3 from 1978.

This issue reprints Chamber of Chills #7, November 1973; Chamber of Chills #9, March 1974; and 3/4 of Chamber of Chills 8, January 1974.

It goes even further in reprinting the covers to the Marvel comics – the front cover reprints Chamber of Chills #8, January 1974; the back cover reprints the cover to Chamber of Chills #9; and the cover for Chamber of Chills #7 is reprinted on page 9.

In other words, it does its best to present facsimile reproductions of Marvel horror issues, just as Yaffa/Page presented certain Marvel superhero titles. Keep in mind this is the publisher who, in reprinting the consecutive issues of Fantastic Four #’s 208 and 209, numbered the issue – you guessed it - #208-209! As this issue also contains early 1960’s reprints, it’s a good thing they didn’t get too precious in their numbering system! (There are other examples of this multi-issue-numbering fetish from Yaffa/Page such as the Spider-Man issues).

And the cover is also curious in that it does its best to disguise its origins – a small indication of price and issue number are the only intrusions to the cover reproduction - - no publisher’s logo or imprint. They appear to have done their best to pass themselves off as the genuine article!

I’ve listed the Chamber of Chills contents as well as the original sources for this issue.


Death Notice!
(Chamber of Chills #7, November 1973)

Prey for Keeps
Doug Moench/Ron Wilson/Jack Abel
(Chamber of Chills #7, November 1973)

I Am The Prisoner Of The Voodoo King!
Larry Lieber/Gene Colan
(Journey into Mystery #82, July 1962 / Chamber of Chills #7, November 1973)

She Wouldn't Stay Dead!
(Journey Into Mystery #18, October 1954 / Chamber of Chills #8, January 1974)
Note: Original title: "He Wouldn't Stay Dead"

I Wait in the Dungeon!
Sam Kweskin
(Marvel Tales #117, August 1953 / Chamber of Chills #8, January 1974)

Terror in the North!
Don Perlin
(Marvel Tales #117, August 1953 / Chamber of Chills #8, January 1974)

The Man Who Changed
(Uncanny Tales #11, August 1953 / Chamber of Chills #9, March 1974)

I Can't Stop Running!
Mystical Tales #11
(Chamber of Chills #9, March 1974)

One Who Dared
Mort Lawrence
(Mystic #41, November 1955 / Chamber of Chills #9, March 1974)

The Test!
Dick Ayers
(Mystic #41, November 1955 / Chamber of Chills #9, March 1974)

My sources for the credits above are the GCD and various other online sources such as this Marvel Monsters index.

The Gredown Horror Comics List

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that a Gredown index is sorely needed, so I thought a good place to start would be to compile a list of the known titles and issues. It’s taken a week or so, but I’ve now compiled a list of 222 confirmed Gredown Horror titles! Without further ado: Beware! Bite of the Scorpion Bite of the Vampire Black Doom Black Havoc Black Legend, The Black Spectre Blade of Fear 1-8 Black Terror Blind Despair Blind Terror Blood Plague, The Brute, The Buried Alive! Call From Beyond Call of the Monsters Chain of Pain Chills of the Supernatural Claustrophobia Claw of Pain Crawling Horror Crawling Terror Creepy Things Cruel Beyond Cry of the Werewolf 1-5 Crypt of Creatures 1-6 Crypt of Souls Curse of Doom Curse of No Return Daunting Images Deeds of the Diabolical Deadly Horror Stories Deadly Mayhem Deadly Omen Deathly Horrors Death Rattle Death Wish Deeds of the Diabolical Demon is a Hag, The 1 Demon Phantoms, The Demons of the Deep Demons Revenge Descent Into Horror Devil's Brood Devil's Doom 1-2 Devil's Dilemma Devil's Seed, The Devil's Triangle, The 1-8 Doom Zone Doorway to Doom Dread of the Dead Dread of the Unknown Dreaded Werewolf Tales Edge of Fear Empty Tomb, The Eternal Hell Evil Eye, The Evil Ones, The Evil Shadows Evil Trap, The Evil Winds of Death 1-4 Escorpion Eyes of Night Face of Doom Fate of Death Fanged Monster, The Fearful Fancies Fearful Forces Fearful Freaks Fearful Spectres Fearful Tales of the Occult 1-3 Fearsome Stories Fear Zone Fiends and Demons Fiends and Things Fiends of Frenzy Fingers of Doom Fingers of Fear Flight Into Peril Forbidden Tales Forever Dead Frantic with Fear Fright! 1-3 Freaky Future Shock! Gasp! Ghastly Encounters Ghost Ghost Dancers Ghost Panic Ghostly Horrors Ghostly Shadows Ghosts and Ghouls 1-7 Ghosts of Terror 1-7 Ghouls from the Grave Ghoul Tales 1-2 Grave Ghost's Tales 1-3 Grinning Skull Grip of Death 1-4 Grotesque Gruesome Nightmare Hand of Death Haunted Horror 1 Haunting Images Help! Hell Fire Hell Pit Hell Rider 1-2 Hell's Doorway Hideous Haunts Horror Encounters 1-3 Horror Experience 1 Horror in the Dungeon Horror Tales of Vampires Horror/s Unleashed Infernal Nightmare Insane Jaws of the Deep Kiss of Death 1-2 Knife Edge Living Horrors Living Nightmare Loathsome Ghosts Macabre Destiny Macabre Monsters Mad Fear Maze of Monsters Midnight Terror Mind Possessed Monstrosities Morlock 2001 Night Creature Nightmare Night Without End Orgy of Destruction Out of this World 1-2 Pact with the Devil Panic Struck Panther's Revenge Peril Below 1-4 Phantom Fear Phantoms of Evil Pit of Evil 1-13 Planet Doom 1 Planet of the Spirits Planet of Vampires 1-6 Portrait of Peril Princes of Darkness Prison of Fear Pure Panic 1 Pure Madness Rampage of Demons 1-2 Ramparts of Evil 1 Return from Death Road to Disaster Satan's Corpse Satan's Disciples Screaming Terror Secrets of the Supernatural 1-2 Shadow of Death Shadows of Doom Shock and Dilemma Shriek of Despair Shriek of the Dead Shuddering Fear Shudder Tales 1-6 Sinbad Skulls of Death Sorcery 1-3 Spells of Blackness Spirit's Den Spirits from the Unknown 1-2 Spirits of Misfortune Spooks of Terror Stark Fear 1-4 Storm Forces Strange Encounters Strange Experience 1-10 Strange Macabre Tales 1 Strange Mission of the Weird Brain Tales of the Forbidden Tales of Horror 1-10 Tales of the Mystic Tales of Torment 1-3 Tales of the Zombie Tarantula Tentacles of Terror Terror Madness Terror Trail Terror Under the Sea Terror Unleashed 1-2 Thirst of Blood Toll of Doom Tomb of Ghosts Tombstone Terrors This Comic is Haunted 1-6 Thriller Tales Underground, The Undreamed of Horrors Vault of Demons 1-8 Vault of Fear Vampire Havoc Vampire Killers Vampire Mania Vampire Scare Vault of Ghosts Vengeance of the Vampires 1 Vengeful Corpse Victim of the Vampire Vile Monstrosities Vile Tales of Havoc Visions of Doom Voodoo Tales Voyage to Death Weird Experience Weird Tales of the Macabre 1-4 Weird Tales of Werewolves 1-3 Werewolf Fangs of Horror Werewolf Prowls, The Wicked Witches Tales 1 Wild Fear! Witches Cauldron 1-3 A few notes about this list: 1. This is, needless to say, not a complete list of Gredown horror titles; 2. Some of the issue numbers are unconfirmed, but presumably exist. For example, issue #’s 1,2,5, and 6 of Planet of Vampires are confirmed, so I assume issues 3 and 4 also exist. I considered listing confirmed and unconfirmed issue numbers, but opted for the short neat version. However I have kept a separate list of confirmed and unconfirmed issue numbers; 3. All unnumbered titles are presumed to be one-offs, but there may be multiple issues with the same title; 4. I’ve deleted some titles which were K.G. Murray or Yaffa/Page titles, but there may be one or two which have snuck under my guard; 5. I have not included other Gredown genres eg westerns in this list. Some titles listed above may be deemed ‘supernatural’ or ‘sci-fi horror’ rather than horror proper, but that’s close enough for me. 6. I have not included dates or cover prices on this list, but I wish to include this information going forward. This list is based on a data from half a dozen collections. Apart from my own copies, I have drawn upon a couple of sell/wants lists I’ve had lying around from a couple of traders/collectors. This list was supplemented by many more titles and issue numbers contributed by Daniel Best and Mark Cannon. Mark Muller topped up the list with some additional titles towards the end. I know there are many other collections of these comics. I am happy to act as coordinator of a master list of Gredown horror comics via this blog, so if any Gredown collector would like to contact me and submit a list of confirmed horror titles and issue numbers, I will be more than happy to periodically update the list and post it here. The long-term goal is to catalogue and index all the issues, including the contents. The GCD is an excellent forum for this, but I admit I have a soft spot for dedicated sites as per the Ausreprints or Atlas Tales sites. Danny has already sent me contents data, so if anyone else would like to send me similar information, again, I’ll be happy to act as coordinator. But that is all for later - the short-term priority is to compile a master list of known titles and issue numbers. Bring them on!

Update 23 January 2023: this list has been substantially updated and corrected notes from the junkyard: The complete Gredown comics list

The Saga of Mammoth Annual NN (#1)

To recap: I mentioned yesterday that I have purchased a Mammoth Annual NN/#1, and that it contains Century #’s 1, 5 and 7, all from 1956.

The cover illustration includes a Christmas pudding, so one would assume the issue was published late/December 1956.

But, as so often happens with K.G. Murray comics, there’s a wrinkle or two to the story. Anthony Gillies also has a copy of this Mammoth Annual, but his copy contains Century #’s 9 and 10, and The Hundred #11 - all from 1957. The Hundred #11 is from circa September 1957. This means there is more than 12 months between the publication of Century #1 (in my copy) and Hundred #11 (in Anthony’s copy). To the best of my knowledge, the contents of any Mammoth Annual (or Gigantic Annual) are from the preceding 12 months. 

To repeat the question I posed yesterday: Is Mammoth Annual NN/#1 from 1956, or 1957? Or - were there two unnumbered editions, one from 1956, the other from 1957? 

There is no doubt Anthony’s copy is from 1957. Apart from the contents, there is also an advertisement for this issue which ran in K.G. Murray comics in 1957 – I have spotted one in My Greatest Adventure # 33 from December 1957. 

However, I am considering my copy is possibly a 1956 publication. This is mainly based on the contents, and is not conclusive. If it is not from December 1956, it also seems unlikely to me that it is from December 1957, as two of the issues would be well over 12 months old by that time. Of course, it could be from early 1957, but this does not tally with the Christmas theme. If my copy is from 1956 it means the ‘first’ Mammoth Annual was published two years in succession. 

This may be irregular, but it is also plausible - it may have been intended as a one-off in 1956, and thus unnumbered. This is the period in which the new formats were being tried, so tentative experimentation with new unnumbered titles was not uncommon eg. Mammoth Comic Annual and Colossal Comic Annual. 

Further, if the 1956 'trial edition' was a surprise hit, the publishers may have felt a subsequent edition warranted some advertising to capitalise on the success, hence the 1957 advertisement. Publication in 1956 would also support the argument posed earlier that Mammoth Comic Annual NN/#1 may have been published earlier than the Christmas period in 1956. Having said that, this is just guesswork. The only thing that is conclusive is that there was a Mammoth Annual NN/#1 in 1957. 

Fine so far, right? 

And yet, there is a further twist to this story. 

As if the possibility of two editions of the first Mammoth Annual is not enough to frazzle the intrepid K.G. Murray comics forensics experts, imagine the impact of a third edition of this cover! 

Sure enough, there is another Mammoth issue with virtually the same cover (pictured above). This one is numbered “2”. It is distinguished not only by the number, but a price alteration (4’- rather than 5’-) and another small detail - - the Christmas pudding is replaced by a birthday cake (the glass next to the pudding is also replaced by a bottle). There are also some slight differences in the colouring (see Rex and Detective Chimp (?)). 

To distinguish the two covers I’ll refer to them as either the “pudding” or “cake” covers. 

The contents of my “cake” copy are: 

Mighty Comic #11, May 1959 

The Hundred Comic Monthly #32, June 1959 Unidentified issue – lead story The Challengers of the Unknown: ”The Menace of the Invincible Challenger” - presumably also a 1959 issue. 

So – a 1959 #2 issue with an almost identical cover! 

My copy was printed in New Zealand. That is, the rebound comics are each printed in NZ. Presumably there is a NZ No. 1 – I wonder what the cover image is on that one? A “pudding” cover? 

I believe there is also a UK edition as per James’ listing, and I’d be curious to know whether its contents were printed in the UK. James’ index lists it as circa 1960, so it is possible the UK edition was issued after the NZ edition. However, it may also be a 1959 issue as per the NZ copy. 

Anyway, as it stands, I now believe the Mammoths stack up like this: 

1956: Mammoth Comic Annual NN/#1 Olympic rings cover

1956: Mammoth Annual NN/#1 pudding cover (TBC) 

1957: Mammoth Annual NN/#1 pudding cover

1958: Mammoth Annual NN/#2 sleigh cover

1959: Mammoth Annual #2 NZ (& UK?) cake cover

1959:Mammoth Comic Annual NN/#2 carols cover

1960: No Mammoth known 

1961: No Mammoth known

1962: Mammoth Annual #3 

1963-1973: #4 - #14 

I’d like to acknowledge the contributions of Mark Cannon and James Zanotto, two gentlemen who are always happy to respond to a comics query, and offer their expertise with goodwill; Mark Muller for help in identifying certain issues at very short notice; and especially Anthony Gillies, who first notified me some six months ago that something was ‘amiss’ with what we thought was Mammoth Annual #2, and promptly shared his findings based on his 1957 copy. Also note the picture of the Mammoth Annual #2 accompanying this entry is sourced from James' site - it is a much clearer image than my ratty copy, and substantially better to use for this comparative exercise. Oh, and if anyone has any idea which K.G. Murray issue begins with ”The Menace of the Invincible Challenger” circa 1959…

Mammoth Annual NN (# 1) - 1956?

I purchased this wonderful specimen today from another collector. It contains the following rebound comics: 

Century #7, December 1956 

Century #5, October 1956 

Century #1, July 1956 

I understand there is another copy comprised of Century #9, Century #10 and The Hundred #11 - all from 1957. 

So - is Mammoth Annual NN/#1 from 1956? or 1957? 

Or - were there two unnumbered editions, one from 1956, the other from 1957? 

And how does the UK #2 copy fit into this mystery? 

Naturally I have some ideas, theories, speculative notions… and just as naturally this will keep me awake for much of tonight... and so the rest of the story will have to keep until tomorrow. So until then… 

PS I’ve been collating a list of Gredown Horror titles over the last week or so with the help of a few friends. Just waiting on a few more updates before I put up the first draft, so it may be another couple of days.

The Alex Toth Reprint Stocktake Part 2

A couple of additions to the Toth reprint stocktake:

Rex the Wonder Dog: Trail of the Flower of Evil!
Rex the Wonder Dog #1, January-February 1952
Century Plus Comic #54, November 1960

I expect there are more Toth reprints from the Rex the Wonder Dog series reprinted in Century, such as “Rex -- Forest Ranger”, “Rex -- Hollywood Stunt Dog” and “Rex -- Circus Detective” (courtesy GCD) - all TBC.

Danger Trail: The Australian Code Mystery
World's Finest Comics #66, September-October 1953
Detective Comics #414, August 1971

Thanks to Mark Cannon for reminding me of this one - we both know we've seen it reprinted, most likely sourced from Detective Comics #414, but it's eluding us for the moment. File under TBA!

Update! Courtesy Mark Muller, I can confirm
The Australian Code Mystery is reprinted in
Tip Top Comic Monthly #80, December 1971.

The Alex Toth Reprint Stocktake

It’s a truism that you never quite know what you’ll find in the odd K.G. Murray reprint title. And one of the things that has me purchasing various odd issues is the ‘lucky-dip’ prospect of an Alex Toth reprint - especially the horror titles.

And so it was today when I lucked onto a copy of Terror Tales Album #14. Amongst the standard 1970's DC horror fare was an unexpected Toth gem which originally appeared in Weird Western Tales #14, October-November 1972 - “Anachronism”, reprinted in glorious sidelong ‘landscape format’.

So I got to thinking: Just how many such Toth gems are hidden in various K.G. Murray comics? In other words, time for a Toth stocktake!

I note below original appearances, and some subsequent reprints in the US editions, but it is not an exhaustive list. There have been quite a few DC Toth reprints over the years, but for this exercise I have only listed the reprints used as sources forthe Australian reprints.

Some of the House of Mystery stories have been reprinted in the recent Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery Vol. 1, 2006.

I have not set them out in any particular order, other than broadly grouping them according to character or genre.

The Toth reprints:

Danny Dreams…
Tor #3, December 1953
Climax Adventure Comic #3, June 1964

Track of the Invisible Beast
House of Mystery #109, April 1961
House of Secrets #94, October-November 1971
The Hundred Plus Comic #58, August 1961
Doomsday Album #12, 1979

I Battled for the Doom-Stone
My Greatest Adventure #61, November 1961
The Phantom Stranger #15, September-October 1971
All Star Adventure Comic #15, April 1962

The Secret Hero of Center City
House of Mystery #120, March 1962
House of Secrets #98, June-July 1972
All Star Adventure Comic #16, May 1962
Weird Mysteries #44, 1980

Listen, World... I'm the Missing Link
My Greatest Adventure #81, August 1963
All Star Adventure Comic #24, November 1963

The Town That Buried Me - Alive!
House of Mystery #149, March 1965
The Unexpected #126, August 1971
All Star Adventure Comic #33, June 1965

Double Edge
The Witching Hour #12, December-January 1970
Weird Mystery Tales #37, 1979

Eclipso: The Man Who Destroyed Eclipso
House of Secrets #65, March-April 1964
Action Comics #413, June 1972
Mighty Comic #41, June 1964
All Star Adventure Comic #83, October 1973

Eclipso: The Two Faces of Doom!
House of Mystery #66, May-June 1964
Detective Comics #441, June-July 1974
All Star Adventure Comic #91, February 1975

Eclipso: Hideout On Fear Island
House of Secrets #64, January-February 1964
World’s Finest Comics #226, November-December 1974

Mighty Comic #42, August 1964
All Star Adventure Comic #95, October 1975

Eclipso: Eclipso's Amazing Ally!
House of Secrets #63, November-December 1963
World's Finest Comics #226, November-December 1974

All Favourites Comic #43, July 1964
All Star Adventure Comic #96, December 1975

The Curse of the Cat's Cradle
My Greatest Adventure #85, February 1964
House of Secrets #93, August-September 1971
All Favourites Comic #42, April 1964

The Alien Within Me
My Greatest Adventure #60, October 1961
House of Mystery #196, November 1971
All Favourites Comic #48, May 1965
All Star Adventure Comic #84, December 1973

The Haunted Diamond
Sensation Mystery #114, March-April 1953
All Star Adventure Comic #53, October 1968

The Devil's Doorway
House of Mystery #182, September-October 1969
Wonder Comic Monthly 58, February 1970

Mask of the Red Fox
House of Mystery #187, July 1970
House of Mystery #229, February-March 1975
World's Finest Comic Monthly #66, September 1970
Haunted Tales #30, 1978

Fright
House of Mystery #190, January-February 1971
All Favourites Comic #84, May 1971

Turner's Treasure
House of Mystery #184, January-February 1970
Mighty Comic #76, April 1970

The World Where Dreams Come True!
Mystery in Space #7, April-May 1952
DC Special #13, July-August 1971
All Star Adventure Comic #77, October 1972

Sierra Smith: Case of the Teetering Tower!
Dale Evans Comics #7, September-October 1949
Detective Comics #424, June 1972
Batman Album #50, February 1981

Rex the Wonder Dog: Four-Legged Sheriff!
Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #2, March-April 1952
Century Comic #50, August 1960

Hopalong Cassidy: Vengeance of the Silver Bullet!
All-American Western #108, June-July 1949
Century Comic #99, September 1964

Hopalong Cassidy: The Ballad of Boulder Bluff!
Jimmy Wakely #15, January 1952
Mighty Comic #37, September 1963
All Star Adventure Comic #37, February 1966

Anachronism
Weird Western Tales #14, October-November 1972
Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales #2, November-December 1979
Terror Tales Album #14, 1980

[The Prisoner] and [This Is It!] – framing sequence
Weird War Tales #5, May-June 1972
Weird Mystery Tales #28, 1977

The Challenge of the Expanding World
The Brave and the Bold #53, April-May 1964
Action Comics #406, November 1971 (Part 1)

Action Comics #407, December 1971(Part 2)

All Favourites Comic 43, July 1964
World's Finest Comic Monthly #109 May 1974 (Part 1)
World's Finest Comic Monthly #110 June 1974 (Part 2)

Green Lantern: Too Many Suspects!
Green Lantern #37, March-April 1949
Detective Comics #440, May 1974
Flash #128, January 1976

Justice Society of America: The Injustice Society of the World (Chapter 5)
All-Star Comics #37, October-November 1947
100 Page Super Spectacular #DC-17, June 1973
Giant Superman Album #30, July 1977

Justice Society of America: The Plight of a Nation Chapter 3
All Star Comics #40, April-May 1948
Justice League of America #110, May 1974
Super Adventure Album #1, August 1976

30 reprints to start off with – not too bad!

Needless to say, this list is not a complete list. It simply reflects the Toth stories I’ve noted over the last 18 months or so. There are definitely more in various K.G. Murray titles, and I’ll duly note them in future as I come across them.

Many of the reprints are found in their proper place, so to speak. It may be impossible to tell which issue of Weird Mystery Tales carries a Toth and which doesn’t, but it’s no surprise to find many of Toth’s DC horror stories in this title. Similarly, it’s no great surprise to find the Eclipso reprints in consecutive issues of All Star Adventure Comic.

Others however are quite surprising - for example, finding ”The Haunted Diamond” from Sensation Mystery #114, March-April 1953 being reprinted in 1968, as I’m unaware of it being reprinted in the US around that time (indeed, I’m sure I’ve seen other vintage Sensation Mystery stories reprinted in All Star and other K.G. Murray titles…). Others just turn up in unexpected places, such as the “Case of the Teetering Tower!” in a Batman comic in 1981, 9 years after it is reprinted as a back-up in a US Batman comic.

I’ll do my usual thing here and ask for corrections, and a heads-up from anyone on any stories not listed above so I may pursue my lucky-dips with a bit more direction. For example, I believe there is an Australian reprint of “Dirty Job” from Our Army at War #241, February 1972, but I do not know where it appears.

Since Toth’s passing last year I’ve been hoping for announcements of collections of his work. There have been a few tributes here and there, and an issue of America’s Best Comics reprinted a few stories, but I’d like to see a substantial hardcover set along the lines of the Bernard Krigstein volumes from Fantagraphics Books (Krigstein is another artist who renders me a desperate reprint lucky dipper!)

Until then the Australian reprints will tide me over - and of course the annotated pages on the official Alex Toth website are a must for any Toth fan.

Oh, and the scan above is from the framing sequence in Weird War Tales #5, scanned from Weird Mystery Tales #28 - my thanks to Shane Foley!