Monsters Unleashed #7: "The Monster In the Mist!" (Al Williamson art)

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Back in the old days, before the comics industry felt the need to censor its own product, EC Comics produced some of the finest science fiction comics ever published. One of the reasons why Weird Science, Weird Fantasy (and later, Weird Science-Fantasy) were so good was the work of a lanky young man named Al Williamson. At 21, Williamson was the youngest of the EC family, but everyone was in awe of his draftsmanship. Williamson could draw bravura science fiction adventure like no one else, though it didn't hurt that he had the likes of Frank Frazetta, Roy Krenkel, and Angelo Torres assisting him with backgrounds and inking.

After the collapse of the EC line of comics. Williamson worked for such companies as ACG, Atlas, and Harvey, to name just a few, bringing to the stories what he did for their SF and mystery titles the same superb rendering and palpable sense of atmosphere that made his EC work so memorable. In addition to the comic books he did, Williamson also made significant contributions to the art of the comic strip, ghosting several weeks of Flash Gordon for Dan Barry, and assisting John Prentice on Rip Kirby. These last two assignments are particularly ironic when you consider that it was Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon that inspired Williamson to become a comics artist in the first place. Indeed, Williamson had been the primary proponent of heroic realism in comics, and is the rightful heir to the Flash Gordon mantle of Alex Raymond, something Williamson proved with his superb work on the King Flash Gordon title of the mid '60s, and on the Flash Gordon movie album adapted from the (otherwise wretched) DeLaurentiiss film.



Credits

Cover painting: Richard Hescox
Script: Unknown
Pencils: Al Williamson
Inks: Ralph Mayo

Reprinted:

• From ASTONISHING #60 (April 1957).
  

• In Monsters Unleashed (Marvel, 1973 series) #7 (August 1974).
  

Epic Illustrated #12: Marada, the She-Wolf in "Royal Hunt"

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Script: Christopher Claremont
Pencils and inks: John Bolton
Letters: Tom Orzechowski




















I already have the other two stories uploaded on my other blog:




Read Epic Illustrated #22





Read Epic Illustrated #23

Epic Illustrated #11: Marada, the She-Wolf in "The Shattered Sword" (Part 2 of 2)

Download Epic Illustrated #11





Script: Christopher Claremont
Pencils and inks: John Bolton
Letters: Tom Orzechowski

Epic Illustrated #10: Marada, the She-Wolf in "The Shattered Sword" (Part 1 of 2)

Download Epic Illustrated #10

Marada, the She-Wolf is a fantasy comic book fictional character created for Epic Comics by writer Chris Claremont and English artist John Bolton. She first appeared in Epic Illustrated #10 (Feb. 1982). The story was originally planned for the character of Red Sonja, Conan's sometime partner, but had to be changed due to issues surrounding the then-in-production Red Sonja movie with Brigitte Nielsen. Claremont moved the historical milieu from the Hyborian Era to the Roman Empire, and changed her hair from red to silver. Marada is also more sensual than Red Sonja, perhaps due to Bolton's drawings. (This change of character from Red Sonja to Marada resulted in some dispute over ownership of the character. Since Marada's adventures were first published in the creator-owned series Epic Illustrated, the rights to her character were eventually given to writer Claremont and artist Bolton.)

Marada is introduced as "her mother was the first born of Caesar," though it is unclear if this refers to Julius Caesar or to a current emperor (bearing the generic title of "Caesar") during the Imperial age. Her adventures are a mix of fantasy and history, told from an adult point of view. Together with her friend, the princess Arianrod, she fights against evil demons, wizards, witches and other fantastic creatures, but also against the threats a woman could expect from a world ruled by males.

In a tip of the hat to New Mutants #32, Marada met a woman named Ashake in the graphic novel, and in a nod to Giant-Size Dracula #2, a demon named Y'Garon.

Script: Christopher Claremont
Pencils and inks: John Bolton
Letters: Tom Orzechowski

Originally posted 7/18/09.