So an encounter between Superman and “Frankenstein’s Monster” was probably inevitable.
Why? Because Weisinger’s editorial reign coincided with the Baby Boomer children’s discovery of the Universal monster movies released 20 years earlier. Kids were seeing the various horror film series on the late night and afternoon local TV movies.
Shock Theater, a package of 52 pre-1948 Universal Studios horror films, was released for television syndication in 1957 by Screen Gems, the television subsidiary of Columbia Pictures. Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Invisible Man and the Wolf Man were prominently represented.
That, in turn, prompted the publication of a one-shot magazine, Forrest J. Ackerman’s Famous Monsters of Filmland. But because the first issue, published in February 1958, was popular enough to require a second printing, the magazine took off and continued for 191 issues. The magazine’s success spawned spinoffs that included Screen Thrills Illustrated, Creepy, Eerie, Spacemen, Favorite Westerns of Filmland and Vampirella.
Written by Otto Binder and penciled by Wayne Boring for Superman 143 (Feb. 1961), Bizarro Meets Frankenstein! actually recorded an encounter between Superman’s imperfect duplicate and an actor playing the Frankenstein Monster. The 1954 Comics Code — banning vampires, werewolves, ghouls and zombies, among other things — may have made Weisinger skittish about including the “real” Frankenstein Monster in a story.
Finally, in Superman 344 (February 1980), the Man of Steel would battle the actual Frankenstein Monster, along with Count Dracula.
By the way, that same month Superman 143 shared newsstand space with Famous Monsters of Filmland 10, featuring the Phantom of the Opera on the cover and an article by Robert Bloch.
Pricier than a 10-cent comic book, Famous Monsters would cost you three whole dimes and a nickel.
No comments:
Post a Comment