Sunday, May 24, 2026
LARRY JOHNSON'S FANTASTIC TALES
Larry Johnson isn't just a remarkable illustrator. He's a remarkable raconteur. His novel, The Mayfly, and his graphic novel, The Hand, prove it.
Johnson's latest, short-story curation, the illustrated Fantastic Tales, is a tasty companion to those entries, sweetened by appearances from several of his most memorable characters, including the likeable Lew Brown; Lew's brother, Freddy (protagonist of The Hand); electrical engineer Lenny Jones (who's destined to become Ohm the Electric Man); psychotherapist Doctor Charles Young; the shape-shifting, android hunter, Bart Rover; the demon-plagued Madame Boogala; her amusing son, Goomar; and those dusty but diligent, weird-western cowhands of the Broken B.
Also, as one can infer, the stories are diverse in theme and offer the following scenarios: Lew's attempt to rescue Freddy from a transcendental cult; Lew's shift from reality to weird reverie; Lew and Freddy's run-ins with strange maintenance workers; Boogala and her black-widow talisman; Lenny Jones and his image-altering "Inter-dimensional Viewfinder"; the creepy consequences of a red-headed fly (a Mayfly precursor, one might say); a cowpoke's extraterrestrial encounter; a penetrating meeting between cosmic colonists; Bart Rover's slimy transformation; and Doctor Young's analysis of Lenny's batty visions.
Johnson's writing flows with scrupulous care and rich rumination (rather Bradbury-esque, if the truth be known, both in tone and variety). This makes his misadventures genuine page turners.
I must say, I'd like to read more of Johnson's work. I hope he considers a Fantastic Tales follow-up. If he does, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be first in line to purchase it.
Order Fantastic Tales at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVSHYJSS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Thursday, May 21, 2026
THE MUMMY'S TOMB: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE
The Mummy's Tomb is the second chapter in Universal's Kharis franchise. Thanks to scholars Nige Burton and Jamie Jones, it receives the royal treatment in a 36-page, Classic Monsters of the Movies tribute.
Though Tom Tyler portrayed Kharis in The Mummy's Hand, Lon Chaney Jr. (hot off of Man Mad Monster, The Wolf Man and The Ghost of Frankenstein) seized the moldy reins of the anguished prince who was mummified alive (with tongue severed), due to a reckless attempt to resurrect his cherished Princess Ananka.
For this 1942 sequel, vengeance is in full swing, as Kharis (thanks to the lure of tana leaves) is dispatched to track and kill those who dared to disrupt Ananka's tomb, while eliminating others who dare cross his path.
Burton & Jones assess the sequel at length and share biographies on its prime cast, which along with the headlining Chaney, includes George Zucco, Wallace Ford and Dick Foran and Frank (King Kong/House of Frankenstein) Reicher (all four returning from The Mummy's Hand); Turhan (The Amazing Mr. X/Arabian Nights) Bey; Elyse (Joe Palooka/Arabian Nights) Knox; Harry (The Black Cat '34) Cording; and John (One Million B.C.) Hubbard. Additional credit is given to director Harold (The Frozen Ghost/Jungle Captive) Young; writers Griffin Jay, Henry Sucher and Neil P. Varnick; composer Hans Salter; and makeup maverick Jack Pierce; among other superb contributors.
The Mummy's Tomb is a significant installment in the Kharis saga, with its success having inspired further, Chaney sequels. If you're a Kharis disciple, this Classic Monsters salute is one to possess.
THE MUMMY'S HAND: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE
Long before reboots became fashionable, The Mummy's Hand inaugurated the concept, as Universal moved from Boris Karloff's Imhotep to Tom Tyler's Kharis.
To commemorate the landmark switch, Classic Monsters of the Movies' writers/researchers Nige Burton & Jamie Jones analyze the 1940 revision, The Mummy's Hand.
At the outset, Prince Kharis' tale mirrors Imhotep's, with the heartbroken noble attempting to resurrect his beloved Princess Ananka. However, due to the his sacrilegious act, he's mummified (with his tongue removed), becoming the abiding sentinel of the princess' tomb. Centuries later, when an expedition comes upon Ananka's resting place, a high priest awakens Kharis through tana leaves, prompting the mummy to pursue the intruders.
The authors give a thorough, academic assessment of the movie, as well as tossing the spotlight on Kharis actor and western/movie-serial star, Tom Tyler. Bios on his costars include George Zucco, Wallace Ford, Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Cecil Kellaway, Charles Trowbridge and Eduardo Cianelli. Burton & Jones give equal veneration to the movie's director, Christy Cabanne; its producer, Ben Priva; its writers, Griffin Jay and Maxwell Shane; its composers, Hans J. Salter and Frank Skinner; its cinematographer, Elwood Bredell; its legendary makeup man, Jack Pierce; among other talented contributors. (There's no question that their efforts ushered an influential, if not eternal, effort in the corridors of creepy cinema.)
The illuminating, 36-page, photo-packed edition is a must for horror fans and reboot historians; so say a little prayer to Amon-Ra, get those tana leaves stoked and order Classic Monsters of the Movies: The Mummy's Hand for your collection.
https://www.classic-monsters.com/shop/product/mummys-hand-1940-ultimate-guide-magazine/
LARRY JOHNSON'S THE COMPLETE LEW BROWN
I think of Lew Brown as the alter ego of the artist/writer Larry Johnson. Lew (who's been featured in Johnson's Tales of Fantasy and the novel, The Hand) is a man (a reporter) who finds himself in the most extraordinary places, meeting the most extraordinary individuals, with each path steered by Johnson's venturesome imagination. In other words, Lew sees through Johnson's mindful eyes, and I believe it's safe to say that he reacts to situations just as his creator would.
In the black-and-white, 187-page The Complete Lew Brown (Vol 1), Johnson offers a satisfying smorgasbord of his counterpart's 1984-1993, comic-strip exploits. The stories feature a Harryhausen-ish skeleton; a jarring tryst with a bird man; a magical, aboriginal reverie; a hypnotic visit to "paradise"; a sojourn to a static-laden dimension; a wrestling match with the exotic Eltaur; a matter of fortune-telling and possession with the conniving Madame Boogala; a time-traveling trip spurred by Lew's neighbors, Joe and Francine Carbone; the fiendish fate of a bicycle thief; a fictional monster made real; Joe's "image rectifier" and the seductive gorgon it summons; Joe turning Lew invisible; the emulating antics of Joe's robot butler, Ambro; the mystical effects of Francine's memory-inducing tear-drop gem; Lew's crazy crossover with Space Cat; and last but not least, Boogala's bold return for the collection's metamorphic epilogue.
As one can infer, Johnson gives readers much to absorb in The Complete Lew Brown, and the brief descriptions above don't convey the vast intricacies that each story holds. Nonetheless, Brown's sojourns would please any fan of The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Amazing Stories and One Step Beyond, where commoners slip into uncommon situations.
On second thought, perhaps it's a tad inaccurate to categorize Lew as common. In fact, Johnson makes his reflected self an "everyman" conduit for the outlandish, though in such a way that his bizarre scenarios feel credible. Perhaps that's why these fantastic tales work so well. Yes, they're phantasmagoric, but at their core, they emblemize the familiar highs and lows of any visionary life. (BTW: Johnson ruminates on Lew's genesis in the volume's pensive preface.)
There's no question that Johnson's fictional confidant has become one of my favorites. I believe that if you give The Complete Lew Brown a whirl, he'll become one of yours, too.
The Complete Lew Brown (Vol 1) can (and should) be purchased at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GXTLP6HM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
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