FOR THE FUN OF IT:

 

LARRY JOHNSON'S THE COMPLETE LEW BROWN, VOL 3

By gosh! Artist/writer Larry Johnson has outdone himself  again with The Complete Lew Brown, Vol 3: an outstanding compilation featuring his humble but resolute, Tales of Fantasy alter ego. This curation may be my favorite in the trio, and that's saying a ton, considering how much I admire the earlier editions. (See May & July posts for the proof in the pudding.) 

For this (215-pg, black-and-white) edition, Johnson tosses Brown into specific, science-fiction scenarios, including a jaunt where the investigative reporter and his scientist friend, Gabrielle LeGrande, face a Clonus Horror factory run by the diabolical Dr. Derma (who's a clever merging of Shazam!'s Dr. Sivana and Albert Dekker's Dr. Cyclops); a chance encounter with LeGrande's Uncle Joseph, a man who's battled monstrous rodents (with special appearances by the mischievous Madame Boogala and the shrewd Dr. Charles Young, no less); a heartfelt remembrance by Brown and his neighbor, Joe Carbone, regarding a beloved space show and the toys it inspired; Brown re-imagined as super-scientist Lou Braun, on a mission to purge a bioengineered chemical that morphs people into cockroaches; an attack by Tibero, an alien tree-creature (formed in the From Hell It Came vein); Brown and his brother Freddy's far-out, family entanglement with Venusians; the discovery of a This Island Earth-type, camera-obscura tele-screen; and Brown's hearty brush with a tempting, dimensional vixen. 

There are also two literary offerings in this volume: "A Passage In the Darkness," written by Michael Tuz, which is an effective, "House of Usher"-esque piece that unveils a Bostonian cult's subterranean realm, and "The Under People," a quirky fable that places our protagonist among mysterious, maintenance workers. 

The tales invoke The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Tales of Tomorrow and that ol' George McFly favorite, Science Fiction Theatre, with a smidgeon of Star Trek, if only to inject some cosmic kick.   

Of course, what makes the tales captivating are Brown's credible reactions to his incredible circumstances, which are sometimes amusing and sometimes disconcerting, but no matter the expression, the results are appealing, thanks to Johnson's swift pacing, vibrant artwork and stimulating imagination.

All three Lew Brown volumes are available on Amazon, so why not take the inquisitive leap by tapping the links below?

Vol 3: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6NL454N?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Vol 2:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H4NW6435?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Vol 1: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GXTLP6HM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title   

SO LONG, JOE CALDWELL

You penned an impressive, sixty-three episodes of Dan Curtis' Dark Shadows (including installments for the acclaimed, parallel timeline stretch) and (with Ron Sprout) created one of television's most phenomenal, pop icons, Barnabas Collins, as enacted by the amazing Jonathan Frid. 

You also contributed to Dark Shadows' Canadian counterpart, Strange Paradise, as well as The Secret Storm and the NBC Matinee Theater, allowing your work to enter our homes not only on a daily basis, but the span of years. (Additionally, you composed the captivating memoir, In the Shadow of the Bridge, which gave us an intimate insight into your fascinating life, but then the same can be said of your many novels, so rich in sincerity and unveiled depth.) 

That you helped us escape our tedious realities is commendable, and for that, Mr. Caldwell, we owe you infinite thanks. Now, at Heaven's loving perch, may you partake the joy you gave us a thousandfold. 

TERRIFIC TEAM-UP IMAGE: SPIDEY VS ELECTRO

 

FAREWELL, KAYLEE HOTTLE

You left a big mark for one so small, and your compassion for Kong touched us all. 

May you find contentment beyond this world, Ms. Hottle, with adventures to rival even those in which you starred.👼

PINUP TIME: INGER STEVENS

DEAD CITY #3: IN ALLEGORICAL ANTICIPATION

The Walking Dead: Dead City, Season 3 is upon us. According to rumor, this may be the last in the Maggie/Negan (Lauren Cohan/Jeffrey Dean Morgan), spinoff run, leaving fans to anticipate a cataclysmic culmination. 

I liked the previous, western-oriented seasons (The Searchers slant having been rather winsome), and the same goes for the cowpoke themes embedded in the Daryl/Carol and Rick/Michonne ventures. I suppose I'll find the same flavor in the new Dead City, unless it implants an allegorical angle that goes against my moral grain. That I wouldn't like. 

This season creates a convenient, hop-and-a-skip launch into New York City, with a new character on board: Jimmi (Dark Matter) Simpson's Dillard, a bar-proprietor sidekick for Negan. Dillard looks prone to levity. Levity helps offset tension, and The Walking Dead is overloaded with that. 

In addition, NYC could (should) pave the way for an even grittier platform, if only per associative default, ala Escape from New York, though with zombies (as opposed to the general "crazies") and proxy, rancher-type villains (e.g. Zeljko Ivanek's Croat and his assorted acolytes). In the process, the plot might even reference rough-and-tumble, current events.

I live near NYC, which has been a devil's den for years on end and only continues to worsen. It's far more disturbing than anything featured in the Dead City trailers. (Without question, the locale epitomizes the term, "dead city.") If this season goes the metaphoric route, then it should emphasis the Big Apple's nurtured, moral-less debauchery, but if not, then why? Get my trepidation? (For what it's worth, AMC is dangling a carrot that something buried, though now revived, is set to infiltrate the content. Maybe that'll be this season's distinguishing trait.)

There's also that awkward, Maggie/Negan pact, which demands resolution. I still believe Negan should be done in (and if only for irony, by his beloved weapon of choice). Some claim that Glenn would be proud of Maggie for steering Negan in a positive direction, despite the latter having killed him and ol' Abe. I don't buy that. There's a point when things must turn full circle, a time when karma (though long delayed) is served. 

We'll see how it goes, good or bad, though good fortune is an accepted rarity on The Walking Dead. 

The Dead City, Season 3 premiere airs Sunday, July 26 on AMC.