RIP VALERIE GAUNT...

You were one of the first and most significant in Hammer's long line of fair ladies. Through the lurid ambiance and the towering distinction of Lee and Cushing, you still managed to become a memorable and alluring beacon in both "Curse of Frankenstein" and "Horror of Dracula", for which horror fans will be eternally grateful. Fangs for the memories, my beauty...

GOODBYE, FRITZ WEAVER...

You remained one of the finest actors around, offering sympathy and sophistication in so many roles. Fans of "Twilight Zone"; "Night Gallery"; "Tales from the Darkside"; "Monsters"; and "Creepshow" will forever savor your performances. Your presence in "Man from U.N.C.L.E." was strong and memorable, as it was in such imagi-movies as "Day of the Dolphin", "Demon Seed" and the Rowan and Martin horror spoof, "The Maltese Bippy". Without question, your creative influence will continue to thrive within this dimension and well beyond.

JIM MAIN PRESENTS ROCK BAKER'S DAHL!!!

Jim Main Enterprises' newest publication is a dandy...a Rock Baker creation of the loveliest, underwater kind...a mermaid tale of excitement and redemption, designed to delight all who absorb it.

DAHL is the comic, as is the name of our heroine: an aquatic beauty who, along with her people, were discovered by a caring scientist named Eva. Dahl and Eva have become great friends, but not all the mermaids fancy Dahl interacting with the surface dweller, particularly the ultra-strict Queen Tora.

From Dahl's "wayward" ways, trouble (and ultimately, a most remarkable physical transformation) strikes, after Dahl presents Eva with a most peculiar object: a meteor, for all intents and purposes, but it holds an unsettling secret, which could destroy the mermaid realm. 

Baker's story is as quaint as it is edgy; and his black-and-white illustrations are (as could only be expected) a visual feast: cute and curvy, alluring yet innocent. His drawings are embellished by the sterling talents of Leonardo Martins; Steve Shipley; Jeff Austin; and Marc Haines. The result is a page-turner of Baker Girl wonderment; seasoned with the fast-paced fun of an Irwin Allen spree. A winner through and through!!!

I can't praise DAHL enough and give Mr. Main loads of credit for making it a reality. I recommend that you order a copy, if not only for yourself, for anyone who appreciates high adventure and of course, those lovely Baker Girls, whether finned or otherwise. 

You can order copies of DAHL for a mere $9.80 each (includes the cost of postage). Send check or money order to Jim Main at P.O. Box 93; New Milford; CT 06776. You're guaranteed to receive your package in a jiffy.

Collectible Time #72: Jesse Lalochezia Gutierrez's Tina Double Feature

Added two new Jesse Lalochezia Gutierrez prints to my collection. They represent the ever fetching Tina from his exciting, indie-comic saga, "Tales of the Barrio". 

The first of the Tina double feature is a portrait sketch. The 11" x 14" print captures the gamut of her facial beauty, with an expression that mesmerizes as soon as it catches one's eye. Gutierrez, as one can tell, is a master at fashioning a subtle but provocative expression. His Tina portrait is an excellent example of what he can achieve, making his character tangible...alive. 

In addition to the Tina portrait, I procured a striking, rear-view print of the vixen. Her painted pose in this instance could easily pass for a sexy, slumbering damsel in a Bond film or U.N.C.L.E. episode (if nudity were prevalent), or perhaps even more so, a restful vixen in a Jess Franco or Hammer movie. The image also invokes the suggestive enticement of Paolo Serpieri, which pin-up connoisseurs will recognize and savor.

This particular cardstock print measures a 11" x 15", and as one can tell from the above image, enchants with both soothing and vibrant hues: indeed, a creation that one could gaze upon endlessly.

For prices and availability of these fine prints, feel free to contact Gutierrez at https://www.facebook.com/jesse.gutierrez.7186?fref=ts...or at his Bandido Studios Comics and Art page, https://www.facebook.com/Bandido-Studios-Comics-Art-530591547078097/?fref=ts.

HAVE A SUPER THANKSGIVING 2016!!!

GUNS OF THE BLACK BAT #3 BLASTS FORTH!!!

GUNS OF THE BLACK BAT #3 swings onto the scene with the second part of the "Final Phase" story line. 

As the Black Bat combats mutant horrors in New York City (including a rampaging, rat colony to exceed Renfield's wildest dreams), Ki-Gor and his lady, Helene, assist Domino Lady and the Phantom Detective to gather a jungle-moss antidote that will halt the weird plague. The question is: Will their courageous efforts pay off in time?  

GUNS OF THE BLACK BAT #3's intermingling of flamboyant characters is unrivaled. In fact, many a superhero team-up movie could take a few pointers from GUNS OF THE BLACK BAT, thanks to crackerjack writer Ron Fortier's movie-serial know-how, and boy, is it ever in top form in #3. To boot, Silvestre Szilagyi's artwork is again nothing short of divine, as is Michael Stribling's brooding cover.

You can order copies of GUNS OF THE BLACK BAT through Moonstone Books at...http://www.moonstonebooks.com/shop/. You're guaranteed excitement galore!!! 

Vincent Price as Dr. Strange?!

I usually designate quirky, off-the-cuff, "what if" images to Facebook or Twitter, not my blog, which caters to articles/reviews (with picture accompaniment, of course), but these particular, uncredited mock-ups of Vincent Price as Dr. Stephen Strange seemed too fitting not to share.

Such an adaptation was never considered during Price's peak. (Yeah, the Peter Cushing/Anita Ekberg costarring element would have been grand, as well). However, if a Strange movie had been produced in the '60s (or even early '70s) by AIP, Amicus or Hammer, when Steve Ditko's Sorcerer Supreme dominated the psychedelic scene, well, perhaps this how it might have been marketed. 

Anyhow, as the Benedict Cumberbatch adaptation dominates the box office, I hope you enjoy this alternate view of what could have been, though perhaps available for viewing in some parallel path right around the celestial bend.  

Long Live Stephen Strange!!!

SO LONG, ROBERT VAUGHN...

From childhood to adulthood, you remained one of my most beloved heroes.You not only made "Man From U.N.C.L.E.'"s Napoleon Solo a global sensation, but were most influential in such marvelous outings as "Bullitt"; "Battle Beyond the Stars"; "Black Moon Rising"; "The Bridge at Remagen"; "Delta Force"; "The Lucifer Complex"; "Killing Birds"; "The Magnificent Seven"; "The Mind of Mr. Soames"; "Starship Invasions"; and "Superman III". I also adored you in BBC/AMC's "Hustle": a superb way to have capped your stupendous career. God bless, my friend. You will be deeply missed, but even more so, forever remembered...

IN APPRECIATION, ADMIRATION AND RESPECT...VETERANS DAY 2016

CINEMA RETRO FOTO FILES #1: SPY GIRLS!!!

Big-time shout-out to CINEMA RETRO's FOTO FILES #1 for a smashing SPY GIRLS tribute, including 80 pages and 350 super-sexy photos of our favorite espionage ladies from the '60s and '70s (many published for the first time)!!!

The cover alone is worth the price of admission, adorned by the always gorgeous Caroline Munro, co-star of "The Spy Who Loved Me"!!!

In addition to Munro's magnetic draw, this souvenir edition features articles and images on Beverly Adams; Ursula Andress; Claudine Auger; Daniela Bianchi; Senta Berger; Martine Beswick; Honor Blackman; Barbara Bouchet; Shirley Eaton; Gila Golan; Mie Hama; Daliah Lavi; Sue Lloyd; Sylva Koscina; Marisa Mell; Margaret Nolan; Luciana Paluzzi; Molly Peters; Diana Rigg; Camila Sparv; Stella Stevens; Elke Sommer; Sharon Tate; Akiko Wakabayashi; Lana Wood; Raquel Welch...among others!!! 

Stemming from this buxom bevy, we naturally get ample coverage of not only of the Bond franchise, but the likes of Bulldog Drummond; Derek Flint; Matt Helm; and of course, "Man from U.N.C.L.E."

With current girlie mags like Playboy downplaying their allure and others falling to the wayside due to Nazi-like political correctness, it's sure reassuring to see good ol' Cinema Retro picking up the slack. Also, the liner notes are as fetching as the images: a top-notch combo all around. 

Copies are limited, so visit your local Barnes & Noble before they're gone!!!

I saw Dr. Strange...

Steve Ditko's avenging, psychedelic sorcerer, Dr. Stephen Strange has finally entered the big-budget Marvel universe. Directed by Scott Derrickson, who also co-penned the script with C. Robert Cargill, the film forms a mystical trip of mounting discovery, matched by intersecting deception. 

In tune with the original source, the surgeon and sorcerer-to-be (Benedict Cumberbatch) damages his hands in an auto accident. In that his injuries are seemingly irreparable, he seeks to mend them through unorthodox means, traveling immense distances to locate a guru-supreme, the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). 

The starry-eyed mystic helps Strange transform in ways he could never have imagined, not so much to regain the use of his precious fingers, but to achieve full-scale, metaphysical elevation. He soon learns that he can levitate through dimensional portals via spellcasting techniques and with his sharpened senses, benefit humankind in ways that far exceed the virtues of even the most gifted surgeon.

His honorable intent meets indirect competition, however, through his teacher's former disciple, Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), who for all intents and purposes acts as the film's adversary, though he's really not evil in the classical sense. Instead, he holds an ambitious, differing opinion on how to make matters eternally better for humankind: his methods more extreme than what our hero would care to implement. This makes Kaecilius more in tune with DC's Bane and Ra's al Ghul than a standard Marvel opponent. 

Naturally, we're granted the obligatory, final-reel clash of the titans, but there's a great deal of tense fun leading to that point. Just as Boris Karloff and Vincent Price battled it out (albeit comically) in "The Raven '63", so do Strange and Kaecilius. Their magical bouts crease the fabric of reality (and various time sectors linked to it), adding an unnerving splendor to the proceedings. 

The film also offers a number of interesting, supporting characters, such as the mystical duo of Wong (Benedict Wong) and Karl Mordo (Chiewetel Ejiofor); Strange's medical rival, Dr. Nicodemus West (Michael Stuhlbarg); the self-healing and inspirational Jonathan Pangborn (Benjamin Bratt); Kaecilius' faithful soldier, Lucian (Scott Adkins); and love interest, Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams, who like Cumberbatch, has visited Conan Doyle cinematic territory). Each member does a fine job in broadening the doctor's personality and destiny, and thankfully when it comes to the relationship between our hero and Palmer, the romance remains underdeveloped. 

This allows the duel between the two leads to define the film, but simultaneously makes its events different than what we typically find in a Marvel movie, where the division between (or among) battling gods is blunt and clear-cut. The ambiguity of good and bad in "Strange", therefore, may prove a plus or minus depending on one's vantage. It's certainly not Ditko, though the film's mind-bending ambiance holds (for the most part) true to the creator's vision. 

With that said, as a basic, fantasy adventure, "Strange" succeeds, though more with a modern-day sensibility and structure (as opposed to a '60s, LSD-induced backdrop that old-timers might prefer). Additionally, it projects specks of the mythology's macabre atmosphere, but never dips deeply into the comic's Lovecraftian depths or the sophisticated menace of the ill-fated, CBS '78 pilot.

To the film's advantage, Cumberbatch is ideally cast as Strange, lending a faithful arrogance to the character, but in comparison to the 2007 animated feature, "Dr. Strange: the Sorcerer Supreme", his highbrow stance is quickly replaced by a stumbling through lessons, which minimizes his heroic loftiness. This deprives us from watching Strange swing realistically from emotional extremes: a missed opportunity, which would have enriched the film. (Strange's arduous training also smacks a little too much of Lamont Cranton's in Russell Mulcahy's '94 "The Shadow", which handled matters faster and with superior impact.)  

As for Strange's opposition, Mikkelsen once more proves himself an actor of impeccable range. His characterization contains the best of both good and bad (as does Ejiofor's Mordo, if one pays attention to his backstory). However, on the debatable downside, Kaecilius never becomes a full-fledged adversary to root against, his suave, exotic presence remaining as headstrong and determined as the title character's: a plot device that might be too clever for its own good, particularly when the audience is meant to choose one mystic over the other. It's only Kaecilius' vicious displays that tip the scales...perhaps. 

Unlike other Marvel/Avenger movies, "Strange" (if only due to its kaleidoscopic backdrops and interludes) acts primarily as a two-hour reverie. However, even though it skids from a linear track, its content surpasses its magical-based competition with little effort. It doesn't try to be sweet and whimsical, nor does it cater to those timid millennials who'll likely dash to the upcoming Potter prequel. It simply unfolds in the weirdest and most unapologetic of ways: the twisting and turning of images and passages mere icing on a large and tasty cake, which promises more mesmerizing adventures to come. 

GOODBYE, DON MARSHALL...

You filled my childhood with fun and adventure, making your mark as Dan Erickson in my favorite Irwin Allen series, "Land of the Giants". You were also impressive in your many guest starring appearances, including those on "The Bionic Woman"; "Buck Rogers"; "Dragnet"; "The Incredible Hulk"; "Mission: Impossible"; "Star Trek"; and Ron Ely's "Tarzan". Your presence was also stellar in those wonderful exploitation classics, "Terminal Island" and "The Thing With Two Heads". Trust me, my friend, you will be long remembered...

ACTION AND BEAUTY AWAIT IN FEMFORCE #176!!!

My Facebook buddy, Mark Holmes, delivers the goods in AC COMICS' FEMFORCE #176, in two action-packed entries. The initial caters to the beautiful Blue Bulleteer in a Cold War tale entitled "Sharpshooter", with titillating artwork by Scott Shriver. Holmes' second adventure details the mysterious, old favorite, Black Phantom, as she faces the shady but alluring Bride in "Till Death Do Us Part", with trail-blazin' artwork by Dave Matsuoka.

Also, my dear pal, Rock Baker (see "Collectible Time #36"; Sept '15) presents another towering Dinosaur Girl segment, with his signature, eye-poppin' pencils. The story, "Red Heat", is destined to spark your senses and propel your adventurous urges. Incidentally, Baker also supplies his superb penciling for this issue's thrilling Stardust chapter, "The Distant Horde".

Along with the latter, Issue #176 features Ms. Victory; Nightveil; She-Cat; Synn; and Tara, all brought to fast-paced life by such additional, talented writers and artists as Mark and Stephanie Heike (the respected publishers, no less); Jess Austin; Jacob Bear; Bill Black; Michael Bowers; Marco Dell Verde; Andrew Hawnt; and Walt Paisley. And feast your orbs on that dynamic Dell Barras cover!!! Whoa!!!

Order your copy today at...http://www.accomics.com/category/femforce/!!!