Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine

Number 119


Son of Frankenstein Friday:* Going--going--real gone!


This oddball story with the excellent surrealistic splash panel came from a comic called Madhouse #2, August, 1957. According to the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide there was a comic called Madhouse that ran three issues in 1954, and a second series of three (or four, Overstreet isn't sure) issues in 1957 from the same publisher, Ajax/Farrell.

Click on pictures for full-size images.

The Frankenstein connection in this story is pretty thin: a character resembling our favorite monster is part of a gaggle of ghosts, ghouls and goons haunting a house. Not only are they haunting it, they're trying to hold onto it against an equally geeky gang of partying bop kats.

Yes, my young friends…before there were hippies there were beatniks, and before beatniks there were be-boppers or bop kats. Actually, all of these groups were just part of a continuous mid-century bohemian-scene stream, each generation with its own clothes and music to listen to, as well as its own slang. Almost. The word "cool" was still cool back then, just as it is now. "Cool" is one of those words that has stayed hot. Dig me, you crazy cubes?

If the story isn't exactly screamingly funny, in its own way it's entertaining. Besides the splash panel I like the little Casper the Friendly Ghost-type who looks like Peter Lorre. The bop kat with the big bop kat hat looks pretty funny, too, as do the panels of Frankenstein being swung by a dancing chick.

The artwork is an Iger Shop job, Slob!

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*Frankenstein Friday is a feature that began in Pappy's #17, continuing for several months until I ran out of material to post. Son Of Frankenstein Friday will be an occasional feature that will show up when I find something to post for you.