Number 933
Ghost pirates of Skull Valley
Ghost pirates sound like Pirates Of the Caribbean, but this tall tale of a ship full of specters comes from Fiction House's Ranger Comics #54, published in 1950.
The moody, dramatic and cinematic adventures of Dr. Drew, the ghost hunter, were done in the style of the Eisner studio, drawn by Will Eisner assistant Jerry Grandenetti.
I've shown other Secret Files of Dr. Drew stories in Pappy's #571 and Pappy's #735.
I wonder of the writer of the movie Goonies read this story as a kid. There's a pirate ship trapped in an underground chamber in that film too.
ReplyDeleteWow! I've only seen Grandenetti in the Warren magazines, especially Eerie. Great layouts, great design, the Eisnery figures here are a suprise to me. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCharles, as to whether the writer of Goonies read this I don't know, but the movie/comics connection is always close, so all I can say is, "could be!"
ReplyDeleteIt's no surprise that Grandenetti here looks like Eisner, since as you said he worked for Eisner and ghosted for Eisner on countless SPIRIT's...who knows how many 'classic' SPIRIT stories were in fact all Grandenetti and not Eisner at all? Who influenced who? Indeed?
ReplyDeleteI love this old style Eisner-esque Grandenetti. When he was doing all the 60's horror for Warren he was too loose and nightmarish for my sensibilities, like primal scream art, very visceral. He is a veritable artistic genius nonetheless.
T'anks, Pap!
Apocolyte, people seem to have one opinion or another of Grandenetti, liking his work or hating it. I liked his Warren work. I wouldn't want to look at it all the time, but it was dramatic and so distinctive I could spot it from across the room.
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