Number 2396: The Wolf Men of Bucharest

Hillman Periodicals, publisher of Airboy Comics, also published crime comics, but not horror comics. That doesn’t mean they didn’t use elements of horror in some of their stories, such as “The Wolf Men of Bucharest,” from Airboy Comics Volume 5, Number 10 (whole number 57, 1948). Here we have wolves who run with men who dress like wolves, all part of a criminal gang.

The Grand Comics Database says this is a “true story.” Just because I have not heard the story before doesn’t mean it is untrue, but wonder if the GCD believes the slug in the splash panel that says, “A True Story.” I am prejudiced by a character in the story called Dracu. That name sounds too good to be true, therefore I doubt it is true.

The GCD credits Maurice Del Bourgo with the artwork, but does not credit a writer.

Number 2170: Airboy vs the rats, part 2

I showed the first part a couple of days ago, so if you haven’t read it you can go back.

You know what this story reminds me of? Those dopey movies they make for the SyFy Network. Not that dopey stories can’t be entertaining in their own way, but they are hard on the suspension of disbelief during a movie...even comic books. So it is with Airboy and the rats.

They introduce and kill off a “Dr. Eisner,” a “big scientist,” on page 3. Is this an inside joke, referring to Will Eisner? My guess is yes.

The script writer really went into “Aw, come on, man!” territory, and from me a big loud raspberry for the decision to blow up a major dam to get rid of the rats. Despite there being nothing even remotely believable in this epic, they should have seriously thought about bombing a dam as a solution.

From Airboy Comics Vol. 5 Number 12 (whole number 59, 1949). Cover by Dan Zolnerowich (“Zolne”, and the interior artwork by Ernest Schroeder.

Number 1716: Airboy to Val, more than a pal

The instant Airboy sees his old flame, Valkyrie, he and she are magnetized together. Lust is in the air, boy, when Valkyrie enters the room. One wonders with that lip-lock going on in the panel above how either of them got a word out.

Five years ago I showed the original story of Airboy’s Valkryrie. Just see the link below this story. I also have another link to another treat, a different Valkyrie: from Blackhawk, drawn by Reed Crandall.

But the Valkyrie we are concerned with today appeared in Airboy Comics Vol.3 No. 6 (1946). The artwork is by Fred Kida.

As promised, more Valkyrie(s)! Just click on the thumbnails.

Number 1575: Airboy fights the Ice People

A writer pulled out the stops when he wrote this Airboy opus. Airboy flies far north, then tangles with Ice-Incas, food gulls, and Vikings with no eyes. Really. What a crazy story. And I knew how truly crazy it was when I saw the panel where Airboy speculates the reason for the strange colors of the houses is because the sightless Vikings can’t see what they are painting! I stand all amazed, my friends...all amazed.

Writer unknown, artist is Ernest Schroeder. From Airboy Comics Vol 6 No. 5 (1949).

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Two more Airboy stories. I posted these both in 2010: