Black Cross by Chris Warner – Comics That Deserve a Second (Or First) Look

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Black Cross by Chris Warner

Black Cross took place in a violent future where the United States had become a battle ground and areas outside of safe zones were similar to the wild west.  The series was created, written and drawn by Chris Warner.

Black Cross was popular enough to spin-off into a mini-series, a couple of stand alone short comic stories and a one-shot. At one point, Black Cross was close to becoming a big screen feature with Howie Long in the title role. At about the same time another Black Cross mini-series was in the works called “My War.”  Neither it nor the movie ever happened.

Sadly, there’s never been a Black Cross omnibus.  Fans deserve a nice hardcover compilation of all the Black Cross material that Dark Horse published over the years.  Hopefully one day we’ll get one.  Until then Chris Warner’s Black Cross deserves a second (or first) look.

“Race with the Devil” and You Better be Fast as Hell!

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l saw Race with the Devil  when it first hit theaters in June of 1975.  I was almost driving age and so a movie about two couples on the run [in fast vehicles – cars, motorcycles and even a travel trailer] from satanists was perfect viewing.  I loved the movie.

Years later when I saw it again I was surprised that it didn’t hold up as well.  Still, it had enough moments to make it fun.  Race with the Devil  is a perfect drive-in movie.

Mike Torrance, Sly and Dolly!

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Mike Torrance aka The Krayola Kidd is back and he’s brought Sly and Dolly Parton from Rhinestone  with him!  This is one of my recent favorites!

Over the coming weeks/months I’ll be posting more of Mike’s sketch card commissions.  My goal is to eventually get a card for every character Sly has played.  We’re well on our way!

You can see more of Mike’s art at his Deviant Art site. Mike is available for commissions and his prices are very reasonable.

 

The TV Shows That Premiered 50 Years Ago!

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Recently The ’60s at 50 posted the September ’64 Television Debuts.   I was surprised that 50 years had passed but so many of the shows that premiered that season are still not only known, but are being regularly watched on retro channels.

The Shows and my thoughts…

‘Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea’ – I occasionally watched, but often found the concept cooler than than the execution.
‘Peyton Place’ –  Never watched it.
‘Shindig!’ – Occasionally watched but preferred Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.
‘Bewitched’ – Used to tune in regularly.  
‘Jonny Quest’ – Loved that show.  An all-time favorite cartoon.
‘The Addams Family’ – I watched but not regularly.  I was more a fan of  The Munsters.
’12 O’Clock High” – Never really watched it.
‘Flipper’ – As a kid I was a regular viewer.
 
‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ – I watched as often as I could.
‘The Munsters’ – I was a pretty regular viewer.
‘Daniel Boone’ – One of my favorite shows as a kid!
‘Gomer Pyle – USMC’ – We’d watch regularly.
‘Gilligan’s Island’ – We’d watch weekly.
‘My Living Doll’ – I don’t remember it, but with Julie Newmar co-starring, I’d be interested in giving it a look.
It would be interesting to see how other seasons held up after 50 years.  Nice one, The ’60s at 50.

48 Unexpected Views Of Historic Moments

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Here we have 48 Unexpected Views of Famous Events.

I love stuff like this.  Above we have,,,

Abraham Lincoln and General George McClellan in the general’s tent at Antietam [3 October, 1862]

While [appropriately] below we have…

A photograph taken by Scott’s British Antarctic Expedition to the South Pole, before they perished on their return journey. [1910]

If you click over you can also see photos of….

  • How massive the crowds were at Woodstock. [1969]
  • The photographs that inspired Norman Rockwell.
  • The back of the Hoover Dam just before it was submerged and never seen again. [1936]
  • View from the top on the opening day of the Empire State Building. [1931]
  • A large crowd, made up of many African Americans, mourn the death of Abraham Lincoln outside the Courthouse in Vicksburg, Mississippi. [1865]
  • A photo taken in secret of the Supreme Court in session, one of only two ever taken. [1932]
  • The last known photo of the Titanic above water. [1912]
  • The Beatles during their shoot for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. [1967]
  • Three men run in the marathon at the first modern Olympic Games. [1896]
  • Howard Carter Looking through the open doors of Tutankhamun’s Shrine. [January, 1924]
  • The only known photograph of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, before giving his famous address. [November 19, 1863]
  • An injured survivor of the Hindenburg smokes as he is carried to safety. [6 May, 1937]
  • Neil Armstrong photographed by Buzz Aldrin, shortly after walking on the moon. [1969]
  • The aftermath of Victory over Japan Day in New York. [14 August, 1945]
  • A Native American overlooks the newly completed Transcontinental railroad. [1868]
  • Race organizers attempt to stop Kathrine Switzer from competing in the Boston Marathon. She became the first woman to finish the race. [1967]
  • Wilbur Wright circles the Statue of Liberty in the Model A. [29 September, 1909]
  • The iceberg that is thought to have sunk the Titanic. Black and red paint is smeared along the side. [1912]
  • The models of “American Gothic” stand next to the painting
  • And more!

Hear Harry Houdini Speak!

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It’s a pretty safe bet that none of us ever saw Harry Houdini perform his famous Water Torture Cell live.

Now through the er, magic of the internet we can hear a live recording made October 29, 1914 of Harry Houdini offering his famous $1,000 Challenge to anyone who can prove that he could receive air once locked in his Water Torture Cell.

The original recordings are now in the David Copperfield Collection.

“Chamber of Horrors” with Fear Flasher & Horror Horn

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I remember when I first saw Chamber of Horrors.   It was on television.  I was a kid, like most, who loved monster movies.  The title was enough to suck me in.

“Chamber of Horrors.”

Yeaaah.

“A one-handed madman uses various detachable devices as murder weapons to gain revenge on those he believes have wronged him.”

Ok.  Deal me in.

The movie began and we learned that the motion picture contained scenes so terrifying that there would be a “Fear Flasher” and a “Horror Horn” to warn the audience to look away.

Yikes.

The opening scene had Patrick O’Neal force a Reverend to marry him to a corpse!  Wha —  What?!?

Not long after, O’Neal chopped off his own hand to escape the law.  He then returned with a detachable hook and other instruments of pain to exact revenge!

Although Chamber of Horrors  sounds gruesome, keep in mind it was on regular tv.   I loved it.

What kid wouldn’t?

I watched Chamber of Horrors  years later and it was still fun… although not nearly as scary as I remembered it.  I’ve embedded a taste below.

You know, I’ll bet if Chamber of Horrors  was remade it would do good business… and be a lot gorier.