Badtime Stories: Front & Back, to Hell & Back

I was looking around on the internet today for an image of the front cover of Bernie Wrightson's Badtime Stories and couldn't find one. So I figured I'd fix that. Below are the front and back covers for Badtime Stories, published by Graphic Masters, 1972.






The book contains the following stories, which have been reprinted to hell and back:

"The Last Hunters." 7p. Reprinted in: Back for More (1978); Deja-Vu (1972); The Reaper of Love and Other Stories (1988); and Berni Wrightson: Master of the Macabre #3 (1983).

"Ain't She Sweet?" 7p. Reprinted in: Back for More (1978); Dead, She Said (2008 HC collection); The Reaper of Love and Other Stories (1988); and Berni Wrightson: Master of the Macabre #5 (1984).

"The Task..." 8p. Reprinted in: Freak Show (2005 HC collection); The Mutants (1980); The Reaper of Love and Other Stories (1988); and Berni Wrightson: Master of the Macabre #4 (1984).

"King of the Mountain, Man." 8p. Reprinted in: Back for More (1978); Deja-Vu (1972); The Reaper of Love and Other Stories (1988); and Berni Wrightson: Master of the Macabre #3 (1983).

"The Reaper of Love." 8p. Reprinted in: The Mutants (1980); and The Reaper of Love and Other Stories (1988).

"Uncle Bill's Barrel." 8p. Originally printed in Graphic Showcase #2 (1969). Reprinted in: Back for More (1978); and Berni Wrightson: Master of the Macabre #5 (1984).

Vaughn Bode's Warren Covers

The underground comic artist Vaughn Bode did several covers for James Warren's line of black and white horror magazines. Below are two collaborations with Jeff Jones and three with Larry Todd.




Vampirella #4, April 1970. Cover art by Vaughn Bode and Jeff Jones.




Eerie #27, May 1970. Cover art by Vaughn Bode and Jeff Jones.




Creepy #31, February 1970. Cover art by Vaughn Bode and Larry Todd.




Creepy #40, July 1971. Cover art by Vaughn Bode and Larry Todd.



Creepy #64, August 1974. Cover art by Vaughn Bode and Larry Todd.


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More Vaughn Bode fun:


Bode talks and draws at the 1974 Toronto Comic Con:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


Bode's Cartoon Concert:
Part 1
Part 2


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Romance Covers

Some romance paperback book covers. Nothing too trashy today...



Cover art for Something's Happened to Kate by Genevieve Holden. Ace Books, 1958. Unknown artist.




Cover art for The Blue Taper by Gimone Hall. Mafadden Books, 1970. Artwork by Raymond Kursar.




Cover art for So Near the Heart. Pyramid Books, n.d. Unknown artist.

Michael Kaluta and Starstruck

Starstruck was originally a stage play written by Elaine Lee with costume and set designs by Mike Kaluta. The play was first staged in 1980. Lee and Kaluta collaborated on a prequel to the play that was serialized in Heavy Metal magazine in 1982. These stories were later collected in a Marvel Graphic Novel. The graphic novel was followed by six issues of new material published by Marvel's Epic line of creator owned comics. Later, the Epic issues were reprinted by Dark Horse with new material added. Below are some images by Michael Kaluta from the Starstruck portfolio. The portfolio was published by Sal Q. Productions in 1980 in a signed & numbered edition of 2000. Below the portfolio images are scans of the original art for the Marvel Graphic Novel cover and the back cover for one of the Dark Horse issues.

Some Good Art

Here's a couple of nice things:



Sketch by Roy Krenkel, n.d.





Back Alley Chat by Sam Cherry. Paperback cover, c1950's.

Comic Book Ads

I really haven't posted much here lately that has to do with comic books. So here's some comic book and comic book related ads from the early 1970's.

Robert Kennedy Abbett: Cover Artist

Robert Kennedy Abbett (b. 1926) beginning in the late 1950's through the 1970's, painted hundreds of covers for science-fiction novels, war novels, and thrillers. If anyone reading this blog is familiar with Abbett, it is probably because of work on the Tarzan and John Carter of Mars novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Below are some scans of original art for some of the John Carter books and a few other genre titles. Abbett now paints wildlife and nature pictures.




Cover art for Bugged for Murder, 1961.




Unknown story illustration, n.d.




Cover art for Food of the Gods, 1963.




Cover art for Thuvia, Maid of Mars, 1963. This painting was deemed too risque for publication in 1963. Another cover was used, this one saw print in 1969.




Cover art for John Carter of Mars, 1965.




Cover art for Synthetic Men of Mars, 1963.

Gahan Wilson: Passport to World Band Radio

Some blog I was reading (I really can't remember which), led to this, which led to this interview with Gahan Wilson. From reading the interview, I found out Wilson had done some covers for a magazine called Passport to World Band Radio. Here's one of those covers. It is drawn in simpler style than most of Wilson's stuff, but is unmistakeably his.





I'm always a little behind on these things. From the above reading, I found out that Fantagraphics did a nice three volume edition of all of Gahan Wilson's cartoons for Playboy magazine.

Yay! My Own Sarnoff.

I've been posting about Arthur Sarnoff some lately. I just got my first original by him. It is a romance illustration, undated from an unknown source. I'm very fortunate to have obtained it. I ain't no decorator, but I think it may even look good in my living room.

Turok, Son of Stone

Along with posting some art by Bernie Wrightson, another thing you can never go wrong with is Turok, Son of Stone. Here are some scans of original art from some Turok comics. All art is attributed to George Wilson.



Art for Turok, Son of Stone #31, 1963.




Art for Turok, Son of Stone #33, 1963.




Art for Turok, Son of Stone #46, 1965.




Art for Turok, Son of Stone #86, 1973.





Art for Turok, Son of Stone #88, 1974.





This piece is likely a preliminary or for an issue that was never published, n.d.

Cigarette Cards: Polar Exploration

This is a set of cigarette cards from 1915. It doesn't really fit into the theme of fantasy comic book and illustration art, but I just have two sets of cigarette cards and don't want to start a cigarette card blog with only two posts. These cards are Series 1 of the Polar Exploration set. There was also a Series 2 released in 1916 that focused on Robert F. Scott's ill-fated 1912 expedition. These cards were produced by John Player and Sons.

I'll get back to some blood and guts or cheesecake later this week.