My Rating
Frankenstein’s Creation
On a dark and gloomy night, high above a sinister looking mountain, a elderly scientist sits in his crumbling castle. The man dreads the month of November as it is a time of boredom and unwanted inner reflection. Oh what can he do to pass the time? Across the library where this conflict is taking place a black cat pushes a large book to the stone floor. The doctor hobbles across the room to examine the context of the tomb. It is none other than Mary Shellie’s novel Frankenstein. “Yes, that’s what I will create”, the old man shouts!
The days within November and December come and go as the scientist travels here and there collecting various body parts from local morticians and embalmers. In a ghoulish manor, the body of a modern frankenstein specimen is created. Now all that is needed is the perfect storm. Lightning is the key to unlocking necro-flesh. It shall be perfect!
Will the doctor’s serum work with the high voltage of the oncoming storm! Is the brain implanted into the specimen safe for human use? Why is that white rabbit attacking the black cat?
Ghouls and Vampires
The mad doctor’s castle has been destroyed and the Frankenstein monster has fled to safety. Just how safe is the pacifist Frankenstein in a town filled with nervous nellies? Unknownst to the townsfolk, a group of vampires and their ghouls have invaded their gated community. What are they to do? Hire a monster to evict a monster!
A local hires Frankenstein to rid the town but is advertised as a local singing sensation. The hep-cat women all line up for a chance to meet their teenage idol, Frankie Singatra. Wait till they get a load of this guy!
Can Frankenstein help the town from being robbed of their blood supplies? Will Frankie put on the concert of a lifetime? How do vampires and ghouls interact anyway?
Wife
Being rewarded for his heroism, Frankenstein is gifted a “fixer-upper” house on the outskirts of town. He has become quite the celebrity. Now he sits in his den talking with his newest friends. Say hello to the rats, bats, and spiders. They are such nice people to talk with but, Frankenstein needs the companionship of a nice young lady.
Over the next few months our hero joins several penpal services and some nice romantic correspondence with the female of the area. They seem very nice with their frilly words and perfume soaked stationary. Frankenstein grows more lonely. Then one day his front doorbell rings.
A ghoulish looking woman unknown to Frankenstein pushes her way into his life. With suitcases in hand the woman makes her way through the door and the fun begins. Is “poopsie” really the key to her “mousy-wowsie” happiness? Frankenstein, you get what you pray for…sometimes.
Are there wedding bells in Frankensteins future? Was there a prenuptial agreement back in the good ol’ days? How much wealth does our hero really prepared to lose?
Frankenstein and the Mananimals
Another mad scientist has made the scene and he is desperately trying to perfect Mary Shellie’s Dr. Frankenstein formula. All this maniac needs is some blood from our Frankenstein hero! Look out Frank, these animal-human hybrids mean business!
Will Frankenstein number one take out all of the other Frankenstein wannabes? How far is Hugo von Hoogenblotzen willing to go to realize his dream of world domination? Just how many mad scientists are there in the world of 1945? Collect the series to find out!
Reviewer Notes
If you are looking for comedy and horror themed comics from the golden ages, Prize Publication’s “Frankenstein” is the book to read. I seen some of the original artwork by Dick Briefer on Pinterest and fell in love with the style. This is very Art Deco’ish but not in the format of modern comic books. Back then the pages were very standardized in the block style layout.
In the case for Frankenstein, Dick Briefer makes this work with variations in the cell style. I really love this art style. You can read full issues on Comic Book Plus in the Prize Publication section. The scans there are very good for the age when they were printed (1945).
Even though the stories are short, four per book, they are very well written with humor taking priority over cheap scares. I would compare these stories to the likes of Abbott and Costello meets Frankenstein, or a three stooges short. Early Warner Brothers Bugs Bunny cartoons are another reference that I can use. It is very accessible for adults and children.
I’m giving this introduction to the Frankenstein universe four out of five stars. I just wish I could get my hands on some of the original books. That would be a stellar find.
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