New release: 1964 saw not only the Spy Boom launched by Goldfinger and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., but also the British Invasion led by The Beatles and the continuation of the Monster Craze with new programs like The Munsters and The Addams Family. And even as the Universal Monsters reigned via TV syndication, model kits, and magazines like Famous Monsters of Filmland, there was still the kind of Cold-War anxiety about radiation and the Bomb that was reflected in the giant-mutant movies of the 1950s. Cue an independent film production from Connecticut about these tensions, mix in some teenagers, add a touch of surf music by the Del-Aires (ala Beach Boys 1961-1964), and you get a little monster cocktail called Horror of Party Beach! Note: this movie is a bomb- not the bomb, but it's still a fun ride. Maybe you saw the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version? Now Spy Vibers can dive into the deep end in glorious hi-definition with a new Blu-ray from Severin. From the press release: "In 1964, 20th Century Fox released an independent shocker – shot in two weeks for $50,000 outside Stamford, Connecticut by local producer/director Del Tenney – advertised as ‘The First Horror-Monster Musical’. More than 50 years later, this “absolute classic of exploitation cinema” (Legends Magazine) returns like you’ve never seen or heard it before: When nuclear waste dumped into the ocean mutates a shipwreck full of corpses, it will unleash an onslaught of bikini teens, surprising gore, dubious science, an intrepid maid, The Del-Aires, and arguably the greatest worst monsters in horror movie history. Severin is proud to present this cult favorite from “Connecticut’s own Ed Wood” (Stamford Advocate), now featuring a new 2k scan from the original negative and loaded with all-new Special Features like nothing that ever stalked this earth!" Bonus features include: Return to Party Beach: A Retrospective Documentary on The Horror of Party Beach, It’s the Living End: An Encounter with The Del-Aires – Interview with Band Members Bobby Osborne and Ronnie Linares, Shock & Roll: Filmmaker Tim Sullivan On Rock & Roll Horror Movies, Archival Interview with Director Del Tenney, Trailer. On DVD, Blu-ray and in a Blu-ray bundle with an enamel pin and your own beach ball! More info at Severin and Amazon. Below: Images from the Warren fumetti/photo-magazine by Wally Wood and Russ Jones, promo graphics, and video trailer for the new release. Enjoy!
New release: DC and Archie Comics have teamed up for a fun crossover between the Archie crew and Batman '66. We've seen many titles in the last couple of years that have partnered Adam West's TV Batman with great classic properties like The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Green Hornet, and The Avengers. But this kind of genre-bending and playful fantasy has been a staple in Archie comics ever since the Silver-Age days when the Archie universe embraced the 1960s mania for monsters, spies, and superheroes. The Archie franchise got a major boost a few years back when the company reconnected with these fantasy roots by publishing the amazing titles Afterlife With Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (both highly recommended!). In the wake of these successful horror titles, the Archies have also met up with rock and roll heroes like KISS and The Ramones, and even the old R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. spy days are sneaking back into the main character books. And now fans can look forward to seeing 60-style Batman join the fun. From the press release: "Two iconic comic book characters meet up for the first time in this historic crossover mini-series! A battle in Gotham City extends its reach into Riverdale – with Mr. Lodge becoming enemy #1 of the dynamic duo! Now it’s up to Veronica to recruit some help and place a call… to the Batcave! On July 18th, join the titanic talents of co-writers Jeff Parker and Michael Moreci, artists Dan Parent and J. Bone, colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick, and letterer Jack Morelli and gear up for comic crossover fun in ARCHIE MEETS BATMAN ’66 #1!" Coming mid-July to your local comic shops. Great cover variants below. Enjoy! And please stay tuned for news about my upcoming book about Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey)- a whopping 420+ page celebration of his prolific career. Related posts: My interview with Ralph Garman and Ty Templeton about Green Hornet Batman '66, My interview with Batman animation designer Shane Glines, Comics Week: Archie, Cold War Archie, 1966 Pep Spies, Comics Week: R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Agent Double 5, Cold War Comics, Siegel & Shuster's SPY, Cold War Comic Strips, Mort Walker Celebration, Mid-Century Modern Schulz, Beetle Bailey in Berlin, Mort Walker's James Bomb, Cold War Materials, Atomic Art, Spyman.
It's Halloween season, Spy Vibers! I was lucky to see a double feature last weekend of the original Universal Frankenstein films at the famous Castro Theater. It was so great to see some of those classic scenes on the giant screen. Karloff photographed so well in that dramatic lighting! Of course, the Universal monsters made a huge comeback in the 1950s and 1960s. They appeared in a long-running series with Abbott and Costello, were celebrated in monster magazines, and most kids in the early 1960s built Aurora model kits of their favorite monsters. Although they had started out as terrifying characters, kids from the Cold War era look back at the monsters with fondness, much in the same way Godzilla was eventually adopted as a kind of hero for children. The love of monsters also spawned shows like The Munsters and The Addams Family (inspired by the great comics by Charles Addams in The New Yorker). During the classic horror boom of the 1960s, Dell publishing set out to cash in on a few major characters, releasing comics such as Frankenstein: The Monster is Back!, The Mummy, Dracula, The Wolf Man, and The Creature in 1963-1964. Dell also used some of the character names to launch short comic series about hybrid superheroes (and a spy!): Frankenstein, Dracula, and Werwolf. The most interesting for Spy Vibers was Werewolf, which lasted three issues between 1966-1967. A radical departure from the usual horror adaptation, the comic centered around a pilot who crashed in the arctic circle and was trained by wolves. Once he and his wolf companion were rescued, he was recruited to work as a top spy with the aid of gadgets and a hypnotic treatment that enabled him to change his face at will. Handy! Dive deeper into the series over at 4th Letter here and Gorilla Daze here. In other news, check out my episodes of the Cocktail Nation radio show, where I introduce classic spy films/TV series and play soundtracks and rare cuts: Episode #1 (Danger Man) and Episode #2 (The 10th Victim), Epsiode #3 (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), Episode #4 (Roger Moore/The Saint), andEpisode #5 (The Avengers). Episode #6 (The Prisoner), and Episode #7 (The Ipcress File). Enjoy!
The classic series Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robotcelebrated its 50th anniversary this week. After languishing in the grey market for years, fans of Japanese tokusatsu and kaiju were excited to finally see a DVD release by Shout! Factory in 2013. "'Robot, attack! Robot, destroy!' These commands launched a thousand sci-fi fantasies for budding fans of the genre, just as they brought Johnny Sokko’s Giant Robot into imminent battle action! Under the voice control of young Johnny Sokko, the massive, flying metal behemoth would bring his fiery breath, laser eyes, finger-launched missiles and, above all, his physical strength into battle with countless menacing monsters bent on destroying the Earth! This epic fantasy series from Toei Studios aired from 1967 to 1968 and garnered even more fans in after-school reruns throughout the 70s." Like a number of sci-fi monster-related shows from the era, Toei also wove in elements of Cold War themes. More below.
What is the show about? Join me for a brief tour: The Earth is invaded by a terrorist group called Big Fire (Gargoyle in the US), led by Emperor Guillotine, who commands his minions of henchman and captured scientists (who make monsters- natch!) from his ship beneath the ocean. Enter Johnny Sokko (Daisuke Kusama in Japan), who meets up with a dashing young man, Jerry Mano (Juro Minami in Japan), on a cruise ship. Johnny discovers that Jerry is, in fact, Agent U3 for a top-secret peacekeeping organization called Unicorn! Jerry’s cover is blown when his pen starts ringing. (oops! sounds like Get Smart). Jerry extends an antenna and contacts his boss at HQ- a rather colorful version of U.N.C.L.E. headquarters. The ship is attacked by a giant sea monster, and our two heroes find themselves castaways on a beach and captured by the alien terrorists. The baddies in Johnny Sokko are designed with a wonderful mix of elements to portray their evil intent- black berets, sunglasses, Nazi salutes, and sci-fi makeup. Jerry and Johnny break free and an intense gunfight ensues that would never been seen in a US-produced kid’s show. Jerry even uses a guard as a shield! The poor henchman doesn’t stand a chance and his pals riddle him with bullets. Even Johnny is armed with a pistol and looks super heroic, despite his tiny shorts. I think the necktie adds some authority!
The series is fast-paced and fun. Jerry and Johnny race through corridors and down an elevator, where they discover the Giant Robot and a scientist who has been held prisoner to do Guillotine’s bidding. The man gives Johnny the robot’s control-watch. In James Bond fashion, the heroes blow up the secret lair and shoot it out on the beach. When things get desperate Jerry reminds the kid that he now possesses the watch that controls the robot. The boy flips open the top, makes his first commands, and a franchise is born! Johnny is brought into Unicorn as Agent U7, and joins the secret fight against the alien terrorists. It's interesting to note that as this series was winding down, Gerry Anderson was recruiting another young boy (in puppet form) for a new sic-spy program called Joe 90.
It was interesting to talk with my friend, translator Fred Schodt (Astro Boy) about the violence that we see in Japanese pop culture. There is an edge to the storytelling, seen even in live-action and animated shows from the early 1960s, which remains compelling for American viewers. Johnny Quest may have been cool and dangerous for its time, but imagine if Johnny Quest, like Sokko, had been allowed to carry a pistol and command a giant robot! In Japan there is generally a greater distinction between fantasy and reality, which is how creators in Japan have generally explained the graphic tone of their content. They didn’t have a Dr. Wertham, for example, leading a Congressional charge that comics were inciting youth to violence. Fred Schodt agreed, and added that Japan’s low crime rate, gun control, and overall group-sensitivity in the culture would help maintain a boundary between fantasy and what can be expected to happen in real life. But as Japan experiences more of the kind of violence that happens in the US, he added, maybe those lines will blur and the graphic tone will become an issue.
