This one has an interesting past. Comic historian Don Markstein considers this to be "America's first on-going comic book series to fall squarely within the horror genre." In this case, Frankenstein refers to the monster itself rather than its creator. Created by Dick Briefer, he first appeared in Prize Comics #7 (December 1940); and continued as a feature in Prize Comics until 1948, when the title switched to a western format. In the beginning, the character was a rampaging monster, but turned into a Nazi-hater in 1943. By 1945, Briefer changed focus and Frankenstein was written and drawn just for laughs, becoming the "Merry Monster," cavorting with Dracul, the Wolf Man, and other monsters in a small town. Also in 1945, he achieved his own title, Frankenstein, which included a humorous version of the creature's origins. The title continued until February 1949, the last few issues retitled The Monster of Frankenstein. Again, there was a switch in focus halfway through the run; according to Markstein, "A total of 33 issues were published, 17 containing 1940s hilarity and 16 with 1950s gore.
In this issue:
- "The Battle of the Monsters" Frankenstein is washed shore on a tropical island following a shipwreck. The evil natives attempt to kill him by pitting him against first a giant crocodile. then a man-eating lion, booth of which he easily defeats. They then lead him to an active volcano where two stranded white persons have been chained as a sacrifice to the gods. He free them, the volcano explodes, raining lave and death upon the natives, and Frankenstein and the two survivors head out to sea in a boat, where the two are rescued.
- "The Beautiful Dead" Frankenstein is on the run from angry townsfolks. He dashes into a building for safety. It is a storage building for mannikins with sheet-covered bodies lying on tables. He climbs on a table and pulls a sheet over himself. While waiting for the mob to disperse, he examines the other bodies and discover one of a beautiful woman. Something compels him. He must have this body to keep. He takes the mannikin and hides in an abandoned house deep in the woods. There, while Frankenstein is out doing something, dunno what), two bums break in, looking for shelter. They are surprised to see the beautiful woman and even more surprised to see that she is a wax figure. They light a fire and the figure melts. when Frankenstein discovers this, he goes on a rampage. Later he goes out foraging for food but all the animals manage to avoid him. He spies a large bird resting atop some electrical wires. He reaches for the bird and is electrocuted. When his body is found, he is dead (or so they thin). Now his body rest on a table in a different room, covered by a sheet, among many others of the dead. He awakens and checks out the other bodies in the morgue and, lo and behold!, there is a body of another beautiful woman! He steals that corpse and hides her in another abandoned house, coming back one day to find to his horror that this beautiful woman's body has started to rot!
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