Thursday, March 21, 2013

Random Comic Book Splash Page: Tower Of Shadows #8

For whatever reason, Marvel was never as successful at producing four-color mystery/horror/science fiction comic books as DC was. DC's genre titles like HOUSE OF MYSTERY, TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED, GHOSTS, and WEIRD WAR TALES ran for years, but Marvel had trouble keeping alive any book that didn't have superheroes in it.

Editor Stan Lee did try, however, many times. One of his efforts was TOWER OF SHADOWS, which chugged away for nine issues and a King-Size Special from 1969 to 1971. Despite words and art by top-notch comic book professionals, including Jim Steranko and Neal Adams, TOWER was a poor seller.

Among the book's triumphs was "Sanctuary!", which was both written and drawn by the legendary Wally Wood for TOWER OF SHADOWS #8.

TOWER lasted only one more issue before it converted to CREATURES ON THE LOOSE and presented new stories featuring King Kull, Gullivar Jones, Thongor, and Man-Wolf. CREATURES was cancelled after #37, and the conclusion of its delirously insane Man-Wolf arc was described in a text page in that issue by writer David Anthony Kraft.

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