Hidden Gems: Sandman saves Christmas in “The Seal Men’s War on Santa Claus” (DC, 1982)

I've got a Santa Claus-sized Hidden Gem for you this Christmas, and it's penciled by none other than the King of Comics himself...Jack Kirby! Originally created as a feature in Sandman #7, “The Seal Men’s War on Santa Claus” never saw the light of day in the original Sandman series due to the title's cancellation, but eventually appeared in Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #22 five years later.

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Spotlight: Bissette & Veitch's Bedlam! (Eclipse, 1985)

"Welcome to Bedlam! The inmates are waiting for you..." - Stephen Bissette

Bedlam! was a two-issue collaboration between Stephen Bissette and Rick Veitch published by Eclipse Comics in 1985. It's a horror anthology of sorts with stories and artwork by both artists, and a lot of the stuff is pretty amazing.

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Unusual Heroes: Dracula #1 (Dell, 1966)

 

Although Halloween passed weeks ago, I never got a chance to post about Dracula, the Dell superhero version from 1966. Dell's Dracula was part of an attempt to merge Universal monsters into superhero form, and similar versions were released featuring Frankenstein and The Werewolf.

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Hidden Gems: "The Night of the Demon" from Haunted #36 (Charlton, 1978)

Today's gem is called "The Night of the Demon", a story that first appeared in Haunted #36.

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DC Diversions: Elvira's House of Mystery #11 (DC, 1987)

The one and only Mistress of the Dark took over DC's House of Mystery series for an eleven-issue run in 1986-87. This final issue was billed as a Giant-Sized Halloween Spectacular, and featured a beautiful cover by the late, great Dave Stevens.

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Horror-Mood: On A Pale Horse (Innovation, 1991)

 

I can't let Halloween pass us by without a few obscure Horror gems! First up is Innovation's adaption of Piers Anthony's On A Pale Horse, from his Incarnations of Immortality series. 

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Mystifying Marvels: Krull #1-2 (1983)

The 1983 Sci-fi movie Krull is a guilty pleasure of mine. There's a lot for me to like about this movie even if the acting wasn't so great: Amazing cinematography, a kickass weapon called the Glaive, Rell the Cyclops, a young Liam Neeson, and the Black Fortress and it's monstrous overlord, The Beast. The soundtrack is pretty fantastic as well.

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DC Diversions: Ekko

DC Diversions is a new feature here at OTBP that will take a look at some of the more obscure characters and hidden gems among the DC universe. Today's diversion is Ekko, a story that was featured in three issues (#4, 5 and 6) of New Talent Showcase in 1984.

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Spotlight: Gene Day's Black Zeppelin, Part Two

Part two of our spotlight on Gene Day's Black Zeppelin anthology continues into issue #2,  beginning with a sci-fi epic called "Quiet in the Green".

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Spotlight: Gene Day's Black Zeppelin, Part One

Gene Day was one of those rare creative minds where if you blinked...you missed him. Getting his start in Canadian fanzines and Skywald magazines such as Psycho and Nightmare, Day eventually moved into his dream job -- working for Marvel primarily as an inker for Master of Kung Fu, Star Wars and many more.

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