Mr. Monster: His Books of Forbidden Knowledge, Volume Zero by TwoMorrows Publishing

Volume Zero

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Volume Zero compilation of stories culled from the secret archives of Mr. Monster. This book contains knowledge of a select and forbidden nature! Under no circumstances should the information contained herein be released to the general public!

MONSTER HUNTER

DEDICATED TO

GEORGE EVANS, HARVEY KURTZMAN, AND THE EC GANG! Special thanks to Jon B. Cooke, John and Pam Morrow, Batton Lash, Jackie Estrada, Mark Martin, Keith Giffen, Paul Chadwick, Mike Richardson, Kevin Eastman, Francisco “Paco” Rodriques, Cesar Ferioli, Marc H. Cawiezel, Ken Bruzenak, Kevin Horn and Darcy —and especially Dave Elliott, Bob Chapman, and my dear wife, Janet!

Printed in Canada • First Printing, July 2001 ISBN 1-893905-07-1

Please be sure to check out the TwoMorrows family of fine magazines and books, including Alter Ego, Back Issue, The Jack Kirby Collector, Draw!, and BrickJournal. For a free catalog detailing the publications, please e-mail twomorrow@aol.com; drop us a letter at TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614; call (919) 449-0344, or visit our Web site at www.twomorrows.com

His Books of Forbidden Knowledge

Doc Stearn… Mr. Monster, the logo and all distinctive likenesses therefor are and ©2001 by Michael T. Gilbert. Trencher and ©2001 by Keith Giffen. Blackball characters and ©2001 by their respective creators. Concrete and ©2001 by Paul Chadwick. Samhain and ©2001 by Glenn Danzig. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and ©2001 by Walt Disney Co. All rights reserved.

® ® ®

Publishers: John & Pam Morrow Editor/Book Design: Michael T. Gilbert Design/Typography: Jon B. Cooke Main Lettering: Ken Bruzenak Coloring: Kevin Horn

Published by:

TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614 Please send comments to Michael T. Gilbert at:

mgilbert@efn.org A free Mr. Monster back-issue e-mail catalogue will be sent at your request

MR. MONSTER: HIS BOOKS OF FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE VOLUME ZERO

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION George Evans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 FOREWORD Michael T. Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 THE STORIES His World by Michael T. Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Thing in Stiff Alley by Chuck Gamble, Chuck Wacome & MTG . . . . . . . . . 25 Dodo Death by Brian Buniak & Donnie Jupiter (intro by MTG) . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Inklings by Terry Beatty & Michael T. Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 In the Dumps by Michael T. Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Li’l Doc by Michael T. Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 The Collector by Michael T. Gilbert & Kerry Talbot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Never Touch a Satan Glass by Michael T. Gilbert & Keith Giffen . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Sunday Funnies by Michael T. Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Midnight Snack by Michael T. Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Oooak! by Michael T. Gilbert & Mark Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 SPECIAL FEATURES The Mr. Monster Creature Alphabet by Ken Bruzenak & Michael T. Gilbert . . 10 Chiller Cheesecake by Michael T. Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Mr. Monster Checklist by Marc H. Cawiezel & Jon B. Cooke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Duck Stearn? by Michael T. Gilbert, Cesar Ferioli & Francisco Rodriques . . . . . . . 67 Mr. Monster Interview by Michael T. Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Plus art and pin-ups by George Evans, Sam Glanzman, Michael T. Gilbert, Paul Chadwick & Denis Kitchen 4

INTRODUCTION by George Evans r. Michael T. Gilbert could have (and probably should have!) gotten a more erudite soul than me to introduce you to him, his book, and his formidable character, Mr. Monster. But he was an old EC fan, turned from the paths of righteousness by the lot of us, and with the fujiting of tempus, the list of possible introducers had dwindled. So, let erudition and “literary FORM” be hanged, here goes: Though asked to introduce Michael T., I haven’t actually met him myself, except through his work and exchanges of letters, cards and such. That’s all to the good though, for you as readers aren’t likely to’ve met him in person either, and will do so in the same way as I did: through his writing, his art, his different and unusual version of a “Super-hero.” Be it known right off that through all the years of comics work, I could never take to the legions of rubber-stamped characters called “super-heroes.” That’s exactly why I have enjoyed Michael’s Mr. Monster and his approach.

Granted, every viewer brings something of him/herself to the offering in hand. For me, I’ve enjoyed Mr. Monster as a spoof, a send-up, a lampoon, of the whole genre of “Supes.” And, of horror tales. For those who hold both cults utterly sacred, there’s no problem in enjoying Michael’s stuff. Characters, stories, text-and-art, can be thoroughly enjoyable in that light. Those “screwed up” enough to take them as a fun-look at same… as “one step beyond” fantasies… we can see Michael T. and Co. working industriously away with tongue slyly in cheek. That’s how I always (yep, always!) took the entire field of multi-colored longjohn “Heroes” and “Heroines.“ My own brief stint working on them was with Marvel’s assortment. For those I was to do, they provided plenty of reference (scrap), so the images were no problem. But the scripts I got were by Tony Isabella, who couldn’t throttle an irrepressible sense of humor in describing the impossible antics and desired atmosphere. Jumping to the thought that a little self-kidding was acceptable, I drew them with my own tongue in cheek. Delivering the pages, no one said a thing. But when the stories appeared in print, the offending panels had been redrawn by staff to the perpetually-inane absurdities that still make up the Superhero books. Having written that, let me say that I realize those editors were right, I wrong. They know their audience, and how said audience wants to see their pet characters and the unreal things they do to resolve the plot’s threats and problems. You don’t offend the regular buyers who turn over their buck, and the principle here is obviously the same formulaprinciple handed down to musicians in the old “Tin Pan Alley” era: “Don’t give me new-new songs! Give me a song that reminds me of an OLD song I loved!” Thus “formula plotting and writing.” But it switched me off S-H’s, even though editor-friends advised me their rates were better and they were always looking for “team players.” Finding in Michael’s approach the wry fun I felt, feel, the S-H stuff needs, it tickled me. Oh, all the goodies of sci-fi, fantasy, weird, horror, etc. are in his work, in plenty. If M.T. had not himself asserted it, it’s plain to see that he had dug up (pun intended!) all the things that tingle the scalp, curdle the blood, make you rush past dark places faster than you know you can do. He’s drooled over the old books, magazines, old-time radio shows, the still-beloved movies, and now TV. And of course, EC. All those, and countless other sources, have kept alive for us today the awful terrors that chilled and thrilled the bones and blood of our caveman A recent drawing of George Evans by grandson Roger Peterson.

(OKAY, OKAY! CAVE-PEOPLE, or CAVEPERSONS, or whatever you want!) ancestors, as they sheltered behind the cave-mouth fires and relived them—or invented them. Oddly, while their own talented buddies (yeah!—it was MEN who did ’em) drew and painted on the cave walls CONTINUITIES of the tales. The first comic books. And in Mr. Monster, Michael carries on, jangling our nerves like alarm bells. With the added element I’ve been talking about: FUN! To his bubbling stew of Supes add Vampires and Ghouls and Ghosts and Zombies and (Yecccchhhh!!!) unspeakable monsters to the too-sober, too-serious, too-pedantic, and just too-damned-pompous; Michael stirs in the salt, George’s entry for the National Cartoonists’ Society 1996 Yearbook. pepper and spices of wit, and satire, and spoof, and yes, irreverence. Sort of like a couple of fellows of a century or so gone named W.S. Gilbert (forbear, Michael?) and Sir Arthur Sullivan did in verse and music to the hidebound foibles and fops of their own time. If I’ve erred in my conception, Michael T.—don’t enlighten me. I like it! That was to be the end, but rereading, I see I must make a big point: Captions and dialogue balloons scattered haphazardly all over the pictures never enchanted me. All too many practitioners of this just slow down their tales and confuse the continuity’s flow (not to mention driving the artist nuts). In the Mr. Monster tales as conceived, written, directed and drawn by Michael T. Gilbert— it works. Text, art, and breakneck action are like a mountain creek tumbling happily down its bouldered way, hurrying with it the dancing boat that carries our story and its dauntless characters forward.

At 81, GEORGE EVANS is best known for classic comic art for such titles as EC’s Tales from the Crypt in the 1950s—as well as writing and drawing the Secret Agent Corrigan newspaper strip from 1980 to 1992. His grandson, Roger Peterson, continues the family tradition—illustrating horror comics such as Kitchen Sink’s Death Rattle and DC’s Swamp Thing.

FOREWORD by Michael T. Gilbert ou hold in your hands a very strange book. Part scrapbook, part memoir, part who-knows-what! Forbidden Knowledge is mainly a long-overdue collection of stray Mr. Monster stories, culled from various anthology comics. I’m grateful to Jon B. Cooke for suggesting this book, and to John Morrow for publishing it. It’ll certainly make life easier for you Mr. Monster fans! No more rummaging through musty back-issue bins for old issues of Dark Horse Presents, Crack-A-Boom! or A-1 magazine in hopes of snagging the lone Mr. Monster story buried within. No more frustrating searches through decaying comic shops for the odd Mr. Monster pin-up or cover. No, sir! We’ve gathered them right here, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the show. Buried within are pin-ups and checklists and rubber stamp alphabets and lots of neat surprises. You’ll find new art by my favorite cartoonists, and over 30 pages of rare, unpublished Mr. Monster material. Strange, twisted tales—hidden for generations from decent society. Until now. All sorts of Forbidden Knowledge. Which brings us to our title: Mr. Monster: His Books Of Forbidden Knowledge—Volume Zero! This book is actually the second in our “Forbidden Knowledge” reprint series (New York book publisher Marlowe & Co. printed the first one in 1996). Volume 1 reprinted the very first Mr. Monster stories from 1984-1986, in color. The stories in this book were drawn later, in black-&-white. In a few instances I’ve made minor improvements in the art and lettering. I couldn’t pass up the chance to correct mistakes that have bugged me for years. But getting back to our title… Layout from page three of my very first Mr. Monster story. Notice that Strongfort Stearn and Kelly were briefly called Samuel Sternn and Mary in this early version! Why Zero, you ask? Well, the stories in this collection largely fall outside the usual Mr. Monster continuity. As such, Volume Zero sounded good. This book includes all the Mr. Monster tales from Dark Horse Presents, Crack-A-Boom! and one of the two A-1 magazine stories.

The second A-1 story, “The Absolutely Coolest Mr. Monster Story... Ever!,” was designed to showcase a series of Dave Dorman Mr. Monster paintings. A-1 published a black-&-white version of the story in 1989—followed three years later by a

full-color printing in the third issue of Mr. Monster Attacks! Since the gray-toned version is the weaker of the two, we opted to omit it from this collection. So who is Mr. Monster? Well, most of you already know the answer to that. But for those who don’t... Mr. Monster is the world’s greatest monsterfighter. My first MM story appeared in issue 7 of Vanguard Illustrated in July 1984—inspired by a shortlived 1940s hero of the same name. Only one chapter of my first Mr. Monster story appeared before publisher Pacific Comics went bankrupt. From there, Mr. Monster skipped to Eclipse Publishing, then to the newly-formed Dark Horse Comics a couple of years later. My stories for Eclipse had generally been light and goofy. At Dark Horse, I decided to try a more serious take on Mr. Monster. I’d already taken a few steps in that direction in the 1987 Airboy/Mr. Monster Special—which teamed Mr. Monster with another revamped Golden Age hero, Airboy. This was my final Eclipse project, and a fairly grim one. “The Cafe At The Edge Of The World” told the story of Everett Coleman, a bitter, alcoholic cartoonist whose creations push him to the very brink of suicide. At 39 pages, it was my most serious and ambitious Mr. Monster story. Halfway through “Cafe,” an even longer, darker tale began taking shape. I quickly jotted down my ideas for a complex Mr. Monster origin story on two sides of a single 6" x 9" piece of paper (reprinted here). Later, when publisher Mike Richardson invited me to join Dark Horse, I pitched “Origins.” At the time, I thought my story would be a little over 100 pages. Little did I know! “Origins” eventually grew into twice that length, and the eight-issue series took over three years to complete. During that time, I worked on other smaller projects to keep from going crazy—including lighter Mr. Monster stories for Dave Elliott and Garry Leach’s A-1 anthology and the four Dark Horse Presents stories reprinted here. “Origins” was collected in book form in 1996, but this is the first time all four Dark Horse Presents stories have been gathered together. We’ll discuss them all later. Right now, we’ve got comics to read!

Above: my original two-page plot for “Origins.” It’s interesting to see what changed and what didn’t! Next page: Unused “Origins” cover.

KEN BRUZENAK! Lettering is an often overlooked and underappreciated art. Ken Bruzenak’s moody calligraphy has been a vital part of Mr. Monster since the strip began in 1983. No logo is too daunting for this humble lettering ace, no lettering challenge too difficult. But don’t take my word for it—just check out the Mr. Monster Creature Alphabet! Back in 1987, I came up with an idea for the Official Mr. Monster Rubber Stamp Creature Alphabet. Ken took my rough sketches and delivered a delightfully gruesome set of man-eating letters! The set never sold, but Ken’s fans will enjoy this small example of his letter-perfect artistry.—MTG

THE STORIES! Let’s start with a quick rundown of the four Mr. Monster tales published in Dark Horse Presents—beginning with… “His World” (Dark Horse Presents #14, January 1988). This was my first Dark Horse story, and a good warm-up for “Origins.” Though lighter than either “Cafe” or “Origins,” “His World” was still done with a straighter face than most of my previous stories—and served as re-introduction of Mr. Monster to his new Dark Horse readers.

“The Thing In Stiff Alley” (Dark Horse Presents #20, August 1988). I began working with other artists and writers during my Eclipse run. It was fun, and helped during tight deadlines. At Dark Horse, the artistic “give-&-take” of my DHP collaborations became a welcome change from my solo “Origins” work. “Stiff Alley,” was one of these. This funny four-pager began as a “blind” fan submission from cartoonist and Mr. Monster fan Chuck Gamble. I loved Chuck’s story and passed it on to Charles Wacome, another long-time Mr. Monster fan, for penciling. Then I inked the strange beast! The results? A story only a true rat-lover could love!

“Inklings!” (Dark Horse Presents #28, March 1989). This began as another fan submission. But this “fan” was a seasoned pro—and one of the nicest gentlemen in the business! The gent in question was Terry Beatty, co-creator of the tough-asnails private eye, Ms. Tree. The strip, written by novelist Max Collins and drawn by Terry, has long been a favorite of mine. Naturally, I was surprised and delighted when Terry’s frightfully funny “Inklings” script landed in my P.O. box. Needless to say, I loved it!

I drew detailed layouts for the story, expanding it in the process. As always, the art Terry delivered was a delight—and his clean, retro-1950s cartooning was perfect for the story. “Inklings!” was right up my alley, featuring a thinly disguised take-off of legendary EC artist Graham Ingels—the godfather of comic book horror! Ingels’ gruesome art for Tales of the Crypt and similar titles set the standard for the genre. A terrible binge-drinker during his EC days, Graham Ingels eventually beat his problem—and promptly quit comics! He vanished into the wilds of Florida, painting and teaching until his death in 1991. Like Terry’s “Grisly” Graham Griswald, “Ghastly” Graham seemed haunted by his past life. To the end, Ingels refused to even discuss his comics career. Strange, but true!

“Dodo Death!” (Dark Horse Presents #33, September 1989). This tale comes to us courtesy of cartoonists Brian Buniak and Donnie Jupiter. Brian’s known in the comics field for his beautiful art on Marty Greim’s Thunder-Bunny in the mid-’80s, and his work for Cracked and Mad magazine. I first became friends with Brian in 1974, when he submitted a wonderful “Spirit” parody to my underground comic, New Paltz Comix. Brian sent me his “Dodos!” script during my Eclipse run, but it was actually drawn a couple of years later—primarily as a showcase for the Frazetta-inspired art of his friend, Donnie Jupiter. Their beautifully-illustrated story was the last Dark Horse Presents Mr. Monster tale. My cover and three-page “framing sequence” completed the package.

Michael T. Gilbert and Paul Chadwick jam on this cover art to Amazing Heroes #133 (Jan. 15, 1988), the 1988 Preview Special, featuring their respective characters. Concrete ©2001 Paul Chadwick. Amazing Heroes ©2001 Fantagraphics, Inc.

MORE STORIES! And that takes care of Dark Horse Presents. But don’t worry, knowledge-fiends—we’ve got lots more terror-tales coming! Keep your eyes peeled for... “Eel’s Well That Ends Well!” (Crack-A-Boom! #2, 1997). This was my second story featuring a six-year-old Mr. Monster. Young Strongfort Stearn had already appeared in “Origins” in a more serious context. Here, I tried for whimsy. Inspired by the old Little Archie comic books, I tried to picture Mr. Monster as a silly 1950s kid comic. Tundra commissioned it in 1992, and Caliber Press published it five years later.

“Oooak!” (previously unpublished). “Oooak!” is my loving tribute to the great old Stan Lee/Jack Kirby monster comics that grew like weeds in the late ’50s and early ’60s— shortly before the duo created the Fantastic Four, Thor and the Hulk. It’s also a warm “tip-of-the-hat” to Harvey Kurtzman’s hilarious Mad comic books. I wrote and laid out the story in 1992, for the humor/horror anthology, Crack-A-Boom! The absurdly talented Mark Martin drew it back then, and recently added gray-tones for this printing. Those of you who enjoy weird humor should check out Mark’s nutty website at: http://www.markmartin.net/

“The Collector” (Crack-A-Boom! #1, 1997). Looking for a story with a neat snap ending? Don’t miss this one! “The Collector” comes to us courtesy of cartoonist Kerry Talbot, with script and layouts by yours truly. Kerry’s a professional newspaper illustrator for the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia and a long-time Mr. Monster fan. A few years back, Kerry sent me copies of some beautiful Mr. Monster pin-ups he’d painted—and I returned the favor by creating a story for him. “The Collector,” was Kerry’s first comic book story—and a great one!

“In The Dumps” (A-1 True-life Bikini Special, 1990). This story was a sneaky little trick on my part. My editors needed a sexy story for their Bikini Special—but I wanted to draw a silent story featuring cute little kids. With a little slight-of-hand, I managed to do both! A color version of the story (without the pin-ups) appeared in Tundra’s Mr. Monster Attacks! Full-page pin-ups from the story (without Mr. Monster!) saw print in an Eros title, Vegetable Lover. I’ve relettered and reworked the art slightly for this printing.

“Midnight Snack” (previously unpublished). This silly one-page wonder was drawn in 1992 for Kevin Eastman’s Words And Pictures museum. Paul Chadwick and I jammed on this cover for Dark Horse Presents #14.

CHILLER CHEESECAKE! Sometime in the late ’80s, Amazing Heroes magazine came up with a startlingly original idea. Namely: Sex sells! Swiping a page from Sports Illustrated’s phenomenally successful “Swimsuit Issue,” the magazine instituted their own annual swimsuit special, featuring scantily-clad super-heroes of both genders. Here’s two featuring Mr. Monster and Kelly!—MTG

The Absolutely, Positively, Coolest Mr. Monster

CHECKLIST! ONE DARN THOROUGH LISTING OF ALL OF DOC STEARN’S APPEARANCES TO DATE! Compiled by Marc H. Cawiezel & Jon B. Cooke A-1 Book 2, 1989. MM cover (John Bolton); “…The Absolutely, Positively Coolest Mr. Monster Story Ever,” MTG, Dave Dorman, 10 pgs. Atomeka Press (British). A-1 True Life Bikini Confidential #1/A-1 Special Book Vol. 1, #1, 1990. MM cover; “Mr. Monster in the Dumps,” 8 pgs. Atomeka Press (British). Airboy #28, Aug. 18, 1987: Cover mention, back-up prologue leads into Airboy-Mr. Monster Special, Mark Pacella, 11 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Airboy-Mr. Monster Special #1, Aug. 1987. MM cover (Mark Pacella); Marc Pacella/Ken Hooper, 28 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Alter Ego Vol. 3, #1, Summer 1999. “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt,” MTG, 1 pg. TwoMorrows. Alter Ego Vol. 3, #2, Fall 1999. “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt,” MTG, 2 pgs. TwoMorrows. Alter Ego Vol. 3, #3, Win. 1999/2000. “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt,” MTG, 2 pgs. TwoMorrows. Alter Ego Vol. 3, #4, Spring 2000. “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt,” MTG, 1 pg. TwoMorrows. Alter Ego Vol. 3, #5, Summer 2000. “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt,” MTG, 1 pg. TwoMorrows. Alter Ego Vol. 3, #6, Autumn 2000. “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt,” MTG, header only, TwoMorrows. Alter Ego Vol. 3, #7, Winter 2001. “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt,” MTG, 2 pgs., TwoMorrows. Alter Ego Vol. 3, #8, Spring 2001. “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt,” MTG, 2 pgs., TwoMorrows. Amazing Heroes #53, 1984. MTG interview. Fantagraphics. Amazing Heroes #77, Aug. 15, 1985. MM cover (MTG), MTG interview. Fantagraphics. Amazing Heroes #133, Jan. 15, 1988. MM cover (MTG); preview. Fantagraphics. Amazing Heroes #164, May 1, ’89. Swimsuit Special ’89. MM pin-up, MTG, 1 pg. Fantagraphics. Amazing Heroes #194, Sept. 1991. MM/Captain Sternn cover (MTG/Bernie Wrightson). Fantagraphics. Amazing Heroes Preview Special #1, Summer 1985. Preview. Fantagraphics. Amazing Heroes Preview Special #3, Summer 1986. Preview. Fantagraphics. Amazing Heroes Preview Special #5, Summer 1987. Preview. Fantagraphics. Amazing Heroes Preview Special #10, June 1990. Preview. Fantagraphics. Amazing Heroes Swimsuit Special #1, June 1990. MM pin-up, MTG, 1 pg.

Fantagraphics. Amazing Heroes Swimsuit Special #3, June 1992. MM pin-up, MTG, 1 pg. Fantagraphics. Anything Goes! #1, Oct. 1986. MM intro to non-MM MTG story, MTG, 1 pg. Comics Journal, Inc. Best of Dark Horse Presents Vol. 1, 1989. MM back cover (MTG); reprints “His World,” [DHP #14] 12 pgs. Dark Horse Comics. Best of Dark Horse Presents Vol. 2, 1990. MM back cover (MTG); reprints “Inklings,” [DHP #28] 10 pgs. Dark Horse Comics. Blackball Comics #1, Mar. 1995. One-page ad announcing MM newspaper strips intended to run monthly in Hero Illustrated and Blackball Comics. Blackball Comics. Black Market #13, 1994. MM cover (MTG); MTG interview. Black Market. Blast! #1, June 1991. MM cover (Simon Bisley); “Mr. Monster and the Lair of the Lizard Ladies,” MTG/Simon Bisley, 7 pgs. John Brown (British). Blast! #2, July 1991. Reprints “Mr. Monster and the Demon of Destiny Drive,” MTG, 8 pgs. [MM #5] John Brown Publishing (British). Blast! #3, Aug. 1991. Reprints “The Case of the Reluctant Werewolf, Part One,” MTG/Bill Loebs, 8 pgs. [Vanguard Illustrated #7] John Brown Publishing (British). Blast! #4, Sept. 1991. Reprints “The Case of the Reluctant Werewolf, Part Two,” MTG/Bill Loebs, 8 pgs. [MM #1] John Brown Publishing (British). Blast! #5, Aug. 1991. Reprints “The Case of the Reluctant Werewolf, Part Three,” MTG/Bill Loebs, 10 pgs. [MM #1] John Brown (British). Career World Vol. 13, #7, Mar. 1985. MTG interview. Curriculum Innovations. Comic Book Artist #4, Spring 1999. MM back cover (MTG). TwoMorrows. Comic Book Artist #8, May 2000. MTG interview w/ much unpublished art, 17 pgs. TwoMorrows. Comic Buyer’s Guide #993, Nov. 27, 1992. MM cover (MTG); article. Krause. Comics Interview #29, 1985. MM cover (MTG); MTG interview. Fictioneer. Comics Interview #73, 1989. Bill Loebs interview with MM art. Fictioneer. Comics Between the Panels, 1998. Dark Horse Comics. Comicscene Vol. 4, #10, Dec. 1989. MM cover (MTG); MTG interview. Starlog Communications. The Complete Wraith, 1998. MM intro, MTG, 2 pgs. MU Press. Dark Horse Presents #14, Jan. 1988. MM cover (MTG), inside front cover; “His World,” MTG, 12 pgs. Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse Presents #20, Aug. 1988. MM cover vignette; “The Thing in Stiff Alley,” MTG, 5 pgs. Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse Presents #28, Mar. 1989. “Inklings,” MTG, 10 pgs. Dark Horse.

Dark Horse Presents #33, Sept. 1989. MM cover, back cover; “Mr. Monster—The Movie: Dodo Death,” MTG, 13 pgs. Dark Horse Comics. Eugene Register-Guard [Oregon], May 4, 1990. Entertainment & Arts section cover story. MTG interview. Fire Sale, 1989. MM intro (partial) to non-MM MTG story, MTG, 1 pg. Rip-Off Press. Guide to Dark Horse Comics, 1996. Listing and descriptions of MM Dark Horse appearances. Golden Marmot Press. Heavy Metal Vol 16, #11, July 1992. Reprints “Mr. Monster and the Lair of the Lizard Ladies,” MTG/Simon Bisley, 7 pgs. [Blast! #1]. Metal Mammoth, Inc. Hero Illustrated #11, May 1994. MM cover (MTG). Mini-poster insert with MM “interview,” MTG. Warrior Publications. Lee’s Bullshoot Bulletins #22, 1986. MM cover (MTG); MTG interview. Lee’s Comic Book Shop. Mighty Mites Vol 2, #2, Sept. 1987. MM guest appearance. Eternity Comics. Mr. Monster #1, Jan. 1985. MM cover (MTG); “The Case of the Reluctant Werewolf, Chapters One-Three,” MTG/William F. Loebs, 26 pgs. [Reprints Chapter One from Vanguard Illustrated #7]. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster #2, Aug. 1995. MM cover (Dave Stevens); “The Hemo Horror,” MTG/Bill Loebs, 26 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster #3, Oct.1985. MM cover (Stephen R. Bissette); “The Riddle of the Recalcitrant Refuse,” Alan Moore/MTG/W.F. Loebs, 16 pgs.; “Prologue,” MTG, 1 pg.; MM subscription pitch, MTG, 1 pg.; Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster #4, Dec. 1985. MM cover (Jeff Bonivert); MM prologue, MTG, 5 pgs.; “No Escape from Dimension X,” MTG/Jeff Bonivert, 7 pgs.; MM epilogue, MTG, 3 pgs.; “Mr. Monster’s Hi-Octane Horror,” MTG, 2 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster #5, Feb. 1986. MM cover (MTG); “The Demon of Destiny Drive,” MTG, 8 pgs.; “The Yellow Death,” William Messner Loebs, 7 pgs.; MM pin-up, MTG; “The Invaders from Mars?,” MTG, 6 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster #6, June 1986. MM cover (Don Simpson); “Bubble Bath of the Damned,” MTG/Brian Buniak/Don Simpson, 10 pgs.; MM intro, MTG, 1 pg.; “The Olde Curiosity Shoppe,” MTG/Keith Giffen, 10 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster #7, Dec. 1986. MM cover (MTG); “Mr. Monster’s Bedtime Stories,” MTG/Mark Pacella, 13 pgs.; “The One Who Lurks,” Randall A. Frew/MTG/Mark Pacella, 12 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster #8, Mar. 1987. MM cover (MTG); “Automatic Terror Machine,” MTG/Mark Pacella, 17 pgs.; “On The Job,” Scott Deschaine/MTG/Bill Wray, 8 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster #9, Apr. 1987. MM cover (MTG); “Mr. Monster’s Vacation,” Greg Georgas/MTG/Gerald Forton, 16 pgs.; “Guilty as Hell,” Batton Lash/MTG, 8 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster #10, June 1987. MM cover (MTG); “Mr. Monster’s Atomic Condenser,” MTG/Marc Pacella, 10 pgs.; “Terror in 6-D,” MTG/Don Simpson/Ray Zone, 15 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster Vol. 2, #1, Feb. 1988. MTG/Dorman cover; frontispiece, MTG, 1 pg.; “Origins,” 25 pgs. (includes reprint, “The New Adventures of

Doc Stearne as Mr. Monster,” Fred Kelly [Triumph Comics #31]). Dark Horse Comics. Mr. Monster Vol. 2, #2, Apr. 1988. MM cover (MTG); frontispiece, MTG, 1 pg.; “Origins, Chapter Two,” MTG, 25 pgs. (includes reprint, “The Terror of Trezma,” Fred Kelly, 8 pgs. [Super-Duper Comics #3]); “Mr. Gilbert Has His Day in Night Court,” Brian Buniak, 1 pg. Dark Horse Comics. Mr. Monster Vol. 2, #3, June 1988. MM cover (MTG); frontispiece, MTG, 1 pg.; “Origins, Chapter Three,” MTG, 17 pgs.; reprint, “Doc Stearne,” Fred Kelly, 7 pgs. [Commando Comics #21]; “Mr. Gilbert Has His Day in Night Court,” Brian Buniak, 1 pg. Dark Horse Comics. Mr. Monster Vol. 2, #4, Nov. 1988. MM cover (MTG); “Origins, Chapter 4,” 18 pgs.; prologue, Mike McCarthy, 1 pg.; “Cadavera,” Janet Clark/Mike McCarthy, 8 pgs.; Kelly pinup, Stu Hoffman, 1 pg. Dark Horse Comics. Mr. Monster Vol. 2, #5, Mar. 1989. MM cover (MTG); frontispiece, MTG/Tom Sutton, 1 pg.; “Origins, Chapter Five,” MTG, 23 pgs.; MM pin-up, Alan Moore, 1 pg. Dark Horse Comics. Mr. Monster Vol. 2, #6, Oct. 1989. MM cover (MTG); frontispiece, MTG/Tom Sutton, 1 pg.; “Origins, Chapter Six,” MTG, 22 pgs.Dark Horse Comics. Mr. Monster Vol. 2, #7, Apr. 1990. MM cover (MTG); frontispiece, MTG, 1 pg.; “Origins, Chapter Seven,” MTG, 27 pgs.; MM pin-up, Kim & Simon Deitch, 1 pg. Dark Horse Comics. Mr. Monster Vol. 2, #8. MM Cover (MTG); “Origins, Chapter 8” MTG, 48 pgs.; MM tryout, Bill Loebs, 1 pg. Dark Horse Comics. Mr. Monster Ashcan Comics #1, July 1994. MM cover (MTG); MM previews: Excerpts upcoming MM projects “Mr. Monster vs. The Nazis From Mars,” Crack-A-Boom!, Kelly. Digest-size, 16 pgs. Yellow & black covers. Gilbert Studios. Mr. Monster Attacks! #1, Aug. 1992. MM cover (MTG/Dave Dorman); “Black and White and Dead All Over,” MTG, 9 pgs.; “Prologue,” MTG, 1 pg.; “Wish You Were Here,” MTG/Dave Gibbons, 9 pgs. Tundra Publishing. Mr. Monster Attacks #2, 1992. MM cover (MTG/Dave Dorman); “Monster Boy,” Bob Supina, 1 pg.; “Menace Of The Space Zombies,” MTG/Sam Keith, 2 pgs.; “Monster’s Night Out,” Scott Deschaine/ Bob Donovan, 4 pgs.; “Mr. Monster at The Movies,” Ken Bruzenak, 5 pgs.; reprints “Mr. Monster In The Dumps,” MTG, 8 pgs. [A-1 Special Book #1]; MM pin-up, Brian Buniak, 2 pgs.; back cover MTG/Bernie Wrightson. Tundra Publishing. Mr. Monster Attacks! #3, 1992. MM cover (MTG/Dave Dorman), back cover (John Bolton); reprints “Mr. Monster and the Lair of the Lizard Ladies,” MTG/Simon Bisley, 7 pgs. [Blast! #1]; Kelly,“Just Desserts,” Janet Gilbert/Tom Buss, 9 pgs.; MM pin-up, Lyndal Ferguson, 1 pg.; reprints “…The Absolutely, Positively Coolest Mr. Monster Story Ever,” MTG/Dave Dorman, 10 pgs. [A-1 Book 2]; MTG/Dave Gibbons, 9 pgs. Tundra Publishing. Mr. Monster: His Books of Forbidden Knowledge, Vol. 1, 1996. MM cover (MTG); reprints stories from Mr. Monster #1-5, 121 pgs. Marlowe & Company. Mr. Monster: Origins, 1996. MM cover (MTG/Richard Bruning); reprints Mr. Monster Vol. 2, #1-8, with dozens of revised/replaced pages, MTG, 210 pgs. Graphitti Designs. Mr. Monster Presents (Crack-A-Boom!) #1, 1997. MM cover vignette,

MM inside front cover; “The Collector,” MTG/Kerry Talbott, 12 pgs. [other stories include MM cameos.] Caliber Comics. Mr. Monster Presents (Crack-A-Boom!) #2, July 1997. MM cover (MTG/Batton Lash); MM intro, MTG, 1 pg.; “L’il Doc,” MTG, 6 pgs., MM intro, MTG/Mike McCarthy, 1 pg. Caliber Comics. Mr. Monster Presents (Crack-A-Boom!) #3, Sept 1997. MM cover (MTG/Bob Supina); “Mr. Monster Meets Monster Boy,” MTG/Bob Supina, 2pgs.; MM intro, MTG, 1 pg. Caliber Comics. Mr. Monster Collector’s Pack, 1994. Signed, numbered limited edition repackaging Eclipse’s Mr. Monster #4-10 with original MM thumbnail sketch. Gilbert Studios. Mr. Monster’s Gal Friday… Kelly #1, Jan 2000. MM cover (MTG); frontispiece, MTG/Tom Buss; “Temporary Insanity,” Janet Gilbert/MTG/Tom Buss, 10 pgs.; “Ask Doc” MTG, 1 pg.; “I Married A Monster,” Janet Gilbert/MTG/Shawn McManus 18 pgs.; “Kelly’s Recipe Page,” Janet Gilbert/MTG/Tom Buss; back cover MTG/Trina Robbins. Image Comics. Mr. Monster’s Gal Friday… Kelly #2, March 2000. MM cover (MTG); frontispiece, MTG; Intro page MTG; “Meet Mary Monster,” MTG/Tom Buss, 11 pgs.; intro, MTG/Mark Pacella, 1 pg.; “Suspicious Minds,” Janet Gilbert/MTG/Shane Glines, 5 pgs.; intro, MTG/Ed Quimby, 1 pg.; “A Wolf In Wolf’s Clothing,” MTG/Scott Deschaine, 6 pgs.; “Kelly’s Recipe Page,” Janet Gilbert/MTG/Tom Buss; back cover, Trina Robbins. Image Comics. Mr. Monster’s Gal Friday… Kelly #3, May 2000. MM Cover (MTG); “Kelly’s Recipe Page,” Janet Gilbert/MTG/Tom Buss; intro, MTG/Ronn Sutton, 1 pg.; “It’s Kelly’s Boyfriend… Mr. Monster” Alan Moore/Alan Smith/Pete Williamson, 12 pgs.; intro, MTG/Mark Pacella, 1 pg.; “File ‘M’ For Monster,” Janet Gilbert/MTG/Shane Glines, 3 pgs.; “The Sinister Slumber Party From Alpha Centauri,” MTG, 11 pgs.; “The Space Chix”/“No Glory,” MTG, 1 pg.; pin-up, Alex Toth; back cover, Trina Robbins. Image Comics. Mr. Monster’s Super-Duper Special #1/Mr. Monster’s 3-D Hi-Octane Horror #1, May 1986. MM cover (MTG); “Mr. Monster’s 3-D Hi-Octane Horror,” MTG/Mike Mignola, 3 pgs. epilogue, MTG/Mike Mignola, 1 pg. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster’s Super-Duper Special #2/Mr. Monster’s Hi-Octane Horror #1, Aug. 1986. MM cover (MTG); “Mr. Monster’s Hi-Octane Horror,” MTG, 2 pgs.; epilogue, MTG, 1 pg. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster’s Super-Duper Special #3/Mr. Monster’s True Crime #1, Sept. 1986. MM cover vignette (MTG), MM intro, 1 pg. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster’s Super-Duper Special #4/Mr. Monster’s True Crime #2, Nov. 1986. MM cover vignette (MTG); MM intro, MTG, 1 pg. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster’s Super-Duper Special #5/Mr. Monster’s Hi-Voltage Super Science #1, Jan. 1987. MM cover vignette (MTG); “Postscript,” MTG, 1 pg.; “Mr. Monster’s High Shock Shlock,” Fred Hembeck, 2 pgs. Eclipse. Mr. Monster’s Super-Duper Special #6/Mr. Monster’s Hi-Shock Schlock #1, Mar. 1987. MM cover (MTG); “Prologue,” MTG, 2 pgs.; “Mr. Monster’s High Shock Shlock,” Fred Hembeck, 2 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster’s Super-Duper Special #7/Mr. Monster’s Hi-Shock Schlock #2, May 1987. MM cover (MTG); ”Hi-Shock Prologue,” MTG, 3 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Mr. Monster’s Super-Duper Special #8/Mr. Monster’s Weird Tales of the

Future #1, July 1987. “Prologue,” MTG/Monte Wolverton, 2 pgs. Eclipse. Mr. Monster Triple-Threat 3-D, July, 1993. MM cover (MTG); Single-page pin ups, MTG, Tom Sutton, Fred Kelly, Bill Loebs, Terry Beatty, Alan Moore, Paul Chadwick, Paul Ollswang, Brian Buniak, Denis Kitchen, Kim & Simon Deitch, Jeff Bonivert, Dave Stevens, Mike McCarthy; “Tiny Terror Tales,” MTG, 4 pgs.; back cover Lyndal Ferguson. Gilbert Studios/Ray Zone. Mr. Monster vs. Gorzilla, July 1998. MM cover (MTG); “Mr. Monster Goes to Japan,” Ken Bruzenak/MTG, 23 pgs. Image Comics. Ms. Tree #50, July 1989. MM pin-up, MTG, 1 pg. Renegade Press. Penthouse Max #3, 1997. MM wraparound cover (Dave Dorman); “Mr. Monster vs. the Nazis from Mars,” MTG/George Freeman, 48 pgs. General Media. Previews Vol. 4, #1, Jan. 1994. Blackball Comics crossover serial. MM/Trencher, Keith Giffen, 1 pg. Diamond Distribution. Previews Vol. 4, #2, Feb. 1994. Blackball Comics crossover serial. MM/Trencher, MTG, 2 pgs. Diamond Distribution. Scary Monsters #10, Mar. 1994. MM inside front & back cover (MTG); MTG interview [some issues include inserted trading card “Scare Card/Horror Comic Book Legend Promo Card #1” featuring MM by MTG]. Druktenis Publishing. Scream Factory #19, Summer 1997. MM cover (MTG); MM overview by Charles Hatfield. [Cover mention of MTG interview and original art but none found inside.] Deadline Press. Sharky #4, 1997. MM cameo, Dave Elliott/Alex Horley. Image Comics. Silverfish Mini-Comic #1, December 1995. MM Cover (Bjob Craig/John Q. Adams); “Silverfish” Bjob Craig and John Q. Adams, 24 pgs. [Fan publication, MM cameo.] Cryin’ Shark Studios. Sin #1, Dec 1993. MM cover cameo (Jay Stephens). Black Eye Productions. Speakeasy #114, Oct. 1990. MTG interview, 3 pgs. John Brown (British). Super-Duper Comics #3, May 1947. “The Terror of Trezma,” [Second and final appearance Fred Kelly’s Golden Age MM] Fred Kelly, 8 pgs. Bell Publishing (Canadian). Thunder-Bunny #4, 1985. Panel cameo, Marty Greim/Gary Kato/Brian Buniak. Warp. Total Eclipse Book Three, Dec. 1988. MM inside back cover vignette (MTG), character profile; “Mr. Monster,” Marv Wolfman/Marc Pacella, 2 pgs. Eclipse Comics. Trencher: X-Mas Bites 1994 Holiday Blow-Out Comic #1, Dec.1993. Holiday greeting/comic strip, MTG, 1 pg. Blackball Comics. Triumph Comics #31, 1946. “The New Adventures of Doc Stearne as Mr. Monster,” [First appearance Fred Kelly’s Golden Age MM] Fred Kelly, 7pgs. Bell Publishing (Canadian). USA #64, 1992. Reprints “Mr. Monster and the Lair of the Lizard Ladies,” Simon Bisley, 7 pgs. [Blast! #1]. (French) Vanguard Illustrated #7, July 1984. “The Case of the Reluctant Werewolf” [Chapter one, first appearance MTG’s MM], MTG/William F. Loebs, 8 pgs. Pacific Comics. Wacky Squirrel Halloween Adventure #1, October, 1987. MM Cover (Jim Bradrick); Wacky Squirrel, Jim Bradrick, with 5-page MM crossover [MM illos by MTG], 24 pgs. Wolff & Byrd #1, Feb. 1997. MM pin-up, MTG, 1 pg. Exhibit A Press. Worlds of Horror #1, Sept.1988. MTG interview. Eclectic Publishing.

DUCK STEARN? Besides my Mr. Monster work, I also write and lay out Disney Comics. Which got me to thinking: How might Mr. Monster look drawn by some Disney cartoonists? To find out, I invited a couple of them to give it a try. I think you’ll get a kick out of the results!—MTG

My Carl Barks birthday card. This appeared in the 1990 San Diego Comicon convention booklet, celebrating the 90th birthday of Uncle Scrooge’s creator.

Left and directly below: No one draws Mickey Mouse like Cesar Ferioli—as I suggested in this illo I sent him a few years back. He responded with a very… different… MM costume. Love the red shorts, Cesar—but where’s the mouse ears? Bottom left: A panel from the Gilbert/Ferioli story “Plastic Mickey” in Walt Disney’s Comics & Stories #608, Feb, 1997. ©2001 Walt Disney Company. Bottom right: A panel from a recent Gilbert/Rodriques Donald Duck story, “Food Fight!” ©2001 Walt Disney Company. Opposite page: A blood-drenched Mr. Monster illo, done especially for this book by Disney artist Francisco “Paco” Rodriques

ductions

Disney Pro ductio

TUNDRA “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” That warning pretty much sums up Tundra—the little company that couldn’t. Around 1990, Kevin Eastman, flush with millions from his phenomenally-successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, decided to publish comics. His company was to be utopian and creator-friendly—with state-of-the-art facilities and great pay. The best creators in the business would do their comics the way they always dreamed. It sounded too good to be true. Ultimately it was. But I’m getting ahead of myself… By 1991 I’d completed my stint with Dark Horse. With the last of “Origins” 200 pages now in print, my never-ending project was finally over. My first story after that was a nine-page horror tale for Hamilton Comics. After the behemoth I’d been battling for almost four years, something “short and sweet” was a real treat! I also produced comic scripts for Disney and a one-shot comic for Fantagraphics’ Eros line. Additionally, Dave Elliott commissioned a couple of short Mr. Monster stories for Blast!—a British comic anthology he was editing for John Brown Publishing. My newfound freedom was great, but I still needed a home for Mr. Monster. Dark Horse was a growing company— growing a bit too fast for my tastes. I wanted a smaller, more personal company. Sometime in ’91, Steve Bissette told me about this amazing new company that just started, and suggested I pitch Mr. Monster. It sounded great—good money, creator ownership and control. Top creators like Steve, Dave Elliott, Rick Veitch, Bernie Wrightson, and Simon Bisley were already on board. I’d previously met Kevin, and liked him. Better yet, Tundra was publishing few titles, and could give Mr. Monster the attention

he deserved. I won’t get into all the details of my Tundra experience—it could literally fill a book. However… For dozens of creators, it started out as a dream and quickly became a nightmare. As Kevin kept signing up more and more creators to produce more and more books, things rapidly spun out of control. No expense was spared making Tundra’s comics, but selling them was strictly an afterthought. Sky-high production costs and poor sales eventually doomed the company. Kevin himself dropped an incredible four million dollars in the three or four years the company existed. Still, it was fun while it lasted. Tundra money made it possible to hire the cream of the cartoon world to work on Mr. Monster. The Mr. Monster Attacks! mini-series featured stunning art by Simon Bisley, Dave Gibbons, Sam Keith, Dave Dorman and Bernie Wrightson. And these weren’t the only projects! The Forbidden Knowledge collections began at Tundra. Crack-A-Boom! (a goofy three-issue horror/humor anthology, fronted by Mr. Monster) was another. For the gals there was Kelly —a three-issue miniseries devoted to Mr. Monster’s gal Friday. Alan Moore, Alex Toth and Trina Robbins were among the contributors. All of it came to an end in early ’93, when Kevin essentially pulled the plug. Tundra just wasn’t fun any more. When Tundra died, only the three-issue Mr. Monster Attacks! had come out. All three issues of Kelly were at the printers, and most of the Crack-A-Boom! stories were complete. Two volumes of Mr. Monster: His Books Of Forbidden Knowledge had been handed in, with work on a third underway. But we were suddenly without a publisher. It had been a wild ride, and an incredibly creative time. But now it was over.

Interview with a

Monster-Killer! Our interview begins in the cavernous underground laboratory of Dr. Strongfort Stearn (a.k.a. Mr. Monster!). It was conducted in March 1994 by Michael T. Gilbert, while Stearn and his girl Friday, Kelly, were constructing a strange Death-ray.

Monster. Tell the readers about yourself, Doc!

Sounds like a lot of pollution. Are you pro-environment, Doc?

Me? I’m just your usual “Joe lunch-pail!” True, I’m the world’s greatest monster-killer and the world’s foremost expert on the occult. True, I’ve saved the entire planet from 321 space invasions and countless vampire infestations and zombie hordes. But Mr. Monster is still an average guy!

If it helps me kill monsters. One time I killed 666 vampires with flying wood chips! Had to blow up some ancient redwoods to do it, but it was worth...

Uh, right. So tell me, Doc—how would you describe your job? I kill monsters.

Sounds pretty high-pressure. Have any hobbies?

MICHAEL T: Hiya, Doc! Got a couple of minutes for an interview? Mr. Monster: Harumph! I suppose. I am building a blue-flame death ray to deflect an expected invasion of millions of indestructible flesheating monsters from Venus. But I’m sure your interview is far more important than the fate of literally millions of people.

Uh, well, I… Bloody Hell! Get on with it, man!

Since I’ve written and drawn your comic book stories for years, my publisher asked me to get the real lowdown on Mr.

Uh, enough about the environment. What music do you like? The usual. Brahms, Beethoven, Wagner, Red Hot Chili Peppers...

KELLY: Doc! You like to eat red hot chili peppers! Harumph! Quite right, Kelly. So sorry, Gilbert!

I kill monsters.

No problem, Doc. Now about your relationship with Kelly…

Uh, right. Now as far as your interest in the fairer sex…

Kelly? She’s my loyal gal Friday…

I kill monsters. Riiiigght! Gotcha. So what are your future goals? Long-term ambitions? To kill monsters. Lots of them. Monsters are evil!

I see a pattern here. Rather a singleminded world view, isn’t it? Indeed!

Well, let’s start off with some nuts-andbolts questions. How many miles per gallon do you get with your monstermobile? Miles per gallon? Feet per gallon is more like it! The Monster-mobile is a very high-octane vehicle.

KELLY: Administrative co-ordinater. Travel agent. Secretary. Legal aide. Publicity flack… She helps out by making coffee, answering phones…

KELLY: …Maintaining Doc’s weapon arsenal, managing the household staff, paying taxes, balancing books, settling lawsuits… Excellent coffee! She’s quite an eyeful too!

Actually, Doc, our readers want to know your, uh, romantic relationship with Kelly. KELLY: Yeah, Doc! What is our

Well, er, uh, that is...

that it’s always raining and thundering on Slaughter Mountain.

Kelly lives here with you in Stearn Mansion?

Relaxing, isn’t it? I love rain. It washes away evil! I hate evil!

romantic relationship?

No! I mean, yes—but not like that! Miss Friday has sole use of the entire west wing.

I know! I know! Doc, you’re known as the world’s foremost expert on the occult and the greatest monster-fighter in the world…

Stearns have a long history of battling monsterkind. The mask of Mr. Monster has been passed down from father to son for thousands of years!

KELLY: It’s a living. Sort of a family business?

So you two don’t have a romantic relationship?

Universe!

Quite!

No! I mean, yes! That is, not exactly. I… she… we…

Okay—universe. You’ve already killed Dracula, the Blob, and Godzilla. Who’s next on your hit list?

Well, Doc, that about covers it. Thanks to you and Kelly for all your… Whew! It’s pretty hot here all of a sudden…

Trencher! Kelly’s got me penciled in to kill that spiritual repo-man! I can’t wait to tear the dead flesh from his rotting corpse! I’ll pop his eyeballs from his sockets! I’ll…

KELLY: Hot? Bloody Hell, Gilbert! The Venusian invasion! And my death ray still isn’t finished! I hope you’re happy with yourself...

KELLY: Doc! We have company!

SOUND:

KELLY: Articulate, isn’t he? Actually, we’re just “good friends.” But we’d be a lot better “friends” if he’d forget about monsters once in a while. Now really, Kelly. Our personal life can’t possibly interest…

KELLY: Doc and I are free agents. I date other men occasionally. Harumph! Those worthless wastrels you date are hardly “men!” Why, I’ll bet not one of them has ever killed a…

Well, enough about romance! I notice

Harumph! Quite so! But when I think of that monster…

Your real name is Strongfort Stearn. Why are you known as Mr. Monster? It’s a tradition. We

AIEEEE! The walls are melting!

ZZZZTTT!!!!!

Note to our readers: The following interview arrived via fax last week. Attempts to reach both Mr. Monster and Mr. Gilbert have been unsuccessful. If anyone knows their current whereabouts, please contact us.

AFTERMATH… The aftermath of Tundra was a very depressing time. For almost two years I’d spent all my time and energy on various Tundra projects, and now I was basically out of a job. Ah, the life of a freelancer! At the time, my lawyer was negotiating an option agreement for a Mr. Monster cartoon series, while simultaneously working out the details of my separation from Tundra. Needless to say, my legal bills were staggering, and couldn’t have come at a worse time. Janet and I had just put down a huge down-payment on our first house, depleting most of our savings. Ugh! True, I had a drawer filled with great Mr. Monster material— but nobody was buying. The speculator comics boom of the early ’90s was in full bloom, and the big players were all cashing in on what eventually turned out to be a huge, ugly pyramid scheme. Racks were overflowing with Marvel-style super-hero comics—many sporting expensive holographic/Tyvek/foil/ tie-dye covers. The comic scene at the time was one big loud, obnoxious orgy—and I wasn’t invited! The party had begun months earlier when a crew of Marvel artists jumped ship and started Image comics. The books, by and large, looked like Marvel clones. They sold in the millions and made their creators very rich. Meanwhile, I was shlepping my portfolio around the San Diego con, looking for work. My pal Batton Lash tried to convince me to self-publish— but I couldn’t dredge up any enthusiasm. I did publish a Mr. Monster “ashcan” edition in ’94, featuring pages from my various projects. I showed it around and a number of publishers expressed interest—but nothing came of it. Most of the interest was due to “convention fever.” Nonetheless, I didn’t give up. I kept working on Mr. Monster projects. Disney stories and various cartooning jobs paid the bills, but it was an incredibly frustrating time. There were a few silver linings in those dark clouds. With free time on my hands, (and with my wife’s encourage-

ment!), I learned to type. The Mavis Beacon computer-typing course turned me into a typing whiz in about six weeks—a skill that has since proved invaluable. Thank you, Mavis. You too, Janet! I also had fun experimenting with my first Mr. Monster acrylic painting for Black Market magazine, and cartoon-cel colors for a Scary Monsters cover. Another bright spot was Ray Zone’s 1993 publication of Mr. Monster’s Triple Threat 3-D. Otherwise, things were pretty grim for much of ’93 and ’94. Above: This unpublished illo, drawn in 1992 for a benefit auction, reflected my distaste for the speculators market.

BLACKBALL!

The entire Tundra debacle had left me depressed and shellshocked—and I wasn’t alone. Dozens of artists and writers were dragged down by the sinking S.S. Tundra. Dave Elliott was one of those caught in the undertow. In the early ’90s, Dave had taken his Atomeka Press imprint to Tundra, essentially turning it into a British branch of the company. He brought a number of exciting projects with him— including “Mr. Monster vs. The Nazis From Mars,” a 32-page Mr. Monster story I’d scripted for Dave years earlier as an A-1 project. It had moved with Dave to Tundra, acquiring a new artist (George Freeman) when another artist dropped out. I took the opportunity to expand my story to a muchneeded 48 pages, and sent George my pencil roughs. George’s art was stunning––but it was slow going. Just as the story was finally near completion, Kevin shut Tundra down. Atomeka fell soon after, and my story was in limbo once again. It just wasn’t my year!

Above: A jam poster for Hero magazine featuring the Blackball characters.

After Tundra crumbled, Dave took what little money he had left and started Blackball Comics. His plan was to copublish comics by independent-minded creators such as Keith Giffen, Bill Wray, Kevin O’Neill, Mark Wheatley and myself. Our characters would appear in solo titles or in Dave’s Blackball Comics anthology. In my spare time I’d been working on a Mr. Monster story, done in the style of the old Sunday Funnies comic strips. Dave agreed to publish them in Blackball Comics. At Dave’s request, I drew a Blackball ad in that format, and some 1930sstyle Mr. Monster promos. Steve Darnell at Hero magazine agreed to promote Blackball if we provided art. We drew a jam cover featuring the various Blackball characters, and I also scripted a two-page “Mr. Monster Interview” (reprinted elsewhere in this book). Meanwhile Dave instigated a 13-part Blackball jam story for Previews magazine. Each Blackball creator would write and draw one short chapter per issue. Eventually we’d have a complete story, and free publicity. I contributed a two-page segment starring Mr. Monster and Keith Giffen’s Trencher—a “lead-in” to a crossover between our two characters.

That team-up began at Dave’s suggestion. I worked up a rough storyline, and once Keith okayed it, I drew the first chapter—leaving space for Keith’s Trencher drawings. We also jammed on the Jack Kirby-inspired cover you see on the back of this book. Plans were made to begin serializing our story in the third issue of Blackball Comics, but that was not to be. The overheated comic market began to melt, taking Blackball Comics with it. The first issue of Blackball Comics was also its last. By the time Dave’s company died in 1994, only one of my Mr. Monster ads and a single “Funnies” strip had seen print (in the Trencher: X-mas Bites 1994 Holiday Blow-out). Previews also published the Blackball #3 cover (featuring Mr. Monster and Trencher) and my two-page section for Blackball’s Not-QuiteA-Crossover jam. Additionally, seven pages of chapter one of our Mr. Monster/Trencher story were inked, and another page or so of the next chapter penciled. But Blackball was dead, and it was back to square one. Right: My contribution to Hero magazine’s Blackball Jam cover pretty much summed up my feelings at the time.

Left and above: The cover to the never-to-bepublished Blackball Comics #3—and the classic Thing/Hulk Fantastic Four #12 cover that inspired it.

Trencher vs... Before we move on, a little background on our color section seems in order. One of Dave Elliott’s first Blackball projects was a Christmas special featuring Keith Giffen’s Trencher (a title previously published by Image). Our crossover followed soon after. As Keith explained it, Trencher is a repo-man from Hell (literally!) who collects a bounty on wayward spirits. How? By tracking them down—and blowing up the bodies they inhabit! I liked the concept, and I was a long-time fan of Keith’s cartooning. Matter of fact, we’d worked on a Mr. Monster story years earlier—so I was quite excited when Dave proposed a serialized Mr. Monster/ Trencher crossover in Blackball Comics. A battle between my monster-killer and Keith’s monsterous creation seemed like a natural! We came up with a plot wherein Trencher mistakenly believes a fugitive spirit is hiding in Kelly’s body (lucky spirit!). Trencher plans to kill her, but they accidentally fall into Doc’s Satan Glass—and are instantly transported to Hell. Before Doc can follow, Trencher destroys the mirror. But it takes more than cracked glass to stop our hero! Faster than you can say “plot contrivance!,” Doc rolls out the “Mole”— his high-octane drill-machine! Seconds later he’s boring thousands of miles down. Destination: Hell! In our original story, Doc arrives, spots Trencher, and the two slug it out. While they’re busy pounding each other, a sneaky demon kidnaps Kelly. Trencher and Mr. Monster both follow; Doc to bring her home, Trencher to kill her. They chase Kelly through the Spread: No, this isn’t the real Trencher/Mr. Monster slugfest. This is my two-page chapter for the 1994 Blackball jam story in Previews—a warm-up to the main event!

roughest parts of Hell, while fighting various monsters and each other.

...Mr. Monster! Eventually they find her, dispatch the demon, and somehow wind up back in Stearn Mansion. Trencher tries to shoot Kelly, but the resourceful

gal’s secretly swiped his bullets. Darn! A perfectly good fight— ruined! Disgusted, Trencher scoots back to Hell—as we finally reach… The End. Anyway, that‘s basically how our original story went. Keith and I agreed to split the art and scripting, with each drawing our own characters. I scripted the bulk of chapter one and mailed him my pages—leaving room for his figures and dialogue. Keith was slated to take over with chapter two, but that never happened. As mentioned elsewhere, the first chapter of our story was to be coverfeatured in Blackball #3. Unfortunately, Blackball Comics died after one issue—and our story with it. The original art lay in my files for years, gathering dust. When TwoMorrows offered to publish this book, I decided to salvage our story— creating a new eight-page story from the seven we’d completed. With Keith’s blessing, I split the last page into two, adding some “bridging” panels and a new “snap” ending. Keith’s original dialogue was lost years ago, so I rewrote the story from scratch and came up with a new title. “Never Touch A Satan’s Glass” isn’t the story we’d planned, but I think you’ll like it. I know you’ll love the exquisite color that our computer-maestro, Kevin Horn, produced for this printing. It’s Hellishly good!

Above: The original final page to chapter one of the aborted 1994 Trencher/ Mr. Monster crossover. Thouse intended to end the first part of a longer story, this page was recently transformed into a two-page finale for the story that follows.

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ODDS & ENDS In addition to the stories in this volume we also have other art and features worth noting. Consider it a bit of extra “Forbidden Knowledge!” You’ll find these items on the following pages:

1) 1994 Scary Monsters cover. 2) The cover of an “ashcan” edition of Mr. Monster done for the ’94 San Diego Con. 3) My “Samhain” illo was commissioned by Glenn Danzig—the evil mastermind behind three infamous “death-metal” bands, The Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. In 1986, Glenn requested a Mr. Monster cover for a comic book insert he’d be including in a forthcoming Samhain boxed-record set. For whatever reason, the collection never came out, and my drawing sat unpublished for 15 years. Last year, I told Glenn I planned to print that pic in this book—and learned that his comic and CD set would finally be coming out at the end of the year! So after waiting 15 years, my art got printed twice—six months apart. Talk about timing! 4) A bookplate drawn in 1996 for Graphitti’s beautiful Origins hardcover.

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MOVING ON...

Dave Elliott landed on his feet after Blackball’s crash. He became editor-in-chief at Penthouse Comix magazine, and a few years later created his own comic series, Sharky, for Image Comics (Mr. Monster appears in a cameo role in #4). Meanwhile, I was busy working on projects for a number of publishers. For DC, I drew my very first Batman story for Showcase ’94—working with writer Peter David and my old Elric art partner, P. Craig Russell. This was followed by a solo Batman story, “Stories,” for Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #94. On the latter I had the pleasure of working with a truly wonderful editor, the late, great Archie Goodwin. That was a dream-come-true for this aging fanboy! And just last year I Above: Twins! My 1993 card celebrating the birth of Blackball Comics and the Elliott family’s first baby, Amy.

fulfilled yet another childhood fantasy with the publication of my first Superman story, the graphic novel Mann & Superman. In between DC assignments, I kept busy scripting Disney comics. I’d first started writing the characters in 1989, for the first issues of Mickey Mouse Adventures. From there I went on to create Mickey and Donald stories for Disney Adventures, and later, Gladstone Publishing. Eventually my wife and I landed at the Danish publishing house, Egmont—where we’ve written about two thousand pages of Disney comics since 1992. Those stories are printed throughout the world by scores of publishers. Back in ’93, it was a welcome source of income. Beyond Disney, I made my first sale to Cracked, scripted a couple of Power Rangers tales for Gladstone, and even adapted Harlan Ellison’s short story “Rat Hater” for the Dark Horse Harlan Ellison Dream Corridor Special. I enjoyed stretching my wings on these projects, but I missed Mr. Monster. I still had a ton of MM art gathering dust in my files and I was beginning to wonder if they would languish there forever. Things began looking up in 1995, thanks to my good friend Bob Chapman. Bob is the owner of Graphitti Designs—and one of the most generous, creative and creator-friendly publishers in the business. His company has produced exquisite limited-edition graphic novels, and highquality t-shirts, action figures and the like since the early-’80s. I first met Bob at the 1984 San Diego Comicon. After spotting my first Mr. Monster story in a “hot-off-the-presses” copy of Vanguard Illustrated, he offered to print some MM T-shirts. Two years later he published a limited-edition hardcover featuring the sword-and-sorcery anti-hero, Elric Of Melnibone—another strip I’d illustrated for Pacific Comics. He produced three Elric collections from 1986 to 1991, each better than the last. In 1995, Bob offered to produce a signed, limited-edition Origins hardcover. From the start, I’d conceived my story as a thick graphic novel, and I was thrilled by the offer. Having

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gone through a rough patch, I can’t begin to tell you how much Bob’s support during this time meant to me. I spent months reworking my sprawling epic and painting 200 pages of color guides. It was exhausting work—but it felt great drawing my favorite character again! The Graphitti edition of Origins turned out exceptionally beautiful. Bob and designer Richard Bruning spared no effort to make the best book possible. It was everything I’d hoped for—and even snagged two Eisner nominations. Things continued to improve on the Mr. Monster front. In 1996 Nelvana optioned Mr. Monster for a possible cartoon series—hiring me to write the “bible” and help oversee the project. It ultimately failed to sell, but it was a fascinating experience—and the option money was welcome indeed! That same year a New York publisher, Marlowe & Co., made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. They were starting a new line of graphic novels and wanted to include Mr. Monster. I offered them the first Forbidden Knowledge volume, and they produced a very handsome book. When it rains, it pours. I received more good news that year, when Dave Elliott informed me that Penthouse wanted to publish my “Mr. Monster vs. The Nazis From Mars” in their new action-adventure comic, Penthouse Max. The 48-pager appeared in the third issue in 1997. Mr. Monster was on a roll! The roll continued when Caliber Press published another long-delayed Tundra mini-series, Crack-A-Boom! that year. And in 1998 Mu Press came out with “The Complete Wraith,” (collecting my late-’70s funny-animal series) with a two-page introduction by Mr. Monster. In 1988, Doc also appeared in a one-shot Godzilla parody, Mr. Monster Vs. Gorzilla. Lettering-ace Ken Bruzenak came up with the idea for that one, and we teamed-up on the art. Kevin Horn provided Japanese-style “manga” coloring for the comic—published through Image comics. This Image was a far cry from the mega-company of 1993. By 1998 the short-lived speculator frenzy was over.

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Comic book “investors” had deserted the comics market and sales everywhere were dropping like a stone. In the face of falling sales, Image transformed itself into a smaller, more diverse company. I enjoyed working with this revamped Image—and last year they also printed my Kelly series. This was my final unpublished Tundra mini-series—and it felt great to see the last of those books in print. The remaining “lost” Mr. Monster material can be found in this book—thanks to Alter Ego. We’ll talk about that later. But first I’d like to give a mention to a couple of very special contributors to this book. First, we’re deeply honored to have our book introduced by EC legend George Evans. George’s meticulously researched, understated illustrations made an indelible mark on such titles as Tales from the Crypt, Two-Fisted Tales, CrimeSuspense Stories, Valor, and his personal favorite, Aces High. He also did exceptional art for Fawcett’s movie adaptations and horror comics in the early-’50s. George’s elegant art has graced such features as Air Heroes, The Lost World and Senorita Rio since he began his comics career in 1946. These were done for Fiction House, as was “Tiger Man”—his first super-hero series, in 1948. George’s comic career included art for Gilberton’s Classics Illustrated comics, Dell’s Twilight Zone and Blackhawk for DC.

From 1961-1973, George ghosted the syndicated Terry and the Pirates daily strip. In 1980, he took over Secret Agent Corrigan from his friend, Al Williamson—writing and drawing it until retiring the strip in 1992. At age 81, George still paints This page: Two examples of George Evans’ great work, a panel from an EC horror comic (top left), and panel from Secret Agent Corrigan.

and draws and generally enjoys the good life with his wife, Ev. Grandson Roger Peterson continues the family tradition, illustrating horror comics—most notably for Kitchen Sink’s Death Rattle and DC’s venerable Swamp Thing series. Back in the ’50s and ’60s, George lived a few blocks away from me in Levittown, New York—a fact I discovered 20 years too late! Just as well, I suppose. George never would have gotten any work done if this 14-year-old EC fan-addict had even suspected one of those comic-legends lived nearby! And speaking of comic legends… A few years later I moved to Commack, Long Island, and had a second brush with greatness. Shortly after my 1969 high school graduation, I learned that another comic book master, Sam Glanzman, lived in town. I didn’t know it, but his daughter Bonnie had even been

in my art class! Sam’s been in comics forever, drawing titles like Hercules and Jungle Tales of Tarzan for Charlton, Kona for Dell, and his touching “U.S.S Stevens” series for DC. I nervously dialed his number and Sam invited me over. Sam Glanzman was the first pro I ever visited, and he couldn’t have been nicer. At the end of a wonderful visit, he gave me an original Kona page, which I still have. He moved soon after, and I didn’t see him again until the 1999 San Diego Con. He didn’t remember that 18-year-old kid, but I remembered him. Needless to say, I was thrilled when he agreed to do a Mr. Monster pin-up for this book. I’m tremendously grateful to Sam and George—and to the many wonderful artists and writers reprinted throughout this book for sharing their talents so generously.

Upper left: Richard Bruning’s lovely cover design for Graphitti’s Mr. Monster: Origins collection from 1996. Top right: Striking Sam Glanzman cover for his well-regarded Kona series for Dell. Above: A little something extra—my art for a 1994 Scary Monsters trading card.

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Sunday Funnies! Around 1993, I decided to try a Mr. Monster story in the style of a ’30s newspaper strip. Shortly after I began my strips, Dave Elliott started Blackball Comics and invited me onboard. He arranged to syndicate my Sunday funnies in his comic and in the comics newsmagazine Hero. I drew some Mr. Monster promo ads (swiped from old ’30s comic books!) and whipped up a full-page Blackball ad featuring their creator-owned characters. Shortly thereafter, Dave’s company succumbed to an oversaturated market—and my Sunday funnies died with it. I loved doing these funnies and hope to complete the story someday. Until then, I hope you enjoy my small tribute to the Golden Age of comic strips!—MTG

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I drew my originals large—17" x 22", rather than 10" x 15"—in an effort to duplicate the look of the old strips. I also used Craftint toning paper, rather than Bristol board, for my “daily” strips—as cartoonist Roy Crane had done so brilliantly on his Wash Tubbs strips in the ’30s and ’40s. Other inspirations included Chet (Dick Tracy) Gould and E.C. (Popeye) Segar.

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To Be Continued...

ALTER EGO I can’t leave this book without mentioning Mr. Monster’s Alter Ego connection. During the height of the speculator boom, I found myself going to comic shops less and less. Frankly, it was depressing. I couldn’t relate to the army of vicious “heroes” snarling for my attention—and too many people Examining the Examining the ROY seemed to be doing ROY THOMAS/ THOMAS/ NEAL NEAL ADAMS ADAMS comics for all the Uncanny X-Men Uncanny X-Men wrong reasons. There was First Time Ever! Ever! First Time A A WALKING WALKING good stuff out there TOUR TOUR OF OF THE THE too, but those rare KREE-SKRULL WAR KREE-SKRULL WAR pearls were hard to find in an ocean of A A Vintage Vintage (1966) (1966) Interview Interview with with hype. Comics had STEVE STEVE DITKO DITKO become nasty—and I was feeling alienPlus Plus RarelyRarelySeen Seen Art Art by: by: ated from a mediNEAL NEAL ADAMS ADAMS um I’d loved since I STEVE STEVE DITKO DITKO was a kid. My attiMICHAEL MICHAEL T. T. GILBERT GILBERT tude changed radiJOE JOE KUBERT KUBERT cally when I began and contributing to and others! others! Alter Ego magazine. For those unfamiliar with the title, Alter Ego was a popular comic book fanzine founded in 1961 by super-fan Jerry Bails. My old Elric scripter Roy Thomas wrote and edited much of the original run until he turned pro in 1965. The magazine ended in 1969, with a stray issue published 9 years later. When I was a comiccrazed teenager in the ’60s, Alter Ego was one of my favorites. In 1998, Comic Book Artist editor Jon B. Cooke asked Roy to revive the title. Almost by accident, I found myself contributing to the magazine. Earlier, while searching through some comic book memorabilia stored at the University of Oregon, I’d stumbled on some fan mail sent to comics writer Gardner Fox decades earlier by a young Roy Thomas. I sent copies to Roy, and he invited me to write an article about them. Before I knew it, I was writing a regular column in Alter Presents

Ego. “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt” features rare comic-related materials—introduced by Mr. you-know-who. Four years later, I’m still doing the column, and enjoyVol. 2, No.4 Spring 1999 ing it immensely. Working with Roy Thomas, Bill Schelly, John MICHAEL T. GILBERT Morrow, Jon B. Rummages through the Archives of Cooke, and the rest GARDNER FOX of the TwoMorrows crew has been a great tonic for comic “burnout.” This Forbidden Knowledge volume is just a lucky bonus. Now I enjoy royalty checks, book contracts and movie deals as much as the next guy. But that’s not why I got into comics. The real value of my fan work—some Unforbidden Knowledge, if you will—was the opportunity to rediscover why I fell in love with comic books. To many of us, comics are more than a business. They’re a means of expression, and a labor of love. And more than anything, I hope that feeling comes through in this book. And now—on with the stories! ’Til next time…

P.S. Comments can be sent to TwoMorrows at: twomorrow@aol.com or you can e-mail me directly at: mgilbert@efn.org Above: Maybe it’s my imagination, but this illo looks suspiciously similar to our back cover!

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This book collects rare Mr. Monster stories from Dark Horse Presents, A-1 and Crack-A-Boom! Volume Zero includes new Mr. Monster stories by Michael T. Gilbert, Keith Giffen, and Mark Martin--plus an Introduction by EC legend George Evans. Not for the faint of heart!

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