Some writeups for the Prize Comics FRANKENSTEIN series have alleged that following the patchwork monster's initial outing as an obsessed fiend, he was changed into a kinder, gentler, and more comical monster by his creator Dick Briefer, and that during this period the creature began having more regular encounters with other monstrous types, rather than just one-shot battles. The first of these appears in issue #44 (1944), when the Monster runs into a pair of vampires, Zora and Rollo. The story seems poised to return Frankenstein to his earlier, more savage incarnation, for after Zora befriends the Monster, she secretly casts a spell on him to make him turn evil again. However, the spell proves incomplete, so that for the space of one adventure, the Monster only becomes vicious at night, and reverts to his gentle giant persona in the daytime. However, by issue #45, Briefer drops the whole persona-switching idea and moves Frankenstein, Zora and Rollo into their own hotel. At this point in my reading, other vampires have moved in, so it's not a multi-monster rally like HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA. However, the addition of Zora and Rollo as part of Frankenstein's regular cast (even though Rollo never does anything) transforms the strip into a one-monster show to that of two monsters-- but only up until issue #49, when the hotel, Zora and Rollo disappear and the big guy's on his own again.
No comments:
Post a Comment