First, untitled, story from Rocky and His Fiendish Friends, #1, October 1962. This was by Gold Key, 80 pages with only one ad (for a TV-photo-comic experiment) for 25 cents. The issue followed the pattern of the show, featuring a serialized R&B adventure, with shorts of the other characters in-between. If my apartment was burning down and I was escaping to a desert island, this is one of the ten comics I'd save.
Story and art by Al Kilgore. I always thought of this artist the way Uncle Scrooge fans thought of Carl Barks – I liked his depiction of The Moose best, and recognized it (like in Bullwinkle's "How to Have Fun Outdoors without getting Clobbered" coloring book). If it weren't for the GCD, I'd never know the artist's name. He apparently drew a Bullwinkle comic strip also.
Anyway, the story…
Rocky and Bullwinkle stand before a dilapidated, spooky mansion, complete with graveyard and bats. "This must be the place," says the moose, and they venture in. "Observing this from an attic window are two sinister figures," explains a caption. "It's the moose, Boris!" says Natasha. "Why don't you say something?"
"There's no room in that panel to say anything!" snarls Boris. He reveals that he lured Bullwinkle there to Pottsylvania with a phony letter. Then he pulls a lever, activating a trap.
"Bullwinkle!" shouts Rocky. "The door's barred and the windows are grilled!"
"That's funny! Bars and grills are taboo in these books!"
Boris opens a trap door and Rocky drops out of the story. Boris then schemes to electrocute Bullwinkle, but fails. Natasha suggests a machine gun. "Let's get it over with!"
"Idiot, don't be crude!" yells Boris. He holds his Master Disguise Kit. "I'll scare him to death!" He puts some lifts on his shoes, a thing on his forehead and electrodes in this neck. "How's this?" he grins. "The Frankelstein monster!" You're too short, Natasha points out. "Hokay, so it's the Frankel-GLASS monster!"
They improve the disguise and confront the moose. "Oboy! My favorite monster! Can I have your autograph?" says Bullwinkle, holding a pad and pen. "Exit darling, we bombed!" groans Natasha. "He must read Modern Monster Magazine."
Alone again, Bullwinkle stumbles onto Boris' makeup kit. "Now I'll play a joke on Rocky!" He puts on some extra fur and fangs and prowls the hallway, running into our villains again. "Run Natasha! It's a WEREMOOSE!" They run.
"Boris, I thought it was just superstition."
"So I'm superstitious!"
"Wait a minute – hmm – false hair – that was the moose in makeup."
"Of course, Heh heh. I knew it all the time."
"Then why did you run?"
"The story needed a little action."
Bullwinkle eventually finds Rocky in the cellar. "What happened to you?" "I don't know," answers the squirrel. "I was standing beside you on the 3rd panel on the 3rd page."
Boris return, disguised as an old-fashioned barrister. "Pardon me, gentlemen. Let me introduce myself. I'm Habeas J. Corbus, Attorney at Law. I've got news for you. This is only part of your inheritance. You got to follow instructions in this sealed letter!"
Rocky is suspicious.
"Don't miss the next chapter: 'Pottsylvanian Alps' or 'When the Moose comes over the mountain!'"
Story and art by Al Kilgore. I always thought of this artist the way Uncle Scrooge fans thought of Carl Barks – I liked his depiction of The Moose best, and recognized it (like in Bullwinkle's "How to Have Fun Outdoors without getting Clobbered" coloring book). If it weren't for the GCD, I'd never know the artist's name. He apparently drew a Bullwinkle comic strip also.
Anyway, the story…
Rocky and Bullwinkle stand before a dilapidated, spooky mansion, complete with graveyard and bats. "This must be the place," says the moose, and they venture in. "Observing this from an attic window are two sinister figures," explains a caption. "It's the moose, Boris!" says Natasha. "Why don't you say something?"
"There's no room in that panel to say anything!" snarls Boris. He reveals that he lured Bullwinkle there to Pottsylvania with a phony letter. Then he pulls a lever, activating a trap.
"Bullwinkle!" shouts Rocky. "The door's barred and the windows are grilled!"
"That's funny! Bars and grills are taboo in these books!"
Boris opens a trap door and Rocky drops out of the story. Boris then schemes to electrocute Bullwinkle, but fails. Natasha suggests a machine gun. "Let's get it over with!"
"Idiot, don't be crude!" yells Boris. He holds his Master Disguise Kit. "I'll scare him to death!" He puts some lifts on his shoes, a thing on his forehead and electrodes in this neck. "How's this?" he grins. "The Frankelstein monster!" You're too short, Natasha points out. "Hokay, so it's the Frankel-GLASS monster!"
They improve the disguise and confront the moose. "Oboy! My favorite monster! Can I have your autograph?" says Bullwinkle, holding a pad and pen. "Exit darling, we bombed!" groans Natasha. "He must read Modern Monster Magazine."
Alone again, Bullwinkle stumbles onto Boris' makeup kit. "Now I'll play a joke on Rocky!" He puts on some extra fur and fangs and prowls the hallway, running into our villains again. "Run Natasha! It's a WEREMOOSE!" They run.
"Boris, I thought it was just superstition."
"So I'm superstitious!"
"Wait a minute – hmm – false hair – that was the moose in makeup."
"Of course, Heh heh. I knew it all the time."
"Then why did you run?"
"The story needed a little action."
Bullwinkle eventually finds Rocky in the cellar. "What happened to you?" "I don't know," answers the squirrel. "I was standing beside you on the 3rd panel on the 3rd page."
Boris return, disguised as an old-fashioned barrister. "Pardon me, gentlemen. Let me introduce myself. I'm Habeas J. Corbus, Attorney at Law. I've got news for you. This is only part of your inheritance. You got to follow instructions in this sealed letter!"
Rocky is suspicious.
"Don't miss the next chapter: 'Pottsylvanian Alps' or 'When the Moose comes over the mountain!'"
