I previously posted on an interesting pair of reprint series from the early 1970s, Fantasy Classics and Fantasy Reader, published by the short-lived small press Fantasy House. In addition to these two series, Fantasy House also published a pair of comic-book zines titled Infamous Funnies and Space Fantasies in 1973, both of which lasted only one issue.
Ken Krueger was involved with these and under his Shroud publishing had put out a comic called Gory Stories Quarterly (or Gory Story Quarterly), but there was only one issue in 1971, numbered 2 and 2-1/2. I have no idea why there was not a #1, or if it was something else.
Both issues are 8.5- by 11-inches on heavy paper stock with color covers and black-and-white interiors. Both have comic stories that could be considered underground comics or mature comics, as there is some amount of nudity. Some stories and art was reprinted from prior Canadian comics I found by searching on the Grand Comics Database.
Infamous Funnies #1 has several comics, some one-page or the like, only a few longer stories. Unlike Space Fantasies, we get some interior pages in color (well, added red and blue, not full color). Of interest is “The Kindness of Maracati,” which is an adaptation of a story by pulp author Arthur J. Burks. It was drawn by Vincent Marchesano, a Canadian artist who contributed to both comics.
There is a short weird sf story by Frances McCrone and Marchesano, and the preview of what looks to be a planned series of stories with Zoltan the Destroyer by “Captain” George Henderson and Marchesano. Henderson was the “Captain George” behind the New Captain George’s Whizzbang and Memory Lane Bookstore. We get a portfolio of artwork by Charles Momberger. One comic story I know was reprinted from The Spectrum, but have no idea if others were as well. Sadly, the Grand Comics Database has no index for this issue.
Space Fantasies #1 first has “Vicon of the Skyriders,” a futuristic sf story, with our hero a Skyrider going after a villain threatening the Empire of Man. It was created by Ron Fortier, and written and drawn by Vincent Marchesano. This story takes up half the issue at 22 pages.
The cover-featured story is “Dr. T,” another heroic character written by Terry Edwards and art by Marchesano. And finally, there’s another sf story written and drawn by Marchesano called “A Journey.” These last two stories were reprinted from a Canadian comicbook series called The Spectrum from the early ’70s.
These are interesting comics. I’m not sure if it’s something people will go hunting for. I would recommend checking with Dream Haven Books in Minneapolis, as they apparently have lots of extras of these, which may include little “mini certificates” from Shroud. I wonder what we might have gotten had they continued. Some of these could have continued, but I have no idea if they did.
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