10/25/14 - Creepsville #5 Halloweenland

As is my own personal tradition, while I'm active online, I like to post the entire 5th issue of Creepsville for all to read at this time of year.

A few things first:

I put this issue out before anyone had ever heard of A Nightmare Before Christmas and well before that film's release date. Don't get me wrong, Tim Burton and company were very much hard at work on their fantastic film at the same time as I was getting lots of ink on my fingers. This is a great minds think alike situation.

Sadly, this was the last issue published of Creepsville, volume 1. The 6th issue was not finished yet and had a Christmas story. I'm very close to being done with that all these years later, and plan on having that  story plus two more as a part of my Creepsville Collected book that I have been working on. I'm eyeballing a Spring release on that, but there's still lots of work to do. As it solidifies, I will tell you all about it.

What about Creepsville Vol 2? It ran 3 issues and I find myself liking it more and more these days. At the time, I was inspired strongly by Osama Tezuka (creator of Astro Boy) and attempted to do serious stuff with funny stuff. I have a crazy idea of redrawing parts of it.. and I can't stop drawing pictures of the sinister Dr. Sardini and his Traveling Spookshow. Then, there's the pseudo-spin off series of Monster Patrol (who appeared in Big Bang Comics). The first issue is all done and the second is penciled and partially inked. I'm also still working (and having a damned good time doing so) on Agents of Peril, too. Agents can still be found on this Blog. Check the content links at the right side.

Enough notes. Time to get to the comics. Click on the images to see the larger versions. Here's Creepsville #5:

Creepsville, its logo, all related characters, artwork and text are (c) & TM 2014 Franklin J. Kurtz. All rights reserved.

10/23/2014 - The Strange Case of the Missing Ghost Rider

There appears to be a real ghost in the machine. By a machine, I mean this very computer I'm writing on right now. I wrote an article about the great western comic book hero, the Ghost Rider, finishing it last night. Today, I go to get it, and I can't find the text.

Yes, I will have the Ghost Rider, one of the most popular characters published by Magazine Enterprises in the 40s - the 50s.  Lots of the Ghost Rider...

Artist Dick Ayes was a co-creator of the series and his artwork, with weirdness in an old West, is gorgeous. Frank Frazetta also contributed, but only rarely.

Years later, when Stan Lee bought the character for Marvel Comics, he had Ayers already doing work for him.

Meanwhile, I'll find that darned article, by hook or by crook, and when I do, I'll alert you to it.

For now, here is the Ghost Rider. Check out many more of these comics on the free public domain comic book site, Comic Books Plus (http://www.comicbookplus.com). As usual, click on the images to see legible versions. Let me know what you think of them.

Oh, and this Saturday will see the entire 5th issue of Creepsville posted for Halloween, with a story titled "Halloweenland."

Happy Halloweenland From Creepsville

Just in time for Halloween, I've decide to repost the entire 5th issue of my Creepsville comic book series.


A few years back I had a website called Monster Shindig.com. The site featured articles, comics (including the Creepsville and Agents of Peril online strips), and Roadside Horrors, my spooky online travel guide. One Halloween I got ambitious, scanned Creepsville #5 and post it online... wherein Rat Malone released creatures from an otherdimensional world called Halloweenland into his home town. I had a great time drawing it.


"Halloweenland" was the last story published in the 5 issue run of the Creepsville GoGo Comics run. There are two more issues drawn: a Christmas story that takes a loving jab at the classic The Thing From Another World and the previously mentioned "Dangerous Spooky Theater" story. Both stories will eventually see the light of day... in color.


Okay, never mind my hot air. Read the comic! (click on the image to see the larger version.) Have a great, safe and Happy Halloween.

PS. Creepsville, its logo, this story, and all related characters are (c) & TM 2009 Franklin J. Kurtz. All rights reserved.