From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Protégé Moi (2023)

Posted on February 28, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and, as you can see, to yet another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update that is also a SURPRISE bonus update. Yeah I know, we are having one pretty early this year, but this one is based around the 2023 fantasy horror film called Protégé Moi that was made by Robbie Lopez who also owns Crude Comics And Cinema. And what is really cool about this update is that both the film and the comic book were released by the same creator showing that Robbie knows how to use comics to help promote his film! I really wish more indie filmmakers would do this sort of thing as it gives fans of the films they make as well as horror comic readers something to collect and enjoy. So if you are ready, let’s start our journey into the world of Protégé Moi and see what terror awaits us.

Let’s start by taking a look at Ambrigio The Vampire King and his way of dealing death to the living that unfortunately cross his path. Ambrigio was cursed and turned into a vampire when he felt the wraith of the God Apollo when he fell in love with one of his ladies, and now he and his legion have set their sights on tormenting mankind. Ambrigio, who when human was kind, is now cruel as he lives in the dark shadows alongside his horde of female bloodsuckers preying on humans who they view as cattle. Ambrigio wears all black, has a crown, has sharp fangs, long fingernails and the look of evil in his eyes and all this is what makes people tremble with fear when they gaze upon him and that is not when he is in full Vampire King appearance that is demonic bat looking. He rules over his female vampires with an iron fist as they are his playthings, his protectors, his loves, his family, his objects and when disobeyed he will punish them by paddling their backsides. His main tools of dealing death to his victims are his fangs that he sinks into human necks to drain and drink their blood. Ambrigio can also fly through the air and is very sneaky this allows him to drop in on his targets that he has marked for death. His vampire ladies are (Soelene, Mercel, Lenora and Velka) and besides them he is also aided by bats, armed guards and a Oracle all who will do what they are asked by their Vampire King and that means kill and die for him. He also loves to cook people alive via the torture device known at the Brazen Bull. While Ambrigio is powerful, he can be hurt and destroyed, as like most vampires the light of the sun will burn him to a crisp, fire can also hurt him. Ambrigio can also feel the pain of his vampire ladies, meaning that if they are killed or hurt he feels it himself as they are truly connected. One way to truly kill him is if another vampire can remove his head as well as drink his blood. So while Ambrigio started out a regular person, he for decades has become a scary and deadly blood-drinking vampire.

So now that we have taken a look at The Vampire King and his cruel ways, we should now take a look at the film he is from and that is the 2023 indie fantasy horror film Protégé Moi. I will be getting the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB and then will write about the film’s production and my thoughts. So if you are ready, let’s dive into the world of Protégé Moi and its Vampire King.

Protégé Moi (2023)

“Medieval Vampire Horror on a Planet Ruled over by the Vampire King worlds oldest and most cruel vampire, his chained female servants terrorize as Soelene the outcast finds mortal love taking care of her sick human Mother.”

Protégé Moi is an indie fantasy horror film that is written and directed by Robbie Lopez who is best known for his work on such films as Texas Death Trippin’ (2019) and Nundead (2023) before making this one. The film’s production came via Crude Comics And Cinema with an estimated budget of around $80 thousand dollars. When it came to casting, such names as Dave Sheridan, Richie Ramone, Felissa Rose, Nadia White, Rick Daniels, Masuimi Max, Amber Dawn and Chris Wolfe to name a few would be hired for parts and filming took place in Kansas, and the film’s score was done by Marvin Maddicks Jr. who had also done some of the music for many indie horror films and also leant his voice in the film as an Island Spirit. The film uses lost green screen and animated effects to tell its story and this helped them add locations to make the budget look bigger. The film would be released on VHS and DVD in 2023 and would be meet with mix reviews bit would go on to gain a cult following. The film in 2023 would be released along side such other Horror Movies as Evil Dead Rise, Five Nights At Freddy’s, Malum, Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey, When Evil Lurks, Scream VI, Suitable Flesh, The Black Demon, Thanksgiving, Slotherhouse, SAW X, Cobweb, Beau Is Afraid and Cocaine Bear, to name a few.

I saw Protégé Moi in 2024 when I bought the DVD from Crude Comics website as I had to see it when I found out that a comic book was made around it, plus director Robbie Lopez is a good dude and puts his heart into all of his projects. One thing also that made me want to see the film is that is starred Nadia White, who I think is a very underrated actress in the world of indie horror and who made her name in the world of adult films, many of you may know her from being in the fright films “Don’t F*ck In The Woods (2016)”, “Killer Campout (2017)”, “WrestleMassacre (2018)”, “Daisy Derkins And The Dinosaur Apocalypse (2021)” and “Curse Of The Weredeer (2023)” to name a few. The film reminded me of one part Danzig music video, one part Suicide Girls with a dash of 90’s indie vampire film…and it’s a good mix of those as it is filled with blood, beautiful women and lots of creepy vampires on the loose in a village. Most of the reviews online I have seen complain about this one come from the use of the green screen backgrounds, but while some do stand out, it also give the film a bigger feel as well as adds to the overall nature. What also wins Protégé Moi points with me is that all the cast and crew clearly made this film with heart and believed in the production. And fans of the iconic punk band The Ramones will want to check this one out to see Richie Ramone as The Vampire King and he as well does music for the films soundtrack including covering the song “Cry Little Sister” from The Lost Boys. If you enjoy indie vampire films, like any of the actors in this film or just want to support a cool indie filmmaker make sure to track this one down and give it a watch.

So now that we have taken a look at Protégé Moi as well as Ambrigio The Vampire King, the main villain from the fright film, I think we are now at the point of this review that we take a look at the comic based around them. And I would first like to thank Robbie Lopez for not only making this comic book but also getting me a copy of the comic and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. And with that, let’s take a look at this comic and see what spookiness awaits us all.

Protégé Moi # 1 **1/2
Released in 2023 Cover Price $5.00 Crude Comics # 1 of 1

This tells the tales of Ambrigio The Vampire King, who is a powerful and cruel vampire as well as talks about his ladies who are Velka a gypsy who was down on her luck before being turned into a deadly vamp, Lenora a short sadistic sexy vampire, Mercel a dancer and fire blower vampire and lastly Soelene a sweet vampire who sneaks away to always visit her dying mother who named her after a witch she made a deal with and whose best friend is a bat named Gideon that watches after her. We also learn a little about monster killer Johan who travels around looking for vampires to slay and townie Andrade, a goof who wants to find a lady and some adventure. We are also introduced to the Royal Vampire Guards who are Igor and Ivan and the weapons they use.

This comic based on the film Protégé Moi does not tell a story and is more of a short character bios companion to the film much like “Who’s Who Of The DC Universe” and “Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe” just with far less written history for each character, but does allow you to sort of understand the basic traits of the characters that you will see in the film. We get a look at Ambrigio The Vampire King and his vampire ladies as well as a brief look at our heroes. The cover for this comic is interesting and could easily be the poster for the film and the interior art is really solid and is done by Sando Venditti and many of the pages feel like a classic spooky pinup page from a horror magazine or comic. Not much else to say besides if you are a fan of this film, this comic book is worth having as it has good art and shares a little about the characters. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Venditti used in this comic.

So as you can see, this comic based on the film Protégé Moi is a fun way to checkout the characters from the film, but those who are looking for a story based comic might be a little sad….while I myself wish it was more of a story comic, I still enjoyed this bio one. Well I think this surprise “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update has come to an end, but I hope that it as well helped build your excitement for this several year long look at these types of comics. Our next update will take us back to the planned update of Motel Hell as I know you Midnite Movie fans are looking forward to that one. So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we see what kind of critters really are used by Farmer Vincent!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Remaining (2014)

Posted on February 22, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie, To Horror Comic” update. This time around we will be taking a look at a religious horror flick that would end up getting the graphic novel treatment from Kingstone Comics! this is a sub genre of horror that I think is often over looked by fans as most just think that they will be preachy and lack the scares of your normal horror feature, but that’s not true. While yes, they all tend to have a very faith based message, some of them truly bring some scares as who doesn’t find the end of the world scary? And the fright flick we will be looking at today is The Remaining, a film about the end of days. So if you are ready, let’s dive into this film as well as the graphic novel based around it.

Before we get too deep into our look at The Remaining, let’s take a look at the Demons who are our killers and death bringers in this film. When the Rapture happens and the second trumpet echoes out into the air, The Fallen, who are winged demons, come upon the Earth and attack the remaining people left behind. The demonic Fallen fly around in the darkness and stormy sky and swoop down to attack their prey. The Fallen truly love to torture their victims as they feed on people’s fear and misery. Their appearance is very ghastly, and this puts fear into the hearts of those who see them. They are very strong and can lift a person into the sky to either kill them or injure them before dropping them back down to the ground. They also make horrible noises and at times you can hear them in the air above you before they come down to snatch you up. They hunt humans mostly during the night and are drawn to people who pray or find faith in God as they want to wipe his teaching and word from this world. Their main tool to deal death are their tails that are much like a scorpions as they can impale a person as well as sting them that inflicts as very nasty wound that has poison inside it and also gets infected very easily. The Fallen Demons will kill individually but also will kill in a horde, and they truly are very dangerous. The Fallen Demons do not have any known weakness, and once they are called to Earth, there is no way to defeat them. So as you can see, these demonic Fallen truly are very dangerous and could even be unstoppable.

Now that we have seen what the Demons can do to those humans that are left behind, we should take a look at the film they are from! Like always, I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts about it. So if you are ready, let’s see what would happen to those who would remain.

The Remaining (2014)

“A supernatural thriller that addresses questions of life, love and belief against an apocalyptic backdrop. A group of close friends gather for a wedding, but the celebration is shattered by a series of cataclysmic events and enemies foretold by biblical end-times prophecies. The survivors face a horrifying, uncertain future as they scramble for safety, but as their world collapses around them in chaos and terror will they choose real life through faith, or just try to survive?”

The Remaining was a film that was created by Casey La Scala, who was the producer behind such films as Donnie Darko and Amityville: The Awakening and was inspired to write and direct his own horror film after visiting the set of Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. He wanted his film to be on a bigger scale for the scares and that’s when he decided to base it around The Book of Revelations and the rapture that is said to take place when believers all over the world will be called to Heaven and those left behind will face the end of days. The film was picked up by Triumph Films for release and then such names as Johnny Pacar, Shaun Sipos, Alexa Vega, Italia Ricci, Liz E, Morgan and Bryan Dechart was brought in for lead roles, and Nathan Whitehead was brought in to score the film. The film was released on September 5, 2014 in limited theaters and would end up grossing $1,169,603.00 on a unknown budget and come out alongside other horror films as Tusk, The Pyramid, The Quiet Ones, Devil’s Due, As Above So Below and Dracula Untold, to name a few. The film would also be shown around the world and was well reviewed by fans and critics to very mixed reviews with many praising the terror but hating the dialogue. While it’s not a popular nor cult film, it does have its fans and has left its mark on the horror genre and is one of the biggest film in the faith-based horror subgenre in the last few decades.

The Remaining is a film that I have overlooked for years and did not really pay attention to it until 2022 when I found that the film also had a comic book based around it. So I knew I had to see it and cover the graphic novel here, and it would be 2023 before I would both watch the film and read the graphic novel. On a lazy summer Sunday I put the DVD of The Remaining in the player and sat back and watched it, and I have to say that over all I enjoyed it as I feel that the film had some great visuals and used darkness and shadows really well in many of the scenes. The first picture in this update is one of my favorite shots in the film as it has a very dark and spooky mood that truly says horror. Those who are looking for The Fallen Demons to be a big part of the film as far as being seen will be a little disappointed as they are not seen hardly at all and when you do it’s seconds. I really do wish that we would have seen more of them as they are truly the main villains of the film as they stalk our heroes across the city. The film’s writer and director Casey La Scala was raised religious, and it was clear that he wanted to make a horror film that could be faith based but yet not be so forceful in pushing a message, and for the most part he pulls it off. But with that said, much of the meaning of put your trust and faith in God is very present and only slightly in the end truly pushes that message home. While I do also agree that some of the dialogue is a little bland, I did find that I liked the bond the actors seemed to have making this film as it showed up on screen. I also liked actress Italia Ricci who I think could have made a go at becoming a horror actress, she did play Silver Banshee in the TV Show Supergirl for five episodes and she is one of my favorite Superman villains next to Parasite and Doomsday. Also for those who are wondering actress Alexa Vega who plays Skylar is best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Sky Kids movies and has been in other horror films like “Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)”, “Mother’s Day (2010)”, “The Devil’s Carnival (2012)” and “Machete Kills (2013)” to name a few. And let’s be honest, I feel that one sub genre that gets over looked is faith based horror and I would like to see Kingstone Comics along with artist Kyle Holtz to team up and make more comics like this based off these type of films. Over all this is not a groundbreaking film but was a creepy end of days film that brought some scares as well as makes you wonder what would happen to you if the end of days happened in your lifetime.

So as you can see, The Remaining have their hands full with The Demonic Fallen that want to bring them death and a part of the destruction of the world as we know it. But now we are at the part of this update that we take a look at the graphic novel adaptation of the film that was released by Kingstone Comics, you remember them the Christian comic publisher that we covered when we did an update on Samson that you can read here. I would like to thank Amazon for having this graphic novel in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s take a look at The Remaining and see how well this graphic novel stays true to the film it’s based on.

The Remaining GN ***
Released in 2014 Cover Price $9.99 Kingstone # 1 of 1

It’s Dan and Skylar’s wedding day, and Tommy Covington is filming it walking around the venue and getting video of their friends and family wishing them good luck and this includes Jack, Ally and Lauren. The ceremony goes smooth but Dan needs to tell Skylar something but all the guests keep interrupting. The reception is filled with joy and prayer, but Ally seems to be down and Jack notices as they are dating, and they break up that very night as she does not think he truly loves her. And just like that the air gets cold and people at the wedding just drop over dead, and Tommy is able to find a few of the living that include Skylar, Dan and Jack, and they are scared and shocked as outside planes are falling from the sky and crashing to Earth and the earthquakes start happening as the group of friends flee the venue in order to try and find Ally, but to their horror they find a massive storm is in the air and the streets are littered with death and destruction and all the while Tommy keeps on filming. The group also find that others are still alive and people are trying to help one another, and what is on everyone’s mind is why this happened and why are they left alive. Skylar tells the others that she thinks this is the End Of The World as told in the Bible and that the dead are the good people called to heaven, and she wants them all to find shelter as what is coming next will be very bad. Just then the sky turns weird and massive hail falls from the sky and causes them to hide in a library where they meet a teenager name Sam who ends up joining them as they continue their quest to find Ally, and now there is loud noises coming from the sky and so do demonic creatures that try at attack them, but they once more find shelter this time in a church as Skylar is injured by the creatures and needs medical help. And at the church they also find Ally who is happy to see them but also upset about the death of her friends and Skylar being injured. The priest is still at the church and fills in the friends about the Rapture and Tommy shows them his video that shows the demons in the sky that hurt Skylar as Jack and Ally make up and confuse their love for one another. Skylar’s wounds are getting infected and Dan goes out to the parking lot to get more medicine from the nurses van to help her, and they are able to get it and escape the sky demons that are all around. Tommy gets talking to Sam and they two bond over food and Tommy telling her about his love for Ally, and then all the friends start telling each other their dirty secrets like Dan had an affair, Tommy tells Ally his feelings for her and Jack is filled with anger. The Demons break into the church and kill the priest and the nurse, leaving everyone afraid in the basement. In the morning Dan, Jack, Tommy, Ally, Sam and the injured Skylar make their way to the hospital to get treatment for her as she is dying and while Tommy and Jack search the hospital for medicine, Skylar dies in Dan’s arms as Ally and Sam are with them in this moment of grief. Dan goes outside and curses the name of God and is killed by a demon, as Tommy and Jack return to the body of Skylar they find Ally has been killed as well by a demon. Now its only Tommy, Jack and Sam left, and they make their way to the bridge were many people have gathered. And Tommy makes the connection that everyone of his friends that have just died got attacked once they found a link with God, and Jack right then is at the prayer tent and gets ripped apart by demons. In the end Tommy and Sam are running for their lives as the demons are all around and have to make a choice.

The Remaining is a creepy look at the end of days and follows a group of friends who are at a wedding when the rapture happens and they stick together looking for safety and to get answers and along their way they see lots of death of destruction, pick up a new friend name Sam and even encounter demons in the sky that want to make humans dead who try and find faith now. And in the end many of the friends do not make it and the ones that do have to make a choice find God and be ripped apart or stay neutral and watch as Earth turns into Hell. For a faith based horror comic based on a horror film, this is a pretty great read as all the spooky elements come from The Sky Demons (The Fallen) as well as just the atmosphere of the world coming to an end and the fear of those left behind. Our main focus of the film is Tommy Covington, a man who was hired to film his two friends’ wedding and who by the end of this graphic novel confesses his love for a woman dating his best friend, becomes friends with a young woman he meets that a fellow survivor and lastly tries to be the peacemaker in the high tension environment that his friends find themselves in. Jack and Ally are a couple that have been dating for seven years, and while she wants to get married, he seems to just be happy with the way things are, and right before The Rapture, the two break up and he spends his time trying to find her as he truly does love her. Sadly they both meet their end at the hands of The Demons as both end up finding faith and guidance in God. Sam is a younger lady who has found herself alone and hiding in the library before she ends up joining up with Tommy and his friends, and she truly becomes part of their group and goes along the quest to find and save others. The newly married couple are Dan and Skylar who are deeply in love and things get bad when she is attacked by The Demons that cause terrible wounds that get infected and as well filled with poison, and she dies of her wounds and Dan turns on God and faith all together and gets killed. And that is the thing, all of these friends have their own secrets and these could be what has kept them from being brought to Heaven during The Rapture as many are not close or have to faith. The Demons are truly evil as they attack anyone who mentions God as their goal is truly to bring on the end of times, and all those who are sinners or faithless will be the target for their deadly attacks. The graphic novel does have some blood and violence, but is by no means a bloodbath. The cover for this graphic novel is pretty cool ,and the interior artwork done by Kyle Hotz is top notch as Kyle’s style is perfect for this style of faith based horror comics…in fact I wish Kingstone Comics and Kyle Hotz would team up more often and make more comics and graphic novels based on faith-based horror films! While many readers might be turned away from the religious tones and messages in this graphic novel, I for one was not as I found it to be a entertaining read that was filled with some spooky moments and did its job of making a group of friends come together under extreme stress in order to try and watch after each other. And I want to also say that I feel that this graphic novel did a great job of staying true to the film its based on with the major change being they show The Fallen more and I am ok with that change! Checkout the artwork below to see the style of Kyle Hotz used in this graphic novel.

The Remaining is one of those horror films that is not known but has its share of fans, and I am sure this graphic novel helped bring attention to the film as that is what comic books based on the fright films of the cinema and home media are good for, and I really do wish that more filmmakers and studios would work with comic publishers to make these types of comics for readers. I really do give Kingstone Comics respect for doing this comic series as this is totally out of the norm for them, and I hope that they do more comics like this as I would like to see them do a comic based on the 2023 film Nefarious as I think it could have made a great spooky read, make this happen Kingstone and Kyle Hotz! But our time with The Remaining has come to an end, but our time with horror comics based on horror films has not as our next update will take us to the Motel Hello or I mean Motel Hell as I will be revisiting that film as well as the IDW Comic series based on it. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. I hope we get in time to the Motel to get some fresh Farmer Vincent jerky!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: I Come In Peace (1990)

Posted on February 12, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update as this one we will be taking a look at the 1990 hybrid genre film I Come In Peace, a film that for some reason kids I know and myself were obsessed with when it was released. We will also be taking a look at the indie comic adaptation of the film that most horror comic readers didn’t even know existed. And it’s very cool that this film got the comic book treatment as I feel that so many classic horror and sci-fi films over the years that should have never did so its nice when some of these cult b-films do. So if you are ready, let’s dive into I Come In Peace aka Dark Angel and see if the comics are as entertaining as the film.

Let’s start off by taking a look at Talec, a massive 6’5” alien who likes to kill and steal the endorphins of his victims to sell as a street drug on his planet only after he pumps them full of drugs to overdose them to make his task easier. Talec besides being very tall has long blonde hair, blue milky eyes, wears all black and has a straight forward intimidating face making his appearance alone scare the hell out of the humans he is tracking as he is not like any other person on Earth. Talec is super strong and can kill with his bare hands if he choose to and is skilled in hand-to-hand fighting. It takes a lot to hurt Talec as he is built for fighting and has a strong pain threshold. He is a fast runner as well and does not run out of energy making him a threat to any person he has set his sights on. He also can speak as he can say “I Come In Peace” with a raspy voice, he also growls and snarls when angry and this as well can scare your basic human. He also has many tools of dealing death at hand as he first has a rapid firing gun that when bullets hit things they explode and the gun itself has levels you can turn up for more impact, he has a arm gadget that fires off blades that are attracted to humans and will cut and kill very fast as it can jump from person to person in a room, he has a tube that fires from his wrist gadget that enters the chest of his victim and injects them with a drug to induce a overdose and lastly he has a knife like object that he rams into the skull of his victim to steal their bodies endorphins! He is very cold and does not care about the lives he takes and almost gets joy out of the killing. He as well is a drug dealer on his planet and a wanted criminal. While Talec is one mean mother from outer space, he can be injured and killed like any living thing as it seems being shot, blown up and impaled will truly stop Talec once and for all and make his white chunky blood flow. He also becomes very sloppy and fights with anger if you mess with his drug supply and this leaves him open for attacks and to make mistakes. Talec is a truly deadly alien and looks to get his drug supplies for his planet by taking the lives of people on Earth.

So as you can see, Talec is a very dangerous alien who truly knows how to deal death to any human that he chooses. And I am sure we all agree that if a massive 6’5” alien with white eyes and an arm blade was coming after us it would be a pretty scary and crappy day! But now I think that it’s time we take a look at the film he is from I Come In Peace! And like before I will be taking the film’s plot from our pals at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production and then will write about my thoughts of the film. So if you are ready, let’s see why this alien truly didn’t visit Earth in peace.

I Come In Peace (1990)

“A Renegade Cop is forced to work with an FBI Agent in order to bring down a group of Drug Dealers with sinister plans.”

I Come In Peace, or Dark Angel as it is known outside of America, is a film that was written by David Koepp and Jonathan Tydor that was released by Triumph Releasing Corporation that was slated to be a big sci-i, horror and action film hit. It was directed by Craig R. Baxley who was just coming off filming Action Jackson and would go on to direct such other films as Stone Cold (1991), Storm Of The Century (1999), Rose Red (2002) and The Diary Of Ellen Rimbauer to name a few. When casting the film such actors as Dolph Lundgren, Matthias Hues, Betsy Brantley, Brian Benben, David Ackroyd and Sherman Howard who horror fans would know as Bub from Day Of The Dead. When filming it would go over two weeks beyond the filming schedule that took place in Texas with a $7 million budget and was supposed to be called Dark Angel but the production company for the American release didn’t like the name so it was changed. Jan Hammer was brought on to score the film and it would get a theatrical release on September 28, 1990 and would do very poorly only doing a little over $4 million. The film when first released was panned by the critics as well as fans and would not build its cult following until after it was released on home media and aired on cable. The film would be released in 1990 alongside such other horror films as Arachnophobia, Tremors, Nightbreed, The Exorcist III, Child’s Play 2, Predator 2, Blood Salvage, Maniac Cop 2 and Silent Night Deadly Night 4 to name a few.

I Come In Peace is one of those weird hybrid movies that does a entertaining job of blending sci-fi horror with action and every kid I knew who saw the film all quoted the lines “I Come In Peace” “And You Go In Pieces Asshole” as I can remember my cousin Norman saying it all the time after he saw the film…what a fun memory. And at the time of this release Dolph Lundgren was a big action film star and he had already done the films Rocky IV, Masters Of The Universe and The Punisher so of course the youth of the time wanted to see I Come In Peace! Really it was odd as when this film was released it kind of was like “A Nightmare On Elm Street” as kids on the playground would brag if they had seen it. Matthias Hues who plays the alien drug dealer Talec was prefect in the role as he was creepy looking and he as well already had many roles under his belt that made him a favorite of the youth at the time like No Retreat No Surrender 2, Big Top Pee-Wee and Cage. I first saw the film thanks to it airing on HBO or Cinemax as my parents had no interest in seeing it on the big screen and cause of its R rating they would not allow us to go on our own. Think about this, the main baddie in the film was a drug dealer from outer space who came to earth to sell his deadly goods…all the while a space cop is also on the case to try and bust him…weird and delightful. While the film is very cheesy and not for everyone, if you enjoy some action in your horror you should check this one out as you might find a new favorite cult classic for your collection. Oh and on a side note for several years a sequel had been spoke about by actor Matthias Hues, but it never was made.

So now that we have chatted about that intergalactic drug pusher Talec and the film he is from I Come In Peace (Dark Angel) I think that it is time that we take a look at the comic book based on them…and to be honest in 1991 when this comic was made I had zero clue about it and it would be many several years before I found out about it. I would like to thank both Lone Star Comics and an Ebay Seller for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s see if this alien really does come in peace or if he is just one mean dark angel.

I Come In Peace # 1 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Greater Mercury # 1 of 2

Evil alien and drug dealer Talec arrives on Earth looking to harvest his raw materials for his drugs and wanders around the big city looking for it. Meanwhile members of a drug ring called White Boys ran by Victor Manning have gotten into a police station and stolen lots of drugs and even killed a few cops and even set off a bomb injuring many others. Detective Jack Caine and his partner later are trying to set up Manning by booking a meeting with him to try and buy, but as Caine is listening in via his partner’s wire he also has to stop a store robbery and is late to save his partner who is discovered to be a cop and is killed by Manning’s men who are in turned killed by Talec who uses a metal flying disc to slaughter most of them and then steals the drugs, and later he also attacks a shop owner and kills him in his own business. Caine is in trouble with his boss and is forced to take a vacation but is quickly back on active duty when he is paired with Agent Smith of the FBI in order to crack this case and find Manning as well as who killed many of his men. And after shaking down a criminal at a strip club he Caine finds out that Manning thinks that he is the one that killed his men and stole his drugs, and Caine and Smith even return to the scene of the crime and find the disc stuff in a stereo speaker. We also learn that Caine is dating the city coroner Diane Pallone and the two have a very rocky relationship due to Caine’s obsession with his job and busting criminals. Also arriving on Earth is Azeck, an alien police officer who is hunting down Talec to arrest him and bring him back home to face the punishment for his crimes. Talec continues his killing ways and ends up running into Caine at one of the scene of the crime and they two start fighting in a dark ally with Talec getting the upper hand.

This comic adaptation of I Come In Peace is awesome but also very much a big mess as the story is kind of all over the place and nothing links the change of “scenes” together as things almost seem to be randomly happening. The comic also starts off with a very weird fight on a alien planet where Azeck and his father have a small and quick chat, its weird and really is out of place. The plot has a drug dealing alien coming to Earth and killing people to get supplies for his drugs and is being hunted down by both a alien police officer as well as a tough as hell earthling and his FBI Agent partner. Detective Caine is a officer who truly wants to bring down crime and even breaks the rules to do so as he goes outside the box to crackdown on them and that even includes killing them. He is also very skilled not just with his gun but also in fighting as it’s clear he knows martial arts and that the crime world hates him. Agent Smith is a young agent for the FBI who is trying to do everything by the book, and seems to be taken back by the antics and ways of Caine. Diane Pallone the city coroner and lady of Caine is the one who has to be the one who is seeing the bodies of the victims of Talec and figures out that some one is stabbing into their brains as well as making them overdose on heroin. Drug lord Manning and his goons are a major annoyance and are causing issues for the city as well as the cops, but are also in the path of Talec and that means death could be coming their way. Talec is a very massive and dangerous alien who says “I Come In Peace” as he is murdering you, he does not care who he kills as long as he gets the supplies he needs for his drugs that he will sell on his home planet…and here is a spoiler, the supplies come from his human victims! He also does not care if the people he kills are good or bad and nor does he seemed bothered that he is being hunted down by the police of his home world as well as Earth. The fight between our hero Cain and drug pusher Talec thus far is very one sided as the cop is out powered by the massive alien, but you have to give him credit as he is still fighting back. The comic has some blood and the horror comes from Talec wandering around the city and massacring people as a massive alien with a sharp blade object on his arm is pretty scary! The cover is very cheesy and yet eye-catching and shows Detective Caine, Agent Smith and Talec letting you see the main cast of characters. The comics interior art is done by Darryl Cobbs and is very odd as it looks very much like a indie comic from the late 80’s and early 90’s and the characters look nothing like the actors who play them and I am sure his style will not be for everyone. Over all a entertaining first issue even though its confusing and sloppily put together, so let’s see what the second issue has in store for us and how Caine escapes the attack of Talec as they leave us on a true cliffhanger.

I Come In Peace # 2 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Greater Mercury # 2 of 2

As Talec is choking the life out of Detective Caine, our hero seems powerless against this massive alien and his life is saved by Azeck who arrives and has a shoot out with his bounty and the two run off into the night just as Agent Smith shows up confused by everything as he notices a hand print around the neck of Caine. Once they are both safe Caine explains to Smith that he thinks that they are up against an alien drug dealer and that another alien is there to help stop his path of death and destruction, but when talking to the Chief about getting extra help Smith does not stand by his partner and Caine is told he has to take a long overdue vacation. That night Talec attacks again killing people inside a store and Azeck shows up once more and the pair have another exchange of gunfire, but Azeck is shot and injured badly. The crime scene is cut off from the police as Secret Agents are looking around and will not let Caine nor his girlfriend and city coroner Diane Pallone enter, and this causes Caine to embrace the vacation idea and he tells Pallone to go home quit her job and get ready for a long vacation…as she leaves Caine and Smith get into it over being bad partners and as they enter their car Azeck is in the back seat dying and passes his gun to Caine as well as tells him who Talec is and warns them that they must kill him before he leaves the planet, and with that Azeck dies and even explodes as he fades away. Smith ends up taking the gun and turning it over to his boss at the FBI who is corrupt as he is going to kill Smith and later Cain as they want to save the alien to learn from him! But Caine saves Smith when he shoots his boss and the pair then head off to do the right thing and that’s track down and take down Talec and when they track him down they are also joined by members of The White Boys we are taken out really fast by Talec, and in the end after a dangerous fight Caine uses the alien gun to blow up Talec with a single shot and then heads out to start his vacation with his lady.

In this final issue of the adaptation of I Come In Peace, the plot has Caine and Smith finally being on the same page and heading on a great manhunt to bring down the alien drug lord before he can return home and turn Earth into a bloody battlefield as his drug selling buddies would come here to harvest people to make their drugs. And they have to do so alone as the police force does not believe the story of aliens and the FBI are wanting to collect the alien in order to study and learn from it. Detective Cain is truly a hard ass who plays by his own rules in order to get things done and bring done the criminal filth that plagues his city, he is also while at times it does not seem it very loyal to his girlfriend and partners as his harsh demeanor causes those around him to think he is a total jerk. But when he push comes to shove, he is the kind of friend you would want on your side. Agent Smith is very loyal to his job and bosses at the FBI and at times clearly plays everything to by the book, but when he finds that sometimes you need to think outside the box in order to save lives and bring bad guys down. Poor Diane Pallone is around and is caught up in this alien invasion and it’s clear all she really wants to do is spend some time with Caine. Azeck does his best to save the earthlings from being killed and turned into street drugs on a alien planet, but his best was not good enough as he finds himself dying from a gunshot wound and has to trust two earthlings to save the planet. Talec is cold blooded and truly just wants to kill people to get their endorphins to sell on his home planet, and all he can say is “I Come In Peace” as he murders people very violently. But while he is a massive alien with raw power and lots of tools to deal death, he as well ends up meeting his maker by a well placed gunshot. The comic does a pretty good job of staying true to the film with some changes being in the pacing as well as the cut back panels of Azeck’s home planet and these changes do make the read seem like a new experience based around the story we the fans of this film all know. The comic’s horror elements come from Talec and his killing ways and the issues does have some blood being spilt, but noting to major. The cover is pretty cool as it shows Talec and Caine and the interior artwork done by artist Darryl Cobbs and is pretty good stuff, but keep in mind it is very indie in style and the characters look nothing like the actors who played them in the film. Over all this is a enjoyable adaptation that I would say is not for everyone but if you are a fan of the film I would say make sure to track it down and give it a read. Checkout the artwork below to see the style used by Cobb in this comic series.

I Come In Peace really is a cult classic film and many people never knew that it got the comic book adaptation treatment, and while the comic might not have been perfect, it was a fun read and if you’re a fan of the film, it might be something that you would want to checkout as it is very weird and does make some slight changes to the film’s plot. So with that our time with Talec has come to an end and it’s clear he did not come in peace as almost all those he said that to ended up in a body bag. But don’t worry, we will be staying in the world of horror and our next update will have us looking at The Fallen that come during the end of days as we will be talking about the 2014 faith based horror film The Remaining. So until next time, read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film of two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update for a scary good time!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Black Demon (2023)

Posted on February 2, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another spooktacular “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update as this time around we will be heading to the waters of Mexico to talk about the massive shark that is called The Black Demon! This 2023 indie horror film had a limited theatrical release and. also had a comic mini series based around it thanks to indie comic publisher Scout Comics. And as I have said many times in the past, I wish these horror filmmakers would team more often with horror comic makers to do releases like this as horror comic readers eat them up and it’s a great way to promote your film. So with that said, let’s get in this tiny rotting boat and hope that we don’t get chewed up by the massive Black Demon Shark who is hunting these ink waters.

Lets start off by taking a look at The Black Demon and its ways of bringing death to foolish humans that enter its cursed waters. The Black Demon is a massive megalodon shark that is very supernatural in nature as it is a creature that is set free by an Aztec God to punish people who do the environment harm in the Baja Coast in Mexico. Black Demon is massive in size and is scarred up from all the years of roaming the waters and eating up humans on boats, and his appearance brings terror to those who see it…let alone just saying its name strikes fear. The Black Demon is a fast swimmer and can also make his prey hallucinate by seeing things that are horrific like body parts floating or even give them a false look as something that will give them safety like rescue boats, but these mind tricks are just a way to scare you and leave you open for death. It’s main way of killing humans comes from its massive razor sharp teeth and big mouth that can swallow up a boat and the people on it with ease. But The Black Demon, while a supernatural creature, can be hurt and or killed as being blown up with explosives seems to do it in for good, its size as well seems to work against it when it comes to being able to squeeze into spaces to get to its prey. The Black Demon is a true terror of the waters that strikes fear and spreads death in the waters of Baja and is a creepy killing machine.

So as you can see, The Black Demon is a massive shark that is truly looking to end some lives and make people live in fear! And now I think that it is time that we take a look at the 2023 film that it’s from and like always, we will be taking the films plot from our good pals at IMDB and after that I will write a little about the film’s production as well as my thoughts of the film. So with that, let’s head a little deeper into the water and see what The Black Demon is all about.

Black Demon (2023)

“Paul Sturges takes his family on a trip to Mexico to inspect an oil rig his company owns. Once they get out there, he finds the place almost abandoned with only a few terrified workers left who tell him that the rig has been repeatedly attacked by a monstrous shark that is part of a Mexican legend. With the rig sinking into the water and the shark hunting them, he must find a way to get his family to safety and stay alive.”

Film director Adrian Grunberg along with scriptwriters Carlos Cisco and Boise Esquerra came up with the idea to turn the Mexican legend of the giant shark known as The Black Demon into a film in order to bring its tale to horror fans outside of Mexico as well as to deliver a frightful watch much like Jaws, Orca The Killer Whale, Sharknado and Meg before it. The film would be set around a family stuck on a crumbling old oil rig in the ocean as the Black Demon attacks and waits for them to enter his water so he can make a snack out of them. The film cast such names as Josh Lucas, Fernanda Urrejola, Hector Jimenez, Venus Ariel, Julio Cesar Cedillo and Raul Mendez, to name a few. The film was shot in the Dominican Republic and shooting would be last for a few months, and the craziest part is that for the longest time the creators of this film kept the plot very quiet and all anyone knew was that it was a shark movie! The film once done would be scored by Ricardo Acasuso and would get a limited theatrical release on April 28, 2023. The film did not do great at the box office and was pretty much panned by both critics and viewers leaving it to have to try and truly build it’s following once released to home media. It would bring in $3,446,755.00 for its run in the theater worldwide. The film was released in 2023 alongside such other Horror films as Scream VI, Cocaine Bear, Fear, Infinity Pool, Evil Dead Rise, Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey, Skinamarink and Grandma to name a few.

The Black Demon was one of those indie horror films that I saw the trailer for and wanted to see on the big screen as I thought you could not go wrong with a giant shark movie! And lucky for me one of the local theater chains ended up picking it up and showing it a handful of times and so on a lazy Sunday afternoon my lady and I checked it out, and while we had a good time at visiting the theater, the film was sadly a slight letdown as it had a surprisingly lack of The Black Demon and was more about what we as humans are doing to our bodies of water and how greed and fear will cause people to turn the other cheek even when they know something is causing major damage to the world as well as those workers in the unsafe environment. I also have to say that in the film the main character is a man named Paul Sturges who works for the oil company and is one of the most unlikable “heroes” that I have ever seen as he is just a jerk who is very self serving and endangers people and animals for his own greed, and even when he tries to right all his wrongs I still feel that he is a jerk. I do think that most of the acting in the film was good and it was great to see Hector Jimenez in the film as most viewers will know him from the 2006 film Nacho Libre where he played Esqueleto, and here in Black Demon, he plays a boat driver that works for the oil company. I also think that actress Fernanda Urrejola who plays the wife Ines does a good job in what little she was given, and viewers would know her from the 2021 film Cry Macho. But over all Black Demon is one of those horror films that could be an ok watch on a boring night, but for those looking forward to giant shark attacks, this will be very disappointing. And for those wondering, I did end up buying the film on DVD that was strangely released by Paramount Pictures.

So now that we have taken a look at The Black Demon, the supernatural megalodon shark and its ways of killing humans as well as the film it’s from, I think it is now time to take a look at the comic mini series based around the indie film. I would like to thank Game Swap Kettering for having the comics in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s make some noise and see if we can draw The Black Demon out!

Black Demon Tales # 1 **1/2
Released in 2023 Cover Price $4.99 Scout Comics # 1 of 3

In 1984 a Mexican Navy boat is giving chase to a smaller boat that has protesters and researchers are going to leak to the press about the Black Demon, but unknown to these whistleblowers they are heading toward their deaths as the massive sharks appears and kills them all leaving wreckage and carnage behind. The Navy Captain is being yelled at by his crew member and daughter Bella Gonzalez who is upset that they knowingly lead these protectors to their death, but before things can be settled, their ship is also attacked by the Black Demon who destroys their boat, leaves all the crew dead besides Bella who makes it to shore with a seriously injured arm. Years pass and in 1986 Bella lost her arm and it is replaced with a metal prostatic and she now is building a weapon that she hopes will kill The Black Demon who not only took her arm but the life of her father. Bella heads to the Baja Coast with her new weapon in hand as a giant squid has washed ashore and inside it is the remains of a man, these deaths are the doing of The Black Demon! She then heads out on a boat to try and use her weapon on the shark and is able to do so but it does not stop the supernatural shark that destroys her boat and knocks her out cold. She wakes up on the beach and a fisherman is holding his hand out to help her up.

The first issue of Black Demon Tales is a cool start to the series as we learn that The Black Demon has been roaming the waters in the 80’s and has made an enemy out of Bella Gonzalez, a Navy researcher who was the victim of one of The Black Demon’s many attack that left her missing an arm and worse her fellow crew members with one being her father dead! Bella Gonzalez is clearly a woman who wants to do the right thing as she does not like that her father lead the protestors to their death, and she is all for revenge as she wants to kill the demon shark and is using her smarts and science to try and do so. Sadly at this point it appears that she has failed as even with her special bomb she finds herself once more injured and on the beach defeated. And as for the stranger who comes to her aid, I am sure we will get to know him in the next issue. The Black Demon is a killing machine as in just this issue he kills a boat full of protesters as well as a navy men as its quest to kill to right the wrongs of mankind against nature is truly what drives it. The story is a fast read and as of this first issue The Black Demon shark is pretty badass and I can not wait to see what more mayhem and terror it causes in the rest of this mini series. The comic is not bloody and the horror comes from the giant shark attacks themselves as well as its massive appearance. The cover is pretty cool and shows a lady about to be swallowed up by The Black Demon, and for fans of the film or even just shark attack entertainment it would be eye catching. The interior art is pretty good stuff and is done by Vincenzo Sansone who I think draws The Black Demon shark very well. Over all not a bad start for this mini series based on the film that is based on a legend in Mexico, so lets see what issue two has in store for us.

Black Demon Tales # 2 **
Released in 2023 Cover Price $4.99 Scout Comics # 2 of 3

Father Mateo sits near the ocean in Mexico and tells the tale of female warrior Erendira who would not allow her people to be taken over by the rule of Spain. Erendira has taught herself to ride a horse and has trained many other warriors in her group to do the same as they are ready for a fight, she also goes and visits an old wise woman who lives near the beach who tells her of a God that watches over the waters, fills it with many fish for eating and also has a very evil protector. Meanwhile a ship of Spanish soldiers are on their way to Mexico and come across some native fishermen and they decide to kill them as they think they are savages, and this pisses off Erendira and the old wise woman who ends up summoning The Black Demon to get revenge! The massive sharks kills so many of them and as the Spanish Soldiers get to the beach they attack the Aztec Warriors who end up fighting back and in the end the Soldiers are killed as is the old wise woman who puts the curse of being the watcher of The Black Demon on the Father that was with the Spanish fleets and that man was Mateo who has been alive now for over three hundred years keeping an eye out for wrong doings in the ocean so that he can free Black Demon to get revenge.

This second issue at this point has zero to do with the first issue and is kind of a boring tell of a female Aztec Warrior who watches as The Black Demon kills off most of there peoples enemies in the waters, and then she kills off the remaining once they touch land. And the “big” part of the story is the old Aztec wise woman who gets killed in this fight passing down the watcher label and curse to the Spanish Father that was washed ashore who is still doing that job to this very day. The main character is Erendira, an Aztec female warrior who learns how to ride a horse and gets a group of other warriors to help her fight against the Spanish who are trying to claim and take over their land, she is skilled fighter and while she does take out many soldiers she also fails to protect the wise old woman who gets killed right in front of her. Speaking of the old wise woman she loves the open water, but she also seems to hate unleashing The Black Demon as she understands that this massive shark is a protector…but it also seems a little evil. And poor Father Mateo was just in the wrong place at the wrong time as he is pleading with the Aztec’s for help, but his own people being blood thirsty and attacking the warriors makes him become cursed, and now he is force to please Aztec Gods and be the keeper of The Black Demon. Speaking of The Black Demon he does his job as he kills many Spanish soldiers and is doing what he does best and that is chomp down on ships and people. The issue has some blood and kills the Horror comes from The Black Demon’s attack on the boats, but sadly the story and pacing is just kind of bland and is not a great Horror Comic at all. The cover for the issue is pretty cool and shows Erendira with The Black Demon creeping up behind her. The interior artwork for this issue is done by artist Armando M. Zanker and I like it for the most part as it has a dash of cartoony look and the way he draws Black Demon is good. Over not a great issue but I do feel that if you like the movie you might enjoy this issue as it goes back in time to show kind of how the Aztecs used The Black Demon during a hostile time.

Black Demon Tales # 3 *
Released in 2023 Cover Price $4.99 Scout Comics # 3 of 3

Joseph Stalin is sick and sends one of his most trusted man to the South America waters to search for a cure, and along the way this hired Russian also crosses the path of Americans as well as locals who are caring on rituals to protect the waters from outsiders. And he finally finds the cure that can even cure dismemberment! But seeing the Russian ship in the waters one of the natives dives in and summons The Black Deamon that destroys the ship and kills the crew and makes it that Stalin never gets his cure.

I first have to say this comic series got worse with every issues as the stories became a mess and in the case of this third and final issue it was just boring and very lackluster and lacks any true Horror. The plot is very simple and as a man is sent to find a cure for a ill Russian leader only to find it and then be killed by The Black Demon. None of the characters in this issue are interesting as they are all just kind of around and barely move the plot along. The cure that can cure people even in death is never explained and the reason for The Black Demon being sent to kill a ship full of people is also very clumsy and kind of confusing. The Black Demon shows up at the very end of the issue and massacres the bot and it’s crew adding in some blood being spilt, and I guess the Horror as well. And that is one of the big issues with not only the film but also this comic series is that we want to see The Black Demon as this massive shark is the star and we don’t need every issue in the case of the comic to be tied into a person or a group that is summoning it by the end only for it to appear in a few panels. All three issues as well never connect besides for the waters and The Black Demon and really I just did not dig this series at all. The cover for this issue is kind of cool and shows The Black Demon in the water doing what he does, and the interior art in this issue is done by artist Jose Esteban Urabayen and his work is good and the highlight of this issue as I do like the way he draws Black Demon as well as all the death carnage. Over all not much too talk about here, as this series really was a letdown and one that I would not recommend unless you’re a mega fan of the film. Check out the artwork below to see the style used in this series. Oh and on a side note by the third issue they do not acknowledge the film at all, almost like the distanced itself from it.

Black Demon is one of those horror films that had lots of great potential, but it just never got going and spent way too much of its time on family drama and not enough on the giant shark who truly felt like an afterthought. And with this comic series from Scout Comics it was a great idea to showcase the shark during different time periods and use this comic to help promote the film, it’s just that many of the Tales are just kind of chugging along and don’t pack the terror they should. And with that I think that it’s time that we leave The Black Demon behind and I tell you that our next update will be about that sci-fi, horror and action films known as I Come In Peace and the indie comic series based around it. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. Do you think that a drug-pushing alien with a blade on his arm that steals brain fluid really does come in peace?

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1977)

Posted on January 13, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. Our “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update themed year is in full swing and for this one we will be taking a look at the 1977 film version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau that was released by American International Pictures and got the comic book adaptation treatment by Marvel Comics. I am sure many of you readers are fans of this story that was written by H.G. Wells in 1896, and most of you have also seen this film version of the story that use to play all the time on TBS in the 80s and 90s! Like so many others that we have done and are doing for this year’s overload of horror comics based on horror films, this update is long overdue, and I am very much looking forward to once more entering the Island Of Dr. Moreau, both the film and the comic! So with that, let’s get in our little boat and row ourselves to this island filled with animals that are also part man!

Let’s start first by taking a look at the Beast People who live on The Island Of Dr. Moreau and their way of dealing death and having order. The Beast People are animals that have had their DNA altered with that of a man causing them to be a mix between the two. While they talk and partly look like a human being, they battle their primal instincts of being an animal and have the lust to hunt and kill but also live by the law that is set for them by their creator Dr. Moreau. And when they no longer live in fear of Moreau’s law, they truly become wild and allow themselves to let their animal sides loose. The Beast People have many ways of dealing death to humans, as they are strong, fast moving and some have a true hunting nature. They come in all different species as you have such ones as Bullman, Lionman, Hyenaman, Boarman, Catwoman, Bearman, Chimpman among others and each have a wild look (with some being more fearsome than the others) and this easily chills the blood of their target and puts true fear in their hearts. The Beast People’s main attack is pure frenzy as they use their hands and teeth to rip apart flesh and do so with anger, hate and instinct. Once also in frenzy, their speaking is more primal and savage and they are only focused on bloodshed and murder. They are both pack and single killers as they don’t seem to mind killing alongside each other in their attacks. The Beast People can be killed like any normal man or animal as they can be shot, stabbed, burnt, crushed, blown up are mauled to death by a wild animal. They also do live in fear of their creator and this causes them issues as they obey his words out of pure terror, but on the other hand, when they are no longer under his law, they lose their smarts and act out in a mindless fury and this leaves them open to mistakes that will cause them their lives as they make very poor choices. While The Beast People might not be the most dangerous killers we have covered here, they are truly a killing breed when they are no longer living under man’s law.

So as you can see, The Beast People or the Humanimals are truly wild and pack killers that are clearly more beast than man. But now that we have chatted about them and their ways of killing, I think that its time to talk about the 1977 version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau that they are from. Like always, I will be taking the films’ plot from our good friends at IMDB and then after that I will write about the film’s production and then my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s avoid The House Of Pain and just cite the law and take a look at this classic 70’s film.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1977)

“A ship-wrecked man floats ashore on an island in the Pacific Ocean. The island is inhabited by a scientist, Dr. Moreau, who in an experiment has turned beasts into human beings.��

In the late 1970’s American International Pictures were making films based on the works of H.G. Wells as they wanted to find their next big book author to based films around as they had found big success with doing ones based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe. They had already done “The Food Of The Gods” in 1976, and their next one was slated to be “The Island Of Dr. Moreau.” The film was able to get a $6 million dollar budget on the script by Al Ramrus and John Herman Shaner that of course was based on the book by Wells. The film would cast such names as Michael York, Barbara Carrera, Nigel Davenport, Richard Basehart, Nick Cravat, Fumio Demura and Burt Lancaster as Dr. Moreau. The film was directed by Don Taylor who had directed such films as Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971) and Tom Sawyer (1973) to name a few, with filming taking place on the Virgin Islands. The film had a 12 makeup artists on call who had to work fast, hard and cheaply pulling off the looks of the Animal People and would have to spend roughly five hours on the makeup on the actors. The film was a stressful shoot, and once done, Laurence Rosenthal was brought in to do the films score as he was not stranger to doing music for horror and sci-fi films. American International Pictures truly thought that they would have a big hit of their hands with this film as it was released to theaters on July 13, 1977, and with this release date it would come right after the July 4^th weekend. It was said that the film did poorly at the box office and barely did over its budget, and was met with very mixed reviews from critics and viewers. The film would later gain a cult following thanks to showing on TV as well as being released on home media. The film was released in 1977 alongside such other horror and sci-fi films as Orca The Killer Whale, Day Of The Animals, Empire Of The Ants, Tentacles, Kingdom Of The Spiders, The Hills Have Eyes, The Incredible Melting Man, Exorcist II: The Heretic, Return To Boggy Creek, Shock Waves and Suspiria, to name a few. As you can see, 1977 was a good year for animal themed fright flicks.

Growing up I was always a big fan of The Island Of Dr. Moreau, both the book and the films based around it with the first film version I ever saw being the 1932 one called “The Island Of Lost Souls” that starred Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau. The first time I saw this 1977 version was when Grampa Munster hosted it on his TBS show Super Scary Saturday, and I was a fan as I liked the look of the animal people and I thought the jungle island setting was super cool. The Beast People are always the highlight of any film version ,and while many would think the special effects for The Beast People in this film is dated, I still really like the look with the Lionman being my favorite in the film. I also liked Bullman as he looks truly like a monster man; plus he fights a tiger near a pond! The acting in the film is good as I do think that Burt Lancaster was the right casting as Dr. Moreau, Barbara Carrera is stunning as Maria the cat woman and while Michael York slightly over acts I still find his performance to be good for the most part. The film really also plays up “The House Of Pain” being the place that none of the animal people want to go and that makes sense as who wants to be tortured in order to follow the rules of one crazed man. As a kid I always thought that this film was bigger than it was and can remember talking to my fellow classmates about it as we all liked the idea of animal people, and I can remember one time drawing pictures of them for art class and getting a good grade! Over the years of course I owned the Marvel Comics adaptation but I have also owned the film on VHS and DVD, not to mention have the film’s score on CD. For some reason this classic film has always been a big part of my life from a youngster to adulthood. If you have never seen this version of Dr. Moreau and really enjoy 70’s sci-fi horror films, you should do yourself a favor and give it a watch as you might just find yourself being a fan of the film like I am. Before we move on there are also many rumors that this film had many different endings filmed as they had a happier ending, a downbeat one and even one that saw Maria give birth to a baby kitten…not sure if it’s true as this mostly comes from actress Barbara Carrera.

We are now at the point of this update where we take a look at the Marvel Comics adaptation of the film, and this is a comic that I had as a kid and is one that I have read many times over the years…but it has been a very long time since the last time I did so I am very much looking forward to seeing if it still holds up for me. I want to first thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also say that I wish Marvel Comics would still do these cool adaptations of horror and sci-fi films as they were always a big part of my youth reading comics. And like always I would like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head fully into this island and see what terrors await for us.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau # 1 ***
Released in 1977 Cover Price .50 Marvel Comics # 1 of 1

Andrew Braddock has wrecked at sea and has been in the ocean on his lifeboat the Lady Vain for a very long time, but he is filled with joy when he sees an island and quickly rows to get there. As his looks around the island for fresh water he is being followed and falls into a trap and is rescued by Dr. Moreau and his employee Mr. Montgomery who take him in and tend to his injuries. Braddock learns that Moreau has been on this island for eleven years and that he is very much happy here and that he does not get much visitors as boats do not pass by very often he also meets a little later Maria who was rescued as a child from being sold, meets M’Ling who is a weird looking servant, learns that Montgomery is a mercenary and heavy drinker who don’t like to answer questions and learns that the jungle is filled with wild animals and that he should not wonder around at dark and even during the day stick to one part of the compound that is not his temporary home. Late that night Braddock is scared when he sees a wagon appear and chained in the back is M’Ling who now looks more beast like and is acting crazy, and he soon sneaks into Moreau’s lab and finds people inside that look like animals and in shock again Moreau appears and tells him of his experiments that blend both animal and man together creating a new race of Humanimals and over the next nights Braddock both hates what is happing but also is very fascinated by it, he also finds himself falling in love with Maria and also witnesses how cruel Moreau can be to his created life as he whips a poor Bearman before Braddock’s eyes causing him to stop the attack, and during all this he is able to leave the compound with a rifle in hand to explore the near by mountain and what Braddock finds is a society of Humanimals that are not as happy to see him! He listens as The Law Giver says their laws, but the Lionman has heard enough and attacks Braddock who is saved by Moreau and Montgomery, and Lionman is taken away to The House Of Pain for breaking the law. Braddock watches as Moreau keeps his beast men in check and also learns that he might be stuck here forever, and with this he starts to think of a way to get himself and Maria off the island and away from this madness. But things go wrong when Bullman breaks the law and attacks and kills a tiger and is hunted down to be taken to The House Of Pain and during this he is injured and Braddock ends up shooting him to end his suffering…and this causes a major uproar with the Beast People. Moreau ends up being very upset and uses Braddock as an experiment to learn more about his drug that turns animals into man by turning a man into an animal, and this causes Moreau also to fight with Montgomery who ends up being shot and killed and the Beast People witness this murder, causing them to question the law! The Beast People end up killing Moreau and attack the compound to destroy it and the lab and only by luck is Braddock and Maria able to escape as M’Ling is not as lucky as he is killed by a tiger that got loose from the lab, while the rest of The Beast People are killed by the freed wild animals or the fire they started by accident. At the small Lady Vain lifeboat Braddock and Maria are confronted and have to kill Hyenaman before they can make their escape. Days pass and on the ocean Braddock returns back human and as they are about to be rescued by a approaching ship he turns to see that Maria is turning into a cat person.

This comic version of the 1977 film version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau is a really fun and creepy read, and Marvel Comics did a great job of bringing the film to comic pages and doing it right as the comic makes just enough changes to make it feel different but yet the same. The plot is about a shipwrecked man finding safety from the ocean he was lost on in a island that is ran by a scientist who has turned animals into people, and now he must survive this twisted new land and get himself and a young woman he meets off the island before they are torn to pieces by the Beast People who are revolting against the laws laid out for them. The main changes from the film to this comic is the ending as in the film Maria only has cat eyes and in the comic she turns full feline, another change is that at the start of the film Braddock has a fellow survivor who is attacked by the Beast People before he can find help and in the comic he just not shown. Also The Bullman trying to run to escape being punished in the House Of Pain, only to be shot and killed after a short time by Braddock is truly trimmed down to a few panels. But even with these changes I would truly say that Marvel Comics did this film justice with the adaptation that has held up for me after all these years as I was a fan of it when I was a kid and now as an adult I still find it to be a great read. The comic captures the uneasy horror of The Beast People turning savage after learning that they are not fully man and that the law they lived by was all a lie, plus the comic has some cool deaths that are not bloody but done effectively. My favorite kill is when Hyenaman is killed with a spike through his body by Braddock in order for him to truly get away from the island. The cover for this comic is really cool and eye catching as it shows the Beast People, Dr. Moreau and Braddock with Maria running away from them all. The interior art is done by Larry Hama is great stuff, and I really love the way he drew the Humanimals with once more the standouts being Lionman and Bullman! If you love the classic art style of 70’s Marvel Comics then truly Hama’s art will draw you into this story. Over all if you like this 70’s film classic and enjoyed the old comic adaptations of films make sure to give this one a read and add it to your collection.

The 1977 version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau is a great film that had some great creepy moments that featured Humanimals learning how to once more embrace their animal sides and fight against the laws and the man who created them and caused them so much pain and fear. But I think that it is time that we ourselves leave this island as it seems the Humanimals are not pleased that we have stayed so long. So as we make our way back to the boat, I should let you know that our next update will take us to The Black Hills Forest as we going looking for The Blair Witch! And as I said last update, 2026 is truly going to be the year of “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” updates, so strap in for a very spooky year! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update as we take a hike in some very haunted woods, I just hope the witch doesn’t make us stand in the corner!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014)

Posted on December 14, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. For this one we will be talking about Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead and the promo comic that came with the DVD release. For those who don’t know what Dead Snow 2 is all about, it’s a indie dark comedy zombie horror film that features group of humans trying to stop a group of Nazi zombies who are trying to complete their orders from decades back. This film is in cult status and is a well loved modern zombie film and now it’s going to get the Rotten Ink treatment, so grab your winter gear and let’s head out into the bitter cold snow as from what I hear there are zombies out there!

So before we get to deep into this update, let’s take a few moments to chat about Standartenfuhrer Herzog and his Nazi zombie army. Herzog and his Undead Army have many ways to deal death and first their rotting appearance can strike fear into the hearts of their victims and cause them to die of fright as well as become hysterical and make mistakes on trying to survive. They can also use their bare hands to rip and tear flesh and are shockingly skilled in hand to hand combat. Plus they will bite and use their teeth in order to cause damage, death as well as infect you with their undead disease and cause you to become one of them. The can also use weapons of war to deal death that includes guns, knives and tanks to slaughter their targets and they are very skilled with these weapons and that makes them even more dangerous than your standard zombies. They are also horde killers but are also very dangerous on their own. Herzog himself is very strong and can use his brute strength to take a humans life; he also has the ability to resurrect the newly killed to become new soldiers in his army that all do what they are told to do making him the most dangerous as he has a massive army willing to act on his commands. They also have no fear nor conscience and do not hesitate to kill humans making them killing machines as they also do not tire and can take some damage from those who attempt to fight back. But while Herzog and his Nazi Zombie Army are very deadly that can be dealt with as they can be hacked up, blown up, shot up, burnt up and smashed up and by destroying their heads is the full way to stop them. So while they can be stopped, they still are very dangerous and Herzog can always just bring back or create new members for his growing army.

So as you can see Herzog and his Nazi Zombie Army are very dangerous and are different than most other zombies we have covered here as again I have to stress they can use weapons of war. But now that we have talked about these zombies, we should take a look at the film it’s based on Dead Snow 2 and like always I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts. So if you are ready, let’s chat about this indie fright flick.

Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014)

“If the worst day of your life consisted of accidentally killing your girlfriend with an axe, chain-sawing your own arm off, and watching in horror as your closest friends were devoured by a zombified Nazi battalion, you’d have to assume that things couldn’t get much worse. In Martin’s case, that was only the beginning.”

Dead Snow was a 2008 film that was a big indie horror hit in both America and its origin nation Norway and with this success the writer and director Tommy Wirkola decided to do a sequel! The sequel would bring back actor Vegar Hoel as Martin Hykkerud and would bring in other actors like Martin Starr, Jocelyn DeBoer and Ingrid Hass and Orjan Gamst would return as Standartenfuhrer Herzog the lead Nazi Zombie. Filming would take place in Iceland and would be filmed in English as well as Norwegian and would be filmed in very snowy weather with most of the zombie cast being made up of MMA fighters as well as stuntmen. The film would be scored by Christian Wide and would get a limited theatrical release in America in late 2014 and would only bring in around $37,473.00 for Well Go USA Entertainment, and by 2015 it would get a DVD release. The film did better at the international box office bringing in over $1 million dollars. The film that year would be released alongside such other horror films as The Babadook, It Follows, Tusk, Dracula Untold, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night and What We Do In The Shadows to name a few. The film would go on to become a cult classic and was meet with pretty good reviews from fans and critics. As of this update, no new film is planned for the series.

As you longtime readers know, I have been a horror film fan since I was a very young kid and grew up watching them, so it is even shocking to me that it took me until 2022 for me to watch both Dead Snow and Dead Snow 2! Both films have always been on my radar but for some reason I just never got around to watching them, but when I finally got the DVD’s of the film from Game Swap Kettering and found that the second film came with a promo comic I knew I needed to watch them and make a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update about them. And before I watched them, my brother told me that he enjoyed the second film over the first, and after watching them both I tend to agree as while I think some of the gore in the first film is good some of the humor fell flat with me while I liked the story and characters better from the second film. The one odd thing in the second film for me is all the Star Wars quotes from one of the Zombie Hunter characters, as it was used as humor and at times felt out of place. The film’s Nazi and Russian Zombies look very cool and at the end of the film both zombie sides clash and it’s lots of fun to watch as they hack and smash each other back to death. The series main villain is Standartenfuhrer Herzog who is very violent and pretty scary as he deals death and destruction all because he is following long over orders. One other very cool element in this film is that main character Martin Hykkerud loses part of his arm as does Standartenfuhrer Herzog and by mistake both have the others arm attached to them and because of this Martin can touch a dead body and bring them back to life as a follower of his cause. This is a very fun and bloody good zombie dark comedy that you should check out if you have waited way to long to watch like myself. Before we end this, I think they should make a part 3 and make it even more bloody and over the top than the first two in the series, but at this point in time it looks like a third film will not be made.

So now that we have talked about Standartenfuhrer Herzog and his Nazi Zombie army as well as the film they are from Dead Snow 2, it’s time for us to take a look at the promo comic that came free inside the DVD release. I would like to first thank Game Swap Kettering for having this promo comic and DVD in stock and making this update possible. And I would like to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head out into the snow and try our best to avoid the zombie that are on a mission for gold and small down invasion.

Dead Snow # 1 ***
Released in 2015 Cover Price FREE Well Go USA # 1 of 1

The year is 1943 and a small cabin in the mountains is under attack by the Nazis and as one man is begging them not to take his families rations as winter is here and they are already starving, Standartenfuhrer Herzog listens to the man’s pleas and then murders him with a fish hook in front of his family. The Nazis move onto the next village and have to dodge deer that are all over the roads, and once at the village the Nazis steal all of the peoples gold and jewelry as well as use a tank to blow up a herd of deer, plus the kill one of the townspeople in front of the others and as the box of riches makes it into the hands of Herzog one of the townspeople rushes over and slits his own wrist and bleeds all over the gold as well as Herzog’s hand and places a curse on him that will forever link him to this treasure and will cause him and his men to become zombies who over time will beg for death! The town people then armed with basic weapons try and attack the Nazis but are all mowed down by machine gun fire. In the end Herzog notices that one of the blown up deer is now a zombie and he also sees that mountain area that will become their base as this origin tale ends.

This is a pretty cool little promo comic as its story follows Herzog and his men as they torment, rob and kill villagers all for the quest of gold and power, and they make the mistake of messing with the wrong villager who before he dies is able to place a curse on them all that will forever make them zombies and linked to the gold they have stolen from his people. Herzog is very evil and uncaring as he seems to be uncaring by killing both animals and humans, and even takes pleasure in killing a man in front of his family as he robs them of all their food leaving them to starve to death in the harsh winter months. And even when the cursed is placed on him and his men and he sees that the deer he killed are coming back to life he is unbothered…this dude is a coldblooded killer! His men are also very cold as they steal and take human life on orders and are un-phased by anything they are asked to do. The poor villagers are bullied, scared and most of all pissed off about their treatment but sadly everyone of them who try to fight back end up dead with several of them in this issue being shot and one his hooked, but you have to give them all credit for trying to stand up for themselves and each other. The comic is pretty bloody as we get a close up of a gunshot wound to the head as well as a hook to the jaw making it very gory. The promo comic also does a great job of capturing the horror mood of the film as well as the sinister attitude of Herzog making for a good movie tie in comic. The cover is pretty cool and showcases the head wound panel and could be very eye catching for horror comic readers. The interior art is done by Kurt Van Der Basch and is great stuff and has a very cool indie horror comic look to it. This is a very cool promo comic that does a good job of extended the film universe and adds some detail to some of the film characters past. If you like Dead Snow 2 or even just Dead Snow, make sure to track down this comic and give it a read. Also make sure to checkout the artwork below to see the style of Kurt Van Der Basch.

Dead Snow 2 is a good film and also a good comic and this is a prime example of what I have been talking about for as long as this blog has been active and even before that as comic books make great promo items for your horror films as almost every Fright Flick has an interesting world that fit for comics and with the right creative minds behind it the comics can expand that world and also get readers turned into viewers. I am also glad I finally got around to watching the Dead Snow films as while they are not amazing films, they are highly entertaining ones that deliver a great watch for fans who like a little laughs with their terror. We will be leaving the world of Dead Snow behind as for our next update we will be heading to the world of cartoons as we will look at Roman Holidays! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! Make sure next update, you keep your eyes in the sky for not only Santa and his reindeers but also so silly family and their pet lion.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968)

Posted on November 27, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. One thing that I have been thinking about a lot lately is the films that I loved loved as a kid that had Horror elements to them, and while many had very small amount of “Horror” in them, they were a gateway of sorts for many to get into the world of the genre. For instance, such films as “The Ghost And Mr. Chicken (1966)”, “Frankenweeinie (1984)”, “The Blair Thumb (2001)” and “Escape To Witch Mountain (1975)” all brought humorous chills to viewers (with us already talking about Escape To Witch Mountain that you can read here if you missed it). For this update I have chosen the Disney made supernatural family comedy film “Blackbeard’s Ghost” as the topic as it was one I enjoyed as a kid, and I think that it fits the mold of what I am talking about as a gateway film into horror. So if you are ready, let’s head to Blackbeard’s Inn and see what this silly ghost has in store for us, and also Happy Thanksgiving 2025!

Let’s start off by taking a look at Blackbeard’s Ghost and his ways of scaring the hell out of the living! Back in the 18^th century Edward Teach aka Blackbeard was a pirate that tormented the waters of the West Indies before he was killed in 1718 during a battle. But in 1968, his spirit is brought back by a newly hired track coach after he accidentally says a spell out loud. The two are now bonded together in mischief and trying to right the wrongs that are going on in the town of Godolphin. Blackbeard’s Ghost is unseen by everyone besides the one who summoned him but his appearance has him in full pirate clothing, a black beard and at times he looks annoyed and mean…and this can scare those people who do set their eyes on him. Blackbeard’s Ghost who cannot be seen by normal people is able to also move items/objects around as well as cause extreme and sometime playful scares to those he has targeted. Not to mention that he carries a very sharp sword that could cut and go through the flesh of those he uses it against. This supernatural ghost is also very annoying and will use his playful ways to cause chaos and accidents as he does not care for the most part about other people’s safety as his enjoyment is more important, and really his messing with such things as guns, motorcycles and cars makes him very dangerous to the living. One other thing that Blackbeard’s Ghost has that frightens people is the legend of his cut throat ways while living as he was a truly bad person. But while Blackbeard’s Ghost is from the supernatural world, he does have some weakness, as his ego is so big that it leaves him into making terrible mistakes and even almost chase off his own “friends”. He is also a cheat and a drinker, as he smells of rum making it very easy to detect when he is around. He can easily get his feelings hurt and this as well causes him to go away and leave people alone. He also starts to build a soft spot for his newly made friends and also wants the curse of being a ghost lifted so this turns the once feared pirate into a friendly ghost who wants to help others to rejoin his crew in the afterlife. And once Blackbeard’s Ghost does a good deed and more ancient magical words are said, he is free from this mortal world and his chaos is over. While Blackbeard’s Ghost is not that deadly nor scary he does do his job of haunting the living.

So while Blackbeard’s Ghost might not be the scariest or deadliest supernatural entity, we have ever covered here… but he just might be the silliest one, so that’s something right? And now that we have chatted about him, I think that it’s time we take a look at the film he is from. And like always, I will be taking the film’s write up from our pals at IMDB and then after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So with that, let’s see what this kids silly comedy, family film with a pinch of “Horror” has in store for us.

Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968)

“An unassuming track coach accidentally invokes the spirit of a notorious pirate long believed dead, and who must now team up to lay the pirate to rest, and save a local hotel from a mobster.”

In the 1960’s Disney was locking itself to be the biggest studio to make family friendly entertainment and they were releasing many films to theaters as young moviegoers seemed to not be able to get enough! And when looking for their next film, they decided to adapt the 1965 novel “Blackbeard’s Ghost” by Ben Stahl into a film as many think that a big part of them choosing to do a Supernatural Ghost Pirate film was all due to the huge success of the Pirates Of The Caribbean attraction that had opened in Disneyland in 1967. The film’s screenplay was done by the team of Don DaGradi and Bill Walsh and Disney would hire Robert Stevenson to direct who had made many other popular films for Disney before hand including Old Yeller, The Absent-Minded Professor, Son Of Flubber, Mary Poppins and That Darn Cat! to name a few, showing that he was truly one director that the studio could turn to in order to have a hit film. When casting the film, they would hire Peter Ustinov to play Blackbeard and other actors in the main cast include Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette, Joby Baker, Richard Deacon and in very cool casting The Bride Of Frankenstein herself Elsa Lanchester would play the part of Emily Stowecroft. The film was shot at Walt Disney Studios and was your normal production for them at the time and once done the score would be done by Robert F. Brunner and it would be released in theaters on February 8, 1968 and was meet with mostly positive reviews from critics and moviegoers alike who all enjoyed the performance of Peter Ustinov as well as the supernatural comedy elements of the story. The film would be a success for Disney as it did great at the box office for them doing over $21,540,050.00 and also was being considered one of their best films in from the past years. While this is not considered a horror film, it is truly a gateway film for young viewers to ease their way into that genre as it really is a supernatural, comedy, fantasy film whose main character is the ghost of a deadly pirate…and in 1968 it was released alongside such Horror Films as Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, Night Of The Living Dead, Rosemary’s Baby, Astro-Zombies, The Green Slime, Kong Island, Mark Of The Werewolf and Spider Baby to name a few.

Growing up a kid of the 80’s and 90’s, the animated films of Disney were all the rage among kids and man we had some great ones like Lion King, Aladdin and Hercules to name a small few. But in the village I grew up in, many times during the school year we would be able to have a class that would let us watch a movie and many of the time they would be the classic 50’s and 60’s live action Disney films and that is were I first seen the film Blackbeard’s Ghost and man when the teacher first said the title and I knew nothing about it my mind jumped to a classic style Universal Monster film about a pirate ghost scaring people to death…instead the film was a comedy were the ghost helps a man out…was I disappointed it was not a fright flick yes….but did I end up liking the movie… also yes! Something about the goofy nature of the film and the delightful performance of Peter Ustinov drew me in as he is really good in the role of Blackbeard as he gives the character charm and makes him very likable even if he was a blood thirsty pirate in real life. I also geeked out seeing Elsa Lanchester as what classic monster kid doesn’t geekout when they see her in films as she is truly an icon of Universal Monsters as The Bride Of Frankenstein is truly a legendary monster character. And after seeing the film I would also end up finding the film’s novel adaptation at a local second hand book store and had to buy it, and I can remember reading the book in my room right before bed for a couple of weeks. And I know what you are all thinking ,that Blackbeard’s Ghost is not a horror film, but it really does have many elements and here are just a few of those that make this film spooky as it has a ghost, pirates tales, a witch, a curse and even a eerie atmosphere. And again I truly think that films like Blackbeard’s Ghost act as a good way for youngsters to get into the world of Horror Cinema. I also have to say actress Suzanne Pleshette who plays the main character Professor Jo-Anne Baker is absolutely stunning and many of your Horror fans will know her also from her roles in the spooky films “The Birds (1963)” and “The Power (1968)”. Over all if you have not seen this film but do like your Disney films with a dash of supernatural spookiness make sure to give this a watch as you might just find yourself enjoying it.

So as you can see, Blackbeard’s Ghost is a friendly one, but he does have a little of mean streak that makes him a pain in the butt to those he decides to annoy. And now that we have talked about him as well as the film based around him, I think we should move on and take a look at the comic adaptation that was released by Gold Key Comics back in 1968. I would first like to thank Lone Star Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to thank the teacher who showed this film to us students in Waynesville! And I would also like to dedicate this update to my Aunt Theresa who sadly is no longer with us, but who loved these classic old school live action Disney films. I would like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready like I am, let’s have a spooky, fun time with the one an only Blackbeards Ghost.

Blackbeard’s Ghost # 1 **1/2
Released in 1968 Cover Price .12 Gold Key Comics # 1 of 1

Steve Walker has arrived in town as he has been hired to be the new track coach at the local college and meets fellow school workers as Professor Jo Anne Baker, Dean Roland Wheaton and football coach Pinetop Purvis at the hotel called Blackbeard Inn that is holding a fund raiser to raise money to pay off a bank loan that the local mobster Silky Seymour is trying to get as he wants the land the hotel sits on. That night Steve goes to his room that was the one the pirate Blackbeard use to stay in, and while getting ready to wind down for the night he gets a visit from the Ghost of Blackbeard who tells Steve he needs his help to break a curse that placed on him by one of his own ex-wives! But Steve is freaked out and wants nothing to do with the ghost and leaves the motel only for Blackbeard’s Ghost to follow and get him into trouble with the law when he takes control of the cars wheel and then messes with a cop that pulls them over, but unlucky for Steve no one else can see Blackbeard’s Ghost so he is thought to be drunk or crazy. Once out of jail, word spreads of his arrest and Jo Anne tells the Dean she will try and figure out what is going on with their new track couch, and the two even have dinner to chat at one of Silky’s restaurants and gambling places. But while there Blackbeard’s Ghost steals $900 that was raised for the old ladies who owns the inn from Jo Anne’s purse and sneaks and places a bet that the college’s track team will win the big meet, and after dinner she finds the slip and thinks Steve did this and is furious. And then at the track meet Blackbeard’s Ghost starts helping the team win and this makes Steve super mad as he don’t want to cheat to win, but it also will help the ghost do a good deed by helping the team win and get the old ladies enough money to save the inn! And the team does win with Blackbeard’s help but only after he and Steve have a verbal fight and feelings are hurt, but the good cause becomes more important. But when Jo Anne and Steve go to collect the money from Silky, he rejects the beat and gives them the $900 back and tells them to try and win it big on the roulette wheel and they do with the help of Blackbeard’s Ghost! As Jo Anne and Steve now with the money to save the end make their way to the inn where the banker and old ladies are waiting Blackbeard’s Ghost ends up beating up Silky and his men who try to stop the couple. In the end the bank is paid, the inn is safe, Steve and Jo Anne are in love and the curse is lifted from Blackbeard whose spirit heads off to sea with his old crew.

This adaptation is very strange and yet also entertaining as many changes are made from the film with one of the biggest is Blackbeard’s Ghost’s first appearance as in the film he appears after Steve by accident reads the magic words of a witch and in the comic the ghost has always just been hanging around his old room at the hotel looking for someone to help him break the curse that is forcing him to walk the world between the living and the dead. Another change is that Blackbeard is over all a nice ghost who wants to do the right thing and almost every element of the films slight horror is missing in these pages as Blackbeard’s mean side, the curse, witch and atmosphere is cut down to nothing. The plot is still pretty much the same as it has Steve Walker being new to town after taking the job with the local collage and then getting mixed up with Blackbeard’s Ghost, helping the little old ladies who own the hotel to keep it, falling in love with one of his co-workers and lastly stopping the towns no good mobsters from taking the hotel. The main star of the comic is Blackbeard’s Ghost who is looking for a good deed to do so that he can be free of his supernatural shackles, and he is able to set his site on helping the old ladies who run the inn he haunts be able to keep the place safe from the bank as well as the local mobster. And while he is a ghost he spends most of his time helping in this comic and less time annoying and scaring. Track coach Steve Walker is kind of the pawn in this comic as Blackbeard’s Ghost attaches himself to him and uses his personal life and job in order to do his good deed, but mostly he just makes him look like he is crazy as Steve is the only one who can see him and the two argue a lot. But while Steve is being driven crazy by his new ghost friend its clear that he really does want to do the right thing even if that is allowing cheating to go on. Professor Jo Anne Baker is a good person who wants to do what she can to save the old inn from falling into the hands of the local mobster and by trusting and following Steve and unknown to her Blackbeard’s Ghost and this helps her get the money needed and for the inn to be saved. And of course the comic’s main bad guy is Silky Seymour who is just a sleazy scumbag who along with his goons bully people and run all the towns gambling, and he wants the old inn for the land to build a big casino. So when he losses lots of money and Blackbeard’s Ghost punches him in the face is a good time. The comic has some silly humor and if you like the film I am sure you would enjoy this comic as its very similar but does play out a little different as much is cut out and other things and smashed together in order to fit in the comics page count. The cover for this issue is just a still of Blackbeard on his ship and the comics interior art is done by Dan Spiegle and has that classic Gold Key Comic look, so that means the characters only sort of look like the actors who played them in the film. Over all if you like the film Blackbeard’s Ghost make sure to get yourself a copy for a read, but those who are looking for a kid friendly scare this one is not for you as the spooky elements are pretty much removed. Checkout the artwork below to see the style used in this comic.

Well it looks like Blackbeard’s Ghost has found his way back to his crew and they are now out on the seven seas roaming around, and I know many of you are still saying that this film is NOT a Horror Film, and again I will say I agree but I still say that it is a film that is a gateway for younger fans to discover the joys of Supernatural Horror! Plus it was a fun one to write and I hope that you all enjoyed reading it! Plus it was cool to read this comic for the first time plus it gave me a reason to watch the film again after all these years. But don’t worry, our next update will take us to the world of The Snailiens, a mostly forgotten 90’s toyline that will surly bring a smile to your face. So until next tim,e read a comic or three, eat a turkey leg or two and as always visit your loved ones. See you next update for a Snail of a good time!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Willy’s Wonderland (2021)

Posted on October 31, 2025 by bloodlinematt

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Welcome back to Rotten Ink, and boy do we have a fun and over the top “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” for you readers this time as we will be talking about Willy’s Wonderland, a very cool indie horror film that takes things like pizza restaurant “Chuck E. Cheese” and game series “Five Nights At Freddy’s” to more of the extreme and dashes in Satan and flesh eating for good measure! The film was a cult classic out of the gate and over the years gains more and more fans thanks to home media, streaming and the horror comic mini series we will be taking a look at here. For me Willy’s Wonderland is such a fun and creepy watch as I grew up going to birthday parties as places like Showbiz Pizza and Check E. Cheese that had animatronic characters singing and entertaining the customers. So if you are ready, let’s order a pizza and some soda and grab a table as Willy and his friends are about to perform and put on one killer show, and I am sure that we will have a bloody good time.

The Animatronics with the souls of dead serial killers are the villains of this series and are lead by Willy Weasel and his friends include Tito Turtle, Knighty Knight, Arty Alligator, Siren Sara, Cammy Chameleon, Gus Gorilla and Ozzie Ostrich and they are twisted and cold blooded and love to kill. Willy and his demonic animatronic crew have many ways to deal death as many have sharp claws and sharp teeth or beaks that very quickly rip and tear flesh and with these tools, they can dispatch a human very easy from major loss of blood and guts being removed with brutal fury. They also eat the human flesh and that is what helps keep them alive. In the case of Knighty Knight, he has a sword that he uses to cut off body parts or even just rams it through your body and do to his power he can deal death blows with one movement. While many of them are also strong, it’s Gus Gorilla who has more strength and can break bones and squeeze the life right out of you. While Cammy Chameleon can use her tongue to wrap around victims as well as can choke them to death and snap necks. While most of them are slow moving Siren Sara is fast and can use her speed to trap and murder her prey. And let’s not also rule out their appearance as its frightful and causes people to freeze in fear as well as cannot believe what is coming at them. They are also very sneaky and use their tricks in order to snag and kill their targets including the gift of manipulation. They can and will also kill and attack in groups but are just as deadly on their own. They are also Satanic and get their powers from a pact they made with the Devil making them very evil and mean spirited. But they are not immortal and can be killed by all sorts of ways with ripping of their heads being a big way to kill them you can also smash, crush, blow up, run over and dismember them and that will stop them as well. But while they can be defeated, Willy and his gang are very dangerous and could rank high for their killing ways in the world of From Horror Movie To Horror Comic updates.

So as you can see, Willy Weasel and his friends are killing machines and can take a human life in seconds and enjoy doing so as they eat the flesh and guts of their victims. But it’s now time to talk about the film Willy’s Wonderland that Willy Weasel is from and this is going to be a fun one! Like always, we will be taking the film’s write up from our pals at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts of the film. So if you are ready, let’s find our chairs as Willy and his friends are about to put on a show.

Willy’s Wonderland (2021)

“A quiet loner finds himself stranded in a remote town when his car breaks down. Unable to pay for the repairs he needs, he agrees to spend the night cleaning Willy’s Wonderland, an abandoned family fun center. But this wonderland has a dark secret that the “The Janitor” is about to discover. He soon finds himself trapped inside Willy’s and locked in an epic battle with the possessed animatronic mascots that roam the halls. To survive, he must fight his way through each of them.”

G.O. Parsons worked on a horror script that was called “Wally’s Wonderland” and placed it on the website Blood List that is a website that industry workers can take a look at and vote on scripts in the horror and sci-fi genres. And that is when Screen Media Films as well as actor Nicolas Cage would step in to help produce and distribute the film, and Cage would even come on board to act in the film. Also on board were producers Jeremy Davis and Grant Cramer, and the film was gaining major attention from fans as well as horror news websites and building it up already to become a cult classic. The film would also get a name changed to “Willy’s Wonderland” and some of the killer animatronics would also change. The film would get a budget of $5 million and filming would start in February 2020 and took place in Atlanta, Georgia and a closed bowling alley was used as Willy’s Wonderland restaurant. Actors brought in include Emily Tosta, Ric Reitz, Caylee Cowan, Beth Grant and Chris Warner, to name a few. Once the film was ready it was scored by Emoi and it would have a limited theatrical run on February 12, 2021 and would bring in around $457,144.00 worldwide and would find cult statues via home media and streaming. The film was released that year alongside other horror films like Werewolves Within, The Night House, Antlers, Malignant, The Unholy and Halloween Kills to name a few. The film was meet with mixed reviews by critics and had better reviews by fans and the feedback also has sparked talks of a sequel that could be made in the future.

Willy’s Wonderland is one heck of a fun and gory film that packs in blood kills, creepy killer animatronics characters and even Nicolas Cage turns in a great mute performance as the badass Janitor. This was a film that I sadly missed when it had a limited run in the theaters and to be honest I am not sure what theater around here even showed it. I had to wait for the film to come to home media before seeing it, and I have to say I was a fan from the very start as you can never go wrong with a film that has killer animatronic characters running wild in a rundown fast food joint. And I have to say at first I was not going to give the film a watch as I was so sick of all the Nicolas Cage memes and how he became every ones “favorite” actor for his over the top performances and before this odd movie roles and spending choices. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Nicolas Cage and enjoy many of his moves over the years like Raising Arizona, Vampire’s Kiss, Con Air, 8mm and more, what I had an issue with was the mocking fan base who made him into a walking internet meme. For having a low budget, I feel the film did a great job of creating gore effects as well as the costumes for the killer mascots, not to even mention that the score and music by Emoi is well done and super fitting as you have to love a movie that has a theme song that is about the film and uses the title as the chorus. I also have to point out that when seeing this film actress Caylee Cowan who plays the character Kathy Barnes blew my mind on just how pretty she is and is fantastic in her role. While of course Willy Weasel is my favorite of the baddies I would say that Knighty Knight would be my next as he reminds me of a mascot I would have seen at Burger King or even a Put-Put Golf course when I was a kid, plus he has a massive sword and likes to slice and dice with it. And while I like Willy and Knighty, I have to stress I find all of the bad guy characters interesting. Can we also talk about the fact that the town allows people to die and be eaten by Willy in order to keep him in check, and that everyone seems to be in on this besides the town’s kids as the sheriff, mechanic and building owner are trick people into going inside knowing they will never get out alive…now that is truly a town with a big dirty secret. Man it seems like I have a lot to say about Willy’s Wonderland but I will wrap it up with it’s a fun film that deserves its cult following and I hope that a sequel is made soon as I would love to see it.

As you can see, Willy Weasel and his friends are one mean pack of killers who love to kill and eat their victims and you can also see that the film is a modern cult classic because it brings something fun to the killer machine subgenre. But now it’s time to take a look at the comic series and I would like to thank Game Swap Kettering having these issues in stock and making this update possible. And I also want to thank American Mythology Comics for making this comic as well as so many other series that are based on horror films and giving is horror comic readers some amazing stuff to read. I want to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head into Willy’s Wonderland for some cheap food, but I think we should stay away from the Super Happy Fun Room.

Willy’s Wonderland # 1 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 American Mythology # 1 of 4

Three homeless people have made a shelter out of Willy’s Wonderland to escape the rain and to have a place to eat, when they are attacked, killed and eaten by Willy Weasel and his friends. A few years later Tex Macadoo has bought Willy’s Wonderland to reopen and has even hired Jeb Love to work maintenance on the animatronics and holds a sneak peek for the press and some families before that nights grand opening and the towns Sheriff as well as Deputy Eloise Lund think opening this place is a bad idea after all the murders that took place inside those walls. Once inside Knighty Knight almost chops in half a parent who just in time ducked down to tie his shoe, and no one noticed this besides the man son and Tex who ushers people out and Jeb goes to work on Knighty. The staff of Willy’s Wonderland go to work on cleaning up and getting ready for the night, when Bella who is also the young lover of Tex is killed by Willy and his friends to make a point to Tex who is then informed by Jeb that the spirits of the past owner and workers all who were murders are in side the animatronics and they need to be feed with human flesh or the whole town is in trouble and Willy Weasel is pure evil. Throughout this we also get flashbacks to killer Jerry Robert Willis who would become Willy Weasel and the past owner and Sara a dancer who killed her cheating husband and his mistress and she would go on to become Siren Sara.

The first issue of Willy’s Wonderland is a great read and does a great job of being the prequel to the film as we get to see a few of the kills that happen before the film as well as we get a look at the evil satanic killers that’s spirits end up in the animatronic characters at the restaurant. The plot of the issue is about Tex Macadoo opening back up Willy’s Wonderland after a series of murders and disappearances, only to learn that the place houses Willy Weasel and his friends who are the vessels for the spirits of satanic killers that use to work and own the restaurant. Tex Macadoo is a man who had big dreams of making big money, but soon finds out that he has instead opened a nightmare for those who come to eat and play games there as well as he now has a curse on his hands. Jeb Love who is the town’s mechanic as well as maintenance guy for the reopened Willy’s and is also the one who figures out and has to tell Tex about Willy and his flesh eating friends. Willy Weasel and his friends are very cold blooded and enjoy killing and eating their victims and do so very mean spirited, they in fact kill a young female staff member just to show Tex that they mean business and need to feed and need to kill. I really like that they give the backstory for Jerry Robert Willis who was a serial killer of families that he would trick them by acting as if he is a photographer of family portraits, and then he would butcher them all…he of course would end up becoming Willy Weasel. We also get a look at Sara who was a dancer who during a performance learns that her lover is cheating on her with another dancer and she kills them both and shows off their bodies on stage. We also see that Jerry and Sara both are at the same mental asylum and are becoming friends as they are both monsters inside. The issue is filled with lots of blood and gore that will surely make Horror Comic readers happy. The cover is great and very eye catching for the fans of the film and the interior art done by Puis Calzada is top notch as I like the way he draws Willy and his friends as well as the brutal killings the commit. Over all this is a great first issue and has me hooked on wanting to see what is next.

Willy’s Wonderland # 2 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 American Mythology # 2 of 4

Business is going good at the newly reopened Willy’s Wonderland but reports of people going missing in the town start going around including one man who Willy Weasel kills outback behind the restaurant. The Sheriff and Deputy come to investigate and Tex makes up a story and they leave him be for the time being. Meanwhile a little later another staff worker that is cleaning the bathroom is brutally killed by Tito Turtle and Arty Alligator as they are hungry and he was in the wrong place at the right time for them as it was lunchtime! Meanwhile a rich man comes in with lots of money and wants to rent Willy’s Wonderland for the night in order for his Grandson and his friends to have a sleepover for his Birthday…Tex agrees but knows this is a bad idea. While the party is going on, one of the female staff is having to chase around some kids and when they get away she is killed by Siren Sara. And a little later Jed locks two parents who are complaining about the pizza in a closet were they are murdered by Knighty Knight and Cammy Chameleon, as they are hungry and just want to kill. But things go really wrong when the Birthday Cake comes out and is a severed head and Willy Weasel and the rest of his friends go on a killing spree killing kids, parents and staff in a blood frenzy. Two staff members escape as does Tex and Jed, and when the Sheriff shows up he warns Tex that he can not cover up this slaughter and that the restaurant is now closed for good. We also are treated to the human background stories of Arty Alligator, Gus Gorilla and Cammy Chameleon.

The body count rises, and Willy Weasel and his friends are more blood thirsty in this second issue of Willy’s Wonderland! The plot of this issue has a sleepover-taking place at the restaurant and what should be a happy birthday party with friends and family together turns into a bloodbath when Willy and the rest need to feed on flesh and chaos. And this issue is filled with lots of blood and gore that includes people being ripped in two, flesh is bitten off and people are chopped in half by a sword…as you can see this one is filled with violence. The backstories we get in this issue are also very interesting as we get a look at the humans that would become the killer animatronics. Gus Gorilla is a man who worked at the zoo who is pushed to hard by his boss who likes to call him names plus miss treats him, and she then finds herself being punched to death till her face caves in. We also see that Cammy Chameleon is a woman in the Asylum that has split personalities. And we see that Arty Alligator was a serial killer who after murdering people would use their blood to paint pictures on the walls. We also see that these three end up becoming friends with Jerry Robert Willis and Sara in the asylum and that Jerry is having control over them and has them play twisted games while locked up. Tex Macadoo makes a big mistake in this issue as he knows that Willy wants to kill and has been killing but because of money he allows a over night birthday party to take place at the restaurant and this leads to a lot of people dying. It’s also made clear that Tex and Jed are paying off the Sheriff in order to not look to deep into the missing person cases that are happing and that the police force is as greedy as Tex is. The cover is very cool and features Gus Gorilla and Tito Turtle and connects to issue one to build a scene of the stage. Once more the interior art is done by Puis Calzada and is great stuff as once more the way he draws Willy and friends is great, plus he sure can draw some crazy murder! Another fun, spooky, gory and simple issue that does Willy’s Wonderland the film justice, let’s see what issue three has in store for us.

Willy’s Wonderland # 3 ***
Released in 2022 Cover Price $3.99 American Mythology # 3 of 4

At the home of the man who has been hired to demolish the Willy’s Wonderland building they are attacked and killed brutally by Gus Gorilla, Tito Turtle and Cammy Chameleon as they are not going to allow their home and feeding ground to be destroyed. A few nights later The Sheriff and Deputy Lund head to Willy’s and find Tex Macadoo inside dirty and very much in distress over the slaughter that took place there and that he witnessed, the officers get him out of the building as Willy watches them do so from the shadows. But the town is now a slaughter house as Willy sends his friends out to kill and feast on the townspeople with Tito Turtle and Arty Alligator killing the hardware store owner, Knighty Knight and Cammy Chameleon kill the ice cream man, Siren Sara and Gus Gorilla kills the High School Janitor and his lady and finally Willy along with all the others head to the basketball game and kill and attack the players as well as the fans and are chased off by The Sheriff and Deputy who now know they have to head to Willy’s Wonderland and fight with these monsters. Tex wakes up in the garage of Jed who informs him that this nightmare is far from over while the surviving staff get together and arm themselves as they want to bring down Willy for taking their friends life. We also get the human background story for Knight Knight, Tito Turtle and Ozzie Ostrich plus we get to see how Jerry Robert Willis is able to get more and more psychos in his group from the asylum.

The third issue is very entertaining as the plot has Willy Weasel and his friends going on a killing rampage in the town to show that they mean business and that no one will ever destroy their home and hunting ground and if something does happen then they will be free roaming in the town killing anyone they want. Poor Tex Macadoo is really upset about the massacre that took place at his restaurant and is drinking his sorrows away, but is more horrified when he learns that he will have to keep helping them feed. A cool subplot that is happening as well is the two staff that survived the massacre gearing up in order to avenge their friends by killing Willy and the gang. Willy Weasel is clearly calling the shots as he sends his friends out in groups in order to kill as many people as possible that night and you can tell he is doing so to prove that he is in charge and that the humans need to also live in fear of his wrath and hunger. Siren Sara also shows that she is a cold blooded killing machine as between her and Gus Gorilla I think they seem to be having the most fun killing. This issue is very bloody and is packed with gore and kills and some of downright gruesome as one kill has them using a ice cream scoop on the eyes of a victim with another having Willy smash in a basketball players face with a basketball. The human origin stories we get this issue are for Ozzie Ostrich who was a killer that choked his victims to death due to the abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother. We see that Knighty Knight worked at a renascence festival and finally snaps from taking verbal abuse from some of the guests and snaps and kills them with his sword. And we see that Tito Turtle was a field worker who killed all his sleeping co-workers one night. And with them Jerry Robert Willis has seven followers who he friends them all do to their killing ways. The cover is another great one that fits in with the first two issues to build the stage and on this issue the main focus is Knighty Knight and Cammy Chameleon. The interior art is done by Puis Calzada and is great stuff like before and more Horror Comic publishers should be hiring this guy. Another fantastic issue, and I cannot wait to see what the next issue has in store for us as we know a big clash is bout to go down!

Willy’s Wonderland # 4 ***
Released in 2022 Cover Price $3.99 American Mythology # 4 of 4

The Sheriff, Deputy Lund and Tex gets the town people together all armed and head into Willy’s Wonderland in order to get revenge for all the killings, but they are unprepared as Willy Weasel and his friends slaughter everyone including the two surviving staff members and they make sure to do so in very bloody and sick ways almost tormenting and taunting people as they murder them. Once inside Jed Love arrives as Willy Weasel and his friends stand behind him and he tells Tex and Deputy Lund the other two survivors that it’s simple if they all want to live all they need to do is feed them buy giving them people and in front of them gives Willy and the rest a family…but not before Lund takes the young girl from the sacrificed family as she can not bare for her to be slaughtered. In the end some time has passed and Jed with the help of Tex and now Sheriff Lund bring a man to Willy’s Wonderland after he ran over a bed of nails. The man is clearly the brother of The Janitor who is the lead character in the film. This issue also showcases how Jerry Robert Willis along with the rest of his psycho friends are able to escape the asylum and by doing so they kill a ton of nurses, orderlies and even the Doctor before stealing a truck and making the big break were they find the building and plan on opening Willy’s Wonderland.

This is truly the final showdown between the town and the evils of Willy’s Wonderland that sadly ends with evil being the winner as Willy Weasel and his friends massacre everyone who goes against them and then forces those who survive that have some sort of power to now work for them by bringing them people to kill and eat. Willy Weasel is a true evil mastermind as he both as a human and as a killer animatronic called all the shots of his friends who will do whatever he orders and he really is a very dangerous and evil person or should I say thing? His friends as well are all very dangerous with each of them having their own ways of dealing death to victims and I would say that Siren Sara, Gorilla Gus, Knighty Knight and Tito Turtle are some of the more violent ones with all the others following behind them with Arty Alligator almost being in this series one of the most violent as he even at one point drives an axe into the skull of a man. Finally in this issue as well the Sheriff and Tex Macadoo try and do the right thing after three issues of allowing money to control their bad decisions that lead to many people dying. It’s odd that in the comic series Jed Love is very much connected to Willy Weasel and his friends and almost seems like he is friends with them and is not bothered by feeding them people, when in the movie he almost seems like he hated what he had to do and feared them. It’s also interesting to watch Eloise Lund go from hero Deputy to by the end becoming Sheriff and going along with the idea of leading people into Willy’s grip. Plus we have to mention that its clear that The Janitor’s brother was a victim of Willy Weasel and maybe that is why he was driving around that part of the state as he might have been looking for his brother, and for those who don’t know The Janitor is the character Nicolas Cage plays in the movie. The issue is very bloody and gore filled as is the whole series, and it does a good job of doing the film justice even though it does make some changes when it comes to the looks of the killers that would become the animatronic killers as the comic and film versions look very different from each other. The cover for this issue is cool and is the final part of the stage and shows Arty Alligator and Siren Sara being all murderous, and once more Puis Calzada does the interior art and it’s fantastic stuff. I think that Willy’s Wonderland makes for a great comic series, and I hope that more issues are released in the future as this film’s character make for great source material for quality Horror Comics. Check out some of the artwork below to see the style used by Puis Calzada in this mini series.

As you can see, Willy’s Wonderland made for a great horror comic mini-series, and it did a great job of also showing the history of the human versions of the killers and tells about their horrific crimes that lead them into an asylum and into the grips of the future Willy Weasel. And I have to give American Mythology one more shout out for being a cool indie comic company and doing these comic based on all types of horror films. If you have not read these comics, go check them out as I think if you are a fan of the film you will really enjoy this series, and if you have not seen the film ,make sure to do so as it’s a fun bloody ride. Well now that we have escaped Willy’s Wonderland and have drunk a few Punch Soda’s I think I should let you know that our next update will keep with the Spooky Horror Theme as we will be talking about my best Horror Games Countdown for the Sony Playstation! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. Man I cannot wait for the next update as talking about horror video games is a perfect way to kick off our countdown to Thanksgiving right?

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Posted on October 12, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. As you can see, we are entering The Conjuring Universe for this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. Shockingly enough it took until 2021for New Line Cinema and Warner Brothers to allow DC Comics to make a comic series based around the films, and I say shocking as they are all owned by the same parent company Discovery! And to be honest, I am very shocked on how little DC Comics and New Line Cinema have come together as they could truly use comic books to help promote their upcoming horror films. But sadly I feel that the big two in the world of comics lack imagination, and horror comics, as well as comics based on horror films their parent companies own, just are not a priority nor even cross their minds. So with that, let’s sit back and be ready to be scared as we enter the world of The Conjuring 3!

Before we talk about the film, let’s talk about Isla The Occultist and her ways of dealing death and conjuring the demons of Hell. Isla is the daughter of Father Kastner and had become obsessed with the occult and her studies has made her very powerful in black magic, placing curses and conjuring demons all to do her dirty work and cause chaos on the living that have crossed her path. Isla is a Satanist and Occultist who grew up obsessed with things on the dark side and as she has gotten older, she has made a deal with demons and uses cursed totems to place a target on random people in order to please them. Her black magic is very strong and allows her to allow demons to enter the bodies of her victims and cause them to do bad things from murder to suicide. She has a almost second sight and can see what others who have her gifts can see and this makes her dangerous as if you are a threat to her, she can find your location and send a sinister curse your way. She can also make her victims thank they are seeing things and have them attack their own loved ones and friends, as Isla is a master of mind games. But while she is a scary magical person she is still mortal and can be killed like any normal person via being stabbed, shot, drowned, burnt or beaten! She also has to use her altar to control her powers and if it’s destroyed her spells and deals with demons are broken and with the demons this could lead them turning on her and bringing her death. While she is mortal, her dark power makes her very dangerous and a person you would not want to be the target of unless you want a demon to take over your soul.

So as you can see, Isla The Occultist is very deadly due to her dark magic and can cause people extreme pain as well as death. Now I think we should take a look at the film she is from and that’s of course The Conjuring: Devil Made Me Do It, the third film in the series. Like always, the film’s plot will be taken from our friends at IMDB and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on it. So if you are ready, let’s hope that Isla has not cursed this update and take a look at this film.

The Conjuring: Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

“A chilling story of terror, murder and unknown evil that shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. One of the most sensational cases from their files, it starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they’d ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.”

The Conjuring films that follow the cases of real life paranormal investigators The Warrens are one of New Line Cinema’s top Horror Franchises that has even had film spin-offs that have as well did good at the box office. And in 2016, a third film in the main series was being talked about by the film series creator James Wan, who at first mentioned that the film could be about the Warren’s famed Werewolf case, and in May 2017 it was said that the third film would not be another haunted house fright flick and would be one of the bigger cases of The Warrens careers and would take place in the 80s. And by June of 2017 New Line Cinema gave the third film the green light and it started production with David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick being hired to write the script, and in 2019 James Wan came on to help co-write the script as he was not directing. They brought in Michael Chaves in to do so, and that the film would be based on the court case where a young man claimed a demon made him commit murder, and the Warrens backed up his claims. When casting the film Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson returned as The Warrens and names like Ruairi O’Connor, Debbie Glatzel, John Noble and Eugenie Bondurant was brought on board in big roles. The film was shot in Atlanta, Georgia and had a few setbacks due to the pandemic and even one of the film’s demon characters was removed from the film fully. Once done the film was scored by Joseph Bishara and was released in theaters as well as HBO Max on June 4, 2021 and did really well world wide for New Line Cinema bringing in $201,965,074.00 on a budget of $39 million. The film was released that year with other Horror Films like “Halloween Kills”, “Candyman”, “Forever Purge”, “Army Of The Dead”, “Godzilla vs. Kong”, “Quiet Place II” and “Don’t Breath 2” to name a few. And the film ranked # 22 out of 33 for my Matt Goes To The Movies 2021 Horror Movie rankings and was # 19 that year at the US Box Office.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was a film that both Juliet and I was very much looking forward to seeing in theaters as we have been fans of the series from the start and we even enjoy all the spin off movies. We saw the film by renting out a Cinemark Theater and we invited some of our closest friends to watch it with us on the big screen. And when the film was over, we all enjoyed it but we all also agreed that this was missing the touch of James Wan and while it did a good job of showing another case of The Warrens, it also just seemed a bit off and not as spooky as the first two films in the main series as the stakes did not seem as high and the main spirit and villain just was not as powerful or iconic as others they have faced before. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson I do have to say are fantastic once more as Ed and Lorraine Warren and without them in these Conjuring films I feel that the series just would not work. So while this one was not the best in the series, watching them work adds to the enjoyment of the film. And even after all this time and watching the film again once on home media I still found the film good but lacking and I truly do think that it all falls onto Isla The Occultist as she just seems to lack motivation, any kind of backstory and is just not as scary nor threatening as any of the other villains from this cinematic universe. I should also say that some moments of the film do pack a scare and the film does play at your heartstrings as Ed Warren suffers a massive heart attack and there is a fear of him passing. And with this film not getting a very mixed response from critics and fans I am hoping that New Line Cinema will pull out all the stops when they do part four and make it a truly scary viewing experience, as I would love to see the next film be about Bill Ramsey, a man who was possessed by a wolf-spirit that made him act like a werewolf! And while it was my least favorite of the films, I am not saying that you should not watch it as the film is a enjoyable watch and you should check it out if you like the other films in the series or just like films about possessions and demons.

So as you can see, the third film in The Conjuring film series was a hit at the box office even after being released during the pandemic as well as also streaming at the same time on HBO Max and would be the one that finally got the films to get a comic mini series. And with that I would like to say a big thanks for Game Swap Kettering for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So with that, let’s dive in and take a look at The Conjuring: The Lover series that is about Isla The Occultist.

The Conjuring: The Lover # 1 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 1 of 5

It’s 1981 and Jessica wants to drop out of college as she is back from break to start her classes again but her mother is not happy about it as she wants her daughter to be something big in life, and when her mother meets Kyle one of Jessica’s classmates she tries to tell her to also look for a boyfriend! Once back at school Jessica feels lonely and annoyed by everything around her as her grades are low, her roommate brings her boyfriend home and Kyle has a crush on her…and worse of all it is that unknown to her Isla has places a curse on her. And it’s clear that something is watching her and following her as Jessica is missing home and her friend Katie. As Katie drifts off to sleep above her bed something evil is watching over her.

This is an interesting story this far and is about a young college girl who hates being away from home as well as her best friend Katie who she clearly likes more than just a friend. And while Jessica is battling her own depression something wicked is following her around looking for the right moment to attach it’s self to her and cause her harm. Jessica is a young woman who’s depression is causing her to have bad grades as well as not make friend easy as she seems to always be in a slump and want to stay away from her fellow classmates. Her mother is a little rough on her but you can tell it’s all out of love, as she just wants so much more for her daughter. Kyle seems like a good guy who just wants to get to know Jessica as it’s clear he has a crush on her and would like to be her boyfriend as her roommate Tammy as well seems like a nice person just a little carless. Isla The Occultist is around and has placed a curse on Jessica and to do so she has even killed a goat in order to please the dark spirit that is now hunting the young collage girl. So far this main story is a little spooky and is building up the suspense of what is going to happen to Jessica and the people around her. The issue also has a backup story that is based around an item from the Warrens Artifact Room with one being about The Ferryman and his coin, a short and pretty creepy little tale that has a man looking for the coin he stole off a dead body when he was a kid and now The Ferryman has followed him around and killed everyone he loves until he gets it back. So far so good as I have found myself enjoying this first issue and wanting to see what is next for Jessica! The cover for this issue is pretty cool and showcases Isla and the interior art for the main story is done by Garry Brown and is pretty cool and has a classic feel to it but also has that modern creepy look that much of the newer indie horror comics have. And with that I am jumping into issue two and to see how this story is going to unfold.

The Conjuring: The Lover # 2 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 2 of 5

Jessica is in the shower and is hearing voices and even seeing things as she thinks that she gets burnt by the hot water that of course is not that hot, and this causes fellow female classmates to think she is weird. Jessica ends up calling Katie who is back home working two jobs and who makes Jessica promise to go to the next party she is invited to, and it just so happens that Kyle asks her to one and she goes and she tries to have fun but the demon voice in her head keeps saying very mean and nasty things to her. Kyle kisses Jessica at the party and this makes her panic and she walks home alone in the snow to find her roommate home as well, and as the two head off to bed the demon voice will not leave her alone and taunts her to try and kill him as now she is seeing it’s shadow and red glowing eyes and this drives her to grab a pair of scissors off the nightstand to protect her self and unknown to Jessica the person she is about to stab is not the demon but Tammy her sleeping roommate!

This is another very interesting issue as we follow Jessica who is now being plagued by a demon that is allowing her to see it in shadows and is as well talking to her in her thoughts and is even driving her to see things that are not there! The Demon is super mean spirited and is playing on all of Jessica’s fears and inner demons and wants to break her down and feel as if she is alone and no one loves her…this of course is un-true but to a depressed young woman dealing with her sexuality this is really beating her down. Jessica is a likable character as she is odd but is a good person who is quit and it’s clear that she really just wants to be home with Katie and not being hounded by the pressures of school and making new friends. And you have to feel for poor Tammy at this point as she might just get stabbed with scissors while she sleeps in Jessica don’t break the illusion that the demon is making her see. And imagine if Tammy wakes up before Jessica can break the hold or even stab her, as this will make everyone at the college think Jessica is psycho! Isla is truly evil as she is making this young woman’s life even more complicated and is leading her to a patch of murder, death and damnation. This issue as well has a cool backup story form the Warren’s Artifacts this time about The Bloody Bride and her cursed wedding dress. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and haunting and the main interior artwork is once more done by Garry Brown and is great stuff as he is capturing the slow brooding mood that has made the film series special over the years. Over all another solid issue and it has done its job as I am hooked on seeing were this story goes.

The Conjuring: The Lover # 3 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 3 of 5

Jessica is in the dean’s office with Tammy who woke up to find her roommate over her with a pair of scissors, and this causes Tammy to move out and for Jessica to be all alone in the room…and while trying to eat lunch at the school cafeteria the demon once more makes her see things and act out making even more of her classmates think she is crazy or on drugs. Jessica tries to call Katie who is not home and she finds herself at the library were she meets Isla who is working their and takes her to the basement to find books on the occult as Jessica thinks she is possessed and under faking caring Isla wants to help, but soon she shows her true attentions and this causes Jessica to freak out and rush to her dorm to call her mother to come pick her up…but her mother refuses thinking her daughter is just stressed and hangs up on her. Jessica sits alone in her room for days even thinking bugs are crawling on her and her only glimmer of hope is when Kyle stops by her room and takes her out to eat. On the way back to her dorm Kyle tells Jessica how much he likes her and Jessica starts to come out to him, but she has a vision and Kyle becomes Isla with a knife and Jessica shoves her into the street but in reality she has just shoved Kyle in front of a bus.

This third issue the demon and Isla have turned up the torture factor on Jessica and are more and more playing with her mind making her not only hear more and more negative things but are really starting to make her see things that are not there as well as see those around her as demonic enemies. Jessica is loosing her mind as well as grip on reality as she is not eating, not attending classes and is acting out in harmful ways to her friends causing her roommate to leave and at the end of this issue leaving us on a cliffhanger of pushing Kyle in front of a bus. It also appears that Katie is not around for her as much as Jessica would like as her friend is holding down two jobs and having a life of her own back in their home town, and it also shows that Jessica’s mom is not their for her daughter as well as she hangs up on her when she is begging to come home. Kyle is a good guy who clearly cares for Jessica as he is the one who checks on her and makes sure she has food in her belly and know that some one cares about her. It will be interesting to see if he is killed or hurt by the bus and how he will react if he survives this attempted murder that was by accident. The demon as well is allowing Jessica to see more of it and Isla is now being apart of this torture as she has allowed herself to be seen and is enjoying playing with this young girls mind. The backup story this time around is about the Accordion Monkey that is found in the Warrens artifacts. The cover is nice and spooky as it shows that cursed Accordion Monkey and the main interior art is still great and done by Garry Brown again who I must say draws a cool looking demon. Yet another solid issue and a nice cliffhanger ending, so with that let’s head to issue four and see what Isla and the demon have planned for Jessica.

The Conjuring: The Lover # 4 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 4 of 5

Kyle is able to get out of the way of the bus and is very upset and goes off on Jessica calling her a psycho and to stay away from him, and this incident leads to the dean to kick Jessica out of collage and forces her to move back home with her parents. While Jessica’s dad is caring her mother is ashamed of her and thinks she got kicked out on purpose. But even while home the demon speaks to her and shows up when she is alone in her room causing her to yell out and her father to come to her side. Jessica has a talk with her father who tells her that he knows what she is going through and that she needs to call Katie as she is the one that will truly understand. Jessica calls Katie to tell her she has returned home and the two make plans to meet up that night in the woods, and once together they share a kiss…but Katie soon turns into Isla and Jessica fights back and stabs her attacker that sadly turns out to be her lover Katie as the illusions have tricked her again and caused her to kill the one person she cared the most about.

Poor Jessica just can not catch a break as she has been accused by two students of trying to kill them, gets kicked out of school, has a mother who thinks she is just looking for attention and worse has a demon and an Occultist trying to ruin her life and drive her into madness. And Jessica has not true support besides her father and Katie and the demon makes sure that Katie is taken out of her life for good. Jessica clearly has no hope and no one to help her break this curse and the only route she has right now is damnation and that’s sad as all she wanted was happiness with someone she loved. Katie is a good friend as well as had the same feelings for Jessica, but is just used in this sick game of Isla as a pawn to be murdered very violently with a big knife. The demon and Isla have now pushed Jessica to the point of no return and it’s clear that they have won her soul as well as have had he take a life for their own entertainment. Her father is a good man who loves his daughter and will do what he can to protect her as well as be there for her, and understands that she is having a hard to of coming to grips about her love for another woman. Her mother who I at first thought was acting mean as a way of tough love is just truly a bad person who cares more about her self than her daughter’s mental and physical health. This issue is the bloodiest so far as Jessica stabs Katie to death in the woods and the attack is pretty brutal for a main stream DC Comic release. The backup story for this issue is The Sleeping Song and the music box that is found in the Warrens Artifacts.The cover for this issue is great and captures that Conjuring mood and feel, and you know what I am going to say about the art done by Gary Brown being good so I will skip the broken record for you. Another great issue and this one leads us to the final issue in the series and one that we all know how it will end if you seen the third Conjuring film, so with that let’s take a look at issue five.

The Conjuring: The Lover # 5 ***
Released in 2021 Cover Price $3.99 DC Comics # 5 of 5

Jessica is in shock as she stands over the dead body of her lover Katie, but to her horror the body starts to move as the demon has taken control of it and it chases Jessica through the woods to a cliff that is above raging water below. The demon Katie tries to push for Jessica to admit to herself that she hated being in love with Katie and that she all along wanted Katie to die so that she could close that chapter of her life and be alone…Jessica stands up to the demon and tells of the first time she and Katie meet and how the each had feelings for each other but were both to scared to make the first move. The demon keeps pushing Jessica to admit she hates herself and that she hated that she loved Katie and finally the demons words break her down and Jessica jumps to her death to the water below. In the cliff the demon Katie morphs into Isla who thanks Jessica for committing suicide and heads back to her alter and places another curse this time on a young child as our comic tale ends.

I have to say this first I really enjoyed this Conjuring comic book mini series and to be honest I think I even like it better than the third film it’s a prelude to! As for those of you who don’t know the tragic case of Jessica and Katie is mentioned in the film and this murder suicide plays a big part in the film, and while we only hear and briefly see the events in the film this comic book flushes it out and gives a backstory to the characters. You really do have to feel for Jessica as she is tormented and driven into a deeper depression throughout this series, as by the end of this comic you find that she hates herself and had no one to truly come to about it. While she loved Katie she also hated Katie as being homosexual in the early 80’s was more taboo and people would judge and hate you for it. And Jessica who already was an odd person who had a terrible mother already had that pressure of being not a letdown in life. While you read Jessica’s story here you are cheering for her to break the curse but in the back of your mind you know its not going to end well. Isla The Occultist picked Jessica because she was a lover, a lover who had deep feelings but was very easy to corrupt and trick into killing the one she cared for as well as talked into ending her own life. Isla truly used some very mean spirited mind games and with the help of the demon they were able to ruin that young woman’s life in no time and also was able to complete a part of a packed that had made. It’s also kind of telling just how much joy it seemed Isla was getting from doing this and it makes you even more sick when she thanks the young woman at the end for jumping…she is truly evil and selfish. The back up story for this issue is The Chalice, another artifact found in the Warrens collection of haunted things, and these bonus stories were also a very nice touch as they added scares to your reading experience. The cover for this issue is very dark and brooding and has Jessica running through the woods toward her fate. The main interior artwork by Garry Brown really is good stuff and fitting as I find that his style was a good choice for showing demonic spirits as well as a person’s mental breakdown from being cursed. I feel that this five issue mini series really did do The Conjuring film series justice and I hope that DC Comics decides to make more mini series in this universe as they did a great job here. Checkout the artwork below to see they style that Garry Brown used in this series.

The Conjuring Universe really does lend itself to being made into comic books as I would love to see DC Comics not only continue this series but also do comics based on the spin-offs like The Nun, Annabelle and even the Crooked Man as all of them could truly make for some spooky reads, as I am not going to lie I would really love to see a very dark and spooky comic mini series based around The Nun. And again I think DC Comics for their horror comics should dig deep into what they own as many of their films would make for great comics in these modern times. I also would like to share that in The Conjuring: Devil Made Me Do It film actress Ingrid Bisu plays Jessica and Andrea Andrade played Katie. But as you can see, our update has come to an end and before we part ways here I would like to let you know that the next update will take us to the Rotten Ink Arena as we take a look at that Iconic Horror Themed Wrestler Vampiro! So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we take a look at one of my favorite Luchadors who is a perfect fit to cover this Halloween season.

Horror Host Icon: Jeepers

Posted on October 2, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. Have you ever sat and wondered what other Horror Hosts have graced the airwaves of California besides Vampira? Well I am here to tell you that state has had a great amount of hosts who all brought their own style and flare to late night moving hosting, and one of the best and earliest to follow in her footsteps was Jeepers, who was the host of Jeepers Creepers Theatre that haunted the airwaves in the 1960’s. Jeepers also had a slew of hosts that not only followed him in becoming the host of Jeepers Creepers Theatre but also inspired others for generations to come in becoming a horror host themselves. It’s with great honor this Halloween season that I bring to you Horror Host Icon Jeepers! So sit back and get ready to not only get scared but also have a few laughs.

Jeepers is a strange ghoul who has a pale face, wears a top hat and cape and would wander around his dark set and host spooky movies all the while having a good silly sinister sense of humor and would have a very memorable laugh that would fill the air. He claimed that he worked in Hollywood and on horror films and was connected, well that was before he was a Ghoul! Jeepers would also always play up on how famous he was and how people loved his work in film and on the show. He was the original host for Jeepers Creepers Theatre and was the most well loved one as viewers just could not get enough of him! Jeepers would also became a hit on radio when he would team up with musician Frank Zappa in 1963 to release a 45 that had two strange and fun songs called “Dear Jeepers” and “Letter From Jeepers,” and they would be popular on the radio stations around his market in Los Angeles. While his time as the host of Jeepers Creepers Theatre was short lived, his impact and connection with the fans was very strong, and this made him a true icon of the art of Horror Hosting and is one that is still remembered to this day for those who grew up watching him. Jeepers was played by Bob Guy, who was a local actor and personality who sadly passed away on September 10, 1984 at the age of 64.

Jeepers Creepers Theatre started in 1962 and aired on KCOP-TV, Channel 13 out of Los Angeles and was a super popular show that aired at 10pm and showed the Shock Packages of classic Universal Monster films. The show was a hit from the start, and viewers loved seeing the classic monster movies on TV. It became a popular topic at schools for kids who stayed up late to watch the antics of Jeepers as well as the horrors of the film. The show would lose its original Host Jeepers in 1963 and others would take over the show including Ghoulita who started and ended in 1963, Jeepers’ Keeper from 1963-1965 and The Creeper the final host who lasted from 1965-1966. So Jeepers Creepers Theatre would last for a total of around four years and remained a very popular show on TV up to its final episode. Even once off the air the show’s legacy remained as even to this day for people who grew up watching it and the new fans who discovered it thanks to the internet chat about its legacy and impact on the pop culture in the state of California and beyond. Sadly, much like all the other hosts from the 60’s and even 70’s many of the shows were shot live or the master tapes tapped over to save money as the tapes were way to expensive, and this make most of the shows lost to time.

On September 10, 2022 at HorrorHound Weekend, the legendary Jeepers made his way into the Horror Host Hall Of Fame! This classic host was inducted by Halloween Jack and was a Legacy Host to be inducted in that year. It was very cool to see Jeepers get the respect he deserves, and it was also cool to hear people laugh and chuckle at the clip shown of him doing what he did best. Halloween Jack did a great job of inducting him in. Jeepers going in has been long overdue and I was glad to see him get this honor. Jeepers was joined in the Class Of 2022 by names like Scarewolf, Sinister Minister, Spooky Spectre and the cast of Midnight Movies to name a few.

As you can see, Jeepers is a true legend of Horror Hosting and one of the biggest hosts from California and his legacy still lives strong to this day and his impact can still be felt in the state. We are now at the point of this Horror Host Icon update that we take a look at the episodes I have, and lucky for the world some footage of Jeepers has survived and way back when a fan made a reproduction of the show and that is what we will be taking a look at here, just seeing this footage is amazing and is a great way to showcase his talents. There are no star ratings for these Horror Host shows. I will be writing about what the host does in the episode and the film’s plot will be taken from our friends at IMDB. So with that, let’s see what Jeepers is up to and bask in this classic hosts glory.

Jeepers Creepers Theatre: Mummy’s Curse

Host: Jeepers has gotten himself some tanna leaves in order to get himself a Mummy, and he places them into some sort of liquid and says the magic words. After a few moments Jeepers thinks the leaves have failed and takes us to the movie as a Mummy is creeping up behind him. We next join Jeepers who is unaware of The Mummy behind him and he is very down thinking he failed, but when he turns around he sees The Mummy who is coming every closer and Jeepers lets out a very nervous laugh before we are back to the film. We next join Jeepers as he his being choked by The Mummy who lets him go for a moment in order to go to a commercial break, once back from the commercials Jeepers shows The Mummy his weird family members that consist of a boars head, a white rat and a rubber snake before the monster starts choking him again as we go back to the movie. Jeepers next is making The Mummy some tanna leaf tea and then reads the Mummy’s fortune in the tanna leaves before being choked again after making a joke about a museum…and then back to the movie. Next Jeepers wants to call Hollywood to get The Mummy in some movies, and Jeepers strikes out time after time as the Film Producers shoot down the idea of making a movie with The Mummy…but soon The Mummy finds out Jeepers was faking the calls as the phone bill was not paid and the phone was not plugged in and as he goes back to choking we go to the movie. Next Jeepers reads a fan letter that he got from a fan about loving the show before going into the final part of the nights film. In the end Jeepers puts The Mummy into a coffin for some sleep and then tells the viewers you can not get a Mummy using tanna leaves, but The Mummy shows back up with a noose and attacks Jeepers as the end credits roll.

Movie: An irrigation project in the rural bayous of Louisiana unearths living mummy Kharis, who was buried in quicksand twenty-five years earlier.

Note From Matt: This is a fan reproduction and takes the only known footage of the show to make this episode for the fans.

Horror Hosts like Jeepers are very important to local culture and help inspire creative minds in the field of Horror Media, and it’s a shame that so many markets at this time do not have a local made Horror Host on the airwaves and that is why it’s important to support your local Public Access stations as they allow a outlet for many local hosted programs. And of course so do websites and streaming stations like YouTube, The Monster Channel, The Vortexx and Shudder all who deliver Horror Hosts to the masses. While Jeepers’ time on TV was short, his impact on Horror Hosting is long lasting. But I think that it is time to wrap up this Horror Host Icon update as we have more scary updates to come as we countdown to Halloween 2025 and our next update will be a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” that will be about The Conjuring 3 and the DC Comic mini series based around it. So until next tim,e read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as we explore the world of The Conjuring 3.