DRACULA (DELL COMICS)

This is the last of Dell's "adaptations" of Universal monster movies, this one titled "The Vampire's Curse". As with the others the plot varies greatly from the film and the characters have been renamed and except for one panel early on, Dracula himself doesn't show up until the last few pages. Still, it's a decent story.

No definite I.D.'s on the art, but it is thought that Max Elkin and Bob Jenney both had a hand in it. Could be that Elkin inked Jenney's pencils. The montage on page 18 certainly looks like a different artist than the rest of the book. If I had to make a guess on the front cover artist, I'd say it was the work of Vic Prezio, but others say it might be L.B. Cole, who was the book's editor.

Technically, there's one more issue containing Universal monsters adaptations in another one-shot: UNIVERSAL PRESENTS DRACULA - THE MUMMY & OTHER STORIES (No number, September-November 1963) which contains all reprints, including THE MUMMY and DRACULA adaptations, "Asphalt Test" and "The Long Wait" from TALES FROM THE TOMB #1 (One-shot, October 1962) and "The Black Stallion" from GHOST STORIES #1 ((September-November 1962).

DRACULA

No. 1

Dell Publishing Co. Inc. (Dell Comics)

October-December 1962

Editor: L.B. Cole

Cover: L.B. Cole? Vic Prezio?

Pages: 36

Cover price: 12 cents

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (DELL COMICS)

Titled simply "The Creature" this is Dell''s comic book adaptation of Universal's THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. The cover is by Vic Prezio and interiors are by Bob Jenney (the scriptwriter is unknown). It was first printed in 1962. The copy shown here is of the 2nd printing from 1964, "Reprinted by popular demand".

There is little to the story that matches the movie, perhaps because of the limitations of licensing agreement. For example, the character's names are changed (including the boat, from "Rita" to "Lucia"). There are a few panels and images of the creature that are familiar, but like Dell's other Universal adaptations, don't expect to relive the movie through these modified stories. Still, it's nice to have them in comic book form.