The first time was quite early on, but they actually broke it into two 2-page parts in issues 4 & 5. Jeff Jones' classic styled art was given the centerfold spot usually reserved for the poster in the fourth issue, providing a bit of colour for part one, with the usual black & white for part two -
UPDATE: Steven Thompson posits in the comments that Jones may likely have been using Berni Wrightson as a model for the artwork in the story above. I'm inclined to agree with him. Here's a photo of Wrightson from back about that time so that you might draw your own conclusions:
Tom Sutton's Rat! the longest single tale i can recall; from Issue 23 - a whole 7 pages. Actually quite extravagant for a 40 page newspaper.
Curiously, though the strip is signed Sutton & Flynn, no one named Flynn is ever mentioned nor listed among the contributing artists.
UPDATE: D.D.Degg informs us that the inker was later identified as Peter A. Flynn. (See comments on this post for further details) Thanks for the info, DDD!
TMT lasted fewer than 50 issues, but they produced a lot of comics during that time.
pages by Jeff Jones and Tom Sutton for The Monster Times #s 4, 5, & 23 (1972, 1973)
When this was reprinted, with color added, in Arrgh! #1 (Dec. '74)
ReplyDeletethe inker was identified as Peter A. Flynn.
Arrgh! #3 (May '75) ran the sequel "Rat Reborn",
was that also a reprint from Monster Times?
D.D.Degg
Thanks for the information, D.D.D. - much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteI believe that Rat Reborn was also from TMT, but i only dug these issues out this past week and am still going through them. The text that accompanied Rat! spoke as if they planned to run it not long after. If it did, i'll run it soon so it's available for comparison with the reprint.
I had time to scan through the rest of the issues i have on hand, and to run a data check. It would seem that Rat Reborn first appeared in Arrgh!, though it was reprinted later in Crazy!
DeleteSo, no original b&w version from TMT, but i'll run the Arrgh! sequel in the afternoon following tomorrow's Friday Fun & Games for those who are curious as to the fate of the Rat.
Jones was known to have used a lot of models in that period. Her male character here looks like it may have been modeled on Wrightson.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steven. I hadn't noticed, but now that you point it out, it looks that way to me, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm heading out of my cave to let the med techs poke & prod and take their samples, but when i return i'll add an old photo of Wrightson so folks can see what you're talking about.