Frankenstein - In The Beginning

We've looked briefly at the most famous incarnation of Dick Briefer's classic Frankenstein comics - the comedy period. As noted however, the series didn't start that way. Not even close.
In fact, this is how it started:

"Born out of Death, a hideous monster stalks the Earth, wreaking havoc on the Human race..."

Note quite a comedy there, eh?

As odd as the humour comics were in and of themselves, the thing that made Briefer's Frankenstein truly odd in my eyes was the ongoing evolution of the book. Briefer's art shifted to match each change in tone, keeping his unique feel regardless of the differences in each version.

So, let's go back to the beginning - to the first three stories which established the series...

With the 4th tale, the series took it's first odd turn...

page art by Dick Briefer for Prize Comics #s 7-9 (1940, 1941)