Frankenstein (Prize Comics)
Encyclopedia
There have been many comic book
adaptations of the Frankenstein monster story created by Mary Shelley
in her 1818 novel Frankenstein
. Writer-artist Dick Briefer
presented two loose adaptations of the story in the Prize Comics series Prize Comics and Frankenstein from 1940 to 1954. The first version represents what comics historians call American comic book
s' first ongoing horror
feature.
(using the pseudonym
"Frank N. Stein" in the latter role) introduced the eight-page feature "New Adventures of Frankenstein", an updated version of 19th-century novelist Mary Shelley
's much-adapted Frankenstein monster. Considered by comics historians including Don Markstein as "America's first ongoing comic book series to fall squarely within the horror
genre", the feature, set in New York City
circa 1930, starred a guttural, rampaging creature actually dubbed "Frankenstein" (unlike Shelley's nameless original monster).
In Prize Comics #11 (June 1941), Briefer dropped the "Frank N. Stein" pen name of the previous three stories and introduced Denny "Bulldog" Dunsan as Frankenstein's ongoing antagonist
. Prize Comics #24 (Oct. 1942) pitted the monster against Bulldog and publisher Prize Comics' superheroes the Black Owl, the Green Lama, and Dr. Frost; the non-superpowered teens Yank and Doodle ("America's Fighting Twins"); and the namesake characters from the humor feature "General and the Corporal". As with many comics characters of the time, the monster found himself in the European theater of World War II fighting Nazis.
Like many returning veterans, Frankenstein settled into small-town life, becoming a genial neighbor who "began having delightful adventures with Dracula, the Wolfman and other horrific creatures. The only two times he was featured on the Prize Comics cover (both in 1947), he was referred to as 'The Merry Monster'". Briefer, with his trademark "loose and smooth ink and brush skills" began telling stories that would "straddle some amorphous line between pure children's humor and adventure and an adult sensibility about the world".
Author Dan Nadel, who included Briefer in his book Art Out of Time: Unknown Comics Visionaries 1900-1969 (Harry N. Abrams, 2006, ISBN 0-8109-5838-4, ISBN 978-0-8109-5838-8), described Briefer as
Briefer's humorous Frankenstein ran through Prize Comics #68 (March 1948), and his humorous Frankenstein ran through issue #17 (Feb. 1949). Three years later, Briefer (1915-1980) revived the series with his original, horrific Frankenstein from #18-33 (March 1952 - Nov. 1954).
Following the cancellation of Frankenstein during an era that put much pressure on horror comics
and other violent comic books, leading to the creation of the Comics Code, Briefer left the comic industry for commercial advertising art
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
adaptations of the Frankenstein monster story created by Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
in her 1818 novel Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
. Writer-artist Dick Briefer
Dick Briefer
Richard "Dick" Briefer was an American comic-book artist best known for his various adaptations, including humorous ones, of the Frankenstein monster...
presented two loose adaptations of the story in the Prize Comics series Prize Comics and Frankenstein from 1940 to 1954. The first version represents what comics historians call American comic book
American comic book
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
s' first ongoing horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
feature.
Comics' first horror feature
In Prize Comics #7 (cover-dated Dec. 1940), writer-artist Dick BrieferDick Briefer
Richard "Dick" Briefer was an American comic-book artist best known for his various adaptations, including humorous ones, of the Frankenstein monster...
(using the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Frank N. Stein" in the latter role) introduced the eight-page feature "New Adventures of Frankenstein", an updated version of 19th-century novelist Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
's much-adapted Frankenstein monster. Considered by comics historians including Don Markstein as "America's first ongoing comic book series to fall squarely within the horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
genre", the feature, set in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
circa 1930, starred a guttural, rampaging creature actually dubbed "Frankenstein" (unlike Shelley's nameless original monster).
In Prize Comics #11 (June 1941), Briefer dropped the "Frank N. Stein" pen name of the previous three stories and introduced Denny "Bulldog" Dunsan as Frankenstein's ongoing antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
. Prize Comics #24 (Oct. 1942) pitted the monster against Bulldog and publisher Prize Comics' superheroes the Black Owl, the Green Lama, and Dr. Frost; the non-superpowered teens Yank and Doodle ("America's Fighting Twins"); and the namesake characters from the humor feature "General and the Corporal". As with many comics characters of the time, the monster found himself in the European theater of World War II fighting Nazis.
Humor feature
Briefer's better-known version of the Frankenstein monster, however, developed upon the monster's return from the war, in Frankenstein #1 (undated, 1945), appearing roughly concurrently with the eight-page story "Enter Frances Stein" in Prize Comics # 53 (June 1945), which followed "possibly the last 'first version' story of Frankenstein" in Prize Comics # 52 (April 1945)Like many returning veterans, Frankenstein settled into small-town life, becoming a genial neighbor who "began having delightful adventures with Dracula, the Wolfman and other horrific creatures. The only two times he was featured on the Prize Comics cover (both in 1947), he was referred to as 'The Merry Monster'". Briefer, with his trademark "loose and smooth ink and brush skills" began telling stories that would "straddle some amorphous line between pure children's humor and adventure and an adult sensibility about the world".
Author Dan Nadel, who included Briefer in his book Art Out of Time: Unknown Comics Visionaries 1900-1969 (Harry N. Abrams, 2006, ISBN 0-8109-5838-4, ISBN 978-0-8109-5838-8), described Briefer as
Briefer's humorous Frankenstein ran through Prize Comics #68 (March 1948), and his humorous Frankenstein ran through issue #17 (Feb. 1949). Three years later, Briefer (1915-1980) revived the series with his original, horrific Frankenstein from #18-33 (March 1952 - Nov. 1954).
Following the cancellation of Frankenstein during an era that put much pressure on horror comics
Horror comics
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. Horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to...
and other violent comic books, leading to the creation of the Comics Code, Briefer left the comic industry for commercial advertising art
Commercial art
Commercial art is historically a subsector of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. The term has become increasingly anachronistic in favor of more contemporary terms such as graphic design and advertising art.Commercial art traditionally...
.
Reprint collections
- Briefer, Dick. The Monster of Frankenstein (Idea Men Productions, 2006) ISBN 1-4196-4017-8, ISBN 978-1-4196-4017-9
- Briefer, Dick. Dick Briefer's Frankenstein (Library of Horror Comics' Masters, IDW/Yoe Books, 2010) ISBN 1-6001-0722-2
External links
- Frankenstein #32 (vol. 5, #4 per indicia): "The Battle of the Monsters" and "The Beautiful Dead" (reprinted stories)