THE PEPLUM QUEEN by Dave Goode

 

No other movie genre featured as many exotically beautiful women as the sinew & sandal genre. If you "like movies about gladiators" then you might be watching them for the various queens, princesses, high priestesses, and slave girls.

There was Sylva Koscina, Sylvia Lopez, Giana Maria Canale, and Wandisa Guisa. Bella Cortez, Jose Greci, Moira Orfei, and her cousin Liana Orfei. And of course there was the incomparable Chelo Alonso (1933-2019).

Born Isabella Apolonia Hernandez she joined Cuba's National Theatre in Havana at 17. She would be dubbed the Cuban H-Bomb by the European press when she became a featured performer at Paris' famed Follies Bergere.

 

 

 

 

 

She would rise to movie stardom as a dancing girl in the movie SHEBA AND THE GLADIATOR (1959) starring Anita Ekberg and Georges Marchal. Oddly enough this was not a "gladiator movie". Not so oddly La Alonso's dance scene steals the picture from star Anita Ekberg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her best known films from the sinew & sandal genre were GOLIATH AND THE BARBARIANS (1959), SON OF SAMSON (1960), and ATLAS IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS (1961). She would also appear with Steve Reeves in the swashbuckler MORGAN THE PIRATE (1960). All of these flicks save ATLAS IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS featured an exotic dance number by La Alonso.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many fan boys have imagined Chelo Alonso portraying La of Opar in a Tarzan movie. But it was writer Frank Schildiner once suggested to me that La Alonso might have made a good Belit in a movie adaptation of Robert E. Howard's story QUEEN OF THE BLACK COAST. Most likely with Steve Reeves playing Conan of Cimmeria.

While on the subject of exotic dancers enjoy the latest Ginger Snaps comic by the team of Dave Goode and Vance Capley.

We make comics!!! on lulu.com and IndyPlanet

 https://indyplanet.com/visual-comics

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THE ACCELERATED GENTLEMEN by Dave Goode

 

One of the best remembered comics of my youth was The Brave and The Bold No.67 (Sept. 1966). And it wasn't just me. I remember a couple of years after the story was published and I was in junior high when comic book fans got together this comic often came up. Even a lot of non comic book fans remembered this specific teaming of Batman and the Flash written by Bob Haney , penciled by Carmine Infantino and inked by Charles Paris and Murphy Anderson. The cover was penciled by Infantino and inked by Joe Giella.

 

The story concerns a crime wave that's struck Gotham City by a group of super - speedsters in sneakers known as the "Speed Boys" that are running circles around Batman. Since this is an issue of B&B and not Batman or Detective, the caped crusader can't figure out how to stop them so he calls in his Justice League teammate the Flash. But here's the fly in the buttermilk. Years of running at super-speed has taken a toll on his body. And he's literally running himself to death. But hero that he is the Flash goes to Gotham (by train) to help his friend. Long story short the good guys win and the Flash is cured.

 

One thing I've wondered about for years is just how fast were the Speed Boys supposed to be? They are able to outrun the Batmobile. And a rocket propelled Batman. They seem to be on the same level as Silver Age speedsters Quicksilver and Lightning. Neither of who was on the level of the Silver Age Flash. The Flash had to be given a severe handicap to make this story believable. Up until the point Batman finds out what's ailing the scarlet speedster hasn't rounded the entire gang in a matter of seconds.

 

I always thought that what made this story so memorable was the image of the Speed Boys a.k.a the "Accelerated Gentlemen". They wore what appeared to be simple stocking masks with dress suits (tuxedos?) and high top sneakers. Simple. But striking.

 HURRY UP! SPEEDY FUN AWAITS YOU AT VISUAL COMICS AND GOODE GUY COMICS! SUPERHEROES, MONSTERS, LUCHADORS, JUDOKAS, BODY BUILDERS, BURLESQUE DANCERS, AND MORE ARE AVAILABLE AT:

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HAVEN'T I SEEN YOU SOMEPLACE BEFORE? by Dave Goode

HAVEN'T I SEEN YOU SOMEPLACE BEFORE?

by Dave Goode

When I first got into Mexican psychotronica I couldn't help but notice how freely some illustrators borrowed from American and European pulp imagery. The most notable example was the poster for SANTO VS. THE MARTIAN INVASION (Santo El Enmascarado Del Plata Contra La Invasion De Los Marcianos). An outright swipe of the poster for the cult sci-fi flick ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS (1964).

Then of course there were at least two Blue Demon comic book covers that were , shall we say , "influenced " by Tower Publications DYNAMO No.3 with art by Wally Wood & Dan Adkins.

And UNDERSEA AGENT No. 4 with cover art by Gil Kane. The first time I saw the Blue Demon covers I definitely got a feeling of deja vu all over again. And there are plenty of other examples. You could write a book.

 (editor's note* Galactus is from Silver Surfer #1...but the pose of Kaliman is from another Silver Surfer appearance...but we cannot figure it out...let us know in the comments below if you remember where this pose is from- VC)

Our very own Vance Capley has done cover swipes...check it out! 

 

 

Guess what? You can order Judo Comics at the link below: 

http://www.lulu.com/shop/dave-goode/judo-comics/paperback/product-22908356.html