ILSA , QUEEN OF THE GRIND HOUSE by Dave Goode

If you're a fan of  " men's sweat mags " then you might also be a fan of the Ilsa movie series starring Dyanne Thorne. ILSA SHE - WOLF OF THE SS (1975 ) , ILSA , HAREM KEEPER OF THE OIL SHIEKS ( 1976 ) and ILSA TIGRESS OF SIBERIA (1977 ). There was a fourth flick ILSA THE WICKED WARDEN ( 1977 ). But that was originally a movie titled GRETA THE WICKED WARDEN about another psychotic dominitrix. The title was obviously changed to capitalize on the success of the Ilsa movies.

Born Dorothy Ann Seib in Park Ridge , New Jersey Dyanne Thorne began her show biz career as a band vocalist and stage actress in New York. She appeared on comedy albums with Allen & Rossi , ,Loman & Barkley and Vaughn Meader. She would appear on a number of television variety  shows and television series. To fans of the original STAR TREK she is " Girl No. 1 " on the classic episode A Piece Of The Action. Her buxom figure would lead to roles in grind house  movie like SIN IN THE SUBURBS ( 1964 ) and nudie - cuties like THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO ( 1971 ). And then in 1975 she would take on the role that would lead her to cult stardom.

Ms. Thorne standing 5' 7" 123 lb. ( 37 - 22 -35 ) figure looked like the embodiment of the Nazi she - devils that tortured captured American soldiers on the covers  of men's adventure mags in the 60s.

It got me to thinking that she would have been the perfect foil for Steve Holland and Eva Lynd in one of those alternate universe war movies I keep imaging that duo starring in.

SILVER AGE MYSTERY ARTIST by Dave Goode

As a preteen during the Silver Age of Comics there was this one artist at DC who really caught my eye. But I had no idea what his name was. I only saw his work in back - up stories. Reprints from the 1940s and 1950s. Or at least that's what I surmised by the archaic clothing and hairstyles the characters sported. And at time credits were rarely given on stories. The stories were different as well. No superheroes. They were crime dramas , mysteries and tales of suspense. Sometimes with science fiction or supernatural overtones. I would later find out this mystery artist was Ruben Morira also known as Rubimor.

Ruben Moreira ( 1922 -1984 ) was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New York City with his mother when he was four. Artistically gifted he began working for Fiction House where among other things he drew the adventures of Kaanga , an ersatz Tarzan. This would serve as an excellent training ground. From 1945 to 1947 he would take over the art chores on King Features' Tarzan comic strip from legendary illustrator Burne Hogarth. And illustrated it under the name Rubimor while continuing to work in comics of the Golden Age.

It's hard to describe Moreira's work. Except to say it's reminiscent of Reed Crandall's. Or to say it looks like Curt Swan's. But with more detail. Like Swan he was a master of facial expressions. Something that helped make him a great story teller. And that's what being a comic book / strip artist is all about. Being able to tell a story. Not just drawing pretty pictures.

CALL ME B'WAN! by Dave Goode

One of my favorite pieces by Frank Frazetta was the cover to National Lampoon No. 13 ( April 1971 ) A neat little parody / homage to men's sweat mags. Specifically those featuring jungle adventures. The ones with great white hunters rescuing girls in torn blouses.

As a fan of Columbia's Jungle Jim movie series starring Johnny Weissmuller I can't help but be drawn to them. In fact those magazine covers remind me quite a bit of the movie posters illustrated  by Glenn Cravath for that series loosely based on the popular comic strip from King Features.

It's too bad no movie producer took a cue from them and made some low - budget flicks based on the stories found in MEN'S ACTION , WORLD OF MEN , MAN'S STORY , ADVENTURE and others.

This would have been ideal for Sam Katzman a.k.a  " Jungle " Sam. The man who took former screen Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller Johnny Weissmuller put him in safari clothes and with the help of stock footage turned him into a low - budget version of cartoonist Alex Raymond's Jungle Jim.

THE " REAL " MIKE HAMMER by Dave Goode

Watching KISS ME DEADLY ( 1955 ) again the other day I was taken by what a great movie it really is. One of those films that film historians gush over. And rightfully so. I just have one problem with it. The hero in it played by Ralph Meeker just isn't Mike Hammer. The character that he's portraying.

Directed by Robert Aldrich from a screenplay by A. I. Bezzerides the movie is based very loosely on a novel by Mickey Spillane. Mike Hammer as played by Ralph Meeker is an unethical thug without a moral compass. Spillane's Hammer was a tough as they come street - fighter who could get down and dirty with the bad guys and give as good as he got. But he did have a code of ethics.

Mike Hammer had been brought to the big screen before. First in I THE JURY (1953 ) the adaptation of Spillane's first hit novel from 1947. This one starred Biff Elliott and Peggy Castle. Next up was MY GUN IS QUICK ( 1957 ) an adaptation of the Spillane novel of the same name starring Robert Bray as Mike Hammer. Darren MacGavin also played the private eye from 1958 to 1960 on the television series MICKEY SPILLANE'S MIKE HAMMER.

Spillane himself would play Mike Hammer in THE GIRL HUNTERS ( 1962 )
based on his novel of the same name. And Spillane certainly looked the part. Though a bit shorter than most of us imagine Hammer to be. But he's rugged and looks as tough as an overcooked steak. He's by no means a trained actor. But he does have a screen presence. And his speech pattern ( surprise ) sounds like Hammer's. And unlike the actors who had played Hammer up to this time he carried a .45 M1911A.

THE GIRL HUNTERS revolves around the search for Hammer's secretary Velda , who he believes to have been killed. The story is everything you'd expect from a Mike Hammer movie. There are shoot - outs. And there is an especially brutal fight between Hammer and a communist agent called the " Dragon ". There is only one " Doll " in the flick. But she is played by sexy Shirley Eaton who would go on to play the golden girl in GOLDFINGER (1964 ). Hammer falls in love with her. And for anyone who has read Spillane's books knows what this means.