THE GREATEST TAG-TEAM MATCH IN MEXILUCHAHERO MOVIE HISTORY by Dave Goode

Of Universal's classic monsters my favorite was the Wolf Man. Lon Chaney Jr. starred in a series of films during the 1940s beginning with The Wolf Man (1941). This was followed by Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943), House Of Frankenstein (1944), House Of Dracula (1945), and Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). These films have come to be known as the "Larry Talbot Saga".

There was also a novel by Jeff Rovin titled Return Of The Wolf Man that continued Talbot's story. It begins where Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein left off. And if you're a fan of classic horror movies I can't recommend this book enough.

Werewolves are also popular in Mexico's Cinema of the Psychotronic. No where so much as in flicks featuring Mexiluchaheroes. Blue Demon's first starring role was in Blue Demon, El Blue Demonia (1965). It featured the blue-masked luchador battling a scientifically created wolf man. Blue Demon would take on another werewolf in Santo & Blue Demon vs. Dracula & The Wolf Man (1972).

Santo y Blue Demon contra Dracula el Hombre Lobo directed by Miguel Mi Delgado from ascreenplay by Alfredo Salazar is a favorite of fans of the genre. Largely because it's one of the few team - ups where Blue Demon isn't playing second fiddle to a steel guitar. In this one the two anonymous adventurers stand on equal ground. The same can't be said of the relationship between Dracula (Aldo Monti) and Rufus Rex, the Wolf Man (Augustin Martinez Solares). It reminds me of the one between Armand Telsa (Bela Lugosi) and Andreas Orby (Matt Willis) in Return Of The Vampire (1944). With the wolf man as the vampire's slave.

There's plenty of action in this flick. Especially between Blue Demon and the Wolf Man in the movie's climax. But the best remembered scene is the one where the two masked heroes, dressed like the Men from U.N.C.L.E., play a game of chess while standing guard over the movie's heroines.

For this week's blog my buddy Vance Capley and myself did a Mr. Incognito mash-up page featuring some characters that may be recognizable to fans of Universal Studio's movies of the 1940s.

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JUST A FEW OF MY FAVORITES by Dave Goode

And now for something visual that's not to abysmal. And I'm not to talking about an old Steve Reeves movies. But close. The other day I was thinking about two of the greatest movie entertainments ever. Gladiator movies and masked wrestler flicks. And how both had some of the greatest posters of any genre. I wasn't thinking about which genre had the best. That's an apples or oranges discussion. But both would make great comic book covers.

This week's blog looks at some of my favorites from the masked wrestler genre. And when I say my favorites I mean just that. Too many times when someone says their favorites what they mean is "the best". I mean "my favorite". If I call something the best I usually follow it with "IMHO".

El Santo made more movies than any other masked wrestler so it follows that his movies would have some of the best posters. How do you not love the poster for Santo vs. The Vampire Women? That would have made a great cover for a novelization of the movie. But there are other great posters from the genre. 

Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras movies had great posters too. 

And then there were the posters from Europe's Superargo series. As well as the Neutron series.

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! 

 

 

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THE VAMPIRE GIRLS by Dave Goode

THE VAMPIRE GIRLS by Dave Goode

The first Mil Mascaras movie that I ever saw was Las Vampiras (1969). Directed by Federico Curiel from a screenplay co-written by Curiel and Adolfo Torres Portillo this may have been Mascaras' best known film to American audiences due to it's constant showings on UHF stations here during the 70s and 80s.The movie is pure psychotronic fun. But with a coven of beautiful female vampires and their muscular henchmen this flick can't help remind one of Santo Contra Las Mujeres Vampiro (1962) , the Gone With The Wind of Mexiluchahero movies.

This one features John Carradine who portrayed Count Dracula in House Of Frankenstein (1944), House Of Dracula (1945) and Billy The Kid Vs. Dracula (1966). Here he plays Count Branus, the vampire king deposed by Aura (Marta Romero) and Veria (Maria Duval) to shapely green-skinned vampire girls. You fans of the masked wrestler movie genre might recognize Miss Duval as the damsel in distress from the previously mentioned Santo Contra Las Mujeres Vampiro a.k.a Samson Vs. The Vampire Women. This time around the damsel in distress is played by beautiful Maura Monti.

This is everything you would expect from a superhero vs. vampires movie with masked wrestler Mil Mascaras teaming up with reporter Carlos Mayer played by Pedro Armendariz Jr. to track down and destroy the living dead. Mascaras is great in this. Nobody is better at playing Mil Mascaras than Mil Mascaras. Built like the lead in a gladiator movie he moves like we imagined a comic book hero would move before the advent of CGI. Maybe not the greatest actor. But like Steve Reeves and Arnold Schwarzenegger he has a presence. I've imagined for years about getting the rights to the Spanish language movie and re-dubbing it into English ala' What's Up Tiger Lilly?.

To along with this week's blog is a comic book cover imagined by Dave Goode and illustrated by Vance Capley featuring the poor man's Mil Mascaras.

 Grab a t-shirt of this fantastic art: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/6085394-mr-incognito-meets-the-amazon-devil-queen

DEVIL IN THE BLUE MASK by Dave Goode

There are two types of stories that fan-boys live for. Origins and cross-overs. El Santo was given a silver screen origin that combined elements of Lee Falk's Phantom and the original Golden Age Captain Marvel. And of course fans of the Mexiluchahero movie genre know that Mil Mascaras' movie origin owes a bit to the back story of pulp superman Doc Savage. But as far as I know the third member of the " Holy Trinity of Mexiluchahero Movies ", the Blue Demon, had no such cinematic origin tale. And now I'm sure that someone is going to respond with the title of a movie that gives Blue Demon a comic book type origin. But until then let me share with you my idea for his back story.

His origin would be similar to that of Marvel Comics' Daredevil. He's the
studious bookworm who gets picked on by the neighborhood kids who works out in secret to keep in shape. Maybe even following a Charles Atlas type training course that includes self-defense program. And of course his father would be a luchador and not a pugilist. The major change is that as a high school student he takes on the leader of the " Blue Demon " biker gang after being picked on one too many times. After whooping the leader and his second-in-command our hero is recruited by the gang as their enforcer. Deciding gang wars in singles combat. After his father is killed by crooked gamblers he becomes the Blue Demon to bring the
criminals to justice.

If you're new to the Mexiluchahero genre the Blue Demon movie you want to watch is La Sombra del Murcielago. Known in English as Shadow Of The Bat , this 1966 flick is considered to be Blue Demon's best. Produced by Luis Enrique Vergara and directed by Federico Curiel this flick written by Jesus Velezquez is a psychotronic classic. The idea that came from Vergara was a reworking of the Phantom of the Opera with Fernando Oses going over the top as a physically and mentally scarred former wrestling star. He even plays the organ. Blue plays the hero who eventually defeats the mad man who also takes an unhealthy interest in a nightclub singer played by Marta Romero. Blue comes across like a Mike Hammer type. But one who wears luchador gear. This one is great fun. It even has a Spanish language version of the sixties pop hit Wooly Bully. If you haven't seen it search it out.

For more information on the Blue Demon, both films and wrestling, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Demon 

Now for another great Dr. Judo comic: 

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Steve Ditko...Luchador Artist by Dave Goode

When I first heard of the controversy involving the creation of Spider-Man's costume and Halloween costume designer Ben Cooper I was quite stunned. To be fair there is a superficial resemblance between the Spider Man costume created by Cooper's company in the 1950s and the one familiar to comic book readers.

But I always assumed that Steve Ditko's inspiration was the costume Warren Hull wore in the two Spider serials for Columbia , based on the popular pulp magazine hero. And this costume bore no  resemblance to the one the character wore in the pulps. But to me if a character has "spider" any place in his name he (or she) should have some sort of webbing on their costume. If anything Ditko's mask looked like that of Mexican wrestling icon el Santo. Only in red and covered with black webbing. Which makes me wonder if Ditko was a fan of lucha libre. After all the first person Peter Parker takes on after gaining his spider powers in Amazing Fantasy No.15 (August 1962) is pro wrestler Crusher Hogan.

If you've ever seen a Ditko-drawn fight scene you can't help but marvel at how the two protagonists look like acrobatic wrestlers in action. That's why for years I could readily imagine Ditko illustrating comic book adaptations of el Santo's and Blue Demon's movies. Or adaptations of Mil Mascaras movies while working in a tag-team with Wally Wood inking his pencils. Also a number of characters created or co-created by Ditko wore masks that would have done any luchador proud. In fact the villain in Beware The Creeper No.1 (June 1968) not only has a pretty cool mask. But talks about his physical training. The same type a champion luchador may have undergone.

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THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SEQUEL by Dave Goode

Without a doubt the best masked wrestler movies not to come out of Mexico were the Superargo series from Italy. The two movies starred Giovanni Cianfriglia. Someone who should be familiar to all fans of European costume dramas. He worked as a body double for Steve Reeves and did stunt-work in many Italian action movies. Cianfriglia portrayed the Earth giant Antaeus in HERCULES THE AVENGER and has a memorable fight scene with Mr.Universe winner Reg Park who plays the demi-god Hercules. He also has a great fight in GOLIATH AGAINST THE VAMPIRES against former Tarzan movie star turned sinew & sandal hero Gordon Scott. Scott portrays Maciste and Cianfriglia in the course of the battle portrays an "evil twin". For years it was rumored that it was Steve Reeves that was seen in long shots as the evil Maciste/Goliath as the two men grappled. But it was in fact Cianfriglia.

In SUPERARGO VS. DIABOLICUS(1966) Cianfriglia billed as Ken Wood plays the masked wrestling champion Superargo. In what is more or less an origin tale masked wrestling champion Superargo defends his title against his friend,a wrestled called el Tigre. During the course of the match el Tigre is accidently killed. Superargo is understandably despondent and looks for purpose in life.He finds it when his former commanding officer from the army,now the head of the secret service,recruits him for a special mission. And he uses his special abilities plus a bullet-proof costume and some Bondian gadgets to take on the modern alchemist Diabolicus and his sexy red-headed accomplice who refers to her employer as the "future ruler of the universe". This flick is a lot of fun with a lot of action. And Loredana Nusciak as Diabolicus accomplice(girl friend?) and Monica Randall as Superargo's girl friend Lidia are both nice to look at.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sequel SUPERARGO a.k.a SUPERARGO AND THE FACELESS GIANTS(1968) has Cianfriglia returning as the masked wrestler turned secret agent. Superargo's girl friend from the first flick is nowhere to be found. Instead the masked man is keeping company with Kamir a Hindu guru who has taught him to unleash his psychic abilities. Superargo is called in by the authorities to solve a case involving a group of missing athletes and ends up battling Professor Wond,played by former American western star Guy Madison,and his army of living robots.

 

 

 

I always thought there should have been a third movie so that fans of the masked wrestler genre would be talking about a Superargo trilogy today. Wondering what that might look like my buddy Vance Capley and I put together this faux page for a Superargo comic book.

CLICK THE PICTURE AND SEE DAVE GOODE AND

VANCE CAPLEY DISCUSS THIS FILM:

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