Your fanatic Christmas gift: Mike Ploog monster action!

Mike Ploog and Christmas will always be connected in my mind. Keep reading to understand the three reasons why.

Classic Ploog: Werewolf by Night #14

Is there anything cooler than a Mike Ploog-drawn monster? I think not. You can probably make a case that there are many things JUST AS COOL, but for something to be MORE COOL is close to impossible. During his long-ago tenure at Marvel Comics, Mike Ploog got a chance to draw a lot of monsters: Man-thing, Werewolf by Night, Ghost Rider and Frankenstein most prominently. For me, when Dracula crossed-over with Werewolf by Night, it was HORROR COMIC HEAVEN.

My friends all find it ironic that my blog (to date)  has primarily been about things that I remember from my careeer in comics. The irony? Well … frankly … I’m infamous for having a pretty terrible, sketchy, random-access memory. So it is at this point that I have to admit I don’t remember the details of how Mike Ploog came to work on an issue of the Ultraverse title SLUDGE with writer Steve Gerber. No one is really surprised.

Should I EVER listen to Marv Wolfman?

My life and career have intersected with the wondrous Marv Wolfman at many points along the way. I am proud to call him my friend … or at least a friendly acquaintance. If you’re reading this Marv, the next lunch is on me. I plan to pay up really soon. 

TRULY GREAT: Tomb of Dracula #54 cover by Gene Colan

I first became aware of Marv Wolfman in high school when I was reading as many Marvel Comics as I could get my hands on. Sometimes that was quite difficult. Remind me to tell the story someday soon about how I almost froze to death during high school in my pursuit of new release comics.

For a comic frame of reference, I essentially grew up in Smallville. I lived on farmland five miles from the nearest town, Claremont, Minnesota (pop. 620). It had one very small convenience grocery store that carried comics. Even though new comics came in only once a week or so, I visited that little rack of comics every day at lunchtime.