ALBUM CLASSICOS DE TERROR 7
"MORELLA"
(IN COLOR w/ English Translation)
Editora Continental / Outubro / Taika were 3 names used by the same small publisher in Brazil. The work of artists Jayme Cortez & Miguel Penteado, they produced some wonderful comics, many of them in the horror genre, each doing many gorgeous, stunning cover paintings!
I have discovered, between my own researches and the IMMENSE help of artist and fellow fan Toni Rodrigues, that Continental / Outubro / Taika during their run produced at least 25 POE adaptations-- MORE than Skywald or Warren !! It's my intention to compile, clean up, TRANSLATE and COLOR every one of these for my POE blog project!!
ALBUM CLASSICOS DE TERROR #7, as it turns out, and not counting issue-long stories, was the 4th ALL-POE comic anthology, following Gilberton's CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #40 (Aug'47), CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #84 (Jun'51), and Dell's Poe's TALES OF TERROR (Feb'63), the last one 4 years earlier. The next such book would be Gino Sansoni Editore's I CLASSICI A FUMETTI #17 (Sep'69), some 2 years later, followed by until Warren's CREEPY #69 (Feb'75), some 5-1/2 years after that!
Fourth up, and 20th in line from the publisher,
that tribute to disfunctional familes...
"MORELLA"
This was one of 8 POE stories that Toni Rodrigues e-mailed me hi-res scans of, all at the same! It was a total surprise when I saw it.
"MORELLA" is not one of the better-known POE stories, despite it having been adapted by Roger Corman & Richard Matheson as the 1st story in their anthology film, "TALES OF TERROR".
I've read the story, and it becomes clear that certain elements of it made their way into the climax of the later Corman film, "THE TOMB OF LIGEIA".
What's somewhat odd about this one, is the fact that apparently, artist Eugenio Colonnese did an adaptation of the same story only the year before, for a publisher that closed up before it was published. Which leaves me the question, WHY did Editora Taika commision another one, instead of simply using the already-existing (but unpublished) Colonnese one? I don't suppose anyone will ever know.
This is the 3rd comics version of the story, following Dell's Poe's TALES OF TERROR (Feb'63), and the Eugenio Colonese version that was done in 1967, but not published until 1981. And like the 2 previous ones, it's based directly on the Corman film adaptation, written by Richard Matheson, rather Poe's original short story.
The art on this, as with some others, was a bit of a mystery. When I first asked Toni Rodrigues his opinions, he said it looked like "Osvaldo Talo on a bad day". However, months and months later, I began to think it might be another job from the mysterious "Edegar", more sloppy than usual. It doesn't look like Talo's work to me, nor does it look like Edegar pencils with Ignacio Justo inks. If I had to guess, I'd say this was either Edegar pencils with Talo inks... or just Edegar SOLO.
However, there's ONE more thought that crossed my mind... Flavio Colin.
Colin had 2 very different styles, and this doesn't look like either of them. Early-on, he was very influenced by Frank Robbins (and his work on JOHNNY HAZARD). Later, he developed a UNIQUE graphic "cartoon" style, which I joked reminded me of the style "Rocky & Bullwinkle" applied to violence & sex.
But this could ALMOST be a "transitional" style, IN BETWEEN. I've seen this sort of thing with artists whose work has evolved drastically over time, including Gil Kane & Craig Russell.
I THINK I may have nailed it here. The figures and the shadows look like his early work from 1960, while the simple linework is a step toward his later graphic work from 1979-up.
If I'm correct, this would be his 2nd of 4 POE stories.
Each one, about a decade apart!
In any case, as usual, I've done my best with the clean-up, and the coloring.
Some of the stories I've processed recently were clearly based very closely on Edgar Allan Poe, inspiring me to use more and more authentic Poe text, rather than merely interpreting what popped out of the translator. However, in this case, since the story was based-- rather loosely-- on Richard Matheson's film adaptation, I returned to merely interpreting and smoothing out what was there. The exceptions were on page 73, panel 2, and page 76, panel 4, where I made a point to use some dialogue from the film VERBATIM. I also managed (though it was a real challenge) to squeeze in some authentic Poe at the top of page 74.
ENJOY!
ALBUM CLASSICOS DE TERROR 7
cover by NICO ROSSO (Editora Taika / Brazil / 1968)
Adaptation by Francisco De Assis /
Art by FLAVIO COLIN / Page 65
CLASSICOS DE TERROR 6
cover by JAYME CORTEZ MARTINS (Editora Taika / Brazil / 1973)
English Translation & New Color Copyright (C) 2016 Henry R. Kujawa.
Scans of ALBUM CLASSICOS DE TERROR #7 from Toni Rodrigues
with special thanks!
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa.
For more:
Read about Edgar Allan Poe at The Poe Museum site.
Read about Edgar Allan Poe at the Biography site.
Read about Editora Continental / Outubro / Taika at Guia Dos Quadrinhos.
Visit the Nico Rosso blog!
Read about Flavio Colin at UniversoHQ.
Read about Flavio Colin at Lambiek Comiclopedia.
Read about Flavio Colin at the Folha De S.Paulo site.
Visit the Flavio Colin Facebook page!
See more covers from Editora Outubro at the Nostalgia Do Terror site.
See more covers from Editora Taika at the Nostalgia Do Terror site.
Read about MORELLA at the Study.com site.
Read about MORELLA at the Oldstyle Tales Press site.
Read about MORELLA at the Cummings Study Guide site.
Read the complete story at the EAP_org site.
See the MORELLA Gallery of Illustrations.
Audio:
Hear the Vincent Price recording!
Comics:
Read the George Evans MORELLA adaptation!
Read the Eugenio Colonnese MORELLA adaptation!
Read the Flavio Colin MORELLA adaptation!
Misc.:
Read the Flavio Colin BERENICE adaptation!
Read the Flavio Colin MORELLA adaptation!
Read the Flavio Colin RED DEATH adaptation!
Read the Flavio Colin METZENGERSTEIN adaptation!
See the CHRONOLOGICAL list of Edgar Allan Poe stories!
See the ALPHABETICAL list of Edgar Allan Poe stories!
(Continued in Poe 1968, Pt. 11)
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