skull 04 lovecraft

skull #04 lovecraft

skull #04 Lovecraft

Rip Off Press May 1972
Issue 4 only has one printing. Stories and Art by Dave Sheridan, Charles Dallas, Michael C. Smith, Herb Arnold. Cover by Jack Jackson. This issue presents comic adaptations of the H.P. Lovecraft classics “The Hound”, “The Hairy Claw of Tolen”, “Cool Air”, and “Pickman’s Model”! 7-in. x 10 1/4-in., 36 pages, B&W, MATURE READERS Cover price $0.50.

Skull Comics officially shortened its title to just Skull with the fourth issue, which it would retain for the remaining issues in the run. This issue also has a theme of all H.P. Lovecraft stories. Among the featured stories are Dave Sheridan’s “The Hound,” Charles Dallas’ “The Hairy Claw of Tolen,” Michael C. Smith’s “Cool Air” and Herb Arnold’s “Pickman’s Model.”

The stories are all faithful adaptations of Lovecraft that should satisfy just about any Lovecraft fanatic. They are a bit too clinical for me, but since I wasn’t a huge Lovecraft fan they were a good introduction to some stories I had not read before. Larry Todd provides a sweet back cover to make up for the lack of salacious content inside the book.

Jack Jackson – 1 • Simon Deitch – 2, 13, 35 • Dave Sheridan – 3-12 • Charles Dallas – 14-20 • Michael C. Smith 21-26 • Herb Arnold – 27-34 • Larry S. Todd – 36

Special Issue: Lovecraft • Pinup • • Skull Number Four • Hound • Night Toad • Hairy Claw of Tolen • Cool Air • Pickman’s Model • Spawn of Cthulhu