Talking Comics Podcast 08/19/15

Joe,


For those not as "in the know" as yourself (great job, by the way!), Rondo Hatton had a brief movie career, usually portraying "The Oxton Creeper", as he did in the Sherlock Holmes film "The House of Fear", or some other menacing character. Mr. Hatton was afflicted with acromegaly, the rare glandular condition that causes the bones of the face and extremities to enlarge, an ailment that would take his life. Universal's PR department had it that his condition was due to a mustard gas attack during the First World War, a bit of self-serving bally-hoo that has become the legend, as before the illness took hold, Mr. Hatton was quite handsome, so it was probably thought better to have him an afflicted war hero that they were giving a break to, rather than the truth that they were exploiting someone with a disfiguring disease. Here's a shot of Rondo Hatton in his younger days for comparison:
 

ps) For anyone who's seen "The Rocketeer" (or read Dave Stevens' originals!), the character of Lothar was his tribute to Rondo Hatton and the courage he displayed in putting himself before the public, as are the horror awards that Joe has mentioned!  rrr

Simon,

I remember seeing the film in the theatre, and the imagery that sets up such cosmic loneliness has never left my mind over half-a-century.

Here's the trailer for the classic film:

Jonathan,

Thanks for the lovely thoughts!

On a very grey Friday morning, that was quite a nice "wake-up call"!

Dave,

I've certainly been enjoying the Zdarsky/Quinones HtD all along, but this issue was the high point for me. 

Here's hoping that the re-launch continues the upward trend!