Hey, Monster Kids! The celebration of King Kong’s 90th anniversary this year continues in our Kong-related feature Hail to the King (Kong), a series of occasional posts in which we spotlight images related to the god-emperor of Skull Island—some you might recognize; some might be completely new to you.
Our latest entry is from comic-art legend Jose Gonzalez, who is best known to horror-comic fans worldwide as the artist who made Vampirella, the vampiress from outer space, the sensation she became during her original run at Warren Publishing during the 1970s and early ’80s. It’s Gonzalez’s rendition of the character that immediately comes to mind whenever longtime fans think of Vampirella, and remains the gold standard even today, as she gets ready to celebrate her 55th anniversary next year.
But Vampirella wasn’t the only subject Gonzalez excelled at drawing. Beyond his love for Marilyn Monroe and other Hollywood beauties, including Fay Wray, he wasn’t too shabby when it came to illustrating Wray’s monstrous costar, King Kong, as seen in this piece that appeared on the Heritage Auctions site a number of years ago:
And while we’re on the subject of the big ape, in case you’re unfamiliar with the story of Kong and his obsession with struggling Depression-era actress Anne Darrow, the Beauty to his Beast, it just so happens that your friendly fiends here at ’Warp Central have the perfect book for you…
King Kong is a digital-exclusive republication of the 1932 novelization of the original movie classic. Written by Delos W. Lovelace, based on the story by Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper and the screenplay by James A. Creelman and Ruth Rose, it includes scenes that didn’t appear in the final cut of the film—including the notorious “spider pit” sequence in which Kong’s human pursuers are attacked by horrific arachnids and insects. Our version features six original black-and-white illustrations by comics artist Paul Tuma, whose work has appeared in the pages of The Twilight Zone, Paul Kupperberg’s Secret Romances, and Bloke’s Terrible Tomb of Terror.
King Kong is available for download right now, so visit its product page for ordering information.
And to learn more about Jose Gonzalez, order a copy of From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), a nonfiction examination of the Warren Publishing days of Vampi and her creators.
