Old-fashioned Comics

Friday, 14 November 2025

The Mediæval Castle Collection by Hal Foster (23-04-1944 / 25-11-1945) Contributed by Jens Terje

The Medieval Castle was an interesting short-lived feature that unfortunately only survived

from April23, 1944 to November 24, 1945.

During World War II the government asked newspaper syndicates to reduce their strip size in order to save more paper for the war effort. Since King Features had the whole Sunday page with their Prince Valiant feature, they quickly asked Foster to create a new strip so as to not lose any space to one of their competitors. The artist came up with a three panel strip, which usually ran at the bottom of the Valiant page, about two young English squires named Arn and Guy at the time of the First Crusade.

Hal used his extensive library of information about Medieval lore as a backdrop

for the new piece, in which he devoted as much time as his work on Valiant.

Foster's lush detailed artwork coupled with his feuding family storyline was an interesting addition to King Features already strong stable of properties.

Most agree though, that the story running in Prince Valiant at the time

(Val's kidnapping and then falling in love with Aleta, was one of the most beloved

of all Valiant's episodes) was so strong that is completely overshadowed the second strip.

However, Mediæval Castle was a unique and

interesting model for the daily life and work of a Knight's squire,

and was reprinted in book form as two different versions years later.

The feature can also be noted for being an early prototype for Val's future son,

Prince Arn, which he developed over the eighty four strips.

Artist and Creator: Hal Foster

http://davekarlenoriginalartblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/buried-treasure-hal-fosters-medieval.html

BOTTOM STRIP PRINCE VALIANT SUNDAYS

Here's a collection of complete versions of The Mediæval Castle in

German, French, Italian and English.

Albi dell'avventura 100 - The Medieval Castle (Camillo Conti, Italia, 1976-12)

Die Abenteuer zweier Ritterknaben (German Fan-Edition, 2011) (FM+NW)

Die Abenteuer zweier Ritterknaben [German, 1976]

Le château médiéval [Hal Foster, 1944-1945 (1992)]

The Mediæval Castle [23 April 1944 - 25 November 1945]

The Mediæval Castle [Fantagraphics PV #09 (poor scans) & #10 - 1990 (JensTerje)]

We thank Jens Terje for contributing these extraordinary materials

The many lives of Dracula (Dracula Lives 1973-1974) - Compiled by Voltaire57

THE MULTIPLE LIVES OF THE VOIVODE

1. That Dracula May Live Again Marv Wolfman Neal Adams 1459

2. Look Homeward, Vampire! Gerry Conway Vincente Alcazar 1459

3. Lord of Death, Lord of Hell Marv Wolfman John Buscema/Syd Shores ca 1459

4. Suffer Not a Witch... Alain Weiss Dick Giordano 1691

5. Shadow over Versailles Tony Isabella John Buscema/Pablo Marcos 1789

6. To Walk Again in Daylight Steve Gerber Rich Buckler/Pablo Marcos ca 1850

7. The Terror that Stalked Castle D. Tony Isabella Jim Starlin/Syd Shores 1944

King Classics (1977 King Features Series) #17 - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen / #18 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

Publication Dates: 1977 - 1978

Number of Issues Published: 24 (#01 - #24 )

Color: Color

Dimensions: 7 1/4 inches wide by 10 1/2 inches tall

Paper Stock: Newsprint

Binding: Saddle-stitched

Publishing Format: Limited Series

Publication Type: magazine

Tracking: Cardstock cover

Notes: All issues first released in 1977 and reissued in 1979.

All reprints from Spanish publications.

Editorial Bruguera, S.A. 1977. King Features Syndicate, New York. Printed in

Talleres Gráficos de EBSA, (Barcelona 1977 - Spain)

A back-cover promo lists 32 titles, though most sources state that only 24 were published. The remainder, planned but possibly never published in English are: 25 A Tale of Two Cities; 26 Ben Hur; 27 Heidi; 28 Little Women; 29 The Mysterious Island; 30 The Pirate; 31 The Phantom Ship; 32 King Solomon's Mines.

https://www.comics.org/series/26575/

17 - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Price: 0.59 USD Pages: 36

Cover/ Pencils & Colors : Antonio Bernal (painting)

Script : José Antonio Vidal Sales (adaptation)

Rudolf Erich Raspe (original)

Anne Mueser (credited as Dr. Anne Mueser) (translation)

Pencils & Inks: Luis Casamitjana

Reprints from

Joyas Literarias Juveniles (Editorial Bruguera, 1970 series)

# 146 - Aventuras del barón de Münchhausen (1975)

#18 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

Price: 0.59 USD Pages: 36

Cover/ Pencils & Colors : Trini Tinturé (painting)

Script : José Antonio Vidal Sales (adaptation)

Lewis Carroll (original)

Anne Mueser (credited as Dr. Anne Mueser) (translation)

Pencils & Inks: Trini Tinturé

Reprints from

Joyas Literarias Juveniles (Editorial Bruguera, 1970 series)

# 146 - Aventuras del barón de Münchhausen (1975)

Scanned by ComicWanderer

The Victor (1151-1200) D.C. Thomson, 1961

The Victor

The Victor was a British comic paper published weekly by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. The Victor ran for 1,657 issues from 25 January 1961 until it ceased publication on 21 November 1992. Associated with it was the annually published The Victor Book for Boys. This annual was first published in 1964, with the last edition published in 1994. A hardback book, The Best of The Victor, was published in 2010 ready to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this popular adventure comic. The book featured a selection of reprints from the weekly comic....

The Victor (1151-1200)

Mar 12 th, 1983 - Feb 18th, 1984