Dark Shadows Gold Key Comics & The World of Henry Orient

[Uncle Roger]

Yes, there is a connection! The credits for The Gold Key comics have long been a mystery but someone did some detective work and discovered that several of the books were written by a young Merrie Spaeth. Spaeth costarred with Tippy Walker in the Peter Sellers classic The World of Henry Orient. Acting jobs were hard to come by after Orient, so Spaeth supported herself by writing comic books. Boris Karloff's Thriller. Smokey the Bear. And Dark Shadows.
No indication as to which issues or how many she wrote but the author has requested an interview with her for a future article on the Gold Key comics for Back Issue Magazine.
I wouldn't expect her to make an appearance at a DS event. Spaeth did extremely well for herself and is in demand for speaking engagements.

booksteveslibrary.blogspot.com

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The artwork was so hideous in the Gold Key comics that I don't even remember what the stories were like. If any of the stories were at least halfway decent or even good, hopefully she was the one who wrote those because that would make your friend's interview. It would be awful if what she wrote ended up having been crap.

I wish your friend luck. 

[Uncle Roger]

I didn't read the entire series but the ones that I did read were pretty lame. Most of the cover art was pretty decent.

I read Back Issue fairly regularly, so I will probably read the article if and when it sees print. I would be interested in meeting Spaeth if the opportunity presented itself but I think that I would be more interested in hearing about working with Peter Sellers, Paula Prentiss and Angela Lansbury than discussing some ancient comic books.

Although I might just let the opportunity pass by, as i did with Dan Ross. I couldn't think of anything to say to him, other than You sure wrote a lot of that sh*t, didn't you.

[Gothick]

The most archetypally hilarious moment in the Gold Key DS books was when some ancient Druid or Leviathan or whatever was shown performing a dread incantation from a forbidden grimoire.The words went INNA-GADDA-DA-VIDA and some other mumbo jumbo. Too perfect.

I wonder if the people who collect these and the reprints are getting them for the camp value.Any other reason why they'd want to have these things around the house is a complete mystery to me. The very first one was kind of fun just because it was so outrageous. Plus, Cassandra was a character although I believe it came out in 1969 by which time she had long since been written out of the series.

G.

[Uncle Roger]

Spaeth has tentatively agreed to attend a future San Diego Comic Con, which is probably one of the biggest of its kind. She runs an extremely successful public relations agency, so I guess that would be a lark for her to do a comic con. I'm sure that there will be future developments.

And, you know, maybe it would be fun to watch her and KLS check each other out.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And, you know, maybe it would be fun to watch her and KLS check each other out.

Oh my, yes! 

[Midnite]

The blog link was edited and should work now.  Here's a direct link to the article: The Amazing Merrie Spaeth

[Gothick]

Thanks, Midnite, for that link. THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT is a lot of fun and features Angela Lansbury in an offbeat monster-mother role.

Interesting that she reportedly wrote for Gold Key's Boris Karloff book, as well.

G.

[Josette]

I know/knew nothing about Merrie Spaeth and have forgotten all of the details of the movie, don't even recall Angela Lansbury - but I saw it at least two, possibly three times, and do remember that I loved it.

[Gothick]

Another DS connection: Peter Turgeon has a role (a minor one, I guess) in The World of Henry Orient. Complete film here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdSwhE_Sj-M

For Munsters fans, Al Lewis also appears, if I recall correctly as a harried man who runs a convenience store.

G.