TALES of MARGINAL TERROR: The Werewolf was Afraid!

    Today we're gonna take a quick look at a short little story from BEWARE!, a horror anthology reprint title from Marvel in 1973.  The series lasted for 7 issues reprinting horror and shock stories from Atlas Comics, essentially the pre-Marvel Comics version of Marvel Comics.  Today's tale, despite getting the whole cover of the issue, is only four pages long.  Featuring the art work of a young John Romita, this story was originally published in MENACE #8, in 1953. 

     The "switcheroo" in this tale is apparently that the werewolf has a ginormously round head.  This obviously seems to make him cowardly, for fear that his balloon head could burst at any moment. The real reason, however, will shock you!
     OK, maybe "shock" is a little strong of a word...

    We meet Eric Lanson, an "emotional man of deep hatreds and violence!"  He loves nothing more than the sport of shooting at animals that can't shoot back.  He has a strict code of honor, however.  He refuses to shoot any animal without provoking them to attack him first.  Whatta guy! 

   Having met and honorably killed every other kind of animal, he decides to head to Austria, to seek and kill the elusive....melon headed werewolf!

     He soon finds himself in Austria, eager to find and bag his prey.  His local guides, however, are not nearly as anxious as he.  The locals have heard many strange stories about these forests.  Tales of men who are also wolves...and have abnormally huge heads.  It's not too much longer before the locals flee...

     Ever the hardened hunter, Eric presses on, until his instincts tell him he is near his prey.  Coming into an open clearing...

     The fact that the werewolf was sitting there, smelling flowers and grooving on some Rod McKuen  has completely thrown Eric for a loop.  He muses that it would be easy to kill the creature from here, but that would really screw with his code of honor.  Nay, the code decrees that a creature must attack first, and since the creature in question was obviously not in a fighting mood, Eric presses on with the hunter's favorite back-up plan: name calling.

     Eric tries and tries to provoke the large headed creature, but to no avail.  The flowers and soothing verse have apparently drained the creature of any bloodthirst.  He's absolutely the most eloquent werewolf I've ever seen; however, with a head that size, how could he not be?
     FUN GAME: Try to work "You're a cad!" into everyday conversation!

     The more Eric tries to provoke the werewolf, the more the ample noggined creature resists.  This begins to wear on Eric and his code...

"How dare you call me a cad!"

   Eric is quickly disarmed in a scene that was apparently too much trouble to draw.  The very next panel just shows Eric without a gun, saying, "What th...?? My gun... you've broken it!"

    
     Also, in the panel above, the narrator starts calling out Eric's name over and over.  I suppose if your name was actually Eric Lanson and someone read this story to you in a rather creepy voice, it might be spooky.  Probably not.

     At this point, Eric Lanson, the werewolf with the voluminous headspace inches ever closer to you, Eric Lanson.  You, Eric Lanson, are really beginning to regret that you, Eric Lanson, did not tell your beloved code to take a hike and pop a cap in this furry when you, Eric Lanson, had a chance.

     Hmmm...I think I'm starting to see the ol' twist here.

     Moral of the story?  I guess flowers and poetry won't stop you from killing people.  You know, if you're a werewolf and stuff.


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