A brief history of the Mighty films of HERCULES!

HERCULES (ERCOLE):

The very first film with HERCULES, or ERCOLE, in the title was released in 1957. LE FATICHE DI ERCOLE (1957) stands today as one of the best examples of the genre. The film was so successful, it proved to be the starting point for a whole new genre. The movie's original director, Pietro Francisci, was supported and finally replaced by the Italian cult figure Mario Bava, best known for his horror thrillers of the 1960s and 1970s. LE FATICHE was followed by ERCOLE E LA REGINA DI LIDIA (1959), also starring Steve Reeves, an American actor, who did not appear in other movies as Hercules, but made a respectable career in many European B-movie productions (usually playing a heroic strongman).

In 1960, two Hercules movies were released: GLI AMORI DI ERCOLE (starring Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay as the title character) and LA VENDETTA DI ERCOLE (directed by Vittorio Cottafavi), the first film that featured Mark Forest as the super-hero.

1961 was a big year for Hercules. No less than five movies were released: ULISSE CONTRO ERCOLE (featuring Mike Lane and directed by Mario Caiano), MACISTE CONTRO ERCOLE NELLA VALLE DEI GUAI (featuring Kirk Morris and framed by an odd story set in the present), LA FURIA DI ERCOLE (featuring Brad Harris, directed by Gianfranco Parolini), ERCOLE AL CENTRO DELLA TERRA (featuring Reg Park, directed by the great Mario Bava) and ERCOLE ALLA CONQUISTA DI ATLANTIDE (featuring Reg Park, directed by Vittorio Cottafavi).

Strangely enough, there are no Hercules films on record that were released in 1962. However, the following year, 1963, saw the release of three peplum epics: ERCOLE CONTRO MOLOCK (featuring the well-known Tarzan actor Gordon Scott and directed by Giorgio Ferroni), ERCOLE L'INVINCIBILE (featuring Dan Vadis) and ERCOLE SFIDA SANSONE (starring Kirk Morris). ERCOLE SFIDA SANSONE was made by the director of the original ERCOLE movie, Pietro Francisci and featured not only Hercules but also Samson and Ulysses.

1964 was the last year Hercules movies were produced: ERCOLE CONTRO I FIGLI DEL SOLE (featuring Mark Forest in a South American setting this time), ERCOLE CONTRO I TIRANNI DI BABILONIA (featuring Peter Lupus, directed by Domenico Paolella), ERCOLE CONTRO ROMA (featuring Alan Steel), ERCOLE, SANSONE, MACISTE E URSUS GLI INVICIBILI (featuring Alan Steel as Hercules, directed by Giorgio Capitani) and finally IL TRIONFO DI ERCOLE (featuring Dan Vadis and directed by Alberto de Martino).

Arnold Schwarzenegger's film debut in 1970 had him play Hercules in HERCULES IN NEW YORK (1970), an ultra-cheesy action comedy. Hercules also returned to the screen in the mid-eighties, starring the "Incredible Hulk" Lou Ferrigno (HERCULES and HERCULES II). Excluding these three imitations, our hero ERCOLE graced the screen with 18 appearances.



MACISTE:



The name Maciste (more or less a synonym for Hercules) appears in almost 50 film titles. The early Maciste films (24 in total) were made between 1915 and 1926. The first Maciste film of the sound era, MACISTE NELLA VALLE DI REI, was produced in 1960. This Maciste trend lasted, like the Hercules phenomenon, until 1964.



URSUS:



Ursus was another synonym for Hercules. All in all, there were 8 URSUS films (from 1961-1964).



SAMSON (SANSONE):



Five or six movies about the Hercules-substitute Samson (Sansone) were made in the years 1961-1964.



GOLIATH (GOLIA):



Only three or four Goliath movies were made, all between 1962 and 1964.



Periphernalia:



Roger Corman directed a movie called ATLAS in 1961, in which a Hercules-like superhero must fight against an evil king.

Sergio Leone directed the costumer IL COLOSSO DI RODE in 1961, but there is no superhero in this story.

Steve Reeves, the original Hercules, made a return to sword-and-sandal in 1961 for the historical epic LA GUERRA DI TROIA (1961), in which he plays hero Aeneas.

In 1963, a cartoon series called "The Mighty Hercules" was produced in the United States.

The first Hercules comedy was made in 1960. LE PILLOLE DI ERCOLE (HERCULES' PILLS)



The legacy:



The muscle-men of the early 1960s lost popularity rather quickly. After 1964, hardly any sword-and-sandal epics were produced anymore. Italian cinema (and its audiences) became more interested in westerns (Sergio Leone's PER UN PUGNO DI DOLLARI is one of the earliest), sci-fi movies (really hokey ones!) and spy action (as a result of the success with the Bond movies).

A notable revival of peplum movies occurred in the early eighties with the production (and success) of CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) and CONAN THE DESTROYER (1984), both starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Looking at the action movies of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, the super-heroes characterized by Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger do not necessarily rely exclusively on their brains to beat the villains (which goes to show the stagnant development of the supermen).

COVER RECREATION

This sweet cover recreation inked by Angel Gabrielle I lifted from Comicart fans...is primo...It contains all the dynamic drama in the poses you'd expect from a Kirby drawing....I miss Kirby.

HERCULES THE CHAMPION - JULY 1975

In the same year during the same month 2 competing comic book companies put out 2 seperate comic books containing one mytholgical famous strong man -  That'd be HERCULES !!!!
     Now honestly I was never a big fan of the Champions...and I don't know why....it had Herc and Ghost Rider on the same team...I like GHOSTIE!  

     But I do indeed remember purchasing HERCULES unbound and following the book to it's end....Now it's time to see if I can get me a good ebay deal on a CHAMPIONS lot.

HERCULES UNBOUNDED AGAIN JULY 1975

RUDE the DUDE!!!

Steve Rude has always been one of my favorite artists.  His Super Man vs Hulk one shot was a classic.  That is why I like him.  His work is classic comic art.  He exudes the qualities of Kirby, Wood and Ayers one would find reading comics in the 1960's.
    I would like to see Steve do a Herc mini - retro 60's story...even a classic ancient Herc story.  His stuff is great and he is in good company with his artistic genius

The Mighty art of John Buscema !

I really don't have much to say about this...it's John Buscema. What is there to say. John was a hero to me. Here in this unused cover for an AVENGERS issue you can see the power coming from both Herc and Tyr as they get ready to do battle as the others look on. Only Hercules has a chance against the Asgardian god of war. Of course as in times past Herc triumphed.




I borrowed this image from Michael Maikowsky and his John Buscema Facebook profile. I miss John Buscema...but I have much of his work in my comics. I marvel at it from time to time and think back to when I actually got to meet him in 1986. He never understood the fanfare or even got why comic books meant so much to so many...but for the love of art he kept on going.

He kept on going.

JACK "KING" KIRBY ! HERCULES from the Heroes and Villains sketchbook

Jack Kirby was thre godfather of the Marvel style. His dynamic poses and fantastical landscapes and scenic shots were what kept you involved in the drawing and with the story. If it were not for him hooking you with his classy and unique style.....you probably would not like comics today. You were hooked.

ERNIE CHAN does HERCULES

HERCULES Marvel mania

Back in the day..( I hate that phrase ) Marvel used to have a line of stickers it was paste up images of characters and they had some corny word balloon caption.  I F'N LOVED THESE THINGS!

Thanks to Reis from over at CROM the Ultimate Conan fan blog and his other popular blog I found this way cool HERKY sticker...you likey?

The passing of a legend "Frazetta"

Frank Frazetta has passed away - His Legacy will continue on forever.  Rest in peace Sir.

He walks among us....

I go to motorcycle shows and rallies and sometimes I see some pretty cool stuff...I myself am not an OUTLAW BIKER , I am a mere Motorcyclist.  A lot of times I see some beautiful women walking around in their cut off denim shorts and bikini tops some who should not be wearing such outfits and some you wish you could see more of.

One show I was walking around and I saw the biggest sunnava bitch I'd ever seen he was maybe 6'7" and about 290 lbs and he was wearing nothing but jeans and biker boots ( the kind that look like black cowboy boots with the big buckle on the side )  His hair was long past his shoulders and the wind was blowing it around his face his physique was perfect he looked like Denny Miller the actor who played Tarzan in 1959 and who later became the Gortons fisherman...but this guy his beard was as full and gray as his hair his skin looked like he'd been in the sun his entire life...oh he had  a tan alright but his skin was that kind of dark reddish pink tan and was even darker in some areas like his chest and shoulders.  I could not really tell exactly how old the guy was but walking by me I noticed a tattoo on his right forearm.  It said US NAVY

KOREA and there was a year and a picture of a battle ship framed by chain and an anchor hanging down to where his hand met his wrist. So this guy had to be at the time 67 or 68 years old.  I was impressed that his build was so perfect and he walked with a spring in his step as if he were a 20 year old.

Folks I swear to you this guy is HERCULES walking around right here with us on the planet earth as we speak. He must have seen me looking at him and I was trying not to be too obvious about it but I was fascinated by him.  At one point he turned and winked at me as he picked up a pair of sunglasses off of a vendors table.  To this day I wonder about that guy..is he still around?  Is he still as healthy as he seemed when I saw him 7 years ago?  I know there is no such thing as HERCULES and I know there are no real MAN GODS and all that...but if you'd seen this big ass sum bitch then you too'd be impressed...I know to this day I think about that guy and the adventures he's had in his life.

They killed him! They killed Hercules! Those sons of Bitches!

The following review is from COMICS BULLETIN.COM  (  I did not write this article )

HERCULES FALL OF AN AVENGER.

I've been kind of down on Incredible Hercules since the end of the Amazons arc, and try as I might, I just haven't been able to get back into the series. I've kept up though, and was almost won back by the Amadeus solo chapters over the past nine months, but I just felt like the humor had overpowered the character work that really made that first year or so shine. Hercules became more of a joke than he was at first, it seemed to me.



Especially when he started dressing like Thor and bedding Elf Queens. It was fun and entertaining, but it felt like fluff. Once we finally started focusing on the threat of Hera, and the even subtler threat of Athena, things started looking up again.



And now Hercules is dead, betrayed by Athena, and his friends and allies have gathered at the Parthenon in Athens to celebrate his memory. It's still a little too campy and silly at times for me, but it's a nice that we're not bogged down by sad recollections and emo posing.



Instead, Pak and Van Lente provide a very entertaining--and at times, touching--tribute to the history of Hercules, complete with footnotes signaling where the adventures the heroes share were first published. There's a lot of good stuff here, even if we do still have moments where characterization and plot are given over to just telling a joke.



And that's really what keeps me from fully engaging with the story, just like it's done for the past year or so. I guess I'm just taking it too seriously, and I know that the women's tribute to Hercules in this issue is supposed to be funny, but I thought it fell flat. Again, it was just so silly. And ultimately, that's what most of Pak and Van Lente's run has become for me. Just silly fluff, to be read and forgotten. Disposable.



The back-up feature by Tobin, on the other hand, shows a very nice balance between humor and sadness, as Venus and Namora travel around the world settling Hercules' financial affairs. There are plenty of jokes, but there are also many moments where the characters feel real. They feel and think and act like real people would in these situations and never are sacrificed to the almighty joke.



There's actual character development going on as these two characters spend time together. It's not as goofy or funny as the main story, but it's better crafted from start to finish.



Visually, both stories are quite nice, as Ariel Olivetti provides what might be his best work yet and Brown and Paz provide a slightly rough-around-the-edges take on Venus and Namora. The two stories couldn't look more different from one another, but both are excellent pieces of work. Olivetti has reined in his urge to grotesquely over-muscle everyone on the page, providing a very nice variety of body types and excellent facial expressions. His visual storytelling is getting better and better, although the lack of backgrounds continues to bug me a little.



Yes, it allows the reader to really focus on the expressions and the body language, which is a good thing. But it still seems like the work is practically unfinished, waiting for the scenery and sets to be filled in later.



Brown and Paz fully ground each panel in their story in the settings, whether those settings are a board room, a city street, or a small apartment. And then, when the scenes need to open and provide some breathing room, sparser backgrounds are suited to the situation.



They also provide very meaty versions of both Venus and Namora. These women look powerful and realistic. Neither is a wispy, frail-looking thing, instead having thick legs and strong arms. They look like heroes. They have weight and really feel like part of their environments, rather than decorations or cheese-cake. But don't get me wrong. They look good.



All in all, this is another mixed bag. I really want to like Pak and Van Lente's story as much as I used to (and as much as I like their other work), but it all just feels so inconsequential that it's hard to justify continuing to spend money on it. On the other hand, the Agents of Atlas back-up provides a little more depth of emotion and characterization, pulling the overall rating up. Thanks to Venus and Namora, I'm giving this one four bullets.
   I guess the reviewer uses a rating system that consists of bullets - as in BULLETIN?  I guess, good review though.

Look @ this MIGHTY desk top!

I was going to use it as the main pic for the blog but it was too large.  So lookie here!

Nigel Green as HERCULES

The Mighty NIGEL GREEN!

Hercules confronts Talos in JASON & THE ARGONAUTS (1963)


In 1963 American producers tried their hand at a sword & sandal adventure with emphasis on fantasy. And what better technician than the master of fantasy filmmaking himself, Ray Harryhausen to undertake the task. Generously laced with monsters and fantastical elements, JASON & THE ARGONAUTS (1963) became one of the most enduring fantasy films of all time. Portions of this film had been the source for a number of Italian entries but here, instead of hydraulically controlled creations, Harryhausen relied on the then popular method of stop motion animation to bring his monsters to life.

All but the giant, Poseidon, were created using this process. One of the most famous characters from the Italian made features, Hercules, also has a role here. Nigel Green portrayed the Greek demi-God. However, Green was not a bodybuilder and although stout, he in no way resembled the standard muscleman inherent in the European mythological movies. Furthermore, this was the intention on the part of producer Charles H. Schneer and Harryhausen to avoid a musclebound performer in the role of Hercules for fear it may steer attention away from the main character of the film, Jason.

Green's performance as Hercules is an older and irresponsible interpretation. His penchant to cause havoc is the one conceit borrowed from the Hercules of mythology. The "real" Hercules was quite violent and displayed murderous tendencies. A fair number of the Italian epics featuring Hercules subtly touched upon the darker side of the mythical man