Random Happenstance

We blogged the last issue of this series about a decade ago; today we have the first: from 1984, Amazing High Adventure #1, featuring "The Pike!" Written by Steve Englehart, art by John Severin; "Gold!" Written by Ann Nocenti, art by Tony Salmons; "Ambrose A. Abernathy's Amazing Adventure Apparatus" Written by Mike Carlin, art by Gerry Talaoc, and "Death Stroke" Written by Louise Simonson, art by Steve Leialoha. Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz.

This was a short-lived adventure anthology, but with a pretty good creative pedigree; opening with "The Pike!" With John Severin art, it has a very EC horror comics feel. In 1649, Oliver Cromwell's forces put Irish loyalists to the sword, raising the ire of pagan wizards. But Cromwell proves to have a few tricks up his sleeve as well.

"Gold!" features renegade Spaniards in search of gold (duhr) and willing to do anything for it. Does an Aztec elder have the secret of making gold? "Ambrose A. Abernathy's Amazing Adventure Apparatus" is a more light-hearted piece: eccentric inventor Abernathy accidently creates "a machine that can generate adventures around itself...adding thrills to the dullest of people's lives." But is the machine causing drama, or renegade rival inventor Professor Edwin Grimmley to blame? That one's kind of fun.

"Death Stroke" is slightly grimmer, as Inuit shaman Manilak and his bear totem, Inua, circle around the end of their lives. But Manilak needs to stay alive long enough to teach lost Russian aristocrat Dimitry how to live--in the Arctic, and in general. It does have a happy ending, even with a horrible bear murder/suicide.