Gorgo is a 1961 British-American science fiction monster film in Technicolor directed by Eugène Lourié. The film focuses on Gorgo, a young sea monster brought back to London for exploitation, and Ogra, his even larger mother, who rampages across London to search for him.
Charlton's Gorgo comic book series based on the 1961 British-American giant monster film Gorgo, which ran from 1961 to 1965 with 23 issues. The first issue is an adaptation of the film, while the rest are original stories pitting Gorgo and his mother Ogra against various monsters, aliens, and human armies.
The comic book series has two sequels, Gorgo's Revenge with one issue and Return of Gorgo with two issues. Every issue of Gorgo was written by Joe Gill. Steve Ditko, the co-creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, illustrated eight issues (1-3, 11, and 13-16). - From Wikipedia
After a seaquake, a huge lizard-like creature walked out of the ocean and almost destroyed a fishing village in Ireland. Fortunately for the village, the same quake that brought the 65 foot monster to land has also grounded a salvage ship, the crew of which proved up to the task of capturing the beast.
Instead of killing it, or turning it over to the government, they decided to take it to London and put it on display for profit.
Looking to be a huge success, things became more complicated when it was discovered the monster, dubbed Gorgo, was really just a youngster and it’s 200 foot tall mother was coming for him.
After a pitched battle with the British army, Gorga’s mother, Ogra, was able to free her child and they both went lumbering back to the sea.
That, however, was not the last the world heard of Gorgo. Apparently having found a taste for the land, the young monster began to make regular visits there.
At the same time, governments, scientists, and even would-be world conquerors pursued Gorgo and his mother for their own ends.
This led Gorgo to finding himself in a succession of dangerous situations, from battling other giant primitive monsters, to control by mad scientists, to even at one point inadvertently preventing World War III. - From Fandom
Script: Joe Gill Pencils: Joe Sinnott Inks: Vince Colletta Art: Steve Ditko
"Monsters' Rendezvous"
"Strange Beasts, Past and Present"
"A Second or an Eon?"
"Deep Water Dream!"
Gorgo teams up with another B-movie monster, Reptilicus, to battle squid creatures from outer space who want to take over the Earth.
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Cover by Ernie Bache with art by Steve Ditko and Bill Montes.
Gorgo's curiosity brings him to the waters off Cuba, right at the height of the 1962 missile crisis. Steve Ditko's drawings are tamer than usual, even with this relevantly timed story. More than midway through, his enthusiasm returns, depicting Gorgo's attack on the Russians with gusto. Ditko also enlarges panels to better show the creature's massive scale. This is number 7 of 9 Gorgo issues with Ditko art and/or covers.
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Not since "King Kong"...has the screen exploded with such mighty fury and spectacle!
Backstory:
Konga is a 1961 British/American international co-production science fiction horror film directed by John Lemont and starring Michael Gough, Margo Johns and Austin Trevor. It was shot at Merton Park Studios and in Croydon for Anglo Amalgamated, then distributed in the United States by American International Pictures (AIP) as a double feature with Master of the World. Anglo Amalgamated and AIP each provided half the funding for the US$500,000 film, with each studio receiving distribution rights in their respective hemispheres.
Konga was the basis for a comic book series published by Charlton Comics and initially drawn by Steve Ditko (prior to Ditko's co-creation of Spider-Man) in the 1960s. From Wikipedia
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The comic book version, adapting the movie into that medium. It was written by Joe Gill (The Blue Beetle, Peacemaker) and drawn by Steve Ditko (Doctor Strange, The Creeper). The comic was dated June, 1960.
Even if the comic did appear first, being a comic book adaptation of a live-action movie would make Konga (no relation, by the way) no more a toon than The Magic Sword (1962), Operation Bikini (1963), Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) or any other Hollywood property that got turned into a Dell "Movie Classic". What made it different was that Charlton put out a second issue, and continued it bimonthly afterward. This put it in a class with Charlton's Gorgo and Reptilicus, rather than that of Gold Key's Fantastic Voyage or Fawcett's When Worlds Collide. As it is, Konga is better known as a comic book character than for his role in an American International Pictures production.
Konga started out as a chimpanzee in the possession of Professor Charles Decker (Michael Gough, who played Alfred in 1990s Batman films). Decker had acquired cute li'l Konga during an African adventure in which he'd also acquired a chemical way to make living things grow to enormous size. Needless to say, the chimp and the chemical got together before too much screen time had gone by (or before too many comics pages had been turned) as Decker attempted to use Konga in a typical mad scientist scheme. The transformation seems to have had the unexpected side effect of turning Konga into a gorilla. Poor guy — the only reason he committed murder was because he was under Decker's mind control, and they treated him the way they always treat giant apes, i.e., killed him. His only consolation was, Decker got it in the neck before he did.
But Konga, at least, got better. He was de-killed in Konga #2 (August, 1961), also by Gill and Ditko, then got involved in a new adventure with each new issue. Later issues were drawn by the team of Bill Montes, pencils and Ernie Bache, inks (Fightin' Five, Sarge Steel). The series lasted 23 issues, ending in November, 1965. With #24 (September, 1966), it was re-titled Fantastic Giants, which lasted one issue, reprinting early Ditko Gorgo and Konga stories. Along the way, he appeared in two issues of Konga's Revenge; and in 1968, that title was also used for a one-issue revival, which reprinted a 1964 story. - From Toonopedia
Cover by Dick Giordano, written by Joe Gill, with art and pencils and inks by Steve Ditko
"The Lonely One" "Vince Vanne Vanishes" "Kobi the Hunter"
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Cover art by Dick Giordano, written by Joe Gill, inks by Ernie Bache
Stories include:"A Monster's Dream" starring Konga, "The Land of the Nevermore", "Your Sun", "The Flying Fish People", "Nature's Bomb".
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Cover and art by Montes and Mastroserio.
"The Trojan Queen" :
Featuring the huge primate who is doomed to wander the earth lonely and feared by all save a few. Stated on cover is "Popular Request Second Printing." This is the only printing of Konga's Revenge (1968 series) number 1. The second printing refers to this issue being a reprint of Konga's Revenge (1963 series) number 3.
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Steve Ditko cover, art, and stories.
Steve Ditko's work is showcased in this special one-shot issue. Two landmark reprints from Gorgo #1 and Konga #1 accompany two new stories. In the first, an African witch doctor sculpts an idol from a giant meteorite and claims leadership over his tribe. Otherworldly images are the artist's specialty and this one is no exception. The drawings culminate in an outstanding splash page (see interior page below). Ditko's second feature tells of a village terrorized by an indestructible brute. While not as impressive as the first tale, it still displays plenty of skill and effort. Similarly, Ditko's busy new cover is visually compelling with a touch of humor. This is number 1 of 1 Fantastic Giants issues with Ditko art and/or covers.
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