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This comic’s lead story, “The Vault Of Organic Theater Thrills”, plotted by Mike Gold, scripted by Paul Kupperberg and drawn by Joe Staton, has a storyline that’s suspiciously similar to that of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975). In it, Brian and Nancy Willians’ car breaks down in the middle of a storm. They seek refuge in a creepy old house that’s nearby, where they’re greeted by Igor, the hunchbacked assistant to mad scientist Professor Stuart Gordon. The professor is on a scientific quest, searching for the “supreme subscription season for the Organic Theatre.” When the visitor resists Gordon’s hard sell, Igor attempts to bring Brian up to speed on the Professor’s accomplishments:

BRIAN WILLIAMS:
So what’s the big deal with the Organic Theater anyway, Igor?

IGOR:
Where’ve YOU been, mister?! The Organic’s been around since 1969 – the brain-child of Professor Gordon! The Organic is a SHOWCASE for new creative talent. And believe you me, it’s PAID OFF! We’re the only Chicago theater exclusively dedicated to producing original works, and that has gained us an INTERNATIONAL reputation! We’re the ONLY Chicago theatre group to have extensively toured both the United States AND Europe! We’re also the only company in the Windy City to appear both OFF and ON BROADWAY, as well as on NATIONAL TELEVISION! Not only that, but we sell some swell soda pop in the lobby!

BRIAN WILLIAMS:
Okay – but what do I GET if I subscribe?

IGOR:
The best entertainment in town! We keep samples of it down here in the VAULT OF ORGANIC THEATER THRILLS! Wanna see some of it?

Igor proceeds to show the Williams scenes from past productions, including “Bleacher Bums”, “The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit”, “Huck Finn”, “Sexual Perversity in Chicago”, as well as “Warp”:

IGOR:
It was the world’s first science fiction epic adventure play in serial form…THREE mind-boggling plays that tell the story of a quest to save the COSMOS! After a year-long run to sell-out crowds in Chicago – WARP move on to New York’s BROADWAY! And at a recent Chicago revival at the Organic, WARP once again captured the imaginations of ALL who saw it!

Igor then escorts the visitors into the house’s private asylum, which is filled with raving critics! Then he takes them to the new wing, where they’re preparing new productions for the 1981 season, “E/R”, “Bloody Bess” and more! Suddenly, the place is rocked by explosion (one that destroys Igor’s complete collection of SAD SACK comics!) as Professor Gordon creates the “perfect” Organic Theater subscription – a membership card! Despite all this, Brian refuses to join. As he storms away, he encounters what looks like an angry mob of pitchfork- and torch-bearing villagers, heading for the “crazyhouse”. Instead, it turns out that they’re merely a crowd of enthusiastic theatergoers! Suddenly, Brian experiences an epiphany as he makes a U-turn for the theater’s box office:

BRIAN WILLIAMS:
Hey – WAITAMINNIT, Igor! I-I’ve been a FOOL! I wanna see ALL the new Organic productions!

IGOR:
Certainly, sir! Have you got a MEMBERSHIP CARD for the 1981 season?

BRIAN WILLIAMS:
N-no – but can’t I still get in to see the show?!

IGOR:
SORRY, mister – we’re SOLD OUT! To bad our CARD HOLDERS got all the seats!

With that, Igor slams shut the box office window – on Brian’s fingers! And as he hears wild applause emanating from the Organic Theater, he’s filled with regret:

NARRATIVE CAPTION:
Opportunity knocked for Brian Williams, but he chose to IGNORE the sound! And now it is a different sound that he hears…one that tells him—that he will never know what he’s MISSED!!

Of course, WARP eventually became a comic book series (1983 – 1985), published by First Comics, edited by Mike Gold and drawn by Joe Staton! As for Stuart Gordon, he went on to write and/or direct a number of motion pictures, including the cult classics RE-ANIMATOR (1985) and FROM BEYOND (1986). Ain’t it funny how things work out sometimes?

This 'collector’s item' also features “The Insult That Made A Cardholder Out Of ‘Mac’!” (a parody of the classic Charles Atlas mail-order bodybuilding ad), drawn by Chuck Fiala and “Some Of The 1981 Organic Theater All-Stars!”, also drawn by Fiala.

ODDBALL Factoid – Cartoonist Chuck Fiala, with his partner-in-comic-crime Jim Engel, also created the fumetti-feature ‘Fandom Confidential” that appeared in the famous fanzine THE COMICS READER.

Thanks to Bob Foster for the loan of today’s ODDBALL COMIC!

For more from Scott Shaw!, visit his Web site at http://www.shawcartoons.com/.

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