Monster Hunters #2
Published and © by Charlton, October 1975
Title: “The Phantom of the Moors”
Synopsis: A “phantom beast” terrifying the moors proves to be both powerful and clever as it stalks new prey.
Writer: Nicola Cuti
Artist: Su Gumen
Review: Nicola Cuti wrote many fun stories for Charlton; this is not one of them. With this second issue, Monster Hunters veers away from its title concept in favor of the standard horror-host-introducing-scary-tales format. The result is an inexplicably bland lead story with serviceable art from Turkish artist Su Gumen.
•••
Title: “Fish Fry”
Synopsis: A professor studying electric ells is a suspect in rash of on-campus electrocutions, but is someone – or something – else responsible?
Writer: Joe Molloy
Artist: Steve Ditko
Review: This one feels like it could be a Atlas-era X-Men prototype, but Steve Ditko’s art here looks rushed.
•••
Title: “The Kukulkaton”
Synopsis: An impatient expedition finally finds the Mayan treasure it was seeking – along with a Lovecraftian elder god, the Kukulkaton.
Writer: Tom Sutton
Artist: Sutton
Review: This Tom Sutton tale is this issue’s strongest. His art is inconsistent but striking, while his story mines fun tropes.
Grade (for the entire issue): C
Second opinion: “Art by Ditko and Sutton makes it … worth looking into.” – Martin Lock, Comics Unlimited #33, December 1975
Cool factor: That’s a striking Tom Sutton cover …
Not-so-cool factor: … that’s fallen prey to the horror of Charlton’s subpar production values.
Collector’s note: According to the Grand Comics Database, there is a Modern reprint of this issue from 1977.
Character quotable: “ It was very clever and now it is very dead.” – Jason Travers, who brought a shovel to gunfight
Editor’s note: This review was written Sept. 10, 2025.
