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Lafferty and Comics

Writer: Jon Nelson
Jon Nelson
Sep 22
2 min read

Updated: Oct 13

June 1974 cover of Terror Tales featuring a snarling red-haired creature beneath yellow lettering.

Comics and Lafferty make a fascinating story, given the place comics occupy in his work, both as an influence on his techniques and as a subject in their own right. Think of the Toonerville Trolley and its influence on “Interurban Queen,” Rocky McCrocky, the cartooning of Enniscorthy Sweeny, Dorg and cave art as cartooning, and so on.

There is an alternate universe in which Lafferty’s stories get adapted during the second flourishing of horror anthology comics in the 1960s and early 1970s. In ours, his work is tied to illustrators associated with underground and independent comics, including Vaughn Bodé, Larry Todd, and Kenneth Smith. Bodé did the cover and interior illustrations for Space Chantey (1968). Todd did the cover and illustrations for Aurelia (1982). Smith’s memorable illustration for “Mr. Hamadryad” appeared in Golden Gate and Other Stories (1982) and was reprinted with the story in Fantagraphics’ Prime Cuts (1987).

What about mainstream comics? Aside from Marvel and Warren Publications, not much.

At one point, it looked as if “Goldfish” would appear in the third issue of Marvel’s Haunt of Horror. “Ghost in the Corn Crib” had appeared in the first, but the magazine was canceled after two issues.

Excerpt from Lafferty's April 7, 1973 letter to Sheryl Smith mentioning unpublished stories and Goldfish at The Haunt of Horror.
August 1973 announcement promising Lafferty's Goldfish for the third issue of The Haunt of Horror.
Advertisement for The Haunt of Horror's proposed third issue, with a skull cover and a notice for Lafferty's Goldfish.
July 1973 report stating that The Haunt of Horror was suspended and its third issue was uncertain.
September 1973 exchange between Dennis Lien and editor Don Miller about the unlikely third issue of The Haunt of Horror.
Richard Delap's December 1974 account stating that the publisher canceled the magazine before sales returns could be assessed.

The only version of the man himself I know of in comics is the Scottish Aloysious Timothy Lafferty, who had an unfortunate encounter with Iron Man in 1982. Contrast this countercultural figure with the one in the two biographical notes at the end of this post.

Iron Man comic page showing him breaking through defenses and confronting Aloysius Timothy Lafferty.
Iron Man comic page showing a conversation with Aloysius Timothy Lafferty interrupted by an armored figure on a mechanical horse.

Also, what a hypocrite, that Iron Man.

Cover of Iron Man number 128, Demon in a Bottle, showing Tony Stark beside his helmet and a bottle.

One of the weirder places Lafferty shows up is in the June 1974 issue of Terror Tales, one of Eerie Publications’ horror magazines. It includes an illustrated prose reprint of “The Ultimate Creature,” its title comically shortened to “The Creature” to squeeze the last bit of juice out of the monster market. We are a long way from “Teresa,” the non-genre story from which “The Ultimate Creature” developed.

Opening magazine page of The Creature, with a stylized man holding a plate beneath the title.
Magazine page of The Creature illustrated with four grotesque animal-like heads above the story text.
Magazine page of The Creature with a tall black creature looming over a smaller human figure between text columns.
Magazine page of The Creature with a large woman's face and a smaller animal-like head beside the text.
Final magazine page of The Creature, illustrated with a struggling man and fantastical fish-like creatures.
Lafferty's autobiographical statement summarizing his upbringing, electrical work, military service, writing, religion, and interests.
Lafferty's bibliographical statement listing his novels and preferred short stories, with comments on their genres and relative merits.

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