- Doctor Spektor
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Doctor Spektor 
Dr. Spektor, on the cover of issue #15. Art by Jesse Santos.Publication information Publisher Western Publishing First appearance Mystery Comics Digest #5 (July 1972) Created by Donald Glut (script)
Dan Spiegle (art)In-story information Full name Doctor Adam Spektor Partnerships Lakota Rainflower, Lu-Sai Abilities Skilled investigator The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor Series publication information Publisher Gold Key Comics Schedule Bimonthly Format Ongoing series Genre Horror Publication date May 1973 – Feb. 1977 Number of issues 24 Main character(s) Dr. Spektor Creative team Writer(s) Donald Glut Artist(s) Dan Spiegle, Jesse Santos Collected editions The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor Archives, Vol. 1 ISBN 1595826009 The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor Archives. Vol. 2 ISBN 159582667X Doctor Spektor is a fictional comic book "occult detective" that appeared in Western Publishing's Gold Key Comics. Created by writer Donald Glut and artist Dan Spiegle, he first appeared in Mystery Comics Digest #5 (July 1972)
Contents
Publication history
After his first appearance in a 10-page story in Mystery Comics Digest #5, Dr. Spektor was spun off into his own title, The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor. The series ran for 24 issues (May 1973 - February 1977). His final original story appeared in one issue of Gold Key Spotlight (#8, August 1977). Jesse Santos replaced Spiegle as artist on the series, and remained there for the entire run.
Dr. Spektor appeared in all four issues of Gold Key's Spine-Tingling Tales (1975-76), where he provided linking narration for some of the stories within. (These stories were reprints from Mystery Comics Digest that dealt with characters who later appeared in his title.) He also had stories he narrated in Mystery Comics Digest #10, #11, #12, and #21, and articles in Golden Comics Digest #25, #26, and #33.
Under the Whitman Comics name, issue #25 was released in May of 1982. It reprinted issue #1, but with a line-art cover instead of the original painted cover.
Dark Horse Comics announced they will be producing the Doctor Spektor Archives Series starting in 2010. Volume one covers the first seven issues plus his first appearance in Mystery Comics Digest #5. Volume two has issues #8-12 plus, Spektor appearances from Spine-Tingling Tales #4, Mystery Comics Digest #10, #11, and #21, and Golden Comics Digest #25, #26, and #33. Volume three has issues #13-18 plus Spektor narrated stories from Spine-Tingling Tales #1 and 2. Volume four has issues #19-24 and Gold Key Spotlight #8 plus extras.
Fictional character biography
Doctor Adam Spektor is an occult investigator, dealing with various occult menaces, such as mummies (Ra-Ka-Tep), vampires (Baron Tibor, Dracula), werewolves, and more. He is aided by Lakota Rainflower, his Sioux secretary (until issue #22), along with several semi-recurring assistants (Elliot Kane in issue #4, future love interest Lu-Sai in issues #12 and #24, his cousin Anne Sara in issue #17). Several of the monsters he encounters return in subsequent issues, and for several issues, Spektor became a werewolf (#11-13).
Issues #2 to 11 contain short stories in the back 'from the occult files of Doctor Spektor' and narrated by Spektor, which many times include creatures and characters from the main series such as Durak (or at least his knife), Elliot Kane, and others.
Don Glut had Dr. Spektor crossover with several of his other Gold Key characters such as Tragg and Dagar. Tragg and Lorn make cameo appearances in issue #19. Ostellon, Master of the Living Bones (from Dagar #1) appeares in issue #7; issue #15 concludes a story begun in Dagar #13, and Durak from Dagar appears in #16. Doctor Solar appears in several issues (#14, #18, #23), and Gold Key's The Owl appears in #22. Spektor also made a brief one-page appearance administering "Dr. Spektor's Creature Quiz" in Glut's children's book, Monsters: Fiendish Facts, Quivery Quizzes and Other Grisly Goings-on, also from Golden Press.
Powers and abilities
Dr. Spektor is a skilled investigator of the occult, and very knowledgeable about the lore of the paranormal. During issues 11 through 13 Dr. Spektor became a werewolf. During that time he possessed, while in werewolf form, increased strength, stamina, and invulnerability (except to silver weapons).
Further reading
- "Haunting Monsters: A Quick Peek Into The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor" by Scott Aaron Stine. Trashfiend vol.1, no.3 (Jan.-March 2003) pp.16-17.
- "Index and Price Guide for The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor." Trashfiend vol.1, no.3 (Jan.-March 2003) pp.18-19.
References
Categories:- 1973 comic debuts
- Comics characters introduced in 1972
- Gold Key Comics characters
- Gold Key Comics titles
- Occult detective fiction
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