HardJohn #1: “An Angel Shy of Hell” aka “Hard John Apple”

An Angel Shy of Hell. Original Art Plate

(HardJohn’s Nuclear Hit Parade)
8 pg. Appeared first time [COLOR] in Creepy #64 (1974). Reprinted [COLOR] in Comix International #3 (1976), [B&W] in Eerie #106 (1979), [COLOR] in Heavy Metal Special: Richard Corben Special (1998) [VERS.3], [COLOR] in Heavy Metal Special: The Best of Richard Corben from Creepy and Eerie! (1998) [VERS.3], [COLOR] in Creepy Presents Richard Corben (2012) [VERS.4], and [COLOR] in Creepy Archieves Volume #14 (2012) [VERS.4].
Story: Jim Stenstrum. Color: (no mention, colored by Richard Corben with his overlays). Art: Richard Corben (no signature, © around 1974). Lettered by hand (Warren).

Denmark [DK]: as “Englen som var bange for helvede” in Total Metal #9 (1986).
Finland [FIN]: as “Enkeli loitolla helvetistä!” in Shokki tekijänä Richard Corben #1 (2013).
France [FRA]: as “L’ange déchu”, [COLOR] in Sueurs froides (1983).
Germany [GER]: as “Der Dämon im Cockpit” in Der Dämon im Cockpit (1985).
The Netherslands [NK]: as “Waarom iemand engels wil leren…” in 1984 [NL] #13 (1982).
Serbia [SER]: as Hard John, #1 [SER]: “Pogledaj dom svoj anđele“ in Jeznovik #2: Ričard Korben (2013).
Spain [SPA]: as “El mercenario del diablo [VERS.2]”, [B&W] in Vampus #40, and as “An Angel Shy of Hell [SPA]”, [B&W] in Rich Corben #1 (1993).

Style: Blue Line Colors. Genre: SF. Time Span: Future. Nudity: Nude bathing girls.
Keywords: Post War World. Religions. Nymphs.
Synopsis: After two big religions wars lands are deserted and people have no education but guns. Hard John Apple is freelancer contract killer with no religion. He kills out of contracts, too.
Comment: B&W artwork (only in Eerie) is a little bit messy – screening reproduction is not very successful, but Heavy Metal version (in color) artwork is more clearer. Story by Jim Stenstrum is bellow average. The whole Eerie is filled up with storys by Jim Stenstrum; first four are special “Hard John’s Nuclear Hit Parade” storys, Corben’s story is first of them. Actually in Creepy “An Angel Shy of Hell” appeared as a single story, but later Jim Stenstrum wrote more as sequels for this story (all together in Eerie).
Special: There is an ad of Comix Internationals in a Warren magazine Star Quest Comix #1 (1978). It has a mention of Corben’s “Hard John Apple”, which equals to “Hard John’s Nuclear Hit Parade: An Angel Shy of Hell”.
Alternatives, [VERS.2]: Nude nymphs has been dressed with swimming suits (on both pg 6 and 7)!
Alternatives, [VERS.3]: Poorly scanned from magazine.
Alternatives, [VERS.4]: Restored with piety by José Villarrubia.