Classics Ilustrated # 141: Castle Dangerous

By Craig: There are three types of people. There are those who live for the present, while others live for their future. The ones who live for the present are usually of the hedonistic variety. They live for  pleasure, and for the most part do not think of the future or ever reflect about the past. They typically are the television watchers, bar patrons, and fine dining epicureans who attempt to find ways to make their lives more agreeable in the here and now with superficial tendencies. The people who live for the future are more apt to live an ascetic lifestyle, or at least one that consists of being economically sound. They shun the extravagant lifestyle and engage in frugality with the hope of a more comfortable and secure retirement. Finally there are the people who are always looking behind them. They may also belong to one of the former types, but are different in the sense of sentimentality. I could give a flying leap about climbing the so-called ladder of success that is typically associated with the first group. I also do not care to live a life that abstains from life's simple pleasures. This removes me from the second group. After all, life may end tomorrow or the day after. There are no guarantees. This leaves me with the unenviable position of being cast into the third group. A group that consists of poets, dreamers, procrastinators and people who would rather watch the world from a vantage point far from the center of activity, or the hub of popularity.

I first became acquainted with the works of Sir Walter Scott when I was a young boy. At sometime my brother and I  acquired a tattered copy of the Classics Illustrated comic book Castle Dangerous. I have forgotten where and how we managed to obtain it but it was probably at the flea market that we would frequent every Sunday. The comic was 20 years old when it came into our possession and had not been taken care of. Not that this mattered to us. We were intrigued by the story that was told inside. The cover shows a fierce looking knight in black armor standing on a siege ladder. His sword is raised behind him as he is getting ready to slash at his adversaries while attempting to break over the castle walls. The story takes place during the English-Scottish border wars in the early 14th century. The black knight depicted on the cover is the Scottish Douglas. Sir James Douglas (1286-1330) also known as the "Black Douglas" because of the colour of his armor was one of Robert The Bruce's chief allies in the Scottish war of Independence. The story in the comic book is of course semi-fictional. It takes real historical personalities and mixes them with fictitious ones to create a fluid tale that culminates in a small battle between the English and the Scots outside of a church. This eventually leads to a single combat between Douglas and his English counterpart Sir John De Walton which ends in a mutual truce.

Every few years or so I pick up this comic book and read it. It is the epitome of the days of chivalry. Knights defending the honour of a lady... single combat between knights, and the solid walls of an impregnable castle. It takes place during a time of adventure and romance. Of course, in reality, it is all hogwash. The reality of the times that this romantic adventure took place were quite different than what most folks see in books and movies. It was for most people a time rife with disease and pestilence. Life was short and harsh. The only solace coming from the monks and priests who spoke of another life in the hereafter. But I don't give a damn about the reality. I deal with reality everyday. Sometimes I choose to live in the land of illusion...the land of the distant past. For a short time I become the all powerful Black Douglas possessing the strength of 10 men climbing to the top of the castles ramparts and delivering mortal blows with my broadsword to usurpers that have stolen my ancestral home. A damsel locked in a tower beckons from an airy window for my protection which of course is forthcoming. When I first read this comic book nearly 40 years ago I imagined that the future held an unimaginable amount of goals and achievements none of which were insuperable. There was a castle waiting for me, an army of knights in my employ that would do my bidding, and a lady love that was provided with all the finery of life. Today, the illusion is gone, but somehow remotely persists in the inner chamber of my mind where it resurfaces time and time again amidst the insipid  reality of what is now.