I have a lot to be thankful for, and one of those things is finding a copy of this magazine at a yard sale. It was the most striking exposure I had had to centaurs up until then, and it made a strong impression on me. Since finding this magazine, I've been searching out centaur items ever since.
The great artwork, and the 'heroic poses' show off the physique of the centaur remarkably well in this work. Wally Wood, who for many years drew for fantasy and science fiction publications, left behind a remarkable body of work before his death in 1981.
This story takes place before the time of recorded history. A time when gods and demons fought over the earth. When nymphs and satyrs, and yes, centaurs enjoyed idillic lives with little to cause them worry. Although our lead character's name, Sentor Aquinas (Centaur Equinus), isn't a name I'd have picked, it's sort of like calling a person People Human, he is a noble and caring being. And, he's a centaur. While stopping by a stream, he is enraptured by her song, and sees (Here we go) a beautiful humanoid female. At the time of this story, humans don't seem to be around yet. He is startled as she flies off on a winged dinosaur, and gallops after her.
As a flock (?) of winged demons attack, the nymph's dinosaur is forced down, and she falls with a bone crushing crash. With the demons in hot pursuit, the centaur scoops up the female and gallops into a ruined termple where he prays to his ancient god to save her. He does and they spend a few moments eating the fruit of the land, and admiring one another.The story can't end there, because the gods are at war and Centaur Equiss has a mission.
A somewhat sad story, and not well paced, the artwork alone is worth the price of a back issue of this magazine. If there are requests, and / or I find time, I will re-scan these pages at a higher resolution.
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