Monday, March 10, 2008

Heartline

Damn it! This is the story I should have posted on Valentine’s Day, arghh! I guess I could've saved it and posted it next V-Day but who knows where we’ll all be then. Chalk it up as another missed opportunity… like how yesterday I totally missed the chance to post that insanely violent Daylight Savings Time story from Weird Mysteries #13.
From the May 1954 issue of Chamber of Chills #23





14 comments:

Chuck Wells said...

Damn, that one was weird tale and it "did" gave me the shivers.

More, please!

Anonymous said...

CHUCK IS RIGHT, VERY SPOOKY STORY WITH A NICE ENDING. THE ARTWORK SEEMS MORE MODERN THAN 50'S TO ME, WE'VE SEEN STALLMAN ART ON YOUR BLOG BEFORE BUT I GUESS COMBINED WITH GIUNTA INKS IT JUST TAKES ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT LOOK. VERY COOL

Anonymous said...

Yes, the art looks very contemporary. The storyline is extremely well-done with little gratuitous violence. A whole Pandora's Box was opened up through this website. There are quality stories here that are unknown to EC fans. As a matter of fact, the grim tone of this story would have been lessened with EC-leavened humor.

Mr. Karswell said...

>More, please!

You got it Chucky!

>THE ARTWORK SEEMS MORE MODERN THAN 50'S TO ME

I agree with this as well. It's interesting how certain pencil / ink team combinations can create something together so strangely different than either of the artists could achieve on their own or with someone else. This story looks like something that would have been in Gore Shriek or Taboo in the 80's. The writing though keeps it planted firmly in the higher echelon of the golden age though.

>A whole Pandora's Box was opened up through this website. There are quality stories here that are unknown to EC fans.

My sole reason for starting this blog, to give the other non-EC pre code publishers a little time to shine in the spotlight for once. Thanks!

The Vicar of VHS said...

Wow, whatta tale! Great art too, especially the title page and the final close-up...chilling. I love a good mad scientist story, and this is a good one.

Also like the sly "t & a" shot in the top corner of page 4. Hubba hubba!

Patrick said...

Nothing like a good zombie romance to start my week off right!

Anonymous said...

correct me if i am wrong but arent there only 12 issues in the weird mysteries series? or your just being funny again right

Anonymous said...

Whooo!that's definitely one of the most..adult..stories of the era.anyway,thanks,i've wanted to read this for years since Scott Shaw wrote it up on his site.

Mr. Karswell said...

>Also like the sly "t & a" shot in the top corner of page 4.

Pushin' it in the 50's!

>Nothing like a good zombie romance to start my week off right!

Mine too! What's new Patrick?

>arent there only 12 issues in the weird mysteries series?

April Fools.

>Whooo!

Whooo ooo!

raven said...

Very impressive work indeed! I especially enjoyed how page one recaps the whole story in a brilliant montage. Thanks again, Karswell. I checked eBay and decent copies of these comics cost well over $100 apiece, so it's a treat to be able to have a free glimpse online. By the way, isn't that vomitus coming out of our hero's mouth in the last panel?!

Mr. Cavin said...

Also like the sly "t & a" shot in the top corner of page 4.

Agreed, except whattaya mean "sly"? In every single girl-on-a-slab panel throughout the story, the doctor is staring longingly right at her "heart cavity". I think the line "IT'S TIME TO PLACE IT INSIDE SUZANNE'S BODY! THIS IS THE MOMENT!" Sorta sails it right over the top.

Mr. Karswell said...

>isn't that vomitus coming out of our hero's mouth in the last panel?!

You'd puke too seeing your loved one swap spit with a corpse.

>"IT'S TIME TO PLACE IT INSIDE SUZANNE'S BODY! THIS IS THE MOMENT!"

Also see: "It seems to be... redder and larger!"

And: "Quickly now--quickly!"

Even the sound FX get in on the action" "THUMP! THUMP!"

Unknown said...

How did I miss this? And why is his lip festering? Eww.

Arben said...

This story really was great. Most chilling part, beyond the ghoulish exhumation of graves and mad science and rotted corpses kissing, was the narration in the final panel -- "I hear a snap. It was my brain." Yikes.