Terror in Black Hollow

Bier (beer) – noun. A stand on which a corpse or a coffin containing a corpse is placed before burial.

If you’re like me and not up on your funeral accessory terminology then this definition might be of some help to you before reading this creepy tale and thus getting an unintentional, mood breaker moment like I did. I was like, “Why are mummies singing about having no beer?” They're spooky mummies too, and The Evil One of this story, with his hypno-eyes, melty teeth, and arthritic claws, reminds me of something Bill Everett would have unleashed upon us; but no, it’s another grand nightmare courtesy of my new fave Jon Blummer to help us wrap up March nicely.

From the Jan-Feb 1953 issue of Skeleton Hand #3

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Coming Next in April: Cheesasaurus Rex #1 --- in it’s entirety!

The Imposter!

More scaly monster action, this time from ACG… home of the scaly everything, plus tentacles. AIIIIIII! From the December 1953 issue of Adventures into the Unknown #50.

Were-Panthers of London

Another totally true “NOW” story from the insidious London underground! And from the January-February 1953 issue of Skeleton Hand #3.

Valley of the Scaly Monsters

Neither man nor beast, but a spawn of evil! Starring Mamie Van Doren as Diane, John Bromfield as Roy, Susan Cabot as The Queen, Gene Roth as Dad. And ladies, introducing Malibo! ---the screen’s most exotic new actor!

From the January 1951 issue of The Beyond #2

Legend Films (NEWS)

Lots of news about great upcoming DVD horror releases! First, Legend Films has apparently licensed a handful of Paramount classics like The Skull, Man Who Cheated Death, Student Bodies, Phase IV and more! Click HERE for all the titles and cover art.


Secondly, Fox Home Video has some excellent horror mysteries lined up for later in 2008, like Dragonwyck (starring Vincent Price), Dr. Renault’s Secret, Chandu the Magician, and Fritz Lang’s awesome Manhunt! I’ll definitely have more info as it becomes available.


And thanks to DVD Drive-In for the news!

The Thieves

Mr. Door Tree and I have apparently had another unintentional mental connection this week as I’ve been planning a Matt Fox story for over a week now and on Wednesday he began a spectacular multi-posting of Weird Tales covers and even a couple stories by Matt Fox himself! So after you read today’s sci-fi horror classic here, make sure to head over to the Golden Age Comic Books Stories blog for more works from one truly mad genius!

From the March 1954 issue of Adventures into Weird Worlds #27

The Great Garloo (VIDEO)

Who can stop him? Who can control this monstrous creature?! You can kids!

Thank God It’s Satan!

This Friday, March 28th, TCM has sold their souls and lined up a diabolical double feature for you with Blood on Satan’s Claw and The Brotherhood of Satan! Two great flicks that go great together!

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Also scheduled for Friday on TCM: Spider Baby, It Came From Beneath the Sea, Below the Sea (starring Fay Wray) and finally a screwball horror / comedy rarity from 1937 called Sh! The Octopus about daffy detectives fighting off a giant octopus in a haunted lighthouse.

Click HERE for more info and show times in your area.

Helen's Husband

The great Ogden Whitney wraps up our 3-day glimpse inside the May 1952 issue of Astonishing #13 with yet another ultra-spooky, atmospheric Atlas terror tale. FYI to you completists, there are two more stories from this issue that I’ll probably post in the coming weeks, so keep checking back.

The Death Watch

Here’s another chiller from the May 1952 issue of Astonishing #13 with more excellent art, this time from Cal Massey. According to Lambiek, Massey worked from the late 40’s to the mid 50’s (the bulk of his output for Timely / Atlas) before turning his artistic focus to painting and representing the black community in the art world.

Ghoul’s Gold

We’re going to take a slightly extended look at a ghoulishly fun issue of Astonishing for the next few days, kicking things off with one of my all-time creepy favorites from Bernie Krigstein.

From the May 1952 issue of Astonishing #13

Torture Chambers & Death Smiles (NEWS)

Tomorrow, March 25th, Legend House releases a double DVD featuring Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism starring Christopher Lee, along with Death Smiles on a Murder starring Klaus Kinski. While both of these Euro-horror classics have been available forever in crummy pan/scan public domain prints, this DVD promises that both are now finally available in their “first major US widescreen release.” How “major” still tends to be seen, but in my opinion both films are highly recommendable in any format.

For more info click HERE.

The Black Room

Today I have a Jay Disbrow guillotine story that someone requested a million years ago, (you can now STOP EMAILING ME!) and as I was repeatedly reminded, this would have been great had I posted it last week with all the other beheaded tales. Oh well. But actually the greatest thing about this one, aside from the classic art and many typos, is that it also doubles as a grueling drinking game. DIRECTIONS: Have all your friends over one night and read this tale aloud. Whenever you hear the words “The Black Room” everyone must down a shot. (If someone’s not bombed by the middle of page 4 then they’re obviously cheating.)

From the May 1952 issue of Blue Bolt Weird Tales #113

Alfred Hitchcock Hour (NEWS)

Finally! As previously posted, NBC.com has opened their vaults and made available episodes from their fabulous Night Gallery series FREE online for instant, easy download... and now they are following it up with Alfred Hitchcock Hour as well! There are some tremendously horrific, must-see entries in this series, click HERE for more info and to start watching NOW!

Grip On Life

You know those horror story endings with a murdered person coming back for vengeance and dragging their killer into a grave with them so they can “be together forever and ever” in eternal doom? Yeah? Well, what exactly happens in there? Seems to me it’d just be one big long hug as there’s barely enough room inside a coffin to scratch your knee let alone chew on someone’s soul or claw out their brain.

From the Nov 1953 issue of The Unseen #12

Joan Crawford (NEWS)

In my opinion Joan Crawford is the greatest actress of all time, and despite all the boring negative press she still generates because of a questionable book written by her step-daughter about some wire hangers, you can’t deny Crawford’s incredible beauty, talent, and intensity in any of her stunning early roles. Humoresque, A Woman’s Face, Mildred Pierce, Possessed, (just to name a few) are explosive examples of an actress soaring high above all others in some of the best films of Golden Era Hollywood. And while her later career presented her to a whole new generation of horror fans with entertaining cult classics like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Trog, Berserk, Straight Jacket, and Night Gallery, these films are of course no less important.

In celebration of her birthday tomorrow, March 23rd, TCM is airing a 13 film tribute to this silver screen legend and icon. Click HERE for more info and show times in your area.

The City of the Dead

I mentioned in a previous comment section that because of time / space constraints after this month I was no longer going to have two story posts on Saturdays. Well, I lied… I’m going back to one post per Saturdays starting TODAY. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you, but I believe today’s single post is worth the price of two anyway. Quality over quantity.

From the April 1953 issue of This Magazine is Haunted #10

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The Screaming Skulls

Cool quickie from the November 1953 issue of The Unseen #12

Let the Past Lie Buried!

This may be my favorite post of the month so far… something about the central idea here is very cool and clever to me, and those of you who are Hammer fans may be somwhat reminded of certain scenes and implications expressed / hinted at in their brilliant Quatermass and the Pit film while you read this too. Enjoy!

From the April 1953 issue of This Magazine is Haunted #10

This Magazine is Haunted #10 (COVER)

One of the greatest pre-code horror covers of all time, the April 1953 issue of This Magazine Is Haunted #10… and honestly, the evil head didn’t really even need the fangs to be scary; they sure don’t hurt any though (except in the neck.) Throw it back!!!

The Wolf Man (NEWS)

I’m surely not the only one posting this today but if you haven’t seen it yet then here is your first awesome look at the new Wolf Man played by Benicio Del Toro! If I didn’t know that Rick Baker was responsible for this creation I think I would have figured it out anyway... it's just too amazing for words. For another great pic click HERE!

And for more about the new movie click HERE.

Trick the Devil!

As if you haven’t had enough headless horror already this week, here’s another from Vic Donahue. Throw in the devil and you got yourself a typically oddball Harvey terror tale.

From the May 1954 issue of Black Cat Mystery #35

Strange Superstitions

I love these one page fillers that Harvey always included to round out an issue. Their spin on even the most mundane, non-horrific subject matter is typically hysterical. For instance, do you think broken mirrors merely give you seven years bad luck? Think again. According to this article broken mirrors are said to “shatter the hopes of good and are forerunners of horror as black as the night!” Seeeeee mom, comics are educational!

Heads Will Roll

I’ve posted many Paul Reinman stories in the past, and this is by far one of his best. Top notch work here in all areas: inking, lay-out, colors, detail, spookiness… bravo!

From the April 1954 issue of Adventures into Weird Worlds #28

Guillotine Execution (VIDEO)

WARNING: Proceed at your own risk! Someone emailed me the link to this 17 second clip of a “real guillotine execution.” And while the date and place is unknown it’s still a fascinatingly horrific view of the cold efficiency this death contraption possessed, (just don’t expect me to post many other disturbing REAL clips like this.)

The Thing From Beyond

Believe me, there are definitely better examples of pre-code Myron Fass than today’s post, but man oh man, do I love every single shitty panel of this one. It tries sooooo hard. It wants to shock and frighten you, make you gag! But the story is all over the place, and the artwork is so cheap, so abysmally crummy, it makes me wonder what exactly Trojan’s criteria for story submissions was. I suppose everyone can’t be Johnny Craig or Bill Everett but come on!

From the November 1953 issue of Beware #6

Horrorfest (NEWS)

Today is the DVD release date of the “8 Films to Die For” of 2007: Borderland, Crazy Eights, The Deaths of Ian Stone, Lake Dead, Mulberry Street, Nightmare Man, Tooth & Nail, and Unearthed. Did anyone go to the actual fest? I didn’t. The debacle of 2006 has now turned me off of actually ever attending an all day film festival again. But armed with the cheaper, time efficient, home-style options of fast forward, pause, or eject, I now have the power (and possibly even the desire) to brave some of these. Can anyone recommend which ones are good, and which ones to stay away from?

Happy Birthday (NEWS)

To Snake Plissken, R.J. MacReady, Stuntman Mike, Jack Burton, and even Dexter Riley etc... a big Happy Birthday Kurt Russell, born this day in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1951.

Return of the Corpse

Was anyone expecting a murderous leprechaun story today? Gor blimey! I actually have a much better plan. Severed hands seg right into severed arms, and then come the severed heads, moldy bones, etc… yes, I have a huge pile of body parts to throw at you all this week so get ready because it’s going to get messy!

From the November 1952 issue of Strange Mysteries #8

Coffin Joe Comics

The comic series O Estranho Mundo de Zé do Caixão (The Strange World of Coffin Joe) was published in Brazil in the late 60s or early 70s to capitalize on the popularity of director José Mojica Marins's iconic antihero, Coffin Joe. And like the 1968 film of the same name, The Strange World of Coffin Joe presented horrific supernatural tales to the reader, with Coffin Joe acting as a host and occasional commentator on the action.



In 2001 Fantoma DVD released The Coffin Joe Trilogy boxed set, containing new DVD presentations of Mojica's films At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul, This Night I'll Possess Your Corpse, and Awakening of the Beast. As a bonus, each DVD contained a translated reprint of an issue of O Estranho Mundo de Zé do Caixão, never before available in English.
Though the Coffin Joe Fantoma box set went out of print earlier this year, it is still widely available on auction and collector's sites. Mojica has a new film, Embodiment of Evil, due out in 2008, so maybe the renewed interest in Coffin Joe will lead to greater availability.

Thanks again to Scott Standridge for lending me these great comics and for writing up today’s post on Coffin Joe. For those interested, Scott is the Fiction Editor for City Slab Magazine and you can read his latest article about the films of José Mojica Marins in the current issue. Also be sure to visit Scott’s great horror movie review blog Mad Mad Mad Mad Movies too!

For more about Mojica and Coffin Joe click HERE!

The Beast With Five Fingers (TRAILER)

More severed hand fun starring Peter Lorre!

The Game Called Dying

Time for some jungle jitters with the greediest cast of comic book characters ever collected in one short story. It’s no spoiler to call this a “vengeful severed hand” tale of terror; all you have to do is look at the splash which establishes this fact right off the bat.

From the September 1952 issue of Voodoo #3

Jaws of Death

Your second adventure into terror today comes from the expert hand of Cal Massey. This is actually the first of two gator tales I have lined up for you, the second one emerges to bite off your own hand tomorrow.

From the January 1953 issue of Adventures into Terror #15

The Tarantula!

Today I have two creepy tales from the January 1953 issue of Adventures into Terror #15… and to start things off here’s one of the creepiest from Hy Rosen. Make sure you check out the cover art for this issue over at the Atlas page too.

Happy Birthday! (NEWS)

Oscar winner Michael Caine, incredible Brit actor and star of some of my favorite films ever like The Ipcress File, Gambit, Funeral in Berlin, Get Carter '71, Sleuth '72, Deathtrap… also starred in a few wild horror classics like The Hand, Dressed to Kill, and The Island, (most recently playing Alfred in the new Batman films too) born this day in Rotherhithe, London, England, UK in 1933.

Witchcraft

Similar to the Jon Blummer post on Wednesday, Robert Q. Sale is another great artist that I can find basically no information about online. With his impressive, dynamic ink technique, Q fit into the Atlas mold perfectly with a style very much like fellow Marvel bullpenner Joe Maneely. Still, his pre-code work equally deserves a closer examination as today’s post clearly and cleverly demonstrates.

From the June 1954 issue of Strange Tales #29

Caroline Munro in the Flesh!

For those of you in (or near) Chicago this weekend, March 15th and 16th is the Hollywood Collectors and Celebrities Show. On hand are dealers from all over the world peddling their movie memorabilia, posters, photos, autographs, videos and DVDs, other rarities… you name you can probably find it here. Also on hand is an ever growing list of celebrities to meet like Val Kilmer, Margot Kidder, Katy Segal, Reggie “Phantasm” Bannister, Bert I. Gordon, Seka (yes, THAT Seka) and many more! But if there’s one reason to actually attend, all you have to do is look at the photo below and, well… if you’re like me you’re probably already in the car and heading towards the Windy City right now.

Click HERE for all the info and full list of celebrity guests.

And click HERE for more Caroline Munro!

Night of the Lepus / Attack of the Puppet People

Hide the carrots and watch where you step! Tomorrow night on TCM, it’s giant rabbits and tiny humans in a weird double shot of oddball sci-fi horrors with Night of the Lepus and Attack of the Puppet People!

Click HERE for more info and times in your area.

The Little People

Someone's been asking me to post this story for months now but I thought I no longer had it--- when suddenly I remembered that I did have it reprinted in an issue of Thrills of Tomorrow. It’s an okay little Harvey yarn that coincidently matches up perfectly with the Attack of the Puppet People post for today.

From the December 1954 issue of Thrills of Tomorrow #18
(Originally presented in Tomb of Terror #1)

Mystery Panel

Kenneth Landgraf writes: “Steve I found this scrap in my swipe files. It was a ghastly Atlas horror story about a Nazi doctor. Russ Heath drew it, this is all I have of it. I'd love to see this story posted. Do you have it?”

Anyone have the answer?

Dave Stevens R.I.P.

More sad news in 2008, artist great Dave Stevens has passed away from complications of leukemia at the age of 52.

Click HERE for more info.

The Dead Remember!

Aside from his work in All American and Startling Comics, does anyone know anything else about artist Jon Blummer? I love his uniquely rich and detailed line style as seen in today’s nazi horror post... I may do a tribute to him later next month but would like more details first. Anybody?

From the Jan 1954 issue of Forbidden Worlds #25

Phantom Stranger Vol. 2 (NEWS)

DC's Phantom Stranger actually originated in the Golden Age, but in stores this week comes more of his spooky Silver Age adventures in Showcase Presents Volume 2. Nearly 500 b/w pages, collecting issues #22 - 41, it’s still one of my all-time favorite series with lots of great art from Aparo, Kaluta, and Bailey--- and FYI: issue #23 was the start of the excellent Spawn of Frankenstein back-up story!

Click HERE for more info!

"True” Uncanny Mysteries

From the same issue of Forbidden Worlds, here’s a creepy and 100% TRUE horror quickie from Charles Quinlan. It’s “true” not only because it says so in the title, but because I read it in a comic book.

The Avenging Corpse

Question: what could be more cheerful and inspiring than attempting murder using genetically altered killer fish?

(Answer: the last panel in this story.)

From the Sept 1953 issue of Mysteries Weird and Strange #3

Barracuda! Maniac!

Speaking of barracudas, does anyone remember this JAWS wannabee from 1978 called Barracuda? Chemicals spill into the ocean and, well, you can guess the rest. But look at the poster art! Two very cool one sheets for one very dumb movie.

For those of you too young to remember, even bad movies back in the old days had great poster art, unlike today where every crappy movie has an equally crappy poster to ensure 100% total crap overload.

But here’s a really nice poster for a cool movie called The Maniac (1963) which also just so happens to be premiering on TCM late late tonight. The eerie, complex script for Hammer / Columbia was penned by the great Jimmy Sangster and concerns a murderous psychopath whose weapon of choice is a blow torch. Stars Kerwin Mathews and Nadia Gray.

Click HERE for more info and times in your area.

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

Happy Birthday! (NEWS)

Horror director Jerry Warren, born this day in 1925, Los Angeles CA. He wasn’t exactly the most gifted man behind the camera but he definitely provided us with some of the more memorable golden turkeys of all time like Man Beast, The Incredible Petrified World, Teenage Zombies, Wild World of Batwoman, Frankenstein Island and more (and least we forget his many classic mash-ups with foreign films like Face the Screaming Werewolf, Attack of the Mayan Mummy, Creature of the Walking Dead etc…) R.I.P.

Dust Unto Dust

As promised, here’s another eerie Nostrand tale to warm the casket of your soul. You know, after a week of blood drinking I think we might just hang around these haunted halls of Harvey for another day and visit some of the other crumbly undeads who shamble across the earth… those with a different kind of horrible hunger.

From the May 1954 issue of Chamber of Chills #23

Chilly Chamber Music

Or: “Songs from the Spookbox.” More examples of Harvey’s slow yet fun evolution into MAD territory with silly, issue filler sing-a-longs containing a horror theme. I’m assuming these are spoofs of songs that were popular in the early 50’s... anyone know for sure?

From the May 1954 issue of Chamber of Chills #23

Go Vampire!

I’m extending our bloated Vampire Week for one more day, right into Double Post Saturday because I think I’ve unearthed a couple fine specimens of the blood sucker genre from Harvey to grab you by the throat and never let a-go-go… A-Go-Go! A-GO-GO!!!

From the August 1954 issue of Witches Tales #26

Army of the Dead (DVD)

Army of the Dead is a brand new, straight to dvd horror release that came out earlier this week and I’m curious to know if it’s worth renting. It looks kind of cheap but fun in a dumb, no-brainer, Raimi sort of way, but my kid loves Harryhausen-esque skeletons so I thought I’d ask. From the trailer it seems a bit mature in terms of bloody violence, if anyone can tell me anything I appreciate it.

Click HERE for more info and the trailer.


Synopsis: While searching Baja peninsula caves as part of an archeological expedition, a university professor and his students unwittingly unleash a long dormant curse. They soon find themselves in a life or death battle with an army of ancient skeletal warriors.

Day of Panic

Howard Nostrand wraps up Vampire Week for us with a simply spun, down-home yarn containing some really fantastic artwork. So fantastic in fact that I have another story from Howie tomorrow for you too... that is if you somehow survive--- The Day of Panic!

From the Dec 1953 issue of Witches Tales #22

The Man Who Cried Vampire!

Just when you think you’ve seen every vampire story out there, along comes this freaky Joe Maneely classic with one of the most bizarre pre-code twists imaginable. No bullsh*#ting…

From the August 1953 issue of Strange Tales #21

The (Weird) Vampire Mob

After Quality Comics finally told Plastic Man to take it on the arches, Ken Shannon made his skull shattering debut in the December 1950 issue of Police Comics #103. A violent, hardboiled shamus for hire, Shannon usually talked with his fists and asked questions later, punching his way for two dozen issues (with amazing Reed Crandall artwork starting with issue #105) before finally getting his very own series tackling bigger, badder, more agressive goons, and occasionally a horrific ghoulie or two… as in this memorable crime / horror entry from the August 1952 issue of Ken Shannon #6.

Hammer Adventure Box Set (NEWS)

SONY is planning a Hammer Adventure Box Set for this summer containing four rarely seen classics: Pirates of Blood River, Devil Ship Pirates, Terror of the Tongs (all 3 starring Christopher Lee) and finally Stranglers of Bombay. While it’s not Dracula, Lee fans should still find plenty here to get excited about as Tongs and Stranglers both contain plenty of great Hammer horror elements.

I’ll have more info on this set as it becomes available.

The Whisperer in Darkness (TEASER)

Teaser trailer for the upcoming film from H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society Motion Pictures. These guys have been producing the absolute best, most accurate HPL adaptations ever, and if you haven’t seen their silent film version of The Call of Cthulhu or heard any of their 1930’s style old time radio shows based on HPL stories then don’t delay!

Visit www.cthulhulives.org for more information now!

Kiss of the Vampire

Here’s a typically weird vampire tale from Superior Publishers containing some wild touches like the spiked canopy bed of doom and the dried-up corpses of the vampire wench’s former “lovers” kept proudly on display. And how about those gruesome, melting eyeballs in the splash---WOW! Now if only the colorist had read the directions properly for the “white hair” in the final panel… oops!

From the September 1952 issue of Strange Mysteries #7

Vampires Also Die!

Gene Colan’s turn today to show you that even cold blooded vampires aren’t immune to the ironic Atlas twist of fate.

From the October 1954 issue of Marvel Tales #127

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

This is old news to those of you in the UK, but to all others: imagine an unearthed 80's horror TV show, complete with intentionally poor production values, intentionally awful dialogue and acting (and behind the scenes commentary) and intentionally hilarious violence--- all set in a hospital which is situated over the gates of Hell with loads of monsters, blood, and big silly laughs! Apparently only 6 episodes total were produced of Garth Marenghai’s Darkplace, but the good news is that episodes are currently airing Sunday nights on Adult Swim, and can also be viewed on youtube, just click HERE and prepare to laugh your arse off. Seriously!

The Great Monster Magazines (NEWS)

Creeping up behind you in May comes this 254 page critical overview of monster magazines from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, written by Robert Cotter, (the man who gave us the great Mexican Masked Wrestler and Monster Filmtography.) Hardcover, B&W, $45.00

Click HERE to pre-order yours!

Dracula (Part 4)

And now the startling conclusion of--- Dracula!

From the August 1953 issue of Eerie #12







The End

Dracula (Part 3)

The saga continues...

From the August 1953 issue of Eerie #12

To be concluded…

Pre-Code Hollywood

So you’re an expert at pre-code comics now, but how much do you really know about pre-code Hollywood and the films that sparked similar waves of Golden Era controversy on the silver screen? This Monday, March 3rd TCM airs “Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin, and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood”, a documentary that looks at how the social, financial, and moral forces of the time all helped shape one of the most intriguing periods in Hollywood history.

Check TCM for more info and show times in your area.

Dracula (Parts 1 & 2)

As I velcome you today to the first post of March, I also velcome you to Vampire Veek, uh… Week. And to truly get into the evil spirit of things it’s only proper for me to drop my crummy vampire accent and start right here with the first ever comic book version of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, (so sayeth GCD.) It’s a decent adaptation too, touching on a few points in the original novel that most of the movie versions tend to leave out, and really nice artwork too (anyone know by who?) If this four part, full issue classic has any faults it’s that the story itself is just a tad bit rushed… but never you mind, kick back and enjoy Parts One and Two today--- it is Double Post Saturday after all.

From the August 1953 issue of Eerie #12

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To be continued…