TOMORROW: Yer gonna die screaming...
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Vintage Ads
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Boiling Point
From the November 1952 issue of Suspense #24 (Carmine Infantino?)
From the November 1952 issue of Suspense #24 (Carmine Infantino?)
Wow, that's a weird one. I like it. Imperfect, but a good goulash of ingredients not used together too often.
ReplyDeleteThe first story had what has to be my favorite lead paragraph-to-title relationship yet. Usually, these intros are just stilted, but Men from the Morgue's is deeply creepy. It's the first time I've really just taken a minute to try imagining what the coming story is going to be like. It was inspiring. Sadly, my guess was very close to being exact, and I'm not sure the story rose to that deep creepiness promised in the title. Not that it wasn't awesome in a sedate, screwball parlor piece kind of a way. I really loved that the Men didn't turn out to be the bad guys. Indeed, they turned out to be pretty lovable. I liked the art too, at a panel level, though I found it to be really, really inconsistent.
ReplyDeleteThe interim: you know, that crazy rabbit man on the Fun Parade cover has a word balloon coming out of his butt. Or maybe he's actually a crazy squirrel man, in which case never mind.
The second story was, again, more of a drama than a horror really--though I have to appreciate the love the authors showed their female lead, a sentence I'm usually unable to legitimately type here. I am sorry the splash (and the title and the issue's fabulous cover) gave away the finale, though. Great clean art and great coloring in this one.
Thanks Karswell. And I hope everyone has a great bloody Valentine's Day tomorrow.
Two good stories.
ReplyDeleteSo, will she or won´t she? Take the axe, I mean? That would have made a great episode of Twilight Zone.
The second one ... well, the "hero" looked like a Peter Cushing stand-in *g I hope the foto studio had a good insurance. "Yes, these are real crocodiles down there, it has to look authentic, just be careful you don´t fall while balancing the rope" But the last line was just great.
Oh, and I hope you are better, Karswell!
ReplyDelete"Men from the Morgue"
ReplyDeleteAside from the rather strange notion expressed in the story about what a "morgue" really is, I liked it quite a bit. A little more adult than what Atlas usually doled out. Still, one has to wonder why the kid keeps wandering around in the story without a single thing to say. I mean, that's his daddy they're trying to cart off. Methinks the artist snuck him in for no real reason.
"Boiling Point"
Beautiful art from Infantino, usual hack nonsense from Stan Lee. Although you have to love "--with staring, unwinking eyes..." "Unwinking?" Not "unblinking?" Okay, Stan.
Thanks, Kars. Another great morning from THOIA. And feel better soon.
It's almost Valentine's Day and I'm in love..with Atlas horror!
ReplyDeleteI think our women in both stories are going to be sorta screwed in the next few days..er...legally that is. May is going to have to explain the hunk of boiled meat, and Helen doesn't seemed deterred by her special guest's mistake.
The "sexy999" above explains the mystery of the "comment removed by the author" posts that appear here once in a while. Freakin' spammers, they deserve to be boiled alive.
MEN FROM THE MORGUE HAD A KILLER ART AND COOL SUBTLE ENDING, LOVE THE LOOK ON THE WIFE'S FACE, AND AGREE WITH MR C THAT THE MEN THEMSELVES WERE LOVEABLE. THEY SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN SERIES!
ReplyDeleteBOILED ALIVE HAD REALLY NICE ART TOO AND A FUNNY ENDING LINE. GREAT STUFF TODAY.......AND FURTHER PROOF THAT I'D LOVE TO SEE AN ALL ATLAS MONTH HERE ONE OF THE DAYS, OR ALL 30 OF THEM.
It's great to come home to 2 excellent stories after having your mouth tortured for almost an hour. Really loved the humor in the first one, especially how the title character's react and the son doesn't say a thing, oh well at least he won't get murdered(?). The second story was actually fairly well built up until Roland's other girlfriend just popped up like that. I don't think he looks like Cushing(except for the hair)but more like an extremely young Vincent Price, but there's a face on the poster on pg.1 that DOES look like Cushing(guess he has to put in one appearence on valentine's day or else rip his neighbor's heart out.). Never heard of Zakarin and Bean before, Did they ever do anything else? if they didn't do any other jobs you can be certain this was either an alias job or worked on by multiple pencillers and inkers(see the faces; though the inking i'm thinking of could have just been for dramatic effect.).
ReplyDeleteJohn Carradine, maybe?...
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed both stories, and I agree with Mr. Cavin's remark about the love shown the female lead - and that it's rare we can say that.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone, just got back from the new Friday the 13th hunk of crap movie (just when I thought I was feeling better too) and will have the new Saturday post up in a little bit. Wanted to say thanks to everyone who came by this week, and thanks again to all the well wishers, for me and Pappy (hopefully we'll get some news from him soon on how his surgery went.) Glad to hear that HP pulled through as well.
ReplyDeleteSee ya in the morn with a Jack Keller classic!
Zakarin is known for introducing John Romita to Stan Lee. He was one of those artists who are really nothing more than an inker, using young talents to do the pencellingen and often passing off the work as their own. The famous story about Zakarin and Romita is that Stan Lee once asked Zakarin to do a few changes in story and he had to slip off and meet Romita do the extra work in a library, so Stan wouldn'r know he didn't do it all himself. When Romita finally did a story on his own Lee accepted it immediately. Bob Bean is still alive and work with Joe Kubert at St. John and after that. This is his first and only story for Timelt before that. Since it is signed I suspect that Zakarin was an inker assigned the job after Bean handed in the pencils.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ger!
ReplyDeleteWhich is worse, men from the morgue or those who come at you with a white huggie jacket? A casket or a padded cell?
ReplyDeleteWow, what is wrong with me today?
Friday the 13th went without incident for me; unfortunately this computer didn't fare as well.