From the May 1953 issue of Baffling Mysteries #15
NEXT: Bayou Bitch!
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Vintage AD
I posted this prankster ad almost a year ago in July '08, so in case you missed it, here it is again paired with a story that could not possibly be more appropriately titled...
This delightful little tale has so many wonderful dubya-tee-eff moments that I hardly know where to begin. My favorite thing has to be the photograph. "...and that's when I took the flashbulb photo" says Tom Stokley, talking about that time he witnessed the Haitian voodoo ceremony. Later, it's apparent that he's taken a lot of photos, most of which are tossed into the ocean by the snake woman. Can he recognize her on the boat? No. But presumably much later, after having traveled from the West Indies to the Far East and back home, he is able to spot her instantly in a distant and moving car.
ReplyDeleteBut that's not all. Trying to ditch the evidence hasn't worked very well. The pythoness, attempting to dump a whole stack of Tom's pictures overboard, has managed to leave the one photo taken of her face on the rail of the deck! This later becomes the evidence that convinces every person he talks to that this pretty girl can actually turn into a snake and kill off their beloved classmates.
But where was the photo at the trial? Perhaps the pythoness captured it when she killed the photographer. Alas.
So what is this photo actually? It's a headshot of a girl in a costume. Oh, my! Claudette's been in the school play! I've never tried this, of course, but it seems like it's pretty difficult to take a still photo of a voodoo snake woman transformation. It seems like you either get a picture of a sake or picture of a woman. Tom doesn't even get her whole body. By his own admission, Tom took a picture of a woman who had just been a snake, and who later became one again. I guess I could say the very same thing about every picture in my house. Well, except for the pictures of snakes.
(I've gone on and on already about just this one thing. But everything in this story is just as awesome! I also loved the "sound-proof" and "sealed" doctor's office there at the end, and the fact that the kids successfully beat a giant voodoo priestess python girl by throwing rocks at her. Don't try this in the real jungle, kids.)
Thank you, Mr. Karswell. This was just what I needed on a sleepy holiday Sunday. Fabulous! Happy Memorial Day, everybody.
"She's what they call a PYTHONESS, and that's worse than a zombie!" Well, if you say so.
ReplyDeleteAs a snake owner and enthusiast, I give this story my thumbs up! I hadn't seen it before, either.
ReplyDeleteHah, what a great story! Sure, the plot had more holes than a game of whack-a-mole, but that just added to the fun and I really dug the idea of a jealous snake lady who offs the competitors for her beloved's heart one by one. The best part, though, was the psychiatrist's secretaries' reaction when they witness the murder of their boss. Also, I thought it was great that Claudette got away with it all in the end. You go, girl!
ReplyDeleteNOTHING LIKE A KILLER ACE TALE TO COMPLETE MY 3 DAY WEEKEND.. LOVE THE HILARIOUS AD TOO I REMEMBER WHEN YOU POSTED IT BEFORE.............GIRLS GET SCARED, MEN ARE MERELY STARTLED.
ReplyDeletegreat, i need a sweater now that my blood's run cold. thanx a lot, Kars!
ReplyDeleteClaudette LeBrun, Claudia Brown. You'd think a voodoo snake goddess would have more imagination than this. Well, now that she's gotten away, can Claudina Bruno be far behind?
ReplyDeleteAnd while Mr. Cavin's comments are hilarious in the context of the published work, it's entirely possible the (perhaps equally unimaginative) artist let the writer down and the editor stepped in to try to cover it all up.
Frankly, I would be suspicious too of a guy who took a woman out to a secluded area and mentioned her being crushed with a giant snake only a girl who is attracted to him has ever seen.
ReplyDeleteThe line about being worse than a zombie is hilariously out of left field.
Still, great artwork and storytelling, and it's unusual to see the hero killed near the climax.
It's also the best story you've posted this month, after my vacation, i feel I've been SWAMPED by all your stories to read.
Poor Steve...
ReplyDeleteI want a sequel about how she died and became a zombie pythoness.
ReplyDelete