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THOIA Plugged in Rue Morgue Magazine!
RM #90-- The Ray Harryhausen Tribute issue-- on stands now!
(Thanks to Monica, Eyeball, and Rozum!)
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In the Cardboard Box
Sunday, June 7, 2009
X / In the Cardboard Box
Two more Atlas thrillers for you today, the first from the great Cal Massey and the May 1952 issue of Spellbound #3. Then stick around as Joe Sinnot makes yet another blood freezing THOIA appearence (he's a definite fave around here for sure) with an atmospheric chiller from the March 1954 issue of Menace #10.
Hard to believe the likes of those three made it big back then. At least one died of natural causes.
ReplyDeleteAs for the second story, wowee. A+
ReplyDeleteLOVE THE SPLASH ON THE FIRST STORY, BUT THE SECOND STORY WAS AWESOME. REMINDED ME OF A HITCHCOCK EPISODE I SAW ONE TIME THAT HAD THE SAME KIND OF SET UP. GREAT STUFF TODAY AND WICKED PLUG IN RUE MORGUE!! COOL
ReplyDeleteWhy did he go to all that trouble to find something indiscriminating when the actual letters don't contain any information ?
ReplyDeleteThe first story had top notch art and an interesting premise, then it just killed itself with a lame ending. The last three panels on the third page would make for a nice contest with people photoshopping in different phrases on the paper.
ReplyDeleteThe second story is an absolute jaw-dropper. One of the few pre-code stories that actually legitimately frightened me. The last panel would make a perfect illustration for the ending of Bloch's story 'Yours truly, Jack the Ripper'. I was suspecting the woman who took care of him; but jeez! What an ending! Excellent art, it goes without saying.
The closest thing to a downside in that second post is that the introductory paragraph and title sounds dirty taken out of context, especially with the standard 'kiddies' line. Really, a strange man comes in your house with somenthing in a box...eeewww.
Read that opening in the voice of the Child-Catcher from CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and it REALLY sounds bad.
I have to say, the ending to the second tale actually suprised me. I was thinking "Yeah, yeah. The "cop" is the killer, and the guy with the box is just some poor schlub", but nope!
ReplyDeleteI really like the Cardboard Box story too... for some reason I had imagined that I already posted it here at THOIA a long time ago, glad I realized I hadn't!
ReplyDeleteGot a really creepy Vic Carrabotta tale coming up for you all next...
Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteAtlas is second only to EC.
The splash panel for "X" is really something... I'm surprised it hasn't been used for an album cover. And "Cardboard Box" is great, superior comics work!
ReplyDeleteNice to see some work by a Brother up here -- not that there were many to represent back then. Would have been nice if he could have depicted a few Africans (Americans or otherwise) as heroes, but so it is.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the Rue Morgue plug and it's even cooler you're in there with Ray Harryhausen!
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