Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Get Out of My Graveyard! / Trumpet of Doom

Two more requests this week, and first up one for Ronnie from the June 1953 issue of Spellbound #15. Someone at the Atlas Tales site thinks this is possibly the work of [Bill Everett?] [No attribution there now -- Nequam] I don't know, does this look like Everett to anyone else? It sure doesn't to me but I've been wrong before. And our second bonkers tale today is for Adam Sorensen and comes from the March - April 1954 issue of Haunted Thrills #14.

Hope everyone is having a great July so far!





NEXT: Basil!
+++++++++++++++++++++
Trumpet of Doom







*Thanks again to Brian Hirsch for the Trumpet scans!

21 comments:

The Vicar of VHS said...

Nothing too surprising in either story for us what has been educated by Karswell over the years, but still some fun stuff!

GET OUT OF MY GRAVEYARD:

* Statue on the splash == win. And what a well-manicured boneyard, might I add.

* George looks like Charlie Chaplin drawn by Dr. Seuss, but gay.

* "I think a lot of things!"

* He's one for hanging onto the job, but doesn't mind kicking memorial flowers out of some schmoe's grave. A bundle of contradictions, is Mr. Reeves.

TRUMPET OF DOOM:

* "Don't worry about the escaped psycho. He's harmless enough!" You're a great guard, you are. ;)

* Nice "cross" shot on pg 5. The cop getting mauled is cool too.

* "We're licked! Licked by a lot of corpses!" Um...eew?

* Is that the Stranger's face on a bust at the bottom of pg. 2? If so, nice touch.


Also, the cover for SPELLBOUND 15 is very cool, if a bit misleading. I wouldn't mind seeing "Lover, Beware!" from the same ish!

Keep a-rollin', Punky! ;)

Mr. Karswell said...

Old Geroge Matson almost looks like Joe Camel's uncle at the bottom of page 4.

Posted "Lover Beware" a long time ago Vicar, check the archives!

http://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/2007/08/lover-beware.html

Trevor M said...

I think "Trumpet of Doom" is absolutely chilling. In every major city I've lived in here in Canada (Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver), there is, on a street corner downtown, a "Gabriel Green" blowing a trumpet and shouting out to save your soul (or whatever). It must be the same in all big cities in North America. This is that religious nut(s) 1950's horror comic story. This sinner/unbeliever had goosebumps on his arms when the mysterious guy in the suit (!?) showed up. The story also foreshadows the opening of Dawn of the Dead. Thanks for posting it!

Tamfos said...

Just so so you know you're not nuts, "Get out of My Graveyard" is so obviously NOT by Everett, it's almost painful. Even if I tried to believe someone else had been inking Everett on that story, nothing about the composition of the panels, the layouts of the pages, or even the storytelling is even remotely Everett-esque. Always take what you read on those attribution sites with a grain of salt.

Anonymous said...

I dunno, a coupla panels kinda look like Everett -- the last one most of all. Still, the rest doesn't, so I have to agree. not Everett.

Mr. Cavin said...

Licked by a Lot of Corpses definitely sounds like the kind of movie I'd get off my ass to see on the big screen. Especially if it was made in Spain around nineteen seventy-six.

And while we're at it, those floating cop heads in panel three of Trumpet... would make excellent holiday wrapping paper.

Unknown said...

YESSSSSSSSS!!! I feel like I should repent after reading "Trumpet of Doom." If only Gabriel Green had survived, the character might've got his own spin-off comic. Or not. I found a thread on a Collectors Society message board that indicates Robert Hayward Webb did the art for this one (http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2005850). Thanks for posting this, Karswell! (And thanks for the scans, Mr. Hirsch!)

Mr. Karswell said...

Someone just emailed me today asking about the artist here and I simply mentioned the Iger Shop... it's good to get some individual names from that team.

That reminds me, I wonder how Michael Price's book is coming along (Mike if you're out there give us a holler!)

Mike H said...

I can't stop singing..

Hey (hey) You (you)
Get outta my graveyard!

jpmorgan said...

Wow, these two tales are impressive! (Reeves the guard reminds me of Ralph Kramden.)

Mr. Karswell said...

The zombies rushing the police barricades in Trumpet reminds me of Return of the Living Dead.

"Send more cops..."

TOMORROW: As promised, Basil Wolverton returns to THOIA! And so does Robert Q. Sale! Better pack some clean underwear, it's gonna be scary!

Prof. Grewbeard said...

the first story was a trifle warped and the second one was really warped! since when does Jesus show up in these things?...

Anonymous said...

These may turn out to be the best ever scans of these stories but does the editing HAVE to cut into the borders?

Mr. Karswell said...

>does the editing HAVE to cut into the borders?

The editing does whatever I want it to because it's MY time spent editing on MY blog so that you can read a FREE story. If you want it any other way then scan the stories yourself for your own blog.

Anonymous said...

"Trumpet of Doom" kicked ass! The headstone surfing zombie in the splash (and the little fella trying to get a little face time down in the lower left) really made this for me. The only reason I can see (narratively speaking) for having Gabriel locked up before his stint as zombie master was to have people know about him and his wild claim ahead of time so they could bitch about it later. Really, though, kind of just ate up some pages.

And "livid" air?

Ger Apeldoorn said...

Must be an old attribution over at Atlas Tales, because it totally looks like the work of Bill Savage to me. Go to Atlas Tales and look up samles of his work to compare.

Mr. Karswell said...

Thanks for the info Ger! Savage is a much better candidate for sure.

>since when does Jesus show up in these things?...

A very good point Prof, anyone know of any other examples of supernatural Jesus showing up to help stop the supernatural? That might be a fun theme for some Sunday afternoon, or even around xmas... religion in pre-code horror.

And yes, Trumpet is a real sleeper hit around here this week, I'm glad that Adam recommended it (and that Brian Hirsch had the scans!) Thanks you guys! THOIA friends and readers rule!

Anonymous said...

In Trumpet of Doom, I kind of thought the mysterious stranger was supposed to be the ArchAngel Gabriel himself.

The stranger says "I, er, know something about this sort of thing, have studied it for years"

Who else would know a thing or two about blowing a trumpet to raise the dead?

Joey Deadcat said...

Get Out Of My Graveyard - could've easily been a Night Gallery story. ;)

And, no, that does not look like Everett's art at all.

And, man,Trumpet Of Doom! Glad I'm not the only one got a Return Of The Living Dead vibe from that!

The topless zombie-babe in the 1st panel on pg.5 - there's a Charles Burns sketch of the very same character!

Whoever that stranger was he sure looked like a televangelist to me. Surprised he didn't charge the town for services rendered! LOL

All in all, I dug the two stories! Lookin' forward to Basil! Man, am I lookin' forward to more Basil!

Unknown said...

I honestly thought it was Abe Lincoln, at least up until the end.

Frederick said...

Definitely the real Gabriel that came to stop this imposter. Although I thought the death by lightning was a bit harsh, it seems he died satisfied.