Payment in Full!

A couple weeks ago we posted a story that someone at GCD claimed was by Alex Toth, when in fact it was actually revealed to be a Bernie Krigstein tale (thanks again Tamfos!), and now here’s another one for everyone to analyze, scrutinize and debate over. GCD indexer Pete Croome credits this one to Toth, and also says “If it is Toth, it is likely a reprint.” There’s no mention of it over at the Alex Toth Index site, so what’s everyone think? [GCD now credits this to Ray Willner -- Nequam]

From the December 1954 issue of Amazing Ghost Stories #15

PLUS: Bonus Filler

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Rue Morgue Festival of Fear

This weekend, August 28th-30th in Toronto!

The Dead Man's Hand

We have one more creepy Charlton tale for you this week from the July 1953 issue of The Thing #9, better artwork today too courtesy of Bob Forgione who also created the cool cover for this issue. I'll have one more tale for you later this week before I head off to Toronto for the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear this weekend... if anyone else is going drop me a line and let me know.

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New Blog To Watch--- TEN CENT DREAMS. Says TCD creator Jamieson: "...it's a Golden Age Comics blog~ with a spotlight slant on the ARTISTS of this wonderous era." So take a look and let him know what you think. Good luck with it Jamieson! ---Karswell

Operation Massacre / The Skull Stretchers

Had a request for something from THE THING a few months back (forget who it was though, sorry!) So, from the July '53 issue of THE THING #9, it's a dreadfully illustrated robo-yarn from John Belfi, but still fun none the less, and seriously saved by some madcap writing and a couple gory SOTI face stompin' panels (plus: look closely at the head at the bottom of the splash page! Ow!)

And congratulations again to Mr. Cavin, he's the big winner of the DRAW BOB HOPE Contest! Special kudos again to all who entered... (Mr. C, Lily, Jamieson and JP, please see the comments from Saturday's post for more!)

Joe Williams of Red Flag Comics writes in: "I've recently been reading more horror comics than usual and thinking about how or even if they work. I wrote a blog post discussing it and I'd like to hear some opinions from people who have read more horror comics than me on whether or not they think comics can actually be scary and perhaps which ones have scared them." Can comics be scary? Click HERE and let Joe know what you think.

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Haven't posted a text story here in awhile, so from the same issue of THE THING #9, comes the quaintly titled--- The Skull Stretchers!

Bob Hope Horror Contest (VOTE)

An offhand remark by ALL CAPS ANON about the vintage "Draw Bob Hope" ad that I posted the other day is responsible for this contest. Simply put: Draw Bob Hope--- but! Give him the THOIA treatment, and four of you rose to the challenge! I thank each and every clever one that entered, all of you proved once again that THOIA not only has the best readers of any blog around, but also the most talented and imaginative!

So let the voting begin! Simply view the submissions below and using the survey at the top of my blog (right hand column) click your favorite artist! The winner will be decided when the survey ends on Sunday night, August 23rd at 10pm... the winner gets a THOIA tee shirt, or something else horror related. Thanks again Mr. Cavin, Lily Strange, Jamieson, and JP Morgan.




Mask by Mr. Cavin

Breakfast Bob by Lily Strange

The Road to Hell by Jamieson

Eyes by JP Morgan

Zap by Mr. Cavin

Test of Terror! / The Werewolf Wasp

Double Header Day, and the first story by Jack Sparling comes to us from the August 1953 issue of Tales of Horror #6. It’s your typically spooky fraternity dude hijinx in a haunted house... but wait, you think you know how it ends, right? Eh, you probably do. And, because some of you asked for it, our second tale is another one from Dell’s Ghost Stories #1. It’s actually not a bad little yarn, and the art is wonderfully creepy, but it all just sort of ends right as things start getting good, leaving you hanging with one of those aggravatingly abrupt, non-endings. Who’s the artist?

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The Werewolf Wasp

NEXT: The Thing!

The Monster of Dread End...

It's been a few months since we "Flash Forwarded" into the Silver Age of horror, so today let's jump ahead to Sept-Nov. of 1962 for a terrifically weird John Stanley scripted monsterama from Dell's Ghost Stories #1. It's a rather peculiar name for a comic book containing only one actual ghost story, (which also happens to be the one-page bonus filler included at the end of today's post below) ...the rest of the issue features mediocre tales about a werewolf wasp, a haunted door, and a murderous demon horse--- but The Monster of Dread End on the other hand (I said "hand", get it?) is kind of special.

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(Ghost Stories #1 cover + bonus filler)