Witches, scarecrows, black cats, creepy haunted houses... ahh, Halloween is once again on the horizon. Or wait, that's not really true, because we all know that everyday is Halloween here at THOIA. And since everyone and their grandma seems to wanna call it a "Countdown," let's get our own October party swinging with another fabulous submission from Mark Borbas and the Dec. '52 / Jan '53 issue of Witchcraft #5, (art by Rafael Astarita.)
October also means extra good programming on the Turner Classic Movies channel. Click HERE for all the spooky horror highlights!
Massively digging the spooky, new surroundings here at THOIA! You've outdone yourself, Mr. Karswell. Again!
ReplyDeleteSooo glad I joined this blog!! LOVE the comics! :)
ReplyDeleteI NEED that ZAAT poster!
ReplyDeleteI know The Witch of Death: Her name's Anna, and she was my supervisor in 1996.
ReplyDeleteZAAT: Man? Fish? Devil? Probably Anna's husband.
That's seriously the end?
ReplyDeleteMan, I wish I had a dime for every time someone in a pre-code story says, "Wha--?"
Karswell: Love the banner. Simple, clean, eye-catching. -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic way to start the great month of October! This tale has amazing artwork, an eerie atmosphere, and a scarecrow scene to top all that have come before!
ReplyDeleteOne of the worst parts about "growing up" for me was that I outgrew the magic of Halloween. I miss going out in the Autumn night dressed as a zombie or a ghoul and trick or treating all night with friends. Then, especially if it fell on a weekend, we'd stay up all night watching scary movies and freaking each other out with "true" ghost stories.
Now I'm just about 40 and live in a big city where every douchebag dresses up as a '70s pimp (and the ladies are sexy mice or nurses or whatever) and people have dance parties. I don't mind the sexy nurses, of course, but I miss being a kid and having the magic of Halloween.
These pre-code horror comics (and Warren mags, Twisted Tales, etc.) still keep the flame burning, so to speak.
Thanks for the great blog, Karswell.
awesome new banner Karswell!
ReplyDeleteand i never saw that Zatt poster but it's a beaut!!
THAT IS AN ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING ENDING!!! REMINDS ME OF BURNT OFFERINGS WHERE TOTALLY HORRIFIC EVENTS HAVE JUST OCCURED BUTH THEN EVERYTHING REVERTS BACK TO APPEARING NORMAL BUT REALLY JUST LYING IN WAIT FOR THE NEXT VICTIMS. AWESOME POST!
ReplyDeleteZAAT??? JUST WHEN I THINK I HEARD THEM ALL!
AND YES AWESOME NEW BANNER TOO!
ReplyDeleteGreat start, Karswell! I love the banner as well.
ReplyDeleteAs for that story, that's exactly what life in New England is like. It's why I live here. I can't leave. It won't let me.
I love that the man in the covered bridge tried to warn them away but gave them directions anyway. I was also waiting for some sort of twist ending, but that direct onslaught threw me. I guess that was the twist.
I'm guessing that Zaat poster is far superior to the movie. Now I wish I had tv so I could watch it and find out. TCM is about the only thing I miss watching.
I'm glad to hear that this story got our October festivities off to a rollickin' good start! And I appreciate all the kudos about the new THOIA banner-- Halloween is always a good time to change things up around here. There's lots of amazing stuff lined up on THOIA this month, and up next we'll be taking a slightly extended look at Harvey Comic's Chamber of Chills series. You don't wanna miss it!
ReplyDeletePS: And trust me, no one needs to actually watch ZAAT, it's awful. But if you're a glutton for punishment here's the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJYa4NwSwYA
So anybody who makes stew is a witch? Okay.
ReplyDeleteNothing to spoil an evening like a scarecrow animated by black magic! (I thought the spookiest example was from the old TV series Thriller: "The Hollow Watcher."
ReplyDeleteAnd Ohhhh, Zaat (AKA The Blood Waters of Doctor Z) really lives down to expectations. You can view the MST3K version here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=3C4C8619312473D2
Agreed. This creepy pre-code gem was perfect to get you in the Halloween spirit. Thanks, Karswell! Love the new banner, too.
ReplyDelete"One of the worst parts about "growing up" for me was that I outgrew the magic of Halloween. I miss going out in the Autumn night dressed as a zombie or a ghoul and trick or treating all night with friends. Then, especially if it fell on a weekend, we'd stay up all night watching scary movies and freaking each other out with "true" ghost stories."
I'm in my mid twenties now and I pretty much feel the same way. I've only gone trick-or-treating once in my life, but it's one of my most cherished childhood memories. I come from a country where, sadly, Halloween isn't really celebrated and to make matters worse, the town I live in is mostly populated by old folks who've never even heard of the holiday. So, of course, when we knocked on their doors, costumed and demanding candy, they thought we wanted to tease them. We didn't get a whole lot of sweets, but we still had a blast! :)
I dig the new banner too, buddy. And the Zaat poster, but I'm a sucker for red and turquoise together.
ReplyDeleteI like hearing about Halloween memories," so everyone please feel free to share your stories here, or in the coming post comments sections all this month.
ReplyDeleteHarvey horrors on the way--- stick around!
Walking catfish? IzZAAT zo?
ReplyDeleteLooks more like a Deep One if you ask me. Would probably make a good tale. Or stew.
Is someone who stews a black catfish a witch too?