Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Devil's Own / Green Horror
After seeing the great Eerie Pub cover art by Bob Powell in our last post, it was decided that a couple of his classic Harvey tales would seriously kick things off for December nicely! "The Devil's Own" from the Sept. '52 issue of Witches Tales #14, (with an awesome assistant from Howard Nostrand) and the gloriously goofy "Green Horror" from the Oct. '54 issue of Witches Tales #27, (first appeared in the Nov. '51 issue of Witches Tales #6.)
(Bonus Text Filler)
I was all set to ask where you found two of the weirdest stories yet, but you already said: Witches' Tales. That explains everything.
ReplyDeleteThanks, by the way, for keeping this going.
Thoese demons in the first story would do Bernie Wrightson proud!
ReplyDeleteThe chilling chant of death from the second story, KRAAGHHH-HHH KRAAAGGHH-HH, is quite a bit more tolerable, looked at as poetry, than the devil's cauldron-side witch-making chant from the first. Satan can't scan, man.
ReplyDeleteSatan stories were a dime-a-dozen in the pre-code horror comics, and totally predictable -- guess who always won? -- but the frog story has a nice chilling ending.
ReplyDeleteMy real reason for this post is to say: Nice touch with the Santa hats on the skulls, Karswell!
omg that frog creature is so ugly..
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, the 50's- when an explorer's wife wore a bathing cap in the middle of the jungle
ReplyDeleteKROWGGHHH-H-H-H!!
ReplyDelete>Thanks, by the way, for keeping this going.
ReplyDeleteYer welcome, and yes, chugging along as they say... I just keep on keeping on.
>Thoese demons in the first story would do Bernie Wrightson proud!
Speaking of Wrightson, got something from him coming up in the next few weeks!
So judging from the remaining mix of comments I take it ya'll thought the frog story was the winner? My real intention was to post a perfectly timed Satanic story here just as THOIA aquired its 666th "100% Pre-Code follower", but we seem to be snagged at 665! Come on, bring on the new Anti-Christ, already!
"I take it ya'll thought the frog story was the winner?"
ReplyDeleteNot over here. I thought the frog story was pretty typical, with one of those nods toward a surprise conclusion that sort of pretends I've never ever seen any story with something like the line "I've swallowed some of his--HORRIBLE BLOOD!" before. Terrible chant excepted, THE DEVIL'S OWN at least presented story that took the shape of a straight line: the Devil hatches a plan, that plan was enacted, and that plan succeeded. It is refreshing seeing a pre-code story self-assured enough to avoid the eye-rolling end (as well as a Devil story that isn't all Jack Chick--I mean, you can make a pretty good case for this woman not really deserving a fate in retribution for her actions while corrupted at the hands of the Devil's magic doggerel. You know?).
WOW! these are great!
ReplyDeleteDevil's Own was pure joy!
ReplyDeleteThe Green Horror was great too.
I have to agree that the frog story telegraphed the end. Should have just had her gagging and spitting. The fearsome cry of the frogs is something else... I guess it's more scary than if they all went "Ribit! RIBIT!!"
ReplyDelete