Zombie Magic! / Thing from the Grave

Despite the oddly cool science fiction cover painting (and not a single story even remotely approaching S/F within the pages inside), the May 1971 issue of Horror Tales Vol. 3 #3 is chock full of gruesome goodies... take for example these two terrifying yarns about the living dead. From the contents page intro: "The stench of the open grave comes to life..."

["Zombie Magic" is a remake of "Corpses On Cue", which was posted to THOIA after this story's posting. Read it here! -- Nequam]

Need more monsters, ghouls, and assorted creeps today? Head over to AEET (Karswell's other blog) by clicking HERE!

The Skeleton / The Skin-Rippers

Our second Eerie Pub Double Header this month is a bonkers boney bonanza! Seriously, if "The Skin-Rippers" from the July 1974 issue of Tales from the Tomb Vol. 6 #4 doesn't make your flesh crawl then nothing will... but first, "The Skeleton" from the October 1976 issue of Terror Tales Vol. 7 #4, it's an insanely violent remake of an already violent pre-code classic from  Mysterious Adventures #17, (this one may even shock a few of you more jaded gorehounds with its carnage and brutality!)

["The Skin-Rippers" is also a remake, but its original story was published much later. Flash-forward to read "The Black Death" here! -- Nequam]

Satan's Cat / The Witches Coven

 Two Eerie Pub klassics, the first from the July 1974 issue of Tales from the Tomb Vol. 6 #4, the second from the July 1971 issue of Horror Tales Vol. 3 #4.

Sinister Return of the Priestess of Baal

The last story in our Ace Comics Fest this month is from the November 1952 issue of Baffling Mysteries #11, and what a story it is, surely featuring the creepiest female to ever haunt the pages of a pre-code horror comic book! With her rotten, shrunken apple-esque head and disturbing lust for blood sacrifices, this is the kind of story that nightmares are truly made of!

And speaking of rotten, shrunken apple-esque heads, below is the one I made in 1975 with the Milton Bradley Shrunken Head apple sculpture kit that I got for my birthday that year. She's been slumbering at the bottom of a box for a few decades so her nose got a little smooshed, but look at those spooky beady eyes and icky teeth! Does anyone else still have their creation?

Hostage of the Unearthly

Ace Comics not only delivered top notch art and incredibly inspired writing in their variety of 1950's pre-code horror titles, but sometimes they also unleashed some of the most bizarre monsteramas of the entire Golden Age era! Take for example this cool creature feature from the April 1954 issue of Baffling Mysteries #20. And hmmm, I wonder if the butterfly monster on page 4 inspired Mothra 7 years later?