Friday, October 12, 2012
Ghoul of the North / Return of the Ghoul
Everyone seemed to enjoy the Jay Disbrow madness of our last post, so here's more-- a ghoulishly hairy two-parter from Blue Bolt Weird Tales #113 and #115 (incidently, "Return of the Ghoul" was originally posted HERE at THOIA waaay back in 2008, so here's how it all started!) --plus, a mysterious bonus filler page also illustrated by Jay, as well as a typically great Star Comic cover conjured up by L. B. Cole. Also, did everybody get a copy of Haunted Horror #1?
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ReplyDeleteTonight, no matter what, I'm working "brobdingnagian" into a sentence. Even if it barely fits.
ReplyDeleteThat last story is really a "man's adventure" story. You could replace the multi-beast with a bear and it wouldn't change the story much. It goes to show how some of these writers had a hard time with horror stories.
BTW, that's just a great cover. Not only does it have every element necessary, it seems to have elements just thrown in. What is a bat doing that close to the ground, flapping around? It's like those covers that just add more skulls to fill is space -- it's so unnecessary, and I love it!
Wow! It all reads like a cross-fertilization of the Skinwalker Ranch and "In Amundsen's Tent" all illustrated by the Boy's Own 1950's horror comic illustrator. Thanks very much for posting this. And the equally "lunatic grade" stories from Jay Disbrow earlier. Man, these must have scared a lot of kids stupid back then.
ReplyDeleteI left a comment earlier, but I must have messed up the moderation, as it must have gotten eaten by the ghoul yeti/bat/werewolf.
ReplyDeleteEveryone should try to use "brobdingnagian" somewhere in a sentence tonight!
Comments are acting weird lately, I know I published that first one when you originally sent it, Brian... and poof there it is finally a few days later.
ReplyDeleteWe'll keep things extra weird for another double post or two, maybe even take a trip into outer space for some pre code sci fi from the great Basil Wolverton! See ya in a few...
I think both of these stories work best as singletons unrelated to one another. I remember reading the second part here years ago and, at the time, I loved that loony tinge it has. Now I think it kind of subverts the kickass impact of that story--namely that it ends with a dead protagonist. I don't know about every other kid since the fifties, but for me the twist ending came when I turned the page expecting more story only to realize the thing had ended. That's pretty great, and really rescues a tale that is otherwise weighed unmercifully down with bloated verbosity and errata. My favorite example shows just how clunky writing can get when easy vernacular gets mixed up with silly formal posturing:
ReplyDelete"This is incredible! It lends credence to Dr. Grom's theory..."
One of the creepiest horror covers i've seen. shudders!! Thanks for posting it in hi-rez so i can enjoy all the chilling details. cheerio!
ReplyDeleteBeanTheCat
Enorme. merci pour ça
ReplyDelete"Ghoul of the North" from Blue Bolt #113 was later reprinted and retitled in Star's Spook #26, with the new title "Snow Ghost".
ReplyDelete