Change Partners and Die With Me!

"No one wants to be alone on New Years Eve..." and so begins this eerie tale by Joe Kubert (School of Cartoon Art) from Scholastic Magazine's WEIRD WORLDS #4 from 1980-- a tale that feels a lot like a leftover precode classic if you ask me. Weird Worlds was sort of like Dynamite Magazine in that the content was aimed more at kids, but unlike that series, WW contained articles of a darker, sometimes more science fictiony nature. This issue for example features all kinds of fun junk about zombie movies, UFOs, short fiction stories from John Collier and Henry Slesar, hilarious epitaphs and horror jokes, assorted weird 'n true facts, movie previews (Saturn 3 in this ish) and even lends an ear to "weird" music like Alice Cooper, Devo, and Iggy Pop. I believe WW only lasted 8 issues and fyi: one or two of the other issues I have contain scary comic stories by Steven Bissette.

Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEARS, everyone!

Creature of the Deep!

Golden Age greats Jack Katz and Jack Abel do a little Jack Kirby channeling and team-up for this epic monster-rama from the August 1971 issue of Nightmare #5. Also!-- the gorgeous Boris Vallejo cover I know a few of you were waiting for a large scan of too. Hope everyone enjoyed this look at a really cool Skywald "horror mood" issue, maybe we'll do another one next year (and thanks again to Brian Barnes who gave me this issue a long time ago.) We've got one more tale on deck to round out 2013 while ringing in the New Year... yes, we've lots more-- see ya in a few!

Within the Torture Chamber!

Didn't receive enough torture this holiday season? Well, here's a little more for you-- it's another fine entry from the August 1971 issue of Skywald's Nightmare #5 --with tremendous art from Doug Wildey!

And Happiest of Horrordays and Season's Screamings to all, from Mr. Karswell & Son!

Nazi Death Rattle

With today's post, we're now halfway through the August 1971 issue of Nightmare #5, (see the last two posts for more), and what would any collection of horrific monster stories be without one about nazis! Serg Morgan pulls out all the stops on another artful Skywald atrocity... enjoy?

Whence Stalked the Werewolf

Tale number two from the August 1971 issue of Nightmare #5, a hairy yarn with an ending that's a whole lot more predictable than the twist in the previous Skywald post. Speaking of, a few of you mentioned first seeing Slime World when it was reprinted in the pages of the Psycho Yearbook #1 "best of" --and todays story may also have you also screaming deja vu as it was reprinted in their Nightmare Yearbook #1, three years later in 1974. Anyway, nice 'n slick artwork here from Carlos Garzon, obviously working from photos to give it that extra realistic look.

Slime World

A few years back, THOIA friend and Snark Master General, Brian Barnes, mailed me a huge pile of Warren and Skywald mags-- seriously, right from the bottom of his snarky rocker heart! It took me awhile but I believe I've finally gone through them all and found one Skywald issue in particular here that stands out among all the others I received from him-- the August 1971 issue of Nightmare Vol. 1 #5. Featuring a wide, weird range of terror tales involving werewolves, nazis, torture, and giant sea creatures (plus a cool article about Boris Karloff and a Boris Vallejo cover no less!), I guess for xmas this year I will deliver unto you all this issue in its entirety, (possibly minus the pretentiously drab Doom Star sci-fi tale-- we'll see.) So let's kick things off with the nicely slimy first tale in this issue containing some wild, violent Ralph Reese art as well as truly inspired sound FX --did you know the sound of a head being ripped off is "SQUEEZRRIP!" ?!! Yeah, me either...