Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Head of Horror

Here's one from THOIA's archive by request, and I mean going waaay back to 2007 --you can go back even further to the July 1952 issue of Strange Mysteries #6 where it originally appeared too! I get a lot of requests for stories that have already been posted here over the last 8 years, (Hell, we've got over 1500 posts uploaded now, so get searchin'!) You can use the search engine at the top left of the blog to find titles, also: you can use keywords if you're not sure of an exact title. Try artist, series name, and publisher sometimes works too. Writing to me of course works but it might take me a few days to respond. Thanks again to everyone who comments here, this month is a bit hectic for me but I'll have more new posts coming up later this week. Thanks-- and stay tombed!

[Hopefully the label cloud will make searching even easier! -- Nequam]








7 comments:

Brian Barnes said...

"Better humor it, it's getting more powerful by the minute!" Yes, there's a plan. Wait for it to get more powerful!

A fun story, silly all around, but sadly we've got a hero who basically does nothing and lucks into a victory. First he starts off as a heel, though the story gives him a convenient out, then doesn't throttle the head when he has a chance, doesn't just leave, and has to wait for the idiotic head to just fall in a hole and then forget it can actually fly.

I love the panel with the skeletal hands reaching out of the grave, announcing that he's going to "kill you yet."

I wonder what was up with the printing on this one? The colors are bright on top, but washed out on the bottom. Doesn't seem like your normal offset problem.

Tim Tylor said...

How precisely was the "hero" expecting Mister Tetchy Head to pay him? Bodiless heads aren't known for their check-signing skills...

Mestiere said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
J_D_La_Rue_67 said...

Great story. I love vengeful heads since I read Lovecraft's Herbert West.
Here is one lovely little head, even creepier than "the brain" Otto von Schmidster bouncing his way out of "Adventures into terror".
I had nightmares after reading that story as a kid, and yet it made me laugh. Now this guy is even more jeering and ludicrous than Otto, so we'll see this night.
No use, of course, in asking what need has the head of the veteran's help, as it seems capable of floating and even retrieving his rotten body by means of magic.

Mr. Cavin said...

Hah, I like everything about that splash panel, from the optical illusion that makes the headless body look like he's got itty-bitty bat wings to the special doubly safe belt-and-suspenders rig he's got supporting that suit they've buried him in. And terrifying deathless marauder or not, he still seems to have split his pants like some kinda prat.

Great blast form the past!

Grant said...

The fact that the split pants are PURPLE makes you think irresistibly of the Incredible Hulk.

I'm surprised the story allows Dennis to survive, considering how he helped the head to murder Lord Hale, and how he evidently knew that was the plan all along (even considering how guilty Lord Hale himself was). Usually when a character like that changes his mind and does something heroic, he gets KILLED doing the heroic thing. But somehow THIS story manages to have it both ways when it comes to Dennis - he's this mercenary accomplice of the head, but from the beginning he seems like the hero of the story as well.

Mr. Karswell said...

Thanks for the comments, sorry about the lack of posts and responses lately, but we're working hard on another hot Chilling Archives book (news coming soon!) you know I'll make every attempt to keep you all updated-- another post will be up later today! Thanks for your patience :)