Tuesday, October 15, 2019
The Old Bat / Mad Money!
A couple of batty back-up tales from the jolting June 1953 issue of Weird Mysteries #5 make up our doomed "money is the root of all evil" Double Header post for today. And yes, these two are indeed from the issue with the infamous Bernard Baily cover featuring the gruesome corpse brain removal art! We liked this icky image so much we put it on the cover of Haunted Horror #8 way back in 2013.
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8 comments:
In the first story, page 4, 4th panel: what's with the person reading the paper in a corner of the room? Whoops!
Peter wasn't really trying to drive his poor aunt insane, he was just testing out his new Bat signal to see if Batman would arrive.
The second story reminds me of a comic probably made a few years later with the censor code now in check--can't remember the title or story name, but it was basically the same, an evil relative trying to drive her young ward insane--or at least try to get her to leave the house--it even begins with her trying on a pretty dress too. However, instead of the young heiress murdering her relative, the relative tries to slip her a mickey in her wine. Knowing something is amiss, she switches glasses. The relative isn't poisoned, just shrunk for some bizarre reason, because--again, the code was in effect.
I wonder if Helen's mother killed the unidentified man because he tried pulling the same stunt on her...
For the most part, I think the art in the second story is dynamite. Any panel teeming with eddying color-coded insanity heads is solid gold in my book. Also, the story really makes me want to watch Hammer Film's NIGHTMARE (1964) again.
I like the classic Universal Studios feel in the first story's splash. It was interesting the extra work they put into coloring the hostess. It's like she got preferential treatment in her own mag. I think that's neat.
I don't find the first story very convincing, but it's nice to see Peter get his comeuppance. The second story's more sad than anything.
For the old bat, if the ending of your story could be prefaced with "as it turns out" you need to rewrite it. If the ending can be prefaced with "what the, hunh?" it's a 50s pre-code story!
So she ... became a vampire? A ghost vampire? A ghost vampire bat? I don't think Pete died of the vampire bit, but died from sheer bewilderment!
The second story is quick and fun. Great splash, it's very dynamic and while the folds on the fabric aren't exactly always right but the angle and the figures work great, and Helen is a dish. We follow this up with the bra panel and Werthman is sitting up and taking notice!
The last page is good but loses a couple points for the flubbed face in panel 4 (she looks possessed!) Otherwise, it's great, staged well and paced well.
Good catch, Grrrrrrrace! That's the strangest part of the whole story.
I kind of agree with Todd. Just imagine GASLIGHT itself without the wife coming out of things all right.
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