Saturday, November 30, 2019

Adventure of the Gangster Who Was Killed Twice

If you didn't gather around the table with friends and family on Thanksgiving this year, you now have your chance to do it with a bunch of mugs 'n thugs and downright unpleasant psychos instead. Yes, THOIA is ringing the whodunit dinner bell with a super-sized helping of 30's / 40's style murder mystery madness-- and it's also the long-awaited return of amateur sleuths, Bert and Sue, to this blog (see another adventure HERE!) that I promised everyone way back in March 2018. If this one doesn't keep you guessing all the way to the end-- you're already dead! From the February 1947 issue of Super-Mystery Comics Volume 6 #4, with story art and cool cover by "R. Grey", who might just actually be Warren Kremer.





















7 comments:

Jasper Bark said...

What a charming story, the dialogue has a hint of the 'screwball comedy' about it and is remarkably well written. What the art lacks in style and sophistication it more than makes up for in dynamism and storytelling. A great find. Thanks for posting this.

Brian Barnes said...

OK pet peeve time -- I hate accents in dialog -- it just makes stuff hard to read. I'm looking at you, Gambit :)

Fun murder mystery. I liked the art even though it was a bit amateur in places, and the artist had to actually number the panels at one time (maybe an editor?). The artist really tried with some interesting things, the heads outside the panel, the wacky inlaid panels, some interesting angles, etc. The final cleaver throw panel has a lot of action to it. It's a good job and fits the story really well.

I like how Sue never stops being snarky. Good job Sue, even in the face of death!

That's an awesome cover, laid out really well.

JMR777 said...

Another great find, a fun and funny whodunit.

Grant said...

"Screwball comedy" is right. It's no criticism to say that it owes an awful lot to the "Thin Man" movies. Including the couple being wealthy, and the wife disapproving of the "riff raff" her husband still hangs around with.

JBM said...

Thank you Mr.K., I love the quivering cleaver cover. It is fantastic! The irregular paneling is also a favorite of mine. Not your regular fare but wonderful never the less. The cat dying was horror, I guess. OK, crime is horror. Thanks!

Guy Callaway said...

Great fun, but a complete rip of Nick & Nora (the 'Thin Man' films). No Asta (their cool dog), though. I thought Bomba was stepping up, but I guess not!

Mr. Karswell said...

I mentioned the similarities to The Thin Man in the previous Bert and Sue post here:

https://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/2018/03/adventure-of-murdered-medium.html

Thanks for the comments everyone, lots more on the way in December as we slowly wind down 2019... for cripe's sake, this year needs to end already... seriously