Tales from the Witch's Cauldron

Finishing up our jolting January with a doomed double feature that goes way way back-- pre pre code days!  Both witch's tales here are from 1942 and were spooky back-up features from Blue Ribbon Comics #20 and Blue Ribbon Comics #22, (basically padding for this predominately superhero title produced by Archie Comics.) They're definitely a bit old fashioned in art and storytelling, but still effectively fun, and ominously enough, the second story hints at our theme for February. Enjoy, and we'll see all you quivering love birds next month for THOIA's Valentine's Massacre 2020.

The Fatal Strands

Wait, did you guys think we were done with the hair horror this month?! Well, lock your mops up tight-- cuz this terror tuft shock'r of coiffeured creepiness might just leave your split-ends frazzled forever! From the February 1953 issue of Adventures into Darkness #8, with art by Charles Sultan.

The Wig-Maker

Time to venture back into the odd old west for a tale that's half spooky / half silly, and 100% howlin' Harvey at this late precode horror / humor vein stage of the 50's game. Yeah, everybody could see Wertham's hammer of doom a'fallen', so many of these terror titles began to take the hint and turn up the funny volume. Things went from gory to corny fast, but not all was lost, like this hairy scary (*tag! *gag!) from the Feb '54 issue of Witches Tales #23. And FYI: There's even more wig weirdness in the archive if you've got a hankerin' to dig 'em out-- just don't ever say that Mr. Karswell didn't go to great lengths to root out that 'ol black humor for ya's!

I Went to My Own Funeral

Let's do one more Charlton classic before we switch it back up with the various publisher mix. And okay, I'm not sure I saved the best story for last, but it's definitely a weird winner, and contains an interesting plot device that I do believe is new to this blog-- a sex change! Yep, edgy stuff for the 50's, and you're seriously going to love that second panel at the top of page three. From the January - February 1954 issue of Strange Suspense Stories #16, art by Dick Giordano again.

You Know Too Much!

Another attack on the American family tale, courtesy of the July 1954 issue of Strange Suspense Stories #19 (see previous post too.) And yes, at some point along the way here you'll probably see where it's all going, but that's not enough for this story, giving you one final chilling thing to think about as you lay there dying and completely helpless to do anything about it. And that my friends, is REAL HORROR.













Classic cover by Steve Ditko 

All Burnt Up!

As the winter temps here in the midwest begin to plummet once more, it's time again to turn up the heat with another all-time favorite Charlton tale of justice served extra hot-- a sizzlin' little number from the July 1954 issue of Strange Suspense Stories #19.









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Dead Right!

We'll stick with the strange and suspenseful stories for a few more posts, and here's one by good 'ol Steve Ditko from the May 1954 issue of Strange Suspense Stories #18. I've had a few requests for more precode Ditko, so here ya's go with one of his most eerie entries ever-- a sort of encore presentation of it in case you didn't see our reprint in Haunted Horror #29.













When you're addicted to horror comics...