The Little Wax Doll

Okay. Mr. Karswell played nice in our previous post, and yeah, you all loooved the happy ending and cutsie wootsie cuddly kooties, --but! It's a new month now, and it's time to get back to the good 'ol depressing stuff that makes me, errr, I mean him (Mr. Karswell) so happy! Like this gruesome entry from the supernaturally great "Ghost Squadron" back-up filler stories, (this one found in the October 1947 issue of Wings Comics #86, published by Fiction House), and features a cold-blooded psychopathic doofus who has no problem killing a man that just wants to see his wife and new baby-- hurrah! There's also a ghost possessed wax doll, a few more shockingly cruel murders, and finally, one of the all-time goriest, and most brutal pre-code climax panels ever printed. Seriously, I hope you saved your breakfast for afterwards! And if you did save your breakfast for afterwards, don't eat it quite yet! *record scratch sound! Because over at AEET today, I've spun yet ANOTHER propular way to get yourself something disgustingly scrambled in the morn! Yeah, it's a whack way to spend your mourning, --but then again, that's why ya'll love me, right?

The Night in the Horror-Hotel

Our month long lurid love-In concludes with a Skywald freak-fest from the February 1974 issue of Nightmare #17. It's a rockin' little number that will hopefully serenade a few of you less-than-pleased commenters into a better "horror-mood" around here. Fantastic cover painting by bad ass Boada too! And lots more coming in March-- so stay tombed!

The Dancing Ghost

The putrid past collides with a perplexed present in this oddball tango with terror in a haunted house, via the December 1952 issue of Strange Fantasy #3. Being a Farrell story, the art feels distinctly non-Iger Shopish in a few places, (and GCD lists no credit), so this may have actually been illustrated by a combination of artists. Now the wonderfully clunky story telling / unintentional humor on the other hand...

The Wooden Woman

Time to carve out another creepy crummy, February themed love connection, this time from the October 1952 issue of Menace #8. Highlighted by some interesting art from Bob Fujitani, --but be warned, the print job here is a little murky in a few spots, so apologies to those who like to gripe about that sort of thing. I mean, I did my best to clean it up, and it's still a fun bit of hopeless doom for yet another smitten goon who gets everything he deserves for being the foolish f*#kin' fanged face freak that he is...

How to Win a Witch!

What would you do if you won a supernaturally powered redhead? I hope you have a better plan than 'ol lame brain Lester here, but also maybe there's a lesson or two to be learned from all of this macabre madness, as well! From the December 1972 issue of The Witching Hour #26.

High Priestess of the Snake People

Those darn Dames of Doom keep slithering out of the woodwork around here, as our month of Vicious Valentine Vamps continues! And just like the previous post, this story also comes from the September 1950 issue of Challenge of the Unknown #6 (which was in fact, the one and only issue of this title.) It is also fantastically illustrated by Frank Giusto who, I believe, is finally making his THOIA debut here! I may have to do a deep dive and see what else we can find by him for a future artist spotlight. Collectors of our Chilling Archives of Horror Comics hardcover collections may remember this gem from Mike Howlett's super awesome, and weirdly underrated Snake Tales book from 2016...

Villa of the Vampire

A recent Art Deco era discovery just added to The Karswell Kollection, reminded me of a crucial detail found in this beautifully illustrated Lin Streeter bloodsucker classic from the September 1950 issue of Challenge of the Unknown #6. Be sure to click the image at the end of the post for more...