Monday, July 14, 2025

The Old Woman

If you remember at the start of this month, we took a look at the superb, early 1940's work that Paul Reinman supplied for the Pep Comics' "Bentley of Scotland Yard" mysteries. And here comes Reinman again, 10 years later and still plugging away as strong as ever for Atlas, with a very unusual, wonderfully written, wildly drawn story via the Dec. 1951 issue of Suspense #12. And despite the somewhat aggravating, off-register printing here, I still freakin' love that odd, final page close-up of the old woman, not to mention that beautifully bleak ending...





Friday, July 11, 2025

Men with Fangs!

THOIA's Friday Freak-O-Meter has officially gone off the charts with this terrifically illustrated Joe Sinnott terrorama from the December 1952 issue of Suspense #25. And if the more observant of you out there are slowly starting to see a pattern with the posts developing here, well-- you may be on to something, finally... sheesh!

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Terror at Midnight

Summertime blues got ya down? How about a frigid lil Werewolf Wednesday fright fest to cheer ya's all up then? Manny Stallman turns on the weird winter transformational terrors with a truly hairy scary entry from the August 1952 issue of Suspense #21. And fyi, I have some more fanged-freak action up next as well, so do stay tombed, please...

Monday, July 7, 2025

The Perfect Mate

We're shifting our gruesome gears for a bit and diving head 'n neck first into a week or so dedicated to Atlas precode horror now, --and by many numerous requests, I might add too! And the June 1952 issue of Suspense #19 is a good place to start, with a perfectly putrid love story that is sure to leave you definitely drained in The End. And boy oh boy, Jim Mooney sure could drawn one marvelous man-eater, eh? She almost looks like a Johnny Craig cutie in that ferocious, final panel...

Saturday, July 5, 2025

The Case of the Vampire Murders

Let us now open one last case file from the luridly lively, pulp-fisted, Bentley of Scotland Yard series from Pep Comics. And up to this point, all of the stories we've seen so far have been from the later Paul Reinman illustrated era... well now we're rollin' the clock way back for an even early entry, via the September 1940 issue of Pep Comics #8, where we find that the great Sam Cooper has taken over the art duties. Everyone seems to have enjoyed these posts, so don't be surprised if Bentley pays us another visit sometime before the summer's end. Stay tombed, lots more on the way!

Thursday, July 3, 2025

The Case of Devil's Rock

We're spending the first week of July 2025 going through the awesome evil archives of Scotland Yard's greatest horror hit maker, the ever brave Bentley, --and here's another hot lil number from the January 1943 issue of Pep Comics #35! And no, he isn't taking on 80's heavy metal, or the PMRC, but *gasp!* blazin' 'ol Beelzebub himself in his unholy, bloody birthday suit-- or is it!? Can you solve the mystery in time, or will you Barnes it up in utter failure, and die trying?!! Go!

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

The Church Steeple Murders / The Case of the Crucified Policeman

A new month of macabre posts now begins, and we pick up where we left off back in June-- with more bloody 'n brutal Bentley of Scotland Yard cases directly from the crumbly 'ol crypt of crime! And this is a great 1942 double feature via Pep Comics #29 and #31 featuring some creepy cop crucifixion, -PLUS- a truly horrific church steeple impaling! Oooo that's gotta hurt! Can you solve both mysteries before Bentley himself reveals the terrifyin' truths? See for yourself! And each story features some of my absolute favorite Paul Reinman art ever, especially both of those jaw-dropping splash pages!