The Venus of Ille

As long as the sinister statues are rampaging this week (HERE), might we allow a fine female form of art to get in on the bone crushing action as well? This is a nicely told tale from the July - August 1951 issue of Weird Adventures #2, and is based on the classic short story by Prosper Merimee (read it HERE!) Art on this one is by the ever underrated, Bob Jenney, who started out his illustrative career way back in the late 30's working on pulps and young adult books. After the war, he continued steadily producing quality visuals for nearly every big name publisher in the biz, rounding out his career in the late 60's with Creepy and Eerie classics for Warren Publications. Longtime THOIA followers might remember his tremendous Dell adaptation of The Creature from the Black Lagoon that we featured HERE in 2010...

The Night the Statues Walked

Time for one of Lou Cameron's better, oft reprinted / reworked Ace classics, originally from the July 1953 issue of Web of Mystery #19 (as seen here.) This is a fast paced, ferocious tale of rampaging statues in a spooky old museum, and is seriously as funny at times as it is brutal. Tales of grotesque golems on the loose are no stranger to THOIA, or Hollywood for that matter, because once the military get involved here this story begins to remind me of IT! (1967) starring Roddy McDowell. Thinking about it even more, this Cameron crusher would have been a fun project for Ray Harryhausen to bring to life upon the silver screen-- what he created with the terrifying Talos statue in Jason and the Argonauts (1963) is unforgettable and forever frightening.

I, the Coffin

Like our previous post, here's another story that already slumbers eternally in the THOIA Archive (since 2010 HERE!), but alas, it was also a black and white, Eerie Pub repo version from the 60's. So, time now to re-Earth this little gem as it originally appeared in the May - June 1954 issue of Fantastic Fears # #7, and pry it wide open in all of its full, gasping, casketty colors, (as well as giving some of you long time followers a chance to finally comment on it as well.)

Insane

It recently occurred to me that I've never posted this whack-a-doodle tale in its original, July 1954 Weird Chills #1 color version here at THOIA. Sure, you can read the black 'n white repo version HERE in the 2012 Archive, and also believe to yourself that it's good enough-- but what are ya, CRAAAAZY?!! (Story art by Eugene Hughes, cover art by Bernard Baily.)

The Moon Bat

It's time once again to blast-off into the deepest, battiest parts of ominous outer space with a fun sci-fi / horror hybrid from Charlton's short-lived, oddball, final issue of Space Western Comics #45, via August 1953. Artist credits go to Stan Campbell who also appears to have illustrated every story in this ish, as well as that great cover! And what a wildly smart mix of cowboys, science, monsters --and mmm-mmm-mini-skirts on the moon! Plus, a very funny final panel that left even cranky 'ol Mr. Karswell a'howlin' out loud!

Case of the Horrible Hearse

While I'm working on a larger / weirder post arriving Wednesday, let's take a speedy quick trip into the supernatural with this frightening, 3 page "Uncanny Experiences" filler tale, via the April - May 1953 issue of Out of the Night #8. I have a "hunch" that you'll enjoy the visuals here by ever reliable ACG all-pro, Art Gates. Now buckle up for what's destined to be one helluva bumpy ride-- YAAGH!!

The Coffin

It's been a while since my fellow horror host chum, Mister Mystery stopped by with one of his own terrible old terror tales to tell! So let's set sail on a nightmarish sea of screams, errr dreams, and find out what awaits in this creepy coffin... from the November 1951 issue of Mister Mystery #2.