We're less than a week away from the big day, and if you haven't popped on over to your local Halloween vendor yet, then you still have a little time to get yourself that perfect mask and costume! Perfect that is, unless you go here... from the May - June 1977 issue of The Unexpected #179.
It just wouldn't be Halloween without a vicious visit from the greatest monster of 'em all-- Frankenstein's Mobster Monster, that is! This dynamite, Jay Disbrow crime horror updating of the Mary Shelley classic is from the September 1952 issue of Shocking Mystery Cases #50, and is seriously packed with awesome art, and tight, uniquely compact story telling as only Disbrow seemed to know how to do (and all done in a mere 6 pages, no less too!) Star Comics definitely got their money's worth out of Jay (as well as utilizing L. B. Cole on those gnarly great covers), --it's just a shame they couldn't have used a better quality printer as nearly every single thing they ever published looks rotten. Oh well, hopefully this won't hamper damper everyone's overall joy and celebration of this oddly overlooked, Golden Age, creature feature monsterpiece!
You know what? Let's take a look at another Hangman story (see our previous post HERE too!) And if you're temporarily thrown off by the cute Mother Goose splash page, well, you shouldn't be, --because once this story gets going, 'ol Mama G literally becomes one of the creepiest Halloween-esque wicked witches in all of pre-code comicdom! Lots of great art and atmosphere, and some wildly violent moments in this one --plus! a couple of nice good girl moments courtesy of long-legged Thelma! But is The Hangman himself any more effective here than in our previous story? You'll just have to read it and find out for yourselves! From the August 1942 issue of Pep Comics #30, and with art possibly by Harry Lucey.
It just wouldn't be October without an Edgar Allan Poe post, or in the very least, a Poe inspired tale of terror. So instead of giving you the same old beat of a Tell-Tale Heart, or yet another murder in some rue-ish morgue someplace sorrowful, let's flip open a few fun pages from the January 1943 issue of Pep Comics #35, where The Hangman (he's a super hero, by the way) tackles another bird brain bad guy who's seriously flown the coop! The dark, shadowy hospital setting is nicely realized by the ever bad ass illustrative mastery of Bob Fujitani, --there's just a lot of great action art and eerie faces, not to mention an absolute load of lurid thrills 'n chills! You've likely never seen Poe presented quite like this before here at THOIA, and fans of The Spirit, Dr. Drew, etc are sure to get a kick (and maybe a punch or two) outta this one! And of course, if you require much more legitimate presentations of Poe's works, CLICK HERE for lots rots more in our archive...
Fans of "Sunday Bloody Sundays" (see the previous post), will undoubtably be head over heels with "Smash 'em Bash 'em Tuesdays", which is also a thing that I totally just made up. Yes, if you were beginning to believe that THOIA wasn't deliverin' the goods when it comes to splittin' open heads with monkey wrenches, --or if you thought we've been skimpin' on the rockin' redhead showgirls in skimpy clothing, --well then you've definitely come to the right place for both unholy plot points! From the October - November 1951 issue of Eerie #3.
