THE HORRORS OF IT ALL

Rendezvous With Doom

2012-01-30T08:26:00.000-06:00

One more from the lucky numbered Haunted Thrills #13 (Jan. '54.) Most of the stories from Farrell Comics seem to wallow in the ugly and grim, but this tale, refreshingly enough, actually makes a few attempts at some laughs too.

Death Do Us Part

2012-01-25T20:00:00.000-06:00

From the January 1954 issue of Haunted Thrills #13, it's your not so typically tragic tale of boy meets girl - girl falls in love with boy - boy feels trapped / creepy - no escape - annnnnd oh wait, did I mention the girl is a baboon?! Excerpt: "Tasha came back and put one paw on my arm! There was something in her eyes I did not like, somehow! It was almost as though I belonged to her now..." *shudders* --now I got the creeps!

ZOMBIES

2012-01-23T21:47:00.000-06:00

They're coming to get you-- ZOMBIES! Edited and designed by Eisner winner Craig Yoe with an introduction by the host of the popular "The Horrors of It All" vintage comics blog, Steve "Karswell" Banes, Zombies follows in the footsteps of the "Dick Briefer''s Frankenstein" and "Bob Powell''s Terror" as the third not-to-be-missed book in The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics!

From the banned 1950s horror comics that Dr. Fredric Wertham of the U.S. Senate and mothers didn't want innocent children to devour comes a terrifying and timely anthology of comics of the undead... Zombies. These gruesome mini-masterpieces are hauntingly delineated by some of the Golden Age''s greatest artists: Jack Cole, Bob Powell, Howard Nostrand, Wally Wood, Gene Colan, Lou Cameron, Reed Crandall, and others at their very best. The nightmarish scripts of the unstoppable living dead will make your spine freeze over in terror!

Publication Date:
May 22, 2012 --click HERE to pre-order from Amazon NOW!

Fear of the Witch

2012-01-21T09:45:00.000-06:00

Here's a unique, somber story of possession with an equally unique and interesting ending. What would you do in this situation with a busy blonde beaver by day - sexy satanic succubus by night? (Best answer wins something from the Karswell Kollection!) From the May / June 1954 issue of Haunted Thrills #15.

Do Not Feed / Down Down Down

2012-01-19T00:01:00.001-06:00

Two warped Atlas tales from the watery depths of weirdness, our first fishy freak originally presented in the Aug. '52 issue of Advs into Weird Worlds #9, and the second from the March '54 issue of Marvel Tales #21.

(Vintage AD)

Ghoul's Gold

2012-01-15T08:17:00.002-06:00

Way back in Feb 2009 I posted a creepy Ace tale illustrated by Dick Ayers called "Ghoul's Gold", now today we have one for you with the same title from the May 1952 issue of Astonishing #13 featuring art by the great Bernie Krigstein. (Special thanks to Paul Tumey for sharing his scans!)

The Brain That Wouldn't Die

2012-01-12T08:48:00.001-06:00

Not to be confused with the cult classic B-film from 1962 of the same name, today's tale from the January 1954 issue of Web of Evil #10 makes a gloriously revolting mess of science as only pre-code horror knew how.

Kill No More!

2012-01-07T10:30:00.001-06:00

Here's a weird one from Abe Simon, also from the July 1952 issue of Black Cat Mystery #37. I have to say, the Kremer cover on this issue is one of the single greatest pre-code Harvey works of art ever: gorgeous girl, scary zombies, and a story blurb engraved on a tombstone! It definitely doesn't get much better than this...

The Moth / Ghastly Awards

2012-01-04T18:24:00.002-06:00

The July 1952 issue of Black Cat Mystery #37 contains this ghastly tale of buggy wuggy horror, awesomely illustrated by the great Warren Kremer... could've swore I posted this in the past, thanks to JT for reminding me that I actually had not. And Happy 2012, (whether its been happy or not so far.)

NEWS! What's the Ghastly Awards, you ask? Click HERE to find out the ghastly details!

Lord of the Tattered Realm

2011-12-28T10:58:00.001-06:00

Ending 2011 with one final Ace tale, the magnificently illustrated "Lord of the Tattered Realm" from the Aug '54 issue of Hand of Fate #24. See you all in 2012, and as always, keep those comments and emails coming-- lots of big things in store for THOIA and precode horror fans in the coming year!

Strange Gift from the Unknown

2011-12-25T00:01:00.002-06:00

Of all the strange gifts you'll receive this year, none shall be as strange as today's gift, courtesy of your fiends here at THOIA... from the December 1953 issue of Hand of Fate #21. Have a merry, scary, happy horriday, creeps!

TWO BONUS QUICKIES!

Phantoms of the Forgotten

2011-12-22T09:30:00.000-06:00

A con man resurrects a rip roarin' posse of old west poltergeists, in this weird 'n wild tale from the December 1953 issue of Hand of Fate #21 (art by Louis Zansky.)

Whom the Image Strikes

2011-12-18T11:01:00.002-06:00

Keeping things Ace around here for a few more posts, and how about another one from the March 1952 issue of Hand of Fate #22. Never has a story exposed the petrifying pros and corny cons of dabblin' in demonlogy as today's foolishly freaky feature!

BONUS QUICKIE!

***R.I.P. DON SHARP***

To Behold His Doom

2011-12-13T08:36:00.000-06:00

The March 1952 issue of Hand of Fate #22 is a winner, containing not one, but TWO Lou Cameron tales. So behold today's doomed classic, and then hit the THOIA archive for "The Night of Friday 13" which I posted way back in June of 2008 right HERE. I'll have another one from this issue in our next post too!

The Last Hiding Place

2011-12-10T00:01:00.001-06:00

How good was Lou Cameron you ask? Let these next few Ace Publication posts be the answer to that question. From the December 1954 issue of Hand of Fate #25b, aka #26 (apparently there was some kind of numbering error with this final issue of Hand of Fate.)

BONUS QUICKIE!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

The new book from author and official RANKIN/BASS historian Rick Goldschmidt is out NOW, and covers everything you ever wanted to know about the spooky, kooky, 1967 Animagic classic-- MAD MONSTER PARTY!!

A fantastic, highly recommended book, featuring 272 pages and over 300 images (many never before published) of photos and rare concept sketches and storyboard artwork, plus, the original shooting script in its entirety, sheet music for the wonderful songs, the complete Mad Monster Party Dell comic book, behind the scenes interviews and insight from the cast and crew (Jack Davis, Don Duga, Maury Laws, etc.) and much, MUCH MORE! Click HERE for all the details and to order your copy today!

Specters Stalk the Bloody Tower

2011-12-07T11:27:00.001-06:00

Another tale of vengeful specters, with a welcoming touch of history spanning detail that only a few of the better pre-code horror publishers like Ace even bothered with back in the day. From the February 1953 issue of The Hand of Fate #16.

Bonus Quickie

Specters of the Dam

2011-12-04T21:55:00.002-06:00

One more ACG tale from the brief, but very cool Skeleton Hand series, and this story, despite a few kookball moments, has some really slick, moody art from the boldly dynamic Paul Cooper (Lambiek has brief, but interesting notes on him HERE.) From the May-June 1953 issue of Skeleton Hand #5.

Vintage AD

Terror House / The Body

2011-12-02T19:14:00.000-06:00

A few months ago I promised someone a Skeleton Hand story, so sincerest apologies as I'm just now getting around to it. And actually, I have two tales for you from the July-Aug '53 issue of Skeleton Hand #6 (the last issue from this series) featuring two great ACG artists, Lin Streeter and Jon Blummer.

The Black Dungeon

2011-11-30T11:50:00.000-06:00

THOIA's beastly "Month to Beware" concludes with another Atlas reprint, this one from the May '74 issue of Beware! #8 (originally presented in the May '51 issue of Mystic #2.) This is a sprawling, eerie 8-pager with some nice Mike Sekowsky art, especially the stunning, but totally irrelevant splash.

Forever is a Long Time!

2011-11-27T11:45:00.000-06:00

Our Month to Beware takes a detour into Atlas reprint territory, specifically, Marvel's "Beware!" series from the 70's. This is a super nice looking story from Larry Woromay, originally presented in the Jan. '53 issue of Adventures into Weird Worlds #14, later reprinted in the Sept. '73 issue of Beware! #4.

Appetite for Death

2011-11-24T00:01:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving 2011 friends, and as you prepare to gorge yourself on the usual trimmings and holiday trappings today, take a moment to sink your teeth into another terrible tale from the November 1954 issue of Beware #12. This tainted turkey is sure to tantilize your trembling tastebuds with an--

Stone Dead

2011-11-22T09:29:00.000-06:00

A three-time loser stumbles upon a clever con job concept (one that you just know will backfire in face), in this weirdly fun Morey / Moritz tale from the November 1954 issue of Beware #12.

The Middle Toe

2011-11-19T16:40:00.002-06:00

The Middle Toe of the Right Foot is an excellent ghost story written over 100 years ago by the great Ambrose Bierce. Ed Goldfarb's visual attempt at bringing this tale to life in the August 1952 issue of Beware #11 falls a bit flat, (especially the final revelation), but for you issue completists this is the fourth and final story from this one--- yes, another complete issue posted here at THOIA! The other stories in the archive are: Wrestling with Horror, The Horror Heads, and the truly awesome The Murderous Mimics! And if you're interested in checking out the original Bierce tale click HERE!

Bob Powell's Terror is Here!

2011-11-16T20:10:00.001-06:00

Cult favorite Bob Powell was a master 1950s horror cartoonist delineating some of the most imaginative and incredibly drawn comics in the genre. His terrifying ghouls were as gruesome as his tantalizing girls were gorgeous!

The introduction is by Eisner winner Craig Yoe and details Powell's comics career with extensive and revealing quotes from a recently discovered manuscript about his work penned by Powell himself. The front matter is profusely illustrated with rare ephemera and flawless reproductions of Powell's original art. Bob Powell's Terror prints a generous amount of horror comics stories carefully scanned and reproduced from vintage horror-era comics! This beautifully designed, 148-page, library-quality, full-color hardback book is Volume 2 in The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics series. Available in comic stores NOW, or get your copy online by clicking HERE!

Wrestling with Horror

2011-11-16T10:36:00.000-06:00

Nov. '11 is our "Month to Beware" and we're looking at select tales from this entertainingly silly horror comic book series until we can't handle anymore (um, I think we're getting pretty close actually with today's entry.) SEE! Mad science at its MADDEST! SEE! A grizzly bear turned into a watch dog! SEE! An ape with a human brain vs. man in the ring of death! SEE! A wrestler's blue shorts turn into tighty-whities for one panel mid-battle! From the August '52 issue of Beware #11 (Vince Napoli gets the art credit.)

The Stolen Soul

2011-11-12T10:18:00.001-06:00

Despite Gerald Altman's wildly uneven art in this one, it's a fun, offbeat tale about a dummy carved from a stolen cemetery casket, and the weird affection the little fella holds for his home, aka the grave. This is the last tale from the May 1953 issue of Beware #15, hope you enjoyed it (the entire issue is now posted.)

The Swamp Horror

2011-11-09T09:35:00.002-06:00

From the contents page of the May 1953 issue of Beware Vol. 1 #15, (story by Richard Kahn and drawings by Harry Harrison): "What was this nameless, dreadful creature that Prof. Crandall unearthed from the murky slime? It devoured all human beings who ventured into the territory of doom!" Yes, it's a squishy tale of soggy science, and be sure to cover your ears when the bunny goes CRUNCH! YAAAAH!

Vintage AD

Never Call a Ghost

2011-11-05T20:21:00.001-05:00

John Forte's contribution to the May 1953 issue of Beware #15 is a goofball ghost pirate tale (did you know that ghosts can't cross a running brook?!), and in keeping with the theme of the rest of this issue, it's alot more funny than it is scary. Two more stories to go from this one, and it only gets goofier from here on in...

The Faces of Death

2011-11-02T11:47:00.001-05:00

For the next few posts we'll be looking at the May 1953 issue of Beware #15 in its entirety. It's actually issue #3, but apparently back in the day publishers like Trojan purposefully "jump-numbered" their comics in hopes of appearing as if they'd been around longer. Beware was a notorious series, singled-out in SOTI as a prime example responsible for desensitizing children with graphic images of brutality. Among the scuzzy artwork, and ham-fisted writing, this issue certainly has it's moments...

Another "face of death" made a rare appearence this year, terrorizing unsuspecting trick 'r treaters and stealing not only their souls, but also their candy! The hunt for Karswell continues...

Payment in Full! / The Little Witch

2011-10-31T00:24:00.003-05:00

Two ACG tales to wrap up October 2011! Yes, we started off the month with a little monster, now for Halloween I give you some Art Gates fun with "The Little Witch", from the Feb '53 issue of Adventures into the Unknown #40. If that one isn't scary enough for you (and I'm sure for most of you it won't be), let's first shriek a peek at "Payment in Full!" from the Feb '53 issue of Forbidden Worlds #14, illustrated by the wonderfully bizarro, incredibly underrated Jon Blummer... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

And don't miss the "Weeny Witch"
over at AEET, click HERE!

Adventures into Witchcraft

2011-10-27T09:16:00.000-05:00

I told you we'd be delving into the witchcraft this week, in fact, we're going to make an eerie adventure out of it! And here's a freaky fun one from Harry Lazarus and the Oct-Nov. 1952 issue of Out of the Night #5, highlighted by a menacing redheaded spirit and a cool, creepy twist on the voodoo doll.

And for those of you lucky enough to live in Los Angeles, Friday night, Oct. 28th, the Captured Aural Phantasy Theater are resurrecting another rousing night of pre-code horrors brought to screaming life on the stage. Witness jolting tales of terror from such great titles as Shock Suspenstories, Astonishing, Strange Mysteries, and many more surprises! Click HERE for more info!

It Won't Come Back Until Midnight

2011-10-24T00:01:00.003-05:00

One week until Halloween, and to prepare we'll be diving headfirst into the demonic depths of weird witchcraft, kicking it off with this undead classic from the Dec. '52 issue of Web of Mystery #16.

BONUS!

The Monster

2011-10-21T22:03:00.000-05:00

Finale tale from the premiere issue of Monster #1 (1953.) There was only this one and an issue #2 before the series was sadly cancelled, a real pity too because it obviously started off pretty damn good. And for those paying extra attention, this concludes another full-issue presentation here at THOIA (see also: "The Philosopher's Stone", "Traitor's House", and "The Mirror.") Beginning next week, we'll start heavily digging into the witchcraft as we inch closer and closer to Halloween!

The Philosopher's Stone (Dr. Drew)

2011-10-16T22:00:00.001-05:00

Another phenomenally illustrated tale from Fiction House's Monster #1 (1953), and of course Jerry Grandenetti needs no introduction, but I will say that if you enjoy this entry from the Dr. Drew case files, you may also want to hit up the THOIA Archive afterwards (if you haven't already) and take a look at "The Strange Case of the Absent Floor" as well as "The Witch's Doll."

And don't miss Melvin Monster
over at AEET-- click HERE!!

Traitor's House

2011-10-13T23:59:00.000-05:00

Here's a freaky one for you from Fiction House Magazine's Monster #1 (1953.) And as you can see in the bottom righthand corner of the splash, art credits go to Anthony D'Adamo, who manages to pull out a number of wonderfully eerie moments throughout (note: under the art direction of Jerry Iger no less!), most noteably, in the page 5 panel of the guy trapped in the see-thru casket, as well as the insane materialization of evil spirit faces on the final page. I'll have another tale from this issue in our next post too...

The Creature

2011-10-09T11:55:00.001-05:00

From the April 1952 issue of The Thing Vol. 1 #2, lurks a weird, colorful creature feature from Albert Tyler and Bob Forgione, a team that paired-up on quite a few of the more wildly memorable moments in pre-code horror history. Thought I already posted this story years ago... but apparently I did not. Or did I?

The Vampire's Coffin! / Johnny's Last Jump!

2011-10-06T22:17:00.001-05:00

And finally the two remaining tales from the Sept. '53 issue of Mystery Tales #15 ...one a goofy vampire story from DiPreta (um, how do you close the coffin lid with a 4 foot stake stickin' outta the chest, anyway?!), --and secondly, a harrowing tale of two chums on the run, highlighted by some super fine dialogue, ie: "Head North, Egghead, and don't take your foot off the floorboard!"

Click HERE for some
SPOOKY MAGIC!

The Little Monster / "SHHHH!"

2011-10-02T20:44:00.000-05:00

Sounded like some of you wanted to see what the rest of Mystery Tales #15 (September '53) was all about-- so here ya go! Benulis & Abel kick off our October 2011 festivities with some tentacled terror from "The Little Monster", followed by a senses shocking Dick Ayers classic simply titled "SHHHH!" PS: I'll have the last two stories from this issue in our next post later this week.

The Man in the Tank!

2011-09-30T08:42:00.001-05:00

Friend of THOIA, Alex Grant, emailed me recently looking for an Atlas horror tale which turned out to be this masterfully illustrated Everett Raymond Kinstler criminal classic (and possibly the only story Kinstler ever did for Atlas), from the September 1953 issue of Mystery Tales #15.

Dragula, Queen of Darkness

2011-09-26T21:54:00.000-05:00

***ADULTS ONLY!!*** If you've missed the recent posts over at AEET, we're celebrating Halloween a month early there by "Skipping September" altogether and jumping right into the spooky stuff. This also includes the kooky stuff, and no one was kookier than National Lampoon Magazine, who unleashed their great, all "HORROR" issue in November 1971. For obvious reasons I saved this Neal Adams illustrated vampire spoof classic for posting here at THOIA, add to that the additional cover art by Frank Frazetta, as well as a pulpy bonus image from Gray Morrow-- and well, this is definitely one hell of a fun issue! See more HERE!

The Improved Kiss / Mirror Image

2011-09-23T12:59:00.002-05:00

Finishing out our Weird Terrors Fest with a Double Header from the Nov. '53 issue of Weird Terror #8, the first gory tale from Marty Elkin, and the sweaty second one being of course from Rudy Palais (too soon for another Palais story at THOIA already??!! NEVER!) Another full issue down as well, the other stories from this one already in the Archive: "Blood of the Bat", also by Palais, and "Step into My Parlour" from Al Tewks .

Mask of Medusa

2011-09-17T14:43:00.002-05:00

Somehow I never got around to this eerie Pete Morisi tale from the September 1953 issue of Weird Terror #7, the rest of the issue can be found in the THOIA Archives: Turnabout, Evil Ones, and Concrete Coffin, (the last two stories are both by Don Heck, +2 page text story art.) Lots more Morisi in the Archive too, use the search engine and check him out! Another COMPLETE issue posted!

PLUS! Fans of Edward Gorey should head over to AEET for a macabre little Satanic tale of terror! Lose your soul by clicking HERE!

Day of Doom

2011-09-14T11:09:00.000-05:00

Everyone seems to be enjoying these Weird Terror tales, so let's keep it going for a few more posts. And wow, digging through my collection I realized I've come close to presenting a few other complete issues from this creepy crazy Comic Media series, so let's finish up the May 1954 issue of Weird Terror #11 with this one remaining Bill Discount tale about The Bomb... fyi: the other 3 stories from this issue already in the THOIA Archives are: "Mark of the Brute" and "Satan's Love Call" (both by the great Don Heck), and speaking of evil history repeating itself-- "Hills of Horror", is actually just a re-titled and slightly re-colored version of Murder Mountain, originally presented in the May 1953 issue of Horrific #5.

Cover art by Don Heck

Vintage AD

Cemetery

2011-09-11T21:03:00.000-05:00

Last story from the July 1953 issue of Weird Terror #6... this is the second of two Al Tewks tales from this issue, and ooh boy, I don't even know where to begin with this one, I'm really only posting it as a means of completing another full issue request presentation. You'll see what I mean as you get a pretty decent story set-up, only to be ripped-off by one of the lamest "twist" endings in pre-code horror history. Also, I usually like a little more cemetery in my stories called "Cemetery."

Die

2011-09-09T19:30:00.000-05:00

Two down, two to go from the July 1953 issue of Weird Terror #6... here's the third entry from this whacked-out issue, and of course nothing in pre-code history defines "whacked-out" more than the uniquely disturbing, and strangely sexy art of the great Rudy Palais. Just look at that splash!

Vintage AD

Waterfront

2011-09-04T15:48:00.001-05:00

A violent Al Tewks tale from the July 1953 issue of Weird Terror #6 ...this one has stabbings, shootings, and a demonic dame wound around a goofy loser's rise and fall from power in Gangland USA.

Bonus Text Filler

Decapitation

2011-09-01T23:23:00.001-05:00

A friend of THOIA requested a rare Ajax / Farrell decapitation story that unfortunately I do not have (nor do any of my compadres in horror), but as luck would have it, recently I aquired a rather mangled copy of the July 1953 issue of Weird Terror #6 which does contain a rather mean-spirited decap tale by Kenneth Landau. Overstreet mentions this issue as containing "Dismemberment, decapitation, man hit by lightning." Okay, hands up: Whose mom would throw a fit about a man getting hit by lightning in a comic book??!! I think I would've mentioned "iron poker to the face" before the lightning.

Cover art by Don Heck

Bob Powell's TERROR: Yoe Books Cover Vote!

2011-08-30T10:09:00.001-05:00

The latest hardcover collection in Craig Yoe's "Chilling Archives of Horror Comics" book series focuses on legendary comic creator, Bob Powell. With his truly distinct, one of a kind style, Powell helped shape and define the Golden and Silver Age of comic books, working for the Eisner-Iger studios in the late 1930s and launching a multitude of timeless characters like Sheena and Blackhawk, as well as pencilling the now infamous "Mars Attacks" original trading card series, just to name a few. Yoe Books' covers all of this amazing comic book history and more, and then pummels you with a huge selection of terrifying stories from Powell's best pre-code horror work, (culled from Craig and Karswell's own private collections!) And now the big question: "

Which cover do we use for the book?

After you decide which of the 4 gruesome ghouls we should put on the cover, head over to Yoe Book's Facebook page to CAST YOUR VOTE! Simply click "like" on your frightful fave, and if we get over 100 voters, we will draw 3 names to win an autographed copy of the book! Please help spread the word, and if you're not a Facebook friend to Yoe Books already, simply go HERE and join all the other cool comic book creeps by clicking the "like" button!

NOTE: Voting ends Fri. Sept. 2nd at midnight. Winning cover and book winners announced on Monday September 5th at noon. Don't wait, VOTE NOW!!

Too Timid to Live / Davey and His Dame

2011-08-28T19:47:00.001-05:00

Time for "Bad Blondes Double Header Fest: Part Two", both tales from the Sept. '53 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #22 ...the first story may be signed by John Forte, but if you ask me, the Matt Fox assist completely removed all traces of anything even remotely resembling Forte's style. Then our second atmospheric tale is illustrated by one of my underated favorites, Cal Massey!

Cover art by Bill Everett

Murder Will Out! / Terror in the Tropics

2011-08-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

Whatever it was the Atlas bullpen had against blondes back in the pre-code days we'll never know, but one thing is for certain-- it's totally time for another long awaited / request filled THOIA Atlas Fest! And this time we pose this simple, themed question: "Do blondes really have more fun?" (ANSWER: Definitely not this week!) Our first traumatizin' tale is from the July '53 issue of Uncanny Tales #10, while the second is another warm-hearted charmer from the Feb '53 issue of Suspense #27.

Cover art by Russ Heath

Cover Art by Carl Burgos

Hall of Mirrors

2011-08-20T10:01:00.000-05:00

Dick Briefer. Nuff said, eh? From the Feb '53 issue of Suspense #27.

The Slasher! / The Witness!

2011-08-17T12:09:00.001-05:00

Two cheap, but undoubtably fun Atlas style knock-offs, both from Toby / Minoan Publishing Corp's Dec. '53 issue of Tales of Horror #8. I was going to wait until August 24th to post these stories (for reasons you'll see on page 4 of "The Slasher!") but I didn't have anything else ready to go today so it's a double header, (Jack Sparling art on the second story), plus some cool old ads too.

Seance of Terror!

2011-08-12T13:20:00.000-05:00

Way back in November of 2008 we had ourselves a screaming Seance of Horror! Now it's time again to dim the lights, gather around the table, put our fingertips together, and have a Seance of Terror! This is the last of the 3 stories from the April 1952 issue of This Magazine is Haunted #4 (see our last post for more info on the other two great tales from this super spine-chilling issue!)

Feeling a little dry around the veins lately? Need to sink your teeth into something extra juicy? Don't miss these recent Dracula and Vampira posts over at my other blog:

SEE! "The Art of Dracula by Harry Borgman"
SEE! Prettiest Vampire in Town"
And finally-- SEE! "What a Vampire Really Looks Like!"

The Constant Eye

2011-08-07T21:44:00.000-05:00

The April 1952 issue of This Magazine is Haunted #4 is one heck of a comic... for example, way back in May 2008 I posted the mind-melting Bob Powell nightmare-o-rama "The Blind, The Doomed, and the Dead!" (click HERE for it!) I'm not exactly sure why I waited 3 years to post this epic 12-page terror tale of a vengeful eyeball from the same issue-- and with gruesomely fun art possibly by the great Bernard Baily to boot, I do believe that it's time to unleash "The Constant Eye!"

***NEWS!!***

And speaking of Bob Powell, the next book in Yoe Books "Chilling Archives of Horror Comics" series is coming atcha this fall! Click HERE for more info and to pre-order from Amazon. You're sure to hear more about Craig Yoe's latest terror collection here at THOIA-- as Karswell himself has been called in for an assist! Stay Tuned!

?

2011-08-03T18:11:00.000-05:00

We ended July 2011 with the question of "Lady or the Tigress?" Now we kick off August 2011 with a simple question mark... I guess if this tale had actually been written in the last few years it would be called "WTF?!" From the January 1953 issue of Worlds of Fear #8.

***NEWS!***
Click HERE!

Lady or the Tigress?

2011-07-31T00:12:00.001-05:00

An interesting art style that I can't quite put my finger on (looks familiar, anybody know who this is?) is the highlight of this cool Cat People rip-off from the February 1953 issue of This Magazine is Haunted #9. (Love that transformation panel on page 6!)

***NEWS!***
(click HERE!)

Vampire's Daughter! / The Impatient Ghost!

2011-07-26T13:11:00.000-05:00

THOIA friend Robert Susor recently reminded me that there is still one story left for me to post called "The Impatient Ghost" by Dan Loprino from the June 1954 issue of Adventures into Weird Worlds #30, so here it is by request (fyi: check the archives for all of the other great yarns from this issue!) But first, let's open the coffin on a creepy blood sucker tale from the February 1953 issue of Strange Stories from Another World #5, --my oh my, isn't she lovely!

Cover art by
Norman Saunders

The Phantom Witch Doctor

2011-07-22T10:12:00.000-05:00

The title story from Avon's Phantom Witch Doctor #1 one-shot from April 1953 may produce a bit of jungle deja vu in some of you (see our last post), and is it just me, or does it look like a couple of different people worked on this story? The art isn't very consistant from one page to the next... oh well, the black and white illustrated content page by Everett Raymond Kinstler is as fantastically gorgeous as always! (Speaking of, for the weird Kinstler story from this issue, click HERE!)

100 DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN at AEET!

Dripping Terror / Out of the Deep!

2011-07-19T18:09:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the "horror on the high seas" can find its way after you, even OFF the high seas, as displayed in today's double doomed shock soakers. First up: "Dripping Terror" from the May 1953 issue of Beware! Terror Tales #7, (my copy ironically enough is a bit on the water damaged side), followed by "Out of the Deep!" from the April 1953 Avon one-shot Phantom Witch Doctor #1.

Lure of the Sea Hag

2011-07-16T14:17:00.000-05:00

The great Gene Colan passed away last month (June 23rd, 2011), but his amazing legacy lives on forever in some of the greatest comic books and artwork of all time. And while recently digging through my pre-code boxes in search of stories for a seperate project, I stumbled upon this tale in the July 1952 issue of The Beyond #13. It's unmistakeably an uncredited Colan classic, (and lucky for us, also fits nicely into our current "Horror on the High Seas" theme.) Dig the zombie close-up at the top of page 6, who else but Mean Gene could capture such a superbly weird look of horror and sadness on the face of the living dead?

Graveyard of Ghost Ships

2011-07-14T00:22:00.000-05:00

You asked for "more horror on the highs seas..." --and you got it. You asked for "more Lou Cameron..." --and you got that too! You didn't ask for a deadly hot ghost girl pirate, but I'm givin' one to ya anyway-- from the July 1953 issue of The Beyond #21!

The Moon was Red

2011-07-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

We're shambling along on our Ace Fest-- but suddenly our zombie shamble turns into more of a thundering stomp as the giant monsters arrive! This is another wild 'n weird one from the May 1953 issue of Web of Mystery #18, and as usual, the ever mindblowing Lou Cameron completely out does himself with stunning visuals and a tremendous amount of eye-poppin', gory detail, (even if today's snarling high seas horror does look like something right out of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.)

BONUS!

Corpses on Cue

2011-07-07T22:58:00.000-05:00

Here's another zonkers zombie post, this time from the May 1953 issue of Web of Mystery #18. A tale of voodoo and possession with really nice art, plus one of those "Wait, what just happened?!" endings. Say, who else besides me wants to hear The Amazing Criswell read the closing narrative in the final panel?

Master of the Undead

2011-07-05T14:15:00.001-05:00

Time to walk with the zombies, from the Sept. '53 issue of Baffling Mysteries #17. GCD thinks this might be Joe Orlando.

Wolves of Midnight / The Horrible Trade

2011-06-28T17:54:00.000-05:00

We've got a double shot of horrific animal horrors for you today from the Jan. '54 issue of Horrific #9. First, sink your weird fangs into the long awaited return of Rudy Palais to THOIA with "The Wolves of Midnight", followed by the jolting jungle jitters of "The Horrible Trade" from Marty Elkin. This will be another full issue for you completists, click HERE for Pete Morisi's "A Glimpse of the Pit" and more Elkin HERE for "Claws of Horror", as originally presented over at Killer Kittens back in 2009.

Singing Slaves

2011-06-20T09:25:00.000-05:00

The already horrific concept of slavery becomes even more horrific in this Don Perlin and Abe Simon classic, our last tale (featuring a dynamite final panel) from the May 1953 issue of Horrific #5.

Vintage AD

Smoke Spirit

2011-06-15T16:21:00.001-05:00

Another superbly simple, efficient tale of supernatural vengeance from the May 1953 issue of Horrific #5, featuring smokin' hot art from Kenneth Landau. Come back later this week for the last story from this issue "Singing Slaves", (and if you missed it, we posted Rudy Palais' "Death Kiss" back in January 2009, which will eventually make this another THOIA FULL-ISSUE Presentation, --including "Murder Mountain" from our last post.)

Vintage AD

Murder Mountain

2011-06-12T16:20:00.000-05:00

"Evil, like history, repeats itself..." says the intro to today's post, and coincidently enough, so do the plots of many pre-code horror stories. I particularly like this set-up though: two crooked thugs on the run unknowingly wander into a realm of supernatural terror, only to find there is no escape from their evil deeds, or in this case, from evil history. We've seen it before, we'll see it again, and I love it just the same everytime. From the May 1953 issue of Horrific #5.

Vampires Two

2011-06-08T20:57:00.001-05:00

Every so often there comes a tale that actually deserves the crummy print job to match the equally crummy story... this is not to say it's worthless reading though, no sir-- as we've all seen with most ramshackle Superior Publishers pre-code stories over the years here at THOIA, the badder the better, right? You'll see what I mean, (and thanks to Brian Hirsch for the last two pages of this one which are unfortunately missing from my copy.) From the January 1954 issue of Journey into Fear #17.

Beast of Bedlam

2011-06-05T00:13:00.000-05:00

Ask and you shall receive, (actually, I had planned to post this one next anyway, but yes, thanks for asking anyway!) The "Beast of Bedlam" is an ugly, centuries-spanning tale of cruelty, possession, and hair-pulling... as well as the last story to be posted from the January 1953 issue of Journey into Fear #11, (see our previous post "Miser in the Coffin", as well as "Terror in the Night" in our archive, and the excellent "Blood on Her Lips" that I donated to Killer Kittens back in 2008.)

Miser in the Coffin

2011-06-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

Father's Day is still about 20 days away, and the rotten old miser zombie ghost in today's post isn't coming back from the dead Creepshow-style for his Father's Day cake either, nope-- he wants his money! This is a typically fun 'n spooky entry from the consistantly batshit bonkerama that was Superior Comics (fyi: I LOVE page 4!) From the Jan. '53 issue of Journey into Fear #11.

Suicide Tower!

2011-05-29T00:16:00.009-05:00

It's been a few years since I posted a Dr. Thirteen "Ghost-Breaker" story, so here's a weird one, originally presented in the January 1952 issue of Star Spangled Comics #124, art by Leonard Starr.

The Civic Spirit

2011-05-26T10:48:00.000-05:00

Opposite forces of the supernatural face-off in this very clever (and very funny) ghost story from the April - May 1950 issue of Adventures into the Unknown #10 ...this one would've made a really great Topper plot back in the day.

BONUS!

The Boy Who Cried Wolf!

2011-05-23T14:49:00.000-05:00

Time for eight action packed pages of ghostly, Edvard Moritz fun, from the April - May '50 issue of Adventures into the Unknown #10. With its hilarious wise-crackin' dialog, tell me this wouldn't have made a great Bowery Boys film!

And be sure to check out Spacelord's new German website "Fifties Horror", all about our favorite subject around here-- pre-code comics! This one definitely gets the Karswell Scream of Approval!

Mirror of Hate / Dr. Death

2011-05-19T21:48:00.001-05:00

The theme today is "ghosts" with a few more choice selections from the September 1952 issue of The Unseen #6. Actually, the theme for the next few posts will be "ghosts" as well-- who you gonna call?

The Eerie Glen

2011-05-15T19:58:00.000-05:00

The last story in the September 1952 issue of The Unseen #6 is a moody one, you'll see the end coming long before poor Joe does, but that's the way the pre-code corpses crumble... and if that's not enough, how about a gorgeous one-page filler bonus story illustrated by Alex Toth!

The Madman's Music / The Storm!

2011-05-10T00:01:00.003-05:00

Here are the two non-Venus filler tales from Venus #17 and #19: "The Madman's Music" with spooky art by Pete Morisi, and "The Storm!" illustrated by Allen Bellman --a couple of simply told Atlas quickies revealing what eerily awaits below the earth, and the ocean.

The Stone Man!

2011-05-07T18:33:00.001-05:00

The finale story in our Venus Fest is an epic tale of giant Stone Men invading Earth's surface (think King Kong meets The Monolith Monsters), but as "rock hard" as things get, what's a lovely little lass like Venus to do to keep from getting all wet? Being a typically bonkers Bill Everett creation, I have to wonder if these bad boys made any additional comeback appearences in Sub-Mariner? From the Dec. '51 issue of Venus #17. I also want to thank Brian Hirsch again for these incredible scans-- hopefully Venus will return to THOIA in the future for another va-va-voom visit!

Tower of Death!

2011-05-05T12:21:00.001-05:00

Boppin' along with Bill Everett's beautiful blonde bombshell creation-- the ever vivacious Venus! I had planned to give you a double post today but ran out of time (sorry!) ...you'll just have to come back this weekend for the last story in our Venus Fest. From the December 1951issue of Venus #17. (Brian Hirsch scans.)