Who's ready for one of the weirdest vampire stories ever posted around here? From the February 1954 issue of Dark Mysteries #16, and illustrated by none other than fearsome THOIA fan fave, Hy Fleishman! Okay, these ain't the greatest scans though, and I apologize, (they look as if they were also colored by a 4 year old with crayons!) Still, this is a wild one that will likely drive a few of you totally ape!
Today's story would've been a good one to save for a witchcrafty "Halfway to Halloween" presentation post. Unfortunately, we're still shivering in the first week of a very wintery March-- brrr! Ahh well, just imagine that it's actually Walpurgisnacht, or even Halloween itself, get into costume (don't forget the devil's bane!) and head on over for a party to end all parties properly-- with a black magic powered seance! And slow down a second now, or you'll forget to bring the catnip too! From the Dec. 1954 issue of Dark Mysteries #21.
I'm not sure what planet the creators of this story are from, but here on Earth worms don't look like a blobby grey melted bag of trash. Even the creature itself is all "wtf!" about it too. Ahhh well, putting that completely deranged detail aside, this story is still a wonderfully weird, formless mass of anxiety and color. It's the kind of thing that made early days stories from Master Comics so bizzare and surreal... and they definitely don't come much more bizarre than this one! From the October - November 1951 issue of Dark Mysteries #3.
Had ourselves a tough turkey decision to make this Thanksgiving, so now we're heading out for some seafood instead! Yep, things from the darkest depths make for a most delectable dish, but what if that thing from the deep wants to eat you back?!! A.C. Hollingsworth is in way over his head with this high seas horror hottie who's ringin' up the dinner bell on some modern day Ahabs that are literally beggin' for their just deserts and holiday desserts. From the October 1954 issue of Dark Mysteries #20. One more November helping up next...
Time to head for the macabre mountains in a simple but classic style "buddy betrayal" tale with a zombie zinger twist, via the October 1954 issue of Dark Mysteries #20. GCD thinks this might be illustrated by the great Doug Wildey, which honestly looks like a pretty guess to me... "AIEEEEEE!"
The Horrors of it All turns up the heat once more, as well as the hate, for a creepy-crispy, executioner tale of eerie evil from the October 1954 issue of Dark Mysteries #20. "When you're hot, you're hot," or so they say...
We've had a pretty full month of monsters this March: mummies, martians, ghosts, mannequins-- so howz'about we throw a vampire into the murderous mix too, shall we? Okay, now the Wood / Orlando cover of the August - September 1951 issue of Dark Mysteries #2 actually says "Vampire Fangs of Doom", but the story inside is simply called "Vampire Fangs." No worries though, the story itself still contains plenty of fangtastic doom --whichever way you sink your teeth into it! And after the story, head over to AEET where another lurid old vampire theme appears to be lurking around...
Spooky month is now in session (see all previous months as well because it's ALWAYS spooky month at THOIA!) --and let's roll out a real batso-wacko blood sucker weirdie fluttering all the way back to the June - July 1951 debut issue of Dark Mysteries #1! You freakier fans of Haunted Horror might remember we put this gruesome gem in the October 2013 issue of HH #7! And get a load of that Orlando / Wood cover art!
