Apologies for the delay, but I'm finally back up after a week of crummy internet connection. I was also attempting to dig up some better quality scans of this particular story (they're pretty small rez, still very readable though), as my usual / occasional donator hasn't been available, so we'll just have to make due with these "Famous Tales of Terror" images for now. From the December 1944 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #4, and starring Edgar Allan Poe himself even!
Continuing with the Edgar Allan Poe entries of "Famous Tales of Terror", this time around from the November 1944 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #3. There are a lot of nightmarishly fun visuals here, and hey, if you need help decorating for a Halloween party next year, be sure to refer back to this story...
We've been digging into these "Famous Tales of Terror" stories via Yellowjacket Comics, so we might as well knock out the few remaining entries as well for the next couple of posts. Consider this an early xmas present, because they're all Poe tales to boot! And we'll start it off exactly where Charlton did, from the September 1944 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #1 with-- The Black Cat! Stay tombed for more!
We ended last month with a Tale of Terror, so lets keep it rollin' into December with a deadly double feature from the Golden Age of Charlton comics! And like our last entry, both of these are also illustrated by the wonderfully low-fi hand of Alan Mandel (god, even his signature feels childish, haha...) and we get yet another weirdly wishful variation of the 'ol tragic Monkey's Paw tale, from the February 1946 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #8. And after that, it's time to endure the selfish shenanigans of a thievin' group of brutal bastards, via the April 1946 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #9. Yes, my fellow fiends, --"The Old Witch" strikes again!
Goin' waaaay back to the January 1946 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #7, to find this goofball Golden Age superhero series actually contains a few fright-filled / filler spook yarns under a "Famous Tales of Terror" title. Not only that, it features a truly horrible horror host called "The Ancient Witch." The artwork here by Alan Mandel is so hilariously amateurish that the whole Z grade production (like the avenging hand itself) practically takes on an entirely new awesome life of its own-- like lovably bad underground indie art of the 70's and 80's, —and the tough guy gangster talk highlighted with some splashes of blood give it all a little extra poverty row punch. Enjoy!
