The Perfect Mate

We're shifting our gruesome gears for a bit and diving head 'n neck first into a week or so dedicated to Atlas precode horror now, --and by many numerous requests, I might add too! And the June 1952 issue of Suspense #19 is a good place to start, with a perfectly putrid love story that is sure to leave you definitely drained in The End. And boy oh boy, Jim Mooney sure could drawn one marvelous man-eater, eh? She almost looks like a Johnny Craig cutie in that ferocious, final panel...

Plague!

Ahhh, it's that time of year again already when everyone starts getting sick and infecting everything around them. Flu, strep, and crummy Covid (yes, it's still around and still very real) everywhere, so what's a fella supposed to do? That's right, grab your very best mannequin girlfriend and run for the hills! This is a real oddball Atlas entry from the Feb '53 issue of Uncanny Tales #5, --and one that Mr. Karswell can completely identify with!-- and according to the Atlas Tales page, "inspired by the Albert Camus novel, "The Plague" from 1947. 

The Death of a Puppet!

A superb Atlas entry from the March 1953 issue of Spellbound #13, with wicked art by Jim Mooney. Tales about puppets and dummies usually seem to contain the same old string-along story twists we've seen countless times before, but this one goes for the startlingly simple, yet highly effective extra implication gusto-- and all in 4 perfect pages too!

Dial "Z" for Zombie Contest Winners!

First up, an eerie encore presentation of an Atlas tale we posted way back in Sept 2009, art by Jim Mooney, and from the May '53 issue of Marvel Tales #114‏. 

New posts will resume when I get back from San Diego Con next week. And speaking of SD, don't forget to stop by the IDW booth and say hello to me and Craig, we've got copies of the ZOMBIES book, as well as EXCLUSIVE SD Con ZOMBIES buttons! Rumor has it that Karswell even unearthed a very limited number of THOIA tee-shirts-- so get there ASAP for one while supplies last!

And congratulations to our ZOMBIES Contest winners: Lenny S., Butch Rung, and Mr. C! They scoured the archive and discovered that Drazen's spooky illustration is a re-working of a great panel from "Lighthouse of the Dead" from the May 1954 issue of Web of Evil #14 (originally posted here back in Dec '08.) Gentlemen, please send me your mailing addresses, your books will be mailed next week. Mr. C has the grand honour of winning the original piece of Drazen Kozjan artwork as well! Thanks again to everyone that entered!

Insane / A World Gone Mad!

Insanity and madness have taken over THOIA today, and our first tale from the February 1954 issue of Adventures into Terror #28 (art by Al Eadeh of course) might just be the cure you need to finally cut loose and really become something you are not tonight! Followed by an appropriately themed holiday yarn, originally presented in the September 1956 issue of Adventure into Mystery #3.

Happy Halloween, you fiends!

In the Bag! (x2)

THOIA fills your treat bag a few days early this Halloween with a double load of gruesome goodies, and once again it's two Atlas tales that share the same baggy name! First up, a heady little Jim Mooney classic from the July 1952 issue of Spellbound #5, followed by Doug Wildey's wicked take on John Collier's excellent horror short story "De Mortuis" from the April 1954 issue of Adventures into Weird Worlds #28.

 Speaking of Atlas, Marvel just announced another volume from their pre-code Marvel Masterworks series: Atlas Era Strange Tales Vol. 4 hardcover, collecting Strange Tales issues #31-39, coming March 2011!

Dial "Z" for Zombie! / Android!

It's Horror vs. Science Fiction Day at THOIA, as John Kaminski submits a wickedly goofy Jim Mooney tale from the May '53 issue of Marvel Tales #114‏, and in return I've posted a S/F tale that he requested from the August '54 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #30. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a couple hundred phone calls to make...