Séance of Horror!

As some of you know I’m on vacation this weekend. Not really, but it sounds good and gives me (and my scanner) a breather. In the meantime, THOIA’s most popular contributor and longtime chum, Brian Hirsch has submitted some terror treats for you including the long awaited return of fearless criminologist Lance Storm. Okay now, look at and read the splash… anyone else think the title of this story should come AFTER the opening narrative? Ooops.

From the September 1952 issue of Crime Mysteries #3

PS: Has yesterday's cover mystery "monster" indentity been solved? Read the comment from Habakkuk Zylbyrbutz in today's comments and tell us what you think.

Also, GCD currently has no information or even a page for the Crime Mysteries #3 issue… maybe someone out there who works with GCD can use the date info I provided and swipe my cover scan (below) and create a page for it?

UPDATE: Eagle eye reader The Oeconomist spotted the similarities between our Crime Mystery #3 cover and the cover for Spicy Mystery June 1935. Nice work!

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Also, here's a vintage ad about how atrocious a mother’s advice can be... or wait, is this an ad for religion? Whatever it is, and in case you didn’t know, the smartest / fastest way to your new girlfriend’s heart is to take her to church--- not nightclubbing, or fine dining, or hooking up in Clifton Hill. Silly me... I now see the error of my ways.

(Illustrated by an obviously embarrassed Frank Frazetta.)

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PRECINCT 20: DEAD STRANGE

For more terror tinged crime, author A. R.Yngve writes in: “…my "crime horror" short-story collection PRECINCT 20: DEAD STRANGE is available for FREE reading online HERE, and contains many stories where supernatural horror and the macabre clashes with ordinary policemen at a homicide division in an unnamed American city.”

Its cool stuff and note how each story is illustrated with an eerie black and white photo from the Library of Congress archives. Also available is A. R.Yngve's short-story collection THE FACE IN THE DOOR, in paperback from Café Press. Click HERE for more info.

Thanks for writing A.R.!

The Nightmare Monster!

Time for more rousing action and adventure, ripped from the dark 'n spooky annals of Crime Bustin’ Horror Mystery Comics, and who’s the current favorite around THOIA? Why, it’s none other than Lance Storm of course, appearing here for his third fist flyin’ time (also HERE and HERE) …but in today’s yarn he may have just met his match! Eh, probably not. Storm always takes a lickin’, but he sure keeps on tickin’.

From the July 1952 issue of Crime Mysteries #2

Thanks again to Brian Hirsch for the scans! Lance Storm returns next month just in time for Halloween, in: Seance of Horror!

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Vintage Acne Ads
And speaking of licking, meet the man who can tell YOU how to lick pimples! Ewww! Man, even back in the day, comic book publishers were spot-on about the naturally poor hygiene of their socially doomed, cursed clientele.

Revenge of Professor Zarno!

Back in June we first saw our hero Lance Storm tackle his mad scientist arch nemesis Professor Zarno and the Sons of Satan (HERE!) Well, the evil Prof is back, and this time he’s unleashed his lovely but lethal Suicide Doll Squad! It’s a super fun horror action tale, equal parts T3 meets Bava's Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (but without all the extra cheese.)

From the September 1953 issue of Crime Mysteries #9

Wanna see more Lance Storm horror adventures? Let me know!

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Vintage AD

Sons of Satan!

The earliest issues in Trojan’s entertaining Crime Mysteries series contained cover blurbs promising “Chilling Tales of Crime and Terror!” and occasionally the series delivered big with the horror chops. Today’s pick is like kid’s stuff though compared to the last two tales we’ve had here but it possesses a groovy satanic gimmick and features the heroically named Lance Storm (a re-occurring character in the CM run) battling his evil arch nemesis Professor Zarno and his devil-garbed gang of goons. This isn’t rocket science folks, just good ‘ol crime bustin’ fun from page one, and the cover of this issue is one of my all time pulp-ish favorites!

From the May 1953 issue of Crime Mysteries #7

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Bonus one-page quickie from Ace Comics' Hand of Fate series.

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With God (AD)Not to reign on anyone’s satanic parade today but here’s a wildly inappropriate, completely out of place religious ad that one could commonly find in pre-code comics… this one for example can be found in Dark Mysteries #13 on the inside cover page opposite the insanely evil, gore soaked opening splash for Horror of the Mixed Torsos! Let’s see, shall I open a whole new world of faith and spiritual understanding through Jesus Christ, or scare myself silly with brutal acts of depraved torture and dismemberment?

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Coming Next in July: We’ll be spending the entire month celebrating the first year of THOIA! (July 12th is the actual anniversary.) And to mark this momentous occasion we’ll be featuring not one, not two, not three, but 4 FULL ISSUES! Add to that a entire week of zombie tales, a sci-fi weekend, and more! This could be our scariest, hairiest month ever!

And starting tomorrow its the complete Dec/Jan '52-'53 issue of Eerie #10 featuring stories and artwork by Everett Raymond Kinstler, A. C. Hollingsworth, Harry Lazarus, and more! Here’s a preview…