Death Comes in Small Pieces!

Last month we featured a few frightening tales set in a funeral home, and now today we descend down into yet another eerie embalming chamber for a sickening sneak peak at the lonesome, psychotic life of the absolute most deplorable mortician of all time. Yep, he's definitely got a few problems with a few people, not to mention a few rather macabre momentos hanging in his f-f-f-freezer. If you've ever wondered exactly how hard one person can literally F up everything they touch, well... here ya go! Marty Elkin goes full blast on the gory deets, and Dick Beck delivers one of the most iconic precode horror covers of the 50's, ever! From the April 1953 issue of Mysterious Adventures #13...

The She-Beast

We're heading back into the teeming, screaming jungle for another eerie, horror adventure encounter, and this time with the monstrously macabre maiden "REPTA" via the slithery, September 1953 issue of Horrific #7. And of course Marty Elkins art is always a welcome addition to the THOIA Archive, but just to further spice things up around here with something different, Mr. Karswell also welcomes the wild and wonderful work of master illustrator, Ruth Marten --see her incredible Alligator Girl painting at the end of this post! I also highly recommend her superb monograph collection, Ruth Marten: All About Eve, edited by Ina Dinter.

Perfect Mate / Once Upon a Corpse

If you're suddenly overcome with a creeping sense of deja vu, it's because yes, just last month we had another post also called "The Perfect Mate" (Atlas had a thing about re-using story titles!) But you have my word that this "perfect mate", from the August 1952 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #12, is quite different than the last one! And as mentioned in our previous post, today's Double Header is also a double shot of Marty Elkin eeriness, two atmospheric entries from the glorious, golden era of comic book shock spookery! Now, "Once Upon a Corpse", from the June 1952 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #11 might leave a few of you less imaginative fiends scratching your head in the end. But I like to think that 'ol Marty simply delivered one of the more original supernatural tales-- featuring a vampiric grave with an appetite all its own! Oh, did I just spoil it for you? Too bad...

Blood Lust

Some wild posts this month so far, eh? Why just this past week we've seen spiders, rosy shades, and now we're taking a bloody boat ride?! It must be summer finally-- but how exactly do vampires fit into this season, you ask? As surely as their teeth will fit into your lovely, pulsating necks, I assure you they do! And macabre Marty Elkins will now show you exactly how, just don't forget the Dracumine-- errr, I mean the Dramamine! From the July 1954 issue of Horrific #12.

Cry: Danger!

Time to look to the skies for some truly weird sci-fi horror thrills, and today they reign down from above via Marty Elkin and the September 1954 issue of Beware #11 --which also features a really great Myron Fass cover illustration!

Night Owl

Is there a genre for gory bowling themed horror? Well, there is now! Originally presented in the July 1954 issue of Horrific #6, (art by Marty Elkin), we actually reprinted this one in the June 2013 issue of Haunted Horror #5 and it's seriously one of the most insanely entertaining tales you've ever seen coming from a mile away-- twist ending wise, that is!

The Green Ones

The screams from the sickening, steamy old swamp continue with an eerie Marty Elkin transformation creature feature classic from the May 1954 issue of Horrific #11. I kind of wish we'd used this one in the Swamp Monsters book, but it's very similar in theme to a few other tales featured... and yes, you'll just have to get yourself a copy to see what I mean! (*hint hint) Click HERE for more info!