The Witch's Wound

One of the better posts you'll be reading here at THOIA this month is this superbly written tale of unleashed supernatural fury from the October 1951 issue of Weird Adventures #3. John Guinta does a damned fine job with the artwork as well, --I mean, just take a look at that demonically dazzling center panel on page four! I had originally planned on posting this a bit closer to Halloween, but after reading it again last night I just couldn't wait to get it uploaded. GCD believes the masterful cover design could be courtesy of Mike Esposito.

Master of Masks and Mystery!

May was such a grueling month of hideous, downbeat horror tales, I thought maybe kicking off June with some kid friendly fun could really shake things up around here! And don't for a single second think just because it's Spiderman in a haunted house that this one doesn't deliver the chills-- the final twist panel, in fact, makes this story very worthy of its inclusion here at THOIA. From the Dec. 1974 issue of Spidey Super Stories #3, with art by Win Mortimer and Mike Esposito!

The Subway Terror!

Traveling across state lines to hook up with a minor is absolutely a monster level no-no, but some people have to learn the hard way! Wait a second, that's not what this story is about, --that's the other "Subway Terror" currently serving 15 years in prison. Anyway, the terrors presented in today's post are just as despicably awful, so hang on tight as Mister Mystery himself takes you down down down into an equally low level, where other unseen monsters live among us. From the Nov. '51 issue of Mister Mystery #2, art by Mike Esposito.

The Man Who Beat the Devil

Walpurgisnacht is just a few days away, and as we descend into the final, sizzlin' stretch, it's suddenly time to beat the Devil! Okay, is this really a thing that's possible to accomplish? Read along, ya crazy know-it-alls cuz you may be surprised, although this is a pre-code horror story, so I'm fairly certain you already have the correct answer. Horns for Andru and Esposito though, and the December 1954 issue of Mysterious Adventures #23 ...some of you Haunted Horror Heads might remember this from the April 2013 issue of HH#4 too!

The Slaying of Joshua Sprague!

There's a lot to beware this November here at THOIA, as I've suddenly decided to keep the blasphemous Beware! Terror Tales train a'rollin' for a few more posts, anyway. And this is an eerily illustrated Andru / Esposito classic with a gnarly mix of satanic supernatural, time travel, and brutal execution-- seriously, don't read this if you have a splitting headache! From the July 1952 issue of Beware! Terror Tales #2. CLANG!

Love from a Plant

THOIA follower, Otto, emailed me looking for some answers to a comic cover he remembered seeing at a grocery store over half a century ago, and I believe this Ross Andru / Mike Esposito pair-up from Mystery Tales #16 (1964) fits the bill. Now if you clicked the GCD link in the previous sentence, you undoubtably noticed that the story itself actually originated in the Sept '52 issue of Tales of Horror #2, that's because Mystery Tales #16 is simply a complete reprint of that entire issue, just with brand spankin' new cover art. This story also found its way into Haunted Horror #4 in 2013.