Dark Journey! / The Phantom Bus

POST UPDATE: I had a busy week (actually "traumatizing" might be a better word for it) and forgot that I had planned to make this a "dark journey" double feature, --so here's the other story I absent-mindedly left out: "The Phantom Bus" from the September 1952 issue of The Unseen #6. We repo'd this one in the July 2015 issue of Haunted Horror #18, but it somehow never made its way here to THOIA, despite being one of my George Roussos favorites. I also included a ghostly half-pager from the same issue, which may have already been posted here somewhere over the years, I fergit. And of course, from the July-August 1953 issue of Skeleton Hand #6, comes a creepy tale of witchcraft and time travel gone oh-so horribly wrong. And to be honest, that's exactly the way I like it. I also dig that this one feels more like an ironically humorous Atlas quickie, and less the typical ACG happy ending that we've seen around here so many times before. 

The Vengeance Vat

Sekowsky and Celardo team up for a supernatural witcheroo featuring lots of terrific Tothy visuals, via the vicious January 1953 issue of The Unseen #8 from Pines.

Wailing Woman in the Haunted Bed

Just a couple of one-page quickies found in various issues of Pines horror comics from the 50's for you today. And as I work on a larger story for our next post, realize that you still get La Llorna, some goofy grave stones, and a mattress of the macabre to tangle with! So hang in there, we'll be right back.

The Prophecy / The Black Candle

Queue up some Motorhead and prepare yourself for a quick and very vicious tale from the joltin' January 1954 issue of Out of the Shadows #11, featuring a scruffy but cool art collaboration by Jack Katz and Vince Colleta. And since it's kind of short, I went ahead and added a one-page Gene Fawcette quickie from the same great issue. "Read 'em and weep, the dead man's hand again..."

The Secret One

Okay, time to get August 2023 goin', and let's kick it off with a weird Jack Katz monstrosity-- one that dines on the fresh flesh of the dead! I seriously hope you've all finished your breakfast. From the Oct '52 issue of Out of the Shadows #6.

Horror's Little Acre

Here's another expertly illustrated tale of creeping, cursed terror, especially in the gnarly, 'ol killer tree department! Lots of atmospheric lay-outs and nice detail by Ruben Moreira, though most of the dialog is a bit unintentionally hilarious: ("Those two love birds must be mangled and dead by now!") haha, that line really cracked me up. From the August 1952 issue of Adventures into Darkness #5, plus a spooky little bonus one-pager from the same issue.

Don't Let Me Kill

Pines pretended like their 1953 one-shot, "Who Is Next?" was a comic book series, labeling the sole issue as #5 (a sly fast one that quite a few publishers actually practiced), and-- assuming no one bought it-- umm, nobody was next! It's a real shame too because it's a thrilling issue of intense crime tales, featuring beautiful work from the likes of Ross Andru, Nick Cardy, and especially the Alex Toth classic "The Crushed Gardnia" which has resurfaced half a zillion times in countless collections since the 80's reprint boom. To me though, the overlooked stand-out tale here is the disturbingly brutal cover story by Mike Sekowsky about a remorseful psycho killer.