ZERO GHOST DETECTIVE: Ghost's Vengeance / Hand of Rutatutakhmen

It's been a bit since Noel Fowler's "Zero Ghost Detective" solved a mystery around here, so as per his previous THOIA entries, let's take a look at two of 'em for a quick Double Fear-ture of fun! The first tale materializes from the September 1940 issue of Feature Comics #36, and finds our ghost dick battling a real dick of a ghost! This one has a neat supernatural concept I'm unfamiliar with: moonlight on a silver blade and carved into a cross pattern can dispel an unwanted spirit! And then, since it's Mummy Monday, it's time for our Zero hero to investigate the ancient Rutatutakhmen curse-- or the creepy, murderous hand of the mummy, anyway! From the October 1943 issue of Feature Comics #72, and no, no relation between Rutatutakhmen and King RootinTootin from the Three Stooges classic! (Click the image at the end of the post for some extra knuckleheaded thrills 'n chills!)

The Adventure with the Corpse!

Who's ready for more heroic horrors? That's right-- you are! And here comes The Doll Man again (featured in the THOIA Archives HERE, HERE, and HERE), this time up against a shambling executed criminal with the terrifyin' touch of death at his fingertips! Page after page is visually jam-packed with Rudy Palais thrills 'n chills, plus a fun array of stiff victims and one very va-va-va-voom babe! And speaking of babes, though this story appeared in the March 1943 issue of Feature Comics #66, I'd freakin' swear that close-up illustration of Torchy's crying face on the middle left of page 8 is a photo reference of the legendary Bettie Page. But of course Bettie's prominent pin-up career occurred between 1950 through 1957, so maybe Palais had another talent we're unaware of-- the gift of fab future female model foresight!

ZERO: The Man Nobody Loved / Mission to the Spirit World

Friday Double Feature time again, and it's the return of ZERO Ghost Detective too! (See more ZERO HERE!) This time around, our favorite golden age ghost dick really has his hands full with a variety of supernatural evil! First up: "The Man Nobody Loved" finally, and unfortunately, finds himself a gal, from the February 1943 issue of Feature Comics #65, --followed by a super spooky "Mission to the Spirit World" via the November 1940 issue of Feature Comics #38.

Double Danse Macabre

Zero, Ghost Detective was another in a long line of fun supernatural back-up filler crime horror heroes, this time found in the pages of Quality's Feature Comics (home to Doll Man, among others.) Though Zero lacked any real magical abilities, his extensive knowledge of the occult helped him put an end to the terrifyin' evil shenanigans plaguing mankind, as you'll see in today's Saturday Matinee Double Feature Dance Macabre, where cult creeps in graveyards can be one hellva nuisance! The first story comes from the January 1943 issue of Feature Comics #64 and is illustrated by wild man Witmer Williams who really knew his way around a grinning skull, --not to mention a fine form fitting cloak on a female figure! Followed by the somewhat similar second tale going back a few years to the earlier days of Zero, all the way in fact to the August 1940 issue of Feature Comics #35, and this time colorfully brought to life by Dan Zolnerowich. Don't be surprised to see more Zero in the coming New Year as well...

Maker of Monsters!

One last post for October 2024, and of course as promised, it's the fourth and final petrifyin' Plastic Man horror tale, as part of our "Spotlight Character of the Month!" And like our las Plas story, it's also from the March 1953 issue of Plastic Man #40 (what an issue btw!) and features even more incredible, action packed monster art mayhem, and laugh-out-loud lines of dialog. So before you make yourself up into a monster for Halloween tonight, read "Maker of Monsters!" --and we'll see you all next month for lots more too! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!