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 Thirsty Idol / Haunted Houses

I don't know about you, but pouring human blood on anything to achieve something in return typically just seems like it's gonna be a bad idea. Case in point: today's saturated scare-o-rama illustrated by Rocco Mastroserio from the May 1953 issue of The Unseen #10. And you, dear lady, might I add-- are no Indiana Jones! I've also rounded out today's rollickin' sadventure with a haunted one page quickie, also by Rocco.













+++++++++++++++++BOO-ONUS!

The Ring of Horror

Time to "ring" in the New Year with our first post of 2019 here at THOIA! And oooo boy, does this story ever contain the most annoying ghost in the history of horror comics! Jeez Louise, dude-- STFU already! Yes, you'll definitely want to re-kill him long before he goes through his ridiculous actor / waiter costume changes mid tale. But to be totally fair, he's pretty annoying before he dies as well. And hey, at least nobody's makin' it out alive in this one, and I don't think that's really much of a spoiler as this is a Pines comic after all.

From the January 1953 issue of The Unseen #8.

















PLUS: A bonus half-pager from the July 1954 issue of The Unseen #15, art by Gene Fawcette.

HAUNTED HORROR #35: Date With a Corpse

Not only do you have a date with a corpse this week, but you also have one with the latest issue of Haunted Horror! Crawling forth from what feels like forever ago since the last issue, and FINALLY into stores September 12th, comes HH#35. Guest hosted by Tillman the Terror and featuring the usual (and UNusual) assortment of creepy-creaky pre code classics that you've come to loathe from our icky IDW anthology series, we even have a spooky sampler tale for you, (originally featured in the July 1954 issue of The Unseen #15, with art by Peppe and Sekowsky!) Get your hands on the latest issue of Haunted Horror NOW-- before it's too late!

The Bleeding Platter

Here we go again with a mad artist tale that'll definitely leave you scratchin' your severed noggin', from the March 1953 issue of The Unseen #9 --and this one certainly begs the ultimate, unanswered, climactic question: "HOW DOES HE DO IT??!!" Oh, note the merged signature on the splash as well, "MIKEROSS" which could only mean the terrific team-up of Mike Esposito and Ross Andru. And finally, today's post is rounded out with a Creepy Scrapbook entry (believe 'em or don't) --plus some Eerie Puzzle fun!

Extraordinary! Mr. Karswell has found a third version of a theme explored in two previous stories here, "The Store at the Cemetery" and "Design for Death"! Makes one wonder if a writer tried selling the same script to different titles... -- Nequam