Change Partners and Die With Me!

"No one wants to be alone on New Years Eve..." and so begins this eerie tale by Joe Kubert (School of Cartoon Art) from Scholastic Magazine's WEIRD WORLDS #4 from 1980-- a tale that feels a lot like a leftover precode classic if you ask me. Weird Worlds was sort of like Dynamite Magazine in that the content was aimed more at kids, but unlike that series, WW contained articles of a darker, sometimes more science fictiony nature. This issue for example features all kinds of fun junk about zombie movies, UFOs, short fiction stories from John Collier and Henry Slesar, hilarious epitaphs and horror jokes, assorted weird 'n true facts, movie previews (Saturn 3 in this ish) and even lends an ear to "weird" music like Alice Cooper, Devo, and Iggy Pop. I believe WW only lasted 8 issues and fyi: one or two of the other issues I have contain scary comic stories by Steven Bissette.

Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEARS, everyone!

S. R. Bissette

I remember sometime in the late 70’s there was a magazine called Weird Worlds that I used to order through my grade school Book Club. Not to be confused with all the other “Weird Worlds” comics and mags, this was more like a collection of all things strange with articles on fantasy films and music, short stories; Ripley’s Believe it or Not type odd facts, and monsters monster monsters!! But for me the real highlight of these issues was always the terrifyingly fun, pre-code horror-esque comic stories illustrated by S. R. Bissette. I was 10 years old and this guy’s art just blew me away.

THOIA is proud to present 4 Bissette stories for our “Flash Forward Day,” all of which originally appeared in various issues of Weird Worlds, but scanned here for you today (and in color) from the April 1986 issue of Fear Book #1 (which also collects some of his fabulous work for Bananas, another childhood fave.) And for more about the great S. R. Bissette be sure to visit his official site HERE!

Return of the Swamp Beast!
From the October 1979 issue of Weird Worlds #3

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Egyptian Graffiti

From the March 1979 issue of Weird Worlds #2

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(cover)

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A Dead Ringer

From the September 1980 issue of Weird Worlds #6

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Business as Usual

From the September 1981 issue of Weird Worlds #8

TOMORROW: The last THOIA post?!!