The Grave Will Not Wait

Like our previous post, today's fateful story is also from the October 1952 issue of The Hand of Fate #12, and it's nicely illustrated by Chic Stone who always seems to totally crush it here at THOIA. So what do you all think? Could you deliver on what 'ol Fate has offered to this poor, doomed idiot? I've also rounded out the post with a graverobbin' one-pager-- a Sy Grudko "True Tales of the Supernatural" quickie from the July 1954 issue of The Beyond #27. One more post to go for the month of July, and FYI: I plan to correct a rather foolish bit of Atlas oversight on my part... I do hope you can forgive me!

Screaming City

As we've seen in the last few posts, a scary illustrated skeleton in your story can really elevate the eerie factor! Take for example this rotten Rudy Palais crime horror quickie --which also contains the origins of Dr. Strange! --via the January 1952 issue of Witches Tales #7. Annnnd to all you fans of Lucio Fulci's classic, ZOMBIE, -- you may be surprised to learn today that an undead guy fighting a shark underwater (CLICK HERE for it) didn't originate in his 1979 cult film feature!

The Murder Masquerade!

We're halfway to Halloween again already, and typically on this day (aka Walpurgisnacht) I tend to feature posts themed a little more on the witchier side of things. But since this great Mack Martin: Private Investigator tale from the March 1949 issue of Super-Mystery Comics V8 #4 takes place during a costumed masquerade party, I think it still fits the holiday bill nicely. It's a super fun, super duper mystery of the highest caliber, with an assortment of diabolical suspects all dressed as Death itself! There's plenty of thrills, chills, furious fisticuffs action, and laugh out loud dialog too, along with some superb artwork from ever reliable Rudy Palais --who also created that great cover design (FYI: the added mummy themed cover at the end of the post remains uncredited.) I hope everyone enjoyed this month of posts, and I promise that May will be even more morbid than ever! Stay tombed...

Mirror of Death

The ability to see into the future seems like a good idea to some people, but they have clearly never read Stephen King's "The Dead Zone", or another example is this story from the Dec. 1953 issue of Strange Fantasy 9. Another word to the wise: never take presents from strangers, --no matter what!

"Three Shall Die!"

Another fun reading of the will sleep-over in a haunted castle mystery from the August 1944 issue of Suspense Comics #5. Folks from this era just couldn't get enough of this sort of set-up in film, books, comics, radio plays, etc, --and this time combined with a cool "don't turn the final page until you figure out the murderer" gimmick as well! Costumed killer. Vase to the face. Some tales just have it all. And yes, if two must die in our previous post HERE, --then three shall die today! (Should we go for four in our next post?)

The Ghost on Television

Crummy weather here in the midwest has waterlogged most of our plans for the 4th of July festivities... guess I'll just stay in and see what's on the old boob-tube instead. From the October 1952 issue of The Beyond #16.

On the Other Side of Death's Door

While many of you are participating in Super Bowl festivities this evening, let it be known that Mr. Karswell is instead going beyond the call of football, and working extra evil hard on the other side of Death's door! So far beyond in fact, that it's actually from the March 1952 issue of The Beyond #9. And what's this? Doth we detect a love story in the mix here as well? Hmmm, well, Valentine's Day is just a few hops, skips, and jittery jumps away too, so yeah, I guess this is a sort of lurid mini theme featuring lovebirds in peril or something...