Dead Woman's Swamp

Your sucky Saturday just got a whole lot swampier with another creepy crime horror classic, this time from Myron Fass and the murky mucky March 1954 issue of Crime Mysteries #12. Yes sir, if cute college dames getting drained to death by icky leeches is your jam, then your car has definitely broken down in the right place! There's also an ouch-inducin' muck monster maniac on the loose-- or is there?! Ugh! Those of you who picked up my wonderously water-logged SWAMP MONSTERS collection (via Yoe Books) back in 2019 might remember this ominous highpoint, though oddly enough, I somehow have never posted it here at THOIA-- so, prepare to get sucked in if you're unfamiliar with it!

I Married a Teen-Age Fly

Sunday Fun Days are here again with a wild, satirical whack at horror comics from the 1950's, and it comes courtesy of a midcentury girlie magazine to boob-- errr, boot! Of course, this could also easily be whackin' it at sci-fi horror film classics like I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957),  The Fly (1958), and I Married a Monster from Outer Space (also 1958), but let's just stick with the blurb's intention from the back cover of the memorable, March 1959 issue of Fling #13. Some really nice, titillating artwork here by cartoonist, Don Magolis, and while the writing isn't quite up to a MAD or Cracked level of crazed, sight-gag filled hilarity, it's still worth the handful of chuckles and everyone's attention for the risque / mad monster mash-up freak factor alone!

Nest of Horror!

From the teeming, steaming jungles of our previous post HERE, to the weird, webbed corners of spooky outer space, it's now time to blast-off into more long-legged, blonde bombshell adventure as Gale Allen and her gorgeous Girl Squadron face some bloodthirsty butterfly men! Sounds kinda silly doesn't it? But you have no idea how creepy-crawly alien butterfly men can be! And don't even get me started on the giant space slugs-- ughh! From the May 1944 issue of Planet Comics #30, and highlighted by some really fantastic artwork from Fran Hopper --making her THOIA debut, finally! And for more spicy, sci-fi super space babe action and adventure, be sure to check out the AEET Archive HERE! You won't be sorry, because there's a Mysta of the Moon story also illustrated by Fran! CLICK HERE and HERE for info about fab Franny, too!

Master of Masks and Mystery!

May was such a grueling month of hideous, downbeat horror tales, I thought maybe kicking off June with some kid friendly fun could really shake things up around here! And don't for a single second think just because it's Spiderman in a haunted house that this one doesn't deliver the chills-- the final twist panel, in fact, makes this story very worthy of its inclusion here at THOIA. From the Dec. 1974 issue of Spidey Super Stories #3, with art by Win Mortimer and Mike Esposito!

The Flies!

Flyday Fridays are back at THOIA! And wowzers, I'm not sure we've partaken a tale from Marvel's legendary Legion of Monsters #1 one-shot (September 1975) before, so I guess it's finally time to hear what all the buzzzz is about! The titanic, three-way team-up of Gerry Conway, Paul Kirchner, and Ralph Reese do a pretty consistent job of plopping real life side show actor / performer, Schlitzie into the horrible, humiliatin' action, though of course underground comix legend, Bill Griffith first popularized Schlitzie's likeness as Zippy the Pin Head in both comic books and syndicated strips just a few years earlier. This all coming about, of course, in large part thanks to the rediscovery of Todd Browning's 1932 cult classic, FREAKS, as it made it's grand revival through the 60's midnight movie circuit, and late-nite horror host show airings on the 'ol boob tube. Okay, with all of that out of the way, let's not forget to gaze longingly at the glorious cover painting by Neal Adams-- Yow! I guess I could've mentioned The Ramones here too...

Web of the Spider Woman

Spider Woman?!! But I thought Kars said we were done with hero stuff for a while! Annnnd indeed we are, as this is not a Marvel post, --but a creepy crawly Ace classic from the June 1953 issue of Hand of Fate #18. Artist Bill Molno densely packs every panel perfectly with loads of eerie atmosphere and lush line work, keeping the weird web motif spinning strongly in roof textures, foliage, fabrics, hair, fur --and fear! Artist George Roussos must have really loved that splash panel below, because a few months later he pulled quite a superb swiperoonie of it for the October 1953 cover of Out of the Shadows #10, just sayin'. Oh, and Happy Friday the 13th to each and every one of you today, too!