The Kukulkaton

Tom Sutton was another in the long line of awesome, later era artists to really blow my gradeschooler mind in the 70's. That organically loose, mutated style of his lended just as much to the creepy, high level concepts and monster designs, as to his doomed human characters fighting to stay alive with those beady little petrified pupil'd eyes poppin' outta their freaky faces! So now, enter The Kukulkaton (not to be confused with Kukla, Fran, and Ollie.) You get a murky glimpse of it on the cover of Monster Hunters #2 (Oct. '75), but to see it fully unleashed on the last page in all of its throbbing, Lovecraftian weirdness, well... I guess we all gasp 'n gooseflesh it with the tiny pupils once in a while, as well...

Inheritance! Greed...

Everyone enjoyed the dynamically deadly Ditko story in our previous post, so how about another? Also from the June 1954 issue of The Thing #14, it's a batty tale of archeological ancient curses and double-crossin' switcheroonies! Ditko is also responsible for the amazing cover! Annnnd to top it all off, there's an extra little Tony Tallarico quickie from the February 1954 issue of The Thing #12, --containing an equal amount of ancient, ancestral atrociousness! You have most definitely been warned for like centuries now...

Greyble to the Grave / Haunted One

THOIA delivers our Valentine's Massacre post one day early because hey-- it's also Friday the 13th! And like we do on most holidays, it's a double fab fear-ture. Let's start off the festivities with a grave tale by Angelo Torres from the November 1959 issue of Eerie Tales #1, and featuring a really gorgeous cover painting from good 'ol George Tuska, too! Then we crack open another rare debut #1 issue, the May 1952 issue of Voodoo #1, in fact! It's a leggy crime horror reworking of a Bomber Comic's Grimm Ghost Detective story-- they simply changed Grimm's name to "Trimm!" Ha, hope everyone gets a little trim as well on Valentine's Day-- and stay tombed, cuz this February freak-out is far from over!

Grandma, What Big Eyes You Have!

It just wouldn't be October without at least one weird stroll down the old treacherous path of lycanthropy, and this month's entry from the April 1978 issue of Scary Tales #13, illustrated by Alfredo De Elias, certainly fills the hairy scary Werewolf Wednesday bill nicely! Not to mention, that ominous orange and black, Mignola-esque cover design (also by Alfredo), absolutely defines Halloween... so hold onto your fangs, this is a wild one!

Uncle Gideon's Gold

Okay, I know some of you are probably going, "Atlas time again already?!" But seriously, I can't stop thinking about that Louis Ravielli story I posted last month HERE, and just had to drop another one in your laps ASAP. And this is another Golden Age gem, only 4 pages long but every panel is packed with master class art atmosphere, and cinematic camera angles and lighting. Yes sir, it really doesn't get much hotter than this one, folks! From the August 1953 issue of Marvel Tales #117.

Tales of Terror: Gold! Gold! Gold!

Sometimes these older precode horror tales feel extra mean spirited and grimy, as well as unintentionally hilarious. Take for example this "Tales of Terror" entry from the June 1946 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #10. Alan Mandel's artistic action blend of amaturish awkwardness in the character posing adds a sort of surreal edge to everything, whether it's slapping, kicking, bashing, or doing whatever. And that goofy lookin' horror host hag is a truly horrible hoot too!