Terror Needs a Stage!

Who's ready for one of the weirdest vampire stories ever posted around here? From the February 1954 issue of Dark Mysteries #16, and illustrated by none other than fearsome THOIA fan fave, Hy Fleishman! Okay, these ain't the greatest scans though, and I apologize, (they look as if they were also colored by a 4 year old with crayons!) Still, this is a wild one that will likely drive a few of you totally ape!

Better Tombs and Graveyards

In the late 50's, Pierce Publishing attempted to cash in on the MAD Magazine craze, frantically cranking out 5 issues of nicely illustrated comedy madness before calling it quits, --but not before assembling this silly monster mash spoof of Better Homes and Gardens for the April 1959 issue of Frantic! V2 #2.

The Cobras

We've been looking at some deadly serious crime horror tales for a few posts now, and it's time for one more! But let's throw a little bit more fun on the fire and make it a Mr. and Mrs. Chase mystery in an old haunted mansion! Adding to the recipe: a gang of Bowery Boy wannabes who call themselves "The Cobras", sprinkled with some eye poppin' leggy / bondage good girl art, plus a few mad cap monsters mixed into the maniacal Lou Morales mayhem, and you have yourself one heckuva crazy wild ride from the Jan. '53 issue of Crime and Justice #11. This should've been turned into an old B-movie!

The Hand of Glory

Time once again for Weird War Wednesday (umm, have we ever actually done a Weird War Wednesday before?), --well no matter, -- cuz here it is in all of its high flyin' glory, from the April 1983 issue of Weird War Tales #122! And don't let the title fool any of you long time THOIA freaks who think you know what a "hand of glory" is, I doubt you'll see this ending coming, errr, until you get to maybe page 5, and / or if you clue-in on a certain character's name. And don't cheat and go running to look at the last page either, ya party poopers!! 

Johnny Danger Meets the Gorilla!

It's been awhile since we've had a good 'n gory gorilla on the loose tale around here, so let us now salute those rampaging, savage Sunday Matinee monkeys of the silver screen (see Bride of the Gorilla, Monster and the Girl, Gorilla at Large, Murders in the Rue Morgue, etc...) with a fun Johnny Danger murder mystery on a movie set scenario! From the June 1947 issue of Movie Comics #3, highlighted with terrific art by the great, George Tuska! Yes sir, hang on to your slinkiest, sheerest nighties, --this one's a real corker!

The Shrunken Heads of Dr. Death

Another wild one from the March 1954 issue of Web of Evil #12, and it's a viciously violent, wonderfully kooky expedition into the jungle of terror-- PLUS, a rather downbeat ending untypical of this type of horror comic tale, best grab a hanky.

The Gorilla

Time to get swingin' on THOIA's Valentines Massacre 2020 this year-- yes sir, it's an entire month devoted to love gone wonderfully whack-oh, and weirdly wrong! And one of the most non-subtle, fright-filled moments of *CENSORED* to leap outta the fifties funny pages comes from the July 1954 issue of Weird Chills #1. Good lord, you barely even need to read the lines (or between 'em) to know what's going on in this white man, fever dream, freak-out. And my, how times have certainly not changed... not even a little bit.













SING: "You drive me ape, you big gorilla..."

"Killer's Arms"

This nicely illustrated tale of jungle brutality from the November 1954 issue of Strange Suspense Stories #22 just might contain the single most screwball scientific experiment concept ever posted here. It's too hilarious and way too fun to deny-- Hell, even Ed Wood would be jealous of this plot! And you thought last week's "brain atoms" was over the top...