The Serpent Strikes

While most of us weren't familiar with the magical exploits of Yarko in our previous post (HERE), I do believe a few of you are quite aware of the macabre, mystical powers of Dr. Jonathan Weir, aka The Purple Claw! We've hosted a clawful of PC horror adventures here over the years, so if you're unfamiliar somehow, just check the THOIA Archive for more! And what'a ya know, this story also sneakily qualifies as a Werewolf Wednesday post too! And no, I don't mean a Dr. Weir-wolf tale, just read 'em and were-weep, fiends, all will be made clear to you very soon. From the March 1953 issue of The Purple Claw #2.

The Web of Horror

We haven't seen a silly Purple Claw horror adventure around here in quite a while, so here's a good one from the March 1953 issue of Purple Claw #2. Boy oh boy, Brown and Gantz sure could draw a sexy lady... I do wonder if they've ever seen an actual spider in real life though? Hmmm...

The Killer in the Snow

It's the first day of winter 2019 finally (even though it's felt like winter here in the midwest since October), so let's turn the temps down even further and make it extra chilly with a tale from the March 1953 issue of The Purple Claw #2. We've had snow monsters, snow maidens, and even snow madness here at THOIA over the years, but I do believe this is the first time we've had an actual killer snow man. And wow, this is also the first Purple Claw story I've posted in over 10 years! I guess if you're new to this blog and unfamiliar with the eerie exploits of Dr. Jonathan Weir, (aka The Purple Claw) check the archives / sidebar tags for lots more!

It Came from the Bottom of the World! / Too Much Steam!

Two weird quickies from the February 1954 issue of Tales of Horror #9, both illustrated by Jack Sparling. I just realized that with this pair-- as well as our last Son of Satan post-- this makes another complete issue posted here at THOIA (see my archive for the other two perplexing Purple Claw tales, both posted way back in 2008 HERE and HERE!)

The Man Who Lost His Shadow!

"The Man Who Lost His Shadow!" is the first story in Tales of Horror #5 from 1953, with art presented by the great tag-team creative duo of Ben Brown & David Gantz. These guys did some super fine work together in the pre-codes and THOIA has posted quite a few of their tales from a variety of publishers, most notably for Atlas, but especially fun is the insane numbskullery of the perplexing Purple Claw series (check the archives by clicking HERE!)

Vintage AD

The Devil’s Clock

For the rest of the month let's just ditch the full issue presentation theme, I think we kicked off January AND 2009 big enough at this point, don’t you? But this weekend there is still a theme, and that theme is--- clocks! Evil clocks. Haunted clocks. Clocks of Doom! If you keep saying the word “clocks” enough it totally sounds like the least scary thing on the planet. That is of course unless it’s --- The Devil’s Clock! AIEEEE!!
From the November 1952 issue of Tales of Horror #3

And for more pre-code terror from Brown & Gantz, check out the expertly illustrated, but superbly stupid Purple Claw adventures located in the THOIA Archives HERE!

TOMORROW: The ULTIMATE Clock in Horror!

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If somehow a clock is not terrifying enough for you, then how about Junior's Television? Apparently it works just fine without being plugged in (look closely.) And dear lard, please tell me that's not supposed to be a projection of Popeye?!!

Even scarier is an ad promising you "popularity" by simply sticking a harmonica into your pie hole for 15 minutes. I suppose if that actually worked you really would have to be marvelous...