We've been digging into these "Famous Tales of Terror" stories via Yellowjacket Comics, so we might as well knock out the few remaining entries as well for the next couple of posts. Consider this an early xmas present, because they're all Poe tales to boot! And we'll start it off exactly where Charlton did, from the September 1944 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #1 with-- The Black Cat! Stay tombed for more!
We ended last month with a Tale of Terror, so lets keep it rollin' into December with a deadly double feature from the Golden Age of Charlton comics! And like our last entry, both of these are also illustrated by the wonderfully low-fi hand of Alan Mandel (god, even his signature feels childish, haha...) and we get yet another weirdly wishful variation of the 'ol tragic Monkey's Paw tale, from the February 1946 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #8. And after that, it's time to endure the selfish shenanigans of a thievin' group of brutal bastards, via the April 1946 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #9. Yes, my fellow fiends, --"The Old Witch" strikes again!
Goin' waaaay back to the January 1946 issue of Yellowjacket Comics #7, to find this goofball Golden Age superhero series actually contains a few fright-filled / filler spook yarns under a "Famous Tales of Terror" title. Not only that, it features a truly horrible horror host called "The Ancient Witch." The artwork here by Alan Mandel is so hilariously amateurish that the whole Z grade production (like the avenging hand itself) practically takes on an entirely new awesome life of its own-- like lovably bad underground indie art of the 70's and 80's, —and the tough guy gangster talk highlighted with some splashes of blood give it all a little extra poverty row punch. Enjoy!
The December 1952 - January 1953 issue of Witchcraft #5 is a wild collection of stories, and sports one of the greatest precode horror covers of all time, masterfully created by King Kelly Freas. And with this final A.C. Hollingsworth zombie tale post (boy, did someone seriously drop the ball with that splash page title treatment-- PU!), I do believe we have now posted the entire issue here at THOIA. A lovely Everett Raymond Kinstler illustration on the inside front cover is the icing on the cake! Check the archive for "The Witch of Shadow Glen", "The Warlock of Manescue Manse", and "The Witch of Death!" for more!
It's kind of fun to find horror stories that clearly attempted a spooky spin and capitalize on popular fads of the time, like Monster Model Kits and Silly String, for example. And here are two interesting tales to prove my point: Frank Thorne's "The Monster Kits" from the March 1965 issue of Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery #9, and "A Game of Squirt" illustrated by Giorgio Cambiotti, from the February 1972 issue of Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery #39. And the cool thing about some fads is that they're actually still alive and lurking around too!
Hey, don't miss The 1st Annual Boris Karloff & Mr. Karswell Thanksgiving Feastival of Fear Collection-- NOW PLAYING at And Everything Else Too... CLICK HERE!
