That's right, after 15+ months of aggravating blogspot malfunctionery, it appears things are FINALLY back to normal around here (as well as over at AEET.) Hopefully it's permanent too, and not just some temporary "gotcha!" glitch set to dash our high hopes, while dematerializin' our spirits. Anyway, the less we go on about it the better, so let's do what this blog has done best since 2007, and that be deliverin' the hottest horror comics of yesterday --and beyond! And of course there's no better way to get it all off the ground (see also: out of the ground), than by conjuring up an excellent EC classic from the July - August 1950 issue of Weird Fantasy #14. You know, in a way, re-opening this blog is a lot like re-opening The Necronomicon --so let's be extra cautious and very careful what we wish for! Welcome back, everyone...
12 comments:
We're back! I haven't read the story yet but I'm glad we have your blog back! This was my favourite site.
If you're thinking of stuff that you haven't shown yet, maybe some D.C. horror? The covers especially were really good. One artist that never got proper notice before even though you published some of his stuff was Charles A Winter. He was definitely at the top of the Marvel artists in my opinion. Every one of his pages is so well done. There are a lot of his stories still not on the site. One of my favourites of all time is his story, Wage Earners but every story he did is maybe even better art than Wage Earners. the story for Wage Earners is really good.. very creepy. HIs style is friendly but it really works with that story.
There's some dispute on the pencils; Wood or Harrison, both worked together and Harrison could do Wood's style so ... who knows? GCD thinks Wood pencils, Harrison inks. Harrison was also a writer and probably wrote it (again, there's arguments, it's amazing nobody kept records!)
This is a fun one where our jerk gets his just desserts, of course, the object of his obsession gives even worse unjust desserts, but that's a horror comic for you!
Great splash, page 6, panel 6 is a interesting but weird camera angle, I love it!
Woah, eeearly EC horror, with some of twenty-three year old Wally Wood's first work for the company, him being hot off a stint drawing Spirit backgrounds for Eisner. It's a workmanlike job, a little stiffer than what I've come to expect, and seems more recognizably Woody from the layouts than the figures. It's clean, looks speedy, and I like it.
I'm sure glad they stopped futzing around with the lettering styles soon after this, though.
Man it's great to see the lights on at this place again. It's just as cozy as I remember it!
It is indeed good to be back, I'm glad blogger / blogspot got its shit together finally.
There's actually tons of DC horror in our archive, as well as over at AEET. Also, the Wage Earners was the very first story we published in Haunted Horror #1! My initial thought was to keep a few things exclusive to the comic series, but ya never know, it might show up here at THOIA at some point too.
Thanks for the comments, and hold on tight as we rev this dead zone back to screaming life!
At last!
The stake has been pulled from the heart of The Horrors Of It All,
and is now free to roam the countryside once more!
What a glorious gorey-is day this is!
You know,the oddest thing about this story is that it's in an issue of Weird Fantasy, which was one of EC's Science Fiction series. It feels extremely out of place here, as this is more like something that would fit far better in an issue of Tale from the Crypt, Vault of Horror or The Haunt of Fear.
The story itself is delightfully fun and strays away from the usual consequences of what generally happens when one attempts to use a love potion on an unrequited love.(Who'd have thought that love potions don't mix well with tea, let alone result in the side effects of becoming a rampaging murderous monster at night?)The art itself is great. Love the image of Marion emerging from the smoke of his cigarette in panel 5 of page 3. I also love panel 7 of page 4 where he's looming over his ghastly brew. Oh, but my favorite part is the subtle little detail of Marion locking the door to the library behind her on panel 5 of page 7, right before we find out exactly what the side effects of taking the potion in tea are. It's just fantastic. I also love the creepy shadow and that hand at the end.
All in all, a lot of fun.
This story reminds me of a college professor friend of mine who used to write his exam instructions starting with, "Read all instructions before taking the exam," and then leaving important details until the end of the exam instructions. Not major things, things that could get you extra credit. The number of students who never got those extra credit points were legion.
Maybe old Al Hazrad wrote the Necronomicon with the same mindset!
It could also be that Wood and Harrison both worked on pencils and inks. the woman looks like a Wally Wood woman but maybe not inked as loosely as he usually did. Doesn't he left hand panel on page six look like it was Wood rendering it? That same page the right hand panel, the woman looks less like a Wally Wood woman. I think Harrison might have drawn Wood women because his women weren't anywhere near as beautiful as the Wood women.
Do you ever see a Wood woman? I think if you watch early Friends episodes, Monica looks like a Wally Wood woman. I could've been projecting hat onto her though. I don't see any pretty women other than my wife nowadays. Everyone masks their faces here. I haven't seen faces in almost two years.
t this point I'd even be happy to see a Harrison woman.
I can't explain how powerful the Wage Earners is to me. Does anyone else get these feelings only from certain 1950s horror? The art style is so cartoony yet it's creepier than Ghastly Graham Engles' work. I understand wanting to keep certain things exclusive but to have something in a book is different than having it online... to me anyway but I could just be old. Great to see you back Mr. Karswell and everyone else.
To tell the truth, Mr Karswell never really went anywhere except one blog over... yep, he / I took this horror routine to And Everything Else Too and spent the last 13+ months posting horror stories every Friday among the assorted other things I collect and/or just find interesting... so in case anyone out there didn't know, you might have a bit of catching up to do there:
http://andeverythingelsetoo.blogspot.com
I will also continue to post horror stories over there occasionally as well, so bookmark it NOW! Anyway, thank you again for sticking with me, and as always a big heartfelt thank you to anyone and everyone who continues to drop by and leave comments. If you're a fellow blogger or tumblr rumblr (who likes to take single panels out of context from my posts), PLEASE remember to do the courteous thing and link back here to THOIA. Nuff said ;)
Am I really going to be the first commenter to point out the Lovecraft pun that's sitting right there? Say, for instance: That copy of The Necronomicon may not have a lot of Lovecraft, but it sure does have a recipe for love crafting.
That's terrible. I ought to be ashamed.
Welcome back.
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