Let's close out a rather macabre May 2024 with a proper offering to the ancient elder comic book gods of horror, from the April 1953 issue of Chilling Tales #15, and featuring art by Vince Napoli. Tomb in all next month for lots more terrifyin' treats, and we here at The Horrors of it All hope that everyone enjoyed the selection of posts this month...
News has just surfaced that dynamite Don Perlin passed away a few weeks back at the age of 94, and THOIA honors his comic book greatness with a precode double feature from his astounding days at Atlas. "Death, Where is Thy Sting?" is from the December 1953 issue of Astonishing #28, and "The Dinner Guest" can be found in the October 1954 issue of Astonishing #35. And after the posts, find out more about Don Perlin by CLICKING HERE!
Time once again to evoke something entertaining and eerie, it's a swingin' 70's spin on Fritz Leiber's Conjure Wife scenario where we find bored suburban couples trying their hand at summoning the Satanic supernatural-- and with the usual, unpredictable results, of course! From the ominous October - November 1977 issue of DC's Secrets of Haunted House #8, featuring Bernard Baily pencils, Win Mortimer on inks, plus a really great Mike Kaluta cover too!
How many of you knew that vampires and werewolves (and evil dwarves) are actually from Pluto? Fero Planet Detective was a fun but very short-lived, and very early entry into the Planet Comics canon of science fiction heroes. And as seen here in his comic book debut, not only was he a "detective of the netherworlds", but also a "scientist of the occult", though none of these amazing abilities could save him from the barrage of bikini'd space babes that Fiction House would quickly replace him with after just four measly appearances. It's all a bit primitive in both writing and art, but still a nice monster mash-up, sci-fi/horror hoot... from the May 1940 issue of Planet Comics #4.
Wait, another vampire story this month?! Surrre, why not... I mean, the great splash gives it away but it's still a fun Iger Shop classic from the July - August 1954 issue of Voodoo #16. And though you absolutely see the ending coming from a mile away, I totally love how the final page backstory is revealed from the vamp to the unsuspecting hero. I like it so much in fact, it can also be found in Haunted Horror #6 too!
The nightmare circus has barely pulled out of town and here comes the Nightmare Carnival, via the Sept. '54 issue of The Beyond #28. Some really stunning art here by Ken Rice, in particular the mind-blowing splash, and some of you might remember this one from Haunted Horror #30 too!
The circus has come to town, and as always, Lin Streeter delivers another top notch Ace Magazines visual feast of wonderful sets (love those tattered old circus posters inside the castle), --not to mention a terrifyingly thirsty, and very sexy vampire vixen on the prowl! Hang on for your life, it's a high flyin', hair-raisin' tale via the Creepiest Show on Earth, aka the July 1951 issue of The Beyond #5.
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!
