Getting A-Head / Fingerprint Removal / Explosive!

Time to finish up July 2024 with an explosively eerie triple be-header of Lawbreakers Suspense Stories via issues #10, #11, and #15. Yes sir, good 'ol decapitation days are here again-- as well as finger melting, and blowin' up the babes! Don't ever say that THOIA never delivers the gory goods, although today's "goods" could've used some better printing, and I did my very best to make these scans a bit more presentable. Ahhh well, can't blame a horror host for tryin'! And you thought we were done with Charlton too, eh? See ya'll in August for lots more...

It Walked By Night

"It is said that the ghost of a man long dead paces the house-- paces in silent fury-- while the wind howls dismally..." is not only some of my favorite precode horror comic narrative ever scripted (thanks again to fab Frank Belknap Long), but it also accompanies one the absolute best ever Max Elkan panel illustrations of the 1950's (see bottom of page 4.) And that's why we're treading more Adventures into the Unknown waters, because not only do we have a familiarly fantastic, centuries spanning murder curse mystery scenario here, but also some of Elkan's finest shadow and silhouette work, plus dripping, seaweed covered undead shambling up the shore, --and don't forget a healthy, delicious dose of gorgeous good girl art too! Top notch ACG entry right here...

Haunted House

Have we had enough stories this month already about haunted houses? Oh, I assure, we most definitely have not-- and especially when we haven't entered one so superbly illustrated as by the masterfully cinematic hand of Karswell favorite, King Ward. Now, how this terrific tale from the Fall 1948 debut issue of Adventures into the Unknown #1 is only just now finally getting posted here at THOIA is an even bigger mystery! From a script by Weird Tales pulp pro legend, Frank Belknap Long --and what a great Ed Moritz cover design too!

The Night of the Poltergeists

Doctor Graves is back for one more supernaturally creepy, Charlton encounter, and it's another petrifyin' pile-on of poltergeists to boot! From the February 1970 issue of The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves #18, with diabolically damned art by Golden Age great, Don Perlin (plus a Ditko cover art assist as well!) Hope everyone enjoyed this mini-fest of Charlton chills 'n thrills, I promise we'll get back into the regular mix of things for the rest of the month-- stay tombed!

Poltergeist / Army of the Dead!

Today's dreary Sunday matinee is another Charlton horror double-feature, a pair of supernatural weird war tales to really wake up your weekend. Both stories are from the Ghostly Tales series, with #55  being the actual April - May 1966 debut issue of its lengthy run. But up first, a really wild Russ Jones jolter from the August 1972 issue of Ghostly Tales #97, (I wonder if Ditko jumped in on that last page?)