Picture of Evil

And now for something completely different! Yes, it's time to adjust those peepers of yours for a 3-D horror story-- but with the annoying 3-D effect removed! Heck, we lost the goggles for this issue anyway, so whatevz! From St. John's House of Terror #1 (October 1953, debut one-shot), this is some seriously excellent examples of joltin' Joe Kubert's awesome artwork (cover and story), plus inks by Les Zakarin. And FYI: I posted a colorized / updated variation of Kubert's cursed ghost story from this issue way back --over 15 years ago-- in December of 2008 HERE! --just for those of you who haven't been hangin' around here like a picture of evil for very long!

F-F-FROGS!

We were watching the 1972 drive-in film classic, FROGS the other night (click the title for a trailer), and about halfway through I remembered this silly send-up of it in the January 1973 issue of SPOOF #3. Lots of laugh out loud moments and highlighted with a Severin, Schwartzberg, and Trimpe three-way of awesome art --rivaling even the best era of MAD Magazine. This is one of the better examples of swampy 70's Silver Age Marvel madcappery, do enjoy! *ribbit!

The Adventure with the Corpse!

Who's ready for more heroic horrors? That's right-- you are! And here comes The Doll Man again (featured in the THOIA Archives HERE, HERE, and HERE), this time up against a shambling executed criminal with the terrifyin' touch of death at his fingertips! Page after page is visually jam-packed with Rudy Palais thrills 'n chills, plus a fun array of stiff victims and one very va-va-va-voom babe! And speaking of babes, though this story appeared in the March 1943 issue of Feature Comics #66, I'd freakin' swear that close-up illustration of Torchy's crying face on the middle left of page 8 is a photo reference of the legendary Bettie Page. But of course Bettie's prominent pin-up career occurred between 1950 through 1957, so maybe Palais had another talent we're unaware of-- the gift of fab future female model foresight!

The Vengeance of the Weeping Dead

Jacquelyn G. wrote in a few weeks back looking for a crying ghost story she remembered reading as a kid. It concerns a woman eaten by wolves and returning as a sad spirit, haunting her evil husband who allowed it to happen! The only other thing Jacquelyn could remember was that this tale appeared in a 70's "mystery" comic. Well, I do believe I've materialized this requested spook show, and yes, though it did appear reprinted in the September 1975 issue of Western's Mystery Comics Digest #25, it actually originated in the Sept. 1971 issue of Ripley's Believe it or Not! #28 --believe it or not!

White on Black!

Wait, did you think we were done with Louis Ravielli in our last post? Not bloody likely! Yep, I have one more wonderfully illustrated tale for you, this time from the October 1953 issue of Strange Tales #23 --one that will surely send you all into a negative state of doom development! Okay, this was a hard one to clean up, yellowed pages don't fit well with a story told in this B/W manner, and I tried my hardest to make everything presentable so that the whole point of the story makes sense. (If you're not happy with what I've done here, that's on you. No apologies from me.) But if you're still hanging around afterwards and want another camera themed tale from this exact same issue, no less, then head over to AEET HERE afterwards for a dark room romp, and even a slice or two of cheesecake for dessert! *wink! (Cover art by Sol Brodsky.)

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Uncle Gideon's Gold

Okay, I know some of you are probably going, "Atlas time again already?!" But seriously, I can't stop thinking about that Louis Ravielli story I posted last month HERE, and just had to drop another one in your laps ASAP. And this is another Golden Age gem, only 4 pages long but every panel is packed with master class art atmosphere, and cinematic camera angles and lighting. Yes sir, it really doesn't get much hotter than this one, folks! From the August 1953 issue of Marvel Tales #117.

Perry Chase.... Press Guardian

Perry Chase, aka The Press Guardian was yet another of the many fun, but largely forgotten 1940's back-up filler hero features from the early days of the ever popular Pep Comics series, via Archie. And while he doesn't really possess any SUPER hero powers, --as we'll be seeing in some of our other featured hero posts all this month, --he is one terrifically tough, masked reporter with those fists, threatening the bad guys with strangulation and torn throats, all the while saving the lovely damsels in distress in his endless pursuit of justice, and truth. The two stories I have for you today are unique to the series, because it appears to be the few horror themed examples of Press G encountering his nemesis "The Claw" in a pair of adventures where old house mad science and subtereanean monsters fit THOIA's bill rather nicely. Not to mention, Mort Meskin's old school art style really lends a wonderfully surreal, eerie quality to the all-out scrappy, beast battle action. Enjoy! From the Nov. / Dec. 1940 issues of Pep Comics #9, and Pep Comics #10.