Something a little different for everyone today, as THOIA hears the ominous ocean's call, and responds with a one-way trip into the darkness of the deep. From the March 1956 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #42, art by Dick Ayers.
Something a little different for everyone today, as THOIA hears the ominous ocean's call, and responds with a one-way trip into the darkness of the deep. From the March 1956 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #42, art by Dick Ayers.
12 comments:
It's actually a pretty nice tale/tail. Just as long as you don't wonder why Joan never asked why she had one.
I always thought when mermaids were out of water that their tail turned into legs
Of course, since this one is from 1956-post comic book censors, you know this one's going to be a bit more lighthearted than how it starts out. To be fair, I knew where the twist was going here. Believe it or not, mermaids disguising themselves as invalid humans in wheelchairs because of their tails isn't quite as uncommon as you'd think-heck there's an entire article on it on Tvtropes.org titled "Mermaid in a Wheelchair". The idea of an invalid woman constantly trying to go into the ocean, without even realizing it seems pretty terrifying actually. Thankfully, the mermaid twist makes it pretty sweet and heartwarming. Good parents, realizing that it was time to let her go. I bet Joan will come back to visit though.
Ever read the old classic (non-Disney) version of the Little Mermaid where she has to trade in her tongue for a potion to turn her tail into legs? That's practically a horror story in itself.
If BEACH BLANKET BINGO is anything to go by, they do.
(And I don't see why it wouldn't be anything to go by.)
I've seen enough of these "I'm really from Atlantis!" / "I'm really a mermaid / merman!" stories - including the most recent one here in a way - that I was hoping for a pleasant ending like this one, and I got it!
Ok this is definitely my favorite yet! I was bracing myself for something more horrific so I totally didn’t see the twist coming. Which meant I then got the delight of re-reading it and appreciating the clever art all over again once I knew! I love that they left it open-ended as to whether she had a tail, or legs that didn’t work but turned into a tail in the water. Either way I absolutely love it! And those bonus mesmerizing mer-adverts at the end!
Hurrah! Glad everybody enjoyed this one… I sometimes feel like when I post anything here not specifically and totally horror, that people are all “this isn’t what I come to this blog for.” Nice to know otherwise!
I think everybody has covered this one pretty well so I want to stick to that first advertisement ("the curve with the verve.")
That's a great piece of graphic design. The hair completely mirrors the tail, and the "curve" text mirrors the "knee"? part of the tail.
The hair is pitch black and the gloves are, making a eye line down the opposite side of the figure.
That's excellent work. It's such a balanced and striking image.
Also artist managed to get that sultry / cut a fool look just right.
I don't have much to add since other commenters covered just about everything concerning this mermaid tale (tail?), except I always enjoy reading about the mysteries of the oceans and seas. We still know so little about the ocean's bottom and what lives there so deep down there, it is as mysterious as outer space though slightly less difficult to travel to.
This mermaid yarn was a welcome addition to THOIA, maybe not horror but it has a twist ending, something that many horror comics feature.
Thanks for posting this.
Wow, that first page is a doozy. Ayers in pure gothic romance mode. She might as well be on the lookout for her long doomed salt to return from seventy years of ghostly whaling or whatever. I like the way story dials the darkness down on every page: First she saved; then we discover she isn't suicidal; then we discover that her parents care about her; lastly we discover she isn't human. Of course, since I am the target audience here, I like that first page (and the top of page two) best, when all we have are questions, surreally gnarled trees and choking spume.
Speaking of unsettling landscapes, I also really dig Brodsky's wild cover on this issue. The post code push to keep things weird was often really inventive.
Marvel did a rewrite of this story in “Strange Tales” #97 in June of 1962.
Interestingly, in that story, the girl’s guardians were called Aunt May and Uncle Ben!
I wonder if any Marvel writer has considered a story where Peter Parker meets his long-lost “sister?
It's a little funny that one panel on Page 4 makes a point of having a stereotyped "hunky" lifeguard.
Funny, but a little appropriate.
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