The Old Mill

As mentioned in my intro to the previous post, THOIA turns 19 in a few weeks (July 12th to be exact!), so let's spend the lead-up to that date with a few scary stories that made a huge impact on Mr. Karswell as a young 6 year old just discovering comics in the 70's. My grandmother had taken me antiquing in Farmington MO, and I found and purchased (with my own allowance!) a large stack of mind blowing, coverless horror comics. To say these changed my life would be a serious understatement, --because here I am a half century later still going gaga over them! And notably, a few of these comics that I found that day turned out to be Marvel titles like Crypt of Shadows and Vault of Evil, and these of course contained reprints of the amazing Atlas era precode stories of the 50's-- including this joltin' Gene Colan lead-off grinder from the August 1973 issue of Vault of Evil #4. My copy was not only missing that intense Frank Brunner cover, but also the first two pages of today's Colan story. But I still loved it, and re-read it countless times, over and over, giggling crazily about the funny, gruesome fate of Kurt Braun. More terror tales that shivered 'n shook my poor, pre-teen bones coming up next, so stay tombed! ("The Old Mill" originally appeared in the July 1952 issue of Strange Tales #8.)

The Opener of the Crypt!

It's Lurid Lit 101 time again, and after our last post which weaved a rather wicked spin on a Shakespeare classic HERE, let's fulfill a recent request for not only mo' Edgar Allan Poe, but also for some Frank Brunner art! Now this is how you really weave together some legends-- and a fine addition to our recent look at illustrators who know their way around a scary skeleton drawing too! This is based on the John Jakes sequel to Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado", and originally appeared in the May 1973 issue of Chamber of Chills #4.

The Thing on the Roof!

Let’s take a look at one more 1970’s Robert E. Howard comic book adaptation this week and then get back to the pre-code days, shall we? This one is from the March 1973 issue of Chamber of Chills #3, and like yesterday’s tale is also illustrated by Frank Brunner. Howard's original version of this story saw print in the February 1932 issue of Weird Tales and is another favorite of mine—enjoy!

TOMORROW: On with the Horrific Fest!

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Other forms of "ancient and deadly..."

The Monster from the Mound!

I’ve set aside the Horrific series fest for another day or two and by popular demand adjusted the coordinates of the THOIA Time Machine for the January 1973 issue of Chamber of Chills #2, where we find yet another great Robert E. Howard horror classic adapted by Roy Thomas for Marvel Comics, with art by Frank Brunner.

TOMORROW: More Robert E. Howard Horror!

More Frank Brunner too!

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Originally published in the May 1932 issue of Weird Tales as “The Horror from the Mound” this odd vampire western hybrid was actually one of the first REH tales I ever read… and when I did, it literally made my skin crawl! The vampire creature seems much more terrifying in the original than Brunner's more human-ish visualization for Marvel, here is an excerpt:

“At the window a face glared and gibbered soundlessly at him. Two icy eyes pierced his very soul. A shriek burst from his throat and the ghastly visage vanished. But the very air was permeated by the foul scent that had hung about the ancient mound. And now the door creaked—bent slowly inward. Brill backed up against the wall, his gun shaking in his hand. It did not occur to him to fire through the door; in his chaotic brain he had but one thought—that only that thin portal of wood separated him from some horror born out of the womb of night and gloom and the black past. His eyes were distended as he saw the door give, as he heard the staples of the bolt groan. The door burst inward. Brill did not scream. His tongue was frozen to the roof of his mouth. His fear-glazed eyes took in the tall, vulture-like form—the icy eyes, the long black finger nails—the moldering garb, hideously ancient…”

Santa’s Claws

Here’s another evil black and white xmas tale, this time from Frank Brunner and the final issue of Major Magazine’s Web of Horror series. WOH had tons of talent onboard from the start, guys like Bernie Wrightson, Syd Shores, Jeff Jones, Mike Kaluta, etc. To find out more info about this very interesting, yet very short-lived 3-issue series check out Richard J. Arndt’s site HERE.

From the April 1970 issue of Web of Horror #3