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!

The Fiendish Spectre

This story was one of my first encounters with a Gold Key comic that truly frightened me. I mean, I was just a dopey little kid, but that evil Jack Sparling spirit with those claws and teeth --that nobody but the victim could see-- really did me good for a few sleepless nights. It also kind of reminded me of the Haunting record fiend in the old ads. From the December 1970 issue of Ripley's Believe it or Not #23.

Beasts and Banshees!

Thirsty Thursdays are here again, with a couple of sex-crazed supernatural thingies out lookin' for some flingies. I believe most people view these Ripley's stories as being a bit G-rated and tame, but how often do you see a comic book tale from Gold Key where a helpless lady in a nightgown is grabbed by her hair, and flung onto a bed where a half-human creature can then "follow his bestial instincts?!" "The Monster of Croglin Grange" is from the June 1969 issue of RBION #14, followed by a screaming second sizzler, "Prey of the Banshee!" from the October 1971 issue of RBION #29, --this one's highlighted with a beautiful John Celardo illustrated lead female looking like she stepped right out of John Buscema's pretty girl playbook.

Stone Dead

After her husband is distracted away in the night, a naive new homeowner gets two-fingered by a pair of rock hard spirits. This is a nice, spooky little tale from the October 1975 issue of Ripley's Believe it or Not #58, and yeah, it's not really about what you think it's about after reading my intro sentence. 

"Believe it, or not..."