It recently occurred to me that I've never posted this whack-a-doodle tale in its original, July 1954 Weird Chills #1 color version here at THOIA. Sure, you can read the black 'n white repo version HERE in the 2012 Archive, and also believe to yourself that it's good enough-- but what are ya, CRAAAAZY?!! (Story art by Eugene Hughes, cover art by Bernard Baily.)
It's been a while since my fellow horror host chum, Mister Mystery stopped by with one of his own terrible old terror tales to tell! So let's set sail on a nightmarish sea of screams, errr dreams, and find out what awaits in this creepy coffin... from the November 1951 issue of Mister Mystery #2.
Tomb it May Concern Thursday is back, and let's see if we can crack the lid open on not only this ghastly bit of horrifying grave gamery, but also on the actual origin of this gruesome great Kenneth Landau shocker, via the September 1969 issue of Shock V1 #3. Similar to the Eerie Pubs, Shock was a cheap Stanley Morse publication known for taking Golden Age comics and reprinting them in a larger, magazine size, black and white format. GCD notes that this story was also reprinted in the April 1973 issue of K. G. Murray's Haunted Tales #2, which is equally loaded with precode reprints. But where did this story ORIGINALLY come from, and is "Within the Tomb" even the original story title? Does anyone recognize the horror host introducing the story? Landau did a tremendous amount of work for ACG back in the 50's (check the THOIA Archive for many examples HERE), and this story does feel like one from that time era and publisher. I'm just not seeing any information online about it anywhere... any help on this matter is gravely appreciated!
There's another fun sci-fi horror tale in the August - September 1953 issue of Weird Mysteries #6 (see our previous post), and this one comes loaded with plenty of EC Weird Science and Wally Wood style illustrative inspiration, right down to that crazy, uncivilized climax! Prepare yourself now for blast off...
Beginning a whole new madcap month of posts here at THOIA, so let's really live it up right out of the gate with this oddball, Ed Smalle, sci-fi horror mash-up from the August - September 1953 issue of Weird Mysteries #6. And to be honest, this feels like something goofy 'ol Ed Wood would've concocted, --and that is certainly not a bad thing! Also not bad at all is that murderously magical, brutal Bernard Bailey cover illustration!
Traveling across state lines to hook up with a minor is absolutely a monster level no-no, but some people have to learn the hard way! Wait a second, that's not what this story is about, --that's the other "Subway Terror" currently serving 15 years in prison. Anyway, the terrors presented in today's post are just as despicably awful, so hang on tight as Mister Mystery himself takes you down down down into an equally low level, where other unseen monsters live among us. From the Nov. '51 issue of Mister Mystery #2, art by Mike Esposito.
Our next not-so-fresh catch of the day as featured on THOIA's Monday Menu of the Macabre is from the January 1954 issue of Weird Mysteries #8. I guess if you never imagined the thought of fishing and horror mixing well, then reel in this slippery sucker and see what's biting! Art by Mortellaro.
An interestingly simple little sci-fi horror premise from the September 1952 issue of Weird Tales of the Future #3: Two scientists working on a special generating fluid in an isolated desert castle accidentally spill the experiment on an ancient suit of armor, thus bringing it to violent life. Tony Mortellaro's koo-koo art works this one fast paced 'n full-tilt fun, and I totally adore the questioning climax with the bug eyed, bewildered scientist barely comprehending any of the possible outcomes to what he has just created. What have they done, indeed? What. Have. They. Done?!
Nope, it's not your imagination, --and you're not dreaming it! It's also not a premonition, even though it actually is, but what I mean to say is that we're looking at stories from the unbearably yellowed pages of the January 1954 issue of Weird Mysteries #8-- and yep, here's another one to make you pull your hair outta your head in macabre screaming madness! Hope everyone's having a splendid Friday the 13th too!
