The Murder Masquerade!

We're halfway to Halloween again already, and typically on this day (aka Walpurgisnacht) I tend to feature posts themed a little more on the witchier side of things. But since this great Mack Martin: Private Investigator tale from the March 1949 issue of Super-Mystery Comics V8 #4 takes place during a costumed masquerade party, I think it still fits the holiday bill nicely. It's a super fun, super duper mystery of the highest caliber, with an assortment of diabolical suspects all dressed as Death itself! There's plenty of thrills, chills, furious fisticuffs action, and laugh out loud dialog too, along with some superb artwork from ever reliable Rudy Palais --who also created that great cover design (FYI: the added mummy themed cover at the end of the post remains uncredited.) I hope everyone enjoyed this month of posts, and I promise that May will be even more morbid than ever! Stay tombed...

Adventure of the Gangster Who Was Killed Twice

If you didn't gather around the table with friends and family on Thanksgiving this year, you now have your chance to do it with a bunch of mugs 'n thugs and downright unpleasant psychos instead. Yes, THOIA is ringing the whodunit dinner bell with a super-sized helping of 30's / 40's style murder mystery madness-- and it's also the long-awaited return of amateur sleuths, Bert and Sue, to this blog (see another adventure HERE!) that I promised everyone way back in March 2018. If this one doesn't keep you guessing all the way to the end-- you're already dead! From the February 1947 issue of Super-Mystery Comics Volume 6 #4, with story art and cool cover by "R. Grey", who might just actually be Warren Kremer.

Adventure of the Murdered Medium

One of our most popular Haunted Horror covers was an insanely cutting edge slashtacular by the ever wonderous, Warren Kremer, originally from the December 1946 issue of Super-Mystery Comics Volume 6 #3. We put that masterpiece of sex and violence on the cover of Haunted Horror #11 in June 2014, but it wasn't until just a few months ago that someone actually wrote to me asking if there was even a story in the original issue that said cover was based upon. And indeed there is-- and boy is it ever a fun --and very funny-- little who-dun-it romp, complete with a wise-crackin', Thin Man-esque married couple (Bert and Sue) who find themselves up to their nosey little amateur dick necks in all sorts of maniacally murderous mayhem while attending a midnight seance at a magic museum. So kick back and enjoy this ode to 1930's / 40's MGM and RKO mysteries-- I'm sure there's a few of you out there who will appreciate the B-film pace and atmosphere, as well as the ominous horror overtones. (And thanks again to Denny for the inquiry!)