Zombie!

In the July 1953 issue of Menace #5, Stan Lee and Bill Everett unleashed one of the absolute best living dead tales in the history of Atlas Comics-- "ZOMBIE!" which debuted the soon-to-be popular and re-resurrected Simon Garth character, shambling his way through his first far-out exploit. I say "re-resurrected" because fast forwarding exactly 20 years later, Tales of the Zombie #1 hit Silver Age magazine stands featuring not only Garth's continuing updated deadbeat adventures (and today's great black and white re-print of the classic Golden Era story), but also a brand new prologue revealing to the world how our loveably rotten hero came to be. Stayed tuned for more Simon Garth all this week!

UPDATE: For the original color version of this story from Menace #5 head over to Mr. Doortree's essential Golden Age Comic Book Stories blog and check his post from Friday, January 02, 2009!

NEXT: Simon Garth's ORIGIN!

The Death Wish

From the February 1954 issue of The Unseen #13, this quaint little post-Valentine knife to the heart wraps up our look at doomed romances this week, along with the awesomely misleading cover illustration and a 2-page text story of the same hopeless nature.

NEXT: When there's no more room in Hell...

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BONUS TEXT STORY

Nothing Can Save Her

Today we have an atmospheric chiller from the April 1953 issue of Adventures into Darkness #9, and though somewhat short and simple, it's absolutely full of haunting mood and lovely precision artwork... does anyone know the artist?

(Nick Cardy is the artist--- thanks Tamfos!)






For another spooky story with fantastic art from Adventures into Darkness #9, check the 2007 THOIA Archives for "Flowers on Deborah's Grave."

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BONUS STORY

The Girl Who Couldn't Die!

Stopping by an antique shop a few weeks ago to say hi to a friend working there led to the discovery of a mutilated copy of Marvel's Giant-Size Chillers #1 in a small stack of junk mags (I love when that happens!) containing this cool 'n spooky old Paul Reinman reprint, originally presented in the October 1951 issue of Adventures into Terror #6. (Please excuse the condition of this story in places, I tried to clean it up as much as possible.)

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BONUS SHORT: Silk Gauze

(From the Feb-March '69 issue of Witching Hour #1)

Dear Valentine! / It Happened on Valentine's Eve

Welcome lovebirds, to THOIA's Valentine Weekend Double Header Massacre! It's Atlas vs. Ace in two terrifying tales totally not endorsed by Hallmark. And first up-- "Dear Valentine!" from the very last issue of Adventures into Terror #31 (May 1954), with slick art by Al Hartley (or should that be Heartly?) Here's hoping that everyone has a wonderful holiday... *vomits*

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It Happened on Valentine's Eve

(The Beyond #4, May 1951)

We're not done with our sweethearts theme this week, with plenty more pathetic attempts at wooin' and cooin' and whatever else rhymes with murder, ghosts, and general mean spirited mayhem on the way!

The Ghoul!

In the June-July 1953 issue of Frankenstein #25, we find everyone's favorite flat-top freak once again mingling with an unsavory fiend in what amounts to one of the more memorably gruesome entries from Dick Briefer's classic series. Seriously, this one's got it all: grave robbing, acid baths, skeletons and more!

And for a lighter side of Dick Briefer's classic Frankenstein, head over to Mykal's Big Blog of Kid's Comics for another fun Frankie fiasco-- just click HERE!