A Coffin for Carlos

We've discussed the 'ol "bury you now, dig you up later" scheme in these scary old precode stories many times in the past, and it'll come as no spoilery surprise to learn that it doesn't work out in today's post either. But this time there's a twist, and it barely makes sense, --and bah, who cares? This is the stuff that made Atlas horror so great in the foist place, ya lousy bums! From the Dec. 1952 issue of Marvel Tales #110, with art by Don Perlin and Abe Simon (cover art by Russ Heath.)

The Invisible Curse

Let's wrap up this month with a wild tale of witchcraft gone terrible wrong, from the Sept. '52 issue of Weird Terror #1. Todays entry takes off from the start like a possessed race horse and seriously just gets more maniacally delirious with each page. A dynamite Don Perlin and Abe Simon story definitely worthy of the multiple Eerie Pub reprint / re-makes in the 70's-- it even found its way down under into the Australian Gredown, Satan's Corpse, one-shot in 1981.

Crawling Death

You know you want insane precode horror, and friends, it seriously doesn't get much more bonked out than this one! And as with our last post, todays adventure into doom is also from the April 1952 issue of Chamber of Chills Magazine #7. Yes, if horribly giant, half human crabs are what you crave then this is the tale for you. And if you love dialog like "I'm gonna kill it!! It might be some rare species!!" then this is also your cup 'o crab meat (dipped in melted butter!) Lord, do I ever adore the inspired design of those fang-filled crab claws. The story might be a real head scratcher, but the art somehow pulls it all together. Somehow. And FYI: this would be a good double feature with Bride of the Crab which can still be found scuttling around in the THOIA archive right HERE. Yes, make yours a crabby date night tonight!

Shadows in Pawn / Devil's Stones

The final two pieces of the June 1952 issue of The Unseen #5 puzzle... a puzzling issue of high weirdness I mean, as witnessed in our last post HERE about the hunter, but also the story about the giant man-eating caterpillar in the THOIA Archive HERE; the spectral highwayman horrors from an Alex Toth classic HERE, and finally today's Abe Simon entry about a man without a shadow! (Plus a one page bonus filler tale.) Hope everyone enjoyed another FULL ISSUE presentation!

The Spider Man!

In our last post we saw the Bat Man, so it's only natural that in our perfectly friendly neighborhood follow-up post we pay some lavish lovin' to that other fearless fighter of crime, that wall-crawlin', web-slinging', champion of justi-- oh wait, nope, different Spider Man. Sorry! But trust me, this entire yarn is just as funny as any cornball Peter Parker line, --crazy as a half dog / half bed bug in fact! From the Nov '52 issue of Chamber of Chills #14, art by Abe Simon.

Headless Horror!

There's a new group on Facebook devoted entirely to HORROR COMICS: 1950's and BEYOND, take a moment and click the link to join up, you'll be glad you did! To celebrate, THOIA has an encore presentation of the wonderfully atmospheric and gorily impaling Abe Simon illustrated Harvey classic-- HEADLESS HORROR from the May 1952 issue of Chamber of Chills #8.

DOOMSDAY!

Well, this is it, friends... the last THOIA post ever. Obviously, in a few days we'll all be dead (thanks again for the heads up, Mayans!) so I thought I'd get a jump on the Final Days festivities by posting this appropriately titled / requested tale from the October 1952 issue of Black Cat Mystery #40. Yes boys and ghouls, it's been fun, it's been real, awww Hell-- it's been REAL fun-- eternal hugs and kisses, and I hope to see you all soon as either ghosts, devils, zombies, worms, or whatever it is that surely awaits us on the ominous other side.

Your pal in doom and damnation, Mr. Karswell...

THE END... or is it?

Kill No More!

Here's a weird one from Abe Simon, also from the July 1952 issue of Black Cat Mystery #37. I have to say, the Kremer cover on this issue is one of the single greatest pre-code Harvey works of art ever: gorgeous girl, scary zombies, and a story blurb engraved on a tombstone! It definitely doesn't get much better than this...