The Man Who Warmed the Bones of the Dead! / The Idea!

In just a few short weeks we'll be halfway to Halloween! But as everyone here already knows, everyday is Halloween at THOIA, so let's unleash a couple of ghastly old g-g-ghosts to further p-p-prove my p-p-point! Bob Powell, (as promised in our previous post) returns to warm up this haunted house of horrors with 10 atmospheric pages of pure nightmare fuel! From the June 1952 debut issue of Strange Suspense Stories #1 --and check out that bone-chilling cover by Sheldon Moldoff! Also, if it's just too scary for some of you, how about a cute Droopy Dog bonus page via Laffy-Daffy Comics #1 (1945.) We can't let Yogi have all the fun, now can we? And okay, this isn't quite the same Droopy that some of you are likely already familiar with, but it's still a nice little chiller ghost filler! BAARRF! ARF! Give that dog a warm bone!

Triple-Header!

If the ancient Egyptian Karnak Curse in our previous post didn't do it for you, then how about a curse from the creepy old Carnoc Castle grotto instead? This story originally appeared here at THOIA in a black and white reprint version way back in 2017 (HERE), --but everyone hated the scan quality so I swore on the blood of thy ancestors that someday I would re-feature the proper, original story from the October 1951 debut issue of This Magazine is Haunted #1. George Evans art definitely deserves to be viewed in this manner, any 'ol way. Annnnd because the story is a whoppin' 13 pages long, I thought, hey, why not make this post even longer with some additional TMIH filler quickies, like even more fun Facts About Witches and Witchcraft (from TMIH #20), as well as a two-page Ditko horror adventure, via TMIH #17. This blog is pretty damned haunted too, you know?

The Laughing Skull

Okay, one more hero horror story before you guys start screaming scarlet murder at me (unless anyone actually wants to see more?) And yes sirs, it's a Mr. Scarlet screamer again, along with the usual spookily dressed-up crime kook and his hysterical, tough talkin' hench goons. Did I save the best story for last? I kind of think so, aside from the arresting action, eerie art atmosphere, very funny dialog, and skulls skulls skulls, there's a really clever gravestone gimmick utilized here that would make both The Joker and The Riddler green with envy. The main perp also has a rather unusual alt angle this time around that I haven't seen in an old supe comic like this before as well. From the same great issue as our last post too, CLICK HERE! It also feels like Binder put a little more oomph into the art than he did with The Mummy Ray.

The Mummy Ray

We've traded in our whooshing death ray for a b-z-z-z-ing mummy ray (bandages not included!) in this week's deja vu loaded installment of Mummy Monday, via the Fall 1941 issue of Wow Comics #3! We've also swapped out crazy Captain Battle for the ever hilarious Mr. Scarlet, a shameless, mustachio'd masked hero who is not above the use of an innocent victim's corpse as a distraction device against his fiendishly foolish foes! And okay, since these "mummies" aren't the usual type of actual Karloffy mummy we've all come to love around here, I've also included a special one page tutorial on "How To Make A Mummy" from the November 1973 issue of Skywald's Psycho #15. Also of note: the more observant of you may notice a rather striking similarity in the overall writing vibe and art of Mr. Scarlet, and that's because it's by Otto and Jack Binder, the same dynamic brother duo who delivered all the great Captain Battle horror hero action last week. Enjoy!

Death's Beggar

Ever encountered a precode horror story that actually hurts to read? I'm not talking about overly bright, sloppy off-register coloring assaulting your eyeballs, I'm talkin' scenes where a character is put in one hell of an unpleasant situation that just couldn't possibly get any worse. Until it does. I'm also not sure how this tale of witchcraft and ultimate pain has evaded a proper post here at THOIA in all these years, though I did put it in Haunted Horror #8 way back in 2013. Those of you new to this classic are in for a ride, as once again, Sheldon Moldoff's art is really something to behold. From the August 1952 issue of Strange Stories from Another World #2.