"The Paper Ghost"

So far May has become a month to BEWARE, and we're rolling out the November 1953 issue of Beware #6 to prove it! Or are we unrolling, --or maybe unraveling it? Whatever, it's a weird story about a vengeful paper ghost (not a toilet paper ghost, anyway!), and it's a tale we liked so much that we included it in Haunted Horror #13 way back in 2014. Also, if the 2-ply terror pair-up of Belfi / Tyler art doesn't wipe you out-- nothing will! Ugh... did I really just say that?

Getting A-Head / Fingerprint Removal / Explosive!

Time to finish up July 2024 with an explosively eerie triple be-header of Lawbreakers Suspense Stories via issues #10, #11, and #15. Yes sir, good 'ol decapitation days are here again-- as well as finger melting, and blowin' up the babes! Don't ever say that THOIA never delivers the gory goods, although today's "goods" could've used some better printing, and I did my very best to make these scans a bit more presentable. Ahhh well, can't blame a horror host for tryin'! And you thought we were done with Charlton too, eh? See ya'll in August for lots more...

Smashing the Spook Racket

Dr. Neff was not only one of the more popular, real life, spook show stage master magicians of the midcentury, he was also the star of his own heroic, golden age Ghostbreaker comicbook stories, debunking and exposing fellow fright frauds, while also pulling assorted ghastly gags of his own to thrill-seeking audiences worldwide. And here's an eerie example from the back pages of the September - October 1952 issue of Racket Squad #3, where he takes on an adversary utilizing their powers of magic for evil, instead of good.

Mark of Violence

A funny little gruesome entry by John Belfi, originally presented in the September 1953 issue of The Thing #10... this story also can be found in the unfortunate, final issue of Haunted Horror #35, which (hard to believe), came out a little over a year ago already.

The Black Closet / Breakout!

Let's do one more looney Lawbreakers post and then get back to mixing things up again this month, shall we? And here's a really weird tale that barely makes any sense-- but that definitely doesn't stop it from being insanely fun! The Art Capello illustrations are reminiscent of Ditko at times, and John Belfi returns yet again (3 posts in a row!) with another one page quickie, --PLUS!! more badly drawn bugs! From the May '53 issue of Lawbreakers Suspense Stories #12.

Sharp Idea / Hot Seat / Deep Freeze

THOIA returns after a brief computer malfunction that fried out my graphic board, but we are back on track-- and since everyone seemed to like that last Lawbreakers post so much here's a Sharp Idea-- plus a hot and cold one too! Yep, another triple header of dumb ass criminals getting EXACTLY what they deserve. From the jolting July 1953 issue of Lawbreakers Suspense Stories #13.

Acid Test / Grounds For Murder!

WARNING: If you've just eaten, you may want to wait awhile before reading any of these stories-- because dear god *choke* *gag* --the theme for this post is: "Flesh Removal!" And all selections come from the insanely horrific November 1953 issue of the rather not so horrifically titled, Lawbreakers Suspense Stories #15, (this series was apparently Charlton's response to EC's Crime Suspenstories), and to say that these seemingly harmless good guy / bad guy tales of burning acid and insatiable insects are gruelingly mean spirited, ugly, and just downright revoltingly repulsive, is putting it ever so mildly. Yes friends, you can almost hear Dick Giordano and John Befli cackling maniacally as they crank-up the ick factor 10-fold here-- so hold on to your noses and as well as any other dangling exposed bits, because seriously, some of you may not survive this triple header of twisted terror...