THOIA'S 2025 Holiday Horror Special

If you enjoyed our horrible holiday double feature over at AEET HERE yesterday, it's now time for another right here at THOIA! And this year we're looking at the age old Ghost Stories for Christmas, and with nobody telling a spookier tale than Charles Dickens himself! Well actually, let's have golden age fan favorite, Lee Elias tell it-- the way it could've happened, or did it?! --via the March / April 1976 issue of Ghosts #46. But first up, it's another doomed-out variation on the Dicken's lit classic drama-rama, from the March 1953 issue of Marvel Tales #112, and highlighted by some spectacularly illustrated Larry Woromay specters! I guess you can't really celebrate anything anymore either unless we get a nice Bill Everett cover as well! Yes, this post has everything-- including a well wish for everyone to have a wonderful, happy holiday!

The Horror from the Shade

The weatherman says we're in for some cooler midwestern temps here starting tomorrow, and though we've spent the last two posts trapped in an incinerating chamber of CHILLS, it's now time to let 'ol Rudy Palais fling one last fistful of sweaty shade our way --and no, not that kind of shade! This is a really weird one from the August 1952 issue of Chamber of Chills #11, and good lord, please read the story carefully to avoid embarrassing yourself with comments like "is the last page missing?" or "ending feels too abrupt!" or whatever... the ending is rather brilliant if you ask me. And so is the smokin' hot Lee Elias cover illustration too.

Grave's End

Time for something a little more serious now from the same grave issue as our last Chamber of Chills #24 post. And for a brief 5-pager, Bob Powell fills every panel to the brim with outstanding funeral mood and atmosphere. If that ain't enough, check out that bone-chilling Lee Elias cover classic!

Haircut!

Got myself a terrifying trim the other day, which reminded me of this hair-raising little story from the July 1953 issue of Chamber of Chills #18. Super duper, Jack Davis-esque art by Howard Nostrand as usual, and a truly creepy cover by lurid 'ol Lee Elias... yep, you've definitely come to the right place this eerie evening for a grave and a scare-cut!

The Wig-Maker

Time to venture back into the odd old west for a tale that's half spooky / half silly, and 100% howlin' Harvey at this late precode horror / humor vein stage of the 50's game. Yeah, everybody could see Wertham's hammer of doom a'fallen', so many of these terror titles began to take the hint and turn up the funny volume. Things went from gory to corny fast, but not all was lost, like this hairy scary (*tag! *gag!) from the Feb '54 issue of Witches Tales #23. And FYI: There's even more wig weirdness in the archive if you've got a hankerin' to dig 'em out-- just don't ever say that Mr. Karswell didn't go to great lengths to root out that 'ol black humor for ya's!

The Werewolf Must Kill!

Detouring back into the 1950's for Werewolf Wednesday with a snarling, toothy entry from the August 1951 issue of Harvey's Black Cat #30. Don't fret over the fact that this tale chooses to depict the werewolf as just a regular looking wolf animal, (I'm typically not a fan of this illustrative decision), because the lovely Lee Elias art, and especially the last page, more than makes up for it!

HAUNTED HORROR #18 / Murder Mansion

We initially had a release date of August 26th for HAUNTED HORROR #18, but over at the Previews New Release site we've noticed that it's unfortunately not listed --so cross your fingers (and don't forget to invert them too) for next week! In the meantime, we still have a perfectly spooky preview of our own from HH18 for you to scream about-- it's an awesomely illustrated terror tale by the great Lee Elias, originally featured in the Nov. '51 issue of Witches Tales #6.