The Subway Terror!

Traveling across state lines to hook up with a minor is absolutely a monster level no-no, but some people have to learn the hard way! Wait a second, that's not what this story is about, --that's the other "Subway Terror" currently serving 15 years in prison. Anyway, the terrors presented in today's post are just as despicably awful, so hang on tight as Mister Mystery himself takes you down down down into an equally low level, where other unseen monsters live among us. From the Nov. '51 issue of Mister Mystery #2, art by Mike Esposito.

The Man Who Beat the Devil

Walpurgisnacht is just a few days away, and as we descend into the final, sizzlin' stretch, it's suddenly time to beat the Devil! Okay, is this really a thing that's possible to accomplish? Read along, ya crazy know-it-alls cuz you may be surprised, although this is a pre-code horror story, so I'm fairly certain you already have the correct answer. Horns for Andru and Esposito though, and the December 1954 issue of Mysterious Adventures #23 ...some of you Haunted Horror Heads might remember this from the April 2013 issue of HH#4 too!

The Slaying of Joshua Sprague!

There's a lot to beware this November here at THOIA, as I've suddenly decided to keep the blasphemous Beware! Terror Tales train a'rollin' for a few more posts, anyway. And this is an eerily illustrated Andru / Esposito classic with a gnarly mix of satanic supernatural, time travel, and brutal execution-- seriously, don't read this if you have a splitting headache! From the July 1952 issue of Beware! Terror Tales #2. CLANG!

Love from a Plant

THOIA follower, Otto, emailed me looking for some answers to a comic cover he remembered seeing at a grocery store over half a century ago, and I believe this Ross Andru / Mike Esposito pair-up from Mystery Tales #16 (1964) fits the bill. Now if you clicked the GCD link in the previous sentence, you undoubtably noticed that the story itself actually originated in the Sept '52 issue of Tales of Horror #2, that's because Mystery Tales #16 is simply a complete reprint of that entire issue, just with brand spankin' new cover art. This story also found its way into Haunted Horror #4 in 2013.

The Sewer Keeper / The Some-Thing

If the stress of the holidays have left you frightfully frazzled and eerily exhausted, then maybe what you need right now is to kick back with a good lurid laugh-- yes, a GET LOST double feature might be just what the horror host ordered! First up, from the April - May 1954 issue of Get Lost #2 is a hilariously gruesome satire of precode horror comics (EC to be exact) guaranteed to satisfy your atrocious little appetites-- followed by a chillingly hysterical parody of John W. Campbell / Howard Hawks, THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, from the June - July 1954 issue of Get Lost #3. Not to get too serious, but I'm a bit surprised at myself for having never posted either of these kookball classics here at THOIA over the years until now. Enjoy!

The Old Bat / Mad Money!

A couple of batty back-up tales from the jolting June 1953 issue of Weird Mysteries #5 make up our doomed "money is the root of all evil" Double Header post for today. And yes, these two are indeed from the issue with the infamous Bernard Baily cover featuring the gruesome corpse brain removal art! We liked this icky image so much we put it on the cover of Haunted Horror #8 way back in 2013.