She Stalks at Sundown

Time now for a lurid, Lou Cameron, cat-girl classic, clawing its way at you from the January 1954 issue of Web of Mystery #22. Full of juicy good-girl art, and jungle jitters galore, I'm actually kind of surprised that I've never posted this one here at THOIA before. And meanwhile, I'm equally as baffled as to why it didn't make it into Cameron's Unsleeping Dead hardcover collection, via The Chilling Archives. We also have another beautiful "blonde in peril" cover design by mad man Jim McLaughlin, --plus, tacked on at the very end to round things out nicely, a shivery "Tale of Unexplained Mystery" by Sy Grudko concerning a macabre magic mirror...

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?

Jibaro Madness

Jungle Jitters time again, and this creepy crawlin' Bob Forgione entry from the January 1953 issue of The Thing #6 is so unexpectedly bonkers, it might even make a few of you lose your heads! And then this happens! And then this happens! And then this happens! Ah, Charlton comics, always a'callin' my shrunken, black, short attention span heart!

Skulls! Skulls!! Skulls!!!

The second half of the 28 Years Later film saga, The Bone Temple, opened in theaters this weekend, and we're going to see it this Tuesday night, in fact. Now, not to get "a-head" of ourselves here for anyone else who hasn't seen it yet, (though I'm sure the posters, trailers, and scenes from the first half of the previous movie hath etched the towers of chilling skull totems into everyone's gasping eyeballs already anyway), but that brings me to this: I've been hanging onto Werner Roth's rather savage, "The Grinning Skulls!" from the January 1953 issue of Strange Tales #14 for about a year now, patiently waiting for just the right occasion to post it, and now you will see EXACTLY why. And not to be outdone by one juicy jolt of jungle jitters, but I also have a god-damned (get it?)  Stan Lee / John Romita decap classic via the January 1953 issue of Mystery Tales #7 that will really flip your lid! If that ain't enough, I've also included an old WW2 photo with a back story that's even more macabre than either of today's Atlas Tales combined. Click HERE for it if you dare... ugh!

Skin-Deep

Is everyone enjoying these Atlas Suspense stories? I guess it had been a while since we had ourselves an Atlas Fest around here, and you guys definitely let me know it! And we have a few more to go, including one starring this glamour puss who thinks she's the be all / end all in beauty! Boy, does she ever have a thing or two to learn... from the October 1952 issue of Suspense #23, and featuring some real nice art from Syd Shores.

The Spider Widow vs. The Headhunter!

Hero Monday already again? Yep, and this time it's Frank Borth's lovely Diane Grayton donning the hideous witch mask and turning into her horrific alter hag persona, --The Spider Widow! Definitely an odd change-up from the usual comic book plain Jane who transforms herself into a gorgeous goddess to fight evil, and here The Spider Widow battles a vicious head chopper / shrinker in what would turn out to unfortunately be her final comic book appearance ever. A real shame because a creepy cutie like this (and illustrated by Rudy Palais, no less!) would've really slayed the masses in the pre-code horror boom creeping closer and closer less than a mere decade away. From the October 1943 issue of Feature Comics #72, and be sure to get your socks knocked off again as SW battles the yellow menace in a bondage bonanza, leg show-a-rama over at AEET HERE! That's right, --double feature Spider Widow!