Rack of Terror!

Well, we racked up another monstrously macabre month of comic horror classics, and with one final tale to go it surely doesn't come more horrific than this! Hy Fleischman seriously knocks it way out of the park here with 7 taut 'n tense pages of perfect pacing and atmosphere, --and that iconic cover design is absolutely one of precode's finest moments ever. From the August 1954 issue of Dark Mysteries #19. We'll be back in August for lots rots more, so stay tombed as always!

The Madhouse Murder Mystery

A few of you seemed on the fence about the hot pink horrors of our previous post, so I thought maybe we'd take another stab at it with a fun, old-time oddity from the March 1939 issue of Amazing Mystery Funnies V2 #3. Of the 7 pages, 3 of them are overlayed with a variety of perplexing pink hues, while the other 4 pages are in black and white. Not sure why they did it like this exactly, but I think it adds a screaming surrealness to the sinister setting, as well as to the masked murderer and their spooky dungeon of brain swappin', scientific madcappery. GCD notes that artist/writer, E.F. Webster was actually Ethel Felder Webster, and she was rockin' the Richard Sala-esque murder mystery style tale a few decades before he was even born. Man I miss that guy...

The She-Monster

Who amongst you actually believed I would finish out June with a scary She-Beast? Ohhh, how little you know me... why, clearly the only way to truly seal the coffin lid on a month, (as well as a "Lurid Ladies" theme) is with a She-Monster! Dynamic Dick Briefer returns to THOIA now, delivering his own vicious version of the eternally flawed Bride of Frankenstein, via the January 1954 issue of Frankenstein #28. It's quite a beautiful work of art, honestly, all of this mad monster science at its most maddening! And THAT, my friends, is the way you close out a month of posts, and a terrifically terrifyin' theme! More jolts in July-- stay tombed!

Joseph Medley, Lady Killer / Strangler

Like our previous post, "Joseph Medley, Lady Killer" is based on a true crime case, and this time about a psychopath who targeted women with red hair. The comic book adaptation, also like our previous post, started out in one comic book series, --the May 1948 issue of Murder Incorporated #3 (Fox) --and then later got the reprint / retitle Star Publications treatment in the September 1952 issue of Shock Detective Cases #20. I created an image at the end of the post to avoid additional "Barnes Confusion" (as we also saw here strangely / previously), and it's important to note the cool addition of those gnarly "strangler" hands in the later, updated splash. Is Rudy Palais responsible for those new monster mitts as well? No idea, but he created the rest of the asphyxiatingly awesome art presented here-- so hang on to your windpipes, ya'll, cuz this one's a real *CHOKE!* killer of a tale!

Homicidal Madman!

Aka "The Amazing Dr. Holmes: Murdering Lothario of Illinois" tells the true crime story of vicious psycho con artist / serial killer, Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, aka H. H. Holmes who engaged in a lengthy criminal career in Chicago during the late 1800's. First published in the August 1948 issue of Famous Crimes #2, and later as "Homicidal Madman!" when reprinted / retitled for Star Publication's September 1952 issue of Shocking Mystery Tales #50, this is a slightly muddled, though still somewhat decent adaptation of the sensationally disturbing story, and features many of the more brutal Holmes atrocities, unflinching laid out for you the comic book reader --in particular, one very unnerving acid bath sequence! Read more about HHH and his "Murder Castle" of horrors HERE at the Wiki entry, --if you dare!