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!
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!
Here's another fun Charlton tale from the boiling bowels of doomed inner Earth. And like our previous post, it not only comes from the August 1954 issue of of This Magazine is Haunted #19, but is also illustrated by Sy Moskowitz again.
Time for a hysterical visit to hillbilly Hell, from the August 1954 issue of This Magazine is Haunted #19. I'm not exactly sure the writer of this tale understands how scarecrows work (ain't they supposed'ta scare the crows away?!), but in any event, it sure leads to one endless string of perfectly entertaining precode insanity and ultra violent supernatural vengeance from beyond the corn(field.) BRANG it on!
It's Monday in April, and that means it's time once again for an obscure, costume clad crime fighter (or crime fighter team) to take on the forces of supernatural evil! Yep, if you missed the first post last week HERE, this is just one of the themes we're showcasing all this month. And today it's Ace Magazine's Lash Lightning and Lightning Girl's turn to play the Nick and Nora-esque mystery tag team-up vs. a murderous, deathless witch! From the May 1945 issue of Four Favorites #18, and illustrated by Nina Albright, who had quite a heavy hittin' list of Golden Age studios on her pencil and inker resume: Iger Shop, Funnies Inc., Majestic, as well as Bernard Baily, and L.B. Cole Studios! That splash is especially wonderful...
If the penthouse a few posts ago wasn't haunted enough for ya, then try this place on for shiverin' size! I'm sure you'll definitely find it to be much more in the spirit of things from the great, ghostly beyond! And from the July 1953 issue of Chamber of Chills #18, with an atmospherically attractive art team-up by John Giunta and Manny Stallman too!
Along with the occasional hero vs. horror themed posts that I promised you throughout the month of April, you'll also notice a terrifying trend leaning towards flames and higher temps-- and that's because we'll be slowly turning up the heat the closer we get to Walpurgisnact 2024! Yep, things will definitely get a bit warm around here as we approach May, but maybe not quite as extra crispy as this crematorium classic from the sizzlin' September 1953 issue of The Thing #10.
