Romance of Mystery

Well this little comic is pretty honest about what it has to offer, isn't it? After reading the entire thing, I'm happy to report that my residence remains uncontaminated by any pesky poltergeists (but what are these voices in my head? Hahahahahaha! *Twitch*). Today's four-color horror is brought to you by Fawcett, the same comic company that gave the world Captain Marvel, champion of the great wizard Shazam (no relation to the equally magical ShamWow). And take a look at that knockout zombie cover. Mmmmmm. Please allow the ghoulish Doctor Death to guide you through the insanity and terror that haunts this magazine...
"THE CONSTANT EYE"
Justin Westrum spares no time with fancy monologues or necessary exposition before he poisons the glass of his friend and business partner Mack Wilson. As the agonizing throes of death enthrall him, Mack swears to Justin that he will hold Justin to his toast of accompanying him in death and beyond by "keeping an eye on him." Justin finds out just how literal ol' Mack's words were when he notices how one of the chap's eyes refuses to close even in death. Even after dumping the corpse in the nearby lake, Justin is haunted by the wide and ever staring pupil of death! He begins seeing the organ everywhere he goes, from the food he eats to the flowers that adorn Mack's grave. Meeting Mack's reanimated cadaver in the cemetery one night, Justin is told by his murdered buddy that he will continue to be tormented until his spirit is completely broken. It will be then that Mack will come calling for Justin's soul and escort him into the land of the dead as his BFF. Can Justin deny his ultimate fate or will he finally succumb to the maddening presence of the Constant Eye...?
Wow, what a doozy! This story has obvious roots in Edgar Allan Poe's immortal "The Tell-Tale Heart" (the Vulture Eye!) with the nefarious protagonist being haunted by the guilt of his crime. Don't expect to find high class literature when you dig into this one though. It's pretty goofy through and through. The character of Justin is the inspiration for some funny lines: "You're not eyes! You're fireflies!" But most bizarre of all is the rejuvenated remains of Mack. After swearing that he will follow Justin wherever he goes, Mack pops up time and again in a variety of guises. Policeman, cab driver... chick at a costume party? And again as a curvy woman posing rather seductively on a street corner? If you think I'm crazy, check out this passage from Justin's first meeting with Brought-Back Mack: "The empty socket in Mack Wilson's head was a circle of temptation for Justin. It drew him like a magnet. He suffered a burning desire to peer within its darkness, to penetrate its mystery!" You tell me what's going on here, folks.
"SEANCE OF TERROR!"
Warren Travers is the typical disbelieving jerk who is coaxed by his fiancee Anna into attending a seance held by the mysterious Count Drasni in his gloomy mansion outside of town. Warren soon finds himself on the wrong end of the spiritual connection when the ghostly essence of his soul leaves his body. His excitement is short lived when he is suddenly assaulted by the Seven Dwarves of the Damned. They're actually the despairing and wicked souls of deceased murderers and suicides. Same thing. Anyway, Grumpy is intent on taking over Warren's body so he can sport a neat looking flesh suit. The troll succeeds and Warren is left in limbo, constantly teased by the other spirits while they play their Ghostly Games and forced to watch his own body be an ass to Anna. But Warren isn't going down without a fight. He tactfully plans to make Anna aware of his peril and alarm Drasni of the situation before the goblin inhabiting his body can complete the machine that will bring back the souls of the dead to wreak havoc on the Earth...!
That one was a mouthful. Surprisingly it really isn't all that bad. Out of all the horror comic stories I've read (from the more unknown magazines, that is) this one seems to have a bit of originality to it. The climax in the laboratory actually manages to build some suspense and excitement as well. Who knew? Shivering spooks make for a fun read, even though some of the ghosts look like rejects from a failed Disney project. Heebie jeebies!
"THE BLIND, THE DOOMED... AND THE DEAD!"
Jasper Kafacho is just enjoying a conversation with the wax figurines in his carnival tent when beefy Fleece Barton decides to bust the tea party up. The sleazy barker is unsatisfied with Kafacho's inability to pull in any money with his grotesque art pieces. Demanding that the blind little curator leave for the umpteenth time, Barton is set off by the hunchback's stubborn refusal and ends up strangling the creep. Realizing his crime, Barton decides to hide the body within the mirrored depths of the "Crazy House." It's a good idea until Barton finds that he's gotten himself hopelessly lost. A few turns later and he comes face-to-face with Casper! No, it's just Jasper and he is pissed. The zombie drags the whimpering Barton to a supernatural courtroom where the wax figures serve as jury and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is the high judge. It is here that Barton will meet his final judgment and face the hell of melting wax and the hangman's noose! Kinky...
A pretty standard story to cap the issue. I have to admit, when I first read the story I instantly rolled my eyes when I heard the first mentioniong of wax figures. "Oh geez," I thought. "Another story with a wax museum setting?" It's true that many, many tales of horror use this atmosphere to illicit chills from the reader/viewer. It takes a lot of ingenuity from the artists involved to make their story unique and stand out from the rest. This particular tale does a rather admirable job at making it memorable. It really kicks into gear after Barton is confronted by Jasper in the funhouse. Then things take a surreal turn (for the better) when Barton is brought into the "courtroom." Nightmare proportions and imagery abounds in these panels. The judge's stand looms menacingly over Barton and the setting includes such weird elements as barren trees, rotted pillars, and a random volcano. It all culminates very nicely in deliciously hot climax. Yowza!
THE LAUGHING SHARK'S VERDICT
Awhahaha! Haunted, indeed! This issue seems to provide more chuckles than thrills, but that's fine by me! The stories and art are really nothing to write home about, but you could always do much worse. If you're running low on comic selections for your next descent into depravity, you wouldn't do yourself any harm by checking out this dusty ditty. Or maybe you would. There's some fun in that too! Dohohohohoho!

Labels: 1950S, Comic Books, Fawcett, This Magazine Is Haunted, Twisted Panels

Here it is, folks. The one that started it all. After having a few guest appearances where he told chilling tales of horror in the EC crime magazine War Against Crime, the Vault-Keeper landed his own permanent residence with issue number 12. The title was then changed to the Vault of Horror and the rest was hisssstory. The shocking terror wave that was to be known as EC Comics had its dark roots in this very issue, the first in their cavalcade of creepy comics...
"PORTRAIT IN WAX!"
Written and drawn by Johnny Craig
Robert is a hard working artist living in 1930�s Paris with his roommate Henry in a squalid studio. Robert constantly creates beautiful etchings but has no desire to profit from them. This is enrages Henry quite a bit, who thirsts for fame and fortune so much that he begins to sell Robert�s etchings to a gullible art dealer for high prices. After Robert sees his work hanging in a private art collection, he confronts Henry about his dubious dealings. Desperate to keep his reputation intact, Henry hurls a bottle of acid at Robert, completely destroying his face and causing him to faint. After Henry quickly disposes of the body in a large vat of burning acid, he heads to London and proceeds to live in the lap of luxury from Robert�s art. When the etchings start running low, Henry visits a strange old man named Jules Vendette who creates incredibly life-like wax statues of famous deceased personalities. Striking up a partnership with the sculptor to open a museum, Henry soon learns his plagiarizing days are over when he learns of Jules� true vendetta�
Ahh, the wax museum. A happy haunting ground for many stories of the strange and weird. This story undoubtedly drew its influences from the film "Mystery of the Wax Museum," another tale of horrible revenge set amongst the cold, watching eyes of the macabre figurines. No surprises for anyone who has already read something like this before, but that doesn't keep it from being a fun ride all around.
"THE WEREWOLF LEGEND"
Written by Gardner Fox, Art by Wally Wood and Harry Harrison
In the county of Devon in England, young Walter Mallory finds himself stalking about the forest outside his mansion, now in the form of a ravenous werewolf. Finding his victim, Walter easily chases him down and rips him apart with fang and claw. The next morning Walter awakens to discover his sheets and windowpane smeared with blood and an ugly snout staring back at him from the bathroom mirror. Recovering from his faint, Walter later attends breakfast with his cousin Gregory where he learns of the previous night�s murder. Gregory suggests his cousin relax by going into the dusty library to read. There Walter discovers a set of old manuscripts detailing a curse in the Mallory family, one that has caused a member of each generation to become a homicidal beast under the light of the full moon. After Walter suffers another night of torture and blood, he goes to the village police to plead for them to stop his mad bloodlust. Will they keep Walter from killing again, or will an even more insidious secret come to light�?
I love me a good ol' werewolf story. There's just something about those furry critters that scratches my tummy in all the right places. This one has all the elements of a fine lycanthrope tale: brooding English castle and countryside, bloodthirsty monster, shady characters and, hell why not, a little mystery to keep the reader on their hairy toes. Rawr.
"HORROR IN THE NIGHT"
Written by Ivan Klapper, Art by Harvey Kurtzman
Tom Hawkins, owner of a colony of tourist cabins, is just pouring himself a strong drink to settle his jangling nerves. Tom�s brother Jim pops in, distressed to see his sibling in such a stressed disposition. Tom explains to his brother that he�s been haunted by an eerie feeling that something terrible is to occur in the near future. Tom has suffered a most horrendous and strange dream, one that seems to be warning him of danger. In the dream, a couple arrived at the cabins just before noon. The husband had seemed normal enough, but the wife appeared to have a wild, mad look in her eyes. Tom�s suspicions are confirmed later when he becomes a ghost-like watcher in the couple�s room. He can only watch in utter horror as the insane woman attempts to escape the cabins, tearing an innocent cat to pieces in the process. The husband attempt to keep his ghoulish companion locked in before he can take her to the asylum the following morning. When the mad mistress attempts to flee again, a terrible fight erupts between the couple, ending in the husband strangling his bestial wife to death. Remorseful of his deed and the condition of his wife that was brought on by the death of their baby, the man ends his life by shooting himself. Is Tom�s dream just a surreal excursion into the fantastic, or is it perhaps a frightening premonition of what is to come�?
Well there's something different. The story at first seems to have the trappings of a "Twilight Zone" episode with our protagonist suffering from a horrible premonition. But then things quickly turn dark and surprisingly gruesome. Kurtzman's characters are drawn in a way that makes them almost outlandish but at the same time frighteningly human. The mad woman's eyes are pretty eerie and certainly give the impression that she has a few screws loose. The acts she commits later in the story only enhance that impression. Ka-rayzaaaay...
"TERROR TRAIN"
Written and drawn by Al Feldstein
Gloria hurriedly hails down a taxi cab and demands to be taken to the nearest train station. You see, her husband Ralph is planning on murdering her. Gloria started suspecting this when Ralph began exhibiting peculiar behaviors, like when he brought a jar of poison home, only cryptically intoning that he wished to use it for his own purposes. Gloria also caught Ralph standing over her in bed one night, a kitchen knife clutched in his hand. He said that he had found beneath Gloria�s pillow, but she knew better. After Ralph tells her that he has taken out some expensive life insurance policies for the both of them, she knows the terrible motive behind her husband�s deeds. But she can�t escape him so easily. Just as the train begins to chug away, Gloria catches a glimpse of a man who resembles Ralph boarding the train at the last minute. Distraught with fear, she heads to the club car for a strong drink only to see Ralph�s face appear for an instant in the smoky mirrors. That night as she sleeps, Gloria is awoken by a piercing shriek and soon discovers that she is aboard a train full of slaughtered corpses. Making her getaway at a lonely cabin in the country, Gloria soon finds a terrible fate waiting for her within the strangling confines of a casket. At the climax of her terror, the horrible truth behind her night of horror will be revealed to her�
An awesome tale of suspense to wrap the issue up. I've always enjoyed Feldstein's crisp drawing techniques. His art may come off as a bit stiff (heh heh) to some, but to me it is an exquisite example of classic comic book art. And boy can he draw the best faces of fear. Gloria's anguished visages remain in one's mind in stark detail for some time. Just be sure not to leave her up there for too long. She'll drive you batty.
THE LAUGHING SHARK'S VERDICT
Awhahaha! What can I possibly add to what's already been said? The issue serves as an exclusive look into the great things EC would do in the future. The stories are frightening, the art is superb, and to the horror connoisseur it's tastier than a pile of rotting chum! I give it two chuckling fins up! Dohohohohoho!

Labels: 1950S, Comic Books, Ec Comics, Monster, The Vault Of Horror, Twisted Panels, Werewolf

Greeting, readers. Pull your overstuffed armchairs close to the glowing dial of the radio, because we have another terror tale from yesteryear to listen to in tonight's edition of "Horror On The Airwaves."
Our story is set in the sickly wet heat of French New Guinea, on a small rocky reef that bears the macabre name of Three Skeleton Key. Three men man the lighthouse that accommodates the reef, the heavenly lamp shining through the treacherous fog in order to guide all passing ships to safety. Our narrator is Jean, a complacent fellow who lets us in on all the proceedings. He is accompanied by Louis, a very Bluto-esque sailor who has just about as much patience as he has words. Auguste, on the other hand, is a chatty hunchback who is constantly sharing stories with his companions of the days when he acted on the stage at the Grand Guignol. All three of them share no close bonds, but they get along fine enough to get through the day.
But one day something happens that puts their very lives on the line. Spotting a vessel being tossed about by the tumultuous waves outside, Jean calls the other two over to observe the spectacle. It soon becomes apparent that the ship is a derelict, not a living soul to be seen on board. But as the ship washes up ever closer to the jagged rocks on the coast, Jean sees a horrifying sight through his binoculars. The ship is infested with rats, a special breed that has adapted to living on vessels. They are venomous, flesh-hungry vermin, the reason for the absence of any humans on board becoming cryptically clear. What's worst of all, the ship crashes against the shore, allowing the entire army of plague-carriers to swarm the lighthouse.
The three men work with all haste to ensure that every opening is sealed tight, running frantically up and down the spiral staircase as the rats ferociously tear at the doors and windows with a million pairs of yellow fangs and claws. Jean and his partners have now become prisoners in their own lighthouse, the animals outside a sure sign of impending death. As the rats press in on them inch by inch, the lighthouse keepers begin to lose their grip on sanity and slowly give in to the hungry maw of tangible fear...
"Three Skeleton Key" was adapted to radio from a story written by French writer George Toudouze which originally appeared in the magazine Esquire. The most famous broadcast of this harrowing story was the March 17, 1950 version that starred Vincent Price as Jean. "Three Skeleton Key" is one of the most famous broadcasts in all of old time radio history. Airing on the the spectacular series Escape!, it remains a fantastic example of the powers of auditory suggestion and suspense.
During the duration of the thrilling story, the listener becomes completely immersed in the time and setting (a facet that I always found Escape! to really excel in). You can feel the hot, humid air sticking to your skin and imagine yourself squinting through the thick fog that encloses you. Jean's narration of the lighthouse paints a clear image of its bony structure jutting up through the sharp rocks. And, perhaps best of all, the invasion of the rats becomes something as real as your own flesh and blood. The effects used to create the sounds of the vermin's advance are bone-chilling in their horror. Every squeak, scratch, and scuttle of the rats makes you feel as if there are critters running in the same room as you. It's hair-raising scares at their most effective, the swarming of the beasts the perfect apocalyptic symbol for this fight of man against Mother Nature's creations.
If you'd like to give this chiller a listen, curl up with some warm hot chocolate and tune in HERE. If you find yourself with a case of goosebumps before going to bed, don't worry your little head about the creepy crawlies in the dark. I'll keep a light burning for you.

Labels: 1950S, Escape, Horror On The Airwaves, Old Time Radio, Rats, Vincent Price

If you're like me, I pity you you probably have a taste for comic books. Your eyes immediately light up with glee at the sight of those garishly colored panels and you're suddenly overcome by the urge to burrow beneath the folds of your blanket and read the book by the shaky glow of a flashlight as your Mom slowly strolls down the hallway outside to make sure you're safely tucked into bed.
What? That second part only applies to me? Well this just got embarrassing...
Either way, my mission today is to indulge both of our hungers with a little terror tale from panels past that I hope you enjoy as much as I did when I first read it. This doozy is ripped from the May issue of Adventures Into Terror, #19 specifically. Our story is called "The Girl Who Couldn't Die" and, though the title isn't very original*, the tale itself has a few nice surprises in store for the unwary reader. It's one of our most beloved tropes: the slightly cuckoo scientist who gives God the middle finger and sets out on a mission to toil with Forbidden Powers and reanimate his Lost Beloved. That knockout cover alone would be enough to elevate this one to greatness (though to be perfectly honest with you, it never happens in the story).
*With old time radio alone you can't spit without hitting an episode that claimed that someone or another "...Couldn't Die" or involved someone who "...Died Twice" or possessed "...X Amount Of Lives." Believe me, I've tried.
Granted, if readers tend to like this type of feature I'd be happy to post more stories in the future. Though with such magnificent giants in the field such as Karswell keeping the rabid masses happy with his definitive blog The Horrors Of It All, I can see how these types of posts might be considered "obsolete." Still, if you like what you see, just be sure to say so. Get out the tissue box for this one, kids. It's a real rom-com!

Labels: 1950S, Adventures Into Terror, Comic Books, Mad Scientist, Resurrection, Twisted Panels