"Spirits of Doom" & "Undertaker"

This will finish off Witches Tales Vol. 4 No. 1, February 1972, and we can all be thankful. It was time to let it go.

The first head on the platter is “Spirits of Doom,” with artwork from Walter Casadei. I found this one truly disturbing and am not sure about its antecedents. This one might be an original Eerie Pub. tale! Hopefully sharper, clearer, and better minds that mind can confirm or deny (My hopes were answered! See comments!). Whatever the story's origins, it really made my heart sink.

The origins of “Undertaker” are not in question: This is the classic, Eerie switch -n- swipe. In other words, a straight up reprint with a name change. This story was originally named “Ghoul for a Day” and was from Voodoo #5, January 1953.

"House of the Vampire" & "Devil's Sketch Book"

Here’s two more rotting, decaying stories from Witches’ Tales Vol. 4 No. 1, February 1972. This first little doozie, “House of the Vampire,” has work by the artist known as Stepancich, which I like a lot; particularly the sweet splash page vampire nude. “Watch out! Something ahead!” says the driver. You bet there is, soldier boy!

“Devil’s Sketch Book” is a straight reprint, with a classic Eerie Pub shading or two, from Fantastic Fears No. 4, November 1953. Artist unknown. Writer (pffft) so very unknown. Both very, very cool.

That's all the spookiness one post can handle. Until next time remember; don't be afraid of things that go bump in the night! It's the things that chortle and whisper in your ear in the night - making those soft, guttural suggestions - that you need to worry about.

"The Hungry Ghoul" & "The Toreador and the Demon"

Let’s tap into the bloody vein of Witches’ Tales Vol. 4 No. 1, February 1972. But first, let’s ravage this cover; wherein we have another example of an Eerie Pub artist creating a strange, hybrid monster of completely unknown origin. Presented is an eviscerated (partially) skeletal creature, tatters of flesh and organs hanging in a cage of ribs, with only claws and head worthy of flesh. And, quite naturally, he has a crew cut.

With “The Hungry Ghoul” we have Dick Ayers art and the practice of eating the dead in one story. Now, really, don’t you feel blessed today? With regard to the title, has a ghoul ever pushed himself back from the table and claimed to be full?

About “Toreador and the Demon” Table of Contents offers this: “The cold clammy hands reached from beyond the smelly grave to keep a promise of fame and fortune. The art is by one of my favorites from the malignant, Eerie pub. Universe, A. Reynoso. Page 3 is a fine example of the kind of ink-black beauty my man was capable of. Black and dark is the world of Mr. Reynoso, thank heavens!

Until next time, please do everything I wouldn’t do.

"Green Horror" & "Walk the Edge of Darkness"

This will finish up all the bloody horror and gore that’s fit to post from Horror Tales Vol. 2 No. 6, November 1970.

Our first story, “Green Horror,” is a straight reprint from Fantastic Fears No. 8, July-August 1954. I have read scientists believe that plants have something, a change in electronic pulses or some such, that might be interpreted as “feelings.” Well, if anger is a possibility, the one plant life I’d want to keep happy is a desert cactus. This blood-splattered tale describes why it’s best to stay on ol’ thorny’s good side (but not too much on the good side)!

About Larry Woromay’s ”Walk the Edge of Darkness”, Table of Contents supplies these words: ”Locked in her brain as she raced to her doom was the thing from another world. Help!” I will simply ad that Mr. Woromay, with his long, loose line - rendered some of the slimmest, sexiest women in the Eerie Pub. universe!

Well, it’s time to draw the curtain and dim the lights – let the soft velvet of night come pricked with stars to be as a blanket for the huge, round curve of the earth. Close and lock the door. Huddle around the candle. I’ll be back as soon as I’m able!