Reading Room: THIS IS SUSPENSE "Choice!"

Occasionally you come across something that makes you scratch your head and go "wha?"...

This odd little piece by Dick Giordano was the opener for Charlton's This is Suspense #23 (1955)...which was actually the first issue using that name, which Charlton had bought from Fawcett under the name Strange Suspense Stories.
With the Comics Code about to take effect, Charlton apparently decided to make their carryover from the "bad old days" as inoffensive as possible by changing the title.
Oddly, enough, the contents of this issue included one of the naughtiest of pre-code stories...Wally Wood's "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" which we'll present next week!
BTW, to see how the Code mutilated a story in the very next issue of This is Suspense, check out the original HERE and the TiS version HERE!

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Reading Room: ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN "Vampire Spider"

Here's a tale that combines two of the most popular themes of sci-fi/horror...

Art by Ken Bald

...science-induced mutation in human beings and giant arachnids (which includes both insects and spiders)!

This never-reprinted cover story from ACG's Adventures into the Unknown #50 (1953) was written by Richard Hughes and illustrated by Robert McCarty, who, unfortunately, doesn't do a very accurate (most panels show the arachnid with only six legs) or scary spider...

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Reading Room: STUART TAYLOR IN WEIRD STORIES OF THE SUPERNATURAL "Faustus"

Despite the title, the series is actually sci-fi about a time traveler and his machine...

...who occasionally run into mystical menaces.

IIRC, The Time Tunnel TV series did the same thing, encountering Merlin, the ghost of Nero, and others along with the usual silver-skinned Irwin Allen aliens...

This series started in Jumbo Comics #1 (1939) as Diary of Dr Hayward, illustrated by Jack Kirby under the house pseudonom "Curt Davis" (which was used for every story in the series).

With #5, Lou Fine assumed the art chores, and several issues later the title changed to Weird Stories of the Supernatural as lab assistant Stuart Taylor took center stage and old Doc Hayward became a supporting character.

(In fact, the series title sometimes listed "Stuart Taylor" above the "Weird Stories..." logo, playing up the action-hero aspect.)

As of 15, a rotating lineup of artists contributed art but no other "big names" worked on the series which continued for almost the entire run of Jumbo, ending at #140 (1950).

You'll be seeing more of this multi-titled series here, so bookmark us for a daily dose of classic comics fun!

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Reading Room: STRANGE STORIES OF SUSPENSE "Uncle Ed and the Men from Space"

Telling stories about monsters from outer space is common around Halloween...

...just ask Orson Welles!

But when real aliens show up, things aren't quite what they seem...

A simple little tale from Atlas' Strange Stories of Suspense #5 (which was the first issue of the title)

Oddly, the GCD lists "Bill LaCava" as the artist, but the work is clearly John Forte (whose signature is at the bottom of the first panel!)

Forte is best known for his work at DC Comics including long stints on Superman Family series, particuarly Tales of the Bizzaro World and Legion of Super-Heroes.

The writer is unknown.

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Reading Room: AMAZING ADVENTURES "Red Hills of Uganda"

Remember the scary-cool giant-ant movie THEM!?

This never-reprinted tale from Ziff-Davis' Amazing Adventures #5 (1951) predates it by three years!

While the writer is unknown, the art is by Ray Bailey, a long-time newspaper strip and comic book artist with a long string of sci-fi credits including Tom Corbett: Space Cadet, Bruce Gentry, and UNDERSEA Agent.

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Reading Room: BRANT CRAIG "Legion of the Dead"

"In space, no one can hear you scream..."

...with a story of interplanetary terror that would frighten even the toughest hard-boiled dick in the galaxy.

This never-reprinted story from Youthful's Captain Science #4 (1951) was the only one with an overt "horror" theme added into the already-cross genre series, and was probably illustrated by Bill Molno.

The writer is unknown.
This completes our run of the never-reprinted adventures of space sleuth Brant Craig.
You can read all of them by clicking HERE.

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Design of the Week Redux --WereWolf? There, wolf!

Each week, we post a limited-edition design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another!
This week we take a one-liner from Young Frankenstein as our headline as we celebrate the upcoming Halloween holiday!
This vintage movie poster art features a classic lycanthrope with blood dripping from his gleaming fangs!
He's available on t-shirts, messenger bags, mugs, and a whole slew of kool kollectibles, but only on-line from us, and, due to popular demand (and good sales), one more week!
So order now, before the full moon rises...