Holiday Reading Room TORCHY "Haunted House Date"

We end this week's Haunted House-fest with one of the most popular...

..and politically-incorrect female characters of the Golden Age!

Torchy Todd wasn't quite a stereotypical blonde bombshell!
She did have a brain, and could extracate herself from most situations!
But her main attribute was how often she could end up in "cheesecake" poses, usually showing off her legs!
Created by noted good-girl writer/artist Bill Ward, Torchy had a long career during the Golden Age as a back-up strip in Quality's Modern Comics, Doll Man Quarterly, and her own 10-issue title!
Eventually, Ward moved away from the strip and others (including Gill Fox, who wrote and illustrated this never-reprinted tale from Modern Comics #98 [1950]) tried to fill his high-heeled shoes!

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Glamour Girls of Bill Ward

PG-13/NO Nudity

Holiday Reading Room JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "I Don't Believe in...Ghosts!"

Behind this never-reprinted Jack Kirby/Dick Ayers cover...

...is an rarely-reprinted haunted house tale that's so darn good, I couldn't resist re-presenting it!

Plotted by Stan Lee, scripted by Larry Lieber, penciled by Jack Kirby and inked by George Klein, this cover-featured story from Atlas' Journey into Mystery #77 (1962) has only been reprinted once, in Marvel's Fantasy Masterpieces #9 (1967), which is where I first read it as a kid!

Since it hasn't seen publication in 50 years, I thought it was time to dig it up and dust it off for a new generation of Kirbyphiles and other comics readers!

The lead character's name, Mr Jordan, is an in-joke and a clue as to what he is!

L-R Evelyn Keyes, Robert Montgomery, Claude Rains (Mr Jordan), Edward Everett Horton

"Mr Jordan" was the title character of Here Comes Mr Jordan (1941), an angel (Claude Rains) sent to guide a recently-deceased boxer who died before his time and was returned to Earth in a different body since his own was creamated!

The movie was running on tv pretty regularly at the time, so either Lee or Leiber was inspired to give the protaganist the Jordan name in tribute.

Note the little banner at the bottom of the final page promoting The Fantastic Four?

#2 of that series had just come out!

In addition, Hank Pym (who would later become Ant-Man/Giant-Man/Goliath/YellowJacket/Wasp) had just been introed in "Man in the Ant Hill" in Tales to Astonish #27!

Within a couple of months both Spider-Man and The Hulk would debut!

And Mighty Thor would premiere in Journey into Mystery six issues later!

Bonus: the original art for the splash page....

Kool, ain't it?

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Marvel Masterworks

Journey into Mystery

Vol 4

Holiday Reading Room ZIP COMICS "Ginger and Her Haunted House Hokum"

Yeah, it's my title for this untitled story...

...but I think you'll see it fits both subject and time period!

"I'd have gotten away with it if not for those pesky kids!"
Sound familiar?

Written by Ed Goggin, illustrated by Claire Moe, this never-reprinted tale from MLJ's Zip Comics #42 (1943) was, in many ways, a typical tale for the period.

Bad guys use "haunted" house as base of operations, kids who won't be scared off whup their butts!

(We ran a similar one, featuring fanboy SuperSnipe HERE!)
Ginger Snapp was one of a plethora of teen characters MLJ debuted in the 1940s that survived into the 1950s, even receiving her own title, running 10 issues!
Of course,you know the most popular of those characters since the company renamed itself in his honor...Archie!

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Ginger

Sweetheart of a Nation!

Holiday Reading Room WORLD OF MYSTERY "Secret of the Haunted House"

With Halloween right around the corner, we're doing a series of themed stories until All Hallows Eve...

...based on haunted houses!

This Al Williamson-penciled and Ralph Mayo-inked tale from Atlas' World of Mystery #6 (1957) has only been reprinted once (and in b/w) in 2008!

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Marvel Horror

The Magazine Collection

Halloween Treats for the Young (and Young-at-Heart)!

We at Atomic Kommie Comics™ have told you about our Horror Comics of the 1950s™ and Seduction of the Innocent™ sections, PLUS the Martians, Martians, Martians™ category of The Future WAS Fantastic™, all of which have kool retro horror-oriented goodies year-round for the older kids.But what about something Halloween-themed for the younger crowd, the tweens and pre-teens, the toddlers and babies?
Well, never let it be said we ignored a target demographic!
We have a kool Haunted Halloween collection specifically-for those little ones who want a slightly-scary take on the spectral and spooky, as well as one for the 7-13 category who want a bit more meat on the bone (as it were).
We're offering Yard Signs and Banners, plus; invitation cards, and greeting cards!
Note to the older crowd, sorry, but the shirts 'n stuff are kid-sized only!
Have a look and order now, before your treat turns into a trick due to late delivery!