Classic Creepy Comics - This Magazine is Haunted

 Classic Creepy Comics is back for its third year of bringing you old horror comics on "new comic" Wednesdays! Most of the books I'll be talking about are public domain and available for free at Comic Book+. You can read them online or, if you create a free account, you can download them.

 

 This Magazine is Haunted ran for 14 issues between October 1951 and December 1953. It was publisher Fawcett's first foray into the popular horror comics of the 1950s. Taking inspiration from better known horror books, like EC's Tales from the Crypt, the stories featured dark humor and ironic endings. 

 

 Just like the EC books, this one had its own host in Doctor Death. But unlike EC's hosts, Doctor Death would go beyond narrator and sometimes get involved in the tales by taking a human form.

Classic Creepy Comics Covers

 All the comics I'll be talking about are legally available for free on Comic Book+. You can read them online or, if you create a free account, you can download them. The site navigation may take some getting used to but I'll be providing links to the specific titles featured.   

 

For the final Classic Creepy Comics of the season, here's a bunch of great covers.

 

 Startling Terror Tales was published by Star Publications and only ran for 8 issues. Oddly, those 8 issues were numbered 4 - 11. The use of color on this cover is just amazing. At the same time, it seems to be warning you away yet daring you to look at it. I can't imagine being a kid and seeing this at the newsstand!

While you may not be familiar with some of the publishers I've mentioned in these posts, I bet many of you will know the name Charlton. The Thing (no relation to the movie or Fantastic Four) ran for 17 issues between 1952-1954. I picked this cover specifically for the image of Death with reading glasses and smoking a pipe. 

Of major note on this series is that it has Steve Ditko's first ever comic cover on issue 12. He also contributed story art in issues 12-15.

Avon Periodicals offered Witchcraft for a short 6 issue run during 1952-1953.

Tales of Horror ran for 13 issues and was published by Toby/Minoan. Another weirdly awesome cover. The variety of the monsters is just so good!

Be sure to click below to see all the Countdown Cryptkeepers!

LoEB Post - Spaaaaaaace Post!

I'd all but forgotten about my subspace radio gathering dust in the corner. It took me a moment to figure out where the noise was coming from when it suddenly sprang to life. It received a transmission regarding the League of Extraordinary Bloggers assignment for this week. Being as old as it is, I only managed to get one word of the message before the transistor tubes blew out and it died a smokey death:

Spacemen

This is why I upgraded to a hyperwave a few years back, I mean, who still uses a subspace receiver with transistor tubes in this day and age?

There are so many directions I could go with this. I could probably blog every day for a year on this topic and still have something to write about when finished. When I was knee-high to a Wookiee (you can use that), I was into the usual "boy stuff." Then Star Wars came along and changed everything.

Of course I had Star Wars toys but I also had all kinds of other sci-fi figures and ships that I barely remember. I had a pair of hardcover books about spaceships that have gorgeous art that were very near and dear to me, even if I didn't completely understand the text. One of them was called Spacecraft, 2000-2100 A.D.: Terran Trade Authority Handbook. I found a Flickr gallery someone posted so you can see some images that captured my young brain. I wish I could remember the name of the other book, it was very similar.

Ok, so those are spaceships and I'm supposed to be talking about spacemen. I threw together a gallery of vintage comic covers for that. I absolutely love the flimsy spacesuits, bubble helmets and ray guns. If you want to check out some of these comics in all their glory, I suggest you set your browser for The Digital Comics Museum. They have TONS of vintage comics and they're all legit and free.

Also, bonus points for you if you got the joke in the post title. If you didn't, well, don't feel bad. It probably works better as an audio joke that a written one.

Other League members have taken off as well

The Goodwill Geek showcases plenty of pop culture spacemen
LEGO my spaceman! says The Mos Espa Collection

Memories of Toymorrow features the rockin-est Spaceman of all

Friday Funnies - Science Fiction Headgear

Today's Funnies come courtesy of Space Adventures from Charlton Comics and we're checking out some funky sci-fi headgear! I don't recall if both images are from the same comic but I do know the first one is from 1952.

I thought this was pretty cool because it reminds me of the original Tron helmets.

This next one...I'm starting to wonder if this is the reason behind why every plastic bag says on it "this is not a toy." Seriously? I'm no comic artist but wouldn't it have been easier to draw the usual 50s style bubble space helmet than something that looks like it came from the local cleaners? You're either going to black out from wearing a plastic bag on your head or not have a sufficient enough vac-seal to keep the bad air out.

DISCLAIMER: Do NOT use plastic bags as space helmets.