Friday, October 11, 2019


Reading this issue gave me an idea of a comics pitch: CSI investigator of crime scenes from these old horror comics! "Another naked dead guy with a silver bullet in his heart...some rich guy hates them some nudists, I guess." There would be more chalk outlines from this one: from 1977, the Witching Hour #68, cover by Rich Buckler and Vince Colletta.

In "When Time Ran Out" two crooks duck out of the rain into a clock shop, and figure the owner must have some cash somewhere. They murder him when they can't find it, but the owner curses them to die when the clocks stop. (Story by Carl Wessler, art by E. R. Cruz; Cruz also did the art for the horror hosts' Christmasy intro page.)

Next is "Lam to the Slaughter," in which a scientist is pursued by a monstrous creature that appears whenever he was alone. "Don't be alone," would seem to solve that problem, but easier said. (Story by Jack Kelly, art by Fred Carrillo.) Finally we have the murder mystery "Young Man in a Shroud," written by Carl Wessler, art by Rubeny (Ruben Yandoc). A father brings his son's body to the police, blaming his death on a rival from a feuding family; when actually it's the rival's body and the dad is covering a murder for his son. Or is he? The sheriff pieces it together after the father steals the body, intent on ditching it, and the chase is on. "Lam" was really short, while "Young Man" was only a page longer than usual; it feels like it could've used a little more.

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