{"id":17,"date":"2013-08-07T16:04:39","date_gmt":"2013-08-07T14:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/?page_id=17"},"modified":"2013-10-05T16:27:49","modified_gmt":"2013-10-05T14:27:49","slug":"strange-suspense-stories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/?page_id=17","title":{"rendered":"STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES"},"content":{"rendered":"

5 issues from Fawcett + 7 issues from Charlton<\/h1>\n

Editor of these books is solely Roy Ald.<\/p>\n

By the way: almost all of the books are available to view and\/or download at the Digital Comic Museum<\/a>. I took care of some missing issues. So enjoy. And I\u2019m working on completing the whole run, of course. Every issue has been freshly indexed (with the fabulous help of art spotting wizard Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr.) on the Grand Comics Database<\/a> \u2013 the link will show you all available data, including cover shots and story descriptions.
\n Just click the underlined title…<\/em><\/p>\n

Stories posted on the internet are linked (also marked with an underline). Miniature splash pages tell you that this story has been posted on our horror websites – click to read the whole stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"SSS#1\"<\/a>STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #1<\/a>
\n<\/strong>June 1952 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Man being gripped by giant skeletal hand) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff + ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Man Who Warmed The Bones Of The Dead!\u201d (Bob Powell)
\n\u201cHe Bartered His Head!\u201d (Bernard Baily)
\n\u201cHigh Wire!\u201d (Mike Sekowsky + ?)<\/p>\n

Fawcett launches yet another horror title \u2013 using their same roster of artists<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Bob Powells leads off with a mild, but moody ghost story \u2013 strangely titled \u201cThe Man Who Warmed The Bones Of The Dead!\u201d. But it is just that: Housekeeper and furnace-tender Gisetto looks after the heating in a house of ghosts for ten years!<\/p>\n

\u201cHe Bartered His Head!<\/a>\u201d sounds garishly sensational, but is a rather bland run-of-the-mill tale about a native curse and a man trying to run from it.<\/p>\n

Interesting artwork in \u201cHigh Wire!\u201d \u2013 Mike Sekowsky looked exactly like this when he was working for Ace\u2019s horror books. This must be the same unidentified inker. It is NOT Vince Alascia, as Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. tells me. The story holds no surprises. You can tell page by page what is going to happen.<\/p>\n

Those long ten-page stories seem stretched<\/strong> by now. They have to fill pages with scenes of escape and pursuit. All of this issue\u2019s stories could have been told in seven pages \u2013 and without any loss.<\/p>\n

Stories are milder as well. This really is more \u201csuspense\u201d than \u201chorror\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This is the 12th horror magazine, the 12th book in their horror-line-up that Fawcett puts on the stands (see our „Fawcett chronology“<\/em>) \u2013 and the biggest disappointment so far. Mind you, a slight disappointment. And the only one up to that point!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #2
\n<\/strong><\/a>August 1952 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Scientist is attacked by little devils in his laboratory) \u2013 Bernard Baily ?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAIEEEEEE! The Teeth!\u201d (Bernard Baily)
\n\u201cDeath By Inches!\u201d (George Evans)
\n\u201cThe Hunter Who Became The Hunted!\u201d (Lou Cameron)<\/p>\n

\"teeeth\"<\/a>

Killer teeth!<\/p><\/div>\n

You can\u2019t but love \u201cAIEEEEEE! The Teeth!<\/a>\u201d \u2013 for the title and that splash alone! Wacky dentist stories are always fun<\/strong>. How many are there? I remember an Ace werewolf yarn in which teeth are pulled\u2026
\nThat’d be „Fangs Of The Fiend!<\/a><\/em>„, posted on my German website.<\/p>\n

Anyway, here one dentist maims his colleague by removing all his teeth. The poor man dies by accident; his teeth however haunt the evildoer! Fawcett again scores with off-beat horror plots<\/strong>. I like!<\/p>\n

The story pattern reminds me of the \u201cmurder hair\u201d story \u201cThe Wig\u201d in THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #14. The killer keeping a body part of his victim as trophy<\/strong> \u2013 and getting murdered by it in the end. Same author maybe?<\/p>\n

Solid contribution by Evans with \u201cDeath By Inches!<\/a>\u201d, a surprisingly gore-free and harmless plot about a corpse draining life from small-time crook Frankie Stoker. Deals more with hiding proof from the police than exploring the horrors of dying slowly. Almost a shame, this could have been much more gripping.<\/p>\n

I was very amazed to see the last story,\u00a0\u201cThe Hunter Who Became The Hunted!<\/a>\u201d, credited to Lou Cameron<\/strong>. Couldn\u2019t believe it at first. Sat down with Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. and pondered over the artwork. We\u2019ll let it stand. This IS Cameron doing one of his very first horror solo jobs. And he\u2019s experimenting with open panels \u2013 which he didn\u2019t at ACE Magazines at that time. Cameron is using his one-time cameo at Fawcett<\/strong> to push the envelope to create his artistic freedom.<\/p>\n

If you care to c ompare, here\u2019s Cameron\u2019s \u201cThe Silver Bell Of Doom<\/a>\u201d from the same month, published in Ace\u2019s WEB OF MYSTERY #12 and posted on our website ACE HORROR. It has to be noted that Cameron did a variation of that exact Fawcett story (big game hunter brings back tiger boy who can change forms) for Ace\u2019s WEB OF MYSTERY #22 one and a half year later. Only it\u2019s a sexy tiger GIRL<\/strong> now, have a look HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"BrotherVolcano1\"<\/a>STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #3<\/a>
\n<\/strong>October 1952 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Headless man in pursuit of frightened woman) \u2013 George Evans<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Volcano!\u201d (George Evans)
\n\u201cPort Of Terror!\u201d (Bernard Baily)
\n\u201cMirrors Tell Tales!\u201d (Morris \u201cMo(e)\u201d Marcus + ?)<\/p>\n

First of two covers George Evans did for FAWCETT HORROR<\/strong>. Second will grace the next issue.<\/p>\n

Fine Evans art as well in \u201cBrother Volcano!\u201d, more social drama than horror story.<\/strong> The (Italian?) village of Arbendino is taken over by ruthless investors and the good people are driven from their homes. But a volcano inhabiting the soul of the village founder\u2019s brother watches over them and drowns the capitalist pigs in molten lava!<\/strong>
\n(sorry, got a bit carried away at the end there\u2026<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Last contribution for FAWCETT HORROR by Bernard Baily<\/strong> with \u201cPort Of Terror!<\/a>\u201d. And it\u2019s a nice one. Could have been more gory for my taste (because it features a stalking headless corpse!), but it\u2019s executed straight and simple \u2013 although 8 pages instead of 10 would have worked just as good. The way it\u2019s drawn is fairly tame; reflect a moment upon how this would have looked at Story, at Gilmor, at Harvey or Atlas even.<\/p>\n

FAWCETT HORROR in general is too mild to be sensational. Are they toning it down? Remember their seal of \u201cWholesome Entertainment\u201d? Then again these are STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES, not \u201cBloody Horror Shockers from the Tomb of Evil\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMirrors Tell Tales!\u201d is a feeble formula story about a haunted murderer. Won\u2019t waste any more ink on that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"ManWhoOutdistanced1\"<\/a>STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #4<\/a>
\n<\/strong>December 1952 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Grim Reaper in pursuit of athlete) \u2013 George Evans<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cCuriosity Killed The Ghost\u201d (Bob Powell)
\n\u201cBeyond The Grave\u201d (???)
\n\u201cThe Man Who Outdistanced Death!\u201d (George Evans)<\/p>\n

Yet another \u201cThe Man Who\u2026\u201d story title. <\/strong>One of four in FAWCETT HORROR\u2019s run (and one out of 40 in all of Fawcett\u2019s publications!). I love doing the odd count\u2026<\/p>\n

We see the second cover by George Evans. An interesting one, advertising an interesting story inside. This penultimate issue of STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES sports the usual three long stories (as does the last one!) \u2013 opposed to all other titles<\/strong> which change to FOUR stories from the beginning of 1953 on (just telling you this in advance).<\/p>\n

Mystery artwork in \u201cBeyond The Grave\u201d. I had hoped to pin this on William Weltman (who probably contributed once in UNKNOWN WORLD #1), but scrutinizing these pages it\u2019s looking more like Ben Brown & David Gantz (of PURPLE CLAW fame). Then again what would THEY be doing at Fawcett? A whole dozen of artists used that style of drawing. Why not bring up a new name? How about Albert Tyler who is working \u2013 \u201cas we speak\u201d \u2013 for CHARLTON HORROR on THE THING? He seems to leave Charlton in late autumn of 1952. Is he dropping his business card at the doomed Fawcett stable?
\nOr is it CHARLTON HORROR\u2019s mainstay Bob Forgione (works there in 1952 AND is moonlighting for ST. JOHN HORROR)? Is he doing a little something on the side?
\nAfter more scrrrrutinizing the works of Tyler and Forgione in these months, I have to conclude: This IS most likely Brown & Gantz. But I shy away from \u201clogging in\u201d this theory.
\nStill like to think it\u2019s Weltman.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

\"ectoplasm\"<\/a>

Bob Powell was quite the joker<\/p><\/div>\n

I am writing this down to demonstrate how to go about the task of art spotting<\/strong>. Look at the company, look at alternative options, look who did what and when. In the end you might still be clueless<\/strong>. But I\u2019m ranting \u2013 what about the contents of this issue?<\/p>\n

Interesting lead story: \u201cCuriosity Killed The Ghost<\/a>\u201d presents us with a restless ghost solving a murder mystery! There\u2019s even comical undertones to marvel at. When the farmer threatens to poke our ghost with a pitchfork, he wails: \u201cDo not rent my ectoplasm!\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 nice nuance.<\/p>\n

Where would the horror genre be without stories of madmen experimenting with \u201csuspended animation\u201d? In \u201cBeyond The Grave\u201d it\u2019s a magician\u2019s turn to \u201cpeer beyond the veil\u201d and letting go of his \u201cbodily shell\u201d. I didn\u2019t get the ending of this story which is strangely off-balance. One of the worst in FAWCETT HORROR.<\/p>\n

In \u201cThe Man Who Outdistanced Death!\u201d Georgie Kerrik runs away from Death \u2013 literally. It\u2019s a crackpot story, hinged upon the phrase \u201cLife is a race against death\u201d<\/strong>. But it\u2019s inventive and nicely drawn by George Evans. See it posted here (click on miniature splash to see<\/em>).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #5
\n<\/strong><\/a>February 1953 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Witch sticking pin in voodoo doll and thinking about inflicting pain on male victim) \u2013 Bernard Baily<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Voodoo1\"<\/a>\u201cThe Presence Of The Unseen\u201d (George Evans)
\n\u201cVoodoo\u201d (Charles Nicholas)
\n\u201cThe Letters\u201d (Doug Wildey)<\/p>\n

Great voodoo cover by Bailey \u2013 and it is his last for FAWCETT HORROR!<\/strong><\/p>\n

SSS peters out with a last three-story issue.
\nOddly, Fawcett is thinning out its horror line-up by canceling the TWO \u201cStrange Story\u201d-titles<\/strong>: STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES and STRANGE STORIES FROM ANOTHER WORLD. I can only speculate why they do that. They seem to focus on the \u201cgenuine\u201d horror<\/strong>, hosted by Dr. Death (THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED) or The Mummy (BEWARE! TERROR TALES).<\/p>\n

WORLDS OF FEAR will go next on the block, getting axed four months later.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Presence Of The Unseen\u201d is one of the most sterile and stiff horror stories I\u2019ve ever seen. We have a madman on the loose \u2013 and all we\u2019re going to see are the worried faces<\/strong> of an old couple and an INVISIBLE young woman saving the day?! Very disappointing.
\nLast contribution by George Evans for FAWCETT HORROR<\/strong> and obviously a lackluster one.<\/p>\n

Artist Charles Nicholas<\/strong> rears his prolific head in \u201cVoodoo<\/a>\u201d, entertaining story with a nice twist (to see, click miniature splash<\/em>). Like Mike Sekowsky, Charles Nicholas pops up everywhere. He draws horror stories for Ace, for ACG and I suspect him to be in bed with Jack Cole at QUALITY HORROR. \u201cVoodoo\u201d is a one-time cameo<\/strong>, though.<\/p>\n

On a first glance, you might think \u201cThe Letters\u201d is Moldoff artwork. I did. And found myself profoundly corrected: Doug Wildey it is. Problem with FAWCETT HORROR is that the strange (e.g. BAD) coloring is quite dominant and buries most of the artists behind that veil of eye-catching garishness.
\nThe story is a study into mild psychological horror with a twist (or two, actually) about a dead man writing letters to his sick aunt. Not that bad.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s conclude our findings with the usual Who-did-What and how much listing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
George Evans<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bernard Baily<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bob Powell<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Each 1: Mike Sekowsky + inker, Lou Cameron, Morris \u201cMo(e)\u201d Marcus + Rocco Mastroserio, Charles Nicholas and Doug Wildey.<\/p>\n

Artwork in 1 story remains unidentified.<\/p>\n

Big surprise: No Moldoff, no Waldman and no McCarty in any of the SSS books. This is your series if you\u2019re looking for Baily and Evans.<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the beginning of the year 1954 Charlton picks up the title – but continues it with #16!<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

They pick up the numbering from their canceled book LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES, which ended with #15 in November 1953. The following STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #16-22 belong to the horror canon. We beg to differ – in some cases.<\/strong> As you’ll see…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"OwnFuneral\"<\/a>STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #16<\/a>
\nJanuary-February 1954
\nCover: (Two trapeze artists missing themselves in mid-air) \u2013\u00a0 Dick Giordano, signed<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cI Went To My Own Funeral\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)
\n\u201cThree Way Vendetta\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)
\n\u201cPayment On Time!\u201d (Dick Ayers)
\n\u201cHigh Tension\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)
\n\u201cMurder On Time!\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)
\n\u201cBig Money Man!\u201d (Anthony Tallarico, signed)<\/p>\n

Attention, folks. Charlton uses Fawcett\u2019s defunct title (STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES, cancelled with #5 a whole year earlier), but takes the numbering from its own freshly canceled LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES series. They revamp it under a new title.<\/strong><\/p>\n

THIS IS A CRIME COMIC BOOK!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

But an entertaining one \u2013 without cops and robbers. Well, robbers yes, but not the usual hunt, chase and shoot-out thing, you know\u2026 It\u2019s more about evil plots going ridiculously wrong. Quite in the zany Charlton vein.
\n<\/strong>Have a look at \u201cI Went To My Own Funeral<\/a>\u201d, posted on Pappy\u2019s delightful Golden Age blog. Or have a smirk at the ending of \u201cMurder On Time!<\/a>\u201d (posted on „Booksteve’s Four-Color-Shadows\u201d blog). And have a giggle reading \u201cPayment On Time!<\/a>\u201d which I present on a special website…<\/p>\n

This is Dick Giordano\u2019s issue, by the way, and he draws slick and appealing crime stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The indicia to this issue changes to \u201cCharlton Comics Group\u201d and says underneath: \u201cDesigned by Al Fago Studios<\/strong>\u201d. Aha. Does this mean that editor Al Fago is now in charge of a group of artists working for him? But what\u2019s the difference to being the editor? Just a fancy way of putting things? Answers: Yes, he does – He’s more of a boss, now – Sounds way fancy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"SSS#17cover\"<\/a>STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #17<\/a>
\n<\/b>March 1954
\nCover: (Passer-by discovering murder victim in alley and being stalked by hands holding a strangulation rope) \u2013\u00a0 Dick Giordano & Vince Alascia, signed<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cBeautiful Night For Murder!\u201d (Dick Ayers, signed)
\n\u201cMoment Of Decision\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)
\n\u201cQuick Exit\u201d (Art Cappello, signed)
\n\u201cSurprise Ending\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)
\n\u201cDead Man\u2019s Revenge\u201d (Anthony Tallarico, signed)
\n\u201c10 Cent\u2019s Worth Of Doom!\u201d (Stan Campbell, signed)<\/p>\n

THIS AGAIN IS A CRIME COMIC BOOK!<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Shocking crime cover, a very good, dark and moody one<\/strong>, containing a Leroy-lettered speech bubble (which strikes me as odd). Odder than the crime depicted. Leroy-lettering in itself is a crime!
\n<\/strong>All the stories are very mediocre \u2013 with the exception of \u201cBeautiful Night For Murder!<\/a>\u201d. If you have read some pre-code horror comics you\u2019ll know where this story\u2019s heading.
\nAnyway, it\u2019s a beaut by Ayers and we post it on our website featuring crime comics (more about that later on<\/em>)…<\/p>\n

\u2026 we won\u2019t review it further\u2026 and now enters Steve Ditko!<\/strong> He\u2019s just too beautiful to ignore. Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"SSS#18cover\"<\/a>STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #18<\/a>
\n<\/b>May 1954
\nCover: (Frightened woman\u2019s face in close-up, black figure lurking in background) \u2013 \u00a0Steve Ditko, signed<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat Was In Sam Dora\u2019s Box?\u201d (Steve Ditko, signed)
\n\u201cThe Matchless Firebug!\u201d (Dick Ayers)
\n\u201cTight Squeeze\u201d (Dick Giordano + Vince Alascia, signed)
\n\u201cThe Jaws Of Death!\u201d (Dick Ayers)
\n\u201cFace To Face\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)
\n\u201cDead Right!\u201d (Steve Ditko, signed)<\/p>\n

Again an expressive and fine cover by Ditko, his first for this series. Inside we find his two first stories for SSS. Two things about \u201cWhat Was In Sam Dora\u2019s Box?<\/a>\u201d: It\u2019s a word play on Pandora\u2019s box \u2013 and a plot steal from EC\u2019s \u201cThe Basket\u201d<\/strong> (HAUNT OF FEAR #7; May 1951).<\/p>\n

I won\u2019t tell you what\u2019s it about (in case you still want to read the story), but I found a mistake in the coloring<\/strong>: The mysterious box Sam Dora\u2019s carrying is colored yellow in the first three pages and red on page 4, then yellow again. And with \u201cWhat Was In Sam Dora\u2019s Box?\u201d we enter the realm of horror in Charlton\u2019s STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"DeadRight1\"<\/a>So \u2013 what\u2019s next? More horror or back to crime?<\/p>\n

First it\u2019s pun time again with \u201cThe Matchless Firebug!\u201d, story about an arsonist called Sam Match who is an expert at setting fires. Jiminy! So it\u2019s a guy called Match who starts fires (with a match probably?), but he is tops at what he\u2019s doing \u2013 so he\u2019s matchless\u2026 Christ!
\nGet on with it, will ya?
\nThat\u2019s more crime than horror, though we get pretty grim scenes of burning people.<\/p>\n

\u201cTight Squeeze<\/a>\u201d is a dirty western tale about greed, murder and a cunning cover-up going ironically wrong. Is this crime? Is this western? Is this horror? All of it, in a way.
\nYou can find \u201cFirebug!\u201d and \u201cTight Squeeze!\u201d on Stendek\u2019s blog about classic comics art (please scroll down on the given link<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Jaws Of Death!\u201d is a three-page \u201cshortie\u201d (or \u201cquickie\u201d as I like to call them) about a jungle-god-ritual-mumbo-jumbo \u2013 with again fine art by Dick Ayers.<\/p>\n

And \u201cFace To Face\u201d again proves that Charlton crime books had a special rapport going with their readers<\/strong>. It\u2019s the two-page \u201csolution\u201d to a suspense mystery advertised half a year before in SSS\u2019s predecessor LAWBREAKERS. They encouraged readers to write in endings to open-ended stories<\/strong> \u2013 and followed through with it.<\/p>\n

\"Charltonbrutality2\"<\/a>

Slaughter scene from „Dead Right!“<\/p><\/div>\n

This issue is surely a horror-crime hybrid book<\/strong>. As is the last story, another Dikto helping called \u201cDead Right!<\/a>\u201d. You\u2019ll find this tale posted on the \u201cSteve Ditko Comics Weblog<\/a>\u201d as well as in our „Stories“ section.\u00a0Furthermore \u2013 and that is quite special \u2013 as a YouTube video<\/a>! A guy named Matt Dursin broke this story down panel by panel and reads it in different voices! Gotta see it to believe it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDead Right!\u201d is another Steve Ditko horror gem<\/strong>. We get more Charlton brutality (or is it Ditko brutality, and Charlton only printed it ?):<\/p>\n

Two newspaper reporters go story hunting and end up with more than they could ever have hoped for. A very satisfactory and inventive collage of horror motifs:<\/strong> a demonic oddball recluse (who\u2019s even got a pet cat called \u201cMephistopheles\u201d), reckless reporters, a wax museum, fearsome forebodings, a vicious crime, witchcraft, mortal rivalry and the triumph of evil.
\nWonderful!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"SSS#19cover\"<\/a>STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #19<\/a>
\n<\/b>July 1954
\nCover: (Prisoner sitting in electric chair and awaiting execution, dripping sweat and straining muscles) \u2013\u00a0 Steve Ditko, signed<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cGive Back My Body\u201d (Joe Shuster, signed)
\n\u201cAll Burnt Up!\u201d (???)
\n\u201cSurprise Package\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)
\n\u201cYou Know Too Much!\u201d (Dick Giordano + Vince Alascia, signed)
\n\u201cA Nice Quiet Place!\u201d (Steve Ditko)
\n\u201cHigh Tension\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)<\/p>\n

Another dynamite Ditko cover.<\/strong> A suspense comic classic. The electric chair is (again in comics history) exploited for cheap\u2026 thrills, I guess.<\/p>\n

That really is \u201cSuperman\u201d creator Joe Shuster<\/strong> on \u201cGive Back My Body\u201d, who started working for Charlton in summer 1954 \u2013 doing a hand full of crime and horror stories.<\/p>\n

THIS AGAIN IS A CRIME COMIC BOOK \u2013 with \u201chybrid tendencies\u201d here and there.<\/span> <\/b><\/p>\n

We post \u201cAll Burnt Up!<\/a>\u201d , an interesting tale of confrontation between a killer and a boy (with the boy winning!) \u2013 in a very brutal \u201cCharlton\u201d way. Click underlined title to reach our „Stories“ section.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou Know Too Much!\u201d is indeed a gripping psycho-crime story about a \u201cMr. Average American\u201d turning murderer and finally seeking the help of a psychiatrist.<\/p>\n

\"VonMohl\"<\/a>The Ditko story \u201cA Nice Quiet Place!\u201d is just that \u2013 nice and quiet. An EC-ish poetic justice twist hitting two rivaling gangsters. It\u2019s good, it\u2019s solid, but nothing spectacular.<\/p>\n

Whole issue is posted here, on a blog called \u201cThe Charlton Comics Reading Library<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #20<\/a>
\n<\/b>August 1954
\nCover: (Tribesman throwing pack of dynamite, explorer delving after it trying to defuse it) \u2013\u00a0 Steve Ditko, signed<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Payoff!<\/a>\u201d (Steve Ditko, signed)
\n\u201cFood For Thought\u201d (Bernard Sachs ?\/ Bill Molno ?\/ Ray Osrin ?)
\n\u201cThe Kill!\u201d (???)
\n\u201cDeadly S\u00e9ance\u201d (Anthony Tallarico, signed)
\n\u201cVon Mohl vs. The Ants!<\/a>\u201d (Steve Ditko, signed)
\n\u201cMoment Of Decision!\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)<\/p>\n

Last \u201cSuspense\u201d Ditko treat: two stories plus cover, high point being the ant story<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Book is mostly standard crime fare, though.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sadistic German plantation owner Hugo von Mohl (\u201cDonnerwetter!\u201d) tortures his slaves into helping him face a killer ant invasion. At first von Mohl seems to succeed; however, we all guessed it and saw it coming: those pesty bugs will find a way to eat your flesh from your body!
\nSo \u2013 it\u2019s a last cruel farewell from Steve Ditko<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\"cruelfarewell\"<\/a>

It’s red ants, not blood, still looks uncomfortable…<\/p><\/div>\n

I present you with yet another blog on the internet: \u201cThe Nostalgia League<\/a>\u201d, where you will find \u201cThe Comics Rack<\/a>\u201d. They will tell you about the literary short story<\/strong> after which \u201cVon Mohl vs. The Ants!\u201d was modeled and invite you in general to browse their articles and galleries.
\nHowever you will find the story also posted on Steven Thompson\u2019s famed \u201cFour Color Shadows<\/a>\u201d art blog.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #21<\/a>
\n<\/b>September 1954
\nCover: (Woman clinging to edge of crocodile pit, crocodiles snapping) \u2013\u00a0 Joe Shuster & Ray Osrin ? \/ Steve Kirkel ?<\/b><\/p>\n

\"ThisBiteIsSweet1\"<\/a>\u201cWho Will He Be?\u201d (Bill Molno)
\n\u201cThe Well Of Fear!\u201d (Joe Shuster + Ray Osrin, signed)
\n\u201cSurprise Package\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)
\n\u201cThis Bite Is Sweet!\u201d (Bill Molno + Ray Osrin ?)
\n\u201cThe Mark Of The Ripper!\u201d (Seymour Moskowitz, signed)
\n\u201cNo Questions Asked\u201d (Dick Giordano ?)<\/p>\n

Now looking at that strange cover in context (meaning I looked at other issues) I wonder if this could be Steve Kirkel? There\u2019s a certain Jack-Davis-ness which Kirkel used before\u2026
\nIt\u2019s a mad cover<\/strong>, really: Alligators snapping at a scantily clad blonde, holding on to dear life and getting hammered (on the hands, mind you) by some maniac who \u2013 in turn \u2013 seems to be under attack by a man wearing a hat. Not that bad, but far from good.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho Will He Be?\u201d is a grim tale about the practices of torture<\/strong>. Sleep deprivation mainly. The funny looking stereotyped sun-glassed (!) secret policemen in Arabian attire add an unwanted whimsical touch to a story not to be laughed at.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Well Of Fear!<\/a>\u201d features psychological horror<\/strong>: Two bankrobbers are trapped in a well and can\u2019t get out. Their mistrust against each other mounts to paranoia and murder schemes. In the end both men perish miserably at the bottom of the abandoned well. Dirty piece of man-is-a-wolf-to-man. Seems to be influenced by EC\u2019s SUSPENSE titles. See it posted on Karswell\u2019s groundbreaking blog \u201cThe Horrors Of It All\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"KillemAll\"<\/a>\u201cThis Bite Is Sweet!<\/a>\u201d is a vampire tale told in first person. I have a \u201csweet tooth\u201d (hehe\u2026<\/em>) for first- and second-person narrative. Here Peter North is a vampire. He settles down in a village in the Pyrenees and terrorizes the good people. When he meets the lovely Monique, North is torn between love and blood lust. The end is unusual, melodramatic and moving (a bit, at least). Would have looked way better in an EC mag, though<\/strong>. We post it in our \u201cStories\u201d section.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Mark Of The Ripper!\u201d is the old detective-is-lawbreaker-tune<\/strong>, unknowingly committing his crimes. Hm, hm, hm\u2026 psycho-crime-babble. We want to show you a nice Moskowitz panel: unshaved maniac with glowing eyes and knife dripping blood!<\/strong> Charlton certainly knew how to entertain.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo Questions Asked\u201d is again a write-in contest for readers<\/strong>! Come up with an ending to our story \u2013 because we are too dumb!
\nThey ran this feature in all of these SSS issues.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"SSS#22cover\"<\/a>STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #22<\/a>
\n<\/b>November 1954
\nCover: (Man opening red box and staring in horror) \u2013\u00a0 Steve Ditko <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cKiller\u2019s Arms\u201d (Leon Winik + Ray Osrin, signed)
\n\u201cHands Off!\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed)
\n\u201cThe Kill!\u201d (Dick Giordano + Vince Alascia, signed)
\n\u201cWhite Birds Of Death!\u201d (Bob Correa) – reprinted from UNDERWORLD CRIME #1
\n\u201cThe Secret Of The Box!<\/a>\u201d (Joe Shuster + Ray Osrin, signed)<\/p>\n

Whoooa, that\u2019s a shamefully lame cover! Certainly code-oriented; editor Al Fago must have shouted: \u201cHit the brakes, Steve! Judge Murphy standing in the road! Draw something vaguely suspenseful, willya?\u201d<\/strong>.
\nThat\u2019s a motif we\u2019re gonna see a lot over the next years. Well, I don\u2019t read code-approved books.
\nGrasping the occasion: May I refer you to a hilarious website called<\/strong> \u201cStupid Comics<\/a>\u201d?
\nFound this some weeks ago \u2013 and I\u2019m splitting my sides. Guy named \u201cMr. Kitty\u201d posted dozens of story abstracts (with sample pictures, of course) from the 1940s to the 1990s. Commenting on the absurdities comic book companies DARED to sell us. Please have a look at this bonanza of bullshit. Pardon my French.
\nBut it\u2019s hair-raising stuff which will leave you crying in your chair \u2013 tears of laughter streaming down your wrinkled cheeks. Promise!<\/p>\n

Sorry, back to business. I complained about the lame cover. But inside it\u2019s a heartfelt slap in the face of censorship-to-come:<\/strong> \u201cKiller\u2019s Arms<\/a>\u201d looks like your usual scientists-in-jungle-battle-monster fare, but it\u2019s the scientists-in-jungle-battle-monster fare to end all scientists-in-jungle-battle-monster fare!
\nGo read it immediately on Pappy\u2019s delightful \u201cGolden Age Comics Blogzine\u201d and relish the end of the story. Sex in the jungle, finally!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHands Off!\u201d is a fun four-page agent spy thriller. I\u2019ll post it on my upcoming website „Crimewave“ (hold on for those infos, coming up soon<\/em>).<\/p>\n

\"KillersArms\"<\/a>

Insane ape action in \u201cKiller\u2019s Arms\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhite Birds Of Death!\u201d is a crime story and a first reprint from Fawcett\u2019s UNDERWORLD CRIME #1<\/strong> from June 1952.<\/p>\n

With the advent of the Comics Code, the title changes to THIS IS SUSPENSE \u2013 and lives for another four issues.<\/strong> We give you just a quick overview of the following next issue:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

THIS IS SUSPENSE #23
\n<\/b><\/a>February 1955
\nSplit Cover: (Man mixing chemicals in laboratory at night + Woman in red dress looking on as dwarf stirs brew in cauldron) \u2013\u00a0 Ted Galindo, signed<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Choice!\u201d (Dick Giordano, signed) \u2013 one-pager
\n\u201cDr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde\u201d (Wally Wood) \u2013 reprinted from A STAR PRESENTATION #3
\n\u201cThe Repulsive Dwarf\u201d (Wally Wood) \u2013 reprinted from A STAR PRESENTATION #3<\/p>\n

This book consists of two fillers and a 25-page reprint of Wood\u2019s adaptation of the Stevenson classic (drawn in his early, crude, no-good horror style). Sorry, my opinion.<\/p>\n

The next three issues of THIS IS SUSPENSE are even more pathetic, containing mostly reprints of old Fawcett detective stories.<\/strong> They are probably \u201cdoctored\u201d to meet censorship approval and may be fun to compare, but I couldn\u2019t bring myself up to it.
\nI hate crime comic books \u2013 just like Dr. Wertham.
\n\ud83d\ude09
\nBefore you ask: I hate \u2018em not because they depict crime, but because they\u2019re boring, repetitive and hardly surprise me in any way. Don\u2019t get me started on overrated crap like CRIME DOES NOT PAY.<\/p>\n

I only read pre-code horror comic books \u2013 because they tried (often enough!) something new or were being creative.
\n<\/strong>So here\u2019s another drag: Charlton Comics published a crime series called LAWBREAKERS from March 1951 on. It ran up to LAWBREAKERS #9, then changed title and was called LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES. Those ran up to LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES #15. Then changed into STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #16.
\nWhich we had a look at just now. It remains the following question:<\/p>\n

What about LAWBREAKERS & LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Are these straight crime books or will we find \u201chybrid\u201d stories bordering on horror?<\/strong>
\nSome people will tell you that LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES (at least) are horror books. Well, I beg to differ – again.
\nI couldn\u2019t muster myself to read LAWBREAKERS, but I looked through some books and took samples: LAWBREAKERS #9 for example looks like rough and tough action stuff (with bad artwork, though).<\/p>\n

If you take an interest in crime comic books, LAWBREAKERS <\/a>are posted in completion at the Digital Comic Museum:
\nThe LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES are up as well \u2013 with the exception of LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES #11. This is a very special issue with a very special SICK cover by Lou Morales.<\/strong> I won\u2019t show it to you, because no decent scan exists (even the cover you\u2019ll find on Grand Comics Database is badly resolved and no fun to post). LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES #11 is the most sought after crime comic book out there.<\/p>\n

I say LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES are crime books. You will find the odd story (maybe one per issue) bordering on horror or indeed being a horror story.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

Before you think I bit off more than I can chew, I decideded to install my own privat fun website presenting interesting crime comic<\/strong>s. I overcame my ambivalence about crime comic books and want to introduce the world to inventive, off-beat and unusually entertaining crime stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Website is called WAVE OF CRIME<\/a>, but needs time to be designed and filled with stories. I was swamped with work and getting FAWCETT & CHARLTON HORROR online – has to wait some days or weeks. You’ll find a link button on my horror pages when it’s up…\u00a0 Postscript October 2013<\/strong>: Done. Active. Online. Go!<\/em><\/p>\n

Posted there are three entries from LAWBREAKERS SUSPENSE STORIES:<\/strong> \u201cGetting A-Head<\/a>\u201d, \u201cThe Black Closet<\/a>\u201d and \u201cGrounds For Murder!<\/a>\u201d – highly entertaining stories. Enjoy!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s briefly summarize what we\u2019ve learned \u2013 our artists\u2019 assignment count for the more crime oriented STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES: <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Dick Giordano<\/td>\n16<\/td>\n(3 with inks by Vince Alascia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Steve Ditko<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dick Ayers<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Unknown artwork<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n(2 probably inked by Vince Alascia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Joe Shuster<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n(inked by Ray Osrin)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bill Molno<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n(inked by Ray Osrin)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Anthony Tallarico<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Each 1: Seymour Moskowitz, Art Cappello, Stan Campbell, Leon Winik + Ray Osrin. <\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Giordano certainly was Charlton\u2019s man for crime; many of these 16 contributions are only \u201cshorties\u201d (two to four pages long).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

5 issues from Fawcett + 7 issues from Charlton Editor of these books is solely Roy Ald. By the way: almost all of the books are available to view and\/or download at the Digital Comic Museum. I took care of some missing issues. So enjoy. And I\u2019m working on completing the whole run, of course. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":74,"parent":0,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1063,"href":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17\/revisions\/1063"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/74"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}