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 Dr. Death „welcomes“ his readers<\/p><\/div>\n THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #1<\/span><\/strong> \u201cThe Curse Of Carnoc Castle\u201d (George Evans) Host \u201cDr. Death\u201d is prominently featured on the cover \u2013 promising us \u201cHair-raising horror stories I DARE you to read!\u201d So we did.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Curse Of Carnoc Castle\u201d has a record-length story of 13 pages<\/strong>. Unparalleled in pre-code horror history. Only two other stories from Fawcett are credited with such length.<\/p>\n The Duke of Allister rises from his casket to reclaim Carnoc Castle, after being buried for two hundred years. But he\u2019s looking dapper and dynamic, not a monster at all. The horrible price for his immortality is a touch of death: anything he touches will wither and die. As beauteous newspaperwoman Delena arrives from the city, the story begins to twist and turn\u2026 The two-page text story (\u201cDoctor MacCready\u2019s Little Men\u201d) is charming, written by a certain Al Schutzer. I wonder if Schutzer may have been a staff writer. Because the next issue will be featuring a story about a shrunken man (\u201cThe Weirdest Corpse Of All Time!\u201d) as well. There is a fine and wry sense of humor and a bitter taste of irony running through both tales.<\/p>\n Fun story of the issue is \u201cThe Coffin-Maker!<\/a>\u201d, pampering us with the portrayal of a creepy undertaker\u2019s home and \u201cworkroom\u201d cellar. The \u201cradiant\u201d Carlotta has married \u201cold and little\u201d Hiram (clearly the undertaker of them both, the name gives it away\u2026) for his money. Carlotta feels more and more uneasy when she hears voices from the basement and learns about deaths before they occur. Some books from Fawcett are sporting a \u201cletterhead<\/strong>\u201d above the splash of the first story. You\u2019ll find the editorial indicia here, a list of their published comics and a seal of \u201cWholesome Entertainment\u201d<\/strong>, guaranteed by company president Fawcett himself. This always amuses me. And, by the way: Fawcett tried to cover up their involvement in horror and crime<\/strong>. These books do not feature the logo \u201cA Fawcett Publication\u201d or \u201cA Fawcett Magazine\u201d on the title page. Western and war books do, however\u2026 <\/p>\n THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #2<\/strong><\/a> \u201cThe Green Hands Of Terror\u201d (George Evans + ?) The special attraction to even the lamest FAWCETT HORROR covers was a metallic „shimmer“ applied to those purple and red tones. Tilt this issue into the light and the corpse will glow slightly in the… well, not dark.<\/p><\/div>\n Typical Moldoff cover. It\u2019s quite lame, to be frank. Maybe Gaines (at EC) wanted to get rid of Moldoff when he started his famous \u201cnew trend\u201d in comic books.<\/p>\n Another record 13-pager is \u201cThe Green Hands Of Terror<\/a>\u201d. Jenk and Slezak, two killers on the run, hide in a house, where a chemist is experimenting with \u201csynthetic prototplasm\u201d \u2013 thus creating aggressive body parts which attack any intruder. Mystery artwork in \u201cThe Devil\u2019s Due<\/a>\u201d: not a bad artist at work here, using every trick in the book to make this work. Note the eager use of horror iconography like tilted graves, foggy nights, gnarly trees, lightning, eerie shadows, sweat on foreheads, dramatic close-ups. An inspired swiper, probably. Reaching the issue\u2019s last story, we finally disclose an art spotting dilemma. Sheldon Moldoff surely was the driving force behind Fawcett\u2019s horror titles. But is he always contributing as much as it looks? In \u201cThe Weirdest Corpse Of All Time!\u201d we meet a \u201clittle man\u201d and his \u201cshrewish wife\u201d, the classic horror comic book odd couple. The reader really feels for the hapless (and even nameless!) exterminator. Hold on, he\u2019s called \u201cGeorge Harris\u201d, but in just three panels. It\u2019s a sadistic story, told by a gleefully sadistic Dr. Death.<\/p>\n TMIS#2 is a fabulous issue containing three highly entertaining stories. As you might know by now, I think writing is MORE IMPORTANT than artwork<\/strong>. Up to now all Fawcett books are well written and keep a very original pace (those long stories), making them unique in pre-code horror history.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Typical Powell close-up of a human eye – I’ll upload the photographed book on the Digital Comic Museum in the next weeks…<\/p><\/div>\n THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #3<\/a> Nice and groovy Powell splash with <\/b>\u201cThe Cult Of The 13 Ghosts\u201d, a strange fellowship of turbaned (!) ghosts, supposedly the meanest murderers of ancient times. They reside in a bleak basement \u2013 doing absolutely nothing. When their landlord comes visiting for the missing rent, they scare him. That\u2019s about all of the plot, more or less. Very anaemic story of sadly no interest.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s another Fawcett foray into parallel words with Baily\u2019s \u201cBeware The Jabberwock\u201d: Trapped in a mirror world, two men face a flesh-eating monster. The story gives a referential nod to \u201cAlice In Wonderland\u201d, but isn\u2019t inventive enough to knock anyone\u2019s socks off.<\/p>\n So it boils down to \u201cQuest Of The Vampire!\u201d as this issue\u2019s \u2018saver\u2019. Again \u2013 a miss. This tale about a vampire lord posing as another vampire\u2019s servant is rather bland and run of the mill. Postscript September 2013:<\/strong> And the whole book<\/a> is now uploaded at the Digital Comic Museum. Judge for yourself!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #4 \u201cThe Constant Eye\u201d (Bernard Baily) Classic Moldoff cover. All stories are hosted by Dr. Death, appearing here and there throughout the whole book. A corpse dying for a smoke<\/p><\/div>\n The following six more pages are sadly quite run-of-the-mill, but the last page compensates us with a surreal image of a gigantic moon-eye.<\/p>\n Mystery artwork in \u201cS\u00e9ance Of Terror<\/a>\u201d. This is the only time we\u2019ll see this artist in all of FAWCETT HORROR. According to Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. this could be Ed(d) Ashe. Story itself is a rather weak piece about two souls battling over one body.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s a Bob Powell classic<\/strong> to wrap up this issue. In \u201cThe Blind, The Doomed \u2013 And The Dead!\u201d<\/a> Powell goes to the carnival and lets a murderer get lost in a maze. He is then judged by a ghostly tribunal and hanged by the neck. Especially great and memorable artwork on the last four pages!<\/p>\n \u201cThe Constant Eye\u201d has been published on another interesting blog (not only on Karswell’s superb and ground-breaking pre-code horror blog THE HORRORS OF IT ALL<\/em>) on the internet called \u201cSeduction of the Innocent!\u201d. Scroll down to second story HERE<\/a>. You\u2019ll find some comics there which roused the suspicion of the \u201ccensors\u201d, like \u201cTeen-Age Dope Slaves\u201d and other drug-related tales. What if the United Stated became communist tomorrow?<\/strong> And more very enlightening examples of comic book censorship…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe Slithering Horror Of Skontong Swamp!\u201d (George Evans) That\u2019s a nice Moldoff cover, one of his three best (they weren\u2019t actually that good, ahem). That\u2019s probably not a Bob Powell solo job in \u201cThe Ghost Of Fanciful Hawkins!<\/a>\u201d, but it\u2019s hard to tell, because Powell operated his own four-men studio. I think there\u2019s Howard Nostrand involved here. The hillside country ghost story about the big-footed feller named Hawkins teeters on the brink of silliness. Ghost shoes chasing the murderous bully?!<\/p>\n Notice please that in this second story they are using BIG show-offy panels<\/strong> as well. Looks absolutely gorgeous – and a nice way to use those long ten pages very effectively.<\/p>\n Sloppy mystery artwork in \u201cThe Last Man\u201d. I suspect the same \u201cartist\u201d who did \u201cThe Devil\u2019s Due\u201d in THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #2. This may be the work of Myron Fass<\/strong> who keeps popping up here and there in these years (at Atlas, at Toby, at Ace, at Trojan, at Story, at Gleason) \u2013 often doing horror stories! The man is a legend<\/strong>, really. Fass founded the infamous line of late-60s \u201cEerie Publications\u201d, reprinting and rehashing pre-code horror comics. For more info see Mykal Banta\u2019s wonderful blog THE BLOODY PULP<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe Secret Of The Walking Dead\u201d (Ed Waldman ?) That\u2019s a very interesting cover, in its very own way. Probably drawn by Moldoff, it transports a unique sense of not terror, but sadness. What do you think?<\/p>\n We welcome a NEW ARTIST<\/strong> to Fawcett\u2019s horror titles: Ed Waldman<\/strong>. Starts out in late summer of 1952 and will contribute up to the end. He has to count as a regular, only we didn\u2019t know his identity. Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. first thought him to be Bud Thompson, but then we found Bud Thompson \u2013 looking different. Waldman debuts with \u201cThe Secret Of The Walking Dead<\/a>\u201d, which looks nice and gloomy.<\/p>\n Remember me from another book, kiddies?<\/p><\/div>\n The next debutant<\/strong> follows suit: Leonard Frank<\/strong> \u2013 coming over from Fawcett\u2019s CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT and MONTY HALE WESTERN. Interesting artist, drawing some of the most peculiar eyes (and eyebrows) in comics history! It\u2019s a fun 2-page text story by Eando Binder (\u201cThe Unhaunted House\u201d) about a journalist spending a night in a haunted house and finding no ghosts \u2013 or does he? Look up the issue and read it.<\/p>\n In \u201cThe Curse Of The Crystal!\u201d Moldoff draws an old witch which looks like a parody of EC\u2019s lovable Old Witch by Graham Ingels<\/strong>. One of the story\u2019s characters is even named \u201cIngalls\u201d. <\/p>\n THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #7 \u201cThe Man Who Saw Too Much\u201d (Leonard Frank) Cover motif is similar to last month\u2019s STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #2: both times a lab scientist is backing off in horror from weird creatures emerging from a test tube. I like TMIH #7 better and suspect involvement by Ed Waldman (possibly inking Moldoff here)?<\/p>\n Again Leonard Frank delivers a solid contribution with \u201cThe Man Who Saw Too Much<\/a>\u201d, a tale about a photographer coming into possession of a camera which takes pictures of ghosts. Change a word in the title and you get \u201cThe Man Who KNEW Too Much\u201d, the Hitchcock thriller. Interesting fact: The original \u201cThe Man Who Knew Too Much\u201d dates from 1934 starring Peter Lorre; the Hollywood version with James Stewart and Doris Day won\u2019t hit the cinemas until the year 1956!<\/p>\n Death takes a visit to Spain, disguised as a toreador, a bull fighter. There we witness a fatal corrida at the witching hour. We also witness a color separation error in the splash<\/strong> (see splash on the right<\/em>) of that second story. If you look hard you can see the outlines for the words \u201cToreador Of Death!\u201d across Dr. Death\u2019s face and cloak. Somebody obviously forgot to color this correctly. The result stuns the reader, because the splash page seems to be missing\u2026<\/p>\n Second assignment for our mystery artist \u201cJokerface\u201d (following his debut in BEWARE! TERROR TALES #3; see there for more info). Too bad his cartoony \u201cfunny\u201d style lends no horror to \u201cThe Grim Unreality<\/a>\u201d (sporting a demon attack!). Imagine this executed by Bob Powell. Or ANY artist from the Standard stable (they had too many capable artist, but too little capable writers!). Unfair. Three routine stories in this issue. Not a baddie amongst them, but no highlight either. A bit flavorless all in all. And we have to sum up: FAWCETT HORROR lacks horror artists!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe House In The Web\u201d (Bob McCarty) \u201cThe House In The Web\u201d is okay, featuring not the Devil making pacts with greedy humans, but a supernatural \u201cMr. Avarice\u201d. Nice for a change, but you know where this is going.<\/p>\n It\u2019s December 1952 and at the gates of an Old People\u2019s Home a bearded figure carrying a mighty scythe appears, begging for entrance. This must be the old year 1952, but in \u201cThe Aged Curse!\u201d cruel headmaster Lowry doesn\u2019t recognize the symbolism and sends \u201cit\u201d away into the cold, cold night. Poetic justice comes to visit him in the form of aging very rapidly. And it\u2019s Shelly\u2019s \u201cSwiped Again\u201d-time<\/strong> with the splash of Moldoff\u2019s \u201cThe Dance Of The Dead!\u201d. This is clearly copied from Bob Powell\u2019s \u201cThe Blind, The Doomed \u2013 And The Dead!\u201d, published in Fawcett\u2019s own THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #4. Well, at least Moldoff is swiping from their own books.<\/strong><\/p>\n Compare this detail by Powell with the splash above by Moldoff<\/p><\/div>\n The story itself is a strange one about a beautiful dancer named Tanya being kidnapped into another dimension by three carcass-like ghosts. The power of dance, however, is too much for these ghouls, and Tanya dances right back into the arms of her earthly lover. THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #9 \u201cThe Witch Of Tarlo\u201d (Sheldon Moldoff + ?) This is now Fawcett\u2019s new deal<\/strong>: One \u201clong\u201d 10-page lead story plus three more \u2013 one is 6, the other two are 7 pages long.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Witch Of Tarlo\u201d sports again a parody of EC\u2019s Old Witch – which Moldoff obviously loves to do. Fun part of the story is that it feels as if the Old Witch is romping through her own comic book tale. Else it\u2019s a weak yarn with a happy ending for the two young lovers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an entertaining \u201cquickie\u201d with \u201cDevil\u2019s Mask\u201d featuring nice McCarty artwork. Though predictable, we present a self-made scan in our \u201cStories\u201d section.<\/p>\n \u201cLady Or The Tigress?<\/a>\u201d starts out with an astonishing feat: capturing a tiger \u2013 in Kenya<\/strong>! Too bad artist Leonard Frank (his third assignment with FAWCETT HORROR) can\u2019t draw tigers in a proper way. Then again, what CAN Frank draw properly?! Have a look at the story on Karswell\u2019s fantastic blog \u201cThe Horrors Of It All\u201d.<\/p>\n No, no, no – new tiger, please!<\/p><\/div>\n Tiger ladies by the way are a special sub-genre of pre-code horror<\/strong>. Every publishing company seems to have produced at least one. I\u2019m far too lazy to round them up here. And they\u2019re awfully dangerous, too\u2026<\/p>\n Mystery artwork in \u201cThe House Of Doors<\/a>\u201d. Art spotting experts like Hames Ware and Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. suspect a cameo by Harry Harrison. I see a slight chance this could be William Weltman (again, confer UNKNOWN WORLD #1, STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #4). <\/p>\n \u201cLet The Past Lie Buried!\u201d (Sheldon Moldoff) That cover is one of the most drastic and shocking<\/strong> to ever grace a Fawcett magazine. Trash classic. Because it\u2019s funny, too. Possibly drawn by Moldoff, though.<\/p>\n Moldoff kicks off this issue with \u201cLet The Past Lie Buried!<\/a>\u201d, delivering an interesting buried-alive splash. The logic-defying story is one of the most off-beat and wacky in not only FAWCETT HORROR\u2019S, but pre-code horror history! Note: Moldoff uses AGAIN that pose he swiped from Ingels (cf. STRANGE STORIES FROM ANOTHER WORLD #3).<\/p>\n Moldoff swiping Moldoff swiping Ingels…<\/p><\/div>\n And filling up the last third of this story is a really really sweet and heartwarming ad for FAWCETT HORROR, featuring their hosts Dr. Death and The Mummy<\/strong>!<\/p>\n I wanna have a coffee mug with that.<\/p>\n And we have a jaunty 5-page-\u201cquickie\u201d with \u201cThe City Of The Dead!\u201d \u2013 with great McCarty artwork. The scenes of vultures descending upon a living man pinned to the ground reverberates pictures from Reed Crandall\u2019s EC shock classic \u201cCarrion Death\u201d<\/strong> (which is not yet published, let alone written!<\/em>). It will be printed in June 1953. FINALLY I\u2019ve discovered something that has had an influence on EC (and not the other way round, as usual).<\/em><\/p>\n Ta-daa! After years of research we found a scene which was copied by EC!<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cPhantom Of Disaster!<\/a>\u201d pleases me with a twist I didn\u2019t see coming. TMIH #10 is a great pre-code horror book. Crude artwork and entertaining stories make this issue a formidable example of mid-50s comics extravaganza<\/strong>.<\/p>\n And that includes \u201cThe Fat Man!<\/a>\u201d, another twisted 5-pager about an art painter (O no!) whose paintings come to life. Great fun, though, as the \u201cfat man\u201d kills the foul-mouthed landlady called Mrs. Tyran (sic!). Look it up in our \u201cStories\u201d section.<\/p>\n All your Fawcett superstar hosts with pell-mell colored horror words – cute!<\/p><\/div>\n THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #11 \u201cLover\u201d (Ed Waldman ?) \u201cAnd Then What???<\/a>\u201d proves to be a comedic horror story. Reminds me of material Atlas liked to publish. One of those ironic five-page quickies solely conceived for the twist. It\u2019s a nice one and a new flavor to FAWCETT HORROR<\/strong>. See it, too, posted in our „Stories“ section.<\/p>\n Leonard Frank\u2019s looking shabby in \u201cThe Bags Of Trouble\u201d. Sloppy work. Story doesn\u2019t even have a splash. This may have been a hastily done last-minute \u201cfiller\u201d\u2026 sure feels like it. The highly unbelievable parable of men exchanging their \u201ctroubles\u201d (fates) teeters on the brink of arbitrariness. What\u2019s very special about this story is the fact that host character Dr. Death actively stars in it<\/strong>! He is the satanic magician fulfilling wishes \u2013 with a catch, of course.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a mystery why \u201cTouch Of Death\u201d has not been published in reprints or posted on the internet before. A straight and simple, wonderfully told and drawn tale of an old witch cursed by her own abilities. Everyone she touches (or touches her!) will drop dead instantly. What an issue! A most enjoyable FAWCETT HORROR book and one of the best Bob Powell stories ever.<\/strong> And be prepared for his next installment \u2013 this might just knock your socks off!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe Door\u201d (Bud Thompson) Knocks your socks off, because we encounter a last Powell (sadly), but what a blast! First we welcome a newcomer to FAWCETT HORROR \u2013 Bud Thompson joins the crew<\/strong>. He\u2019s been drawing the adventures of CAPTAIN MARVEL JR. (canceled in June) for almost ten years (!) and will contribute to all books to follow (alas, only two). Thompson proves to be a perfect boost and reinforcement for the dwindling and doomed horror titles<\/strong>. Wish he could\u2019ve gotten there earlier! His \u201cThe Door<\/a>\u201d rehashes the plot and twist of Warren Kremer\u2019s \u201cAmnesia\u201d in Harvey\u2019s CHAMBER OF CHILLS #17, published just three months before.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Store At The Cemetery\u201d is drawn by the same mystery artist<\/strong> who did \u201cThe House Of Death\u201d in BTT #6. It\u2019s an easy to spot, very distinctive style of drawing, but a complete riddle. Showed this a second time to Jim Vadebonceur, Jr. and he was as clueless as the first time. Very strange! If YOU out there have any leads as to who this artist is<\/strong>, please contact us. Postcript November 2014:<\/strong> There is a THIRD variation of that story. Should you be interested to hear about it, please click HERE <\/a>and follow the discussion on my website about STANDARD HORROR (scroll down to issue #9 of THE UNSEEN).<\/p>\n Delightful detail from „Wall of Flesh!“<\/p><\/div>\n Did I mention yet that \u201cThe Wall Of Flesh!\u201d is one of my favorite horror stories<\/strong> ever?! This issue wraps up with \u201cReady\u2014Action\u2014Camera!<\/a>\u201d which is a science fiction story, smuggled in. Men from Mars come to earth and destroy a movie set about men from mars. Tchtchtch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #13 \u201cThe Tapestry of Tolchime\u201d (Bob McCarty) We don\u2019t know where Moldoff has gone (is he doing the cover?), but this is Bud Thompson\u2019s issue<\/strong>. Two stories show his style; Jim and I first thought he may be involved in a third one. But I now suspect a second job by Max Elkan, the man who (possibly) drew \u201cThe Aged Curse\u201d in TMIH #8. Let\u2019s return to this issue\u2019s cover for a moment. Is it quite grisly (have a look at the blood on the walking headless corpse, there\u2019s even a bit of spine sticking out!). Dr. Death\u2019s sarcastic commentary would have gone well with the more cynical covers from the competition at Key or Gilmor. FAWCETT HORROR gets hardboiled at the last minute.<\/strong> They really go for more drastic images in the latter half of 1953.<\/p>\n Click to enlarge and zoom in on the bloody neck…<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cThe Tapestry of Tolchime<\/a>\u201d is a clever blend of ingredients we\u2019re used to see in horror books: An US-American heir coming to his family castle in England, an age-old curse threatening his life, a magic tapestry being the plot\u2019s trigger and release. Makes for an entertaining story.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Man Who Lost His Head!<\/a>\u201d is a very fun story about a vain Hollywood movie actor getting in bed with a witch to ensure his success. Go read it on my German website.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhere Do We Go From Here?\u201d is a bit awkward: We accompany Warren Hopkins on his journey from his deathbed to the pearly gates. In between he takes over his body once more, giving his family a scare when he rises as a zombie from the grave. And he just wanted to say \u201cHello!\u201d for a last time. Or what?! Once dead, stay dead.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Formless Shadows\u201d feels like an amalgam of two other stories: early EC science fiction where everybody is an alien in disguise and another story in which evil people cast NO shadows. Can\u2019t put my finger exactly on it. But it\u2019s a clever combination \u2013 and fun nonetheless. Posted in our \u201cStories\u201d section (click miniature splash to get there<\/em>).<\/p>\n Artwise I\u2019m seeing traces of Moldoff in here\u2026 Could this be just inks by Thompson? The composition feels more like Moldoff; and Thompson looks more expressive in his solo effort \u201cThe Man Who Lost His Head!\u201d \u2013 please compare. So I think we DO have Moldoff actively involved in this second-to-last issue.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #14![\"MagHaunt#1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/MagHaunt1.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n<\/a>October 1951<\/strong>
\nCover: (Man on cemetery shocked by looking into coffin) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cStand-In For Death\u201d (Bernard Baily)
\n\u201cThe Coffin-Maker!\u201d (Sheldon Moldoff)<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Curse Of Carnoc Castle\u201d presents a nice package of family curses, magic potions and witchcraft. Evans\u2019 compositions look a bit stiff to me; he\u2019ll reach mastership two years later \u2013 when joining the EC crew.<\/p>\n![\"carnoc1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/09\/carnoc1.jpg\")
<\/a>\u201cStand-In For Death<\/a>\u201d: I got the twist on page 4 (of 9). It\u2019s resolved on page 6 (of 9) \u2013 what will be coming yet? I won\u2019t spoil anything, but the story goes up in smoke. Seven pages would have been sufficient. Strange observation: all those apartment scenes look like being drawn by another artist (possibly Evans). Does anyone concur?<\/p>\n
\nLook it up on the \u201cGolden Reading\u201d blogzine for Golden Age comic stories.<\/p>\n
\nWholesome entertainment in a horror comic book. We\u2019ll remind them of that when next we come across a gross Nazi atrocity story. And they\u2019ll be rolling in, folks! Maybe they noticed this editorial slip-up. I found the seal only in the very first issues of THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED, not in the other horror books\u2026<\/p>\n![\"LetterheadWhite\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/LetterheadWhite.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nFor designing this website’s headers I shamelessly used the tag \u201cA Fawcett Publication\u201d to make it look snappier. So call me a hypocrite like I just called them hypocrites.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n December 1951<\/strong>
\nCover: (Zombie coming after frightened man and woman) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Devil\u2019s Due\u201d (???)
\n\u201cThe Weirdest Corpse Of All Time!\u201d (Sheldon Moldoff ? + Ed Moline ?)<\/p>\n![\"TMIS#2\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/TMIS2.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nFun story with a nice ironic twist at the end. Would make a brilliant \u201cdouble feature\u201d with Lou Cameron\u2019s flying killer hands in \u201cKill, My Minions Of Death<\/a>\u201d from Ace’s BAFFLING MYSTERIES #17.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Devil\u2019s Due\u201d is that Nazi atrocity story foiling the nice seal of \u201cWholesome Entertainment\u201d at the book\u2019s opening<\/strong>. Just statin\u2019 the facts, ma\u2019m\u2026<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Weirdest Corpse Of All Time!<\/a>\u201d looked like a clear-cut case of Moldoff \u2013 to me. But Jim Vadeboncoeur Jr. and Hames Ware (the best art spotters around) detect a distinctive touch of Ed Moline in here. And in many other \u201cMoldoffs\u201d.
\nJim even had the opportunity to ask Sheldon himself when sitting next to him at a comic convention: \u201cDid you know Ed Moline?\u201d \u2013 \u201cWho? Never heard of the man\u201d<\/strong>, replied Moldoff.
\nSo \u2013 what do we learn from this?
\nWas Moline never part of the Fawcett gang? Or did Moldoff sometimes not know who inked his work?
\nWhen I look at the only signed \u201cMoline\u201d I ever came across (Ace\u2019s CRIME MUST PAY THE PENALTY #12, signature hidden on bottle in splash) \u2013 I admit it might be possible that Moline inked Moldoff. But Moline is such an elusive phantom artist<\/strong> (37 dubious credits in our databases). Let\u2019s say if Moldoff doesn\u2019t look 100 percent Moldoff, we may note down a \u201c?\u201d for inking credits (and in exceptional cases a possible inking credit for Moline, like in this instance).<\/p>\n![\"PowellEye\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/PowellEye.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nFebruary 1952
\nCover: (Giant bat rising from coffin and confronting man with stake) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff
\n<\/b>This issue was missing! German horror comics collector \u201cwhitewolf61\u201d let me photograph his issue, so here\u2019s the contents:
\n<\/em>\u201cThe Cult Of The 13 Ghosts\u201d (Bob Powell)
\n\u201cBeware The Jabberwock\u201d (Bernard Baily)
\n\u201cQuest Of The Vampire!\u201d (Sheldon Moldoff)<\/p>\n
\nTHIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #3 (a long missing issue) proves to be disappointing.
\n<\/strong>In all stories all of the human protagonists survive their encounter with the forces of evil. This book feels like a copy of an ACG horror title (ADVENTURES INTO THE UNKNOWN, FORBIDDEN WORLDS or OUT OF THE NIGHT). Hmmmpf.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/a>April 1952 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Skeletal Zombie gripping blonde woman in red dress and hiding from man with rifle) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cS\u00e9ance Of Terror\u201d (Edd Ashe ?)
\n\u201cThe Blind, The Doomed \u2013 And The Dead!\u201d (Bob Powell)<\/p>\n
\nAnd we see the zany rival for the wackiest story ever illustrated by Bernard Baily: \u201cThe Constant Eye<\/a>\u201d is just as mad as his \u201cAIEEEEE! The Teeth!\u201d.
\nTwelve full pages is a long stretch, but they manage to keep it fairly entertaining. Page 2 depicts a riveting murder scene, pages 3 to 5 contain fast-paced paranoia and page 6 holds an unforgettable moment: the corpse copping a smoke<\/strong> and explaining his plans for revenge. That to me is a highpoint in all of pre-code horror!<\/p>\n![\"ConstantEYEsmokepanel\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/ConstantEYEsmokepanel.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"SkontongSwamp1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/09\/SkontongSwamp1.jpg\")
<\/a>THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #5<\/a>
\n<\/strong>June 1952 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Woman hides on window ledge from skeletal zombie searching for her) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Ghost Of Fanciful Hawkins!\u201d (Bob Powell)
\n\u201cThe Last Man\u201d (Myron Fass ?)<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Slithering Horror Of Skontong Swamp!\u201d is a horror classic, beautifully designed by Evans. A death row escapee encounters zombies in a swamp and is furthermore haunted by flashbacks. The end is unusually dark and drives home a fine impact of crime and punishment. Maybe THE best Evans horror story ever!<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"ShowcaseHorror1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/09\/ShowcaseHorror1.jpg\")
<\/a>THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #6<\/a>
\n<\/strong>August 1952 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Army of ghosts rising from their graves and flying away over cemetery gate) \u2013 ???<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cShowcase For Horror!\u201d (Leonard Frank)
\n\u201cThe Curse Of The Crystal!\u201d (Sheldon Moldoff)<\/p>\n![\"SwipeWitch\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/SwipeWitch.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nHis \u201cShowcase For Horror!\u201d is a nutty story, but remarkable for its unusual setting (a warehouse\u2019s window display department) and its appreciation of the grotesque. Happy to post it here (click miniature splash<\/em>).<\/p>\n
\nGiven Moldoff\u2019s beef with EC he seems to enjoy doing an old witch of his own\u2026
\nThe witch character will appear in more Moldoff contributions (e. g. in \u201cDeath\u2019s Beggar\u201d, published the same month in STRANGE STORIES FROM ANOTHER WORLD #2). We posted a picture of the witch there.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/a>October 1952 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Skull-faced homunculus rising from test tube and shocking scientist) \u2013 ???<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cToreador Of Death!\u201d (Sheldon Moldoff)![\"Toreador1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/09\/Toreador1.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\u201cThe Grim Unreality\u201d (\u201cJokerface\u201d)<\/p>\n
\nThe story is a quite interesting speculation about imaginations running wild and thoughts spawning real events.<\/p>\n![\"DanceOfDead1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/09\/DanceOfDead1.jpg\")
<\/a>THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #8<\/a>
\n<\/strong>December 1952 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Frightened man cowering behind gravestone from advancing ghoul) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff ?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Aged Curse!\u201d (Max Elkan ?)
\n\u201cThe Dance Of The Dead!\u201d (Sheldon Moldoff)<\/p>\n
\nMystery artwork in \u201cThe Aged Curse!\u201d here. Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. sees Max Elkan in here \u2013 an excellent guess. I wonder if Bud Thompson has a hand in here as well. Would be a first and only horror contribution by Elkan – who did some western comics stories for Fawcett.<\/p>\n![\"splashPowell\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/splashPowell.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nSounds like this tale is in need of professional help\u2026 Therapists, please mail in your analyses.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"DevilMask1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/09\/DevilMask1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/a>February 1953 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Ghostly witch emanating from open grave and scaring a couple strolling around the cemetary) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff ?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cDevil\u2019s Mask\u201d (Bob McCarty)
\n\u201cLady Or The Tigress?\u201d (Leonard Frank)
\n\u201cThe House Of Doors\u201d (Harry Harrison ? \/ William Weltman ?)<\/p>\n![\"TMIS#9Tigerface\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/TMIS9Tigerface.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nContentwise it\u2019s a long-time-no-see: another Fawcett lost-in-limbo-tale! Variation #5<\/strong> \u2013we\u2019ll keep count! It\u2019s briskly told and well worth posting, please find it in our \u201cStories\u201d section.<\/p>\n![\"CityOfDead1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/09\/CityOfDead1.jpg\")
<\/a>THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #10<\/a>
\n<\/strong>April 1953 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Frightened fisherman pulls up blood-dripping ghoul\u2019s head out of a lake) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff ?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe City Of The Dead!\u201d (Bob McCarty)
\n\u201cPhantom Of Disaster!\u201d (Ed Waldman ?)
\n\u201cThe Fat Man!\u201d (Leonard Frank)<\/p>\n
\nWhen a Neanderthal man is unearthed, the whole town regresses into caveman behavior. <\/strong>Go read it on Karswell\u2019s fantastic blog \u201cThe Horrors Of It All\u201d. Click underlined title to do so.<\/p>\n![\"TMIS#10Ingels3\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/TMIS10Ingels3.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"Vultures\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/Vultures.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"TMIH#10Ad\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/TMIH10Ad.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/a>June 1953 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Skeleton with noose in hand approaching frightened man) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff ?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cAnd Then What???\u201d (Bob McCarty)
\n\u201cThe Bags Of Trouble\u201d (Leonard Frank)
\n\u201cTouch Of Death\u201d (Bob Powell)<\/p>\n![\"TouchOfDeath1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/09\/TouchOfDeath1.jpg\")
<\/a>I love \u201cLover<\/a>\u201d! I am just nuts about those stories in which men are constructing life-like female robots<\/strong>. Here we get a long and twisting tale about a vain actor, a scorned lover, Frankensteinian horror and the terrors of the flesh. It\u2019s never revealed how the lovely \u201cDulcet Mort\u201d drains her man\u2019s life energy, but we have our theories\u2026
\nThis is Johnny Craig\u2019s \u201cTill Death\u201d blending with Rudy Palais\u2019 \u201cDeath Kiss\u201d. Sadly this story is lacking a final punch and fades out at the end (that is a weak graphic finale in the last two panels!), but I still rate it as great entertainment. See it posted in our „Stories“ section.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nGreat tongue-in-cheek Powell job, <\/strong>hosted by a cheerful Dr. Death who\u2019s very busy constantly bringing population numbers on signposts up to speed. We’re proud to present it finally…<\/p>\n![\"StoreAtCemetery1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/09\/StoreAtCemetery1.jpg\")
<\/a>THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #12<\/a>
\n<\/strong>August 1953 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Zombie coming down flight of stairs, sweating man waiting in foreground) \u2013 ???<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Store At The Cemetery\u201d (??? – \u201cFacet-o\u2019-Fawcett\u201d)
\n\u201cThe Wall Of Flesh!\u201d (Bob Powell)
\n\u201cReady\u2014Action\u2014Camera!\u201d (Ed Waldman ?)<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>To me \u201cThe Wall Of Flesh!<\/a>\u201d is THE Powell horror story\u2026 Pre-code horror wackiness at its finest!<\/strong> If you should NOT know it yet, go read it. Now. Go! Mach schnell!
\nComplete issue\u2019s been hosted and posted on Karswell\u2019s fantastic blog \u201cThe Horrors Of It All\u201d. It really is a great issue with a nice mix of different art.<\/p>\n
\nI christened this artist \u201cFacet-o\u2019-Fawcett\u201d<\/strong> (see my notes on CHARLTON HORROR, why)\u2026
\nStory\u2019s nice and quirky \u2013 and a variation of the \u201cBleeding Platter\u201d from Standard\u2019s THE UNSEEN #9 (March 1953). A society dinner, the lady of the house looking for exquisite pottery, a mad potter creating life-like pieces and the lady ending up as just such one on the dinner table. It\u2019s all there, even the female protagonist is called Martha.<\/p>\n![\"wallofsymbolism\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/wallofsymbolism.jpg\")
<\/a>
\nIt also contains the super cheesy phrase spurned lovers spew forth: \u201cIf I cannot have you, no one else will!\u201d. Well, here\u2019s the synopsis: While nurse Sheila is waiting for her fiance Johnny, evil doctor Quantrell pushes her into a flesh-eating wall of pulsating meat he created<\/em>.
\nWhat the f*** for, I wonder\u2026???
\nA race against the clock unfolds. Can Johnny rescue Sheila from her impending doom?<\/em> Read it to believe it, nuff said.
\nI will NOT talk about sexual symbolism here<\/strong>; I am just a layman having a laugh. However: If you feel inclined to deliver interpretations, please do! I\u2019ll gladly post your theories.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/a>October 1953 <\/strong>
\nCover: (Headless corpse walking into room where three men uncover severed head from block of concrete) \u2013 Sheldon Moldoff ?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe Haunted Treasure\u201d (Anthony Cataldo ?) \u2013 one-pager
\n\u201cThe Man Who Lost His Head!\u201d (Bud Thompson)
\n\u201cWhere Do We Go From Here?\u201d (Max Elkan ?)
\n\u201cThe Mystery Of The Poltergeist\u201d (???) \u2013 one-pager
\n\u201cThe Formless Shadows\u201d (Sheldon Moldoff ? + Bud Thompson)![\"FormlessShadows1\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/09\/FormlessShadows1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAnd please notice that Ed Waldman is gone! He\u2019s been given the boot and instantly replaced by Thompson. Which is understandable.<\/p>\n![\"MagHaunt#13Cover\"](\"http:\/\/charm-of-charlton.de\/filecollection\/sites\/4\/2013\/08\/MagHaunt13Cover.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/a>December 1953 <\/strong>