HAUNTED HORROR #12 / Code of the Shadowmaster

Haunted Horror #12 is in stores today, and we have a preview for you to whet that shadowy whistle and get you to the comic shop for your creeped-out copy ASAP --before they sell-out! You know it's gonna be a killer issue when it kicks into gear with a Lou Cameron classic from the September 1953 issue of The Beyond #30!

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Number 1614: Blonde Phantom and the two-person triangle

Blonde Phantom, the forties heroine from Marvel Comics, was one of those costumed types whose secret identity was in competition with her civilian identity. Blonde Phantom, Louise Grant and Louise’s boss, Mark, were the self-contained triangle. Unless Mark was just kidding about not knowing that Louise, even in glasses and buttoned up to the chin, was the sexy, evening-dress wearing Phantom.

Blonde Phantom was one of the postwar heroes created to sell comics in a rapidly changing market. Apparently she worked out for Marvel for about three years, and then was no more until a revival many years later, outside of the scope of this blog.

According to Don Markstein’s Toonopedia website, Black Phantom was created by Stan Lee and artist Syd Shores. The Grand Comics Database says this story was drawn by Allen Bellman. It appeared in All Winners Comics Vol. 2 No. 1 (1949), which was the last issue under that title.

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Number 1613: Frankenstein’s terror under trance!

You already know this, don’t you? If not, the funny Frankenstein character published by Prize Comics ended its run with issue #17 in 1949. A couple of years later the character was resurrected n a more serious version, more like the Karloff monster of the movies. In the latter version the Frankenstein monster is mute, shambles along from town to town, country to country, getting involved in local doings, supernatural and otherwise.

This story, the lead for Frankenstein #19 (1952), has the monster under hypnotic control. It is drawn by the versatile Dick Briefer, whose career as a journeyman comic book artist would end when Frankenstein ceased publication in late 1954. The specter of another monster — the Comics Code Authority — finally did to Frankenstein what no mob of torch-waving villagers could do.

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#677 - A contribution from Celso Nunes

Celso Nunes is a "Phan", who is very active in groups related to our favorite masked hero in purple. I was pleasantly surprised when I got a note from him asking if I would be willing to share his scans. So here they are.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/u9apicvvom0y23h/The%20Phantom%20001%20%282003%29.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/973nh1esmw47dyt/The%20Phantom%20002%20%282004%29.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6kagckmybzyio3u/The%20Phantom%20003%20%282004%29.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/166usn5qheb3ytx/The%20Phantom%20004%20%282004%29.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/egzxgt88p1k2fsw/The%20Phantom%20005%20%282005%29.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tzcqy1q27kpk8qq/The%20Phantom%20006%20%282005%29.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8ebdnpjg2vcsxrw/The%20Phantom%20007%20%282005%29.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/25zuj7rkxfbz9lk/The%20Phantom%20008%20%282005%29.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ivduwgugffbwu6/The%20Phantom%20009%20%282006%29.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/j1p86pguywtrar3/The%20Phantom%20010%20%282006%29.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y9ys05hc27zcmgh/The%20Phantom%20011%20ctc.cbr

https://www.dropbox.com/s/orxee9muuused1p/The%20Phantom%20012.cbr

There were 36 stories in this series that ran from 2003 thru 2008 plus 2 Annuals. This is the first installment of 12 stories. Watch this space for more in the coming weeks.

Enjoy,

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Make-Up for Death

Not only does the January 1952 issue of Web of Evil #2 contain two of Jack Cole's best precode horror stories ever (click HERE and HERE for 'em), it also contains this sadly uncredited, hot little number which, like the pair of Cole tales, saw multiple b/w repeats years later in the Eerie Pubs. And why yes, it's another complete issue presentation here at THOIA, --be sure to also check for the "Ghost Ship" which is still sailing around somewhere in my archive-- most likely HERE!

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Number 1612: The Marvel Man

Martan, who came to Earth for a honeymoon with his bride, Vana, decided to stick around. They had encountered another bunch of aliens who had attacked our planet, so Martan, called the Marvel Man, helped to fight them off.

Martan was yet another spaceborn type who landed on our planet, and out of all the countries ended up in America. He and his spouse decided to defend that country over all others. My fellow Americans...we have been really lucky that way in the comics, eh?

This character was part of a wave of superheroes in Dell Comics’ Popular Comics, which lasted for a couple of years until Dell decided to dump the super people and go to licensing funny animals and such. They did that so well that they got away without the usual superheroic contents of most comics of the era (1939-42 or so). In Martan and Vana’s case, they appeared in issues #44-68. The writer of the story is credited as G. Ellerbrock, and the artist is unknown. E. C. Stoner, who did the cover, was also part of the art movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.

From Popular Comics #59 (1941).

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An Army of Walking Dead, aka The Zombie

My buddy Jason was wanting to see a Phantom Lady adventure where she takes on monsters or some kind of supernatural evil, and this tale of legs vs. the undead is probably the best choice in my collection. My scans are from the Great Action Comics #8 (1958) reprint-- a sexy 'n wild Matt Baker illustrated story that was originally featured over 10 years prior in the December 1947 issue of Phantom Lady #15... annnnd the story goes, that when I.W. Publishing got the print plates, they were missing the original splash page #1 which had been printed on the inside front cover of Phantom Lady #15 (see jpeg at the very end of this post.) So someone clever decided, "why not make the cover of Great Action Comics #8 the new page 1 of the reprint!" Off hand, I can't think of many other comics that ever did this with a cover, and with Carl Burgos doing the new cover art, who's gonna complain? Hope everyone enjoyed this month of posts!

(original page 1 splash)

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