JACK OF HORROR!

One of the better team-ups during the pre-Code era were Bob Powell and Howard Nostrand. On their own, both were good artists, but I think together they complemented each other.

"Jack of Horror" from BLACK CAT MYSTERY #34 (Harvey, April 1952) is so crazy, I consider it an almost psychedelic story. It was reprinted in BLACK CAT MYSTERY #52 (October 1954) during the last gasp of horror comics brought on by the Comics Code Authority.

NOTE: Some of the panels in this story may look familiar; I used them in a previous post.

A CRIME WORSE THAN MURDER -- CANNIBALISM!

Another story in TRUE CRIME COMICS Vol. 1 No. 2 (Magazine Village Inc., May 1947/1948) is based on the so-called true story of Alexander "Sawney" Bean (spelled here "Beane"), a Scottish who fell off the grid during the 1500s-1600s with a woman named "Black" Agnes Douglas, who was said to be a witch (in this story, the two are husband and wife).

He and Agnes found a cave to live in that was protected from entry in high tide. Starving, they began to ambush, kill and eat travelers crossing the nearby moor. According to legend this lasted for over two decades and in the meantime, Sawney's incestuous brood grew to about 45 family members. It is said they murdered and cannibalized over 1,000 people during that time.

No blood and gore in this story "Demons Dance on Galloway Moor!", by L.B. Cole, but sometimes the lack of it is even more terrifying.

MURDER, MORPHINE AND ME

We'll linger a little while longer on the narrow line between crime and horror with one of the most notorious pre-Code comic stories ever printed.

"Murder, Morphine and Me", written (probably) and drawn by L.B. Cole appeared in TRUE CRIME COMICS Vol. 1 No. 2, published by the obscure Magazine Village Inc. and it seems to be the only comic title they published. I'm wondering if it's possible it was produced by Cole and then dropped when he went elsewhere to work.

The cover date of May 1947 has come into question and was later determined to be actually published on March 3rd in 1948, making the true cover date May 1948.

What distinguishes this story is its overt brutality, violence and drug theme, hitting all the right buttons for Dr. Fredric Wertham to call it out in "Seduction of the Innocent". It is also infamous for its frightening "injury to the eye" panel which he included in the book. While multiple injury to eye panels appeared during this era, this one has been most often used as a prime example.

Now, let's read Mary Kennedy's confession . . .