REPRINT HORRORS!

Posted today on FEAR IN FOUR COLORS' companion site, WORLD OF MONSTERS, is Eerie Publications' first issue of TALES FROM THE TOMB. Fans of these lurid and vile things are aware that they were made up of reprints from pre-Code horror comics beginning with the plundering of Robert Farrell's fairly substantial inventory. Behind the revolting covers--many by Golden and Silver Age artist Carl Burgos--were stories that were now in black and white, with splash pages and panels re-worked with more exploitative images. These were often drawn by African-American artist Ezra Jackson who was listed as an art director for the magazine.

Following are examples of how the story art was modified by changing titles (that were sometimes previously reprinted in Farrell's comics) and images to better fit the Eerie way of sensationalizing their aim of disgusting readers.

This story was apparently left intact from the original.

WHAT WAS THE THING IN THE POOL?

Interested in buying an old house for cheap? The one in this story is up for sale after the previous occupants mysteriously disappeared. The back story of love, rejection and revenge will have you thinking twice before you sign on the dotted line, though.

"The Thing in the Pool" was published in the pre-Code TALES OF HORROR #2 (Toby Press/Minoan, September 1952) and reprinted in I.D.W./Super Comics' MYSTERY TALES #16 (1964), oddly with no Comics Code Authority stamp on the cover. Artwork is by Myron Fass with some Good Girl Art drawn in for good measure.

MURDER BY SHRUNKEN HEADS!

Famous explorers are getting knocked off one-by-one after receiving a gift of a shrunken head (!). The clue to their demise is the heavy box they're delivered in. In this chatty story, readers will discover the terrible secret of the shrunken head murders.

By an unidentified writer and artist, "The Death Look" appeared in SECRET MYSTERIES #16 (Ribage, November 1954). The title was continued from two different comics as listed in the indicia: Ribage's CRIME MYSTERIES and Trojan's CRIME SMASHERS. The cover is by Myron Fass.

Only one issue of this title was published, and judging from the cover date, it was likely cut short as a result of the Comics Code Authority.

TOBY'S TALES OF HORROR

Founded in 1949 by Elliot Caplin, Toby Press published reprints of newspaper strips, licensed animated and movie characters, as well as their own original romance, war, westerns and more. Since superhero comics had cooled off after WWII, they avoided that market.

Caplin, a cartoonist himself, was the brother of Al Capp and he reprinted a number of his strips including Li'l Abner, Shmoo and Wolf Gal early on. Under the Minoan Publishing Corp. imprint, he published thirteen issues of the comic you see here, TALES OF HORROR from June 1952 until October 1954. He also published two other horror titles, the one-shot TALES OF TERROR in 1952 and three issues of THE PURPLE CLAW (January 1953 - May 1953).

Caplin pulled the plug on his comics business in 1955; sources blame the onset of the Comics Code Authority as the reason, but it's hard to claim that since he only published a total of 17 horror comics during the Pre-Code era.

The standout in this issue is Myron Fass exercising his predilection for grisly images in the story, "Who Shall Inherit the Earth?" He would use several stories from this issue later in the Eerie Publications reprints.

NOTE: Ads have been removed from this scan, except inside front cover w/indicia.

TALES OF HORROR

Vol. 1 No. 4

January 1953

Toby Press (Minoan Publishing Corp.)

Editor: Elliot Caplin

Cover; Ernie Schroeder

Page: 36

Cover price: 10 cents

CONTENTS

"The Curse of King Kala"

Script: ?

Art: Ernie Schroeder

"Death From the Sea"

Script: ?

Art: Ben Brown; David Ganz

"The Man Who Imagined a Monster!"

Script: ?

Art: Ernie Schroeder

"Who Shall Inherit the Earth?"

Script: ?

Art: Myron Fass