DR. LORCH'S SIXTH POTION

Dr. Simon Lorch is obsessed with concocting a potion that will turn a man into one that possesses primordial strength. After five tries, he drinks the sixth one himself and turns into not only a man who has primordial strength, but is also a primordial beast! He goes on the usual killing spree until he is stopped (aka killed) by one of his previous experiments. Poor Dr. Lorch, he should have stopped at five tries!

This one's from Ace's WEB OF MYSTERY #3 (June 1951) with pencils by Mike Sekowsky and inks by Vince Alascia.

NOTE: I've began to go back into some of my earlier posts and started adding labels that are descriptive of some of the common themes found in pre-Code horror comics, such as today's "mad doctor" trope. I'll be including things like cannibalism, hanging, etc. when I come across them. This will be a work in progress for a while.

IT'S WITCHCRAFT!

Avon pre-Code horror comics have remained a steady collectible over the years, mainly for the above average stories and great stable of artists. This, the inaugural issue of the six-issue title, WITCHCRAFT is no exception. Sid Check illustrates the inside front cover that introduces each story and Joe Kubert lends some horrific images to the climax of Sol Cohen's "Heritage of Horror". George Roussous provides the illustration for the cover text story.

NOTE: A reasonably-priced copy of WITCHCRAFT #3 is available for sale on this site's "Pre-Code Comics Sale" page.

WITCHCRAFT

Vol. 1 No. 1

March-April 1952

Avon Periodicals Inc. (Avon Comics)

Editor: Sol Cohen

Cover: George Roussous

Pages: 36

Cover price: 10 cents

CONTENTS

"Heritage of Horror: The Art of Julian Daniels"

Script: Sol Cohen

Art: Joe Kubert

"Devil-Music!"

Script: ?

Art: Gene Fawcett?; Vince Alascia

"This Ship is Doomed!"

Script: ?

Art: Harry Lazarus

"Vengeance of the Ouanga!"

Script: ?

Art: Vince Alascia?

WHAT'S FATE GOT TO DO, GOT TO DO WITH IT?

These stories really don't have much to do with fate, but they do provide some light horror fare. We've got disembodied heads, a werewolf (with an all too-familiar plot) and a couple other monster types to sate our thirst for four-color horror. The story titles promise much, but don't deliver like some other horror comics did at the time. Still, it's a pretty good looking book, thanks to the likes of Lou Cameron, Rocco Mastroserio and Mike Sekowsky. If the truth be told, there were a lot of other horror comics at the time that were also flavored with a heavy serving of vanilla.

THE HAND OF FATE began with issue #8 after MEN AGAINST CRIME was shelved with its seventh issue. It ran for 19 issues, from December 1951 to December 1954, when Ace was crushed by the weight of the Comics Code Authority.

NOTE: The two-page text story, "Unburied Dead" is reprinted from CHALLENGE OF THE UNKNOWN #6 (Ace Magazines, September 1950).

Does Ace's THE HAND OF FATE get any more "horrifying"? We'll find out in later posts.

THE HAND OF FATE

Vol. 1 No. 8 (First issue)

December 1951

Humor Publications Inc. (Ace Comics)

Editor: ?

Cover: Kenneth Rice

Pages: 36

Cover price: 10 cents

CONTENTS

"The Revolt of the Heads"

Script: ?

Pencils: Lou Cameron

Inks: Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio

"A Hand of Fate Mystery #1" (one page)

Script: ?

Art: ?

"Canyon of the Living Dead"

Script: ?

Art: Jim McLaughlin

"A Hand of Fate Mystery #2" (one page)

Script: ?

Art: ?

"Death Howls By Moonrise"

Script: ?

Pencils: Maurice Gutwirth; George Appel

Inks: Vince Alascia ?; Maurice Gutwirth; George Appel

"Monster of the Bayous"

Script: ?

Art: Mike Sekowsky

Inks: Vince Alascia