Number 1556: Sucked down into a grave!

Here’s an example of why you shouldn’t speak ill of anyone...even the dead. Especially the dead.

“Cadaver’s Revenge” is from Strange Fantasy #5 (1953). Art by the Iger Shop.

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Number 1308: Jungle horrors!

Voodoo was an Ajax/Farrell title, which in the past I've confused with comics from Superior, a Canadian company. And why not? They both used stories provided by the Jerry Iger Studio, which meant their horror stories had much the same feel (and appeal) to them. In Voodoo #3 (1952), none of the stories feature voodoo, but three of the four stories in the issue have jungle settings.

I'm only showing two today because if I read too many jungle stories my brain gets jungle rot. The second of our duo, “Plantation of Fear,” I am proclaiming a crazy comic classic. I love murdering-plant stories, and these plants are definitely murderous. Anthropomorphic, too, with cartoonish human facial expressions. You'll see what I mean.

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Number 683


Right out of the gate


I know Steve Ditko served an apprenticeship in comics; he worked in the Simon & Kirby stable for awhile, where he was reportedly influenced by Mort Meskin (who also influenced Joe Kubert). But it's not stretching things (hyuk hyuk) to say when Ditko went solo he came right out of the gate as a solid professional. He showed even in his earliest stories that he stretched head and shoulders above many of his contemporaries in the industry.

...and speaking of stretching...

..."Stretching Things" was Ditko's first solo story, although not his first published story. It appeared in Fantastic Fears #5, and this is a black and white reprint from 1971, Terror Tales Vol. 3 No. 4.

I'm also including an early crime story to show that even in otherwise routine stories his artwork elevated the material. It's from Charlton's Crime and Justice #18, 1954.

You can read the original color version of "Stretching Things" at The Horrors Of It All.

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