bals@nutmeg.DEC (Once, accident. Twice, coincidence. Three times is enemy action.) (01/23/86)
O.K., gang, it's name that comic time!
<a pause as we wait for the whistles and cheers to die>
Back in my sprouting youth (say when I was around 9 years old which would put
the year at 1961), I read a comic book that simply *terrified* me. I mean,
sweats, nightmares, lights on all night, you name it, I had it.
I loved it. Unfortunately, my much-suffering parents didn't. I had a *no more
comic books* ban imposed upon my fevered brow, my mother trashed the book, and
life went on.
I've thought about that damnable book for nigh-on 24 years now. I'd love to
have it back -- though I'm not sure why. Maybe to put that scared kid inside
of me to rest once and for all.
Description follows, and you'll see *how* well I remember it. If anyone can
give me the title, number, and publisher of the book, you'll have my undying
thanks and gratitude.
Ok, description. The comic was an anthology of horror tales. There was a
continuing narrator that introduced and closed all stories. The stories
(probably not in order):
(1). Guy inherits mansion/car from mad scientist. Guy is driving car, seat
belt locks, hypodermic needles appear, start draining blood from the
dude, he goes over cliff.
(2). Kid captures strange wasp, brings to pleasant old who knows *lots* about
insects. Flashback where reader finds that old man is severely allergic
to insect bites, and always is "seen" completely engarbed in hood and
clothing. Kid gets to old man's house, no one around, kid goes to
basement, finds other kids strung up in giant spider webs, old man
appears, unmasks, is actually giant humanoid spider (!!), attacks kid,
kid drops bottle with wasp. Old man/spider gasps, "The werewolf wasp!"
Wasp grows, stings old man/spider to death.
(3) Kid(s?) gets caught outside on dark, stormy night. Finds refuge in barn.
*Awful* horse with blood-red eyes appears, attacks, starts kicking down
barn. Man with Colt .45 appears at last moment, yells at kid to run and
takes a shot at the horse. Next day kid, father, cop come back, find that
barn has collapsed, old farmer appears and relates that 20 years ago, a
horse had gone crazy and had killed a child before someone was able to
put a bullet through its head. Last panel is of graves (including horse).
(4) Little orphan girl gets adopted, is shown new room by parents. During the
night a terrible-looking door emblazoned with skulls appears on the wall
of the girl's room. She goes out and sleeps on the porch. Terrible
gnashing and thrashing noises come from inside house. Next morning she
goes in, place is wrecked, new parents gone (lots of blood), door gone.
Last panel is her hiking back to orphanage sighing something like, "This
always happens!"
(5) Last one. Young man comes back to abandoned street where he used to live.
Street is abandoned because people kept on being found dead, all juices
drained from their bodies -- including this guy's little brother. He
comes in, finds that what's been doing it is giant green hand that
emerges from manhole -- and it's *hungry.* Hand almost gets him, but
Army, happily stationed nearby, bazookas hand. Near to last panel shows
pores on green hand to demonstrate how it sucked juices.
I'm really not making any of this up. My God, I'm scared all over again!
Can anybody help?
Fred Bals (DEC -- Merrimack)