The DC Mystery Anthologies 1968-1976
by Peter Enfantino and
Jack Seabrook
Jack Seabrook
Nick Cardy |
"The Ghost in the Devil's Chair"
Story Uncredited
Art by Ernie Chan
"Within You Dwells a Demon"
Story Uncredited
Art by Alfredo Alcala
Jack: Darren Klone is climbing rocks in his trench coat and hat in the hills of Massachusetts when he sees a throne made of rock and senses that something weird is going on. A beautiful redhead warns him away but he ignores her; he is soon attacked by "The Ghost in the Devil's Chair" when a lighting bolt-like hand grabs him and deposits him back by his car on the road. At a local inn, Klone learns that in the old days, witches came to worship Satan at the throne. He runs into the same redhead, whose name is Irma, and asks her out to dinner. She takes him back up to the rocks and warns him again, but he sees a financial opportunity from turning the area into a tourist site. When Irma casts a spell to keep him away he strangles her and is attacked once again by the lighting bolt/hand from the chair. He awakens to find the police standing over him and, due to the fact that he murdered Irma, he ends up in another sort of chair--an electric one! This doesn't have much to do with ghosts, but the sight of what I think are supposed to be the devil's legs hanging over the side of the chair is unintentionally funny.
The devil's legs were later seen at KFC |
Jack: A boy named Richie and a girl named Beth snoop around in the Brazilian jungle and happen across a native witch doctor reviving a seemingly dead man. They are chased by natives until their father intervenes; he's an engineer building the trans-Amazon highway and he brought his kids along while they were on vacation. He has little time for native superstitions. Later, little Richie finds one of his dad's crewmen lying sick and tries out the spell himself. Unfortunately, it works by transferring the illness from the patient into Richie, who knocks on death's door. Only the timely intervention of the native medicine man can save him; fortunately, the witch doctor knows how to take the evil spirit of illness into his own body and then cast it out. "Within You Dwells a Demon" is another story that has next to nothing to do with ghosts, but with Alcala's usual, excellent art, it doesn't matter. Richie is one sharp kid if he can observe, memorize and repeat a witch doctor's healing spell! I think he'll knock 'em dead back at boarding school.
Peter: Obviously DC's jungle version of The Exorcist with its witch doctor who absorbs evil spirits, but this one has tamer proceedings and a climax that whimpers rather than bangs. At least we get to see Alfredo run wild with jungle scenes and that's always worth meandering through even the worst script.
"Within You Dwells a Demon" |
Nick Cardy |
"Night Game"
Story by Michael Fleisher and Russell Carley
Art by Frank Bolle
"The Demon and the Rock Star!"
Story by Michael Fleisher and Russell Carley
Art by Gerry Talaoc
Peter: Hockey star Ron Kopachec has been accepting bribes from shady underworld figures in return for throwing important matches but his coach is onto him and forces Ron to accept early retirement or face a scandal in the press. Ron agrees but retirement from a lucrative job is the furthest thing from the icon's mind and he plants an explosive on board the team's charter plane. With his secret safe (but his team obliterated), Kopachec signs with another franchise and leads them to a championship game. On the eve of the big game, Ron is called to the arena for a "Night Game" and who should show up but his dead teammates, now jersey-clad skeletons, to wish him good luck. You gotta love that final series of panels that depict the now-dead Kopachec, propped up in front of the goal. Ostensibly no one noticed him there that morning when they opened up the rink and the sports commentator's very EC-esque "Gasp" and "Choke" are a hoot. It's not a good story, though; it has a rushed, unfinished feel to it and the artwork is pedestrian and void of any style. And there you go--the enigma that is Michael Fleisher, producing a bland, lifeless, and frankly stupid script like "Night Game" in the same month he dazzles with the brilliance of "They Hunt Butterflies, Don't They?" (see HoM #220, below) Frank Bolle's dull, repetitive art perfectly compliments the dreariness of the proceedings. Ron drops a grenade in the gear locker that's loaded onto the charter plane. How does that work?
"Night Game" |
Jack: I was laughing at the bizarre dialogue! One of Ron's fellow players calls him "Ron baby," and the coach keeps referring to him as "old man," like he's in England. I was shocked that Ron would blow up a plane full of people to cover up his part in throwing a hockey game, but I have to say that ending made me smile. Fleisher is easily the best writer in the DC horror books at this point and he's doing his best to revive the EC format of revenge tales with ghoulish twists. If they don't always work, at least they're fun! And how about that Cardy cover? Where did the gorgeous babe on skates come from? Certainly not this story! But I'd plunk down two dimes any day for a longer look at her!
The Grateful Dead? |
Jack: Dean's series of groovy outfits are a real gas, man! I didn't like this story as much as "Night Game" but Talaoc's art is the ginchiest. The gruesome ending was telegraphed a mile away but, again, that last panel is cool. That's twice in one issue where the main character dispatches a planeload of people by blowing it up. What's that about, Mike?
Nick Cardy |
"They Hunt Butterflies, Don't They?"
Story by Michael Fleisher and Russell Carley
Art by Alfredo Alcala
"The Hunter!"
Story by John Albano
Art by Alex Nino
Peter: Lepidopterist Percy Twittler has only one goal in life: to add the ultra-rare Heliconius Eyelitus to his collection of butterflies. To that end, he hires gruff jungle guide Fred Macal to aid his trek through the treacherous jungles of Brazil. The duo come across the gates of a huge wall, deep in the jungle, decorated with symbols resembling the wings of the rare butterfly. The natives are not exactly friendly and the pair are told to pack their things and get out of town before they're dropped into the stew. When Percy comes to the aid of the chief's snake-bitten son, the chief rewards the nutty butterfly catcher with a single Heliconius Eyelitus. Realizing how much the bug is worth, Macal makes a move on Percy but the meek geek takes a header over a cliff, butterfly cage and all. Not one to leave a jungle excursion empty-handed, Macal heads back to the gated wall and ventilates the chief. Opening the gate reveals a wonderland populated by millions of the rare butterflies but Macal's delight is short-lived when the chief nails him with a paralyzing dart. As he lies, unable to move, he watches in terror as the butterflies first alight and then begin to eat him alive.
"They Hunt Butterflies..." |
Jack: Let Alcala loose in a jungle and you do get something special, don't you? I'll ignore the reference in the story to "jungle-bunnies" and agree that this is a very strong script by Fleisher with great art by Alcala. The panel where the butterfly eats the flesh off one finger is somehow more horrible than the final panel showing the gleaming skeleton picked clean, perhaps because we know the victim was still alive while the butterfly was feasting. I can even suspend my disbelief that a butterfly can consume that much human flesh and not grow really fat! Good story. Best of the year? We'll see. Best of the entire DC horror run? I'll reserve judgment.
More Alcala. You're welcome! |
Peter: Evans has hunted all the great monsters of mythology: the werewolf, Frankenstein's Monster, the vampire, even the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but it's all become a bit of a bore, so now "The Hunter" wants to claim the biggest trophy of all: Satan's head. To achieve this goal, Evans hires Olbaid, an expert in the supernatural, to find them a way into Hades. Gateway opened, Evans must defeat Cerberus, the multi-headed dog who guards Hell, before he can face the devil himself. The final task turns out to be relatively easy since (surprise! surprise! surprise!) he'd been by Evans' side the entire time (Olbaid = Diablo). The devil has the last laugh as he reveals to Evans that he himself is something of a big game hunter as well, seeking out evil souls! The highlight here is obviously Alex Nino's mind-blowing artwork but John Albano's script keeps us involved as well. Sure, you're going to guess who Olbaid really is fairly quickly but there's a dark humor to the whole affair that had me smiling throughout. Off-topic but when did the DC mystery letters pages become such tripe, filled with press releases, "supernatural news items," and fan letters addressed to "The House"? I recall at one point some very thoughtful missives discussing artists, writers, and themes. Let's hope this nonsense ends quickly.
"The Hunter" |
More Nino! You're Welcome! |
Nick Cardy |
"The Devil's Chessboard"
Story by George Kashdan
Art by Ernesto Patricio
"My Daughter the Witch"
Story by George Kashdan
Art by ER Cruz
"No Coffin Can Hold Me"
Story by George Kashdan
Art by Frank Redondo
Jack: In "The Devil's Chessboard," chessmaster Jan Raditch receives an unusual challenge from a ragged man named Mr. Daarke: play his protege for high stakes! If Raditch wins, he receives one million dollars, but if he loses, Daarke will marry Glenda, Raditch's beautiful fiance! During the match, Raditch is shocked to see that his opponent is a computer, and Daarke's associate, an old witch named Mother Kleegle, gradually turns Glenda uglier with each step in the game! Raditch takes a recess and finds the brains of the computer, which he reprograms to ensure his own victory. Glenda is thrilled that he won, sure that they will be happily married as millionaires, but she is horrified to see that her fiancee has turned into a robot! Huh? Where did that come from? Was he a robot all along? Did the witch do it?
"The Devil's Chessboard" |
Peter: This is one of those disposable time-wasters that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and if you try to make sense of it your brain will begin to itch. If these (obviously supernatural) shady characters who want a chess match with the protagonist have the power to turn Glenda into a giant toad, why do they have to resort to computers for their trickery? The final twist is rubbish as well.
Cynthia's ancestry revealed |
Peter: You'd have to be a DC mystery newbie not to see that climax coming a country mile away. Another climax that makes no sense when you stop to think about it. Why would Dear Prudence reveal her secret to Samuel after she's in the clear? How would she know Samuel wouldn't take up the charge again, especially to save his now-estranged son? The answer is: don't think about it!
The maze coffin |
Peter: What starts out very promising becomes nothing more than a substandard Columbo episode in the end. Still, that maze-coffin is a great idea. A coffin-maker named Mr. Carrion?
Unexpected 153
"Who's That Sleeping in My Grave?"
Story by Carl Wessler
Art by Ernesto Patricio
"Wedding Bells for a Corpse"
Story by George Kashdan
Art by ER Cruz
"Black Hole of Wrath"
Story by George Kashdan
Art by Alfredo Alcala
Jack: Lance Durham falls for a pretty waitress named Grace, but her ward, Dr. Allwyn shows him why they can never be together. It seems Grace had a fatal disease and Dr. Allwyn transplanted her head onto a plastic body. Lance is smitten and asks the doc to transplant his head onto a plastic body, too! After the operation, Dr. Allwyn reveals that he has now transplanted Grace's head onto a real body from another woman. But wait! It gets better! Dr. Allwyn took Lance's body and transplanted his own head onto it so he can marry Grace. Lance threatens to kill Dr. Allwyn and goes outside to dig his grave but keels over and falls in it himself when his new plastic body and old human head reject each other. "Who's That Sleeping in My Grave?" would be a candidate for worst of the year if the art were by, say, Art Saaf.
Paging Dr. Wertham! |
Jack: Terrence and Charles both love Gilda, so she tells them that whoever brings her the ring her mother pawned years ago can have her. They compete to see who can earn enough money and Terrence wins, but Charles murders him as they sail to Gilda one night during a storm. Gilda will not be denied her ring, however, and insists that she will marry Terrence when he returns and brings it to her. One day, his skeleton washes up with the ring intact, so Gilda anticipates "Wedding Bells for a Corpse!" George Kashdan and Carl Wessler are competing, just like Terrence and Charles, but they are vying to see who can write the worst story each month. So far, it's a toss up.
"Wedding Bells for a Corpse" |
Peter: This seems to be the issue to turn to if you're in the mood for nonsensical wackiness and befuddling twists heaped upon scalp-scratching plot devices. I'm not sure why Gilda went insane but I'm just glad it wasn't revealed that she was a witch the whole time. ER Cruz didn't have a handle on whether Gilda was beautiful or horse-faced and why are all the DC mystery femme fatales saddled with decidedly unsexy monikers like Gilda, Glenda, and Prudence?
Now why is that? |
Peter: There's no real flow to the script for "Black Hole of Wrath" but then that's in keeping with this special "Inanity Is King" issue. It's just a series of set pieces, but it's worth slogging through for the image of poor miniaturized Blake, giant blowdart embedded in his neck, bouncing from menace to menace. This looks like a rare rush job by Alfredo, with none of his usual lush detailed backgrounds. Still, poor Alcala is better than...
THE BEST AND WORST HORROR STORIES OF 1973
Peter
Best Script: Michael Fleisher, "They Hunt Butterflies, Don't They?" (HoM 220)
Best Art: Alfredo Alcala, "They Hunt Butterflies"
Best All-Around Story: "They Hunt Butterflies"
Worst Script: Leo Dorfman, "The Nightmare in the Sandbox" (Ghosts 13)
Worst Art: Mike Sekowsky, "Target: Planet of the Two-Legged Men" (Dark Mansion 12)
Worst All-Around Story: "Ever After" (HoM 213)
Ten Best Stories of the Year
1 "They Hunt Butterflies, Don't They?"
2 "Unholy Change" (HoM 211)
3 "Head of the House" (Dark Mansion 9)
4 "Oh Mom Oh Dad..." (HoM 212)
5 "Skin Deep" (House of Secrets 107)
6 "Who Dares Cheat the Dead?" (Ghosts 15)
7 "Swamp God" (HoM 217)
8 "The Dead Live On" (Ghosts 19)
9 "Spawns of Satan" (HoS 113)
10 "Mr. Reilly the Derelict" (Sinister House 15)
2 "Unholy Change" (HoM 211)
3 "Head of the House" (Dark Mansion 9)
4 "Oh Mom Oh Dad..." (HoM 212)
5 "Skin Deep" (House of Secrets 107)
6 "Who Dares Cheat the Dead?" (Ghosts 15)
7 "Swamp God" (HoM 217)
8 "The Dead Live On" (Ghosts 19)
9 "Spawns of Satan" (HoS 113)
10 "Mr. Reilly the Derelict" (Sinister House 15)
Jack
Best Script: Arnold Drake, "The Night of the Nebish!" (HoS 107)
Best Art: Bill Payne, "They Walk By Night" (Dark Mansion 10)
Best All-Around Story: Drake and Alfredo Alcala, "The Night of the Nebish!"
Worst Script: Carl Wessler, "Name Your Poison" (Witching Hour 32)
Worst Art: Art Saaf, "The Scent of Death" (Witching Hour 31)
Worst All-Around Story: John Jaconson, George Kashdan and Sekowsky, "Target! Planet of the Two-Legged Men!"
Ten Best Stories of the Year (in no order):
1 "Deliver Us From Evil" (HoM 211)
2 "Unholy Change" (HoM 211)
3 "Back From the Realm of the Damned" (HoM 213)
4 "Skin Deep" (HoS 107)
5 "The Night of the Nebish!" (HoS 107)
6 "The Monster" (Dark Mansion 10)
7 "They Walk By Night" (Dark Mansion 10)
8 "Deadly Muffins" (Sinister House 13)
9 "Spawns of Satan" (HoS 113)
10 "They Hunt Butterflies, Don't They?" (HoM 220)
3 comments:
Man, Alcala's work in HOM #220 looks stunn-ing! I know I've come across his name before but I don't think I've ever read one of the stories he drew for. Now I feel like I have to find them all!
Also re: that last panel from "Wedding Bells for a Corpse." Did they mean "the groom's *grisly* unexpected return," or did the dead suitor come back in the form of a bear's skeleton?
Good one, Jose! I had to look twice to notice that it was "grizzly" and not "grisly."
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