February 2024 - Ghost Clinic

February 28, 2024February 28, 2024

Bare Bones Magazine 2021-Web Terror Tales Spicy Caroline Munro

Bare Bones Magazine 2021 Featuring Web Terror Tales And Spicy Caroline Munro Ads

Today we are looking at Bare Bones quarterly issue number six spring of 2021 published by Cimarron Street books.
Click here to watch the original Bare Bones Magazine Video.

Bare Bones Magazine Content

On the cover it states “Bare Bones magazine: unearthing vintage forgotten and overlooked horror, mystery, sci-fi, Western, and weird in film, paperbacks, Comics, Pulp Fiction, and video.”
In the table of contents we have “The overlooked Library” by Don Diamassa and Moon of the Wolf by Matthew Bradley. The annotated guide to Web Terror stories by Peter Infantino and a British horror Anthology Series by David a Sutton. Then get ready for the spicy Caroline Munro Lamb’s Navy rum campaign by John Scolari and digging into crime digests by Richard Krauss.
S. Craig Zahler rounds things out with 10 quick takes including a look at Lovecraft fiction.
On page 75 we have the Outer Limits on home video by Craig Beam and on page 91 “Sleaze Alley” followed by R and D by David Xiao.

Web Terror Stories Pulp Digest

A great article by Peter Infantino called “Mistress of the putrefying Lash: the complete and unedited look at the sleazy world of web Terror stories.” Not only does Infantino go issue by issue but he breaks down the issues with all of the stories Within which is fantastic. Web Terror Stories was a 1960’s pulp digest and men’s adventure magazine published by Candar Publishing company, featuring many scantilly clad damsels in distress. The pulp digest began as Saturn, a science-fiction magazine, became Web Detective Stories, then upped the ante with stories tinged with bondage and S&M in Web Terror Stories.
Next up we have the “Pipes of pan and its dark voices” horror Anthology Series in Britain by David a Sutton.

Spicy Caroline Munro Ads

Caroline Munro joins the Lamb’s Navy! An in-depth report on Caroline Munro’s various spicy ads for Lamb’s rum written by John Scolari very well done very in-depth with a ton of photos of course they are in black and white but for the most part they’re well reproduced.

Lovecraft and The Outer Limits

Craig Zahler contributes to this issue with 10 quick takes reviews of various books including the Doom that came to Sarnath and Other Stories by H.P Lovecraft.
“I am controlling transmission.” Collecting the Outer Limits on home video by Craig Beam. There is a nice ad for The Outer Limits on VHS for only 19.95. This is a very in-depth article covering the outer limits home video VHS offerings. They also present some color images from the outer limits Home Video Collection.

Classic Sleaze Alley Paperback Covers

Sleaze Alley reviews by Peter Infantino and great great covers here which are appropriately sleazy including the illustration for “Sin Cult” by Bruno Descasari.
On page 99 we have David Schow with a very interesting article about the Twilight Zone magazine which ran for 60 issues from 1981 to 1989.
In the back of the book we have the Bios page for all of the contributors in this issue.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at Bare Bones issue number six for spring of 2021. I highly recommend Bare Bones magazine, it is very well done. If you’re interested in the subject of unearthing vintage forgotten and overlooked horror, mystery, sci-fi, Western, and weird film paperbacks, Comics, Pulp Fiction, and video, you should really check out Bare Bones Magazine.
Watch the original Bare Bones Magazine Video.

February 19, 2024

Pre-code HORROR and Sci-fi Comics From WEIRD MYSTERIES Volume One – Pt Two

WEIRD MYSTERIES Pre-code Horror and Sci-fi Comics Volume One – PART TWO
The interesting thing about Weird Mysteries number one from 1952 is that all the stories in the issue were reprinted in Weird Tales of the Future number eight in 1953. We’re looking at volume one of Weird Mysteries from PS Artbooks.

Watch the original video.

Weird Mysteries Number One Contents

The first story called “High Voltage” drawn by Hy Fleischman and “The Planet Eaters” with art by Frank Frollo was also eventually reprinted in the 1953 issue of Weird Tales of the Future number eight. A Stone’s Throw from Eternity with art by Loffredo and The Spirits from Outer Space with art by Walter Palais and Mike Esposito doing the inks.
Nice ad here for Harvey Horrors. You can go to harveyhorrors.com PS art books. I’ve got several of their reprints of the Harvey volumes in soft cover.
This brings us to Weird Mysteries number two with one of my favorite Weird Mysteries covers by the fantastic Bernard Bailey, a phantasmagorical cover for this December of 1952 issue.
Artist Hy Fleischman returns and we also have Basil Wolverton art with the awesome Robot Woman. There is also Turnabout by Charles Stern, First Come First Served by Tony Mortellaro and Ordeal by Wax By Charles Stern.
Hey kids! Get your fifty Combat Action plastic toys for a dollar! And you get a free six inch long die cut shooting Cannon!

Basil Wolverton’s Robot Woman

Robot Woman by Basil Wolverton is such a great story. It’s a classic you’ve probably seen reprinted in various publications. The story revolves around a scientist who is hideous and he Longs for a woman that will be able to tolerate his hideous appearance. He makes a robot woman. “I’ve done it! I’ve created a woman of my own!” But of course some unfortunate drawbacks occur as the robot woman becomes very very enamored with her creator and he starts getting pissed off. He smacks the robot and ends up knocking her into a vat of acid. The next time he sees her she is completely melting and she says “You are the only man I could ever love!” He screams “Don’t come near me, you’re burned, you’re horrible!” Then a thief shows up to rob the place and he goes into the basement and discovers the woman. He says, “Get me the hell out of here!” All the while she’s saying “This is the only man I could ever love, you leave him alone or I kill!” The end. I love this Wolverton art, such a great story by a great artist who did some fantastic pre-code.

WEIRD MYSTERIES Pre-code Horror and Sci-fi Comics Volume One – Part One

WEIRD MYSTERIES Pre-code Horror and Sci-fi Comics Volume One – Part One
Weird Mysteries is a pre-code horror comic book published by Stanley Morris from 1952 to 1954. Watch the entire video.
On the back of this slipcover edition we see all six issues represented in this volume.
All covers were done by the awe-inspiring Bernard Bailey, a giant in the golden age of comics who co-created The Spectre in 1939 with Jerry Seigel. The inside cover artwork by Tony Mortellaro is fantastic as well as the story this goes with. A fine introduction by James Heath Lance gets the ball rolling. I was in correspondence with Mr. Lance and he sent me some more information on his background working with PS art books.

James Heath Lance Introduction

“I started out volunteering articles for various websites and fanzines. My first paid gig was an essay co-authored with legendary comic scribe Roy Thomas in Roy Thomas presents Captain Video published by PS art books in April of 2012. The summer of that year I wrote PS art books editor Peter Crowder to discuss Dell’s Outer Limits and Twilight Zone comics and asked if he needed something for any books they were working on. He asked if I’d be willing to write the introduction for pre-code Classics Weird Mysteries volume one I said yes and was then assigned the second volume and Roy Thomas presents Sheena Queen of the Jungle volume 3. I just love the title Weird Mysteries and felt it was right up my alley. The thing I loved most about working on Weird Mysteries was the freedom PS art books gave me.
I don’t recall being given any editorial direction, a word count, or anything like that.
I did the research, read the comics, started writing and tapped into the horror fan in me. Peter Crowther apparently liked what he read because the published version is pretty much what I sent him with typos corrected.”

Here is the introduction by James Heath Lance.
“I dare you to read this introduction! Perhaps dare I you to write this introduction should be the proper question. Strange creatures tormenting people severed heads a brain being removed from a corpse an insect with a human face exiting from the skill and those are just the covers drawn by basil Wolverton and Bernard Bailey.” It could also be every time my wife and I encounter our neighbors or my Christmas list, but I digress.”

Weird Mysteries Artists for Volume One

He continues talking about the various issues and of course the background including the controversy generated by the pre-code comics horror comics and crime comics and of course the Senate hearings and the comics code Authority.

Weird Mysteries number one October of 1952. Artists in this volume include Hy Fleischman, Frank Frollo, Loffredo, Bernard Baily, Mike Esposito, Basil Wolverton, and Tony Mortellaro.
Watch the entire Weird Mysteries Part One video.

February 5, 2024March 6, 2024

Weird Tales of the Future 8 Published by Stanley Morse in 1953

Weird Tales of the Future number eight originally published by Stanley Morse, July-August of 1953. Facsimile Edition and over-sized matted print published by PS art books. Original video here.

Today we are looking at a facsimile comic book of Weird tales of the Future number eight from July August 1953. It includes a fantastic over-sized matted cover of that issue. The artwork is by the awe-inspiring Bernard Bailey. Let’s see just how well P.S art books did singular facsimile copy of this rare pre-code horror comic book. I have various volumes by PS art books but I have never purchased a single issue facsimile. The oversized matted art print is excellent, they did a fantastic job on the reproduction. Needless to say, this is going on my wall very soon. Fantastic cover by Bernard Bailey, one of my favorite covers from the pre-code era. The reproduction is excellent. They also give you the information at the bottom of the print which reads “Weird Tales of the Future number eight, Aragon magazines Inc., July 1953. Art by Bernard Bailey. It all came very well packaged by Bud plant’s BudsartBooks.com. As far as the facsimile comic book, I have no complaints whatsoever. As you can see the front cover was reproduced very well and the back cover exactly the way the comic was originally published with all of the ads and everything.

Splash of Horror

Splash of Horror SOLD OUT!
Next issue in JUNE!
My new 64 page full color and black and white book about those gruesome and glorious rare pre-code horror comic book splash pages of the 1940’s and 50’s. This terrifying tome features dozens of full color splash pages and fantastic black and white selections from Stanley Morse and the infamous Eerie Pubs helmed by Myron Fass.

The Pre-code horror comic book stories inside

First up we have a story called High Voltage with pencils and inks by Hy Fleischman, an artist who did many stories for Stanley Morse’s Weird Tales of the Future, Weird Mysteries, etc. Frank Frollo did the pencils and inks for The Planet Eaters while the next story, Death Takes a Holiday was penciled and inked by Nick Frank.

Vampire Legends at Sea

Next, there is an excellent section here called “Weird Mysteries” where they talk about various horrifying and creepy Legends and lore. They talk about vampire cases and here’s an excerpt: Sometime in the year 1867 a fishing boat sailed from Boston. One of the crew was a Portuguese who called himself John Brown. At Sea, two of the sailors mysteriously disappeared. The captain went into the hold of the ship and saw the body of one of these men in the clutches of brown who was sucking blood from it. Nearby, the bloodless body of the other sailor was found. Brown was tried convicted and sentenced to be hanged but the sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. The story of this vampire appeared in the pages of the Brooklyn Eagle on November 4th, 1892.

Art by Mike Esposito and Lofredo

The next comic story is called A Stone’s Throw from Eternity with art by Lofredo. Once again,
I think the color reproductions are very well done, really Crisp. The Last Story the spirits from outer space pencils by Walter Palace and inks by Mike Esposito.
There you go folks, well worth it in my opinion. You typically expect to pay about 15 bucks for a good facsimile of a comic book and I would certainly pay 15 bucks for this really top-notch over-sized matted print of the cover. I hope you enjoyed this video on weird tales of the future number eight facsimile Edition by PS art books and this great matted print of the cover.

Month: February 2024