Harvey Archives - Ghost Clinic

March 24, 2024

Harvey HORRORS Black Cat MYSTERY Pre-code Comic Book series vol 1 August 1951

Harvey HORRORS Black Cat MYSTERY Pre-code Comic Book series vol 1 no 30 August 1951 – PART ONE

Harvey Horrors presents the Black Cat Mystery series of pre-code horror comics in volume 1 from PS Artbooks. This Volume covers issues 30 through 34 and today we are going to be looking at issue number 30 from August of 1951.
Watch the original video here.

Black Cat Origins

Before it became Black Cat Mystery it was simply called Black Cat the darling of comics. Why you ask? In the 1940s, Black Cat was a masked female crime fighter living in Hollywood California and that series was very popular for years. It lasted issues 1 through 29 and in 1951 as every other publisher was turning to horror, crime, and science fiction so was Harvey.
The transition from Black Cat darling of the comics to Black Cat mystery Comics. With Black Cat Comics number 29 they had already started transitioning into the Black Cat mystery horror comics.

Note the header “Strange Tales of fear and Terror,” Black Cat with Mystery comics in small type below it. And of course the image depicting Black Cat all tied up. Yes another classic Black Cat bondage cover with a threatening witch taunting her.

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Black Cat Action Becomes Horror

We have an introduction by Peter Crowder of PS art books. Harvey Horrors presents strangest Tales of fear and Terror – Black Cat mystery volume 2. This is prepping everybody for volume two which was about to come out and of course there are five volumes in all.

On the right this is the cover to issue number 30 August of 1951 and you will see that indeed Black cat, our female crime fighter is still on the cover but she’s now being menaced by these mutant creatures including this one insect-like creature which inexplicably has a human head.

This is the last time we see Black Cat on the cover of Black Cat mystery. The cover is by Lee Elias who also drew a lot of the Black Cat comics in the 1940s. Here are some rather amusing ads for cute animal comic books from Harvey. Rags rabbit, little Max, Chick Young’s Daisy and her Pups.

Black Cat Speaks

On the index page the Black Cat speaks. “That’s right all of you lovers of Terror packed weird and exciting Adventure! Black Cat reaches a new high in Mystery and horror. You’ll be seeing me in stories more thrilling and more terrifying than ever before.”
“I won’t appear in all of the amazing accounts myself but each one of them is a story I want you to share with me because I found it exciting. Chills will race up and down your spine as you read these strange unbelievable Tales of fear and Terror! Your imaginations will be fired by the snarling monsters, blood thirsty Ghouls, and brutal mind-buckling criminals. The book is all new! All different! Every page is colorfully crammed with dripping suspenseful episodes that will thrill you. Join me in my new book Black Cat mystery!”
We have the various tales that are in this issue number 30. The Thing from the Grave, No Werewolf must kill, Gateway to Death.

Roadmaster Bike Ad

Here is another ad: “Ride Roadmaster, the only bike with bumpers!” That’s Roadie Roadmaster. A very sharp looking bike. 1951, folks, you know when bikes and cars actually had style.

END PART ONE – Watch the original video here.

March 5, 2024March 5, 2024

Black Cat Mystery Number 31 Pre-code Harvey HORROR Comic Book August 1951

Black Cat Mystery Number 31 Pre-code Harvey HORROR Comic Book from August 1951.

Black Cat Mystery volume one from PS Artbooks contains issues 30 – 34. This article covers pre-code Harvey horror comic book Black Cat Mystery Number 31 from August 1951.
Watch the original Black Cat Mystery #31 video.

Cover art by Al Avison, interior art by Rudy Palais, Manny Stallman, and others. Features the stories The Tapping Doom, The Sea Witch of Sandy Hook, Bloody Red Rose, and more.
Black Cat Mystery Vol. One now on sale.

Black Cat Mystery becomes a HORROR Comic

Black Cat Mystery Comics 29 with The Black Cat still on the cover — Black Cat Mystery Comics 29

Issue number 31 of Black Cat Mystery from October of 1951 officially puts the comic book in the horror genre. As it says on the cover, “The strangest Tales of fear and Terror.” The cover art is attributed to Al Avison. Inside front cover has an advertisement for Harvey’s “War is Hell.” Grim true Tales of our fighting men! Blasting action! Blood and Guts!
The Black Cat speaks but there is no image of Black Cat anymore. They’re gradually erasing her from the book. Here is the text. “Well you lovers of Terror packed weird and exciting Adventure! The new all different black cat mystery Comics is just what you asked for. We are gratified by your response to this new thrill book! In this issue there appears especially written for those who can take it, stories of the unknown, of fear, of revenge, webbing the pages into a tight-knit of horror are strands of mystery and terror! You will be entertained by a witch that can command ghosts, a thousand-year-old monster, and a cane that glows in the night and lights the way for death! Before You impatiently turn to the first story, read some of the letters you our readers have sent.”

Letters to the Editor

These are letters to the editor of Black Cat Mystery apparently about the previous issue, number 30.
“Weird! The stories in Black Cat are so weird that way after I read them I can feel my spine tingle when I think of them. Your book is not just another horror book, it’s the best I’ve ever read! I can’t wait for it to come out!”
“Chair gripping! The New Black Cat is so full of mystery and adventure that reading it is a chair gripping experience!”

Contents of Black Cat Mystery #31

Table of contents in this issue of Black Cat Mystery #31 include Tapping Doom, The sea witch of Sandy Hook, Blood red rose, and The sleep walking killer.
Another classic advertisement. Valuable ballpoint pen personalized with your name inscribed in 22 karat gold, only 25 cents plus one rapper from Peter Paul’s Almond Joy or Mounds.” From 1951, it’s a candy bar that has endured.
We start off this issue with bloody red rose art by Rudy Palais. I love these Stark color separations and the two-tone coloring. Here is a one-page Horror Story called “The Thing.”
and a coupon for eight brand new Walt Disney comic books all for 15 cents and one Wheaties box top! Next up we have The Tapping Doom with art by Manny stallman. Once again, great colors on this and the reproductions by PS art books are really quite good.
The third story in Black Cat Mystery 31 is “The Sea Witch of Sandy Hook” with art by Rudy Palais. To finish it off, we have another tale rendered by Palais titled “The Sleepwalking Killer.”

Full page subscription ad for Black Cat Mystery Comics

To polish things off, we have a full page ad to subscribe to Black Cat mystery comics and we can see that black cat herself is still hanging on at least for one more ad.
“You’ll want to keep a complete set of my exciting magazines! Terror-packed, exciting, weird! Yes now you can join the roster of regular readers who have each issue of black cat mystery Comics sent to their homes as soon as it’s off the press! Each issue hits a new high and spine tingling suspense and high riding action! Special introductory offer: 12 issues for a dollar!”
On the back cover we’ve got a nice one-page ad featuring Phil Rizzuto for “Wheaties, The Breakfast of Champions.”
This concludes our look at Black Cat Mystery issue number 31. next time we’ll take a look at issues 32, 33, and 34 of this volume. Please bookmark ghostclinic.com for more pre-code horror comic book articles.

Watch the original Black Cat Mystery #31 video.

February 17, 2022

Pre-Code HORROR COMICS Movie on Sale NOW

Get the Witch Tales blu-ray featuring terrifying pre-code comic tales of horror along with a FREE COPY of Horror Anthology Movie vol. 1 DVD ON SALE NOW with FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING.
Witch Tales has stories adapted from Harvey’s Chamber of Chills, Ajax Farrell’s Haunted Thrills, and Story Comics Mysterious Adventures with a spine tingling wrap around featuring a seductive witch making her own special conjuration on Halloween eve!
Available now on Ebay and Etsy.