Saturday, December 20, 2008

A Voice from the Grave / Harrigan’s Wake!

As everyone’s favorite holiday (except mine) approaches, I guess it’s time to get the ball rollin’ on the not-even-remotely-American tradition of the Ghost Story for Xmas. I’m doing it this year in honor of my favorite English author of ghost stories, Montague Rhodes James--- this is for you, Old Boy! So pull up a roaring fire and everyone gather around, it’s that time…

From the March 1952 issue of Amazing Detective #11






TOMORROW: Why it's a bad idea to let a ghost drive a car...
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Vintage Christmas AD

"You'll shoot yer eye out kid..."

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Harrigan’s Wake!From the May 1952 issue of Amazing Detective #12


11 comments:

Anonymous said...

What is goin' on with Hugh's hat?!?

Unknown said...

I presume this was less predictable in 1952 than 2008. Best part: the song at The Blue Flamingo. Boom de da! Boom de da!

Anonymous said...

Even though i saw both endings coming a mile away, they were both er...executed very well. I really loved the look of the docks with the outlines to suggest the city, very atmospheric art. As for the tradition of ghost stories at Christmasstime, it's not a forgotten tradition with me. Hell, i've RUINED Christmases with my taste in entertainment, thank whateverdeitythatsuitsyou i don't have kids.

Emby Quinn said...

First story: What a pal, that Hugh Lane! "Sorry, Jimbo, Hollywood's calling, I can't help you nab that cold-blooded murderer! Ta!"

Second story: One of the oldest rules of horror stories is that you never, ever, never climb into a coffin and pretend to be dead. By the end of the story, you won't be pretending. Guaranteed.

Now I can't get that catchy little ditty from the first story out of my head. "Ya gotta be hep/Or ya ain't in step/Boom de daaa~!"

Anonymous said...

TWO COOL STORIES, VERY NICE ART ON BOTH AND LIKE HORROR PARIAH SAID VERY ATMOSPHERIC......... ANOTHER FUN THEMED WEEK! HAVE YOU EVER POSTED ANYTHING FROM AMAZING DETECTIVE BEFORE?

Kitty LeClaw said...

I was kinda thinking that HARRIGAN'S WAKE was gonna be a leprechaun story.

Back in the 70's/80's, there was this locally produced kids show called HARRIGAN, featuring Barry Dale as a 200 year old leprechaun with an affinity for little children. He sang, he danced, he both amused and terrified. My parents knew him; he performed at their wedding (not as Harrigan, tho).

This story is told
of a wee leprechaun
Came over to Canada 1801
Seeking adventure
and looking for fun
it's HAR-RI-GAN!
H A double-R I G A N
it's HAR-RI-GAN!


Sorry bout that. So sorry.

Anonymous said...

Who is the artist of the first story? At first I wanted to say Krigstein but then again maybe not.

Michael Hoskin said...

Re: A Voice from the Grave

Holy Banquo's Chair rip-off!

Mr. Karswell said...

Krigstein is probably not a bad guess, the coloring and detail look like him a bit but I'll hold off saying anything else as I tend to get my mittens slapped for my attempts at "art by" guesswork. Grrrr! Hissss!

In the THOIA Archives you'll find Weird Woman, also from Amazing Detective, posted waaay waaaay back right here:

http://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/2007/12/weird-woman.html

And before I thank you all for coming by today I do want to say one more thing:

Boom de dahhh--- doh!

Okay, and also keep leprechauns away from Kitty, she tears them lil d00ds to pieces just as they slide off a rainbow, creepin' around after their pot o'gold leaf nip from Columbia. Always after thee lucky charms, she be...

Unknown said...

Well, there was a guy that got what he deserved. Nice!

Mr. Cavin said...

Course I'm in the middle of catching up, and I suspect that very few people will ever see this comment, it being about forty days later. Still. I want to record the first story as I might have written it:

First few pages would be just the same, but when the gangster gets to the docks with the cop for the ghost show, the spectral figure rises out of the mists and wordlessly extracts bloody revenge. Then it disappears again as quickly and silently as it came. Horrified, the cop then must track down his jaunty actor friend, who maintains his innocence to the bitter end. But of course he is convicted after the police eyewitness testimonial, and so condemned to the ol' electric throne. The end.

This isn't as completely unjust as it seems, even. I mean really: what kind of jaunty actor guy just happens to be strolling around the foggy wharf in the middle of the night anyway? I'm sure he was guilty of something.