Number 1774: Harvey humor

Not long ago I mentioned ignoring Harvey kiddie comics in the 1960s, then catching up to them in the seventies. There is a lot of repetition in those comics, because they were aimed at a young age group, but it does not mean they could not be creative and funny. I recently found three stories I thought were interesting, and funny enough to scan and post.

“The Millyumaire,” starring Baby Huey, satirizes a television show I remember from the fifties. The Grand Comics Database doesn”t list the artist, but based on a panel with “Taras” lettered on a window, I’ll make a guess it’s drawn by talented Marty Taras. It’s from Baby Huey and Papa #4 (1962). “Nightmare in ‘Pre-Hysterics’” is drawn by Howie Post, and “Casper Meets Goldilocks” is by Warren Kremer. Both stories are from Casper and Nightmare #13 (1966). Enjoy.

Number 1676: Death stalks the Bayou!

Joe Kubert did this surprising torture cover, a teaser for the lead story of Nightmare #12 (1954). I say surprising because it is fairly graphic: hanging people, the rack, hot coals. Ouch! Joe drew his share of horror comics during this period, since he could draw almost anything, but this was a period of heavy criticism of horror comics. This was probably bad timing.

I was disappointed that the Grand Comics Database has no idea of the artist of “Death Stalks the Bayou.” It is extremely well done in an illustrative style. And there are even a couple more torture scenes.

Number 1394: Swimming to distant Shores

Syd Shores did the artwork for this horror story from Ziff-Davis’ Nightmare #1 (1952). It’s a supernatural revenge tale made special by Shores’ drawing. Check out his renderings of a turbulent sea, his characters’ faces, or the spectral lighthouse keeper, all examples of an exemplary job by an under-appreciated master of comic art.

Ben Oda did the lettering for this story. Going through old comics I see Oda’s lettering in many of them. Because of damage to the lettering in page 5 panel 1, I replaced the doctor’s dialogue by using the free comic book lettering font, Odaballoon.