Satan don't want no Meow Mix!

Today's entry delves into a story from a horror comic from the 50s when newsstands were awash with titles of such a macabre nature.  Tomb of Terror was published by Harvey Comics, yes, the same publisher best known for household names like Casper and Richie Rich.  But before the Harvey family found their niche in the world of comics publishing, they attempted this second-rate rip-off of the EC Comics line.  You know, the publisher famous for excessively gory titles like Tales From The Crypt and Vault of Horror (and indirectly responsible for the creation of the Comics Code, but that's another story for another time).

I call the Harvey horror line "second-rate" because...well, you be the judge!  Below is "The Cry of Satan" from Tomb of Terror #3 (dated August 1953).

But first, let's have a look at this cover!  Not sure what is going on here, but you can tell right off the bat the artist was either facing a deadline or Harvey established some mediocre standards.  If they wanted to compete with EC, this is not the way to go about it.  If you ever get the opportunity to check out an EC comic, you'll understand what I mean.  Many EC comics have been reprinted, or you can Google search and view some images.  But anyway, back to the story...

These guys really should have done their research when choosing a Bed and Breakfast!  I mean, the repulsive site of the proprietors alone should have been a dead (no pun intended) giveaway. And when the cat is named Satan, bad things are bound to happen.  You've been warned, dear reader!!!

What is it about a witch's hair?  Edgar seems to be obsessed with it!  Maybe some Selsun Blue could do some good because...oh, that itch!

And nephew David has no problem staying the night at his aunt and uncle's home even though Hester bears some resemblance to Geddy Lee...er, I mean, a witch.  Yes, a witch whome David believes is responsible for his mother's death.  But he has no problem sleeping under her roof while he plots revenge against her.  You already know this is not going to end well for David!

Meanwhile, Edgar, still obsessed with his sister's hair, believes that, like Samson in the Old Testament, she'll be weakened considerably if he chops it off.  And he's right!  He can plunge a knife through her heart without fear of some kind of spell being cast upon him!

And notice how bummed David looks that he wasn't the one to end Hester's life!  But hey, at least she's worm food now!

I'm not sure if Delfina really believes that the cat is Satan taking the form of a feline, but she still talks to it like your typical crazy cat lady!  Still, she's convinced that the braid of hair can be turned into a venomous snake.  I think I saw something similar to this in "The Ten Commandments."

Did that cat just turn into a panther?  Looks like that cat has the power of Satan!

And here comes Hester as some form of apparition.  Why she needs her hair in the afterlife is a mystery, one not questioned by her loyal servant Delfina.  I guess the reader is just expected to "go with it!"

Hey, Witchiepoo, NOBODY controls Satan!  I can't believe you haven't figured that out yet!  And how do you control that cat with a few strands of hair? 

And why aren't the cops puking at the sight of several recently-deceased human bodies?  Oh, right, they're busy consoling the cat that's obviously traumatized over so many human deaths!

If you only knew, coppers!  If you only knew....

That's it for this post!  Be back in a day or two with a post featuring one of the most unfunny comedians in all of comicdom, Jackie Jokers!  I'm hoping my commentary will at least elicit a few chuckles!

Excelsior!