RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books Halloween stories

Halloween is arguably my favorite holiday, even over Christmas, with the decorations and the costumes, the scary movies, and the parties. And what's always been a big part of it for me too, the comic books.

One of the great things growing up in the 70's was what a great period it was for horror and mystery titles in comics. SWAMP THING, HOUSE OF MYSTERY, HOUSE OF SECRETS, FEAR, MAN THING, PHANTOM STRANGER, THE DEMON, GHOSTS, WITCHING HOUR, GHOST RIDER, and many well-written stories with a mystery setting in some of the more mainstream books.

A few of my favorites:

BATMAN 227, "The Demon of Gothos Mansion", by Dennis O'Neil, Irv Novick and Dick Giordano. In a story that walks a fine line between a fanatical religious cult, and the true supernatural, that could be explained as either at story's end.

The Demon 1 and 2, by Jack Kirby. In a story that spans the fall of Camelot in the middle ages, Merlin summoning his demon servant, and the spanning centuries where Camelot slips into legend, until Camelot's ruins are rediscovered, in a resurgence of demons and medeival sorcery.

JIMMY OLSEN 142 and 143, by Jack Kirby. "The man from Transilvane" where in an odd and fun story with some science fiction twists and humor, Jimmy Olsen and Superman are confronted with virtually all the classic monsters of Hollywood.

BIZARRE ADVENTURES 33, with "Dracula" by Steve Perry, Steve Bissette and John Tottleben. A truly horrific re-telling of Dracula's origin, in confrontation with Varnae, king of the vampires, selecting Dracula, as Transylvania is on the edge of conquest by the Ottoman Turks. An exceptionally well-written story, with art by the team who a few months later would bring SWAMP THING to the heights of excellence, in collaboration with Alan Moore.

WONDER WOMAN 195. By Dennis O'Neil and Wallace Wood. A wonderful tale of anonymous travelers brought together in an isolated inn, set upon by ghosts and murder, that all present seek to resolve, before they're picked off one by one.

TWISTED TALES # 1. Stories by Bruce Jones, Richard Corben, and Tim Conrad. In this 10-issue series from 1982-1984 , Bruce Jones resurrected the E.C.-brand of horror. In particular this issue, "All Hallows Eve" by Jones and Conrad, beautifully illustrated, it presents a group of trick-or-treaters who are reaching puberty and a bit too old to pass as children, mixing the mundane trick-or-treating ritual we all participate in with a more terrifying intrusion of a tragic accident, the supernatural, and retribution.

I especially enjoy stories from the seventies up to the mid-80's, although there are many from the modern era I've enjoyed as well.

So what are some of your favorites?

I enjoyed that one issue of Young Justice, I think #3, where Impulse, Robin, and Superboy met the young Mr. Mxyzptlk, who was a serious student of the third dimension. Underworld Unleashed I think also came out around Halloween; that was a cool story...

I haven't seen that one, snarf.


Another of my favorites is from 1981, during the Moench/Sienkiewicz run of MOON KNIGHT, issue 5. Where Moon Knight follows three armed bank robbers back to the house where one of them grew up. In some ways it --quite deliberately-- parallels the movie Psycho, but with some very well played new twists.

Ooh! Thought of another good one. That issue of JSA where JJ Thunder and Stargirl fight the Jokerized Solomon Grundy.

Is this the issue you mean, Snarf? (JSA 29)



I haven't read that one.
While I often like the art in the JSA series, Geoff Johns' writing really isn't my style. I read a trade of JSA stories with Hawkman and Black Adam, where the JSA went back in time to Ancient Egypt, where they were inadvertantly the inspiration for ancient mythology of the Egyptians. It had some interesting ideas, but it drifted a lot into less engaging storytelling, and overall was disappointing.

But maybe I'd like the story you list more. If I can find a trade or the issues you mention with Solomon Grundy, I'll give them a look.



Solomon Grundy is a mysterious and Halloween-festive character.
In the recent past, I liked a 2002 Elseworlds GREEN LANTERN: BRIGHTEST DAY, BLACKEST NIGHT one-shot, by Steven Seagle and John K. Snyder.
Despite being a modern-age story, it was very true to the style of a 40's Green Lantern story, with fantastic art by J K Snyder. And Grundy was handled well also. In all his Frankenstein-esque glory.


I also love Solomon Grundy's origin, which I first read reprinted in WANTED # 4, back in 1972:

More recommended Halloween reading:


BERNI WRIGHTSON: MASTER OF THE MACABRE 1-5. Reprinting virtually all of Wrightson's work for the Warren magazines from the early 70's. Only in this 1983-1984 reprint edition, these previously b & w stories are beautifully colored by Steve Oliff for the first time in this series. Some of the very best writing, art and coloring that's ever been done in comics form.


Wrightson's best-known work, SWAMP THING 1-10.
Reprinted three times now in collected trade form, twice as SWAMP THING: DARK GENESIS trade.
And a third printing in a smaller recent digest SECRET OF THE SWAMP THING book last year.

Also previously reprinted in 4 scattered issues of DC SPECIAL series (one issue annually, from 1977-1980)

And in the five-issue ROOTS OF THE SWAMP THING reprint series (1985).




One of my favorites from Richard Corben is his adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher", in Pacific's 1983 one-shot CORBEN SPECIAL.
Which was more recently collected as part of a Corben EDGAR ALLAN POE graphic novel, with other Poe adaptations by Corben from the Warren magazines.

Some other new Poe-inspired stories appeared more recently in Marvel's 3-issue HAUNT OF HORROR Corben anthology, just a few months ago. This was a black-and-white series.

Corben has done many other great horror stories. Another that springs to mind is THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND pulp story adaptation, that Corben did for Vertigo recently.



Finally, an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "Cask of Amontillado", by Don McGregor and a very early Michael Golden (circa 1977). Even in this early work, Golden has a stylized sophistication, complemented by great McGregor scripting, very true to the original story.

Here's a couple of my favorite issues of HOUSE OF MYSTERY from 1972. The mystery format began with issue 174, edited by Joe Orlando, one of the E.C. artists of the 1950's, who contributed to the horror line of another era.
Then in 1968-1975, Joe Orlando as editor for DC began to form a new era for mystery titles, revitalizing HOUSE OF MYSTERY and HOUSE OF SECRETS, and based on the success of those titles, expanding that line to include THE WITCHING HOUR, GHOSTS, WEIRD MYSTERY, WEIRD WAR, WEIRD WESTERN, SWAMP THING, PHANTOM STRANGER, The Spectre by Fleisher and Aparo in ADVENTURE COMICS, and many other wonderful creations.

The early HOUSE OF MYSTERY issues are mostly by Bill Draut and Jerry Grandenetti, with Neal Adams doing virtually all the covers from 175-200. Adams did two great interior stories stories in issues 178 ("The Game") and 186("Nightmare"). Wrightson began contributing with issue 179, and the talent pool quickly grew to include Sergio Aragones, Alex Toth, Gil Kane, Tony DeZuniga, Alex Nino, Nestor Redondo, and many others.

The two issues I show above (206 and 207) have opening splash pages by Wrightson, stories by William Payne, as well as stories by Starlin(his first pro work?), Sekowsky/Palmer, Ernesto Patricio, and several other Phillipine artists, in some particularly creepy stories.
Issue 200 shows a characteristic opening splash panel by Kaluta.
Issue 213 displays one of the best covers by Wrightson (a playful twist on a Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post cover).

I always loved Cain and Abel as the hosts of their respective titles, and the less explicit nature of DC's mystery stories, as compared to E.C. or Warren.
DC's stories relied on mysterious atmosphere more than shock or gore, combined with charming twists and playful humor, that always resonated more for me. Along with a wide range of very talented artists.

Even after the departure of Wrightson, Kaluta and Adams, the quality of HOUSE OF MYSTERY was consistent up till around issue 260. And even beyond that point, there are many enjoyable issues. Around that point, Kaluta came back and did most of the covers till the series' end.

Even at this late stage, HOUSE OF MYSTERY was a starting ground for many talents such as Michael Golden, Marshall Rogers, Jerry Bingham, Al Milgrom, Bob Layton, Arthur Suydam, Bruce Jones, J.M. DeMatteis, and Mike Nasser. And remained a display case for the talents of Nestor Redondo, Alex Nino, and Alfredo Alcala.

With the horror craze of the 1970s in full swing, Batman, for the first time since "the Monk" in the 1930s (I think) battled an actual vampire, Detective Comics #455 (1976)

Bruce Wayne’s car breaks down near an old mansion, and soon Batman and Alfred are facing the mansion's vampire resident, who had found a way to transplant his heart outside his body. The Darknight Detective must find the heart's location, in order to stake it to death.

It was, even by the 70s' standards, a pretty outlandish story. But that outlandishness was tempered by the fact that it was one of only times that the great Mike Grell drew Batman.

Grell gave the story an appropriately creepy look, which almost made you believe the silly plot twists. He even modeled the vampire on Christopher Lee. Its too bad that Grell didn't stick around the book for longer, but I suppose the fact that DC picked up "Warlord" about the same time made that pretty much an impossibility.

I'm glad you posted that one, G-man.


DETECTIVE 455 was an issue I'd planned to list here later, I'm glad you didn't let it go without mention.

Somehow, that was one of the scarier Batman stories, and as you said, despite some stretched plot devices, it worked well and, tossed in with the supernatural element of fighting a vampire, the heart-transplant thing became plausible within the context of the story.

Grell probably didn't stick around on DETECTIVE because he was busy as GREEN LANTERN artist, and as you said, was doing WARLORD at the same time. So that probaby kept him pretty busy.

Another story that has Batman take on the supernatural is a great Werewolf story in BATMAN 255, by Len Wein and Neal Adams.


Usually bringing vampires and werewolves into the modern era comes across as cheap. But both these stories pulled it off very skillfully.

The Wein/Adams Batman story is one of the all time best.

Besides the fact it was Adams (nuff said), the story actually had something of a scientific basis for the Werewolf. Lupus, was essentially a mutant (though the story didn't call him that), who was created by a scientist's genetic tampering. And, rather than being dispatched with silver or wolfsbane, he was defeated by good old fashioned science, in the form of electricity.

It stands as probably the best example of how to do a classic "monster" story in the world of a semi-realistic character like Batman, avoiding the need to shoehorn him into the world of mysticism and superstition.

I've never it seen it, but I think the Dini-Timm animated series adapted it too.

And from the sublime to the ridiculous we turn to "the Vampire of Steel." As noted on another thread, I consider this both one of the biggest "WTF" stories of all time, both in terms of story and cover:

Quote:

---

the G-man said:
...my LEAST favorite cover: World's Finest 249

There's the dialogue. First Batman says "This man has been murdered...by a vampire!" And the Phantom Stranger, in his best "Count Floyd" imitation says "Yes, my friend, turn and face... THE VAMPIRE OF STEEL!!" (you can almost hear the echo chamber on the last word)

Then there's the sheer absurdity of the scene itself.

You have Batman, oblivious to the fact that Super-vampire is standing above him posing like Bela Lugosi.

You have the Phantom Stranger not lifting a finger to actually HELP Batman, just telling him to "Turn and face" a Superpowered vampire-murderer. Which will be extra difficult given that the Stranger is, if you look closely, STANDING ON BATMAN's CAPE.

And, finally, you have Super-vampire who, for all his kryptonian powers, apparently moves as slow as a [Romero]zombie on prozac.

Add to that the smiling floating heads of the supporting cast (boy, they're happy at the idea of batman being super-vampire bait; they must think his death means they get to headline the book) and the verdict is in...WORST...COVER...EVER...

---

Yeah, the "vampire of Steel" cover is a classic, G-man.


I remember you mentioned it in the WTF stories topic. Along with multiple other abominations from WORLD'S FINEST.



Batman is obviously a character that lends himself to stories that deal with the supernatural. Another favorite of mine is from DETECTIVE 395, "Secret of the Waiting Graves", by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, the story that began their collaboration on Batman.



Set at a high society party, at a wealthy couple's mansion in Mexico. A couple who turn out to have their fair share of secrets, that lead into the realm of the supernatural.


Most of the Halloween-atmospheric O'Neil/Adams stories, and Robbins/Adams Man-Bat stories were collected in the Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams Volume 2 hardcover. (reprinting DETECTIVE 395, 397, 400, 402, 404, 407, 408, and 410, along with BRAVE & THE BOLD 93 by O'Neil/Adams. )

Volume 3 actually came out earlier this year, reprinting O'Neil/Adams stories from:


BATMAN 232(first R'as Al Ghul story),
234(Two-Face),
237("Night of the Reaper", set at a Halloween party),
243-245(battling R'as Al Ghul), and
251("The Joker's Five-way Revenge").
Disappointingly, ads for the book do not include the werewolf story from issue 255.
And also disappointingly, the book does not include "Night of the Stalker" from DETECTIVE 439. While illustrated by Almendola/Giordano, it's credited "from an incident described by Neal Adams, and won the ACBA best story of the year, and is very much in the Adams style, so I felt it would be a great concluding story to show the legacy of Adams on the character in the decades since. Plus the cover is by Neal Adams, and a beautiful one at that.



Since I have the original issues, I chose not to purchase the Volume 3 hardcover.

Some inexpensive trades and hardcovers that reprint most of the same stories include BATMAN: TALES OF THE DEMON ( reprinting BATMAN 232, and 242-245, with other stories), and MAN-BAT VS BATMAN (a one-shot reprinting DETECTIVE 400, 402, and 407, the complete Robbins/Adams Man-bat storyline)

Taking a break from comics for a moment, here's a site for a magazine I saw recently, Weird New Jersey. A group of guys who track down real-life legends of haunted houses around NJ, and around the rest of the nation.

http://www.weirdnj.com/

I've been listing a lot of older stories, so I thought I'd mention some newer stuff.


Most recently, I just finished reading the collected trade of the 4-issue series by Kelley Jones for Dark Horse, LAST TRAIN TO DEADSVILLE, which was fun reading.


Kind of in the same mode as Angel, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a tongue-in-cheek adventure story about a private detective who fights vampires, ghouls and the supernatural.

Much of Kelley Jones' other work was listed in the:

• Whatever happened to Kelley Jones? topic

I especially enjoy Kelley Jones' BATMAN and DEADMAN runs.

An artist who does a lot of sophisticated horror material is Scott Hampton.
I first saw his work appear in 1983, with a beautiful and decorative Frazetta-esque linestyle.

Hampton did a Grimm's "Godfather Death" adaptation in EPIC ILLUSRATED 17, in lavish color.
An earlier black-and-white version of the same story appears in LOST PLANET #1, a series he and his brother Bo Hampton collaborated on for Eclipse.



Bo and Scott Hampton also collaborated on two issues of SWAMP THING, issues 15 and 16, just before Moore, Bissette and Tottleben took over the series.

Scott Hampton also did more science-fiction-type material in NEW TALENT SHOWCASE 1-3, for DC.
And the incomplete 3-issue SILVERHEELS series for Pacific, collected with a new conclusion later in the SILVERHEELS graphic novel.




In the realm of horror, the first really great story Hampton did was "The Ravenant" in TALES OF TERROR 8, in late 1987.

And adaptation of a Robert E. Howard story in the PIGEONS FROM HELL graphic novel for eclipse, in 1988.

Scott Hampton also did two memorable stories in HELLRAISER issues 2 and 4, for Epic Comics in 1989.

And in 1995, Scott Hampton released his THE UPTURNED STONE graphic novel. If when growing up, you ever went out in the woods with your friends, and had one of them tell you some guy was murdered there, and told you the murderer was never found, and then started up with "Hey, what's that sound! Maybe it's him..." and basically scared the crap out of you, then you can relate to and enjoy this story.

THE UPTURNED STONE was also reprinted in its entirety in an issue of HEAVY METAL.

Two memorable stories from artist Jim Steranko:



TOWER OF SHADOWS #1, "At the Stroke of Midnight"
and
NICK FURY AGENT OF SHIELD # 3 "Dark Moon Rise, Hell Hound kill".

Plenty of shadows, castles and mystery, in these two classics by one of the masters of the field.

And some of the best recent fare for several years now, HELLBOY by Mike Mignola.



I had the good fortune to catch up on HELLBOY, and read the five collected editions by Mignola right before the movie came out.

One of the best comic-based movies in recent years too.







Arthur Adams' "Monkeyan and O'Brien" started as a backup in the first series, HELLBOY:SEED OF DESTRUCTION.

I wanted to show covers for Art Adams' CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON one-shot special, and his CREATURE FEATURES trade (collecting the CREATURE special, and his GODZILLA stories).

But I guess I'll have to settle for just showing his ACTION COMICS ANNUAL # 1 cover (1987), presenting a Halloween-atmospheric story, involving vampires in a small rural town.

Just recently released Essential something Horror, basically collects Son of Satan & Satanna series might be good for a Halloween hangover. Not really scary stuff considering the material. Son of Satan was pretty standard superhero fare with some good art here & there. Satanna stuff I haven't gotten to yet but looks like she was sexy & evil.

Thanks for posting that, M E M.

It's one I hadn't heard about.

I looked up the book you listed, and here it is:
ESSENTIAL MARVEL HORROR

Relating a funny story I recall from a Stan Lee interview, one of the editors at Marvel had originally proposed the comics series to him under the title SATAN.
Stan Lee was like: "Oh, come on. We'll never be able to sell that. In the Deep South, they won't even put it on the retail shelves..."

So after some haggling, they decided to soften and insulate it a little bit, and went with SON OF SATAN.




In the same format, over at DC, about 6 months or so ago, They had a SHOWCASE PRESENTS black-and-white trade of the first 20 or so issues of HOUSE OF MYSTERY, starting with issue 174, when the horror/mystery fomat began, with Cain as the book's host. Great art by Neal Adams, Berni Wrightson, Toth, Gil Kane, Nestor Redondo, Tony Dezuniga, Alex Nino, and many others.

If I didn't already have all these issues, I'd go for this trade. And if it was offset printed and in full color, I'd pick it up anyway.

Another of my favorites, a 2-part story from TOMB OF DRACULA, issues 4 and 5, one of the few post-DC Gardner Fox stories for Marvel, with art by Colan/Palmer. A great and eerie mix of vampire-hunting, and time travel by sorcerous means.



To be read only by candle-light, at the stroke of midnight!

Two other greats, JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY 1, that has a Robert E. Howard adaptation "Dig Me No Grave" by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane/Palmer, plus a haunted house story by Englehart and Reese, and a rare one-time collaboration "Show Me Your Dream" by Steve Skeates, pencils by Starlin, inks by Ploog.




Also the atmospheric 10-page origin story of Man-Thing in FEAR # 10 by Gerry Conway, with Howard Chaykin pencils and Morrow inks. The first issue of a regular series for Man-Thing.

In this same issue is one of my favorites, mixing ghosts and pirates, in "Spell of the Sea Witch", by Allyn Brodsky, "Jay Hawk"( a pseudonym for Jack Katz, just before he began FIRST KINGDOM) and "Black Bill" (a pirate-pseudonym for Bill Everett, one of the last stories he did before he died) who I initially confused with Bill Black, publisher of Americomics beginning in the 1980's.

"Spell of the Sea Witch" is a brief but memorable 6 page tale. A remarkably good story from two one-time collaborators.

Rounding out the issue is a Don Heck story, reprinted from TALES OF SUSPENSE 17 (August 1961).

Say what you will about Heck, but he did some great work in the pre-Marvel period of 1959-1963, and I enjoy his stories from this era as much as the ones by Kirby and Ditko. Work I love, especially in the recent Marvel Atlas-era collected hardcovers. All the pre-Marvel TALES OF SUSPENSE and TALES TO ASTONISH issues are available, in three volumes for each of these two titles. Also AMAZING FANTASY (all 15 issues in one hardcover omnibus).

Looks good. Jones draws a good monster.

I got the Vertigo Ghost special that just came out. I mostly got it for the two Dead Boys story. Turns out DC only told a partial Two Dead Boys story and they said they would continue the story IN another Vertigo comic later. COCKSUCKERS!

Kelley Jones drew some particularly sexy women in this series too. In the trade version, he used the phrase "ass cleavage" to describe one particular outfit he designed for one of the female characters. How can you go wrong?

Beyond that, I particularly liked the mixture of zombies, monsters and humor in the storyline.

Another of my favorites, by Robbins/Novick/Giordano. With a great Kaluta cover. It focuses on a robot marionette used to kill people, that ends with some ambiguity whether the robot malfunctions, or whether the supernatural is involved.

The Kaluta cover was re-used as a poster and display page in the "Art of the Comic Book" exhibit in 1982 by Erie Art Center in Pennsylvania, that toured the U.S., the nicest exhibit of comic book original art I've had the pleasure to see, with the original DETECTIVE 427 cover in the exhibit, as well as:
* Wrightson's gigantic original 7 pages of "The Muck Monster" (the version colored in 1975) from EERIE 68,
* Steranko's double-page splash from S.H.I.E.L.D. ("Dark Moon Rise, Hell-Hound Kill"),
* Kirby's double-page splash/collage of the FF looking at a giant TV screen of the Negative Zone in FANTASTIC FOUR 62,
* and great pages of Wood, Williamson, Kurtzman, Adams and many others.
It was the first time I saw comic original art framed and displayed. I was so impressed, I enlarged and framed several of the pages in later years from the ones displayed!

ROB'S BLOG (October 27, 2009)



Scary story about a meeting, a real circus. Here's the entire issue:



http://www.shortpaleandugly.com/author/admin/

Didn't John Byrne do a Superman/Spectre Halloween team-up?

This one?




One I highly recommend is CREEPY PRESENTS BERNI WRIGHTSON, that I recommended before it came out about a year ago.

Collecting all Wrightson's stories from the 1974-1977 era from CREEPY AND EERIE magazines, in an 8 X 11" hardcover. And also concluding with a portfolio of about 3 dozen full page introductory splash pages Wrightson did, most of them suitable for framing. A great and Halloween-festive collection.


I also noticed that there's a collected hardcover of the Fleisher/Aparo WRATH OF THE SPECTRE run from ADVENTURE COMICS 430-440 or so.

Now in paperback. No hero has ever unleashed vengeance on criminals as horrifically as the Spectre!
Sliced and diced, cooked like a microwave dinner, you name it. And some of Aparo's best art.

A new series that started this month. Looks like fun.

Not sure. I remember it had Spectre smiling as he freaked out some kids through a window.

I remeber those Spectre stories with art by Aparo. Spectre chopped up one criminal with a giant pair of scissors, if I remember correctly. You never actually see him do it - just the after-effects.

Hmm, kind of looks like the Spectre is wandering down the muddy track with Superman.

Interesting thing about those Aparo/Fleisher Spectre stories: at one point in the story, Corrigan makes a joking reference to Clark Kent, with the clear implication that he is joking about a fictional character. Did DC ever try to explain that one? Or is this something that was forgotten/ignored post-Crisis?

I read that issue recently and he does exactly that, but it's not a Halloween special. Your memory is crumbling like white, hard stick of poo, Dave.

Bud Root CAVEWOMAN convention sketch, with Frankenstein





A new version of the CAVEWOMAN ONE-SHOT variant cover by Bud Root (2000), with interior art by Devon Massey.
A very fun and Halloween-festive story, with playful inclusion of all the classic Hollywood monsters. This was a great introduction of artist Devon Massey, and I wish the rest of his CAVEWOMAN books were this good.

I remember really wanting this issue when I was a kid. It had a couple of villains from the Superfriends cartoon that I never saw in the regular comics.

Never saw that one, M E M. But a nice lineup of DC mystery characters.

I love the Demon, either in the Kirby series (collected about 4 years ago in a THE DEMON hardcover), and in his Aparo-illustrated BRAVE & THE BOLD appearances.
Likewise SWAMP THING, by Wein Wrightson, Redondo, or in Aparo's B & B.
Man-Bat had a nice series of late-70's stories in BATMAN FAMILY, by both Marshall Rogers and Michael Golden, as well as some great B & B appearances too.
Bizzaro I don't recall in any great 70's stories.
And the last one is Solomon Grundy? I've loved that character in just about every appearance. A compelling character in the Frankenstein mode.

One of my favorite Wrightson splash pages, from HOUSE OF MYSTERY 209.

I consider Wrightson's quintessential work to be his HOUSE OF MYSTERY, HOUSE OF SECRETS, Warren magazine work for CREEPY and EERIE, his 70's posters and prints, and his Frankenstein novel illustrations.

His depiction of Cain in particular was perfect, both playful and malevolent at the same time.

A collection of Wrightson's atmospheric covers for HOUSE OF SECRETS




And one of my favorite early Wrightson stories, from THE SPECTRE # 9 (1969), scripted by Dennis O'Neil. "Abracadoom"

Another classic story about a gentleman's agreement with the devil gone bad.

ANd here, near as I can tell, are all the interior DC splash pages by Wrightson for DC's mystery titles.

Mostly from HOUSE OF MYSTERY and HOUSE OF SECRETS, and the rest DC 100-PAGE SPECTACULAR 4.



This one is the contents page for HOUSE OF MYSTERY 225.

I think she is trying to pick his inside jacket pocket with her prehensile breasts.

Odd, thinking about it, that Gaiman's Sandman never had any Halloween stories given the author's insights into old fairy tales and traditions. then again he is English, and Halloween has not been so much an English tradition as an American one, for whatever reason, so maybe it just never really hit his radar.