Another I love is SECRETS OF HAUNTED HOUSE 10, Feb 1978, with a story by Richard H. Morrissey (a fan press writer and 1970's DC letterhack, to my knowledge this is the only pro comics story he wrote) with art by a very-new-to-the-field Michael Golden. A beautifully illustrated and fun story, with a number of wild twists in it brief 8 pages.


Here's the full story online:

"Hell of a Place" 8 pages, By Richard Morrissey and Michael Golden
https://comiconlinefree.com/secrets-of-haunted-house/issue-10/full


It starts out with 2 aging men, one a former store owner who went bankrupt, and lost everything and became homeless. Hopeless, he only copes with the situation when he meets another homeless guy, and they become best friends. His optimistic friend makes his new life bearable for many years, but then he is grief-stricken when his friend dies. Enter Satan at his moment of gretest weakness, who offers him success.

Satan makes him enormously successful at business, and as part of the deal of Satan being completely subservient, Satan lets him visit his friend bound to hell for eternity. His friend tells him Hell is awful, and the businessman forces Satan to improve conditions in Hell for the souls trapped there. He forces Satan, under contract, to make improvements in Hell, to the point that it becomes a beautiful place, to the point that they turn it into a vacation resort, and regularly bring visitors from earth to vacation there! Hell becomes popular and desireable for many.

Satan resents all he is forced to comply with, and he can't wait to take this business guy's soul!


[spoilers]

Finally the day comes, and Satan is about to take the guy's soul. But there is an uprising in Hell by the demons, they like the way the business guy is running things, it's more pleasant for the demonss, and more souls are coming to hell than ever because the business guy made it so desireable! So business-guy gets to keep his soul, and keep running Hell. Satan gets voted out by the board!

[/spoilers]


Aside from Poe's "A Cask of Amontillado" adapted in MARVEL CLASSIC COMICS 28, this is my favorite of Golden's early stories.

If Morrissey only wrote one comics story, at least it was a good one. You could even say a damned good one. And a really nice Kaluta cover to top it off. Morrissey really lucked out on the artist selected to draw his story.