Groove's Faves: "Dread Night of the Jaguar!" by Rozakis, Rogers, and Austin

Happy Halloween, Groove-ophiles! Since we started this our month of terrifying tales with part one of a Man-Bat thriller, Ol' Groove thought it only fitting that we end the month of spirits and sugar with the blood-curdling conclusion from Batman Family #12 (April 1977). Okay, so this Bob Rozakis/Marshall Rogers/Terry Austin mini-monsterpiece isn't blood-curdling, but it is moody, kinda spooky, and fun. And the art! It's a different look for the legendary Rogers/Austin team, but it sure looks dyn-o-mite, doesn't it? Enjoy, my Groovy Ghoulies!

Don't fill up on the candy and make sure to get your apples x-rayed!

Black and White Wednesday: "The Tattletale Heart" by Schwartzberg, Ploog, and Chiarmonte

Hey, hey, hey, Groove-ophiles! Yesterday we planted our peepers on a far-out adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart". Today we're gonna dig on a Mighty Marvel-ous parody of that same classic tale of terror, "The Tattletale Heart" by Stu Schwartzberg, Mike Ploog, and Frank Chiarmonte from Crazy #7 (August 1974). Ready or not, here it comes!

Groove's Faves: "Tell-Tale Heart" by Poe, Goodwin, and Crandall

One of the greatest crime/horror stories in all of literature is Edgar Allan Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart". This classic has been adapted into nearly every entertainment medium--more than once--and probably will continue to worm its way into the popular consciousness for...perhaps...ever. Here's a classic comicbook version by Archie Goodwin and Reed Crandall. These scans come from Comix International #4 (1976), but the story was first published in black and white in Creepy #3 in 1965.

Random Reads: "Man-Apes and Magic!" by Uslan and Villamonte

Greetings, my Groovy Ghoulies! Halloween is almost upon us, so Ol' Groove thought we might kick the week off with a classic Beowulf yarn by Michael Uslan and Ricardo Villamonte! "Man-Apes and Magic!" from Beowulf #3 (May 1975) has all the cool spooky stuff! Monsters! Demons! Savages! But I gotta level with ya--the only "man-apes" I can find in this story are in the title! Kooky, huh?

Making a Splash: Bernie Wrightson's Swamp Thing

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! I could gush and rave and go on for hours about how wonderful Bernie Wrightson's Swamp Thing art is. I could talk about how the stars seemed to perfectly align to allow Bernie, writer Len Wein, and editor Joe Orlando to create such an iconic and, yes, near-perfect comicbook (Though, sadly, for a mere ten issues). I could wax nostalgic about how new and fresh, yet how pulpish Wrightson's work was and how that blend of old and new just grabbed my imagination and drew me into that mossy, sloggy world. But then again, I could shut up and let you see for yourself how achingly beautiful horror can be...