What Would Women Talk About Without Men?

Before you get excited, a text story from the pages of Dizzy Dames is no deeper than its comics pages.

Still this is worth the time to read this one page story from Dizzy Dames #5.

Commercial Interruption #2

From This Magazine is Haunted #1 (1951)

That face.

Let Doctor Death Tell You a Tale...

Cover of #1 by Sheldon Moldoff

This Magazine is Haunted was Fawcett’s first foray into horror comics. In Alter Ego #4 (Spring 2004), Roy Tomas revels the company’s reluctance to publish horror. Even after finding a sales market Fawcett often left off their logo and rarely went as dark or gruesome as other horror comics.

There was money to be had in the growing horror comics market that Fawcett Comics couldn’t ignore. It was very different brand move for the company, who was known for superheroes and teen humor.

Leading the charge to darker fare for the company was Sheldon Moldoff. According to Moldoff, he approached EC’s comics new owner William M. Gains with the pitches for This Magazine in Haunted and Tales of the Supernatural after Gains expressed a concern over closing the company and Fawcett had already said no to the ideas.


Gains offered a contract for the titles, and took the first issue already produced. Moldoff waited for word on when to started the second issue. In waiting he spotted Tales from the Crypt and other horrors coming from EC.
Gains reneged on the contract, and Moldoff was threaten to be blackballed from the industry if he tried to sue. Meanwhile Gains took the four stories he had from Moldoff and published in other works. Approaching Fawcett again, Moldoff stuck a deal of $100 for the title and all the work he wanted.

Here is a taste from This Magazine is Haunted #1

 15 // 16 // 17 //18 // 19 // 20 // 21 // 22 // 23

Fawcett turned out a string of several titles, staring in 1951 until they stopped publishing comics in 1953. Their titles were then sold to Charlton Comics, who started doing reprints and publishing unused stories (source). When the reprints started in 1954, scholars estimate the horror genre comics market was 1/6, but it quickly died off with the comics code.

The comics received another round of mixed reprints by Gredown in This Comic is Haunted in the 1970s. The comic baned together a lot of pre-code works. It offers especially high amount of Steve Ditko's work. (Find more out about that here.)

"Knothead Nellie"

She shared the pages on Dizzy Dames #1 (Oct. 1952) with Moronica and Man-Huntin’ Minnie. Let those names might clue you in to the fact that this comic didn't think high of women.

Art by Dan Gordon (pencils) and Lyn Karp (Inks)

I guess she stayed with the Monkeys?

In Dizzy Dames #5 there was "Knothhead Nancy."

She didn't last long either.

Blackhawk at the movies!

So, this happened.

Blackhawk finally received its screen debut in 1952, the time of serials decline. The timing really shows. This 15 part Columbia serial is...dull at best. Unable to even pull off hilariously bad, this serial is just notable for existing. More than a decade after their first appearance the Blackhawks were still so popular that they obtained not just a radio show but movie serial. It isn't something many comic characters can claim.

It stared Kirk Alyn (the first actor to play Superman in screen) who successively pulled off several dangerous stunts, but these cannot save those serial from it lack of...interesting things. For a more in depth look at this serial, check out Dr. Hermes's review or this Blackhawk movie serial review.

For some good Blackhawk, check out the tag at the bottom of the page. Below you will all find the find the serial's trailer.

Campus Loves

THE QUALITY COMICS BOSS: We need a new romance comics!

BILL WARD: I can draw pretty ladies in there underwear.

THE QUALITY COMICS BOSS: Okay you're on art! Now remember, women go to college to pick up men.

I think that's how it might have gone.

Campus Loves (Quality Comics, 1949) is a series of four books that was yet another attempt by Quality to jump on the coming romance fad of the fifties. They followed this up with Diary Loves November 1949 - April 1953,  Broadway Romances (January 1950 - September 1950), Brides Romances (November 1953 - December 1956), and Exotic Romances October 1955 - November 1956.

Here you can read the first story from issue #1. (Read by scrolling here)

 Campus Loves #1 03 // 04 // 05 //06 //08 // 09  //10 // 11