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

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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.)

Sheldon Moldoff (Part 2)

I know this follow up the the last Sheldon Moldoff post is a bit late, but 25 page research paper will to that. If only I could do one on comics....

To easy my stress and hopefully brighten some readers day here is some more solid DC Comics work from Moldoff.

On Scans_Daily I've posted some excerpts from Hawkman's story in All-Star Comics #6 (August-September 1941), The Justice Society Initiates Johnny Thunder.

Mr Neutron has posted excerpts pages from a reprint of Batman #165 (August 1964) starring Batman and his weirdest girlfriend, Patricia Powell. (She is the weirdest, no joke!)

Ending all this goddess is a story from All Star Comics #11 below. These are from my copy of the archive reprints. They are a must buy, if you love the JSA.

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And a bonus page! Shareing this story just wouldn't be complete without this "oh, duh" Wonder Woman Moment

 All Star Comics #11 page 11

If you have links to any of Sheldon Molodoff's work of fan pages, please leave a link in the comments! 

Sheldon Moldoff (Part 1)

Sheldon "Shelly" Moldoff died February 29, 2012 due to kidney failure.


Moldoff was one those names that was everywhere in the golden age. If you read DC from the time at all it is a legendary name.


Mark Evanier has written an excellent obituary on his blog. I feel that all I can add is love for the Sheldon Moldoff's art work.


Here you will find his art work for the characters he was best known for: Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

From All-Star Comics #7

Script Gardner Fox, Art Sheldon Moldoff

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