Strange Suspense Stories #18

(May 1954)

What Was in Sam Dora's Box? (Table of Contents: 1)

comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script:

Carl Memling

Pencils:

Steve Ditko (signed)

Inks:

Steve Ditko (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Charlotte Jetter

Genre:

horror-suspense

Characters:

Sam Dora

Synopsis:

Recluse Sam Dora always carries a box on his shoulder. Curiosity is killing the townspeople - until one of them has a fatal look.

Reprints:

• in Ghost Manor (Charlton, 1971 series) #73 (March 1984)
• in Steve Ditko: Edge of Genius (Pure Imagination, 2008 ? series) (2008)
• in The Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics, 2009 series) #1 - Strange Suspense (October 2009)

Indexer Notes

Memling script per Martin O'Hearn's blog: http://martinohearn.blogspot.com/2016/04/carl-memling-suspense-stories.html

The Matchless Firebug! (Table of Contents: 2)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

Dick Ayers

Inks:

Dick Ayers ?; Ernie Bache ?

Colors:

?

Letters:

Dick Ayers

Genre:

crime; horror-suspense

Synopsis:

The arsonist Sam Match sets fires to buildings and his employers to cover his tracks.

Tight Squeeze (Table of Contents: 3)

comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

Dick Giordano (signed)

Inks:

Vince Alascia (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Charlotte Jetter

Genre:

crime; horror-suspense; western-frontier

Synopsis:

Prospector Jeb kills his partner Vance for his share of gold dust. He makes it look like a robbery with himself as a second victim. But his plan has a catch.

Burning Revenge (Table of Contents: 4)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Genre:

horror-suspense

Synopsis:

The ghost of John Clark awaits three brutal gangsters in his house and lets them kill each other.

The Jaws of Death! (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

Dick Ayers

Inks:

Dick Ayers ?; Ernie Bache ?

Colors:

?

Letters:

Dick Ayers

Genre:

horror-suspense

Synopsis:

Photographer "Ace" Madigan tries to capture a dragon-god fire ritual on film, but perishes while doing so.

Face to Face! (Table of Contents: 6)

comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

Carl Memling

Pencils:

Dick Giordano (signed)

Inks:

Dick Giordano (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Charlotte Jetter

Genre:

crime

Synopsis:

The Ajax twin brothers try to kill each other to change identities.

Indexer Notes

This is reader Caroline Denver's solution to the quiz "Face to Face!" that appeared in Lawbreakers Suspense #15 (November 1953).

Memling script per Martin O'Hearn's blog: http://martinohearn.blogspot.com/2016/04/carl-memling-suspense-stories.html

Dead Right! (Table of Contents: 7)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script:

Carl Memling

Pencils:

Steve Ditko (signed)

Inks:

Steve Ditko (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Charlotte Jetter

Genre:

horror-suspense

Characters:

Mr. Mord; Sam Drake; Ken Karl; Mephistopheles (cat)

Synopsis:

Two newspaper reporters go story hunting and end up with more than they could ever have hoped for. Because Mr. Mord's strange wax museum proves to be a hell's kitchen itself.

Reprints:

• in Steve Ditko: Edge of Genius (Pure Imagination, 2008 ? series) (2008)
• in The Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics, 2009 series) #1 - Strange Suspense (October 2009)
• in Haunted Horror (IDW, 2012 series) #29 (August 2017)

Indexer Notes

Memling script per Martin O'Hearn's blog: http://martinohearn.blogspot.com/2016/04/carl-memling-suspense-stories.html