Strange Suspense Stories #20

(August 1954)

The Payoff! (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:

crime

Synopsis:

Secret agents fight aboard a train over a valuable vial containing deadly germs.

Reprints:

• in Steve Ditko Reader (Pure Imagination, 2002 series) #3 (2005)
• 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 Murder (Robin Snyder and Steve Ditko, 2017 series) #22 (Summer 2017)

Indexer Notes

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

Food For Thought (Table of Contents: 2)

comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

Bill Molno ?

Inks:

Ray Osrin ?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

crime

Synopsis:

Ruthless killer Gus hides at his sister's house. He kills the inhabitants to last longer on the remaining food, but eats poisoned mushrooms and dies.

Retribution (Table of Contents: 3)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

crime; horror-suspense

Synopsis:

With the help of magic, detective John Carbone gets back at the Wilton mob for killing his partner. He transforms the gangsters into animals like rats, snakes, gorillas, coyotes, vultures and sheep.

The Kill! (Table of Contents: 4)

comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

Vince Alascia ?

Colors:

?

Letters:

Charlotte Jetter

Genre:

crime

Synopsis:

Calvin Brock kills a man aboard a ship for a bag of diamonds and escapes by jumping into the water. Or does he?

Indexer Notes

Write-in contest for readers to contribute a story ending.

Deadly Seance! (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

Tony Tallarico (signed)

Inks:

Tony Tallarico (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

crime

Synopsis:

Gangster has his fortune told and is killed in the process.

Von Mohl Vs The Ants! (Table of Contents: 6)

comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script:

?

Pencils:

Steve Ditko (signed)

Inks:

Steve Ditko (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Genre:

horror-suspense

Synopsis:

Hugo von Mohl runs his African plantation with an iron fist. When he faces an invasion of killer ants, von Mohl fights them with dynamite, guns and fire. But he overlooks a hole the pesty bugs slip through.

Reprints:

• in Scary Tales (Charlton, 1975 series) #20 (June 1979)
• in Steve Ditko Reader (Pure Imagination, 2002 series) #3 (2005)
• 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 Gespenster Geschichten (Bastei Verlag, 1974 series) #1125

Moment of Decision! (Table of Contents: 7)

comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script:

Carl Memling

Pencils:

Dick Giordano (signed)

Inks:

Dick Giordano (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Charlotte Jetter ?

Genre:

crime

Synopsis:

Tim Fenwick is a robber and murderer on the run. Loaded with two heavy bags of money, he jumps into the river and is dragged underwater trying to escape the police.

Indexer Notes

Readers' ending to write-in contest in "Strange Suspense Stories" #17 from March 1954.

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