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)
• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1420-A - A Steve Ditko Readers Treasury - 1954

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
• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1420-A - A Steve Ditko Readers Treasury - 1954

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