Ripley's Believe It or Not! #14

(June 1969)

Mighty "Matchbox" Rug Rally (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

Matchbox / comics-form advertising / 1 page (report information)

The Demon of Beachy-Head (Table of Contents: 2)

Ripley's Believe It or Not! / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

José Delbo

Inks

José Delbo

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

One eerie day in the 1940's, as an adventurous teenager collects birds' eggs along the chalk crags of Beachy-Head, England... Suddenly...

Feature Logo

Ripley's Believe It or Not! True Demons and Monsters [Western Logo 2]

Genre

fantasy-supernatural; historical; horror-suspense; non-fiction

Characters

Demon of Beachy-Head [Sir Robert]; teenage girl; constable; old abbot; various servants; various peasants; Ray De Vekey (spirit medium); De Vekey's hooded followers

Synopsis

In the 1940's, a constable tells a panicked teenage girl, who has seen "a huge creature in chains" up on Beachy-Head, the story behind her sighting. Later, in 1952, spirit medium Ray De Vekey has a final showdown with the feared Demon of Beachy-Head. Who will reign victorious?

Reprints

• in Gespenster Geschichten (Bastei Verlag, 1974 series) #4
which is reprinted
• in Spuk Geschichten (Bastei Verlag, 1978 series) #153

Keywords

16th century; 1940's; 1952; castle; cliff; demon; historical setting; legend; terror

Indexer Notes

Cover story. This story is adapted in the text story "The Fiend of Beachy Head" in Mystery Comics Digest (Gold Key, 1972 series) #4 (June 1972).

Return of the Monsters (Table of Contents: 3)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Joe Certa

Inks

Joe Certa

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

For generations now, people of our northwestern backwoods country had talked of "Big Foot" the monstrous gorilla-like creature which was reported to be hiding back in the remote uninhabited forests.

Genre

adventure

Characters

"Big Foot" (aka "Yeti" or "Sasquatch")

Synopsis

Accounts of recent "Big Foot" sightings in 1967 and 1964. "Recent", of course, for a comic published in 1969.

Reprints

• in Mystery Comics Digest (Western, 1972 series) #13 (September 1973)

Keywords

"Big Foot"; 1964; 1967

Indexer Notes

© 1969, Western Publishing Company, Inc. Not officially a Ripley’s story.

The Horror of Lincoln's Inn (Table of Contents: 4)

comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Mike Roy

Inks

Mike Roy

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

One night in 1913, a fearful scream resounds through Lincoln's Inn, London's famed law building...

Genre

adventure; fantasy-supernatural; historical; horror-suspense

Characters

winged demon; bystanders; old barrister; young lawyer; London Bobby; Scotland Yard inspector; two inquiring newsmen

Synopsis

A winged demon, casting the shadow of a huge bat, inhabits a famed London building.

Reprints

• in Gespenster Geschichten (Bastei Verlag, 1974 series) #42
which is reprinted
• in Gespenster Geschichten (Bastei Verlag, 1974 series) #252
• in Mystery Comics Digest (Western, 1972 series) #19 (September 1974)
• in Ripley's Believe It or Not! (Western, 1965 series) #77 (April 1978)

Keywords

1913; demon; England; London

Indexer Notes

© 1969, Western Publishing Company, Inc. Not officially a Ripley’s story.

Gold Key Comics Club News (Table of Contents: 5) (Expand) /

Gold Key Comics Club / preview (from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Reader's Page Monsters (Table of Contents: 6)

Gold Key Comics Club / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Drawings of various monsters, submitted by readers.

Military Men - Your Credit Is Good! (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

Military Diamond Sales / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Jokes on You (Table of Contents: 8)

Gold Key Comics Club / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Why is money like a secret?

Characters

Gold Key Kid

Synopsis

Jokes and riddles submitted by readers.

Keywords

jokes; riddles

The Foxes of Doom (Table of Contents: 9)

Ripley's Believe It or Not! / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Mike Roy

Inks

Mike Peppe

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

Jon D'Agostino

First Line of Dialogue or Text

In the legend-shrouded hills of County Meath, Ireland...

Feature Logo

Ripley's Believe It or Not! True Demons and Monsters [Western Logo 2]

Genre

fantasy-supernatural; historical; non-fiction

Characters

two fox-hunters; many supernatural foxes; the first Viscount Gormanston; 1st Gormanston's servants; the 12th Viscount Gormanston; 12th Gormanston's servants; various peasants; the 13th Viscount Gormanston; Lady Gormanston; Gormanston's two young sons, the 14th Viscount Gormanston; two doctors

Synopsis

Early in the 20th century, one fox-hunter tells another of the legend of "The Doom of the Gormanstons" and the eerie presence of a frightening number of foxes that herald the death of generations of Gormanstons.

Reprints

• in Gespenster Geschichten (Bastei Verlag, 1974 series) #4
which is reprinted
• in Spuk Geschichten (Bastei Verlag, 1978 series) #236
• in Mystery Comics Digest (Western, 1972 series) #16 (March 1974)
• in Ripley's Believe It or Not! (Western, 1965 series) #77 (April 1978)

Keywords

death; fear; foxes; historical setting; Ireland; legend; ominous moment

Indexer Notes

Reworked into a one-page text story, "The Foxes of Death" in Ripley's Believe It or Not! (Western, 1965 Series) #60 (February 1976).

In this comics version, the family name is spelled "Gormanston". In the later text version, the family name is spelled "Gormanstown".

Various accounts of the story can be found on the Internet, such as this one published in 2018. https://jackhammersley.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/gormanston-castle-a-tale-o…

The Monster of Croglin Grange (Table of Contents: 10)

Ripley's Believe It or Not! / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Sal Trapani

Inks

Sal Trapani

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

Jon D'Agostino

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Ellen Demming and her two brothers have been most happy living at Croglin Grange in Cumberland, until one summer night when Ellen retires to her bedroom to escape the oppressive heat...

Feature Logo

Ripley's Believe It or Not! True Demons and Monsters [Western Logo 2]

Genre

fantasy-supernatural; horror-suspense; non-fiction

Characters

Ellen Demming; Ellen's two brothers; werewolf; doctor; hunting party

Synopsis

A werewolf attacks Ellen Demming, causing the Demmings to flee their Croglin Grange home. After several months abroad, the Demmings return and Ellen is attacked once again.

Reprints

• in Gespenster Geschichten (Bastei Verlag, 1974 series) #4
which is reprinted
• in Gespenster Geschichten (Bastei Verlag, 1974 series) #628
• in Mystery Comics Digest (Western, 1972 series) #7 (September 1972)
• in Ripley's Believe It or Not! (Western, 1965 series) #77 (April 1978)

Keywords

werewolf

Prehistoria Neanderthal Man (Table of Contents: 11)

Gold Key Comics Club / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

One hundred thousand years ago, the most primitive type of human, Neanderthal Man, roamed wide areas of Europe and Asia.

Genre

non-fiction

Keywords

educational feature; Neanderthal Man; prehistory

Indexer Notes

Illustrated text article on Neanderthal Man. Copyright 1969 by Western Publishing Company, Inc.

["Two Bells", But is All Well?] (Table of Contents: 12)

Gold Key Comics Club Mini-Comics / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

?

Genre

humor

Characters

bell-ringer; female friend

Synopsis

A tower bell-ringer zips in and out of sight, to the dismay of a female friend.

Keywords

bells; puzzlement; tower

Indexer Notes

Pantomime. Top half of page. On final interior page of the comic.

[Flower's Fleeting Fame] (Table of Contents: 13)

Gold Key Comics Club Mini-Comics / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

Western Publishing Production Shop

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Sign: "Win a Flower Club prize for most exotic plant"

Genre

humor

Characters

huge flowering plant; contestant; judge; photographer

Synopsis

A would-be trophy winner enters a huge flowering plant in a flower show.

Keywords

exotic plant; fame-is-fleeting; flower show; trophy; unwelcome surprise

Indexer Notes

Pantomime. Lower half of page. On final interior page of the comic.

Large - Fluorescent Colored Posters (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

Artko Studios, Inc. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

3 Complete Fishing Outfits (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

Niresk Discount Sales / advertisement / 1 page (report information)