The Thing #13

(April 1954)

Library of Horror (Table of Contents: 1)

The Thing / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Steve Ditko (signed as Ditko)

Inks

Steve Ditko (signed as Ditko)

Colors

?

Letters

Charlotte Jetter

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Ken Rolland wanted greatness and he was willing to kill for it.

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Thing (host)

Synopsis

Horror writer Ken Rolland searches for inspiration by dabbling with black magic. A kill will offer him trips to the Netherworld. Rolland becomes a famed author, but one day makes the mistake to murder his own fiancée.

Reprints

• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1420-A - A Steve Ditko Readers Treasury - 1954
• in Doomsday (K. G. Murray, 1972 series) #13 ([February 1974])
• in The Best of Horror and Science Fiction Comics (Bruce Webster, 1987 series) #1 (1987)
• in Steve Ditko Reader (Pure Imagination, 2002 series) #[1] (2002)
• in Steve Ditko's The Thing! (Pure Imagination, 2006 series) (2006)
• in Crypt of Horror (AC, 2005 series) #4 (2007)
• in The Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics, 2009 series) #1 - Strange Suspense (October 2009)
• in The Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics, 2014 series) #1 - Strange Suspense (2014)
• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1999-A - The Giant Readers Thing (2019)

Indexer Notes

Cover story. The Executive editor of the fictional Chilling Mysteries is named Allen Fargo, similar to real Charlton editor Al Fago.

Die Laughing! (Table of Contents: 2)

The Thing / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Steve Ditko

Inks

Steve Ditko ?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

It all started out as a hilarious prank...

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Thing (host)

Synopsis

A group of boys enter a haunted house for their initiation into a college frat. One by one they go missing.

Reprints

• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1420-A - A Steve Ditko Readers Treasury - 1954
• in Doomsday (K. G. Murray, 1972 series) #12 (November 1973)
• in Steve Ditko Reader (Pure Imagination, 2002 series) #[1] (2002)
• in Steve Ditko's The Thing! (Pure Imagination, 2006 series) (2006)
• in The Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics, 2009 series) #1 - Strange Suspense (October 2009)
• in Haunted Horror (IDW, 2012 series) #6 (August 2013)
which is reprinted
• in The Chilling Archives of Horror Comics! (IDW, 2010 series) #7 - Haunted Horror Vol. 2: Comics Your Mother Warned You About (October 2014)
• in The Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics, 2014 series) #1 - Strange Suspense (2014)
• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1999-A - The Giant Readers Thing (2019)

Indexer Notes

Storyline very similar to "House of Horror" (Haunt of Fear #15[1]) from May 1950.

The Witch Fish (Table of Contents: 3)

text story / 1.8 pages (report information)

Script

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

"You don't have to be crazy to be a fisherman," remarked Ben Simpson, ...

Genre

horror-suspense

Synopsis

A witch drowned in the 17th century in a countryside lake in England, comes back as a hag faced fish creature and gets revenge on all of the male descendants of the man who executed her.

Reprints

• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1999-A - The Giant Readers Thing (2019)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

statement of ownership / 0.2 page (report information)

Letters

typeset

A-Tisket A-Casket (Table of Contents: 5)

comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Tony Tallarico (signed)

Inks

Tony Tallarico (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Charlotte Jetter

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The tomb of the long dead Egyptian sorcerer promised untold wealth to the two explorers...

Genre

horror-suspense

Synopsis

Two explorers discover an Egyptian sarcophagus and a surprise inside.

Reprints

• in Doomsday (K. G. Murray, 1972 series) #9 (May 1973)
• in Classic Monsters of Pre-Code Horror Comics: Mummies (Yoe Books, 2017 series) (June 2017)
• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1999-A - The Giant Readers Thing (2019)

Avery and the Goblins (Table of Contents: 6)

The Thing / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Steve Ditko (signed as Ditko)

Inks

Steve Ditko (signed as Ditko)

Colors

?

Letters

Charlotte Jetter

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Welcome once again, dear readers.

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Thing (host)

Synopsis

Avery Calhoun, an old prospector, enters a castle full of cannibal goblins hoarding a treasure. His exploration runs smoothly until he comes to the treasure.

Reprints

• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1420-A - A Steve Ditko Readers Treasury - 1954
• in Doomsday (K. G. Murray, 1972 series) #14 (March 1974)
• in Steve Ditko Reader (Pure Imagination, 2002 series) #3 (2005)
• in Steve Ditko's The Thing! (Pure Imagination, 2006 series) (2006)
• in The Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics, 2009 series) #1 - Strange Suspense (October 2009)
• in The Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics, 2014 series) #1 - Strange Suspense (2014)
• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1999-A - The Giant Readers Thing (2019)

Poor Fish! (Table of Contents: 7)

The Thing / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Carl Memling

Pencils

?

Inks

Chic Stone ?

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Rod Strang was an accomplished pickpocket who specialized in working over poor fish!

Genre

horror-suspense

Characters

The Thing (host); Rod Strang (pickpocket)

Synopsis

A pickpocket hides in an aquarium. He climbs into a tank of innocent looking small fish.

Reprints

• in Super Giant (K. G. Murray, 1973 series) #17 ([September 1975])
• in Ghostly Tales Album (K. G. Murray, 1980 series) #11 ([May 1980])
• in Gwandanaland Comics (Gwandanaland Comics, 2016 series) #1999-A - The Giant Readers Thing (2019)

Keywords

aquarium; fish; pickpocket; piranha