Number 1603: Heap big origin

“It walked in the woods. It was never born. It existed. Under the pine needles the fires burn, deep and smokeless in the mould. In heat and in darkness and decay there is growth. There is life and there is growth. It grew, but it is life and there is growth. It grew, but it was not alive. It walked unbreathing through the woods, and thought and saw and was hideous and strong, and it was not born and it did not live. It grew and lived about without living.”  Theodore Sturgeon, “It”

The classic story by Sturgeon, published in 1940 in John Campbell’s Unknown, has had an influence far past its initial publication.The novelette was hailed by readers as a classic. As far as I can tell the first “It” copycat was the Heap, who was a German flier of World War I. He died and then was resurrected during the next war as the shambling creature called Heap.

This is the origin of the Heap, told in Air Fighters Comics #3 (1942). The Heap was created by Harry Stein and artist Mort Leav, and probably wasn’t conceived as a permanent addition to the title. After appearing a few times, in 1946 the Heap found his way as a permanent back-up feature (sometimes featured on the cover) until Hillman closed out its comic book line in 1953.

The swamp creatures have come and gone in comics. They are always popular. Heap was, also, I believe, or he wouldn’t have been wandering about in different areas of the world for those years. But to the best of my knowledge all of those swamp creatures go back to Theodore Sturgeon’s incredible original story.

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 ...AND AS A BONUS FEATURE TODAY, HOME BUYING TIPS FROM PANIC AND JACK DAVIS

Today my son and his wife take possession and move into their new home in Western Pennsylvania. Mrs Pappy and I have their children staying with us, which is how we help the process. After all,we live 1600 miles apart (and it is a good excuse for me not to do any furniture moving and heavy lifting).

The last issue of EC Comics’ Panic (1955) featured this funny and well-drawn satire, “House Hunting.” The thing about the best satire is that it never gets too far from reality, just basically pointing out absurdities in any situation, such as looking for a house.

Number 1254: Horrors! It's Halloween!

Today is Halloween, and my one bag of jelly beans is ready to parcel out to the trick or treaters, one jelly bean at a time. I found the jelly beans in a drawer in the basement, so they are several years old. When I poured them into a bowl I noticed some of them were moldy. Nice guy that I am I picked out the worst of them. But my eyes, fried from sitting in front of a computer monitor all day, probably didn't detect them all. So, kids, c'mon over to Pappy's...and take your chances. Oh, yeah...I will put in one jelly bean per trick or treat bag. It's my way of fighting the childhood obesity epidemic. Gad — speaking of vision problems — I'm blinded by the glow from my own altruism and public spirit!

Here are two stories that are oldies, but unlike the jelly beans, not moldies. They’re original art from Vault of Horror. They show the artists, Ghastly Graham Ingels and Jack Davis, at the very top of their profession. I've complained about text-heavy comic books before, and that's true of these stories. They're very wordy. But the artwork...gasp! Choke! Good Lord!

“We Ain't Got No Body!” is from Vault of Horror #28, and “Tombs-Day” appeared in Vault of Horror #35. The scans were made by Heritage Auctions, and it was from their website that I shamelessly lifted them. I give all the credit to them for the sharp scans.

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This would be a good time to echo what my friend Chuck Wells at Comic Book Catacombs has recommended, the first issue of Craig Yoe's and Steve “Karswell” Banes' Haunted Horror. I'm doing this sight unseen, because I respect both those guys, and know first hand the quality they are known for.

Buy it!

Number 1219: Baseball by moonlight

Ty Cobb (1886-1961) was an awfully great baseball player and a greatly awful person. There are many stories of his nastiness. Despite the records he set and his accomplishments on the field he's just as well known for his bad temperment, his aggression and intimidation of opposing players. The story is that Cobb filed his steel cleats to be razor sharp, and when he stole bases he slid into base “with his feet up and steel showing.”

I'm sure that Ty Cobb was the inspiration for “Foul Play” in Haunt of Fear #19 (1953). The story, with its gory ending, was fairly typical EC-revenge. But it was brought before a stunned public of non-comics readers with a page in Seduction of the Innocent (1954) by Fredric Wertham, M.D.

The caption reads, “A comic-book baseball game. Notice the chest protector and other details in the text and pictures.”

In 1986 I attended a panel with Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis at the San Diego Con. Davis made mention of the horror comics and the trouble they caused. Speaking of the Senate hearings and uproar over them Davis said, “I'd lie awake at night and think, did I cause this?”

This is the infamous baseball story, drawn by Jack Davis, and written by editor Al Feldstein.

Number 1176: Cracked Jack Davis

Between his stints at Mad (mid-fifties to mid-sixties), Jack Davis’s familiar art was everywhere. I saw his work on magazine covers, record album covers, kids' books (Meet Abraham Lincoln, North American Indians, at Dell (Yak-Yak) and at Mad imitator Cracked.

Jack Davis is a true original, and he's been at his craft for a very long time. Here’s a photo of him I found online, taken at his studio in his home in Atlanta. 
 

These pages are from two 1960 issues of Cracked, #13 and #15.

Retro TV ads by Davis