Friday, March 14, 2008

House of Mystery #174

House of Mystery #174 (On Sale: March 14, 1968) has a nice spooky cover by new editor Joe Orlando and George Roussos.

Gone is Dial H for HERO, The Martian Manhunter and editor George Kashdan. In their place is an idea that hasn't been attempted since the Comics Code was created in the 1950s: horror is returning to comics, though this first attempt is really just a compilation of old reprints with a new cover and a smidgen of humor from Sergio Aragones.

"The Wondrous Witch's Cauldron" is drawn by Lee Elias and reprinted from House of Secrets #58. "The Man Who Hated Good Luck" drawn by Johnny Quest creator Doug Wildey is from House of Secrets #17 and contains some really beautiful Wildey artwork. A man saves a stranger from a runaway horse and is granted four strokes of good luck, but is told he must turn the first three down to capture the fourth, which is the greatest of them all.

(You'd better hang on to your good luck amulets...) is written by Joe Orlando and drawn by Mad's Sergio Aragones. "Museum of Worthless Inventions" from House of Secrets #13 is drawn by Bernard Baily while "The Court of Creatures," featuring Mark Merlin, is by Jack Miller, Carmine Infantino and Mort Meskin and comes to us from House of Secrets #43.

The entire contents of this book was reprinted in Showcase Presents The House of Mystery #1.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

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