We begin with a framing sequence featuring the three witches drawn by George Tuska. Cynthia prepares a witch's brew. Mordred insults her, but Cynthia insists on doing her own thing claiming it to be Witch's Lib. A guest then arrives, so the witches sit down to tell stories.
Our first story is "Freddy Is Another Name for Fear" by George Kashdan and Wally Wood. Two rival psychologists plot to manipulate Freddy, a strong halfwit, into murdering the other, but the halfwit ends up killing both of them.
Next up is "Bayou Witch" by Phil Seuling and Gray Morrow. A local Heck Belleau stirs up the populace against Old Yeller Maggie, claiming she was a swamp witch and that she was casting spells against him. Maggie was known for selling "Love Potions" and doctoring the sick. Still, Heck Helleau turned the town against her and she declares that she will no longer help the people and that, yes, in case they were wondering, she was a witch.
The luck of the people turned at that time: their boats leaked, the taxmen found their stills, storms tore off roofs, chickens stopped laying eggs, the measles ran rampant, and worse of all, the rain stopped falling. The people knew it was Maggie's doing and a group of men went into the swamp to find her and end their run of bad luck. Someone was responsible for the bad luck they were suffering through and they all knew who it was.
They formed a lynch mob and strung up old Heck Belleau, the man who started all the trouble with Maggie, but she intercedes and saves his life, telling them that they'll have their good luck spells back. They release Heck and when he runs off they never see him again.
Phil Seuling is known for staging the First International Convention of Comic Art in 1968 and the first New York Comic Art Convention in 1969. In 1971 he wrote three comic book stories: one for Skywald, one for Warren, and this one for DC. In 1972, Seuling founded Sea Gate Distributors and created the direct market for comic book sales. Of Seuling's contribution of comics, Mark Evanier wrote that
. . . it became apparent that the old method was being destroyed, with or without selling books the Seuling way, so DC, Marvel, and other companies tried it. Within a year, around 25% of all comic books were being sold via 'direct' distribution, through Seuling's company and about a dozen others, with 75% still on conventional newsstands. Within ten years, those percentages were reversed. Today, the 'direct market' is the primary market.
Phil Seuling died on August 21, 1984, and the following year, Sea Gate closed down.
We end with "I Married a Ghost" by Murray Boltinoff and Artie Saaf. A man and his intended bride are in an auto accident which results in the woman's death. The groom still can see her ghost so he tells his best man that they are going to be married tonight. His friend humors him until he can make an appointment with a doctor.
The ghost tries to kill her husband so that they can be together in death and so the man releases her from her vow after his friend rescues him. The friend gets a therapist to take him to an asylum, but the friend is disturbed because he thinks that he is beginning to perceive the dead woman's presence as well.
The entire issue was reprinted in Showcase Presents: The Witching Hour Vol. 1 TPB (2011).
Edited by Murray Boltinoff.
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