Witching Hour #17

Witching Hour #17 (On Sale: August 10, 1971), has a cover by Nick Cardy.

We begin with a framing sequence drawn by Geroge Tuska. The witches move into a new house in the city. At first, they miss their old house, but the smog and view of the polluted river raise their spirits, inspiring them to tell stories.

Our first tale is "This Little Witch Went to College" by George Kashdan and Don Heck. When a college coed goes missing, the campus coven attempts to get a new initiate, Claire, to stop Frederick Stokes from investigating a death that will lead him straight to the witches.

Next up is "Fingers of Fear" by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, and Sy Barry and reprinted from Sensation Comics #109 (1952). Albert Tisdale kills the other members of his expedition, but then their faces begin to appear on his fingers and try to take their revenge.

Our next reprint is "The Second Life of Simon Steele" drawn by Howard Sherman and reprinted from House of Secrets #46 (1961). The ghost of a lawyer who relied on sorcery returns after 150 years to take revenge on the descendant of the person who stopped him originally.

That takes us to "The Corpse Who Carried Cash" by Murray Boltinoff, John Calnan, and Vince Colletta. A funeral home employee embezzles from his boss and decides to hide the money in the casket of a recently dead person overnight. He realizes the error of his ways when his boss informs him the following morning that the man had been cremated.

We end with "The Man in the Cellar" by Carl Wessler and Jerry Grandenetti. Miser Ephraim Dark meets a kind stranger through a mirror that he keeps in his cellar. The stranger pulls Ephraim through the mirror and offers him a meal but Ephraim can only think he's being spied on so the stranger can steal his money. When Ephraim notices a painting ajar, he knows that he's located the man's safe. He steals the money and flees back through the mirror, but he panics that they might be able to follow him through the mirror so he burns the money. 

Still not satisfied that he is safe, he breaks the mirror. When he checks his own money hiding place he is shocked to discover his money is gone. The face of the stranger appears and Ephraim realizes the stranger is himself living another life if he had not been a miser. Ephraim realizes that the money he stole and destroyed was his own.

All new material reprinted in Showcase Presents: The Witching Hour Vol. 1 TPB (2011).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Unexpected #127

Unexpected #127 (On Sale: July 22, 1971), has a very nice cover by Nick Cardy.

We begin with  "Follow the Piper to Your Grave" by Robert Kanigher and George Tuska. A man leaves his girlfriend at a house in the swamp which turns out to be haunted by a killer. Once he realizes this, he rushes back into his car even though he has been warned that the bridge is out. Meanwhile, strange pipe music wakes the girl and compels her to follow it into the bog where she will drown. 

She prays for her man to save her and suddenly he appears to pull her from the bog. She wonders why the music doesn't affect him and, abruptly, he fades away. She is puzzled until the man who warned her boyfriend about the bridge being out appears. She learns that he died in attempting to jump the collapsed bridge in order to save her.

Next, we have "The Cats Who Knew Too Much" by Jack Kirby and reprinted from House of Secrets #8 (1958). Butler Michael Renner kills his employer but soon finds out that her will stipulates he must take care of her cats or he will receive no money. Soon he begins to imagine that the cats are out to get him.

That brings us to "The Ferry Was Waiting" drawn by John Giunta and reprinted from Sensation Comics #109 (1952). Doctor Rawlings is transported on a night ferry whose captain died shortly ago. This way the deceased captain pays off a debt to the doctor.

That is followed by "The 30,000 Corpses" by Murray Boltinoff, John Calnan, and Vince Colletta. A criminal is released from prison but he gets an unexpected surprise when he goes to retrieve the stolen money he hid before he was caught.

Next up is Johnny Peril in "Queen of the Snows" by Robert Kanigher,  Alex Toth, and Sy Barry and reprinted from Sensation Comics #107 (1952). Johnny Peril finds his friend Lee Allen, who just before he dies swears he has seen Subara the Ice Queen, who the natives believe lives on frozen Mt. Subara. Johnny returns to the mountain with two more friends, but only he encounters Subara. They refuse to believe he met the mythical woman until he produces her crown of roses.

That brings us to "Frightened to Death" by Murray Boltinoff and George Tuska. A man in a raft floating on the ocean finally finds land. 

We end with "Till Death Us Do Unite" by George Kashdan and Jim Aparo. Truman Wilkes kills and disposes of his wife, but with no physical body, he must wait seven years until she is ruled legally dead to inherit her money.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Unexpected #126

Unexpected #126 (On Sale: June 24, 1971), has a cover by Nick Cardy.

We begin this issue with our cover story, "You Are Cordially Invited... to Die" by George Kashdan, Dick Dillin, and Vince Colletta. While on his deathbed, Hiram makes a deal with a mysterious figure for one more hour of life. He ends up having to become the Devil's go-between for others wishing to make the same bargain.

Next up is "Cat Tale" by Murray Boltinoff and Rich Buckler. Mrs. McDougal, an old cat lady, has a disagreement with your landlord.

Next, we have "The Doomsday Drum" by Dave Wood, Joe Maneely, and Joe Sinnott and reprinted from House of Secrets #9 (1958). 

Joe Maneely was mainly thought of as an Atlas (Marvel) artist, but the year before his death in 1958, he started working for DC as well, where he penciled 10 stories in all, half for the House of Mystery. Modern comic fans know little to nothing regarding Joe, who was a master of all genres of comic art and best known as the co-creator of the Black Knight, the Ringo Kid, the Yellow Claw, and Jimmy Woo. Had he not died in a commuter-train accident at 32, Maneely would have been one of the greats at Marvel. Stan Lee said, "Joe Maneely to me would have been the next Jack Kirby. He also could draw anything, make anything look exciting, and I actually think he was even faster than Jack."

Our next story is "Please Let Me Die" by Dave Wood and Bruno Premiani. Charlie Kimble hears the voices of his dead cellmates.

Bruno Premiani started his career at Prize Comics with Young Love #4 in 1949 and his first work for DC was that same year in World Finest Comics #42. By 1950, Bruno was working almost exclusively for DC, starting out as a western artist with Tomahawk #1. He stayed with that book for 36 issues. Bruno's real claim to fame came along in 1963 in My Greatest Adventure #80 where he and Arnold Drake created the Doom Patrol. He would stay with the Doom Patrol till the original series ended in 1968. After that series ended Bruno would only draw two more stories, this being his final comic work. All told, Bruno Premiani drew 175 stories for DC.

This story is followed by "The Town That Buried Me Alive" drawn by Alex Toth and reprinted from House of Mystery #149 (1965). A twin is having memory problems, uncertain which one he is.

We end this issue with "Seek Your Own Grave" by George Kashdan and Jerry Grandenetti. Three criminals kill an old prospector hoping to find his cache of gold.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Unexpected #125

Unexpected #125 (On Sale: April 22, 1971), has an underwhelming cover by Nick Cardy. The unimaginative color is what truly ruins this cover.

This issue starts off with "Screech of Guilt" by George Kashdan and Artie Saaf. Though I am not a huge fan of Saaf, he did some nice work here and there in this story. Nicholas murders his business partner, Clinton, after Clinton discovered he was embezzling money from their company. Afterward, he hears Clinton's last words, daring Nicholas to kill him, repeated over and over, only to discover Clinton's pet parrot who continually repeats the murdered man's last conversation. 

Nicholas attempts to silence the bird, but it eludes him. Weeks later Clinton's widow calls Nicholas to her house and gives him the returned parrot. He grabs the bird and attempts to drive it somewhere private where he can shoot it, but notices a cop tailing him and panics, releasing the bird from its cage. When the cop bypasses him, he realizes that he still has a chance to track the parrot on foot. The bird leads him into a parrot jungle where his buddies peck the man to death.

Next is  "Escape into the Unknown" by Carl Wessler and Sid Greene. Convicted kidnapper Lefty, escapes from prison and hides out inside a rocket at a launch facility. While there, scientists arrive and load the rocket up with food capsules and water. Lefty wants to get off the rocket but is unable to do so. The next night he is awakened by the rumble of this ship then the weightlessness of space. Alone in the ship, Lefty goes mad, seeing people from his past. Time goes on and then one day the rocket returns to earth and when men open the capsule they find Lefty, an old man, having been in orbit for 48 years, his life sentence having not really been avoided.

We end with  "Know No Evil" by George Kashdan and Jerry Grandenetti. Ferghol has discovered a strange creature created by an ancient wizard. Using a special formula derived from rare flowers, Ferghol is able to transfer the evil from a man to a creature, named Amram, for 24 hours. The man may then commit any crime without being caught. Amram, however, is disfigured for each crime committed.

When one of Ferghol's clients confesses, Amram's disfigurement is reversed. Hoping to regain his normal body, Amram escapes in an effort to elicit more confessions. Ferghol pursues and is accidentally killed. Amram is caught. His case comes to the court of Judge Gallows, who believes the story and acquits Amram. Gallows is then forced off the bench by colleagues believing him to be senile.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Witching Hour #15

Witching Hour #15 (On Sale: April 8, 1971), has a cover by Nick Cardy.

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.

Young Romance #171

Young Romance #171 (On Sale: February 18, 1971), has a cover by Don Heck and Dick Giordano.

We begin with "Let Me Share My Heart with You" by Robert Kanigher, Artie Saaf, and Tony DeZuñiga.

Next is the reprint "Strangers in Love" penciled by John Romita and originally published in Heart Throbs #93 (1965) where it was entitled "A Date with Heartbreak!".

Next is a one-page "Do's and Dont's of Dating" drawn by Tony DeZuñiga.

That is followed by "How Much Can My Love Buy?" by George Kashdan, Artie Saaf, Vince Colletta, and Tony DeZuñiga.

Next, we have "Which Man Is Mine" with pencils by John Romita and which is reprinted from Secret Hearts #68 (1961).

Following that is a one-page "How to Lose 5 lbs. in 5 Days!" by Liz Berube.

Our next reprint is "Afraid to Love" also with pencils by John Romita and which is reprinted from Falling in Love #36 (1960).

We end with "Nice Girls Are Out of Style" by Barbara Friedlander, Kurt Schaffenberger, and Vince Colletta.

Edited for the first time by Dorothy Woolfolk.

Unexpected #124

Unexpected #124 (On Sale: February 16, 1971), has a cover by Neal Adams.

We begin this issue with "These Walls Shall Be Your Grave" by George Kashdan and Jerry Grandenetti. A mad psychologist is humored by the personnel of the asylum into believing that he is the director of the institution.

Next up is our cover story, "Gift of the Ghouls" by George Kashdan and George Tuska. A boy and his family move into a new neighborhood wherein resides a coven fearful of the boy as he possesses the power to destroy them when he comes of age. They attempt to kill him while making it seem like an accident,  but the boy calls them out on their intentions much to his parent's chagrin. The mother begins to suspect their neighbor's odd behavior, but the father is convinced they are decent folk when they offer their son a cake for his upcoming birthday. They hope the poisoned cake will save them, but when the boy has an intuition to blow out the candles, the snuffed flames destroy the evil witches.

We end this issue with "The Incredible Rebirth of Martin Phipps" by Carl Wessler and Jack Sparling.

Edited by Murray Boltioff.

Girls' Love Stories #157

Girls' Love Stories #157 (On Sale: December 29, 1970), has a cover at least inked by Tony DeZuniga. The pencils might by Artie Saaf, Werner Roth, or Bill Draut, or who knows.

We begin with the cover story, "One Husband, Two Loves" by George Kashdan, Werner Roth, and Murphy Anderson. Felice marries Amos, her much-older boss, but when she meets her handsome stepson Jeremy she finds herself attracted to him.

Next is "Love Thy Neighbor" by Jack Oleck and Artie Saaf. Millie finds her new neighbor Ben to be extremely annoying, but of course they fall in love before long.

That is followed by an untitled one-pager by Henry Boltinoff and Lee Elias. A girl realizes that she copied her test answers from the wrong person when he fails the test.

Next, we have "Your Dreams Are Mine" drawn by Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs and reprinted from Heart Throbs #64 (1960). Meg's boyfriend Adam encourages her to pursue a singing career away from their small town, and he wants to go along as her manager. She becomes very successful in Los Angeles, but the big city lifestyle starts to change Adam.

We next have a half-page untitled story by Henry Boltinoff, Winslow Mortimer, and Jack Abel. Unwilling to accept her date's amorous advances, a girl tricks him into getting out of the car so that she can drive off and leave him stranded. 

We end with "Anatomy of a Romance" by Barbara Friedlander, Bill Draut, and Tony DeZuñiga. When Jean sees her boyfriend Gary with another woman she wants to break up with him, but her married sister helps her to see her mistake.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Unexpected #122

Unexpected #122 (On Sale: October 6, 1970) has a  cover by Dick Giordano.

It is issues like this that made me hate the Unexpected. The stories are some of the most banal and uninteresting tales you will ever read. "The Phantom of the Woodstock Festival" by George Kashdan, Dick Dillin and Vince Colletta. Given this is a DC story and there are "young people" in it, you know the dialogue is as corny as can be, full of "Crazy Man"s and "splitsville"s and all sort of things no one ever really said. Three members of a struggling rock group, "The Stone Cantaloupes," are on their way to the Woodstock Festival and looking for a place to stay, so they stop at a deserted monastery for the night. They find an old organ there and Forbush starts playing it while the others jam along, lead singer Trina leading the way. 

That night a voice calling to her wakes Trina up and she finds the "owner" of the place, a hooded man rejected by society years ago for his "mad" music. The guys wake up and begin to search for Trina, only to get locked in an air-tight room. The "owner" is revealed to be not that good looking and plans on letting the boys die so he can have Trina's voice to himself.

The boys find a piece of sheet music in the room and Forbush begins to play it on the organ and as he does so the door begins to move. opening up so they can escape, which they do taking Trina out of the clutches of the "owner" and away with them to the festival. At Woodstock, Forbush, sheet music in hand, plans to go back to the monastery and retrieve the organ once the festival is over, but a gust of wind blows it from his hands and it is lost in the debris of Woodstock. The dumbass end. 

The next underwhelming story is "Lady Killer" by Al Case (Murray Boltinoff) and Murphy Anderson. A guy hides out in a department store every night to spend some time with his girlfriend. Do I need to go any further? At work his friends all laugh at him, calling him "lady killer" as a joke as they all know he is alone. One night when he has to work late and can't get to the store before it closes he sees his "girlfriend" in the window in a wedding dress and goes ape shit. I guess if you are the editor you can make a few extra bucks by calling this a story.

Next we have "To Die a Dozen Deaths!" by Carl Wessler, Jerry Grandenetti and Wally Wood. Guy kills a Gypsy man and is cursed to die a dozen deaths and while awaiting his execution has 11 dreams of being hung. The twelfth time is real. Wow, what a story. Grandenetti and Wood have done some interesting work together in the past, but this is not one of those times.

We end with "Scarecrow" where editor Murray Boltinoff makes another few bucks and Jerry Grandenetti does as well in this story of a man tormented by crows who wants to get a scarecrow to get rid of them and accidentally impales himself on a pitchfork becoming his own scarecrow. I think I actually bought this pile of crap of the stands.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Unexpected #121

Unexpected #121 (On Sale: August 6, 1970) has a less than spectacular cover by Neal Adams. This cover is all over the place, with no point of focus and, let's be frank, on top of that it ain't very pretty.

The Unexpected was always the bastard child of DC horror books. There was Joe Orlando's House of Mystery and Dick Giordano's House of Secrets and The Witching Hour, books that you didn't want to miss an issue of. then there was Murray Boltinoff's The Unexpected. The book had this ungodly large and fairly ugly logo that took up way too much room and I don't know who was designing their covers, but they were always second-, if not third-best. If you ever suffer from insomnia, browsing a cover gallery of The Unexpected is a wonderful cure. I don't know if this book sold well or not, but I do know that probably half the time I could pass on this comic and not feel any sense of loss. 

We begin with "Daddy's Gone A-Haunting" by George Kashdan and Jerry Grandenetti. In this eight-page tale, daddy Jonah, an herbal healer, is chased by the townsfolk until he befriends a little boy who helps him save the town doctor.

Next is "Within These Walls Dwells Fear," a ten-page Judge Gallows story by George Kashdan (writing as Jack Phillips), Dick Dillin and Frank Giacoia.  When Phil and Mary Coyle buy a new house in the country, the townsfolk try to scare them away.

That is followed by "Would You Want to Know the Day You Die?" This ten-page story is by Dave Wood, John Calnan and Vinnie Colletta. Don Young never cared about saving money, until he got married and then worked himself into an early grave. 

John Calnan noted in an interview that he "graduated high school and then went to the School of Visual Arts, which at that time was the cartoonists and illustrators school where I met Tom Gill and inked The Lone Ranger and also worked on other Westerns, including Cheyenne. So that was my introduction into the field." He later became an advertising art director and TV producer for agencies, while keeping the comic work "on the side". He drew exclusively for DC for sixteen years then stopped. His early work was mostly war and horror books, the horror books exclusively for Murray Boltinoff. He would do some Superman and Metamorpho stories then a stint drawing Superman/Batman in World's Finest but is maybe most remembered for a late 1970's run on Batman. 

Next we have "The Hound of Night" by Murray Boltinoff (writing as Al Case) and Bernie Wrightson. Just a single page but Wrightson makes it worth a look. A dog's constant howling drives a man to take drastic action.

We end with another one-pager, "Hand-Made Haunted House!" This little ditty is also written by Murray Boltinoff as Al Case and drawn by George Tuska.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Tomahawk #130

Tomahawk #130 (On Sale: July 2, 1970) has a cover by Neal Adams.

Well, the great run on Neal Adams' covers and the superior artwork by Frank Thorne could not quite save Tomahawk. This is the last issue to go by that name, at least on the cover, as next issue is known as Hawk, Son of Tomahawk as Joe Kubert takes over the editorial reigns from Murray Boltinoff. We begin this last true Tomahawk issue with "Deathwatch at Desolation Valley" by Robert Kanigher and Frank Thorne.

The back-up Tomahawk story is "A Bullet for My Brother" by George Kashdan and Frank Thorne.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Unexpected #120

Unexpected #120 (On Sale: June 4, 1970) has a cover by Nick Cardy.

We begin with "Rambeau's Revenge" by Carl Wessler and George Tuska. A disfigured teenager uses voodoo to take revenge on classmates who taunted him by disfiguring their looks using acid and voodoo dolls. When they approach his cabin to take revenge, he panics and spills acid on the figurine that he had made of himself, removing his facial features altogether. Note: Sylvester Stallone is not in this story, despite the name.

Next is "The Gravediggers" by Carl Wessler, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. Jim Marlowe is always playing mean practical jokes on his friends. When they finally turn the tables on him, playing a huge joke wherein he thinks they are going to kill him, he goes insane. Not really much of a story here, but I never expected much from The Unexpected.

That is followed by "Once Upon a Killer," also by Carl Wessler and George Tuska. Fugitive killer Rud Harlow stumbles out of the Arizona desert looking for water. He finds a ranch and when the owner refuses to show him where the water is he kills him.  Out back he finds a water hole and drinks deeply before realizing the hole is poisoned and that he had killed the old rancher before he could warn him.

We end with  "Haunted House Do Not Disturb" by George Kashdan and Jerry Grandenetti. With the best artwork in this issue, we see Martin and Wilma visiting the old English Frumley Castle and are invited, for an extra fee to spend the night in the castle and meet the ghost that haunts it. Martin is all for it and a reluctant Wilma accompanies him. The lord of the castle warns them not to disturb the ghost if they see it, but when a ghost appears at midnight, Martine chases after it, only to be trapped in the castle tower by the ghost.

He begs the ghost not to hurt him and the ghost replies that he is a ghost and incapable of hurting him. The ghost is the Earl of Meacham, the original and true owner of the castle. The first Lord Frumley was his cousin and stayed with him in the castle, but he was also Meacham's murderer, who forged a deed to the property and stole the castle from his family. The real deed has been hidden for centuries and the ghost has waited patiently for someone to help retrieve it. Wilma has awakened Lord Frumley to help look for Martin, but Frumley has other ideas. 

He has waited for someone to do the ghost's bidding so he can finally destroy the real deed. Martin meets up with Wilma and together they recover the real deed from the castle graveyard. Frumley arrives with gun in hand to take it from them when a lantern from the castle crashes to the ground, startling them all and allowing Martin to disarm Frumley. The deed recovered and safe, the ghost leaves the castle, waving to the pair as it goes.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

 

Unexpected #119

Unexpected #119 (On Sale: April 2, 1970) has a cover by Nick Cardy.

We begin with "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Deadliest of All?" drawn by Bernie Wrightson. That is followed by "The Swampchild" by Carl Wessler, Werner Roth and Frank Giacoia. Next is "Rachel Isn't Ready to Die" by George Kashdan, Sid Greene and Vinny Colletta. We next have "Rest in Pieces" drawn by Murphy Anderson and reprinted in Unexpected #160. We end with "A Phantom in the Tree" by Murray Boltinoff and Jerry Grandenetti.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Tomahawk #128

Tomahawk #128 (On Sale: March 5, 1970) has cover by Neal Adams. The layout of this one seems forced; the medicine man and the archers too squeezed into the picture and the coloring somewhat off-putting.

This issue begins with Tomahawk in "Rangers -- Your 9 Lives for Mine" by Robert Kanigher and Frank Thorne. The back-up Tomahawk story is "Stovepipe's Secret Skirmish" by George Kashdan and Frank Thorne.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Unexpected #118

Unexpected #118 (On Sale: February 5, 1970) has a cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with "Play a Tune of Treachery" by George Kashdan, John Calnan and Murphy Anderson. Next is "The Face in the Ball" by Jack Oleck and Jerry Grandenetti. This story was reprinted in Unexpected #161. We end with our cover-story, "Why Was Everyone Afraid of Hester?" by George Kashdan and George Tuska.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Unexpected #117

Unexpected #117 (On Sale: December 4, 1969) has a cover by Nick Cardy.

We begin with Johnny Peril in "Midnight Summons the Executioner" by George Kashdan and Sid Greene. This is the last Johnny Peril story for ten years. Next is "Hands of Death" by Murray Boltinoff and Jerry Grandenetti. That is followed by "The House That Hate Built" by Carl Wessler and George Tuska. This story was reprinted in Unexpected #161. We end with "Death of the Man Who Never Lived" by Carl Wessler and Bruno Premiani.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Unexpected #114

Unexpected #114 (On Sale: June 5, 1969) has an unimpressive cover by Neal Adams.

We begin with Johnny Peril in "My Self -- My Enemy" by George Kashdan, Ed Robbins and Vinnie Colletta. That is followed by our cover-story, "The Well of Second Chances" by Dave Wood and Artie Saaf.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Unexpected #113

Unexpected #113 (On Sale: April 3, 1969) has a cover by Neal Adams. Its another of Neal's image within an image pictures. It was a cool idea with really interesting color, but I don't think it works.

We begin with Johnny Peril in "The Shriek of Vengeance" by George Kashdan, Jack Sparling and Vinny Colletta. Next is "The Eyes of Death" by Dave Wood and Pat Boyette. We end with our cover-story, "The Tunnel of Fear" by Dave Wood, Curt Swan and Mike Esposito.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Tomahawk #122

Tomahawk #122 (On Sale: March 6, 1969) has a cover by Irv Novick as Neal Adams takes the month off another cover he usually creates. Novick does an admirable job by giving us a dramatic angle and an exciting action sequence.

Inside we have two Tomahawk stories: "Must the Brave Die" by Robert Kanigher and Frank Thorne and "Brass Buttons' Double War" by George Kashdan and Frank Thorne. The Thorne art throughout is just classic good story-telling.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Unexpected #112

Unexpected #112 (On Sale: February 6, 1969) has a nice cover by Neal Adams.

Johnny Peril stars in "The Brain Robbers" by George Kashdan and Jack Sparling. "Burn, Match, Burn" is by Dave Wood and Artie Saaf and "The Corpse That Didn't Die" is by Dave Wood and Pat Boyette and was reprinted in Unexpected #162.

Dave Wood's (AKA D. W. Holtz and D. W. Holz) first writing for DC was in Big Town #1, January 1951. In the early '50s he also wrote a number of Strong Bow stories for All-Star Western and Foley of the Fighting Fifth for All-American Western and Western Comics. He wrote for numerous issues of Rex the Wonder Dog beginning with issue #1 and pulled a long stint on the DC war books, All-American Men of War, Our Army at War and Star Spangled War Stories.

For World's Finest Comics he wrote Green Arrow, Tomahawk and Batman/Superman stories. He also wrote Batman stories in Batman and Detective Comics and Superman stories in Superman. For Mystery In Space he wrote Adam Strange, Space Ranger and Ultra the Multi-Alien (Dave's creation) and for Strange Adventures he wrote Star Hawkins and Animal Man (Dave's creation). Dave Wood also wrote a number of Dial H for HERO stories for House of Mystery and the Martian Manhunter for House of Secrets.

In 1968 he made the rounds of the Mort Weisinger books doing Supergirl in Action Comics and the Superboy and Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen features, but by 1969, Dave was relegated to this single Murray Boltinoff mystery title, where, except for a fill-in back-up story in the Boltinoff-edited Challengers of the Unknown (a story most likely written for the Unexpected), Dave would finish his career at DC.

Before coming to DC, Dave wrote Blackhawk stories for Quality from 1940-1949 and wrote Bombshell for Lev Gleason. During his time at DC Dave also wrote adventure stories for Harvey Comics and between 1958 and 1960 wrote the daily syndicated strip Sky Masters of the Space Force drawn by Jack Kirby and Wally Wood.

I don't know why Dave left DC or what happened to him after he left DC except for a single story he wrote that appeared in Creepy Magazine in 1971. This was the time when the old guard of writers were being pushed out and Dave Wood was most likely just part of that push. Dave's stories in Unexpected would appear regularly for the rest of 1969, then in three issues in 1970 then one issue in 1971, 1973, 1974 and finally in 1975.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.