Pre Code Classics Worlds Of Fear #1 HC

by Bernard Baily, Bob Powell (Contributor), Sheldon Moldoff (Illustrator)

Okay horror fans, check out these blood-soaked and brain-damaged gore-tests that make up the next volume of Voodoo. Packed full with the likes of 'Tusks of Terror!' In colonial India, the sadistic Colonel Rankin frames the Indian lover of his daughter for theft and sentences him to death. But Ahmed Rai reincarnates as a wild boar and pierces Rankin to death. 'The King of Hades' Gangster Johnnie Grotz is killed by his rivals and goes to Hell to be tormented by Satan. However he steals Satan's trident thus giving him control over him and all of his minions. Returning to the surface, Johnnie gets revenge on his enemies. After returning to Hell, Johnnie humiliates Satan by getting him to shine his shoes. When Johnnie mistakenly drops the trident, a vengeful Satan reclaims it and plans to make Johnnie suffer! Collects Voodoo #10-14 (July 1953-March/April 1954).

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Bernard Baily was an American comic book artist best known as co-creator of the DC Comics characters the Spectre and Hourman, and a comics publisher, writer, and editor.

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1954, there was a sea change in the publication of comics. Dr. Frederic Wertham, now dismissed as a crank that falsified data, published his book “Seduction of the Innocent,” in 1954. In his book he reached the conclusion that comic books promoted delinquency and a lack of respect for authority in children. In response to the genuine fear that they would be censored by the government, the publishers enacted what was called the comics code authority.
There were 41 provisions to the code and the words “terror” and “fear” were banned from the titles. Nudity and any references to sex or drugs were also forbidden. Violence was toned down to the point where it was minimal and the previous depictions of gore, where humans were severely damaged or killed, disappeared.
This book contains the “Worlds of Fear” issues from November 1951 through June 1953. By modern standards, the artwork is weak and the dialog rather stilted, yet the horror stories remain horror stories. Not really different from the B movie horror stories that were so popular at the time.
This book is a historical look back and when one considers what is fairly standard fare in modern entertainment, even that which is available to children, it comes across as rather tame.

[Chris Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some classic goodies in this one,
The Strangler and the Devil Puppet!