This copy of Ripley's Believe It or Not True Ghost Stories comic was among the coverless comics I picked up a while back. It features four stories of Comics Code approved horror (translation, not horror). But as it turns out, the comic does have justification in calling these "true ghost stories" as at least a couple are in fact based on true legends.
"The Weeping Ghost" tells the story of the murder of King Charles II's illegitimate son by his mistress Nell Gwyn.
While in the comic, Nell throws her baby to its death, the generally accepted legend is she simply hung him out a window until King Charles dubbed the child the Earl of Burford.
These text stories were typically thrown into comics so that they met guidelines for magazine postal rates. I could find no evidence of a Moses Gort.
The Phantom Hands of Dartmoor is based on an urban legend in the English county of Devon.
Tragedy sounds like "Krruummpp!"
I found no information on an urban legend involving a Woodchopper. Woodchippers, yes.
Similarly, I could find no connection of "The Doomsday Express" to any urban legends.
Minor nitpick, Tom - Gold Key never submitted their books to the Comics Code Authority.
ReplyDeleteExcellent observation. I never noticed they weren't Comics Code approved. I could say that this was a coverless comic so I wouldn't know, but I own a number of Gold Key books. I just never caught that. According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, "two major publishers of comics – Dell Comics and Gold Key Comics – did not display the seal because their output was subject to a higher authority - their licensors".
DeleteMan I always wanted to order that 100 army men pack. I was always told no even when I made my own money nobody would order it for me!
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to order one, too! Never was able to.
DeleteHere's what you would have gotten. http://neatocoolville.blogspot.com/2012/03/mail-order-mysteries-by-kirk-demarais.html
DeleteHuh... They look really... flat.
DeleteThanks for posting. These were fun reads. You say there was no mention of the train crash premonitions, but I really remember something about this. Maybe I read this comic as a kid, I don't know. But it felt really familiar.
ReplyDeleteIt sounded familiar to me too Joe, and I would imagine all of these were based on some stories, legend or otherwise. I just couldn't find anything through a limited search (meaning I didn't spend more than 10 minutes looking!)
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