My Rating
“Bog Beast”
The monster had crawled from the dark ooze filling the La Brea Tar Pits, searching for knowledge of the surface world above him. His kind had tunneled deep into the earth during the last ice age, but their elders grew weary in the dark places not meant for the living. In the next few hours, man will encounter their past in this exciting tale which could change world history as we know it.
Was it safe for the underground people to prosper in a world they left behind an eon ago? Could humans coexist with those so hideous and alien in appearance? Will a disgruntled special effects artist destroy any chance for a first contact moment?
“Dr. Mercurio’s Diary”
The virus in Marci’s blood was like nothing Dr. Mercurio had ever studied. All the red blood cells were devouring within minutes, leaving the host blood in an anemic state. So this was the cause of the young woman’s illness. It starved her body, forcing Marcia to crave fresh blood no matter the cost.
Mercurio stepped away from the microscope. He had to find a cure for this blight, but it would take living hosts to properly test a vaccine. Human trials were out of the question as the disease could spread rapidly to the nearby village. Dr. Mercurio needed a disposable population and that meant only one thing. Rats!
“Carrion Of The Gods”
The planet had been overrun by the “mistakes” of unattended gods who left their spirit creations with no guidance or source of evolution. It may have been blind curiosity, or the chaotic nature of their environment, but in time, each one of the sentient vessels possessed an animal one after another.
No matter the cause, the gods were enraged by the effect. They soon sent their scientists, arrogant men with no sense of wrongdoing, to find and “cure” the beasts. With them came their generals and a host of narcissistic subordinates trained in war as well as the hunt. These men were given only one order to recover those considered “abominations” for genetic reconstruction.
“Films Of Edgar Allan Poe”
Writer and Reviewer, Karl Macek, presents his “Informal History of Films”, an article based on the pre 1970 theatrical adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe’s work. His main focus here seems to be the films produced by legendary film producer Roger Corman, but there is some attention paid to the earliest productions starting in 1914.
This is a very informative piece for those seeking old movies based on Poe’s stories, as Karl Macek lists pretty much every one of them in sequence. Several of the Corman productions star a recurring cast of actors. Mainly Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, and Peter Lorre. There is a brief mention of Jack Nicholson who started off in roles such as the Raven.
Karl Macek gives his opinions on a few of the Roger Corman films, some not so supportive, but overall he leaves readers inspired to seek out these flicks. For fans of campy horror, or Roger Corman fanatics in general, this article can be used as a pull list of sorts. To modern horror movie goers, these films may not be for you.
“Who Toys With Terror”
Adam’s Uncle Raymond had caught the boy skipping school again to play with his toy monsters. Those nasty little things had become his whole world since his parents died a year ago. Now the boy begged and pleaded with his uncle not to take his friends away. Why did Adam care so much about plastic versions of Dracula, the Wolfman, and all that other Hollywood tripe? Over the next few days Raymond Cobb would wish he had never asked himself that question.
“Staff Of Death”
The Puritan township has seen little hardship since it was established twenty odd years ago. The farms prospered, their animals grew fat off the land, and the church brought the community together in peaceful resolution. Yet, there was one sin that plagued the womenfolk in the county proper. Jealous.
There was no bigger cause of this covetousness than the buxomous pig farmer, Maude Wicce. When the woman strolled through town, all the men took notice. Her curves and flirtatious nature could test even the most pious red-blooded male. This did not go unnoticed by those of the opposing sex. The spinster Elizabeth Flun would champion the downfall of the oddly behaved Wicce when the self-proclaimed witch hunter extraordinaire, Dr. Raymond Gault, arrived one summer’s eve.
Reviewer Notes
I’ve admitted before that I’m not a fan of anthology-style storytelling which seemed so popular before 1978. Issue two of Weird Tales of the Macabre is the exception to my previous statement. If there is one magazine that stands out in the limited publication history of Atlas/Seaboard Periodicals, this would be one.
The stories in this magazine cover a broad spectrum of styles, including the traditional Elizabethan, a “Twilight Zone” inspired plot twist, as well as a “Chariots of the Gods” knockoff which would make writer, Erich von Däniken, proud. I found each story entertaining, with two of them I feel could have been rolled into a miniseries. The vampire rats in “Dr. Mercurio’s Diary” definitely could hold their own in a breakout series. And let’s not forget the wonderful article on Edgar Allen Poe. There is plenty of gold here for any true fan of classic horror.
Editor Jeff Rovin, of Warren Publishing fame, certainly hired top-notch artists for this series. With company owner, Martin Goodman, offering the best rates in the business, the gravy train landed artists: Pat Boyette – who would be best known for his two-decade run at Charlton Comics, and Badia Romero – who was active until 2005 with Titan Comics, John Severin – one of the founding artists at Mad magazine, Leo Summers – who had a lengthy career in both pulp magazines and DC Comics, and Xirinius (Jaime Juez Castellà) – famed Italian artist who worked in comic strips and comic book publishing. All of the artwork in Weird Tales of the Macabre, issue number two, is an amazing example of the talent available during a time when the comic book industry was floundering.
On page five there is a small preview for what’s to come in the next issue. Sadly it would never make it to the printers as Atlas/Seaboard would close its doors soon after the release of issue two. Is there a mystery issue floating around out there in limbo to find? I don’t know but I do give this final issue of Weird Tales five out of five stars.
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