The painted cover for this issue of Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery is itself a mystery worth unraveling. It is very pretty, but appears not to be in the style of Gold Key’s go-to guy for covers, George Wilson. The oils aren’t quite as blended as Wilson liked and the characters a bit too “cartoony.” Whoever – it beautifully depicts the issue’s best (and last) tale, The Auction.
This first tale was penciled by Angelo Torres, and the Grand Comic Database lists Torres’ old EC gang member, Al Williamson, for possible inking duties. These certainly look like Williamson’s richly-shadowed faces and backgrounds. The story is quite the action-packed, fizzy ride.
This next offering will creep up on you. Mr. Memory boasts a very troubling story that will linger in your . . . memory. The art is all Joe Orlando (EC all-home issue?). Favorite panel? Well other than the wickedcool splash, I love the very last panel. One can feel the protagonist’s complete spiritual evisceration clear down to his ragged breath.
This last story is my favorite, both for script and art. The scripter is unknown, damn it all, but the art is Al McWilliams. I’ve always felt that a horse was hard to draw, but I must be wrong. Look how easy McWilliams draws the animal from every angle, no problem. I have seen a lot of McWillaim’s art courtesy of Gold Key anthology titles like Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery and Grimm's Ghost Stories, and his stories are nearly always my favorite from any issue he appears in - no matter how fast the company.
Please do as I have done and purchase all the Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery volumes from Dark Horse Comics. Just click HERE! to investigate!
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