Number 1714: Mystery Tales...or mystery fails?

Both of these short stories are from Atlas Comics’ Mystery Tales #1 (1952) and represent to me what is both fun and yet challenging about these types of comics. “The Little Black Box” is a variation on the genie mythology. The wishes granted to the one who releases the genie come with a hefty price...sometimes a life. What bothers me is that the characters, the Seven Sisters of Evil, appear on page 1, and then are just dropped. Personally I thought they were interesting and it disappoints me they didn’t bookend the tale. They could have shown up in the last panel, dammit, and said, “Hee-hee, we warned you!” or something equally as trite, just to complete the circle. I think writer Hank Chapman missed on this one. The art by Joe Maneely is excellent, as always.



“The Horror on Channel 15” is a story from the early days of television. The main character conducts a search of haunted places to find inspiration for his new horror programming. In both a haunted house and cemetery he sees what appear to be genuine ghostly manifestations. So why not just film the real ghosts, eh? Nowadays there are hours of “reality” programming showing people wandering around “haunted” places after dark, using their night-vision goggles, only to come up with nothing. And yet this guy sees ghosts his first time out! Too bad he didn’t bring a camera. The terrific art is by Pete Tumlinson.

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