Magazines and Monsters

The Bronze Age of Horror Comics! The Unexpected 169, 1975, with Jeremiah Jones Goldstein!

·58 min·5 clips
Billy D. and Jeremiah dive into The Unexpected #169, featuring a chilling Luis Dominguez cover of kids discovering a coffin in an attic.
The episode is a re-release of a previous recording due to copyright issues, featuring host Billy D. and guest Jeremiah Jones Goldstein. They focus on DC's The Unexpected #169 from October 1975, part of the Bronze Age horror comics. The discussion begins with an appreciation of the cover by Luis Dominguez, depicting two kids finding a coffin in an attic, which they praise for its detail and spooky atmosphere. They then delve into the three stories inside. The first, 'What Can Be Worse Than Dying?', is a seven-page tale by George Cashton with art by Ruben Yandock, about a man who blows up his oil fields for insurance and is cursed, leading to his dog and son suffering amputations before his own demise. They note the mysterious colorist credit to Elizabeth Saffian. The second story, 'How Ugly the Face of Death', is a three-pager also by Cashton with art by Alfredo Alcala, featuring a radiation victim and a twist where doctors are mutated; they critique its confusing panel layout and weak narrative. The third, 'Five Miles to Midnight', is an eight-page story credited to Wesley Marsh (actually Murray Boltonoff) with art by Lee Elias, about an old man faking his death and a boy hiding in his coffin after he is murdered; they praise its moody art and creepy premise. Throughout, they compare the stories, with the first and third being favorites, and discuss the broader context of DC horror anthologies like House of Secrets and Witching Hour. The episode ends with plans for future discussions on similar comics and promotions for other podcasts.

As heard by us

A warm comics discussion finds eerie charge in heavy inks, protective suits, and radiation-scarred body horror.

This single-episode review treats a DC horror anthology issue as a compact tour through Bronze Age unease. The host and Jeremiah Jones Goldstein move from the appeal of DC's old anthology horror into The Unexpected, lingering on the comic's heavier inks, broad lines, and odd…

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Why you'd press play

Press play for Bronze Age DC anthology horror, fallout-scarred comic imagery, and a comics chat that knows when the art gets weird.

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