« People, chained by monotony, afraid to think, clinging to certainties… they live like ants. » — Béla Lugosi
It’s October first, and you know what that entails, don’t you? Among other ominous occurrences, it happens to be the onset of Who’s Out There’s annual Hallowe’en Countdown!
This year, we open hostilities with this fine monster mash by Pete Millar (1929 – 2003), drag-racing cartoonist nonpareil. I suspect we’ll be seeing more of certain members of this ghoulish cast of fiends.
Any goodies to be found beyond the dandy cover? Well, there *is* this little number (of several, actually) by one Alexander Toth…
Just another wrinkle on a familiar story, I realize, but such glorious artwork! Feel free to compare and contrast with Harvey Kurtzman’s interpretation, in a rather more sombre timbre, of the same basic scenario.
– RG
Who's Out There? 
Great piece. As a huge Halloween fan (appropriately enough, my b-day is October 30), I’m gonna enjoy reading all you’ll be offering.
Interesting Lugosi quote. One of my favorites, albeit from a film (THE DEVIL BAT), is when Bela shouts, “”Imbecile! Bombastic ignoramus!” That’s an insult that should be used far more often in real life, methinks.
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Thanks, Matt — I hope to live up to your expectations! The Countdown can be a gruelling endeavour, but I’ve been saving up bits and pieces all year, so I’m well prepared for it. It’s perhaps redundant to state that Autumn is my favourite part of the year, but suffice it to say that proper motivation lets us perform (minor) miracles.
Sadly, Béla’s marvellous invective would probably sail well over the addled noggin of those most deserving of its wrath. But I do intend to deploy it ironically at every opportunity… among friends. We have that much left.
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