Puppetry

Hallowe’en Countdown VII, Day 2

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« Master of puppets, I’m pulling your strings /
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams /
Blinded by me, you can’t see a thing /
Just call my name ’cause I’ll hear you scream /
Master, master! » — Metallica

I’ve never been a Jim Mooney (1919-2008) fan, though he’s undeniably had a long and respectable career as a penciller (Tommy Tomorrow, Supergirl, Dial H for Hero, Omega the Unknown) and inker (Spiderman, Thor… and countless others). I’ve always found his work a bit stodgy and lightweight.

As these things usually go, however, if you keep an open mind, you’re bound to come up with exceptions, and here’s one.

While Atlas’ pre-Code horror comics were generally saddled with indifferent or nonsensical writing, the artwork on offer was often surprisingly wild. I mean… they even got straight-laced Joe Sinnott to go downright weird on a couple of occasions.

Here’s a short story that’s compellingly sombre, sinister and paranoid, and Mooney perfectly conveys its oppressive mood.

The ending is daft… and at the same time, inspired lunacy that takes it to another level.
While I’m drawing from a 1974 reprint, here’s the cover from its original publication, Spellbound no. 13 (March 1953, Atlas); cover pencilled and inked by Carl Burgos, colours by Stan Goldberg.
Working in the Goodman Family salt mines (in this case, the Humorama line of ‘girlie’ digests, at ten bucks a cartoon, writing included), Mooney was probably more in his element, nimbly bridging the cartoonish and more academic semi-realism, not a common skill!

-RG