Beach Read HONEYMOON OF HORROR "Chapter Three - The Secret of the Painting"

When Last We Left Ellen Drew...I Mean Mary Cartwright...I Mean...

...newlyweds David and Ellen Drew, trying to evade a mysterious car pursuing them through the fog-bound English moors, crash, killing David and rendering Ellen unconscious!

Brought to a nearby house, the delirious Ellen is told by everyone, including a doctor and a woman claiming to be her sister that she's actually Mary Cartwright, engaged to the handsome Edwin Masters...and that she's been suffering delusions that she's already married to someone else!
With constant drugging, she begins to believe it, but a midnight visit by a shadowy figure who address her as "Mrs Drew" compels her to look around the old house, finding another person...an elderly man who calls her "my daughter, Mary"!
Now on her guard (but still being drugged), the next night, our heroine hears a rhythmic noise (like a loud heartbeat), which she traces to the basement to find...

So what's the "Secret of the Painting"...which Edwin has just put his foot through?

And will Ellen live long enough to discover it?

The answers to these and many other questions will be found here, tomorrow!

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!
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Secrets of Sinister House

...which reprints the four issues of Sinister House of Secret Love, this book's sister gothic romance title, but in black and white!

Beach Read HONEYMOON OF HORROR "Chapter Two - Who Am I?"

We Have Already Seen...

...newlyweds David and Ellen Drew, trying to evade a mysterious car pursuing them through the fog-bound English moors, crash, killing David and rendering Ellen unconscious!

Brought to a nearby home, the delirious Ellen believes she hears her spouse's voice and follows it outside the building, sees a shadowy figure, then collapses...

Be Here Tomorrow to Learn...

The Secret of the Painting!

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!

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Beach Read HONEYMOON OF HORROR "Chapter One - Death in the Night"

Stretch out on your beach blanket (under your umbrella) and enjoy a time-lost gothic romance...
...told in graphic novel form!

Confused?

Writers Sy Reit & Jack Oleck, along with artist Tony DeZuniga, had exactly that in mind when they created this never-reprinted story from DC's Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #2 (1971)

Be here tomorrow, when we present...

"Chapter Two - Who Am I?"

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out if You Miss It!

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Showcase Presents

Secrets of Sinister House

...which reprints the four issues of Sinister House of Secret Love, this book's sister gothic romance title, but in black and white!

Beach Read TO WED THE DEVIL Epilogue

And now, after all this supernatural mishigas...

...the lovely ingenue, Sarah Shulman and the studly hero, Jerome Moore will be joined in wedded bliss!

I guess writer Len Wein and artist Tony DeZuniga felt the only way to get all that exposition in only three pages was to do them as an illustrated text piece!

BTW: look closely at the cover.

The border illustrations are art from the Epilogue re-used, but as color line art!

Speaking of the cover...note the insert painting is extremely "muddy"

Considering it's an original done specifically for the comic by noted paperback (particularly gothic romance) cover artist Jerome Podwil, it's a shame the technology of the time, despite innovative production manager Jack Adler's best effort, couldn't do better!
I presume the cost of doing a full-color separation put it out of the question, so he tried his best with a black and white half-tone with flat color added.

Here's the actual painting (scanned from the original)!

It's the only time Podwill, with numerous pulp and paperback art credits, did any work in comic books!

Perhaps he was disappointed with how it turned out?

One other note:

This is the only time I've ever seen a Jewish heroine in a gothic romance story.

Nothing is made of that aspect throughout the tale (nor should it have).

And the Epilogue's rendering of the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony is underplayed, though it's curious that the location for the cermony is referred to as a chapel, rather than a temple.

The only time I've ever seen a Jewish religious building referred to as a "chapel" was as part of a funeral home!

Next Week:

We Return to Our Usual Weekly Wednesday Post!

But Remember...

You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!

And now a word from our sponsor...

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Showcase Presents

Secrets of Sinister House

...which reprints the four issues of Sinister House of Secret Love (including this one), but in black and white!

Beach Read TO WED THE DEVIL Chapter 5 "Marriage of Fear"

We Have Already Seen...

...comely ingenue Sarah Shulman has apparently been seduced by the elegant, handsome, and sinister Baron Dumont, whom she is to wed so his wealth can prevent her banker father from being imprisoned for embezzlement!
More accepting of her fate, the innocent girl returns to her room... 

You may wonder, how did Sarah's uncle and his friend save her and Justin?

Well, they're not exactly amateurs at this sort of thing!

The demon-fighting duo previously-appeared a couple of months earlier in DC's House of Secrets #89 (1971).

Considering how, without knowing who they were, their appearance at the climax of this tale is somewhat "out of left field", a footnote earlier in the tale would've been welcome!
It's probable that editor Joe Orlando felt audiences for straight supernatural comics and gothic romance comics wouldn't overlap, but still, a little "cross pollination" of audiences wouldn't have been out of place...

BTW, you can read that awesome adventure HERE!

But you really must return...

Tomorrow

...for our story's Happy Ending!

You'll Cry if You Miss It!

(and You'll Cry if You Attend the Wedding!

I Always Do!)

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Beach Read TO WED THE DEVIL Chapter 4 "Time for Revelation"

When last We Left Our Imperiled Heroine...

Sent to Bohemia to wed wealthy Baron Luther Dumont so that he will replace the bank funds lost by her father's incompetence, comely ingenue Sarah Shulman and her servant are waylaid en route by highwaymen who kill the servant and coach driver.

About to face death...or worse...Sarah is rescued by a dashing young man whose deadly aim disposes of both the brigands...

Has studly Justin lost the beauteous Sarah forever to Baron Dumont...and SATAN???

Are there any other secrets yet to be revealed?
(Hint: Don't get too attached to her cat, Tabbeta!)

The only way you'll find out is if you're back here...

Tomorrow

And now a word from our sponsor...

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Showcase Presents

Secrets of Sinister House
...which reprints the four issues of Sinister House of Secret Love (including this one), but in black and white!

Beach Read TO WED THE DEVIL Chapter 3 "Interrupted Journey"

When We Left Our Heroine...

...comely ingenue Sarah Shulman, who desperately loves handsome (but poor) Justin, is being compelled by her father to marry wealthy Baron Dumont, so the Baron will cover the losses at the elder Shulman's bank apparently caused by his incompetence, thereby saving her pater from humiliation and prison...

RESCUED!!!

...or is she?

The only way you'll find out is if you're back here...

Tomorrow!

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Gothic Tales of Haunted Love