Showing posts with label Sinister House of Secret Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sinister House of Secret Love. Show all posts

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Beach Read CURSE OF THE MacINTYRES "Chapter III: The Madman"

When Last We Left Our Innocent Ingenue...

...Rachel has discovered a secret laboratory/operating room where Blair and a pair of previously-unseen assistants are about to perform an operation on his sister, Adrienne!
She flees in terror...




We hope you've enjoyed this year's "Beach Read", and youll be back next year..if not sooner!

Next Week: a New Story Theme for August!
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!
And now a Word from our Sponsor
Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Order...
...which reprints the four issues of Sinister House of Secret Love (including this one), but in black and white!
Paid Link

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Beach Read CURSE OF THE MacINTYRES "Chapter II 1/2: The Monster Within"

We Have Already Seen...
...moving to the MacIntyres' ancestral castle in Scotland after her father's death, young innocent Rachel has experienced one frightening even after another!
Her handsome and charming cousin, Blair, whom she's falling for, displays alarming mood swings, gentle and loving one minute...angry and almost savage the next!
Is she safe?
What is Blair doing to Adrienne, his sister?
Have we stepped over the line from Gothic romance into Gothic horror?
To Be Concluded...Tomorrow!
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!
And now a Word from our Sponsor
Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Order...
...which reprints the four issues of Sinister House of Secret Love (including this one), but in black and white!
Paid Link

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Beach Read CURSE OF THE MacINTYRES "Chapter II: Twisted Love"

When Last We Left Our Heroine...

...after her elderly father passed away with his last words being a cryptic "hide the journal" and "MacIntyre Curse", Rachel MacIntyre is offered a new home at the family's ancestral castle in Scotland by her handsome, rich, widower cousin Blair.

When she arrives in Scotland from London, Rachel is warned by local townspeople that MacIntyre Castle is dangerous and only by paying double the usual fee can she find someone willing to take her and her luggage there.
She meets Blair's extremely-bright son Jamie and another cousin, Alfie, an eccentric dwarf as well as a surly, elderly couple who serve as housekeeper and handyman.
That night, she falls into an uneasy sleep, where she dreams of Blair kissing her!
But the kiss is intense, cutting off her breathing and she jolts awake to find someone trying to smother her with a pillow...

Cousin Blair is extremely...mercurial!
Is it possible he was the one who assulted Rachel...but doesn't remember doing so?
Is that the "MacIntyre Curse"?
To Be Continued...Tomorrow!
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!
And now a Word from our Sponsor
Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Order...
...which reprints the four issues of Sinister House of Secret Love (including this one), but in black and white!
Paid Link

Monday, July 28, 2025

Beach Read CURSE OF THE MacINTYRES "Chapter I: The Secret of the Castle"

Stretch out on your beach blanket under the umbrella, get a cool drink, and dive into...

...the premiere issue of DC's second gothic romance comic, The Sinister House of Secret Love #1 (1971)





To Be Continued...Tomorrow!
You'll Cry Your Eyes Out If You Miss It!
This terrifying tale was written by Mary Skrenes and illustrated by Don Heck.

As we mentioned earlier, it was preceded the month before by another gothic romance comic, Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love.
The two books were published on alternate months, providing eight monthly doses in a row of Gothic romance.
Sadly, sales on both were poor, and the books became standard horror titles with their fifth issues, though both included Gothic romances in those #5 issues since they had already been created and paid for before the decision to change format was made!
Bonus: The original art for the first page of the story.

Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Order...
...which reprints the four issues of Sinister House of Secret Love (including this one), but in black and white!
Paid Link

Saturday, August 7, 2021

Beach Read TO WED THE DEVIL Epilogue

...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...
Please Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Buy...
...which reprints the four issues of Sinister House of Secret Love (including this one), but in black and white!

Friday, August 6, 2021

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

...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...
...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!)
Please Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Order...

Thursday, August 5, 2021

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...
And now a word from our sponsor...
Please Support True Love Comics Tales
Visit Amazon and Order...
Secrets of Sinister House
...which reprints the four issues of Sinister House of Secret Love (including this one), but in black and white!