Famous First Fridays: Alex Nino's U.S. Premiere

Ol' Groove has made no secret of the fact that Alex Nino is one of my all-time favorite comicbook artists. His loose, hip, psychedelic style just has that certain "it" factor that blows me away. As part of the first wave of Filipino artists to storm U.S. comics, Nino's touch made DC's mystery/horror titles evermore cool with his presence. Well, today is the day I get to lay Alex's DC debut on ya, something I've been waiting a long time to do--since I was savin' it for the Halloween Countdown, don'tcha know. From House of Mystery #204 (May 1972), here's "To Die for Magda!", written by Carl Wessler.

Black and White Wednesday: Suso's "The Prophecy"

Spanish artist Jesus Manuel Pena Rego, aka Suso, wowed fans the world over back during the Groovy Age. Suso's work appeared in Spain, Germany, and England, but it's his U.S. work for Skywald, Warren, and Atlas/Seaboard that Ol' Groove knows best. His beautiful, sensual, moody, detailed, and realistic style, especially his mastery of black and white/light and dark/negative space, always stood out in any mag to which he contributed. One of his best pieces appeared in the second issue of Atlas/Seaboard's short-lived Vampirella rip-off, Devilina (February 1975). I think you'll dig..."The Prophecy"!

Famous First Fridays: The Witching Hour

In November, 1968, editor Dick Giordano helped launch DC's coolest non-house mystery comic, The Witching Hour. I can remember seeing ads in other DC comics trumpeting The Witching Hour's arrival...and getting the creeps. (Hey, I was five! Gimme a break!) That first issue more than lived up to the spooky ads with its moody art by Nick Cardy, Alex Toth, Neal Adams, and others. And as with all other DC mystery comics, The Witching Hour needed a host; Giordano and company gave us three hostesses, inspired by the Weird Sisters from Shakespeare's Macbeth: Mordred, Mildred, and Cynthia. WH proved popular enough that it lasted 85 issues until it was absorbed into the Dollar Comic version of The Unexpected (starting with issue #189) during the DC Implosion of 1978.

It's 12 O'Clock...The Witching Hour! Time to see what Dick Giordano, Alex Toth, Denny O'Neil and Pat Boyette, Jack Sparling, and Neal Adams have in store for you...if you dare!

Grooviest Covers of All Time: Wrightson's House of Secrets

It's that time of year again, my ghoulish Groove-ophiles! Today, the Halloween Countdown for 2009 begins, and I can't think of many better ways to kick things off than by showcasing the moody masterpieces of the maniacally macabre Bernie Wrightson. Here's a horde of creepy covers from DC's House of Secrets.