Thursday, February 9, 2012

Scorpion from the Stars

YAAAGHH! You asked for it-- "Scorpion from the Stars" from the April-May 1952 issue of Out of the Night #2. GCD says this was later reprinted in Charons of Hell (1983, Gredown), an Australian magazine sized 'one-shot' printed in black and white and featuring Gold and Silver Age reprints from Ajax; Farrell, Harvey, ACG, and Charlton, among others...








9 comments:

Liz D-M said...

Wow, talk about wedding crashers ...

Brian Barnes said...

Oh dark lord below where to start?

Right off the bat, the title is in "balloon" lettering! That isn't the scariest thing you can start with!

"A movie of an enlarged scorpion on an invisible screen!" In the 50s they couldn't tell the difference between a 3D object that just crawled through a window, up the wall, and across the floor, with an invisible (and obviously pass-through!) screen? Heck, I'm an atheist and skeptic and I'd think that go a long way to convincing me there's a giant scorpion!

"I always knew my brother had a mad jealous streak!" The solution: Let him tag along on your dates increasing his rage and then make him the best man! I didn't know people born under Virgo were also incredible idiots!

And then our swami saves the day with science (where do you get magnesium flare grenades in a couple hours) and magic (another sign shows up!)

I love how happy and normal everything is at the ending. I think I'd be a little changed if I saw a giant space scorpion kill my evil twin brother! But, no, got a honeymoon to get to!

Please don't skip silly stories like this, they are so much fun to read!

[>] Brian

Mr. Karswell said...

>Wow, talk about wedding crashers

Wedding Crashers-- from the Stars!

>Please don't skip silly stories like this, they are so much fun to read!

You have no idea what you're asking, my friend... ;)

Anonymous said...

A giant scorpion that can cover the span between the heavens and earth at at the drop of a blackjack but has trouble catching up to a speeding sports car.

Mr. Cavin said...

Oh my word. If I had known it was a flying cold-weather scorpio story I would have been twice as excited when you announced it. "It's a foolproof plan---nothing can spoil it!" Indeed!

This has to be much better than the ancient Chinese version of the story, in which a flying cock has to fight a snake before, you know, pecking the villain to death.

Trevor M said...

I'm just way too busy reading the absolutely freaking awesome hardcover "Bob Powell's Terror" book (from Craig Yoe) that Karswell sent me to bother with this loony story about a flying giant scorpion and a swami! Thank you, Karswell!

SpaceLord said...

Fantastic fun! Superb!
"Then why have you come to me, O disbeliever?" - I'm gonna use phrases like that in my next conversation. Hoping for a fitting occasion now...
There's an ACE horror story (published two year later) about a psychic man, the demons of the zodiac and star signs come to life.
Will post it next week. Along with an "all about ACE horror" website.
Karswell will let you know.

Mr. Karswell said...

Glad to see this story rocked you all like a hurricane... get it?

More from this issue coming up next, I might just post the whole thing, been awhile since I posted a full issue, and it might actually be the first time since starting this blog that I've posted an ENTIRE issue from ACG! Wow.

Tim Whitcher said...

"Scorpions can't live in the presence of extreme heat...?" That pulled me right out of the story. I bought the rest of the crap.