CAULDRON OF HORROR #5: MORE CRYPTIC TALES

AC's Cauldron of Horror #5, as with the title's previous installments (see the colorful covers below), is a devilish dandy in the EC and Warren Magazine tradition.

Inside #5 are the following, frightful tales: an investigation that puts a major spin on the Bigfoot legend; a sexy, graveyard/zombie escapade for gunslingers Djustine and Diabla; Djustine against a werewolf; the haunting bond between a young lady and her scarecrow; and a Quasimodo-vs-Frankenstein Monster finale that features a ravenous, special guest.

The chilling, cauldron ingredients were churned by Alex Durante, Enrico Teorani, Andrea Bugarelli, Val Mayerick, Antonio Conversano, Teporani, Zanoletti, and Mark and Stephanie Heike, whose talents will put readers on the edge of their seats and yearning for more. 

And more is, indeed, on the way, as one can see from Issue #6's seductive, metaphysical cover.

For now, Issue #5 is there for the plucking, so be wise and pluck! I procured my issue through Steve's Comic Relief at Village Commons, Quakerbridge Road, Lawrenceville, NJ: the ideal spot for creme-de-la-creme collecting. 

CAULDRON OF HORROR #1: COLORFUL, CRYPTIC TALES

AC's Cauldron of Horror #1 is an all-color, cryptic blast reminiscent of EC and Warren's classics, with a lurid cover that seduces as much as it scares, rendered by the dexterous Mark Heike, who also penned and illustrated each tale, with pigmented assistance from Stephanie Heike, Dave Matsuoka and Ralph Prada. 

"One of These Days" features a pterodactyl-ish creature that tracks a gent across the dank moors, but for what insidious cause? Ah, that's the unsettling question! 

"The Statue Got Me High" deals with an archeologist who finds herself altered in a most Medusa-induced way. Talk about stone-cold chills, particularly when matched with 50 Foot Woman attributes!

"Baby Boomer" highlights an unassuming dad who finds himself somewhere between Eraserhead and It's Alive. Responsibility has never been more monster-ized!

Cauldron's strange, nostalgic aura can't be denied. As a fan of such garish fiction, I found myself mesmerized by Mr. Heike's staunch, grim brim. 

Cauldron #1 is, in fact, an extension of AC's Nightveil's Cauldron of Horror, which manifested in the '80s, and if the truth be known, fans felt that it should never have ended. This revival is, therefore, a feverish dream come true for such macabre connoisseurs (even if the Femforce host remains on hiatus from the title), with Cauldron #2 creeping upon the horizon, as it unwraps a mummy yarn by legendary filmmaker, Don Glut.) 

Snatch a copy of Cauldron #1 at your favorite comic-book shop or online source. (I purchased my Cauldron copy at Steve's Comic Relief on Quakerbridge Road, Village Commons, Lawrenceville, NJ: an amazing hub for one's every imaginative need.)