Mystic

    (Marvel, 1951-1957)
™ and © Marvel Entertainment Group

During Senate hearings on juvenile delinquency in the 1950s, several senators were amazed that EC Comics publisher William Gaines defended the cover of one of his books featuring a severed head as being in good taste. “What could be worse?” asked an incredulous inquisitor. One answer that leaps to mind is Mystic, a gruesome horror comic from Atlas (later Marvel), at that time a sleazy, third-rate operation, that made EC’s worst efforts look like Tolstoy by comparison. Flesh-eating zombies, bloodthirsty ghouls, and medieval-style tortures were the meat and drink of Mystic. Despite having all the subtlety of a swinging meat cleaver, Mystic nevertheless toned down when the tourniquet of the Comics Code stanched the flow of blood, and continued in a tamer, though not much more literate, fashion until the Atlas “bust” of 1957.
Jump to issue:
  NotesWriterArtist