Barnabas, Quentin and the Scorpio Curse - Book 23

Barnabas, Quentin and the Scorpio Curse by Marilyn (Dan) Ross
published by Paperback Library
Copyright 1970

IS THE SIGN OF SCORPIO
THE MARK OF DEATH!

Terror reigns at Collinwood when several
patients at a nearby psychiatric clinic at
which Barnabas Collins is a patient are
stabbed to death. Each victim's forehead is
marked with a scorpion, the zodiacal symbol
of death.

Then Diana Collins, another relative of the
Collins family who is undergoing psychiatric
treatment at the hospital, finds a bloody knife
in her room. Diana, whose astrological sign
is Scorpio, is afraid that she may have com-
mitted the murders during one of her black-
outs. The fear that she is losing her mind is
compounded when no one will believe she has
seen a strange, wolf-like creature prowling
the grounds.

The only person who will listen to her story
is Barnabas. But how can he help her when
he too has become a suspect?

If I were to wager on the reason behind the vast number of Collins' seeking hospitalization for some unnamed psychiatric aliment, I would go with inbreeding.

Okay, so we know that Barnabas has a weird cousin fetish but, as it was recently pointed out to me, the sexual tension in Collinwood, a house that always seems to be dripping with various vagabonds from some branch of the family or other, could be cut with a knife.

You, of course, have Caroline who is a bit of a tramp but that isn't at all uncommon when a girl's daddy disappears on her. Then there's Barnabas who, after a tragic rejection by Josette, is sporting a Harvey Fierstein longing for love. But the real culprit, I think, is Quentin Collins.

Everything about that man oozes riding-crop to the ass while you're not looking. Just take a look at that cover. You totally get the feeling that David Selby and the camera man had just been up to something naughty in the props room.

What a great show!

And before you come complaining about yet another Dark Shadows paperback on WRFH, you can blame Mykal Banta's artfully crafted Gold Key Comics! blog for posting Dark Shadows issue number 28 from 1974. If you are not familiar with the thirty-five Gold Key Dark Shadows comics that were published between 1969 and 1976, incidentally running longer than the soap opera itself, now is your chance to take a peek. Just click HERE!

Also, if you are interested in viewing the 1968 set of View-Master reels of Dark Shadows click here!

Carol, the Pursued & NIghts with Sasquatch

Carol, the Pursued by Katheryn Kimbrough
published by Popular Library
Copyright 1979

KATHERYN KIMBROUGH'S
Saga of the Phenwich Women
CAROL
THE PURSUED

is one of the spellbinding novels in the greatest
series of Gothic romances ever conceived.
You won't want to miss the others,
all exclusively in Popular Library editions.

A captive of a nightmare religious cult - that was the
fate that beautiful young Carol Ingraham fled, as she
fought to achieve her destiny as a Phenwick woman. It
was her parents who first put her in the power of the
Shilohite cult, led by a man who turned his followers
into puppetlike slaves, made every woman an instru-
ment of men's lusts, and forbade all contact with out-
siders. It was a savage attack on her person that woke
her to danger, and a freakish accident that let her make
a break for freedom. It was a Phenwick heir who fell in
love with her, yet could not understand the inner
demons tormenting her or the evil closing in on her.
And it was only her own courage and strength that
could save her when she could fee no more ...

The idea of a crazy religious cult is not new. The idea that a crazy religious cult leader would make all the females in his cult there for his pleasure is also not new. But there are two things that stand out to me. Firstly, a religious cult survivor as the heroine of a Gothic romance book. I have never seen that and I have seen a ton of these. And secondly, that these Phenwick men really know how to pick'em.

So, the question is this , is THAT how a sex slaves dressed in ... um ... covered wagon times? I guess it is a well known fact that school marms are naturally attracted devil cults, so it would have been a logical jump for the artist to take.

Still, there is something wanting in this cover. Perhaps it is the lack of robes.

Now I would like to share another paperback I picked up a few weeks ago for the cover.

Apparently the true life tale of a woman assaulted by a bigfoot, I wouldn't want to belittle the tragedy or her pain BUT I feel the cover artist already did that SO it's now fair game.

If I was ever raped by bigfoot and then wrote a book about it I don't think I would give it such a sexy title. I would go for something more along the lines of "I was raped by a Bigfoot. I swear." And, if I WAS going to give it a sexy title, I would also give it a sexy cover. Or at least have the cover artist make me look hotter than THAT!

Okay, I give you that her make-up isn't smeared at all, which seems unlikely in the circumstances, but that hair is terrible.

Also it looks like the Sasquatch is having trouble holding her. He is a freaking Sasquatch! Aren't they supposed to be as strong as shit? I would want to have glamorous make-up, perfectly wild hair tumbling past my shoulders, and the look of near weightlessness.

Also Bigfoot should be hotter.

Modern Gothic Romance Art

The other day we were lamenting the lack of modern Woman Running from Houses cover art. Well Rob Kelly, Aquaman enthusiast, artist and all around renaissance man has come to our rescue.

Please take the time to check our his newest piece Mistress of the Moor and make sure to leave much praise.

The Last Member of the Family

The Last Member of the Family by Lois A. Sunagel
published by Manor Books
Copyright 1979

FIRST TIME IN PAPERBACK

SHE SEARCHES FOR
THE AWFUL TRUTH!

HOLLY BRADEN WALKS IN TERROR AS SHE
ENDEAVORS TO LEARN THE AWFUL TRUTH ABOUT
THE DEATH OF HER UNCLE WALTER, FROM WHO SHE
HAS INHERITED A SUBSTANTIAL FORTUNE AND THE
FAMOUS BRADEN SAILING MUSEUM. WOULD SHE BE
NEXT ON THE LIST OF THE KILLER WHO MURDERED
HER UNCLE? SHE ALMOST GOES INSANE BEFORE SHE
DISCOVERS THE IDENTITY OF THE MURDERERS AND
OF HER ONE TRUE LOVE.

Okay, the way I see it Holly Braden is living my dream! When am I going to inherit a museum. And my museum wouldn't even have to already be famous, I would be willing to settle for a lesser known museum. Preferably a wax museum.

Of course that isn't to say, that I wouldn't be happy with some posh "Sailing Museum" and all the snottiness that implies. I'd just try my damnedest to make the whole think a little less intimidating to the everyday salt of the earth clientele. Maybe by adding a few wax sculptures or one of those amusement park pearl diving gift shops, like from Cedar Point back in the 80's, were you paid someone a few buck for a oyster, some dude in scuba gear would jump in to a tank, and you would close your eyes and wish a black pearl, or a freakishly large pearl or something to make that measly investment really pay off.

Or, if not that, at least one of those claw machines and a wing dedicated to things found in a shark.

Gay for Lois Lane

Need yet another blog in your life? Well I do! Please stop by and check out my new tribute to Lois Lane.

Gay for Lois Lane

Here I'll be sharing some of my favorite stories featuring the First Lady of Comics.