A Ghostly Voice: The May 31, 1890 issue of The Argosy reports an anecdote about Thomas Edison rigging one of his phonographs in a clock to prank a house guest into believing the house was haunted. "Twelve o'clock; prepare to die!" #phantomsfriday

Moses S. Cole's "novel form of aerial vessel" on the cover of Scientific American from Jan 1, 1887. Some believe this design was informative on newspaper illustrations during the UFO craze of 1896/97 in places like Aurora, TX, and Northern CA, among other locations.

Ghost Stories magazine, April 1929 published by Macfadden The cover story Coins of Doom involves the search for a dead man's hidden stash of gold coins. It soon emerges that the former owner's spirit has cursed the coins themselves. #phantomsfriday

The Daily Graphic, Aug 16, 1879 Jefferson Davis creeps up to the U.S. Senate's doorstep, a legion of specters in his wake. Cartoon by Charles Weldon. A reaction to rising speculation that Davis would run for U.S. Senate from Mississippi, despite being legally barred from holding office

Yankee Notions Vol 4 #3, March 1855 “Triumph of the ‘Satanic Press.’” New York Herald publisher James Gordon Bennett Sr as the Prince of Darkness. Yankee Notions publisher and abolitionist Thomas Strong would likely have despised Bennett for his paper's pro-slavery stance during this era.

In the 1920s-30s, Ohio printer & dime novel fan Frank T. Fries produced small-format unauthorized reprints of material from the 1890s-1900s. He also published #fanfiction, such as the Frank Reade / Nick Carter crossover at lower right here - popular characters from 2 different publishers.

Illustrated Police News #692, Jan 31, 1880 "A genuine girl's ghost at New Carlisle, Ind" Several people saw the specter of a woman with a star on her chest on a country road in the evenings. Once, she approached a buggy and got in. The man ran away when his arm passed through her. #phantomsfriday

"The ghastly light still radiated from the spectre's breast, and I saw it fix its melancholy eyes on mine with an expression of mingled rage and triumph" "The Dual Life" is the story of an Englishman who seeks forbidden knowledge, and finds it. Chimney Corner #552, Dec 25, 1875 #phantomsfriday

You know you want to listen to Ian Springer and Jeff Kaplan (screenwriters of FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS) talk about 1993’s FANTASTIC FOUR #375. They co-wrote the movie and I made them talk about the comic. It’s fantastic! sites.libsyn.com/601360/site/...

One of the most infamous single comic books in the hobby due to its theft from Nicolas Cage's home in 2000, I've been covering this copy's saga since its recovery by LAPD in 2011. The seller here was not revealed, but we know it had been in Ayman Hariri's collection. bleedingcool.com/comics/first...

Boys of New York #386, Jan 6, 1883. A spooky cover that I like. Gaston Garne is one of Francis W. Doughty's pseudonyms. In this chapter of this story, Kit Carson and his associate Burke Miller have found the skeletal remains of Burke's family, and vow to take revenge on their killers.

Beadle’s Half‑Dime Library, #19, circa Oct 1877 The Phantom Spy; or, The Pilot of the Prairie "Far out upon the prairie and plainly visible in the moonlight, was what appeared to be a specter horse and rider... she seemed to urge her steed on by a mere exertion of her will." #PhantomsFriday

Harper's Weekly, January 6, 1912 A new year's cover by Power O'Malley, who was born Michael Augustine Power and took the name O'Malley after his stepfather. O'Malley contributed covers to Life, Harper's, and Puck during this period.

Boys of New York #866, March 19, 1892. published by Frank Tousey Frank Reade Jr. and his New Electric Air-Ship, the Eclipse by Luis Senarens A cover I like.

Fox’s Illustrated Weekly Doings #67, July 19, 1884. “Woman’s Dangerous Exhilarant” "How the use of Calisaya Bark as a tonic is demoralizing the female portion of the community and making drunkards of fashionable women -- the use and abuse of a pernicious drug that enriches the drug stores."

One of my most prized acquisitions of recent years has been the glass plate negatives of the early 1920s Luis Senarens photos previously only available in grainy newsprint versions. Senarens (1863-1939) is without doubt one of the most important science fiction authors in American history.

Beadle's Half Dime Library #1, circa Jan/Feb 1877. Deadwood Dick by Edward L. Wheeler First appearance Calamity Jane in fiction, first app. Deadwood Dick, beginning of important 1168-issue series. Calamity Jane arrived in Deadwood with Buffalo Bill in July 1876, this hit newsstands 7 months later.

Frank Manley’s Weekly #16, Dec 22, 1905 Frank Tousey, Publisher “The Best Athletic Christmas Story Ever Penned!”

In 2017, I wrote about a particular aspect of the Die Hard Christmas legend, and asked Die Hard screenwriter Steven E. de Souza about it: the similarity between the name of Silent Night composer Franz Gruber and Die Hard's Hans Gruber.

Yankee Notions, Vol 5 #12, Dec 1856. Published by Thomas W. Strong. An attempt at bagging a Christmas turkey goes awry. Yankee Notions is a very underrated early comic paper of the era. Publisher Thomas W. Strong had apprenticed under Robert H. Elton of Elton's Comic All-My-Nack fame.

Still probably my favorite Christmas item in my collection. The size of the Brother Jonathan Mammoths (20 3/4" x 28 1/2") is a show-stopper in person, and as some may know, publisher Benjamin Day had published what is considered the first comic book in America with Brother Jonathan Extra #9.

"I know him! Marley's ghost!" A Christmas Carol in the very rare Lakeside Library v2 #28, 1876. Almost certainly a bootleg. Donnelley, Loyd & Co. was a predecessor company of printing giant R.R. Donnelley, now the largest commercial printer in North America. #phantomsfriday

Why choose to bring back the clone of Spider-Man in the 1990’s? The answer is more complicated than you might expect. Listen to part one of the “Clone Caucus” on RANDOM ACTS OF COMICS now!

Another Authentic Ghost Stories entry for #phantomsfriday, from Famous Crimes v3 #29 (1904) published by Harold Furniss. An account of a haunting at Woodstock Palace in 1649, and an illustrated account of a poltergeist called "The Demon of Tedworth" in 1661.

Since no one can tell me no, I decided to launch DOES THIS COME IN CHROMIUM? a day early! Join me and FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS screenwriter Ian Springer as we discuss 1993’s BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #50. Welcome to the CHROMIUM AGE of podcasts! directory.libsyn.com/episode/inde...

Illustrated Police News (Boston) #432, Feb 4, 1875. A night watchman of NYC's Grand Opera House sees the ghost of robber baron James Fisk, Jr. Fisk owned the opera house with partner James Gould, & had been laid out in state there after his 1872 murder by his mistress's other lover #phantomsfriday

The Day's Doings #331, September 26, 1874 "Adventure and Vision of a Pike's Peak Tourist" A tourist at Pike's Peak was injured by a fall, and overnight was visited by "beautiful and passing strange" phantoms of "some very nice ladies" who were "exceedingly delicate and diaphanous". #phantomsfriday

Life Magazine #887, November 23, 1899 Thanksgiving number. 1899: Thanksgiving is already about football.

Aldine Boys’ First-Rate Pocket Library No. 84, circa 1893. published in London by Aldine Deadwood Dick, Jr., in Texas; or, The Ghouls of Galveston by Edward L. Wheeler, first published in Beadles Half-Dime Library #539, 1887. In which Deadwood Dick takes on a band of grave robbers.

Superman #21 and #24, 1943. Covers I like by Jack Burnley.

One of the more interesting #phantomsfriday news items I've run across, this from Illustrated Police News (of Boston), Sept. 10, 1874. 13-year-old John Nolan of New Martinsville, West Virginia, was plagued by an angry, stone-throwing phantom only he could initially see. More details in alt text.

Incredible result. I'll confess to being a complete nerd for such matters, and the record was $35,000 (for the Marvel Comics #1 Edgar Church copy) when I first started paying attention to such things as a kid. bleedingcool.com/comics/most-...

Happy Days #314, Oct 20, 1900 Published by Frank Tousey "The Gobblers of Turkey Neck" are a kid version of a secret society. The name comes from an initiation ceremony they use, involving the Turkey masks as worn by "Brother X". "C. Little" is a pseudonym for author Harvey K. Shackleford.

"Authentic Ghost Stories" complete article from Famous Crimes v3 #23 (1904) published by Harold Furniss. The article contains accounts of the Hammersmith Ghost (1804) and Cock Lane Ghost (1762) incidents in London. Another late shift entry for #phantomsfriday

"Materializing Medium" Ella A. Wells was exposed as a fraud at a meeting of the First Spiritualist Society of New York, which was offering $100 to any medium able to materialize a spirit under test conditions. Illlustrated Police News (of Boston) #1062, Mar 5, 1887 A last minute #PhantomsFriday

“The Guy Fawkes of 1850: Preparing to Blow Up All England!” Punch, November 1850 Pope Pius IX depicted as Guy Fawkes, a reaction to Pope Pius IX's September 29, 1850, papal bull, which restored the Catholic hierarchy in England.

Illustrated Police News (of Boston) Apr 5, 1884. In the accompanying article, the tailor says some female clients care less about fit due to reluctance to be measured for fit by male cutters, but that "dressmakers can't handle the irons or cut the cloth according to the principles of tailoring."

L’Éclipse, #218. Dec 29, 1872 Barthélemy Saint-Hilaire, French President Adolphe Thiers’s secretary and adviser, depicted as the government's right hand. Perhaps a jab at Saint-Hilaire's power despite his unofficial role. André Gill is one of the most important caricaturists ever.

The Sunday Novel (1934-1949, name changed to Gold Seal Novel at some point) was a Sunday newspaper insert, akin to Sunday comics. Originated at the Philadelphia Inquirer, syndicated to a small number of other papers. Eight pages, illos throughout. Material seems to be heavily abridged.

The Hotspur #671. Sep 17, 1949 An early example of a giant monster being awakened by post-WWII underwater nuclear testing, well before Godzilla or the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.

Oct 25, 1858 Harper's Weekly on the infamous Winans "cigar ship." This is one of my favorite pieces of Civil War-era tech, and Ross Winans, along with Samuel Colt and a handful of others, is among the few pre-Edison American mad scientists whose work had an impact on 19c American science fiction.

Illustrated Police News #1514, Oct 26, 1895 Caption: You Shall Not Look at the Shameless Thing! A young wife at Amityville, NY, shuts off her husband's view of a dashing Brooklyn bicyclist in tights. (Cambridge Church Convulsion explained in alt.)

Boys of New York #944 Sep 16, 1893. published by Frank Tousey The White Wizard of the Bowery; or, The Boy Slaves of New York: A Story of the Mysteries of Mesmerism by Alexander Armstrong (a Tousey house pseudonym) A good cover for the spooky season.

Illustration from The Stereoscope, an uncredited short from Chimney Corner Vol 2 #52, May 26, 1866 A man embarking on a long ocean voyage leaves his wife with a stereoscopic image she can look at to remind her he is alive and well. This goes horribly wrong. #phantomsfriday (story summary in alt)

New York Weekly, v40 #23, Apr 13, 1885 Seven Foot Sam, King of the Grizzlies by Reckless Ralph, one of Edward Zane Carroll Judson aka Ned Buntline's pseudonyms. This is one of my favorite Story Paper series. But approx. 3,000 issues is a sobering collecting challenge.

The "Pepper's Ghost" illusion inspired one of the most infamous back-pages ads in American publishing history, and one that remained popular enough to appear for a century+. As a kid, I was always curious about what this was. #PhantomsFriday

National Police Gazette, v2 #14. Dec. 12, 1846. The exploits of real-life bandit John A. Murrell inspired sensationalized accounts, myth, and fiction. This account claims that initiation into his "mystic clan" included an encounter with a spectral skeleton guarding his liar. #phantomsfriday

“‘The vampire bat!’ exclaimed Blount, echoing the words of the bo'wswain.” The Bat of the Battery Another Joe Phenix detective story by Albert W. Aiken. Beadle’s New York Dime Library #419, Nov. 3, 1886

The Black Cat #12, Sept 1896 Cover by Nelly Littlehale Umbstaetter One of the most successful small-format literary magazines published in the wake of The Chap-Book, The Black Cat became known for "strange" fiction from the likes of O. Henry, Jack London, Henry Miller, Clark Ashton Smith, others.

What is probably the best pulp collection ever assembled is hitting the auction block beginning this winter.