Comic Info
Comic Name: Black Magic/The Strange World of Your Dreams
Publisher: Titan Comics
Writer: Joe Simon
Artist: Jack Kirby
# of Issues: 34
Release Date: 2014
Black Magic #1
Reprints Black Magic #1-8, 10-13, 15, 17-33 and The Strange World of Your Dreams #1-3 (November 1950-November 1954). Horror creeps as the dark approaches. Ghosts, witchcraft, and maniacs stalk the shadows…and the horror is growing. Plus, dreams are often insight into peoples’ dreams and desires…and doors to their horrors.
Written by Joe Simon, The Simon and Kirby Library: Horror! reprints classic comic book stories from the 1950s comic books Black Magic and The Strange World of Your Dreams. Published by Titan Comics, the collection features art by Jack Kirby.
The Simon and Kirby Library continues to present classic Jack Kirby and Joe Simon stories in a clean and remastered great presentation. The comics collected in collection are highly sought after by fans due to the horror base and the controversy surrounding horror comics in the ’50s. Some of Kirby and Simon’s Black Magic comics were reprinted in 1973 by DC comics in a nine-issue series.
I love horror comics and this is a great collection. With so much focus on EC Comics and the easily found reprints of DC and Marvel comics, it is nice to see some other horror tales…especially stories that were historically significant in the battle over comics.
Black Magic #29
EC Comics like Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror seemed to be a lot gorier than the Kirby/Simon entries. Despite this, Black Magic did become a hot button issue in the battle in Congress over comic book content. Black Magic #29 (March 1954) which presented “The Greatest Horror of Them All!” was used as an example of horror comics in the argument for the official Comic Code. It is rather amusing to read comics like this now and think they were controversial since they are rather tame. Though the stories are predictable, they are fun.
The idea of dream interpretation in the series is also kind of fun. Black Magic #2 (January 1951) presents “The Scorn of the Faceless People!” introduces Robert and Mary Clark who are dream interpreters. The “horror” of the dreams is looked at and explained in dime-store psychology. This is looked at again in The Strange World of Your Dreams which encouraged readers to send in their dreams and nightmares. Whether the dreams were legitimate or not, I can’t be sure, but the concept was an ingenious way to bring in the readers (pre-social media).
The Simon & Kirby Library is a great treat for fans. The latest horror entry is great for fans of Simon and Kirby, but also fans of classic horror as well. The comics are probably cleaner and crisper than they originally appeared in print and leave you wanting more.
