Cryptology # 5 October 2025 (magazine review)
The fifth edition of ‘Cryptology’ is noted on the cover as the ‘Skull & Bones Issue’. Nothing to do with the Jolly Roger pirate flag but how quickly fleshless mobile skeletons became associated with the horror genre.
Editor/writer/lackey to the Cryptologist, Peter Normanton, looks at the early horror magazines and other magazines that embraced putting skulls on the cover. No doubt this had a beneficial effect on sales and why so many used the motif.
Even Walt Disney got in on it with two ‘Silly Symphonies’ cartoons mixing Mickey Mouse and skeletons as animated by Ub Iworks, combining it with a haunted house and a graveyard. When you consider the time it takes to animate a mouse, drawing skeletons with so many bones must have been more complicated. Writer Robert V. Conte goes through their 1929 history.
Of the comicbooks, Marvel’s Ghost Rider couldn’t be forgotten. Writer Phil Hore looks over his history first as a western law enforcement office in a ghostly apparel and then as a demon possessed young man turned fiery skeleton on a motorbike for making a deal with the devil. Artist Mike Ploog is proud of bringing him to life although left after a few issues because he wasn’t keen on drawing motorbikes all the time. Saying that, I remember a picture he drew of Ghost Rider on the back of a ‘FOOM!’ magazine on a real hog which would belie that but never used in the comicbooks themselves.
Just for a change of pace, writer Michael Price has a look at Orson Wells actor-for-hire on the film ‘Cagilostro’ aka ‘Black Magic’ (1949) as a hypnotist after his ‘Citizen Kane’ got practically everyone involved in it blackballed from the industry.
Writer Justin Marriott interviews Les Edwards about the skull paintings he did for a run of the ‘Mayflower Black Magic Stories’ books back in the 1970s, filling in a needed gap at the time.
Quite why the 1947 film ‘The Ghost And Mrs. Muir’ is featured here as writer Ryan Vandergriff explores the subject. It doesn’t match the skeleton but is still a great film. I saw it when young and I defy anyone not to be moved with the last scene. Thinking about it now, you do have to wonder what happened to the ghost of Mr. Muir?
Back in the mid-1940s, publisher Martin Goodman had access to a lot of good material through reprints rights and released 35 books, 17 of them with skeletal cover themes as writer Pat Cahoun gives their history and shows the covers.
There are looks at two comicbook cover artists pre-CCA who regularly used skeletons in their art. The first, Hy Fleishman (1927-2020), looking at his art here takes a heavy influence from EC Comics as related by writer Peter Normanton. The second, as related by writer Anthony Taylor, is George Wilson, whose covers were paintings for Gold Key and rather impressive.
Then we are back to films with writer Steve Kroenberg. I’ll pick on two. William Castle’s ‘House On Haunted Hill’ (1959) with its skeletons on the screen and, in some American theatres, one coming over their viewers’ heads. Even if you never saw the event, it’s something more filmgoers note. The second, ‘The Skull’, a British offering with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, which doesn’t get as many TV showings as it deserves. Even so, to think a skull would have so much power, no matter who was once encased over it is a thing of its time.
It’s not too surprising that Disney had another stab (sic) at skeletons with pirates with his ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ at his theme park. It must have been quite a sight as his pirate ship was craned into as writer John Navroth relates events and MPC model kits.
Writer Barry Forshaw looks at actor Michael Gough’s horror film career. I read and linked in a lot of TV that he also did at the same time.
As a contrast, writer Tim Leese has a look over the 1966 film ‘The Reptile’, although considering the transformation, there was a stronger aspect for being a snake.
Lastly, we are back with Peter Normanton looking at some more pre-CCA comicbook covers abounding with skulls. Some of them, especially the splash page of Captain America # 3 is particularly disturbing as an adult.
I had to think about anything missing. Perhaps ‘Jason And The Argonauts’ because of the skeletons fight but everyone covers that one.
I’ve only omitted a couple articles, mostly because I couldn’t think of anything to add. Magazines that get you to react are always a good sign. Who wants to be a passive reader?
GF Willmetts
January 2026
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISSN: 2997-4-416X. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US))
check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_194&products_id=1831&zenid=13moiraou1j9dho0vsjqt9mki0
