If you missed the last one…
In the Bronze Age, the seance had its biggest phase since the 1890s. Kids everywhere were trying out Spiritualism but without all the religious hang-ups. You could buy a Quiji Board from any toy store. This was fun and games without the controversy. Churches didn’t like it any more than they had back at the turn of the century, but somehow it as was groovy as peace and love…
“I Was Buried Alive” (Creepy #37, January 1971) was written and drawn by Tom Sutton. A seance locates a woman who was buried alive. And another one! Tom informs us that this used to happen a lot. For more on Tom Sutton and creepy stuff, go here.
“Monster in the Morgue” (The Forever People #9, June-July 1972) was written by Jack Kirby. “Doc” Gideon is building a gigantic Frankenstein monster while the Forever People are attending seances. Deadman shows up and everything goes to hell. Love me some Kirby!
“Beyond His Imagination” (The House of Secrets #99, August 1972) was written by Bill Meredith. Alex can’t cut it in the comics world because he lack imagination. (On one of his comic pages we see Abel in the top corner!) He goes to Madame Tanzosh. She uses her mediumistic powers to send him to a fantastic world that he puts into his comic. He is now a big success. Unfortunately, on another trip, Tanzosh dies and he is trapped in the other world.
“Sentimental Journey” (The House of Mystery #206, September 1972) was written by Jack Oleck. Nephew plans on inheriting a fortune just as soon as his auntie Aggie dies. He has a fake seance conjure up the dead uncle. Aggie takes poison and makes sure her loving nephew gets some too.
“One Day at the Seance” (Mad Magazine #155, December 1972) was written by and drawn by Don Martin.
“Seance at Spektor Manor” (The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor #4, October 1973) was written by Don Glut. This is a Horror comic so the seance is real, hinging on Linda Gray’s ancestor, Nathaniel Gray. Elliott Kane the psychic is introduced in this issue. He will show up in later stories. For more on Dr. Spektor and Don Glut go here for an interview.
“The Corpse in the Dead Letter Office” (The Unexpected #157, May-June 1974) has a tour group to a ghost town perform a seance when one of their number, Margaret Poe, is haunted by spirits. It doesn’t end well for Margie.
“The Swami … and The Spectre!” (Adventure Comics #433, May-June 1974) was written by Michael Fleisher and Russell Carley. A rich woman brings a swami from India. He will resurrect the Spectre, of course! Much to his own detriment.
“The Seance at Spectro Castle” (Richie Rich Vaults of Mystery #13, November 1976) begins when Richie’s friend, Neil Aster, a magician shows him tricks. This leads to seeing Professor Korda and Madame Nanette for a seance. It all proves a fake, of course. GCD lists the artist as unknown but I recognize Ernie Colon when I see him. All those issues of Arak, Son of Thunder.
“There Shall Come a Gathering” (Showcase #100, May 1978) was written by Paul Kupperberg and Paul Levitz. Another chance to resurrect the Spectre, forty issues later. The Phantom Stranger gets involved in this one.
“Requiem For a Deadman” (Adventure Comics #464, July-August 1979) was written by Len Wein and Gerry Conway. A seance in Psi-Lab One produced Deadman this time. Great Jim Aparo art (as usual).
“Roots?” (Happy Days #5, November 1979) has Fonzi trying to reach his dead uncle Giovanni through a medium named Madame Minvera. This is a pretty obscure comic so I don’t have any pages from it. If you can help out, send me some!
“The House on the Edge of Eternity” (The Unexpected #200, July 1980) was written by Mike W. Barr. It’s the 200th issue of Tales of the Unexpected. What do you do to make it a big deal? You bring back a ghostbreaker who has been in retirement since 1969. For more on Johnny Peril, go here.
“Dr 13 Ghostbeaker and the Spectre” (Ghosts #97, February 1981) was written by Paul Kupperberg. Since we are resurrecting old ghostbreakers and ghosts, why not bring Dr 13 back and let him call up the Spectre. You know how this is going to go. The old Thirteen was a skeptic but since he blames the Spectre for his wife’s death, things have been a lot more tense.
“On Death and Dying” (The Defenders #107, May 1982) was written by J. M. DeMatteis. It’s the Defenders’ turn to try and raise a lost one, Valkrie. It doesn’t end the way you would think, with a nice resurrection of a big character. (I’m still getting over Agent Coulson being alive. Ugh!) The seance brings the Enchantress to their table.
Conclusion
I can remember hearing about seances as a kid and trying to have one. (This would be after August 16, 1977, because we tried to contact the recently deceased Elvis Presley. The King of Rock ‘n Roll declined to show up.) I’m not sure how we knew what a seance was exactly but between TV and comics, we had a fair idea. Many of these comics appeared in July issues. I remember seances as a summer holidays thing, that got dragged out at Hallowe’en too. (I don’t remember reading any of these comics, so it was probably TV. Or this one. Probably not this one. You get the idea. It was everywhere.)
Well, I hope these comics have raised your spirits a little…
