The Phantom Hounds howl in comics! Arthur Conan Doyle left us with a dual heritage from his work and life. He created Mystery’s finest false monster in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902). And he also, as a proponent of Spiritualism, promoted the existence of ghosts. These comics go one way or the other: fake devil dogs or sometimes real ones. Not all are evil but many are spectral. Every one is inspired by Holmes and Watson tramping the moors. Marvel did a good job of adapting that story in Marvel Preview #5-6 (April-Spring 1976).
These are not Sherlock adaptations though. For that, go here. These are new comics inspired by Conan Doyle or the legends that inspired him. Herne the Hunter, the Wild Hunt, etc. Many writers, including those in Weird Tales, also found much to imitate. Michel Parry did an entire book of such tales called The Hounds of Hell (1974).
Just one last note: these are not werewolf stories. Like “The Hell-Hound of Brackenmoor” for example , in The House of Mystery #271 (August 1979). A hound tale that ends with werewolfery. If you want lyanthropes, go here and here. Oh, and here. Yah, we like werewolves around here, too.
Golden Age
“The Phantom Hound of Cardiff Moor” (Captain America #10, January 1942) was written by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. “Captain America and Bucky roam the bleak, wind-swept moors on the trail of the Dog That Walks Like a Man!” Simon and Kirby do a great job of retelling The Hound of the Baskervilles, with spectral hound, a guy dressed up like a hound and even a secret villain.
“The Ghost Dog” (Star Spangled Comics #52, January 1946) was written by Joe Samachson. Robbie the dog goes to live a quiet life in the country. Too bad he stumbles upon a gang of thieves willing to use the story of a spectral hound. Robotman to the rescue! The gang pull him apart (visions of C3PO!) but Robbie puts him back together so he can bust the crooks.
“The Hermit’s Ghost Dog” (Star Spangled Comics #125, February 1952) was written by an unknown author. Thirteen and gal pal go to woods where a ghost hound is killing people. Terry Thirteen (skeptic at this time anyway) will prove the whole thing fake and catch the real killer. For more on this story and Dr. 13, go here.
“Ghost Hounds of Trelawney” (Beware Terror Tales #1, May 1952) was written by an unknown author. This story features one-shot occult detective, John Marshand, and very Conan Doyle style tale with phantom hounds and Scottish villains. For more on John and this story, go here.
“The Phantom Hounds of Castle Eyne” (Adventures Into Darkness #5, August 1952) was written by an unknown author. This story uses the old legend of the Doom Dog or Grim. Seeing these pups mean you’re gonna die!
“The Hounds of Dartmoor” (The Thing #4, August 1952) was written by an unknown author. This inside cover gives a brief history of Hell Hounds. The one I found interesting is the idea of spreading the legends as a deterrent to Dartmoor prisoners.
“The Dog That Cried Murder” (Wanted Comics #49, September 1952) was written by Bill Woolfolk. A fight over water rights leads to murder. The only witness is a dog… That’s early John Buscema on the cover!
“The Hounds of Horror” (Plastic Man #39, January 1953) was written by an unknown author. Plastic Man and Woozy stay at an old English Inn that comes complete with its own phantom hound. Lord Halkey and his hounds pursue the foolish at night. In true Scooby-Doo fashion, Plastic Man knocks out the phantom rider to unmask him. Of course, the land is worth a fortune to the man who knows what it is worth!
“My Pal Ghost” (Out of the Night #10, August-September 1953) was probably written by Richard Hughes. Kidnappers steal a boy and run over his dog. Later, the dog’s ghost rescues the kid. Good boy!
“The Ghost Dog” (Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #158, November 1953) was written by an unknown author. Pluto goes trick-or-treating as a ghost dog and helps the cops catch some thieves. Perfect for a comic sold around Hallowe’en.
Silver Age
“Hound of the Whiskervilles” (Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge #29, March-May 1960) was written by Carl Barks. If that last one was bit too sweet for you, this one won’t be. It was written and drawn by master storyteller Carl Barks. Scrooge feels excluded by the rest of the one percenters so he goes to an art museum for some culture. This doesn’t work but it does send him off to Scotland to deal with a phantom hound. In the usual Disney tradition, it proves to be a fake.
“Ghost Dog!” (Adventures Into the Unknown #128, October-November 1961) was written by Richard Hughes. A time traveling dog (with a fleur-de-lis on his side) saves people in Medieval times, from warriors on the War Path and finally in our time. Saved by a ghost dog!
“The Tale of a Strange Dog” (Ghost Stories #9, January-March 1965) was written by Carl Memling. Two hoods kill and rob a man. They kill his dog too, but the white hound appears twice to take revenge, knocking one off a bridge and the other into a train.
“Ghost Dog” (Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery #10, June 1965) was written by Dick Wood. A one-pager with naturally explained ghostly howling.
“Hounds of Death” (Ripley’s Believe It or Not #6, August 1967) was written by an unknown author. A man tired of his neighbor’s dogs trampling his crops sets out poison. The ghosts of the dogs return to drive the man out onto the thin ice.
“The Black Spectre” (Ripley’s Believe It or Not #8, February 1968) was written by an unknown author. A castle is haunted by dog spirits led by the black spaniel.
“Dark Moon Rise, Hell Hound Kill!” (Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #3, August 1968) was written by Jim Steranko. Nick Fury is in a castle in Scotland that has many legends about it, including a phantom hound. This piece is famous as the height of late 1960s comics. Steranko’s stylish art was seen by some as the new direction for graphic novels. As you will see in a second, not by everybody.
“Dark Moon Rise, Heck Hound Hurt” (Not Brand Echh #11, December 1968) was written by Arnold Drake. Marvel wasn’t above poking fun at itself. Steranko’s work was so impressive, it warranted a parody six months later.
Bronze Age
“Howling of the Ghost Hounds” (Ghosts #29, August 1974) was written by Leo Dorfman. Hans Helmut kills his neighbor who is fond of dogs. The howling of phantom hounds drives Hans crazy until the police catch him. Dogs howl as he is led to the executioner.
“The Fangs of the Phantom Hound” (Ghosts #33, December 1974) was written by an unknown author. A father, with a family camping in the woods, sees a phantom hound. While looking into the story, crooks come to the cabin where the boys are sleeping. The phantom hound kills one of the bandits and drives the other crazy, saving the family. Yandoc’s art is better than usual in this one.
“The Hounds of Hell” (Haunted Love #7, January 1975) was written by Joe Gill. A man shows a woman visitor the secret of the haunted house: a well that leads straight to Hell. From this opening come hell hounds, phantom demons that they push back with a cross. The house burns down in true Flaxman Low style.
“The Phantom Hound” (Ghosts #36, March 1975) was written by Leo Dorfman. A hit-and-run of a blind man sends a ghostly hound of vengeance against the driver. As the driver dies, he sees the blind man in the dog’s eyes.
“Jamie’s Dog” (Grimm’s Ghost Stories #36, March 1977) was written by George Kashdan. A man poisons a boy’s dog only to die of poison himself, at a party where other people ate the same food. Jamie sees Champ’s ghost return to the grave, avenged.
“Ghosts and the Supernatural” (Ghosts #57, October 1977) was written by Murray Boltinoff. Introductory hounds….
“Hell Hound” (Creepy #100, August 1978) was written by Bruce Jones. A lonely man adopts a stray dog. Later when a woman is killed in his home, he knows someone is out to ruin him. That proves to be an old rival, who has a hell hound of his own.
“The Hell Hound” (Vampirella #96, May 1981) was written by Rich Margopoulos. Evil forces send a Hell Hound against Vampirella. She kicks butt to say the least. Rudy went all out on this hound, making it part dragon.
“The Witch-Hounds of Salem!” (Secrets of Haunted House #39, August 1981) was written by Bob Rozakis. A man reading Cotton Mather in Salem is attacked by a phantom hound. Mister E shows up to send it through the window. The creature is the ghost of a pair of dogs hung in 1692 as witches. Mister E ends up in the water with the hound but wins out.
Conclusion
The shadow Arthur Conan Doyle hovers over these phantom hound in comics. Most don’t take place in Dartmoor or on many kind of moor. More often they happen right in the city. That particular innovation belongs to Fritz Leiber and “The Hound” (Weird Tales, November 1942). Where ever you encounter ghost dogs, real or imagined, the baying of their call tells you to run. Like the Celtic legends of old, the hounds seek prey for the dark riders who follow. Perhaps next time, we can look at those creepy huntsmen…
