This Magazine Is Haunted - Sale To Charlton

Sale To Charlton

Along with many other titles of a similar vein, This Magazine is Haunted came under fire during the anti-comics backlash of the early fifties (although generally speaking, its content wasn't quite as visceral as its rivals). Ironically, this was not the reason for the title's cancellation; Fawcett dropped its entire comics line in 1953, largely as a result of an industry-wide sales slump and a long-running legal battle with DC Comics.

Fawcett sold most of its properties to Charlton Comics in 1954, a deal which included the four horror titles. Evidently, Haunted was successful enough to continue publishing under its original numbering, starting with no. 16 (March, 1954). For a time at least, Charlton attempted to maintain the moody atmosphere of its predecessor, even retaining the services of Doctor Death as the series' narrator. While not quite up to Fawcett's standards artistically, Charlton's run was distinguished by some of Steve Ditko's earliest work in the supernatural genre. After the establishing of the Comics Code in 1954, the content was toned down considerably, dealing with magic, mystery and suspense rather than with outright horror.

The change in content led to circulation problems, as the magazine was rebooted within a year, reverting back to issue one in 1956. Doctor Death was replaced by Doctor Haunt (possibly designed by Ditko, by now the title's lead artist). The comic continued bi-monthly another two years despite the financial problems besetting the comics industry at the time. The final issue of the Charlton run was number 16 (May 1958).