Mistresses of the Macabre: 20 of the Best Ghoulish Gals from Horror Comics – Longbox of Darkness – A Horror In Pop Culture Podcast
Get ready for another thrilling episode of The Longbox of Darkness! On this episode, we delve into the darker side of the comic book world, spotlighting the fearless female characters who've left an indelible mark on the horror genre.Join us as we journey through eerie tales of vampires, witches, and supernatural warriors. From the extraterrestrial seductress Vampirella to the slasher-slaying siren Cassie Hack, from the angelic monster-hunter Dancy Flammarion to the bewitching Sabrina Spellman, we're exploring the stories of women who've battled the darkest of evils and emerged victorious.But these aren't just stories of horror and dark fantasy. They're tales of resilience and power, of women facing down the monstrous and the macabre, proving that they're not just victims in these narratives—they're the heroes.So, whether you're a long-time horror fan or new to the genre, tune in for an episode that promises to enthrall, frighten, and inspire. And remember: when it comes to facing the darkness, these ladies are more than up to the challenge.*If you want to read along with the show, visit darklongbox.com to check out our Podcast Supplemental article, where we'll be posting art related to the lovely ladies we discussed.*Follow us on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @darklongbox*Feedback can be sent to contact@darklongbox.comThanks for listening, and thank you for supporting LOD. You rock!
- Mistresses of the Macabre: 20 of the Best Ghoulish Gals from Horror Comics
- Between Man and Monster: Tales of Transformation and Terror
- Who Scares You?
- Shako, Donnie Darko, and a Medical Journal From Hell
- Charlton Comics, Perfect Blue, and the October Country
- Bonus Episode: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- PLOP!
- Swamp Muckery
- Christmas Special 2020 – Jingle Hell with Steve Urena
- Halloween Special 2020 – EC is for Everyone
Our podcast is (predictably) all about HORROR in fiction, film, and comics! From H.P. Lovecraft to Stephen King, from Hammer Horror movies to Giallo Slashers, from EC Comics to Saga of the Swamp Thing – nothing is too obscure, too overrated, or too terrifying for us to cover. Join us as we take a look at what lurks in the shadowy corners of the Longbox of Darkness.
The Complete Episode Archive
Every episode of the Longbox of Darkness in one place, in the order it was recorded. Each entry links through to the show notes and the player for that episode, so you can dip in wherever the subject grabs you rather than starting at the beginning like a well-behaved person.
Season One (2021)
The original run, recorded in a burst across the summer of 2021. Comics mostly, with detours into manga, magazines and whatever else was within reach of the longbox.
- Episode 1: Creepshow — George Romero, Bernie Wrightson and Stephen King, and the only sensible place to start.
- Episode 2: The Eyes of The Cat — Jodorowsky and Moebius at their most merciless. Be warned: there is severe eye trauma involved.
- Episode 3: Baltimore Vol.1 — Mignola and Ben Stenbeck, for your World War I vampire needs.
- Episode 4: Shadows On The Grave #1 — Richard Corben by way of Dark Horse, and exactly as grim as that sounds.
- Episode 5: Alien Salvation — Into the Alien comics, bursting out of your podcatcher like a Xenomorph.
- Episode 6: House of Mystery #318 — One of my favourite DC Bronze Age horror characters, out of the House of Mystery.
- Episode 7: The Scream & Misty Special 2017 — British horror science fiction comics, centred on the 2017 revival special.
- Episode 8: Ghost Rider #70 — An argument for this being the single greatest issue of the run.
- Prelude to Episode 9: Midnight Mess — A short prelude to Episode 9, and a taste of what EC did with vampires.
- Episode 9: American Vampire Vol. 1 — The Vertigo series with teeth, in more than one sense.
- Episode 10: Weird War Tales #93 — Back to DC’s horror anthologies, and the war stories they buried in them.
- Prelude to Episode 11: Hideshi Hino’s Hell Baby — The show’s first foray into horror manga, with a warning about what follows.
- Episode 11: Opus of Hell — Manga that goes considerably further than most readers will want it to.
- Episode 12: Gabriel, Devil Hunter — By way of Marvel’s monstrously fun horror magazine Monsters Unleashed #11, from 1975.
- Prelude to Episode 13: The Courtyard — A prelude on Alan Moore’s Lovecraftian short, setting up what comes next.
- Episode 13: Neonomicon — Erin Miskell joins me for one of Alan Moore’s most disturbing yarns.
- Episode 14: The Amazing Screw-On Head — Mignola’s cult horror-comedy, and one of the odder things he ever drew.
- Episode 15: Creepy Presents Steve Ditko — Steve Ditko’s years at Warren Publishing, and what he did with Creepy.
- Prelude to Episode 16: By The Fright Of The Silvery Moon — Another prelude, and another return to EC Comics.
- Episode 16: The Phantom Stranger #14 — DC’s most enigmatic character finally gets his due.
- Episode 17: Elvira’s House of Mystery — The episode where Misty Graves joins the show.
- Episode 18: The Masque of the Red Death — Misty and I drool over an adaptation of Poe.
- Episode 19: Jenny Finn — A tale built from Lovecraft and old sea shanties, by way of Dark Horse.
- Episode 20: Weird War Femme Fatales Part 1 — The first half of a two-parter on the femme fatales of Weird War Tales.
- Episode 21: Weird War Femme Fatales Part 2 — And the second half, because one episode was never going to cover it.
The Specials
Two seasonal one-offs, both with guests, both a good deal looser than the numbered episodes.
- Halloween Special 2020 – EC is for Everyone — A retro episode on EC Comics, with Billy D’licious from Into The Weird joining us.
- Christmas Special 2020 – Jingle Hell with Steve Urena — Horror comic writer Steve Urena drops in to talk seminal Christmas horror.
Season Two
The show came back, slightly changed and no better behaved.
- LOD S2 Episode 1: Swamp Muckery — Swamp monster madness, and the season two opener.
- LOD Season 2 Episode 2: PLOP! — Mark Cain of the United Nations of Horror Podcast joins me for DC’s strangest humour title.
- S2 Bonus Episode: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — A crossover with Into The Weird, reviewing the MCU at its most Raimi.
Podcast Supplementals
Written companion pieces to the later episodes, for anyone who would rather read than listen.
- S2 Episode 3 Podcast Supplemental – A Perfect Blue Sky in October Country — The supplemental that came with the show’s resurrection, on October Country and Perfect Blue.
- S2E4 Podcast Supplemental: Shako, Donnie Darko, and a Medical Journal from Hell — A killer polar bear, a time-travelling rabbit, and something unpleasant from the medical press.
- S2 Episode 5 Podcast Supplemental: Who Scares You? — The one where we tried to answer that question properly.
- “Howling Through the Night”: Werewolf Comics (Podcast Supplemental) — A full supplemental on werewolf comics.
Where to find the Podcast
And many more platforms!