016 - Curious Origin
Jan. 18th, 2016 08:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
captain_slinkyIt's tradition that Horror Comics start off with a creepy "Host" who introduces the stories in an issue, usually with some puns involved. "Welcome to my Secret Vault of Chilling Horror, kiddies! I have three BOO-tiful tales of terror that are guaranteed to drive you BATTY!"
I want to figure out where this tradition came from; who came up with that idea? Was it copied from television horror hosts, or did the TV shows copy the comics? Or are both lifting the act from some other, older tradition I'm unaware of?
To be specific, I'm really more interested in the origin of the "Horror Host" - your Crypt Keepers, Old Witches and Talkative Undertakers, to name but a few. I'm pretty sure that the puns just came because that was the popular writing style at the time.
I want to figure out where this tradition came from; who came up with that idea? Was it copied from television horror hosts, or did the TV shows copy the comics? Or are both lifting the act from some other, older tradition I'm unaware of?
To be specific, I'm really more interested in the origin of the "Horror Host" - your Crypt Keepers, Old Witches and Talkative Undertakers, to name but a few. I'm pretty sure that the puns just came because that was the popular writing style at the time.
