Scary Tales #16

Charlton's Scary Tales #16 (October 1978) delivers a vivid splash of seaside dread, with a massive purple tentacled creature rising from the churning water to menace a group of soldiers in green fatigues — including a blonde woman recoiling in horror as the beast's great eye fixes on its prey and a rocket streaks toward it. Jack Abel's cover pencils and inks give the monster real presence, its writhing limbs filling the frame with satisfying chaos. Inside, Joe Gill's writing and Jack Sparling's art bring the anthology's brand of eerie storytelling to life — solid Charlton horror at a classic 35-cent price point.