Gothic Romances – Volume 01 Issue 01

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“As Midnight Becomes Morning”

Marla had been looking forward to the big trip upstate for weeks now. Being a city girl her entire life, Marla had never experienced the countryside the way her fiancé had, as Brad grew up on the very farm in which they were now driving to. All sat well with them until Brad turned off the highway and the sounds of loose gravel crunching under radial tires became the background noise for the next several miles.

As they continued along the country road lined with green pastures and swaths of wooded treelines, Marla began to ask more about the farm Brad called Ravenwood. It had been in the Henley family for three generations, but when his parents died the land and buildings had fallen into disrepair. No thanks to his Aunt Coleus and brother Brent. Brad was always a kind man from the time they met, but when he talked about those two, Marla noticed a change in his temperament. 

It was apparent that something very bad had transpired between them in the past. What it was, Brad would not reveal. After some playful needling, Marla eventually dismissed her thoughts on the matter. A new found excitement filled her as she caught the first glimpse of Ravenwood from the distant driveway.

With the death of Brad’s parents, who was the rightful owner of the Ravenwood estate? Why didn’t Brad remember making love to Marla last night in the upstairs bedroom? What secret is hidden in the dark corner of the Henley family barn?

“The Devil’s Chapel”

Ever since the unemployed school teacher, Alison Lockwood, accepted a caregiver role with the Forsythes – an old money family with an estate located in the Catskills, she has become embroiled in a family dispute that goes back three generations. It was Alison’s responsibility to care for the elderly matriarch, Lydia Forsythe, but the aging eccentric hated everything about her. In the newspaper advertisement, Mrs. Forsythe had requested a mature applicant over the age of 40. Now Alison understands why.

There were two men living at the Fox Grove estate. Both, the estranged sons of Lydia. One, Alison would soon discover displayed extreme pathological behavior. The other seems trapped in his own world of poetry and written word. What Alison Lockwood would experience over the next few months would shake her reality to its very core. 

Did an unemployed teacher from the Upper West Side make a fatal mistake by applying for a job intended for an older woman? Who has been killing small animals inside the woods near the Fox Grove estate? Should Alison Lockwood enter the abandoned Chapel shunned by Rennie Forsythe and those who know its dark history?

“Your Personal Starscope”

The Zodiac can be traced as far back as Babylonian times. In 1974, it was apparent that humanity still hungered for even a small glimpse into their own future. Love, family, fortune, there are so many questions for those with no understanding about how to obtain true happiness. Thankfully, Seaboard Periodicals provided those seeking answers with a mystical doorway to salvation. 

“The Black Unicorn”

When Corinne Palmer crossed the Atlantic Ocean for an undisclosed family inheritance she had no idea how little was left to her. Now stranded in London and exhausted from the month-long voyage, Corinne decided to take the advice from a local boarding school and use her education to tutor children born to the wealthy elite. What a wonderful idea, she thought to herself.

Several weeks would pass before good fortune saw the American born governess arriving at the castle estate of Roderick Moore. Corinne’s new charge was the unlettered daughter of her unpretentious employer, Melissa. A sweet young girl with a curious manner. The only question, could Corinne Palmer teach the child uninterrupted as an oddly superstitious household revolved around the antique tapestry featuring a baron, a girl, and a black unicorn?

“The Cruel Cliffs Of Malaspina”

A recently discovered box containing letters from Maggie’s deceased mother, Francesca, triggered a plethora of memories from her early childhood. The woman had always been a warm and welcoming spirit in her daughter’s mind, but the details of Francesca’s death had never been explained fully. Maggie’s whole perception of her loving madre would be turned upside down as she read the last letter in the bundle. 

Days before Francesca fell to her death on the cliffs of Malaspina, an island near Italy, she had written a letter begging for assistance from those she knew in America. The Malaspina Heiress believed someone had been trying to kill her inside the family castle before she penned the mysterious request. Maggie read the letter through several times, but her mother gave no definitive leads or suspects. As an estranged member of the Malaspina family, Maggie had maintained little to no contact with those from the old country. All she had were vague memories of her time on the island.

Being a modern, headstrong woman of the 1970s, Maggie decided to rekindle ties with Nonno Malaspina and those family members who surrounded themselves with her grandmother’s money and influence. If there was any foul play in her mother’s death, surely an educated woman such as herself could uncover it. 

Over the next few weeks Francesca Maggie Malaspina would dive into the world of old money and European privilege. But, would she be strong enough to endure the constant head games and bitter jealousy of those wishing to do her harm?

“Asylum”

Anabelle Lee had always been a dedicated nurse. Her father, Dr. Farnham had converted their stately farmhouse into a hospital during the American Civil War. There, the Farnham family would tend to the wounded soldiers as well as the poor displaced by the fighting. It was in those times Anabelle would find her calling. 

Once the girl grew to womanhood, her only dream was to attend the local university and learn everything about nursing. In those times, social norms dictated that women of her status marry and have children. Only women of lower financial status and daughters of liberal-minded families would attend nursing school. Anabelle would have none of that. She had helped her father at Farnham Hospital as far back as she could remember.

Anabelle was happy in her position until that man showed up at the Hospital one afternoon. Dr. Henry Willis was a very handsome gentleman who ran an Asylum near Charleston – a place dedicated to the care of those with mental abnormalities. Anabelle and the others found the man very charming and highly intelligent even for a man of his education. His dilemma was maintaining staff at his Grasslands Retreat. Dr. Willis was in dire need of nurses and caretakers, as none of his workers stayed for very long. 

What made Anabelle accept the offer to come work for Dr. Willis at his Asylum? Why did she reject the marriage proposal from her long-time suitor Dr. Edward Wexton? Is Dr. Willis hiding some dark secret down in the basement of the Grasslands Retreat? 

“Mommy, Save Me From The Night Monsters!”

Rhea’s daughter Nancy had never been the same since she witnessed her father’s murder. The girl was very quiet and reserved for a toddler. She never made a fuss. Rhea Winthrop could count the number of times her daughter had cried during the past year on one hand. 

One day while shopping in the small town of Ocean View, Long Island, a lunatic with a rifle began shooting into the crowd of store-goers. As fate would have it, David Winthrop was struck dead, leaving his wife and child without a father or husband. Now Rhea struggled to make ends meet until one fall afternoon when she received a letter from an attorney in Lewytville. 

According to the document, Rhea’s grandmother had passed away, leaving a substantial estate to her granddaughter. Several days later, Rhea and Nancy arrive at the Lewytville train station to meet Adam Richards, the attorney for the Wesley Family. 

To Rhea’s surprise, her Uncle Rudy was waiting for them instead of Mr. Richards.  

Why did Uncle Rudy cancel the meeting with Rhea Winthrop and the Wesley family attorney? How many aunts and uncles does Rhea have who were promised a piece of the family fortune? Is Nancy seeing ghosts or is it just trauma brought by her father’s death?

“The House Where Time Stood Still”

The old woman had been so inviting. She must not have had a single visitor in years. Diane had stopped in the town of Milton on her way north. Since her divorce, Diane had traveled more now as her responsibilities were at minimum. When she saw Miss Sarah beckoning her from that old brick mansion on the hill, her heart went out to the woman.

It was odd that a house overlooking the town park would be fenced in with barbed wire and no trespassing signs. No wonder the old woman seemed so desperate for company. The fence seemed to discourage the children, as the swings and slides sat unused.

Diane would take some time circling the property to find a damaged section of the fence to climb over. Why would anyone want to erect such an eyesore around a beautiful house such as that? Over the next 24 hours, Diane would find out… 

Reviewer Notes 

Out of all the books and magazines published by Atlas/Seaboard in 1974, I find this title the most interesting. Why did Martin Goodman choose the Gothic Romance genre to spend his new publishing company’s limited budget on? Goodman left Marvel Comics the year before when he had been passed over for the coveted Editor-in-Chief position. His original plan was to compete with and steal Marvel’s market share. For a brief second, it seems as if Atlas/Seaboard may have done just that.

But then, after several poor management decisions, the company would close less than a year later. Was this single edition of “Gothic Romances” one of those blunders? I don’t really know, to be honest. It’s clear that this magazine was marketed to younger women, but after reading this magazine from cover to cover, I can say it was definitely entertaining. 

To be clear, this is a periodical magazine – not in comic book format. It contains multiple stories, one of which, “The Cruel Cliffs Of Malaspina”, is a full-length novel. The only artwork appearing in Gothic Romances is on the various headline pages, puzzles, zodiac calendar, and the wide range of retro advertisements. For those that don’t like to read, this magazine might not be for you.

It seems Martin Goodman spared no expense when it came to hiring artists, as he was able to acquire some of the top talent. He offered the best pay rates in the industry and the artists were allowed to keep their work. This was almost unheard of at that time. Ernie Colon and Neal Adams are featured in this one issue printing. Wild, right?

The stories in this magazine were all distinctly unique and enjoyable, but there were some recognizable tropes. The main ones that stood out to me included:

1. A distressed woman – coping from divorce, loss of a loved one, or domestic abuse of some kind.
2. A payday – they are left a fortune by some method, a man of wealth, or a family will.
3. Marriage – all the women are married by the end of the story. This is less common in 21st century story telling.

Overall, if you can get your hand on this very rare copy of Seaboard Periodicals “Gothic Romance” you will be entertained in one way or another. There is a lot of content here, and it will keep readers engaged for quite a while. I just don’t see myself personally reading this type of thing on a continuing basis. I’m a guy, so the romance angle is not for me. But for what it is I give this single edition of Gothic Romances a solid five out of five stars.

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