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Comic Book Artist: With the Code changes, you could use the word "Weird," and boy, you used it everywhere! Joe: I started using the word and Carmine decided that "Weird" sold anything. Weird War, Weird Western, Weird Worlds, Weird Mystery. We were pals and would share ideas.  Joe Orlando interview with Jon Cooke, Comic Book Artist # 1 Since Weird War Tales was the first "Weird" title, edited by Joe Kubert, Orlando may have incorrectly stated that he used the word first. It may have originated with Joe Kubert, original editor of Weird War, or publisher Carmine Infantino. However it began, "Weird" had an effect on sales, and DC followed up with Weird Western Tales . All Star Western was an ongoing title that tried out a variety of new characters in an attempt to find one that connected with an audience. Early issues cover featured   Outlaw and Billy the Kid , with an occasional appearance by El Diablo . Reprints included Pow-Wow Smith, Buffal

In the early 1970's someone at DC noticed that a certain word caught the attention of the buying public. This word was attached to a number of genres, including war, western, adventure and humor. This started with  Weird War Tales  # 1, Oct 1971, followed nine months later by Weird Western Tales  (# 12, July 1972); Weird Mystery Tales  # 1 (August 1972) and Weird Worlds # 1 (September 1972), which focused on material by Edgar Rice Burroughs (John Carter, Pellucidar). "Weird" was also added to the long running Adventure Comics (although the indicia remained unchanged) for five issues: it was appropriate for the Spectre stories produced by Michael Fleisher and Jim Aparo (#'s 433-437).  Even the humor comic Plop! was sub-titled "The Magazine of Weird Humor". The only genre missing was Weird Romance, although that title might have raised the ire of the Comics Code (it would have made for some interesting stories, though!).   Weird War Tales was the first DC

House of Secrets was one of DC's long-running mystery anthology books. Beginning in 1956, under editors Jack Schiff and Murray Boltinoff, the comic included an ongoing bullpen of artists including Mort Meskin, Ruben Moriera, Jim Mooney, Bernard Baily, Bob Brown, Bill Ely, Nick Cardy and Dick Dillin. Early issues included nice work by Jack Kirby and from # 23 onward an ongoing feature, Mark Merlin was often the cover feature. Merlin was a detective investigating supernatural menaces, often drawn by Mort Meskin, with stories by Jack Miller and Arnold Drake. Although Merlin was the cover feature, he tackled the usual assortment of monsters and aliens, with cover art by Dick Dillin and Mort Meskin .             Mark Merlin on trial, accused by some nasty looking characters. This issue featured a 12 page origin story. Pencils by Mort Meskin; inks by George Roussos ?; letters by Ira Schnapp, from House of Secrets # 58, Jan-Feb 1963. Cover image from the GCD.  Issue # 61 introduced Eclip