*

Inside…

Wow! Great find, Tahoe! It also fits Z’s apparent fascination with the solar wheel and his chosen symbol to some extent.

Any idea when that was published?

Wow! Great find, Tahoe! It also fits Z’s apparent fascination with the solar wheel and his chosen symbol to some extent.

Any idea when that was published?

1952

This along with the (possible) Red Ryder cattle brand could show he was certainly "into" comics. Red Ryder was published in the S.F. Chronicle. –Cattle Brand discussed here: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1266

I’ve heard the suggestion of comic fascination suggested before and it’s certainly possible. I’m skeptical of the cattle brand theory but to find an image like that of a "wheel of death" representing all of Z’s real or fantasized methods is pretty stunning and definitely a possible source of inspiration. Again… great find!

Interesting.

I like the idea of comics, certainly as already mentioned, it would fit or rather not seem out of place for Zodiac. There’s other more loosely related Zync here too. There’s the also a little pseudo mixing of ‘mysterious’ or ‘supernatural’ concepts. The wheel made from mysterious wood from Egypt. rumored to have been made for King Solomon, the ruler of the Djinn. Oh and lets not forget ‘Red Mask’ …..or ‘Phantom’

I’m not sure either about the cattle brand. Although, that’s just me. It’s is the closest thing I’ve seen as well but I guess until I can understand it’s purpose I’m unsure. If it is a cattle brand or inspired by one then I would be inclined to assume that Z has nothing to do with cattle or ranches? It seems too obvious but, again assuming that it is, what’s it’s reason or message? Might not be one, maybe he saw a brand and thought, eh that’ll do for style for new symbols. Or, taking it as one, does it translate into anything?

Great find though and I like the age of the comics, possibly from the right time period to be from his childhood, a good place to draw inspiration from because they are visual and slightly out time in respect being connected to anyone.

Amazing find, Tahoe!

(Would love to know how you found this.)

Found an interesting bio for Tim Holt, the actor who became a western comic hero: http://www.b-westerns.com/holt.htm

And a write-up on the comic series: http://www.westernclippings.com/comics/ … boys.shtml

I thought I read Tim had a Fresno connection, but when I tried to find the reference again, it seemed to have disappeared. Will need to re-read it more carefully later.

Once again, amazing work, Tahoe. It seems to me the comic is the best fit I have seen for the source of the "by knife, by gun, etc" reference.

G

Hmmm, each time the artist drew the wheel differently.

Is that "Death by Horse" I see?

By any chance, do we have any unsolved murders where a horse was the murder weapon?

G

Wow! That comic captures quite a few of the elements in the Halloween Card. Excellent find!!!

The artist’s signature on the cover is even a bit like that card symbol with the four dots. It’s at the end of the stool where Lady Doom has her foot resting.

It looks like the artist was Frank Bolle, going by the name in the bottom right corner of the top frame of the inside page.

Something even more compelling that I just noticed is the way “BY” is written – just like Zodiac:

By
with the lowercase “y” instead of
BY

(Did Z ever use a normal uppercase “Y” I don’t think he did.)

-glurk

Hmmm, each time the artist drew the wheel differently.

Is that "Death by Horse" I see?

By any chance, do we have any unsolved murders where a horse was the murder weapon?

G

Yes, that’s kind of odd but each wheel does have 12 diabolical methods of death, which would certainly be attractive to a guy who named himself Zodiac, no? I don’t think we want to read too much into this but I do think it’s very possible as the inspiration for the BY… element of the Halloween card. If I’m someday murdered by Lady Doom (the original one, not my ex-wife), I would have to choose to go "By Hope".

FWIW, the cartoon angle reminded me of this creation in which the creator manipulated an old Steve Canyon cartoon to highlight a detective and news editor pondering a strange symbol mailed into the editor. It’s a much later creation though.

download/file.php?id=904

Edited to add: upon closer inspection, "By Hope" is not an option (it’s another chance at By Rope). I’ll take Death by Horse instead but that sounds far less pleasant.

Wow,great find TAHOE!

Not bad for a ‘coffee clutch housewife’

Something even more compelling that I just noticed is the way “BY” is written – just like Zodiac:

By
with the lowercase “y” instead of
BY

(Did Z ever use a normal uppercase “Y” I don’t think he did.)

-glurk

Just noticed that too, looks like Z tried to copy the writing(or the cartoonist was Z )

Tahoe,where do you fall now? You were of the opinion the Halloween card may not be really from Z,do you still think that?

Yee-haw! I just got to read the whole exciting story!

I now know what happened to Red Mask when he met Lady Doom.

You can find out for yourself at: http://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=21570

G

P.S.: There is also a Ghost Rider story. Seems he originated in the Red Mask comics.