The Ghost Rode a Roller Coaster

History: Engineer Walter Burke was a gravely-ill man hired by the greedy Charlie Harris to build new rides for Harris's amusement park. Burke was working on a project to build “the most frightening roller coaster of all time”. The weakened Burke wanted time off to rest, but the heartless Harris threatened to fire him if he stopped working. Harris went on a European vacation for one month, and received word of Burke's death. Upon returning to his park, Harris went for a test ride on the new roller coaster Burke built. During the ride, the ghost of Burke appeared in the seat next to Harris, promising him the most frightening ride ever. As it reached the top of the track, Harris's car went off the uncompleted track.

Height: 6 ft.
Demonstrated Powers: Although appearing as a ghostly apparition, the ghost of Walter Burke demonstrated no special powers.

A nice little story at the time when monsters were being phased out and mystery and supernatural was taking over. One my all-time favorite covers!

I remember the boss as a real bully forcing the man to work long hours and driving him to his grave. The bully boss was sentenced to a just end.

I read this in the Monsters on the Prowl reprint. It was one of my very first comic books. I was 6 years old. The panels of the coaster climbing higher and higher, and the plummeting last panel, totally freaked me out. It left me, for a couple years, with a little boy fear of roller coasters and the Buffalo Skyway (an elevated highway).

Thirty years later, when nostalgia impelled me to re-acquire books long lost, this was the first I had to find, it's images never forgotten. I was delighted to discover it was a Kirby. It had to be the King!

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