Weird Tales March 1938 – 'Incense of Abomination' Seabury Quinn Cover
A grinning skull exhales violet smoke that coils upward and transforms into the body of a voluptuous, dark-haired woman writhing against a blazing crimson background — one of the most viscerally theatrical covers in Weird Tales history. The woman's expression mingles ecstasy with horror as supernatural energy envelops her near-nude form. Below, a skeletal figure in dark robes clutches the source of the spectral incense, anchoring the occult tableau. The composition perfectly encapsulates the Black Mass themes of the featured Seabury Quinn story.
The vision of a woman literally conjured from a skull's exhaled smoke is a fever-dream concept executed with committed bravado. The unapologetic eroticism fused with death imagery and occult spectacle represents peak pulp ambition, designed to shock from the newsstand.
“16th Year of Publication Weird Tales MARCH 25¢ Incense of Abomination a daring story of Devil-worship—the Black Mass—strange suicides By SEABURY QUINN H. P. Lovecraft Henry Kuttner Thorp McClusky Jack Williamson”
