Read This: In 1973, Josie And The Pussycats did a creepy demonic possession story
From the 1940s onward, the titles produced under the Archie Comics banner have tried to keep pace with the changing times, referencing various fads, fashions, and trends over the decades. The same applies to Josie And The Pussycats, a comic about a feline-themed all-female rock trio led by a winsome young redhead. In this case, the comic book might have been a little ahead of the game. By October 1973, when issue No. 72 of the series appeared on newsstands, William Peter Blatty’s novel The Exorcist had already been in print two years, but the blockbuster film adaptation directed by William Friedkin was still a couple months away. Josie beat Friedkin to the punch with a macabre little tale called “Vengeance From The Crypt,” which has now been resurrected at Dangerous Minds. An article there—complete with plenty of amazing images from the actual comic—says that the story likely owes its existence to the Comics Code Authority relaxing its standards in 1971.