From the November 1953 issue of The Beyond #23
Friday, August 24, 2007
The Unsleeping Dead
Nearly 50 posts and I'm just now getting around to a story from Ace Magazines who published four interesting 50's pre-code horror titles: Baffling Mysteries, Hand of Fate, Web of Mystery and of course The Beyond featuring our creepy tale for today. This is a well written story about a haunted camera that can photograph grisly, unsolved murders from the past. Another first today, I'm finally posting something by golden age fan favorite Lou Cameron who, amongst other things, did some great early work for DC as well.
From the November 1953 issue of The Beyond #23
From the November 1953 issue of The Beyond #23
kick ass close up of the zombie on page 3.....sort of related theres a twilight zone episode about a spooked camera that could take photos of the future
ReplyDeleteI know the TZ episode you mean, doesn't someone fall out a window or something at the end after seeing themself in a photo falling out a window?
ReplyDeleteITS WEIRD ABOUT CAMERONS STUFF, SOMETIMES ITS REAL SLICK AND OTHER TIMES ITS A BIT STIFF, THIS IS A GOOD STORY FOR SURE BUT THE ART DOESN'T FEEL CONSISTANT FROM ONE PANEL TO THE NEXT. I DO LOVE HIS GHOSTS AND LIVING DEAD THOUGH!!!!
ReplyDeleteI ALSO LOVE WHEN HE USES JUST SILHOUETTES LIKE THE RAT ATTACK AND THE CHASE THROUGH THE GRAVEYARD
ReplyDeleteI have many more examples of Cameron art coming up in the next few weeks, stay tuned...
ReplyDelete(I hate when I say "stay tuned...")
Yes, the silhouette of the rat attack in the sewer is probably the best panel in the comic. My second favorite would be the last panel on the second-to-last page. The story is great!
ReplyDeleteGood story,one of the best ones you've posted from an obscure publisher,i like the way the story is set up so its obvious how it will end,but that suspense is still built by having the rats horribly disfigure/mutilate the guy,leaving you in dread when you DO get to see the ghost,and the fact that its mostly kept in sillhouette builds a disturbing mental picture,but i do have some gripes,if his friend considered it a "demons device",why didn't Hal just ask to take it off his hands?,it would have been easier,and if Hal wasn't a killer this could actually be a cool premise for a series.
ReplyDeleteI agree, they really could have expanded on this character and his haunted camera as we follow him around Kolchak-style, investigating past crimes and the supernatural. There was a great 70's pilot called Eyes of Charles Sand where a man inherits the psychic ability to see visions from beyond the grave (but not with a camera), but the network didn't pick it up.
ReplyDeleteOutline a treatment and pitch it to someone, no time like the present to inject the modern world of comics (or TV or film) with a fresh new old idea. I said it before, Hollywood is so drained of ideas and all they're feeding us is bad re-makes of good old movies (and even worse remakes of good Japanese horror!) Pre-code comics are full of amazing concepts just prime for resurrection.
I'll try and post more Ace stories soon since this one seemed quite popular amongst those of you who bother to actually leave comments.
ReplyDeletePage 6, Panel 3 really shows the influence of "Ghastly" Graham Ingels.
ReplyDelete