We’re going to take a slightly extended look at a ghoulishly fun issue of Astonishing for the next few days, kicking things off with one of my all-time creepy favorites from Bernie Krigstein.
Another case of fantastic art elevating a pretty mediocre story into something special. I love Grimm's look (reminiscent/prefiguring Coffin Joe, no? CJ often says he had the biggest comics collection in Brazil as a kid...), and the gold-buyer has to be one of the most evil-looking Good Citizens ever!
Once again I have to question the ability of the detectives to put 2 and 2 together, though. "Hmm...he's dealing with corpses all day, and comes out with small bricks of gold? WHERE CAN IT COME FROM?"
Wonderful title panel, though, and that final panel is just as good. Great stuff.
But I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought that when he lit the burner, Grimm was getting ready to shoot up...
There are actually a couple moments in film and TV that borrow from this idea of someone being caught or snagged by the dead to their ultimate frightening demise. Ring of Terror ('62) for example is a grim little b-flick about a fraternity prank gone wrong when a pledge goes to steal a ring from a corpse in the local mausoleum only to get his jacket hooked on something as he tries to flee and he promptly dies of a heart attack because in the dark he thinks the corpse has grabbed him. A similar fate falls upon Lee Marvin in the awesome Twilight Zone episode "The Grave" when he makes a terrifying late night visit to a local cemetery.
Someone on IMDb states the orign of this story concept was based on "The Path Through the Cemetery" written by Leonard Q. Ross. has anyone read it?
> Someone on IMDb states the orign > of this story concept was based > on "The Path Through the > Cemetery" written by Leonard Q. > Ross. has anyone read it?
I don't know if the TZ episode borrowed from that story or not (it's on the web if you want to read it), but the story of the guy going to a graveyard on a dare and dying of fright when he sticks his knife through his coat is WAY older than that story and has probably been around for a century or two, if not longer.
Folklorists classify it as Folktale Type 167B: "Clothing Caught in Graveyard" (if you do a Google search for "Clothing Caught in Graveyard" you'll find some references). I think Brunvand discussed it in one of his books as well.
Thanks a ton for posting this story,it's near unreadable on the KRIGSTEIN ARCHIVES site."Horror in the Graveyard" (which i identified last year)is also on that site.
Yes, it's Krigstein, awesome, as always.
ReplyDeleteAnother case of fantastic art elevating a pretty mediocre story into something special. I love Grimm's look (reminiscent/prefiguring Coffin Joe, no? CJ often says he had the biggest comics collection in Brazil as a kid...), and the gold-buyer has to be one of the most evil-looking Good Citizens ever!
ReplyDeleteOnce again I have to question the ability of the detectives to put 2 and 2 together, though. "Hmm...he's dealing with corpses all day, and comes out with small bricks of gold? WHERE CAN IT COME FROM?"
Wonderful title panel, though, and that final panel is just as good. Great stuff.
But I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought that when he lit the burner, Grimm was getting ready to shoot up...
THAT IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE CREEPIEST FINAL PANELS EVER!! I LOVE THE ART, MORE KRIGSTEIN PLEASE!!!
ReplyDeleteThere are actually a couple moments in film and TV that borrow from this idea of someone being caught or snagged by the dead to their ultimate frightening demise. Ring of Terror ('62) for example is a grim little b-flick about a fraternity prank gone wrong when a pledge goes to steal a ring from a corpse in the local mausoleum only to get his jacket hooked on something as he tries to flee and he promptly dies of a heart attack because in the dark he thinks the corpse has grabbed him. A similar fate falls upon Lee Marvin in the awesome Twilight Zone episode "The Grave" when he makes a terrifying late night visit to a local cemetery.
ReplyDeleteSomeone on IMDb states the orign of this story concept was based on "The Path Through the Cemetery" written by Leonard Q. Ross. has anyone read it?
> Someone on IMDb states the orign > of this story concept was based > on "The Path Through the
ReplyDelete> Cemetery" written by Leonard Q. > Ross. has anyone read it?
I don't know if the TZ episode borrowed from that story or not (it's on the web if you want to read it), but the story of the guy going to a graveyard on a dare and dying of fright when he sticks his knife through his coat is WAY older than that story and has probably been around for a century or two, if not longer.
Folklorists classify it as Folktale Type 167B: "Clothing Caught in Graveyard" (if you do a Google search for "Clothing Caught in Graveyard" you'll find some references). I think Brunvand discussed it in one of his books as well.
In this story there are many interesting panels composition. The art of Krigstein is unique, I love also his early paintings.
ReplyDeletereally really love that last panel!
ReplyDeleteThanks a ton for posting this story,it's near unreadable on the KRIGSTEIN ARCHIVES site."Horror in the Graveyard" (which i identified last year)is also on that site.
ReplyDelete