From the November 1953 issue of Beware #6
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Thing From Beyond
Believe me, there are definitely better examples of pre-code Myron Fass than today’s post, but man oh man, do I love every single shitty panel of this one. It tries sooooo hard. It wants to shock and frighten you, make you gag! But the story is all over the place, and the artwork is so cheap, so abysmally crummy, it makes me wonder what exactly Trojan’s criteria for story submissions was. I suppose everyone can’t be Johnny Craig or Bill Everett but come on!
From the November 1953 issue of Beware #6
From the November 1953 issue of Beware #6
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11 comments:
A very rich storyline plagued by shitty art.
LOOKS LIKE COMICS THAT ME AND MY FRIENDS USED TO DRAW IN 5TH GRADE FOR FUN. WE DIDN'T HAVE QUITE THE STORY IMAGINATION THOUGH.
NOT BAD REALLY THOUGH OVERALL. I WONDER WHAT THIS WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE IF DONE FOR EC OR ATLAS?
>I WONDER WHAT THIS WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE IF DONE FOR EC OR ATLAS?
Gaines and Stan would have chucked Fass out on his ear if he had come into their offices with this one. But! I was just reading another story of Myron's from Journey into Unknown Worlds #32 called "Hunger Pains" which came out exactly one year after this one and it's a much better, the obvious weaknesses displayed in today's posts are somewhat improved upon here... it's still all very clunky, but in a fun sort of way. I actually like Fass alot, he's definitely better than Hollingsworth who's continued pre-code praise I find quite baffling.
Wow. This story is like an acid trip. Looks like one too! :)
I love the fact that everyone's in modern (for the time) dress, but Hugo's wearing a Lon Chaney Hunchback period costume. I also love the fact that here, as in other stories I've read and b-movies I've seen, the whole idea of plastic reconstructive surgery seems to be a crapshoot! "This could make you normal...or it could disfigure you even more! We really have no way of knowing!" I don't like those odds...
On the other hand, I can't really tell that Hugo looks much worse afterward.
There's definitely something about this one though--Hugo's plan to make himself a punching bag o' vengeance, his perverse silent encouragement in the thresher scene ("Go on, touch it! TOUCH IT!"), the nonsensical and throwaway fact that he's with the girl when the corpse lumbers in...and then, the crowning touch, the "body parts tree"! I can't say why, but it's all very appealing...
Karswell and The Vicar hit it on the head every time. This one falls into the 'so bad its good' file which applies to films mostly so why not comics? I'm looking forward to Horror Pariahs thoughts too. The comments here are just as fun as the comic scans!
I love Fass's art in this. It's crazy and way over the top. Just the way I like it.
Mike H
So he was literally beating a dead horse..er..corpse....seriously this is one of the craziest stories i've ever read,even Skywald wasn't this nutty,and as for the art,yeah i can't tell if he looks uglier or not.
>'so bad its good' file applies to films mostly so why not comics?
Sure, this is easily on par with Manos: The Hands of Fate.
Speaking of cool commentors, whatever happened to that Zen Wizard guy? Man, he was full of classic quips.
Others MIA: Lily Strange, CG... also haven't heard a peep from the drunken severed head in awhile even though we're both blood brothers of LOTT D.
oh god manos is the worst movie ever! this story is bad but not that bad
Peep! Peep!
I, too, love the crazy Skywald flavor of the story even if the art ain't doodly!
As ever, I admire you Karswell, for all this blog does to keep us all horribly entertained!
>I admire you Karswell, for all this blog does to keep us all horribly entertained!
Thanks Max. "To Horribly Entertain" is of course my motto, and my middle name.
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