And thanks to Jeffos for "grawesome!"
Monday, May 19, 2008
Voices of the Dead
Today’s “grawesome” tale comes from the June 1953 issue of Dark Mysteries #12 with super spooky (and super sexy) artwork by Hy Fleishman. Googlin’ around online for personal info about him I really only found one interesting link, and of course it originated from an old post of Pappy’s commenting on how Hy’s “near cartoony style” possibly influenced the underground comics of the 60’s. You may be right Paps!
"But-that-would-mean-it-must-have-been-THE -VAMPIRE!" What a crazy story! Very entertaining.
ReplyDeleteWhat I said about Hy Fleischman was that I thought a cover, Dark Mysteries #16, reminded me of the work of Greg Irons and underground cartoonists who used a combination of cartoony styles and grue to create books like Slow Death and underground horror comix. I also thought the character on the cover of DM #16 looked more like a guy from the late '60s (long hair, jeans) than from the early 1950s, which is when that issue was published. Fleischman's work is a combination of several styles, predominantly Wally Wood's, which puts him in a camp of comic book artists that were pretty good, just not all that original.
This was an entertaining trip through the vampire world according to Fleischman, AND the chick was very sexy, too.
ReplyDelete"The Living Rita! The SCHEMING Rita!" That's it, I'm always referring to myself in the third person with an adjective from now on. It's too awesome not to.
ReplyDeleteThis comic makes me want to run down to the Little Penny Store and stock up! John Edward, circa 1953! Lots of great stuff--the incredible amount of research that goes into The Breathing Rita's mind-reading act; a kiss that makes "her skin shrivel!" That's some kiss!; the dead opening their speech with "Hamish! WHEEE!" (must be glad to see him); The Questioning Rita's dad has NOT kept well--great art! And of course the cheesecake at the bottom of page 6. Rowr!
Of course one wonders how Hamish was expecting to do a European tour when he has to lie in the grave to get ready for his act (did he stock up on voices?), but this is still an eerie, awesome tale. Great stuff, Karswell!
The Smirking Vicar
YOWZA! JANE RUSSELL STARS! THIS ONE WAS REALLY SPOOKY, THE VAMPIRE THING FELT KIND OF TACKED ON BUT GREAT POST NONE THE LESS!
ReplyDeleteI saw the twist coming too,but it was still fun getting there!.a poisoned apple eh?,dearie don't you know people who use poison apples get banished from paradise,crushed by boulders,and forced to dance in red-hot shoes till they die?.i'd say she got off damn easy.i also don't see why she thinks Hamish is so ugly,maybe he was supposed to be really old in the script?.
ReplyDeleteAnother great Dark Mysteries story.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that- vampire twist or no- killing a guy who talks to the dead in order steal his trick of talking to the dead was a fatally flawed plan from the beginning.
love ritas dad as a zombie on the bottom of the 4th page. his flesh is all rotted off and teeth falling out but he still has a moustache
ReplyDeleteand does anyone else look at the final panel and get the impression that rita has been drianed of blood???? she still looks mighty full to me!
So round...so firm...so fully packed... ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Sham...Hamish...it's a marvel! Like Carmilla and Mircalla! I never saw it coming!
ReplyDeleteLeading lady was very sexy and the story was great. Oh those crazy dames and their scheming and the dead...
>Hi Sham...Hamish...it's a marvel! Like Carmilla and Mircalla!
ReplyDeleteYeah, another favorite of mine is "Oh, you're name is Alucarda? And you're a Count too? Wow! And there's some strange cases in the village with bodies drained of blood eh? Two tiny holes in the neck? Hmmmm, baffling..."
More Dark Mysteries tomorrow! Be there, be scared.
The apple trick was neat - definite dark fairytale flavor there. I suspect the vampire anagram-name habit started with Sheridan LeFanu's Carmilla.
ReplyDeleteHamish sure dines in some swanky places on a carny worker's income. Maybe it's that Vincent Price vibe he's got going. Or maybe he saved his money -- Hamish, the Scottish vampire?
ReplyDeleteI wondered how the European tour would work out, too. He must have had an empty grave on the Continent somewhere.
That last picture of Hisham is pretty cool -- probably inspired a few nightmares. And I like how his hair changed to standard vampire-style. But I thought poisoned apples were for killing beautiful young maidens. Who knew they worked on vampires?
The artwork on the dead was pretty cool. But were they spelling out the words for some reason? They didn't want little kids to know they were tired and cold?
She puts on nylons and high heels just walk to the cemetery and climb into an open grave.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I LOVE pre-code horror.