Thursday, July 10, 2008

I was a Zombie

Starring John Agar as Alden Blake, Wanda Hendrix as Francine, and Laird Cregar as Dr. Raoul Perdu. Directed by Jacques Tourneur and Al Fago.

From the August 1952 issue of The Thing #4










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Check out Rick from Montreal, he’s turning himself into a zombie the hard way--- with tattoos! Click HERE for more.

17 comments:

silvano said...

Being accustomed to "Romero style" flesh-eating living dead , most of this week stories, like this one , with "real" zombies , seem very unusual , but I think movies like "I walked with a zombie" or "White Zombie" are spookier than the many cheap "Romero ripoffs" from the eighties ...

Chuck Wells said...

Rick is pretty much fracked in the head, boys.

Frederick said...

I've thought before when I saw this dude that all the time, pain and social ostracism is pointless...

Just give it time and he will achieve the same results naturally.

But I guess some people like becoming a sideshow freak. I feel like one sometimes and it's not fun.

Anonymous said...

I CAN SEE WHY YOU POSTED THE PLAGUE CLIP WITH THIS STORY, ITS COOL AND NOT YOUR TYPICAL ZOMBIE TALE WHICH IS REFRESHING, AND LIKE SILVANO SAID THATS DEFINITELY NOT A BAD THING.

I HAVE NO COMMENT ABOUT RICK FROM MONTREAL EXCEPT WHOA. CIRCUS SIDESHOW TENTS ARE ALWAYS HIRING I SUPPOSE.

The Vicar of VHS said...

I'd wager Rick doesn't give a crap what any of us think. Call it a guess. *shrug*

As to the tale, I found it a little dull, but it still had its moments. Many of my chuckles were unintentional, such as Blake being suddenly blond at the top of pg. 4, followed by that center-left panel of Francine with her FREAKISHLY SMALL HANDS.

Also, at the bottom of page 5 we see evidence that the zombie-drug is apparently also a powerful anabolic steroid! Sign him up for the Zombielympics!

Francine's sudden hot pants on pg. 6 are zang-worthy too. And I love that Blake's plan for escape totally depends on the work project he designed being a COLOSSAL FAILURE. Wow, good thing for Alden that he's such a crap engineer!

Nice change of pace--clearing the palate like a saltine, maybe? :)

Xande said...

freak show!!!

Patrick said...

Definitely not my favorite story this week- but hey, how wrong can you go with a zombie vengeance tale??

Casting for this one:
Alden Blake- Nicholas Cage
Dr. Perdu- John Rhys-Davies
Francine - Katherine Zeta Jones

If anyone else feels the need to be transformed into a zombie, I can airbrush some makeup on them, ala the Christel Death character I painted a while back. At least it washes off once you get tired of it!

Mr. Karswell said...

Well gang, they can't all be winners, I personally think this is a pretty good story for The Thing though as most most of the time I think this series is one of the most overrated pre-code comics ever.

One more day of zombie tales to go, plus, keep the casting call choices coming, this is for a FREE THOIA shirt. I'll announce a winner on Saturday.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm. Seems familiar somehow...

Alden - Bill Pullman
Dr. Perdu- Zakes Mokae
Francine - Cathy Tyson

Anonymous said...

Eh,entertaining tale,but it would be better if it was left ambiguos then given a twist to show that Alden was a zombie(like obscuring his face then showing he was partially decaying,sadly these aren't that kind of zombies),and Francine looks man-like in some panels,with midget hands as has been pointed out.as for Rick,i honestly don't judge what people do to themselves,it's just that i always consider "what'll it look like when im an old man?" which is why i now kind of regret getting my teeth filed in the '80s.

Anonymous said...

FRANCINE: PATRICIA MEDINA A DEFINITE RESEMBLANCE http://www.whosdatedwho.com/celebrities/people/dating/patricia-medina.htm

Anonymous said...

There is a hands down winner for Francine: PATRICIA MEDINA. She often played evil, sinister women and was exotic,dark and beautiful.

Anonymous said...

WANDA HENDRIX was too vapid. She could never play evil too well.

Mr. Karswell said...

>WANDA HENDRIX was too vapid.

Good grief, it's just a game... I'll pick who I like, just as you're free to pick who you like. Fair enough?

Mr. Cavin said...

"I personally think this is a pretty good story for The Thing though as most most of the time I think this series is one of the most overrated pre-code comics ever."

I had never even heard of this title before the Hansel and Gretel story you posted a few months ago (a submission from a reader named Brian). Since then you have posted three more stories, and you've turned our attention to at least one posted elsewhere. I've liked them a lot, and I was of the opinion that the Thing was generally highly regarded (by you and your commentators here). Now I discover that you don't seem to like it that much at all.

My question: is this an opinion that you've changed in the last few months, after reading submitted material; or where you always just posting the cream of the crop?

I found this story a little lacking in comparison with the other the Thing titles here, not better. I did not, however, dislike it. As a matter of fact, I've loved the whole Zombie Week so much that I've been painstakingly keeping up with it daily, even though I'm on vacation (I can see the South China Sea from where I am sitting).

So thanks, and I hope my questions here don't come off too cross-examinationy.

Mr. Karswell said...

>I hope my questions here don't come off too cross-examinationy.

Not at all Mr C... my opinion has been up and down with The Thing series. In recent months I've picked up quit a few other complete Thing issues but none of them have had anything worth posting inside. The few tales I have posted are, as you say, have been the cream of the crop, at least so far anyway. I've just been a bit disappointed in them overall, moreso than their prices have been warranting at conventions and online. For every Thing gem there seems to be a dozen stinkers, poor-ish art and below average storytelling. I am of course always excepting submissions from anyone if they think they have a good Thing story to examine though. Like I said, they can't all be winners.

Kitty LeClaw said...

Pour Le Thing:

In the role of Alden Blake, I'd cast Michael Caine, as he is a dead-ringer for Alden in the first panel on pg. 2. Raoul Perdu wants to be played by a fat Marlon Brando, with Elizabeth Taylor lending her hips, lips, and fingertips to the part of Francine.