Thanks again to Brian Hirsch for the great stories this weekend, everyone give him… uh… a… big... hand…
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Devil Claws
Another gruesomely choice selection from Brian Hirsch rounds out our weekend, this time from the January 1953 issue of Horrific #3. I don’t have many issues from this series but what I do have does not include this style of artwork which closely resembles the Iger Shop output. Anyone know what’s up here? Were they pulling double time with Comic Media and Farrell / Superior?
> It’s loaded with graphic violence, foul language, long hair, and is definitely not for the kiddies...
ReplyDeleteWhich is why it was the purrrrrrfect story for KKFBTG!! Shape-shiftin' killer kittens iz no holds barred!!
Can't get over how the dialogue is so dead-on you. Totally.
I (Mad) love stories like this. This one does the others one better with the hands coming off, I guess, on their own at the end. In the movies, I always marveled at the logic (Orlac thereof) employed: that a murderer's hands would control the whole arms, even the whims, of the transplantee. At least here it's intimated that disembodied hands can actually fly.
ReplyDeleteNice one. That it was a sympathetic guy who wanted the new hands only added to the impact.
ReplyDeleteMust have been a true freak accident if it cost him both hands and the girlfriend didn´t get a scratch.
Must have been a true freak accident if it cost him both hands and the girlfriend didn´t get a scratch.
ReplyDeleteI guess her airbag was working and the car had that razor-edged horizontal steering wheel that was so trendy in the 1950s. XD
This reminds me of something I saw on TV once...I know the "maimed pianist gets a hand transplant from a murderer" theme was used more than once, though, wasn't it?
Marvelous new version of "Orlac´s hande", "Mad love" and "Hands of a stranger", with a more explicit sense of violence...
ReplyDeleteGood!
GOOD ONE, BRUTAL ABRUPT ENDING. YOU COULD PROBABLY DO A WHOLE WEEK OF SEVERED HAND STORIES FROM THE PRE CODE ERA.
ReplyDeleteTHERE WAS ALSO THE MOVIE CALLED THE HAND STARRING MICHAEL CAINE AND DIRECTED BY OLIVER STONE. IT GOT REALLY BAD REVIEWS BUT I DONT THINK ITS A TERRIBLE FILM, AND IT HAS A COOL TWIST ENDING.
Reading Brainstorm left me with a strange urge to give you a big hug. C'mere, killer!
ReplyDeleteThe severed hand tale is one that has been told many many times in a variety of film and lit.... it's time for some metal bands to write some songs about it now me thinks!
ReplyDelete>Reading Brainstorm left me with a strange urge to give you a big hug.
Haha, yes this is definitely one of my most huggable performances. Thanks Dania... and thanks for bothering to read it and comment on it too!
And another big killer hug goes out to the killerest of all kittens for posting it... thanks again Shari!
TOMORROW: Ever read a story about a killer wig? You will...
>Anyone know what’s up here? Were
ReplyDeletethey pulling double time with >Comic Media and Farrell / Superior
Yes, Iger Shop did do some stuff for Comic Media (not much, but a little) as well as for Ajax/Farrell and Superior (and tons of non-horror publishers of course).
Farrell and Superior were, as far as I know, completely unrelated. Superior was based in Canada while Farrell was in New York - though they both used Iger Shop art).
Farrell and Comic Media, on the other hand, apparently had some kind of relationship. Farrell reprinted a handful of Comic Media stories (with different titles) and Dearfield Publishing is listed as one of the owners in the ownership statement of both companies. Comic Media, however, had its own artists (Rudy Palais, Don Heck, Max Elkin, Al Tewks etc) some of whom would sign their stories.
Iger Shop artists almost never signed their stuff and most of the horror artists are unknown (other than a few like Robert Hayward Webb, Joe Doolin, Carl Burgos etc - and of course, Matt Baker, but he was primarily a non-horror artist).
Jay Disbrow, of Star Publications fame, started at Iger and wrote a very short book about it that was reprinted in an issue of Alter Ego a few years back.
- Anti-Atlas Guy
The artwork is reminiscent of Al Feldstein.
ReplyDeleteVery cool stuff - and great blog! Ill add you to my list too!
ReplyDeleteCool seeing this again. I picked up this issue of Splatter back in college. Who knew that I was reading about the great Karswell almost 20 years before I started reading his blog.
ReplyDelete>Who knew that I was reading about the great Karswell almost 20 years before I started reading his blog.
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks Todd!