TOMORROW: Who?
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Vintage AD (perfectly sensible advertising in a comic book geared towards pre-teen boys!)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Silent Stranger
Today we have the last of the trio of vampire tales from the February 1953 issue of Mystic #17, tomorrow will be the final story. And FYI: Friday is a Flash Forward Time Machine Day again, but this month we’ll be doing things a little differently than the last couple months. You’ll just have to wait and see what I mean… but I think you’ll enjoy what’s in store.
I was all set up for a werewolf story here. By that I do not mean I expected the actual appearance of a wolf-man, mind you. But up until the last three panels (which should probably have been only one panel), this story followed the prime motif of the (Hollywood) werewolf tale--a protagonist who is altering to become the villain without knowing or being able to help it. It this way it tugs the ironystrings. A good man gone bad, a coward with nothing to fear, etc.
ReplyDeleteIt might've supplied a twist where this story, with it's less-than-subtle insistence on repeating the misdirect over and over, seems to only project the ending. That said, if Emil hadn't known he was a vampire, well, I guess I would have been expecting that outcome more than this one. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
A lot to like here. Great Splash page - I seem to remember there was an Eerie or Creepy cover with the same effective motive. And the writer obviously enjoyed his work here. Those headlines are truly funny, a lot of well-thought out details. Circulation 2598. I bet on the next morning after the vampire attack it was 2597 *gg
ReplyDeleteSome of the scenes are also more played for laughs - the mass stampede when the mute stranger appears in bright daylight. Or the victims. Emil the cobbler sure had a fetish for fat men. A subtext here or just hate for the rich? *g
Okay, after thinking about it, this was a very well writen and effective little horror comedy with great art. After these two tales the Lee one looks every day more embaressing :-)
And I thought the ad clever. I know that according to Wertheim Americas parents were SHOCKED what their children were reading in their rooms, getting those comics on the playground free of charge from evil communist smut-peddlers, but in a saner, more real world I guess a lot of moms paid for this stuff at the supermarket counter, so why not trying for them? There should be a book about advertising in the media. I mean, in todays Marvel comic you get adverts for SUVs. Says a lot about the supposed audience.
It's nice to know that in Hungary, the local media keeps a list of the fattest people in town.
ReplyDeleteAnd the next time a vampire attacks, I now know that saying "Don't do that to me!" is not very effective. Think I'll just stick to "You're dead, do you hear me? Dead!"
The newspaper splash page was great! This one had a lot of atmosphere going for it, too. The scene where Emil wakes up at the inn next to the Silent Stranger was pretty jarring.
ReplyDeleteAnd until the last 4 panels, I really didn't see it coming that Emil was the vampire. Now that I think about it, he's kind of catty - "with them out of the way, I'M the fattest man in town! mwahaha!"
Hi, if you are a true gorehead you may want to check out Richard Gein. Here is his link
ReplyDeletehttp://www.myspace.com/richardgein94
he raps about horror flicks and is actually really good!!!
THIS IS DEFINITELY THE BEST OF THE 3 VAMPIRE STORIES FROM THIS ISSUE, AND REALLY NICE ART AND COLORING FROM DIPRETA TOO. THE ATLAS SITE MAKES TOMORROWS STORY SEEM TO BE THE ONE WE ARE WAITING FOR.
ReplyDeleteTHANKS KARSWELLL!
Did you notice the shadows in the last panel of page 2? Forget the vampire, those shadows are pure old-fashioned nightmare fuel.
ReplyDeleteI love how just how stupid the townspeople are. Newcomer walk's into town, has a fiddle in a case= vampire. From now on if i don't want to be accused by hick's of vampirism, i'll keep my fiddle uncased, thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteAlmost got this issue of Mystic wrapped up, one more day to go... as usual, thanks again for the comments. You guys are the best.
ReplyDeletecool story,ever see the 4 skulls of jonathan drake? the stranger totally looks like that zombie guy from the movie that has his lips sewn shut
ReplyDelete>ever see the 4 skulls of jonathan drake? the stranger totally looks like that zombie guy from the movie that has his lips sewn shut
ReplyDeleteActor Paul Wexler! Four Skulls is a fun late 50's horror movie, the whole thing is as ridiculously entertaining as half the stuff I scan and post here.