Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Valley of Horror

Web of Evil Week: Day 3 (check.)Jack Cole Tribute: Day 3 (check.)
Deadly Purple Robed Skeletons: Day 1 (oh Hell yes, check.)

From the November 1953 issue of Web of Evil #8








TOMORROW: The constant, ominous plodding of a thing gone mad…

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Vintage AD

14 comments:

Mr. Cavin said...

On one hand, here's a map we found on the ground beside a wrecked car operated by a man demonstrably bad at driving. It has a handwritten note, dating from god knows when, indicating a shortcut that will shave twenty minutes from our route at nineteen fifties speeds.

On the other hand we have a visibly terrified local who has taken the time to swear that the route we are attempting to follow is a really bad idea after dark.

No contest, right? I'm hard pressed to imagine this story ever happening to me. Not that I wouldn't mind visiting a town filled with ineffective skeleton men, mind.

So, is it the Web of Evil style sheet, or maybe Jack Cole himself, who favors this sort of simplified religious pamphlet morality? This story, and Monday's too, are both pretty Jack Chick. Oh, The Pentecostalism Of It All....

Anonymous said...

Am I insane, or did you post a very similar story (perhaps even a rip-off) about a year ago? I mean, it's a standard theme and all, but the one I'm thinking of was even very similarly told with the faux rescuer and all.

Not the best of the bunch this week, but still great to see, and some beautiful touches.

bzak said...

Howdy,

Page 3, panel 2....Insane classic!!!


Thanks,

Brian James Riedel

sfdoomed said...

Ignoring the warnings of the locals is always a setup for doom. Jim and Betty were lucky to get away with their lives. Jimbo sure wasn't giving up without a good fight, though, starting with knocking off the cop's head! I guess the T.I.'s for this hellish boot camp aren't as bad ass as one would assume.

Anonymous said...

COOL SKELETON CLOBBERING ACTION TODAY. I LIKE THIS SORT OF CLICHED SET UP, WITH THE LOST COUPLE WANDERING INTO A TOWN POSSESSED BY EVIL. WE'VE SEEN IT A MILLION TIMES BUT TO ME IT NEVER GETS OLD. AND COLES ART IS OF COURSE TOP F'N NOTCH AS ALWAYS. LOVE THE LAST PANEL ON PAGE 4

Anonymous said...

What is the significance of the 2 guys having the same last name of Drake?

Anonymous said...

>>What is the significance of the 2 >>guys having the same last name of >>Drake?

If I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with ducks.

Good thing I don't have to guess.

Poor Cole. Every "bad guy" in these three tales does (or will) eventually end up winning. I mean, even Jim and Betty Drake have to die some time, as that one skeleton points out in the 1st panel of the last page. Kind of a grim outlook for a comics creator, but certainly in concert with the philosophy of a tragic suicide.

Prof. Grewbeard said...

that was sheer MADNESS and i loved every second of it!

Mike H said...

Super sweet. Web of Evil's are way underrated.

Mr. Karswell said...

I'm sure I've posted quite a few stories like this one over the years, it's a pretty universal horror frame device.

Our final Cole horror story tomorrow, but it's not the last we'll see from the Web of Evil! Thanks for the comments today.

Anonymous said...

land o'goshen!

8thRay said...

That was a good 'un. Great artwork, too.

Anonymous said...

Is there anything Cole COULDN'T draw? I haven't seen it and don't think i shall.

On a more serious note, i agree that there's always a sense of nihilism in Cole's stuff. Even in his PLASTIC MAN stories inocents and villains alike get killed ridiculously fast for a humor strip.

It's also nice to know Atlas didn't have the monopoly on purple-robed skeletons!.

Unknown said...

I liked this because it had a dreamlike quality few do, especially when they thought they found refuge.