But first---
And hey, it's Father's Day today too don't forget... read a classic from the THOIA Archive, Bernie Wrightson's awesome adaptation of Stephen King's story from Creepshow! Click HERE!
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Vintage AD
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The Horrible House!
From the March 1954 issue of Adventures into Terror #29
From the March 1954 issue of Adventures into Terror #29
NEXT: More terror! And more Al Eadeh!
21 comments:
These are amazing. Thanks so much for sharing all of these.
Cheers!
"House" was wonderfully written. Subtle by pre-code standards (or any comic standards, to be honest).
As for the Eadeh story, AMAZING! Always loved his work, but can you imagine a guy drawing like that getting work today in comics? He'd be forced into a more moderate style and we'd never see his true gifts as a genius of the grotesque. Thank God for the eclectic nature pre-code comics!
Thanks, Kars. Can't wait to see more Eadeh.
The third page of Horrible House is terrific. I love how the zombies are so dramatic in the gestures. "weird-ass" is exactly what Al Eadeh's stuff is. I look forward to the double shot coming up.
My fave panel from the Eadeh story is the first one on page 4... that big blown out hole in the zombie's skull just gives me the willies.
There's lots more Al Eadeh in the THOIA archives too, just use the handy search engine at the top left of the blog main page and search his name, or go directly to these titles:
Skrak's Secret!
Man-Eater!
The Spice of Life!
The Locked Door
There's more too, you'll just have to dig around. And aside from the Eadeh double coming up next, later this week we'll also be spotlighting Gene Colan... can't have an Atlas Month without Mean Gene! Stay Tuned...
MAN THESE WERE AWESOME.....ATLAS JUST ROCKS. I CANT EVEN THINK OF ANY THING ELSE TO ADD.
Another crazy Eadeh story from the archive-- The Fake!
http://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/2008/08/fake.html
"...can you imagine a guy drawing like that getting work today in comics?"
It's funny that you would say that anonymous, because I was just thinking the polar opposite: about how very modern Eadeh's work looks. I think he was at least thirty years before his time, and obviously reflected in much of what was popular int he eighties: the work of Kyle Baker, Bill Sienkiewicz, or even Howard Chaykin to name some. What I can't believe is that he got work in the fifties....
Anyway, art aside, I liked the first story better. It really was incredibly subtle, working up a slow, melancholy creep that graphic storytelling tends to eschew. As did the colorist, evidently, who seems to have muddled quite a bit of the attempted graphic sync here with boneheaded thrills that blow the mood. For example, take that lightning in the last couple of panels. Please.
Mr. Cavin,
No argument here on Eadeh's forward thinking/looking style, but can you really imagine him working on X-Men, now? Not gonna happen. What I guess I meant was that he was never going to have a lot of success in today's single genre market.
You are right, though. That his work ever got published at all is pretty surprising!
"...can you really imagine him working on X-Men..."
Oh, never. I didn't mean to sound like I was arguing the point. I was happily agreeing with what you said, but coming at it from the totally opposite way. Honestly, I can't really see most of the examples I cited getting much work in the present industry (or at least how I must imagine the industry to presently be--I haven't been able to stomach a mainstream comic since the early nineties), at least without curbing their better instincts to a great degree. That's why my own observation was keyed to the eighties, which was, incredible as it sounds, some kind of cultural heyday.
thanx for turning me on to this Al Eadeh guy, he's amazing!
The first story was fascinating because it was all about mood: no twist ending, no intricate explanation. Also no gore or unspeakable evil. The more it sank in, the more I liked about it.
The second story was a nice enough diversion but nothing special.
Your blog keeps me preoccupied with precode horror and old musty houses. Thanks for the breath of fresh air! would like to see more haunted house offerings if possible.thanks, El Gato.
>The second story was a nice enough diversion but nothing special.
Couldn't disagree with you more Todd... to everyone else, the Al Eadeh Tribute coming up next!
I always told 'ya Eadeh was one of the great crazed geniuses of comics! Seriously, how could you not like the designs of those zombies? And dig those teeth, he could give Todd Mcfarlane and Tim Sale a run for their money in drawing teeth.
Although if I saw someone with those teeth, I think I'd run regardless of their money.
'House' may seem to be anti-climatic, but it's easily one of the best written stories of this era. It's more like a poem than a story.
Thanks for all the swell posts, Karswell. I've been reading your posts here for years and greatly appreciate them. Since you're taking requests for Atlas, would it be possible to post "In the Dead of Night" (Uncanny Tales No 51) and "Too Human!" (Uncanny Tales No 30)? I know these are post code stories, but I really like shrinking/giants stories.
>would it be possible to post "In the Dead of Night" and "Too Human!" I know these are post code stories
Sorry! I don't own any post code Atlas comics, just pre code! Maybe give Pappy a shout-out or one of the other fine comic scan blogs...
I appreciate all the great comments, it's good to see people chatting about the stories, whether they like actually like it or not. I'll have the Al Eadeh Double Header up later tonight--- don't miss it!
Two great stories about houses that make me thankful to live in an apartment!
In the first tale, we never really find out why the house feels the way it does. In the second, couldn't the emerging chimney allow air into the rest of the house? Couldn't "fat boy" (how wonderful) scream for help up the chimney?
Thanks as always, Karswell, for the great blog!
My favorite part in "The Horrible House" is the harbinger of the corpse's arrival: squiggly, twisted shadows creeping across the floor and the bottom of the stairs.
Then, when they appear they seem to be doing some bizarre interpretive dance in every panel. You can almost see them move.
Atlas Tales site - link on the sections title piece, has a magnificent description of how HOUSE works focusing on the POV. I agree totally. We need more write-ups and like this...ATLAS wasn't just a preamble to MARVEL it was great in its own right
Its what we need, ATLAS HORROR was great!
Heh: I have exactly the same reaction to both stories I did eleven years ago.
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