Vintage AD
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Thing in the Graveyard / Third Grave on the Right...
Time again to journey out into the pre-code comics graveyard and see what we can dig up-- and how about a couple buried tales from two of the more interesting artists in the classic Atlas bullpen-- Jack Keller and Al Eadeh. First story from the October 1952 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #13, and our second yarn from the July 1954 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #29.
Vintage AD
Vintage AD
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11 comments:
Cool! I dig the graveyard ones.
Hey now, I already used the "dig" gag in reference to graveyards!! ;)
sorry! i'm quite taken with the graveyard themed storylines. how's that?
Keller was another great pre-code artist who just had the right mix of cartoon-y and realistic art. The story, eh, pretty predictable, but like a lot of good pre-code, it's the journey that's important, and it doesn't disappoint.
Keller just nails the facial expressions in this one. Harry goes from slimy to creepy to murderous. Page 3/Panel 8 is just great (especially followed by the deterioration of the grave.)
The Eadeh story is interesting, I remember another Atlas tale about taxes where a guy keep moving backwards in time to avoid them. It also had a somewhat unfair last panel reveal. Somebody at Atlas didn't like paying taxes!
Filing 1040's wasn't always on April 15, it used to be March 15 in the early fifties, The Ides of March were unlucky indeed...
The interesting thing about Keller's art is that it looks so modern age to me. I always thought this under-baked, kind of slouchy style was invented in the eighties as an indie reaction to the postured dynamism of the silver and bronze age superhero market. But obviously not. Much of the work in the first story looks very familiar to me, with notes of Charles Burns and Dan Clowes and even Beto Hernandez. I mean, tell me the fist panel of page three wouldn't look kind of at home in an issue of Eightball?
I can see what you mean about the likeness of the artwork to Clowes and that modern underground scene. Too bad those cats are the minority, though. I can barely stand all of the new styles in most comics today (I can say the same for rock'n'roll as well). I know it's been discussed here before, but the artwork in the new Vampirella or in those horrendous Tales from the Crypt a few years ago was cringe worthy.
These old Atlas tales are a real treat. It's interesting how the same mood was carried in all of their horror titles even though there were so many talented artists with unique styles.
Thanks as always, Karswell!
AREN'T MOST OF YOUR ATLAS COMICS APPROVED BY THE CODE ? AS MOST OF THESE SCANS ARE TAKEN FROM THE REPRINT MAGS MARVEL PUT OUT IN THE 1970'S.
Haunted Horror #2 is out today (as is [marvel nerd:on]Hickman's Avengers 1[marvel nerd:off]). My comic shop sold out of the initial order of #1, congrats (again) Karswell!
How are "most of these scans pulled from Atlas reprint mags?" If I say they are then they are, occasionally. The fact is most of these are pulled from the original issues from my own personal collection.
And yes indeed, Haunted Horror #2 is in stores now!
I read alot of atlas reprints as a kid I never even saw an original comic I think I just read some of the same stories then I wonder if marvel changed some of the material in the reprints. Glad you upload original copies. Thanks for the good work .Atlas was great company they had their own style
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