Saturday, March 9, 2013
Death by Inches!
Here's the last story of the three tales featured in the August 1952 issue of Strange Suspense Stories #2 (check the archive for The Hunter Who Became the Hunted, and AIEEEEE! The Teeth!), today's eerie entry is a 10-page creeper illustrated by George Evans. Another complete issue in the bag!
I liked the concept of this one. George Evans in a non-EC tale, too! Too bad about the coloring in some places as it does no favors to Evans linear art, yet works to eerie effect here and there (last panel page 9 for example). Frankie has to be one of the least intelligent characters in pre-code horror, and that's saying something!
ReplyDeleteGreat art! A real treat.
ReplyDeleteloved it. thanks alot for posting.
ReplyDeleteYours,...Frankie
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ReplyDeleteThe basic story here really works. With some tweaks, it could be made into a very powerful short movie.
ReplyDeleteThis tale is another one that would really shine if it was presented in the original B&W artwork from Evans. It's some incredible art, from the facial expressions to our hero's slowly becoming a corpse. And unlike a lot of artists at the time, Evans isn't skimping on the backgrounds. Look at the framing in Page 3, Panel 4.
ReplyDeletePage 9, panel 2, just great. Ruined by the hideous coloring, but still great.
I have to disagree that it feels padded; it feels padded for a shock ending, but there's a lot of tension (Frankie and the cops) and horror (his slow realization of his fate.) A really nice story with a good build-up.
Up next, a doomed tale from the pages of Voodoo!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments
Sorry for the late comment, better late than never I guess...
ReplyDeleteWas the corpse really dead, or a vampire that fed on mortal's life force instead of blood? Was the corpse really a fakir who was buried alive and was in a deep meditiative state before returning to the world of the living (the cop said they found him in India, the land of fakirs and unlimited fodder for horror comics)
Was it Frankie's own guilt, fear, paranoia etc that made him think the corpse was returning to life? So many different possibilities for one story. Great find as always, Karswell!