Friday, February 13, 2015
Mark of the Brute
Also featured in HAUNTED HORROR #15 (coming next week) is this deadly Don Heck story, originally presented in the May 1954 issue of Weird Terror #11. I don't mean to be a terrifying tease, but this issue also contains stories from Journey into Fear, Dark Mysteries, Witchcraft, Web of Evil, Mister Mystery, and more! It's gonna be killer-- see ya next wee-eeek!
Lord Don Heck rocks. What he is doing here--thin, even line drawings fleshed-out with dark, decisive marks--is very hard to pull off right, and therefore usually the hallmark of geniuses like Kirby and Toth. Page four is chock full of bold examples. I loved this.
ReplyDeleteIf it hadn't been for the creature's very male-looking body, I was going to guess that it was Kathy herself in some werewolf type mode (think BLOOD OF DRACULA). After all, you never see them together till the end. As for the whip, it could have been to keep the "creature" under control. Even at the end, when Roy calls out for Kathy to see how he's stopped the creature, I almost expected a sad ending along those lines.
ReplyDeleteGreat Heck work. The faces are great, the artwork is clean and precise, and it's a good monster, though the all-over gray coloring is a detriment.
ReplyDeletePage 4, Panel 3 is right on time for Valentine's day, it looks like the monster and our hero are embracing and seeing sparks :)
This is another action tale re-used as a horror tale. It would have fit in with any short 40s super hero strip.
Bottom row, page 5 is a great piece of artwork. Panel to the left uses negative white space, and then the panel on the right reverses that. It's really striking.
Heck has SUCH a unique drawing style....Instantly recognizable, n' cool story to boot!....Thanx. Steve, for yet ANOTHER trip down Horror Alley!!....You should really consider putting out a line o' books, based on this blog, in HC, but it would probably run about 55 volumes, as you've been at this since before I was borned, I reckon...hahahaa
ReplyDelete....Maybe a "Best of..." set o' HCs.....!!! I'd buy 'em! :D
ReplyDeleteHaha, yeah I'll call it The Haunted Horrors of it All.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the conments everyone! FYI: have you been watching the news? Looks like the west coast shipping issues have now produced a halt on stuff coming into the USA which means until they come to an agreement, Haunted Horror #15 could be delayed, more news as we get it...