Friday, August 5, 2016
Horror Unlimited / Complete Voodoo Vol. 2 (NEWS)
Good friend and occasional HAUNTED HORROR story contributor, Tommy Stanziola, donated the scans for our last post (click HERE if you missed it), as well as the scans for today's post from the July-August 1954 issue of Voodoo #16. "Horror Unlimeted" is a fun tale that-- wait a second, that's NOT how you spell "unlimited!!!" Anyway, Tommy says this one "scared the shit out of me as a kid!" --let's see what it does to you! And speaking of Voodoo, you can now pre-order The Complete Voodoo Vol. 2 from IDW / Yoe Books Chilling Archives of Horror Comics hardcover collection series, coming in November! Just click HERE after you read today's story! Special thanks again to Tommy for the scans!
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7 comments:
I'm not surprised they misspelled "Unlimited." On the original cover page of this issue--they misspell "shroud" as "shrowd." I love how even back in the day, comic book typos still happened.
Yeah, this story is a mixture of amusing and creepy at the same time. It's creepy because these little red creatures eventually imprison the couple in their own home and brainwash and kidnap their children. Yet at the same time, it's hard to take a bunch of tiny, naked red men who call themselves "wudgies" seriously. Also, that note from the children is unintentionally hilarious.
The ending was generally shocking, but lost a bit of the shock to it's seemingly very "... to be continued!" nature. It's more like we are missing part 2 or a couple pages then we reached the ending.
The husband, what a dope. "They sure seem nice, good enough for me!" This was the 50s, it's exactly how the commie menace was invading our shores!
Note the train sub plot was hastily abandoned, even though it lead to the amusing splash.
I could see how this would freak you out as a kid; the kids in this story are basically doomed to whatever you could imagine as a kid yourself. Probably not a pleasant story!
This story works on many levels-
For kids reading this, they can only wonder what kind of school the wudgies had in store for the boys in the story, is it a school to teach them how to be evil or is it a lure to claim the boy's souls.
For grownups reading this, the subtle censorship (you don't need that, we will entertain you and tell you what to do) and loss of control of one's own life (electrified door) becoming a slave to the new masters, the wudgies.
As Brian Barnes noted, with the red scare alive and well in the fifties, this story might have been a subliminal message of what the Reds would do, be friendly at first, then control your life and brainwash your children and turn them against you. The little guys were red so there might have been a subtle way of playing on the fear of the Red devils form overseas.
couldn't find any fifties definition of a wudgie, maybe this was here the name came from-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pukwudgie
Today's definition-
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wudgie
annoying little kid- it sounds like the wudgies in the story
Hm. I'd say a story about literally red menaces invading our homes and destroying our families is just about the polar opposite of subliminal. This story is cautionary propaganda against the commie labor insurgency and its threat to our nuclear values, applied with all the subtlety of a hammer (and a sickle). Makes Invasion of the Body Snatchers look like a covert allusion.
Loved it! Can't wait for the next Complete Voodoo book, either.
(This is actually Rick's son Evan, comics buff to the max.)
Karswell-
Long time follower, first time commenter. Been lovin' the pre-code (and occasional Silver and Bronze ages) horror stories you've posted on this here blog. The macabre stories, the great art, the creepy hosts- what's not to love? Especially love the Atlas stuff. Great story you've posted here. Gotta love how they misspelled "Unlimited" there! Oh, you Iger Shop, you! BTW, could you post "Nothing is Left Alive!" by Howie Post, from "Men's Adventures" #23? Great chiller thriller.
This would have scared the hell out of me had I read it as a child.Great post!
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