Saturday, December 9, 2017
Priestess of Baal / Sinister Return
We're still screaming for our mommies with the release of my new book this week, MUMMIES, (IDW / Yoe Books) available everywhere NOW, or order a couple online HERE (and FYI: I have a few extras to spare as well if anyone wants to order one directly from me just send an email) --but seriously, what better way to celebrate the holidays this year than with the colorfully wrapped gift of wrapped, reeking corpses! Now while neither of today's classics made the final edit of the book, both are still pretty great in their own evil ways, starting off with Bob Forgione's strangely sexy "The Priestess of Baal" from the Oct '52 issue of Weird Horror's #3, and followed by an encore presentation of "The Sinister Return of the Priestess of Baal" (no relation to the Forgione story) from the Nov '52 issue of Baffling Mysteries #11, art by Chic Stone. I've also spiced up this post with pix of Lana Turner as the Priestess of Baal from MGM's 1955 film epic, The Prodigal!
That reminds me, I've got to get my Baalmas shopping done! That walking corpse in the second story remains extra creepy even on the second look at this story.
ReplyDeleteOne bad thing about modern movies with CGI in them -- nobody builds giant sets like that anymore. It's a dying art. Also, I want that statue for my living room.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how a lot of these mummy tales end up reading more like adventure stories than horror stories. The first story is much more an adventure story, and the second is more a horror story.
I like the mummies in the first one, though in places I kept thinking she was carrion from spider-man! Mummy in the second one is good, too, but a bit less creepy.
Both of the stories have good pacing and I love what a deadshot Asywedah was with rocks!
The first story is unintentionally hilarious because Goeffrey seems to have completely overlooked the fact that the Priestess' body will once again be alive, but not in the living form he lusted over.
ReplyDeleteIn the second story, the characters aren't any smarter. "Ooh, let's see what a soul supposedly looks like, nevermind the fact that it belongs to an ancient priestess who made human sacrifices to her evil god." Curiosity killed the cat--or rather in this case, Wanda.
I like the dream conceit in the first story. It's a great way to introduce magic exposition with the more seductive flashback characters. I also really liked the creepy corpse reveal of the same characters later; and, even though they looked more like bloated floaters than desiccated mummies, I found them really effective while they were still silent, lethal forces of supernature. But then the spell was broken a little at the end there, when they started talking. Just like with Tom and Jerry.
ReplyDeleteThe second story is a stone classic. Thanks for reposting it!
I know I harp on this (because so many people think it never happens), but it's nice to see an earlier story where the female character not only isn't helpless, but comes to someone else's rescue.
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