Thursday, December 28, 2017
Vampire Terror / Corpse, Come Back!
Time again for another deadly December Double Feature, and this time we have two forms of freaky foul living dead! I meant to post these kookball classics on xmas because of all the hilarious ho-ho-ho'ing going on in them both, and to be totally honest, I'm surprise neither of these weirdies have wound up posted here already over the years as the other two tales (of 4) in the July 1954 issue of Mysteries Weird and Strange #8 have been in the THOIA Archive for over a decade (Happily Dead), and the other one coming pretty darn close to 10 (Devil's Birthmark.) So check 'em all out if you haven't already, that's what the archive is for-- it's another FULL ISSUE now filed away forever in Mr. Karswell's Krypt.
Vampire Terror takes on such a different feel here in 2017 with all the sexual assault and rapist in hollywood. Old Boris didn't even need to be a vampire and the story would still have worked! I love the look of the vampire and the corpse, though why it's labelled "evil" (or a greater evil than the vampire) I'll never know. It had perfectly good reason to rise and take revenge!
ReplyDeleteThe second story has some nice art, but pretty poor coloring choices and the story had bad pacing. If your best idea for using an army of the dead is bank robbery (and piling them all in your car?) you should find a better line of work than king of the graveyard!
At the bottom of Page 3, it looks like that profile is based on Karloff in THE MUMMY.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the naivety of both stories. In 1950's non-EC, non-Atlas horror comics, that can often work in their favour. I went along for the ridiculous ride of both, amused by the simple-minded foolishness of the main character in each.
ReplyDeleteActually, the first story kind of had a PSYCHO vibe as who I thought was going to be the main character was killed after I bought into her story -- and then a friend investigates. When she comes back, it's not possibly her own "soul" animating that demented zombie. It almost seemed to go into David Lynch LOST HIGHWAY territory.
The second one I enjoyed more than I might have because the dim-witted lead used the zombies in the traditional way to do work for him and contribute to his fortunes. It even ended well where the slaves -- now freed men in their cemetery -- will have final say on the master and the social order is turned on its head, much like the societies in the Caribbean. Also it was mind-boggling to see somebody who figured out how to literally be a god and raise the dead -- with his own formula! -- settle for such a mundane and silly way to use them, when he could have ruled with world with just a little deep thinking.
Thanks for posting!
Good comment from Brian on the phenomenon we witnessed in 2017 vs. the 1950's handling of celebrity sexual assault!
ReplyDeleteWhen she met Boris, Doris dreamed of having a little boy named Horace--but she was just a leetle too porous. She made a damn sassy zombie, though. I love the gleeful way she taunts that guy as she stalks him across the countryside. I love the bleak ending here, too, in which Doris somewhat colludes with her deceased murderer to cover up his crimes, denying distant relatives and loved ones any closure in the disappearance of either woman. She took her own death to the grave.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, everybody!
Brian's comment on present day sexual assault and rape done by famous people finally coming to light after many years does give the first story a much creepier vibe now. I do love this line though: "Yes, I am Boris Goff! Movie star by profession--vampire by preference!"
ReplyDeleteI also don't understand why Doris is branded as being "evil" when she's clearly the only one able to stop Boris' sick killing spree.
The second story makes me laugh simply because the mastermind decides to put all the zombies in his car!No need for seat-belts if you're already dead.
Happy New Year to Karswell and all fans and followers of The Horrors Of It All.
ReplyDeleteMay the only horror in our lives be in the form of horror comics and horror magazines.