We're only a few posts beyond Thanksgiving 2022 and still you're ravenous for more horror, and of course THOIA is happy to continue serving up terrifyingly tasty morsels from the cool long box --and I'm not talking about a refrigerator! Also in honor of Mr. Karswell's recent VAMPIRES Blood Shot One-Shot release of gruesome golden era gems (in stores NOW via Asylum Press!), we have another blood suckin' classic from the November 1973 issue of Secrets of Sinister House #15. And if you're STILL hungry after that, then hurry up and grab yourself a copy of VAMPIRES BSO-S, it comes in a variety of vicious variant cover flavors, most notably Drazen Kozjan's deliciously sexy take on a macabre midnight smorgasbord --see the image at the end of the post! And FYI this cover also comes in a much more revealing "ADULT" version as well! Inquire with the better comic stores in your area, or send Mr. Karswell an email at karswell@hotmail.com for details!
I thought the old man/daughter were robots, but the real ending raises so many questions I'm just going to talk about the art!
ReplyDeleteIt's 70 pre-code DC horror so there's one thing you can depend on: The art is going to be great. I love the dirty type of inks, and sometimes they run against fine line work for great effect of making something pop, like the splash, or the large panel on page 3.
The bottom on page 4 is great, the old man/daughter are absolutely sinister looking, and the last panel on that page uses that foreground/background trick again. It's really gorgeous work.
I think the only miss is the 2nd to last panel. The big blast of orange kind of sticks out, but it's a good gimmick.
I'm with Brian on that ending. I thought the reveal was that they were going to be werewolves because usually if the main monster is a vampire, the twist is that the "victim" is actually a werewolf, or vice versa, the prey of the werewolf turns out to be a vampire. Vampires preying upon their fellow vampire though? I know times are tough, but what the heck do they get out of it? It's not like this vampire has any blood left to begin with, his or his previous meals. The artwork is fun and sinister though. Love the panel of the trustee's gaze on page 2 as the vampire stalks him just around the corner, or the last panel of page three of the vampire in frustration. Still, at this point, robots even would have made more sense.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that that vampire deserves what was coming to him for being kind of a wimp.
ReplyDeleteIt is a little surprising how much he seems to fear the police. The idea that the vampire would embrace starvation because he was worried about unnecessary pain is an interesting one. I'm more persuaded by the idea that, once pain has been disconnected from health concerns, some of the urgency must begin to fade. Personally, I'd be more worried that the police could cause enough damage to my mobility with their nonlethal bullet attacks that it'd be a lot easier for them to get me out into the sun or under the pointed stick.
ReplyDeleteArtwise, I think page three is the real standout, taken all at once.