We still haven't found our way out of this groovy graveyard of horror, so let's see how our favorite coffin maker is doing with his latest client. And judging by the title of this story, I'm guessing not so good! From the November 1953 issue of Adventures into Terror #25, with art by big bad Bill Benulis.
Man I love those skeletons! That whole last page, every skeleton is so finely drawn, and, I swear, different from everything else. It's like they are inked differently. It's really incredible!
ReplyDeleteI like the art outside of that; it has a real comical look to it, a bit of Davis maybe. Last page, panel 5, that's a crazy comical exaggerated pose. There is some bad anatomy here and there but it's got a great lively look so it's easy to forgive, especially the mouse-like headstone stealer.
This story is sort of a loop if you think about it. Certainly our mousy man is going to get his from skeleton ghosts for stealing gravestones, and whoever set him up with whatever they stole will get their, on and on.
"Perhaps I should stop using orange crates..."
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe you might stop hanging around cemeteries to watch your victims buried?
Panel 8, Page3:
I can't be the only one who read that as "door suckers".
I don't really understand how the tombstone trick would work, thru. Shouldn't they be instantly recognisable for what they are?
At first, I thought Zekel was going to dig up the coffin after the mourners had left, ala Comedy of Terrors. He turned out to be a cut rate coffin maker and nothing more.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised he wasn't paid a visit at midnight by his dissatisfied customers (it's so hard to please customers nowadays.)
A perfect Halloween story.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great splash! I love how fitting it into the bottom of the page leaves room for a cozy intro, necessary or not. I like these things a little roomy.
I feel like the art here is inconsistent enough to be by multiple people. I also like the cartooning in the panel Brian mentioned (as well as the first frame on page two)--that really defined face with large squared-off glasses frames. It's a great design that feels a lot different from the same face at the top of page three.
This ish has a super cover by Everett.
Great stuff, creepy, fun and quick. Love it.
ReplyDelete