The Horrors of it All turns up the heat once more, as well as the hate, for a creepy-crispy, executioner tale of eerie evil from the October 1954 issue of Dark Mysteries #20. "When you're hot, you're hot," or so they say...
The Horrors of it All turns up the heat once more, as well as the hate, for a creepy-crispy, executioner tale of eerie evil from the October 1954 issue of Dark Mysteries #20. "When you're hot, you're hot," or so they say...
The whole thing works, but Panel 5 of Page 3 really stands out.
ReplyDeleteI don't always appreciate what people mean by a "film noir" look, but I think that panel really has one.
I like how absolutely straight forward this one is, in late 54 people were probably trying all sorts of different takes on zombie revenge but this is just point a to b to zombie.
ReplyDeleteThe artist I'm not sure about here, though, that's something slightly wooden (?) about the art, and the grave rising panel on the last page -- always the important one -- has impossible arms but that's a nitpick.
I have to say, one unique thing is they aren't plotting to kill the old guy! Both of them are doing their prescribed jobs, they are just sneaking around in the barn. Hardly seems burning at the stake worthy!
Poor Marianne -- by the captions, she was alive when the zombie picked her up so, even though she asked to die it means he killed her. Dude, come on!
I had gout once from eating too much candy. In the foot. It sucked. I'm taking Jean's side on this one!
>a "film noir" look, but I think that panel really has one
ReplyDeleteI think you're correct!
>I had gout once from eating too much candy
Dang, really?!!
It's fun looking back through the archive at other stories illustrated by Gerald Altman. They are all over the map, some awkward and strange, some accomplished and strange. Sometimes it feels like he's too hurried, some elements of the story too tiresome or time-consuming to work at. I can understand that, but in today's story these shifts between dedication and inattention seem to come side by side, occasionally crammed into the same small space. Or at least that's how I try to explain the second panel on page four, where a considerable amount of artistic attention has been paid to the couple kissing, with very little left over for the figure in the window. Or the last panel in the story, where the difficult angle and crowd interaction are handled quite well but the couple in the grave are goofy and wooden; where light and shadow happen on the tree and the grave dirt, but not on the characters. There are examples throughout, often side by side with counter examples. It don't know if it frustrates me of delights me, but it keeps me on my toes for sure. It's the very definition of inconsistency.
ReplyDeleteTo end on a totally positive note though, I really like the strange way Altman illustrates his zombie here. Like he's made out of gravel or something.