Friday, August 31, 2012
The Sea of the Dead
Another nightmarish, atmospheric terror tale from the June 1952 issue of Unknown Worlds #1. GCD indexer note about the art here: Bob Forgione is credited on pencils and Jack Abel on inks for "Unknown World" (as listed in Jerry Bails' Who's Who.) Being a one-shot title, and with the other stories credited, this has to be Forgione and Abel. Forgione's pencil work is very similar to some of his signed stories elsewhere, with many close-ups of faces, but Abel is a bit uncertain.
Another great tale; I usually make fun of the coloring but the yellow/green tones on the dead are perfect.
ReplyDeleteThe art is wonderful, so I can forgive the annoying perspective problem on page 2, panel 6 (I always complain!) The moving dolphin carving and the captain's reaction are all pretty horrifying.
We see so few slow builds in pre-code, and even fewer done as well as this.
This could have been made into a Twilight Zone or Night Gallery episode, and it would have been ranked as one of the best.
ReplyDeleteGreat find as always Karswell
The barnacles were a good touch. The sinking scene was very effective, too. I loved the art, and I thought the color was really nuanced--lighter and darker shades of blue when outside, etc.--when it wasn't being artfully radical. The use of darkness and light was near enough the best I've seen, what with all the half-glimpsed people haunting the deck. All the swirling eddies of foreshadowing fog really made it look like the ship was under the water from the very beginning, too.
ReplyDeleteStory was a little overwritten though: "But when dark thoughts have inundated a man's thoughts, it is not easy to still the troubled waters of the soul." Sing it, Garfunkle!
I agree with All the comments, especially if this story had been filmed as a T Zone (or Thriller) episode. Actually I do recall an episode of something that was very similar to this, anyone got any clues?
ReplyDeleteOne more tale to go from this issue, only 3 stories in this one... we'll be starting up September with it here shortly. Thanks again for the continued support and feedback, keeps the Karswell motivation flowing when you comment!
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ReplyDeleteThanks Mestie, that's the one I was thinking of!
ReplyDeleteActually, I see very little that reminds me of Forgione or Abel here. Forgione's figures were alwyas a bit more caricatured and the inking seems to loose for the always slick Abel.
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE STORIES
ReplyDeleteI agree Ger, it's why I mentioned the GCD index notes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with The Blob too!
This is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteCool Creepy sea tale .... I really liked the Undead....Note A "Revenge-Motivated" Undead is called a "Reveramt".... From Folklore...
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