Sunday, December 21, 2014
Phony Face! / Skin Deep
We haven't had a Double (Be)Header around here in a while, in fact, let's call this one a "Face-Off!" shall we? We pit DC's House of Mystery against their own House of Secrets in a no holds barred match of tales sharing a similar theme. Which one comes out on top? Our first story is from the August 1972 issue of HoM #205, while the opposing yarn is from the April 1973 issue of HoS #107.
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11 comments:
Beauty is only skin deep-but ugly goes straight to the bone!
For the first story, if Grant Weymore managed to keep his wits and put on the discarded mask, he could have hopped a bus to Hollywood and become the greatest horror movie icon alive. With his new found wealth he could have a plastic surgeon undo the damage and eventually look almost human (almost.)
I never forget a face, but in your case Grant I wish I could.
Great impression of the face, but the story seemed to end too abruptly.
Interesting contest . The first story made me think of yet another Twilight Zone episode (Eye of the beholder) and this troubles me. Am I obsessed with Rod Serling? I hope not.
The second story is way better, very nineteenth - century, "romantic" in a way, and the art is nice, with an appropriate, old fashioned style. Nevertheless, first story wins because of the host.
In a match between Cain and Abel, I know whose side I'm on.
If I'd vote it would be for the first story, though it's not nearly as developed as the second. That face is a good image. Would have liked to have seen more story to it, as I liked the conceit of a "The butt of a hideous joke by some uncanny alien being..." a lot! I wouldn't actually like to know any more about Magog -- the more mysterious, the better -- but way more character development with Weymore (get it?) to give his fate some poetic justice would have been great.
Maybe I've just been catching too many old Mission:Impossible episodes on the retro TV to find duelling rubber masks in the second story appealing. Good illustration in both, though. Thanks for posting.
Okay, 3 votes for the first story-- that hideous winning face will now be made into a latest rubber mask. Who wants one?
PS: Just joking.
You've done some remarkable things in the past to enthusiastically promote your blog, Karswell, so for just a second when I read the first bit or so I thought you might just make a mask.
First story is the winner, just for how arbitrary the "evil" is.
The point of both of these stories is to show the ugliest or most deformed face you can, and neither disappoints in these stories.
Speaking of art, I love the pseudo underground comix type art of the advertisement.
I think I meant to say "latex" mask up there, derrr auto correct! Anyway, masks are a passion o'mine so who knows, maybe down the road me and Craig might come up with some Haunted Horror host masks or something...
It looks like Bardon's new face is based a little on Paul Newman (especially in the first picture of it on Page 3). And according to you the issue's from April ' 73, so that might be no coincidence, the early ' 70s being a big time for Paul Newman.
His actual face looks to be modeled on the famous MISTER SARDONICUS face, at least in the final scene.
Without it being a copy, the story seems borrowed from an Eerie Publishing story I was always fond of (which it took the Internet as usual for me to rediscover), called "Horror Club." But I'm so generally bad at guessing endings that I still didn't see it coming!
A very Merry Christmas to you Mr. Karswell....
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