Creepshow Vol. 1
Paul Dini, Chris Burnham, Erica Henderson, Francesco Francavilla, Kyle Starks & others
Image/Skybound, 2023
This is a classic EC Comics-style horror anthology based on the Shudder TV series of the same name developed by Greg Nicotero of The Walking Dead. It contains ten stories, originally published in five individual issues, narrated by a ghoulish character in the classic style. As always, the results are a bit of a hit and miss. The collection starts out strong with "Take One" by writer and artist Chris Burnham and colorist Adriano Lucas, a tale of Halloween trick or treat gone horribly wrong. When a group of kids ignore the "Take One" sign on a bowl of candy bars they face retribution by the murdered home owner, shot in the head and wearing a bathrobe, just like the local legend has it. One of them hopes to escape retribution because he only bent the rule a little bit, but no dice. David and Maria Lapham's "The Gorgahmorahh Tree" (with colorist Trish Mulvihill) tells the story of an ancient oak tree with a mysterious connection to a young girl named Daphne. When the tree takes her family she burns the tree and the family house down, but her remains are never found. Francesco Francavilla is the writer and artist (along with L. Marlow Francavilla) of "Hair," about a small town barber and the large hairy creature he has befriended, along with the usual local wildlife like raccoons and possums. But the small critters certainly do not account for the disappearance of several local hunters. The collection also includes stories about social influencers, vampires, and a cursed lucha libre wrestling mask, among others.
Replies
I've got the Bernie Wrightson/Stephen King one.
When I saw this new series, I considered buying it, but then I thought about all the actual 1950s horror anthologies I have yet to read and gave it a pass.
I was also thinking of the 2007 revival of Tales from the Crypt from Papercutz.
One word regarding that one: Don't.
I'll take your advice on the Papercutz series! I have never read the Stephen King movie adaptation. Probably worth reading for the Berni Wrightson art alone.
Honestly, I think the movie adaptation was a bit tame; neither Berni Wrightson nor horror comics at their best. I picked it up years after the fact, and it is an interesting artifact of the time, but I haven't read it more than once. I'd recommend it if you can find it cheap.
Thanks! I already have it covered for free: one of my local public libraries still has a couple of copies, so I put a hold on it.
Jeff of Earth-J said:
Let me know what you think of it. I might reread it if you think it's better than I remember.
While I was waiting for my library hold to come in, I re-watched the Creepshow film (and the sequel Creepshow 2 as well). So, I can attest to the accuracy of the adaptation: it tracks the film very closely. If anything, the few scenes omitted or shortened strengthened the storytelling. But I can't say that I recommend a re-read. It is a pretty tame comic that gets most of its juice by referencing the far superior EC horror comics.
Yeah, that's just how I remember it. Just as well... I'm deep into another reading project or two at the moment.