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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2014 11:22:03 GMT -5
I don't think I'll have five, but I did go through some stuff and had a few ready to be entries.... The Skull and the Snowman by Gary Gianni from: Gary Gianni's The Monster Men #1    Why I chose it: Gianni's art is luscious and some of the images are just downright disturbing (gasbag demons used as hot air balloons with unique propulsion systems in particular), but what I like best about the Monster Men stories in general, and in this one in particular is the exploration of the theme what makes a monster-the whole idea of appearance vs. reality-of outward appearance vs. inward identity-an Immortal Knight hidden away in his armor yet fighting to keep humanity safe, while those who can pass for normal commit heinous deeds and carry out monstrous agendas. In this particular story, I like the twist he puts on the Yeti legend-that only one without fear can look upon the Yeti and survive, but then we learn the Yeti is not what it seems, but a different classic monster who uses the Yeti legend to live in isolation and hide his true identity having long been forsaken by his creator, and whose whole tale is about the theme of what makes a monster... -M |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 2, 2014 13:24:04 GMT -5
I always thought the Monstermen back ups in Hellboy were neat and I loved this issue and not only because it featured a Hellboy story. Don't get me wrong, I bought this issue for the Mr. Todd story but Gianni's art is amazing in his own right, he just has that old school penciling style that makes me nostalgic for those old classics illustrated comics( of which I guess he did a few of in the early 90's though I've yet to find them).
And if you like his art here you should totally check out his run on Prince Valiant.
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 2, 2014 13:46:26 GMT -5
A good choice. I guarantee we'll be seeing one of these chapters again before we are done. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 2, 2014 14:38:11 GMT -5
Interesting that there are no duplicates yet! Definitely a couple things I liked on here that I wouldn't have thought of as horror per say, but I can see it now that you mention it  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2014 14:56:33 GMT -5
I have that Monstermen issue, but I never expected to see it here. Great choice!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2014 14:57:07 GMT -5
Vaguely reminds me of a very promising indie that did last only a single issue, unfortunately, which I'll go ahead & cite here because it's from 2008 & thus outside the list's purview --  Going on my want list for sure. |
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Crimebuster
CCF Podcast Guru
Making comics!
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Post by Crimebuster on Oct 2, 2014 15:21:31 GMT -5
Okay, my disclaimer: I don't really read much horror, and what I have read, I don't really recall. And my favorite horror titles at present are comics that are too new to be eligible. So my list is going to be weird and probably terrible. Having said that. 5.) Sinister House of Secret Love #3 "The Bride of the Falcon" This is from the really unlikely team of Frank Robbins, Alex Toth and Frank Giacoia. Yes, Frank Robbins is the writer here, not the artist. The story is a fairly standard gothic horror/romance about a girl who heads to Italy to marry her pen pal, only to find his family is laboring under a terrible curse. The Alex Toth art, though, elevates the story - as it pretty much does all the stories he worked on.   |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 2, 2014 15:47:33 GMT -5
Man, do I love Toth's art! I love the lines he uses to define the girl's hair there, so simple and clean and ultimately beautiful.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 2, 2014 15:47:46 GMT -5
You had me at Alex Toth!
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 2, 2014 18:07:44 GMT -5
Frank Robbins wrote A LOT of great Batman stories.
Alex Toth is great and all, but let's not forget that Frank Giacoia is an awesome inker!
Your horror list is off to a great start, Scott!
(Look at my lame offering for #5. I bet it's the only Jack Kamen story that gets mentioned.)
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,860
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Post by shaxper on Oct 2, 2014 18:58:41 GMT -5
"Herbie the Liar Said It Wouldn't Hurt" Writer: Doug Moench Artist: Alfredo Alcala Published in: Tales of the Zombie #9, 1974, Marvel Comics  I guess I'm vulnerable to pathos and to stories about childhood anxiety, misery, and tragedy. This tale stuck with me from the first time I read it in 1974, and it was the first comic I thought of when I read the announcement of this CCF event. It's a simple story with a couple of twists that disturbed me deeply. Gregory is a monstrous-looking country boy, living in ignorance with his abusive, ashamed harpy of a mother. Gregory accidentally kills his handsome pal Herbie, the only person who can smile when looking at him. But even in death, Herbie is kind and caring: his ghost grants forgiveness, and explains to Gregory that the afterlife is a place of comfort, love and happiness, and that it is the solution to all his misery. And so Gregory decides to take this advice...only with those two disturbing twists that led to...well, Gregory's realization that Herbie was lying... Back in 1974, I didn't appreciate the work of the troop of Filipino artists who had begun producing so much work for Marvel and DC. Alcala was no exception. Although I could recognize his masterful skills, his work somehow always bothered me, and never more so than in this job. But that was part of the magic of the story's power: the grotesque figure of Gregory, the bloody violence, the oozing, slimy, corrupt feel of the setting...all unforgettable and upsetting. Doug Moench was always one of my favorite writers, although it took me a long time to do the math and realize that his work was the common link between so many of my favorite different series. Moench's script is quite fine in this 7-pager, but on re-reading it, the twists seem to be telegraphed more than I remember. Maybe that's inevitable, and a first-time reader would be distracted enough by Alcala's engaging ink lines and Moench's rich scripting to ride through this short without thinking past the expectations Moench was guiding us towards. We have similar tastes. This made my Top 20  And I don't think I've made much secret of the fact that I adore both Moench and Alcala (Alcala more for his inking than his pencils). Moench will be appearing later on my list. Sadly, Alcala will not. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2014 19:30:32 GMT -5
I always thought the Monstermen back ups in Hellboy were neat and I loved this issue and not only because it featured a Hellboy story. Don't get me wrong, I bought this issue for the Mr. Todd story but Gianni's art is amazing in his own right, he just has that old school penciling style that makes me nostalgic for those old classics illustrated comics( of which I guess he did a few of in the early 90's though I've yet to find them). And if you like his art here you should totally check out his run on Prince Valiant. Gianni has illustrated some of the Del Rey Robert E. Howard editions, which is where I first took notice of him, even though I had that Monstermen issue before the Howard volumes. There's even a book of his Conan illustrations collected that I have somehwere on that Conan shelf...  -M |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 2, 2014 21:04:38 GMT -5
That looks like one sweet edition of Conan.
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Post by hondobrode on Oct 2, 2014 22:11:52 GMT -5
Gianni is great on anything.
I met him in '98 and said he's an awesome Shadow artist.
Very down to earth nice likable guy.
I'll be getting his Conan and Prince Valiant later on.
That Alcala work is strong !
Jack Kamen is one of the most overlooked EC artists. His stuff just screams perfect post-war 1950's suburban life to me. That's part of why his stories are so effective.
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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 3, 2014 19:20:18 GMT -5
 This little gem by Johnny Craig lingers with me still. Chilling premise. Stylish execution (no pun intended). Read it first in a B and W paperback from the 60s/ early 70s. From Vault of Horror 35. |
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