Lovecraft in Comic Books: Creepy, Issue 21

Continuing our exploration of the works of H.P. Lovecraft as presented in comic book form, today we examine Creepy Issue 21.

 

Introduced in 1964, Creepy was one of three illustrated horror magazines produced by Warren Publishing (the other two being Eerie and Vampirella). Featuring outstanding macabre color covers and black-and-white interior art, Creepy and Eerie stylistically mirrored classic EC Comics horror publications. Creepy even boasted a sinister host in the form of Uncle Creepy.

Creepy went through a string of editors in its formative years, beginning with Russ Jones and including Archie Goodwin, Bill Parente, Nicola Cuti and even publisher James Warren. Contributing artists included such prominent names as Frank Frazetta, Steve Ditko, Neal Adams, Alex Toth and John Severin. The magazine originally ran from 1964 to 1983.

For Lovecraft devotees, Creepy Issue 21 is notable for its inclusion of “The Rats in the Walls.” Bob Jenney provides the atmospheric artwork. The adaptation captures Lovecraft’s tone, though the truncated climax isn’t as effective as the author’s original ending.

Interestingly, Jenney’s résumé indicates that during the 1940s and ’50s, he worked primarily as an illustrator for pulp magazines. A biographical sketch found at the Field Guide to Wild American Pulp Artists lists several pulp titles to which he contributed artwork, including Ace Sports, Ten Detective Aces, 10-Story Detective, Western Aces, Western Trails, Famous Western, Exciting Sports, Popular Football, North-west Romances, Popular Sports, Super Sports, Thrilling Football, Thrilling Sports and Wings. One can’t help but wonder if Jenney had illustrated Lovecraft’s work prior to his Creepy appearance.

Jenney apparently enjoyed a long career in illustration, active from the 1940s through the 1980s. During those years, he worked on at least two syndicated comic strips, provided artwork for children’s books and was employed by an advertising agency. Busy as he was, he still managed to find time to serve as an artist for Warren Publishing.

Creepy Issue 21 hit the newsstands in June 1968. A near mint condition copy is currently listed at just over $40 at one online comic book shop. On the other hand, Dark Horse Comics began reprinting Creepy archival volumes in 2008. This issue is included in Creepy Archives Vol. 5.

Say … have you checked out the Indiegogo fundraising campaign for the forthcoming World War Cthulhu anthology? Edited by Brian M. Sammons and Glynn Owen Barrass, this collection will feature work from authors such as John Shirley, Mark Rainey, Wilum Pugmire, William Meikle, Tim Curran, Jeffrey Thomas and many others. If you haven't already contributed, today would be a good day to do it: If the campaign reaches 80 percent of its goal by 11 p.m. PST today, Friday, March 14, artist Wayne Miller will create a new illustration for Wilum Pugmire's tale "To Hold Ye White Husk." And remember: Those stretch goals are mighty important, too. More funding means more authors and more art!

So what are you waiting for?

Lovecraft in Comic Books: Chamber of Darkness, Issue 5

As promised, today I will begin showcasing some of my treasured possessions here on Muted Mutterings of a Mad Poet.

Anyone familiar with my fiction and poetry probably recognizes my admiration of H.P. Lovecraft’s tales of cosmic horror. Anyone familiar with me personally knows I have an unfortunate obsession: In addition to being a bibliophile, I also collect comic books. My attraction to comic books began when I was a still quite young. I can remember my first acquisition: I was suffering from some mild strain of the flu, around age 5, when my father arrived home with an issue of a one of Marvel’s horror titles. This happened to be right about the same period during which I was devouring old horror movies on television with unspeakable glee.

When asked about my first experience reading Lovecraft, I have to admit that it was likely in the pages of a comic book. Many titles have featured adaptations of Lovecraft’s work over the years – and I can claim with confidence that by the time I was 7 or 8, I had read more than a few.

I’ll begin this marathon of Lovecraftian comic books with one of those Marvel horror titles: Chamber of Darkness, Issue 5. Published in June 1970, this issue included the tale “The Music from Beyond!”, an adaptation of “The Music of Erich Zann.” Scripted by Roy Thomas, the tale featured art by Johnny Craig. Craig came to Marvel with an impressive background, having worked on a number of EC titles in the 1940s and ’50s, including the popular horror anthologies The Crypt of Terror, The Vault of Horror and The Haunt of Fear. He also worked for Archie Goodwin at Warren Publishing’s magazines in the mid to late ’60s.

Copies of Chamber of Darkness are readily available through online comic book dealers. One in fine condition can be acquired for less than $10.

Stop back in tomorrow evening to see what I’ll dig out of the library.

By the way – if you’re into Lovecraftian fiction, don’t forget to support the current Indiegogo fundraising campaign for the forthcoming World War Cthulhu anthology. Edited by Brian M. Sammons and Glynn Owen Barrass, this collection will feature work from authors such as John Shirley, Mark Rainey, Wilum Pugmire, William Meikle, Tim Curran, Jeffrey Thomas and many others.

Chronic Blog Stagnation

Chronic Blog Stagnation … such a demoralizing phenomenon.

For a writer, it’s shameful: Summoning up a few hundred words several times a week should be painless, uncomplicated … even, dare I say it, fun.

Yet here sits this moribund blog, untouched for well over a year, its promises unfulfilled, its followers forsaken.

Oddly enough, I think I was on to something interesting when last I posted a handful of entries. Excavating oddities and rarities from my overcrowded library to share with like-minded authors and artists seems a noble enough endeavor, does it not? I believe it is time to dig up more of those small press curiosities in my collection to reveal to the fervent masses. I will also disclose some of the works that influenced my own writing – pulp magazines plucked from obscurity at flea markets, classic paperback horror anthologies and, of course, comic books.

Comic books – that’s where I will begin. In order to draw attention to the current Indiegogo fundraising campaign supporting the forthcoming World War Cthulhu anthology, tomorrow I will kick off a marathon of blog entries devoted to Lovecraft in comic books.

In the meantime, why not go watch the new promo video for WorldWar Cthulhu trust me, if you like horror – and if you particularly enjoy Lovecraftian horror – you’ll want to learn more about this first-rate anthology edited by Brian M. Sammons and Glynn Owen Barrass, set to be published by Dark Regions Press.

Aberations
Issue 6
Published 1992
Editor-in-chief: Jon L. Herron

Features fiction by David R. Addleman, Stephen Gresham, Don Hornbostel, Gerald Daniel Houarner, K.A. Kern, Daniel K. Munson, Dan Persons, Thomas S. Roche, David Starkey and Carter Swart; and poetry by John Binns, Marthayn Pelegrimas, Robert Dyer, Kimberly Wade, William Robertson, Paul Weinman, Francis DiPietro and Marian Crane.

Favorite short story:  Thomas S. Roche’s “Alice” is easily the most haunting piece in this issue, but I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the dark humor of Don Hornbostel’s “The Fast Feast.”  Hornbostel nicely captures and encapsulates the grim absurdity of 1980s post apocalyptic wittiness.

Favorite poem:  Both of Kimberly Wade’s poems stood out, but of the two, “Acid Tears” really won me over with its melancholic language.

Aberations
Issue 1
Published 1991

Features fiction by: Jeff VanderMeer, Lori Ann White, Mark Rainey, David Addleman, Kiel Stuart, Nigel Sellars, Barry Harringon, Robert L. Fleck and W.C. Leadbeater; and poems by Jon L. Herron, Richard L. Levesque, K.L. Jones and Mark Fewell.

Favorite short story:  “The God of Byzantium,” by Mark Rainey.  Arcane gods, a thirst for revenge and a seedy adult bookstore make this graphic nightmare a memorable tale.  Rainey’s marvelously sleazy details left me wanting to cleanse my hands with antibacterial gel.

Favorite poem:  “Nekton Wish-Kisses by the Pale Moonlight,” by Richard L. Levesque.  A dark ode to serial killer Ed Gein, Levesque’s poem has some unconventional – but evocative – imagery.

The quality of the artwork is fair to fine.  One illustration that particularly caught my eye:  Artist Richard Dahlstrom’s on page 45 – very reminiscent of images routinely found in 1970s horror comic magazines like Eerie and Creepy.  The artist has a gallery and a website: www.dahlstromgalleries.com.

Hey: Long time, no blog post.

It has been about two years since new content appeared here at Muted Mutterings of a Mad Poet.  The thing is, over the last couple of years I’ve hardly had time to write anything – fiction, poetry or witty, informative blog entries.  Besides, Muted Mutterings had mainly degenerated into a self-promotion page … a place to share sales and recent publications. 

These days, I do all that plugging on Facebook.

So, recently, I started working on a website.  It’s moving along nicely, and should be up and running within the next month.  It will have its own blog, too, where I can share publishing news.

So, what to do with Muted Mutterings of a Mad Poet …

I’ve decided to use this space to post informal reviews:  I’ll be unearthing some gems from my personal collection and discussing them here – things like long-lost small press publications, old pulp magazines and some of the books, anthologies and comic books that influenced or inspired me along the way.

Sounds like a plan, doesn’t it? 

Stay tuned …

July 2010 Summary

Fiction
Completed stories: None
Submitted stories: 6
Accepted stories: 4

Poetry
Completed poems: 5
Submitted poems: 5
Accepted poems: 3

Nonfiction
Completed articles: 9

• How to cope with memory loss
• How to live a healthy lifestyle
• Ringo Starr brings show to REH
• Curtain Call: “Nunsense” scores big on fun and puns (theater review)
• Crowded House heading to REH
• Curtain Call: Comedy kicks off Early Bird’s season (theater review)
• Plant, Band of Joy plays REH
• Curtain Call: Olson directs clever ‘Seafarer’ (theater review)
• August concert lineup

Submitted articles: 9
Accepted/published articles: 10

Reprints
Submitted reprints: 13
Accepted reprints: 11

Totals
Number of words written this month: Approximately 6,000
Number of submissions pending response: 80

Comments:
Not bad as far as submissions and acceptances go, but next month I plan on boosting my output dramatically. I have a number of stories I’ve left in limbo far too long … and I intend to get through all of them in the next few weeks!

Space Horrors

According to editor David Lee Summers, Space Horrors – the fourth installment of the Flying Pen Press series Full-Throttle Space Tales – is due out Oct. 1, 2010. The finalized version of the cover is shown here, and following is the description of the book which will appear on the back cover:

What horrors lurk among the stars?

If you dare venture into space, you will find planets where the rain will dissolve the flesh from your skeleton in a matter of minutes. There are undead stellar corpses that warp the very fabric of reality. There are bursts of radiation that will cook you alive within the walls of your spaceship.

And those are just the terrors we expect to face when we leave Earth.

In this volume you’ll find seventeen tales guaranteed to send a shiver down your spine. You’ll meet cold and dispassionate aliens—some so large they’ll swallow your starship whole, others so small they’ll turn your blood to dust. The prospect of encountering undead creatures such as vampires and zombies on Earth is frightening enough. Imagine meeting them while trapped during an interstellar flight. You’ll join men and women as they dare to explore haunted spaceships. In the end, you may discover that the most frightening creatures we’ll encounter among the stars are humans themselves.

We invite you to peer into the darkest reaches of space with Ernest and Emily Hogan, Sarah A. Hoyt, Dayton Ward, Danielle Ackley-McPhail and a dozen more new and veteran writers.

Here is the book's table of contents:

Introduction — David Lee Summers

Part I: Man’s Own Inhumanity

Poetic Justice — Alastair Mayer

Listening — Anna Paradox

The Walking Man — Glynn Barrass

Part II: Alien Menaces

Natural Selection — Simon Bleaken

Oh Why Can’t I? — CJ Henderson

Last Man Standing — Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Part III: Seductive Vampires

Anemia — David Lee Summers

Chosen One — Dana Bell

Sleepers — Selina Rosen

Divining Everest — Patrick Thomas

Part IV: The Spirit Realm

Into the Abyss — Dayton Ward

Salvage — David B. Riley

The Golem — Judith Herman

Part V: Shambling Zombies

In the Absence of Light — Sarah A. Hoyt

A Touch of Frost — Gene Mederos

Wake of the White Death — Lee Clark Zumpe

Plan 9 in Outer Space — Ernest and Emily Hogan

"They like me ... "

I was happily surprised recently to find a complimentary PDF copy of the July 2010 issue of Golden Visions Magazine, edited by Christine Lajoie Golden – particularly since I didn’t have any fiction appearing in the issue.

As it turns out, I received the copy because I was chosen by readers of the magazine as one of the top five favorite writers for 2009. Readers were asked to vote for their favorite authors whose work appeared in either the print or online version of Golden Visions Magazine in 2009. Following is a list of the top five authors, as printed in the magazine:

TM Hunter
Guy Belleranti
Fran Jacobs
Lee Clark Zumpe
Gustavo Bondoni

My short story “The Blacktide” appeared in Golden Visions Magazine, Issue 8, Oct.-Dec. 2009. It was my second appearance in GVM, preceded by the story “From Dark Shores,” Issue 2, 2008.

Authors don’t often get to hear applause. For me, satisfaction comes from completing a story, having a story accepted for publication, seeing a story in print and receiving payment for a story. Knowing that a number of readers, having read my work, took the time to show their approval by voting for it is infinitely more fulfilling.

I am grateful to those who participated in the voting and I am delighted my work was so well received by readers of Golden Visions Magazine.

Shameless Self Promotion No. 15

Chances are, you've never heard of Hadoth Creek.

Henry Bickleworth certainly wasn't familiar with the isolated community situated on a dirt road in rural north Florida - not until an unfortunate detour forced him to meet some of the town's eccentric residents.

I invite you to join Bickleworth on his journey as he discovers Hadoth Creek's unconventional past and comes face to face with the unsettling secrets and ancient horrors found there.

"Jars in the Cellar," a 6,125-word short story, has been published by Damnation Books. If you like weird yarns with a Lovecraftian slant, I hope you will consider purchasing the story.

Movie Review: Red Cliff

Armchair historians, strategy game buffs and those who enjoy spectacular cinematic epics will love John Woo's Red Cliff - assuming, that is, they can find it playing at a theater without having to drive 500 miles.

Rival warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan form an alliance to confront the power-hungry general Cao Cao, who is determined to annex both their territories. My introduction to these historical figures happens to go back to the early 1990s when I became addicted to a Nintendo game called Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Anyone who played this - or any other strategy game based on this conflict - will find the film intriguing.

For more information, check out my review at Tampa Bay Newspapers:
… Visually stunning, Woo delivers a spectacular masterpiece combining dazzling landscapes, larger-than-life battlefield scenarios and mesmerizing diplomatic and tactical sequences that showcase the art of subtlety ...

Shameless Self Promotion No. 14

The Anthology of Dark Wisdom: The Best of Dark Fiction is now available from Elder Signs Press. Editor William Jones has selected some of the most horrifying and fantastical tales from the eponymous magazine along with previously unpublished works and award-winning short stories. As the publisher reports on its website, these tales "fearlessly venture into the hidden world of the supernatural, where strange creatures stalk the night and eldritch investigators search for the unknown."

The collection includes my short story "Plague of Fire" along with works by Peter Straub, Alan Dean Foster, Tom Piccirilli, John Pelan, Richard A. Lupoff, John Shirley, Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Wendy Leeds, Gerard Houarner, Chirstopher Welch, Sam W. Anderson, C.J. Henderson, Paul Melniczek, Richard Wright, Deanna Hoak, Christopher T. Leland, Bruce Boston, Lee Ballentine, Sherry Decker, Gene O’Neill, James Argendeli, Patricia Lee Macomber, David Niall Wilson, Christian Klaver, Tim Curran, Neddal Ayad and Rachel Gray.

To tempt discerning readers into ordering a copy for the holidays, following is a brief excerpt from my story:

"Outside, the twilight shuddered with bursts of sporadic lightning. Spidery bolts erupted from beyond the horizon, scattered across the sky and invaded Obaid’s apartment in flashes of crimson and blue. The thunder growled with the whisper of the hidden horrors.

A pack of tormented sirens howled through the dusk, scrambling toward a dull, red glow smoldering in the besieged Florida night. Obaid temporarily abandoned his studies and peered through the breach in the curtains covering the window. In the distance, some vast conflagration illuminated the sky, reminding him of burning oil rigs in the desert."

Shameless Self Promotion No. 13

To read my story "Newfound Gap," check out the anthology Grants Pass, recently published by Morrigan Books.

Within, you'll find some excellent end-of-the-world fiction revolving around a central theme: In each of the tales, survivors struggle to reach Grants Pass, Oregon, rumored to be the last bastion of civilization. Grants Pass was edited by Jennifer Brozek and Amanda Pillar.

In addition to my contribution, this collection features the work of Kayley Allard, Scott Almes, Jennifer Brozek, Ivan Ewert, Ed Greenwood, Stephanie Gunn, Carole Johnstone, Pete Kempshall, Jay Lake, Martin Livings, Seanan McGuire, Shannon Page, Jeff Parish, Amanda Pillar, Cherie Priest, James M. Sullivan and KV Taylor.

In his review on HorrorScope, Chuck McKenzie calls Grants Pass "a remarkable, disturbing, and worthwhile read, and one that is likely to stay with the reader for some time to come."

In another review, posted on LiveJournal, the reviewer wrote "I’ve only held onto one anthology for more than a year in my entire life. Grants Pass will make it two."

Yet another LiveJournal reviewer wrote specifically about my story, "Newfound Gap," saying it "had me with hope, that desperate kind which pushes people forward. Sometimes that drive pays off and sometimes it doesn't. My need for Kleenex was based out of one of those two ends. I'll let you read the story and find out which."

There are several positive reviews posted on the Goodreads website, too.

Grants Pass may be purchased online at the Morrigan Books website.

Shameless Self Promotion No. 12

Within the pages of the June 2009 issue of Aoife's Kiss is my short fantasy story "Three Coins and the Sword of Mingus."

Aoife's Kiss, edited by Tyree Campbell, is one of many excellent products crafted by Sam's Dot Publishing. This particular issue also features stories by David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Lawrence R. Dagstine and many others; as well more than a dozen poems, including works by Bruce Boston, Marge B. Simon and s.c. virtes.

For information about Aoife's Kiss and other magazines, anthologies and chapbooks, vist Sam's Dot Publishing.

Shameless Self Promotion No. 11

Since I am catching up on posting recent publications this evening, let me introduce you to Morpheus Tales, Issue 3, which includes a reprint of my short story "Alone in the Cataloochee Valley."

Based in London, Morpheus Tales is a magazine of horror, science fiction and fantasy, edited by Adam Bradley. Issue 3 was released in January and includes about 10 short stories including excellent tales by Ken Goldman and Joseph McGee. There also is an interview with Michael Laimo.

To order a copy of Morpheus Tales, visit the publication's website today!

Shameless Self Promotion No. 10

This issue of Strange Sorcery, edited by Steve Lines and John B. Ford, actually came out in the summer of 2008. I received my copy late due to a minor clerical error.

Included in this issue is "The High Priest of Turmiz," a short fantasy story I wrote years ago in the tradition of classic Weird Tales era pulp authors. It recounts the legend of necromancer Ak Khun Khan, and a reformer's attempt to exterminate his legacy.

Also featured in this issue are tales by Ron Shiflet and Scotch Carson, as well as poetry by Franklyn Searight.

This and other titles are available online from Rainfall Books.

Review - The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks

I recently became a minion (reviewer), serving She Never Slept, a wonderful online source for science fiction, strange tales and horror news and reviews. There, you can read my review of The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, by Max Brooks.

'Zombieland' review posted at TBN

Fleischer, Harrelson make zombie-killin’ fun

By LEE CLARK ZUMPE

Directed by Ruben Fleischer, “Zombieland” is Hollywood’s attempt to capture some of the macabre humor exhibited in the brilliant 2004 British zombie comedy “Shaun of the Dead.”

Read more...

Review - Potter's Field 3

Everyone who chances upon this blog post should immediately venture forth and read my review of Potter's Field 3, for two reasons. First, it's a great anthology ... handsome, full of scary stories and nicely priced. It's available through Sam's Dot Publishing. If you're a fan of speculative fiction and you are not familiar with this publisher - you should be.

Reason No. 2 is more self-serving. I was recently informed that the Literary News section of Tampa Bay Newspapers is in danger of being discontinued due to low traffic. Furthermore, it was suggested that people aren't reading as much anymore. For some time, book reviews in the printed editions of Tampa Bay Newspapers' weeklies have been rare. Many daily newspapers also have transplanted their book review sections to the Internet or have eliminated them altogether.

I find the trend discouraging, particularly because book reviewers have the ability to take books like Potter's Field 3 and introduce them to a broader audience. While I do review mainstream books from big publishing houses, I prefer to balance that with titles from lesser known companies - books by authors and editors whose skill and dedication rival bestselling literary figures but whose works have not yet reached the peak audience.

So, I'm hoping that some of those devoted readers - who aren't reading as much anymore - will take a moment to check out the Literary News section at Tampa Bay Newspapers, or visit their own hometown newspaper to see what their own local book reviewer is recommending these days.

Shameless Self Promotion No. 9

Edited by Thomas Brannon and John Sunseri, Cthulhu Unbound is now available from Permuted Press.

Cthulhu Unbound is the first volume in a two-volume set of anthologies focusing on genre-blending Cthulhu Mythos tales. My story, "The Hindenberg Manifesto," is presented in this fine collection. Set in 1937, the tale mixes historical events, sinister spies and secret societies as a clandestine American organization tries to recover crucial, encrypted information smuggled out of Germany by an opponent of Hitler's Nazi regime.

From the publisher's description of the book:

Welcome to a place where bleak noir cityscapes share a Technicolor sky with combat fighters, where you can find gunslingers from the Old West and a lost chapter from a literary classic, all with something in common: Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. This is a place where the Crawling Chaos has to solve his own murder and the Old Ones come up against the Gods of Las Vegas, a place where the new player in London's underground isn't human and masked heroes go toe-to-tentacle with eldritch horrors.

Other authors included in this volume are Linda L. Donahue, Trent Roman, Kevin Lauderdale, Doug Goodman, Bennet Reilly, Dr. Kim Paffenroth, Steven Michael Graham, D.L. Snell, Lisa Hilton, Rick Moore, Ben Thomas, John Goodrich, John Claude Smith and C.J. Henderson.

That should serve to whet your appetite for what is being called one of the best Cthulhu Mythos collections in years. Visit the Book Store at Permuted Press or purchase a copy at Amazon.com, Horror Mall, Barnes & Noble, or Powell's Books.