Eerie Tales From The School of Screams. Graham Annable. First Second Books. 2023. 368 pp. $22.99
Graham Annable is a magical artist who can conjure up little masterpieces seemingly by just a fast swirl of gestures. I’ve seen him at work and he’s devilishly good. And I’ve kept up with him, going back some twenty years. This is an artist who truly lives and breathes his work. So, when I stumbled upon a brand-new Annable collection, a collection of ghost stories no less, I had to see it and then share it with you!
Graham Annable’s training is in animation. It’s that background that landed him steady storyboard jobs and has kept his drawing chops, and precise timing, in tip top form. You see that professional polish throughout this book. In fact, as I gave myself over to this immersive read, the characters (and creatures) came to life for me over and over again. This book is intended for middle grade kids but the level of sophistication you find here makes it a delight for any age. I’m talking about the level of Tomi Ungerer. It’s definitely not generic stuff. It has a special heart and soul to it.
Once I read the first story, “The Village That Vanished,” I was hooked. The collection of stories here is framed around a classroom show-and-tell. Each kid is expected to go up to the front of the class and share their most eerie tale. And so it all begins with two characters overlooking a cliff, attempting to find a village that seems to have literally vanished. Before too long, the two surveyors, or whoever they are, stumble upon an old man in a cottage. And the old man proves to be quite an odd duck with a strange tale about fish people who live nearby. What unfolds is one of the strangest and most engaging bits of comics I’ve read in a long time.
The good stuff of good nightmares.
Annable is a master of capturing just the right movement, gesture, and expression. His characters are lanky, languid long-lost relatives of Buster Keaton. They move in a certain way; stare back at you, and at each other, in a certain way. There are very pregnant pauses in Annable comics. And there are very melancholic and enigmatic moments too. Plus lots of silly surreal fun. You really can’t beat that. It’s perfect for this Halloween season or anytime of the year for that matter.
One last note here from the publisher: “From the director of the Oscar-nominated movie Boxtrolls comes a middle grade horror anthology that will leave you holding onto your blankets for dear life! Perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Goosebumps!” Indeed, I could not have said it better! Ages 8-12 will definitely love this book and, as I say, there’s really something here for all ages, starting around, say, around age 8. Don’t want to get too spooky earlier than that. Anyway, as I suggest, this is more along the lines of thoughtful spooky. This is the good stuff of good nightmares.
Fans of Kevin Smith, and fans of the offbeat and unusual, have been keeping tabs on the Kevin Smith-led Secret Stash Press imprint at Dark Horse Comics. So far, it has offered fans a couple of titles: Quick Stops, an anthology series set in the world of Kevin Smith movies; and Maskerade, a crime noir about a cut-throat vigilante. The latest issue, number 7 (of 8), comes out August 9th and here’s a taste of this wild and woolly thriller.
Writers Kevin Smith and Andy McElfresh came out of the gate with this title like two bats out of hell. This is grim stuff mashed up with dark humor, smashed with even darker stuff. Ah, but if that’s what your horror radar has been looking for, then it must be pinging like crazy. This is high-octane horror more than anything else. There’s humor but it’s not there to lighten the horror load as much as it’s there to set up the next jolt. As long as you, my dear mature reader, know that going in, you should be good to go.
Our main character, Felicia, is a female version of every character that Liam Neeson portrays in movies now, a character bent on revenge and willing to do anything, literally anything, to exact vigilante justice. So, if you haven’t already, be prepared for blood to spurt out all over the place and, well, prepare for blood to flood any nook and cranny. You will see red over and over again. The artwork by Giulia Gualazzi is on point, and compliments all the action and horror, and blood. Colorist Giulia Brusco is quite adept at providing vasts quantities of the color red, which is, as I suggest, the prominent color in this comic book. You like red, well, you’ll see lots of it here.
No vigilante story is complete without the villain, or villains, getting ample amounts of comeuppance. You thought you could get away with that, Mr. Evil? Think again! Here’s a poker through your hand; and how about we saw off your . . . yeah, that should do it! In this issue, one of the Mister Evils in this story somehow escapes the cage he was placed in and, against all odds, has somehow managed to turn the tables on Felicia. There’s a good bit of high tech shape-shifting going on in this comic and it looks like one Mr. Evil managed to outwit Felicia with her own shape-shifting powers. That makes for a very interesting issue leading up to the grand finale. So, if you’re a big fan of Kevin Smith, this is the mother lode. And, if you’re new to Kevin Smith, especially his weird brand of comic books, you’ve been warned. Who knows, you might love it!
One last word, I sincerely do have to tip my hat to everyone involved with this comic. Horror comics have a long history and tradition. It’s not easy to maintain the pace once the scenario is in place and the key players have been set loose. No doubt, our main player, Felicia, is quite a force of nature. And all the baddies have what’s coming to them. This is a well-oiled comic, that really works, and that’s saying a lot.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Maskerade is published by Dark Horse Comics, available as of 9 August 2023.
Jamie Lee Curtis, Academy Award winner and all-time “scream queen” befriended New Yorker cartoonist Karl Stevens. This led to a wonderful collaboration with Stevens creating a graphic novel adaptation of MOTHER NATURE, the eco-horror screenplay by Curtis and Russell Goldman. Fast forward to the present and now a new graphic novel is born. MOTHER NATURE is available as of August 8, 2023. In this interview, Henry Chamberlain chats with Karl Stevens, as Stevens embarks on a trip to San Diego Comic-Con in support of his book. If you are at San Diego Comic-Con, be sure to catch up with Karl as he will be busy on Friday as part of a Mother Nature press conference, a panel and a signing.
Mother Earth by Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Goldman. Art by Karl Stevens.
For those of you going to San Diego Comic-Con, Jamie Lee Curtis will be attending Comic-Con for a special panel dedicated to the new graphic novel this Friday:
PANEL: JAMIE LEE CURTIS’S MOTHER NATURE: A CANDID DISCUSSION OF HER ALL-NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL/MOVIE
Friday, July 21; 1PM – 2PM; Room 6A
Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis makes a special appearance at Comic-Con to launch her new graphic novel, Mother Nature, which debuts exclusively at SDCC. This exciting eco-horror graphic novel is adapted from her script for the Comet Pictures/Blumhouse film. Co-writer Russell Goldman and artist Karl Stevens will be on stage with Jamie and Forbidden Planet TV’s Andrew Sumner to go behind the scenes of this unique project, ahead of the Mother Nature major motion picture (coming soon).
Here’s my simple and direct approach at a book trailer in support of my new graphic novel, George’s Run: A Writer’s Journey Through The Twilight Zone, published by Rutgers University Press.
George’s Run is an inspiring and informative book about the golden age of television, specifically the heady late ’50s and early ’60s which gave us The Twilight Zone and Star Trek. This is a story about storytelling and I want folks to know about it. Necessity is the mother of invention and that led me to create this book trailer. Not bad, huh? I love the sketchbook-comes-to-life vibe. With the book trailer, I went back to the roots of this book which has always been a heart-felt effort to be in tune with the reader. This is a story about a regular guy who ends up doing extraordinary things. While George’s life gathers complexity over time, and the interconnections can get pretty involved, the core of this story is as simple and direct as the value of chasing your dreams, going against the odds.
That’s the magic and power of graphic storytelling.
Yes, the gang, or The Group, is all here!
I was just minding my own business when I stumbled upon a delightful review on Amazon of my new book, George’s Run. This was from I Forgive Heathcliff (depending upon your browser, you may need to do a separate search) and it gets to the heart of what my graphic novel is all about. All I can say to any fellow creative, no one will love and understand your work as much as you do until, all of a sudden, it does click and people do get it! This review made me think and gave me pause. It helped me to better appreciate my own efforts. One of the goals of my graphic novel is to connect the dots and make the subject at hand accessible. That is what graphic novels do best. Here’s an excerpt from I Forgive Heathcliff’s review:
The best thing about this graphic novel, spurred on by the brief, blossoming friendship between George Clayton Johnson and Henry Chamberlain which describes George’s life and adventures as a writer, is the sweet and straightforward artwork combined with a sort of stream of consciousness storytelling that picks you up and floats you along, moving forward through years, events, and situations. I particularly loved the author’s humorous, respectful nod toward the entire group of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers by depicting them as shambling zombies.
So, yeah, this review got me to thinking. I did hit the nail on the head. I have George as our guide, our main character, who connects us with a significant movement in contemporary writing. It doesn’t get much better than that, folks. You’ve got one of the most colorful and engaging of individuals, George Clayton Johnson, who acts as a main character in a novel about his own life and times while also taking on the role of tour guide into the inner workings of much of what we take for granted today in entertainment, both high and low culture. The members of what came to be known as The Group were fully aware of what they were doing: along with a wide variety of offshoots and variants, they were primarily engaged with reshaping genre writing for a contemporary audience.
Well, what can I say? I can and will keep saying more and more! For now, if you’re looking for one of those kind of books that helps make sense of it all while also being a fun read, then George’s Run is the book for you. You can buy it directly from the publisher, Rutgers University Press, or any number of other platforms and outlets, including Amazon.
Silver: Of Treasures and Thieves, Book I is out as of October 25, 2022, published by Abrams. It is a deluxe hardcover edition and quite the immersive treat for anyone who loves a good yarn, especially one that takes much of the good stuff from pulp fiction and gives it a good tweak, a veritable mashup of adventure lore and vampire gore.
The meta pulp universe of Silver.
There’s no doubt that Stephan Franck has created something very special with Silver, a graphic novel set in a pulp noir universe of misfits, criminals and, of course, vampires. During our interview, I drive home the theme that much of the charm of this story is the journey and in the telling. This is absolutely an adrenaline-fueled adventure tale while also simply being a dazzling and mesmerizing play of words and images. The beauty of it all is that Franck has created a set of characters that you can really root for while, at the same time, is playing with tropes and just having fun. You can care about the characters or you can just curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the style.
Stephan Franck at the drawing board.
Part of the pitch to this book is a comparison to the vibe you get from Bram Stoker’s Dracula or the original Ocean’s Eleven. These are two very different animals but, at the end of the day, we’re talking about a high level of entertainment, be it high or low art or a mashup of the two. Bram Stoker’s Dracula has never gone out of print since it was first published in April 1897. It was a bestseller in its day and is regarded as high art literature. Ocean’s Eleven was a big hit when it first appeared in movie theaters in 1960. It is an American heist film directed by Lewis Milestone and made the stars of the movie famous as the Rat Pack. It is one of those movies with a high level of irony that seemed to want it both ways: not to be taken seriously and yet leave you guessing. In a word, it was all about atmosphere. Take these two entertainments and roll them up into a fine paste and you’ve got yourself a gooey and frothy mix of the sinister and the ambiguous. Just the sort of clay to play with when looking to create the next pop culture mashup.
Think about pop culture in the last few decades, starting with, say, the treatment of Batman by Frank Miller, in The Dark Knight trilogy. There’s one of your finest examples of what has come to be accepted as working in an “elevated genre.” That’s the whole point. As Franck states, the idea is to “tell the most universal stories in the weirdest way possible.” And that’s what Silver is all about. You’ve got soldier of fortune types at odds with vampires. What could go wrong, right? Except for a roller coaster of a story for your delight.
Be sure to keep up with Stephan Franck here and here. And seek out SILVER, published by Abrams.
I hope you enjoy this video podcast. And, as always, a LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and/or COMMENT is always appreciated.
First off, I invite you to read the review I wrote for The Comics Journal to the book in question, G-G-G Ghost Stories. That will add to the enjoyment of the following interview with the creator.
There are details in Brandon Lehmann‘s comics that will come back and reveal themselves upon another reading. Look closely and you’ll see, tucked away amid the backdrop of a mega-bookstore, copies of Brandon Lehmann’s new book, the recently released,G-G-G Ghost Stories, in the panels to his story, “The Werewolf Expert.” Another reading will reveal a copy of Henry Miller’s Tropic of Capicorn, in the hand of a child, a secondary player in this finely-crafted farce. The key idea here is the subject of creating such a thing as a “finely-crafted farce,” and why quality will win out in the end. Lehmann’s sense of humor is an absurdist and existential sensibility. Lehmann has been making comics for about fifteen years featuring observational and satirical work. In this new book, he focuses in on playful use of horror tropes. For this interview, we met at Seattle’s Smith Tower, a favorite haunt of erudite cartoonists and, of course, ghosts. We begin this conversation just as I sit down to join Brandon. I notice pot stickers have already been ordered. (We staged a bit of a humorous intro. You’ll see what I mean if you view the video.)
Hey, Brandon, well, I see you’ve started without me, as usual. Nice to run into you this way.
I just hang out up here in Smith Tower and read my own comics.
G-G-G Ghost Stories by Brandon Lehmann
So, what have we here (picking up a copy of Brandon’s book). Is the proper pronunciation just as it reads, G-G-G Ghost Stories?
When I named it, I was hoping for some awkward interactions at the sales counter. “I’ll take, G-G-G Ghost Stories, please.”
That would be a Scooby-Doo influence, right?
Yeah.
Interesting that we’d find ourselves in Smith Tower since, as everyone knows, this place is haunted.
Yeah, we saw a couple of ghosts on the way in. I was like, “Ahhh, it’s a g-g-g ghost.”
Page excerpt from “The Lfyt”
I think of a lot of your work, like the “The Lfyt,” as being mini-masterpieces. Do you sometimes think in those terms, “I’m going to create something that’s so spot on that everything works perfectly.” Does that make sense to say that?
Yeah, I always feel that when you’re working on a book, especially, you can get into this mode where everything you do just works. And then, when you finish a book, I have this period where I just struggle and I can’t seem to draw anything. But when I’m making a book, I can set a schedule, everything works on the first try for some reason. If that makes sense.
Page excerpt from “The Werewolf Expert” story from G-G-G Ghost Stories
It does make sense. I’m a certified cartoonist myself, as you know. Now, tell us about “The Werewolf Expert,” the longest work in the book.
There’s a trope in horror movies and TV shows where someone needs to seek an expert on the occult and it’s always someone who it doesn’t make sense would be an expert. Like, you’ll have this guy who works at the bowling alley as a mechanic and, for some reason, he’s a vampire expert. In “The Werewolf Expert,” someone consults a Barnes & Noble bookstore employee, and it’s the employee’s first day. And they shouldn’t know anything about werewolf lore but part of the B&N orientation training is that they teach all about werewolf lore. That employee knows a lot but eventually he consults his supervisor and she knows even more about werewolves to a ridiculous degree. So, it just keeps building on that premise.
Desperately seeking werewolf advice.
How would you describe your humor?
It’s absurdist and existentialist. There’s a lot of gags in the book that you can repeat with a similar premise. For the story we’re discussing, there’s a gag that I use a lot. The story is progressing from one point to another and then I’ll throw a wrench into it. And it will spin off in an insane degree. For instance, the bookstore customer seeking advice has a daughter named, Shawnda. He begins yelling at her, she’s off camera. Later, we see her and there’s more of this yelling. That sort of silly exchange is something I like to do in my work.
Panel excerpt from Brandon Lehmann’s Instagram.
There’s a beauty to your work. The humor is consistent. The art is consistent. You must go through a slew of experimentation before you hit upon what works, what’s on point.
The whole concept of the book is classic ghost stories. So, that’s the anchor. We’re dealing here with stories everyone is familiar with in one form or another. The story, “The Lfyt,” we were just talking about, is based upon a popular ghost story about picking up a hitchhiker who turns out to be a ghost. Another good example is “The Viper,” another popular children’s ghost story. The tension builds as he keeps calling and announcing when he’ll arrive. In my story, it turns out that “The Viper” is a guy with a thick German accent, who is just an innocent window wiper.
I didn’t know about that children’s ghost story. The actual one, not your satire!
Yeah, it’s real. There’s also one entitled, “Okiku,” based on a popular Japanese ghost story about a woman who was murdered because she refused to become a samurai’s mistress. She had been thrown down a well and, each night, she appears to seek her revenge. That was actually the basis for the Ringu movies. There’s the books. It was also on stage, as kabuki theater. So, yeah, I gather up all these ghost stories and given them my own spin.
Well, I’m sure this will intrigue readers. Thanks so much for sharing this with us. Where is a good place to find your work?
Trve Kvlt. IDW publishing. (W) Scott Bryan Wilson (A) Liana Kangas. Release date of first issue: August 17, 2022. $3.99
Let’s face it, it’s really tough being an individual. For Marty Tarantella, a working class hero in this comic book series we’re about to explore, life had become one big rut. Oh, sure, he was quite an individual, very quirky and unpredictable. But he’d paid a hefty price for being eccentric with no professional skills, unless flipping burgers counts for much, which it doesn’t. Marty had been working at Burger Lord at the same entry level job for the last fifteen years. Something had to give. To make matters worse, the way out of his rut was completely left in Marty’s hands. This guy can’t get a break! However, Marty was determined not to be just another loser chewed up by the gears of capitalism.
Long live losers!
Marty Tarantella, a young-at-heart aging hipster, was in real danger of entering a slow death when he stumbled upon the most hair-brained scheme that would blow up in his face while also catapulting into a whole new level of consciousness. Marty’s no senator’s son, just an Average Joe, the kind of guy that Kevin Smith has honored in much, if not all, of his work. Heck, Mr. Smith created a whole genre all his own, populated with the most eccentric of dead end kids. This is certainly not lost on the creative team behind this comic as they pull out all the stops to have Marty fly his loser freak flag. Fail! Fail! Gloriously Fail!
Yeah, my friends call me, Tarantula.
The fast food world is a very strange world, just as bumbling and insular as the mall world, a place where staff and customers alike fully embrace being losers. This was a choice someone made to find themselves in a highly artificial disconnected environment. That’s okay. Let ‘er rip, hang on tight, and go for the chili fries! Wash it down with a Pepsi. And don’t forget that bacon cheeseburger. Marty’s big mistake was thinking he could outwit the system he’s let himself fall prey to with as little effort as he put into submitting to it.
Marty and his supervisor, Bernice, have been toiling away at Burger Lord since forever. Why rock the boat now? Ah, if only Marty knew what he didn’t know then! This is the sort of story that you love to linger over the details as the main character gets deeper into trouble. Writer Scott Bryan Wilson delivers on all the authentic details of the fast food milieu. Artist Liana Kangas has a delightfully light style that adds some relish to the most subtle and mysterious of moments. There’s the scene where Alison, a prospective new employee, comes in long after some major plot points but with a sophisticated and intriguing tale of her own. This is where the collaborative spirit shines for writer and artist. Alison turns out to be a real wild card in this story, steering things in uncanny ways. Maybe Marty does have a friend in this cruel world after all! But it’s just too soon to say what kind of friend.
If you’re looking for that something different, this is it. Yes, I can honestly say that the comic that is currently ringing my bell is this one! Go get yourself one and, yeah, you’ll want fries with that too. Let’s roll out the A+ for this comic. If I’m a ratings guy, I give it a solid score. 10/10.
Visit IDW and see what they have in store for you.
To say that J. Webster Sharp is a visionary comics artist is a very good place to start. I was immediately intrigued by what I saw of her work on her Instagram and I knew I’d need to take a closer look. Having read the last five of her works in comics, I can confidently say that this is someone who tapped into something special early on and continues to blossom. Jemma’s latest book which I’ve received is Fondant #2, and it is easily her most powerful work. This is in-your-face stuff, delving into deep psychological and sexual issues, and bringing to mind such artists as Phoebe Glockner and Renee French. I applaud what she is doing and would like to share a bit of what I’ve observed.
If I’m really being honest, I am fascinated by Jemma’s daring and inventive play with the theme of feet. I’ve always been interested in feet on various levels, not the least of which is as a subject for art. So, it’s nice to see a fellow artist on the same page. Jemma certainly confronts the foot theme from a wide variety of vantage points, spanning from cadavers to tortured cathartic acts. Like much of what she does, feet are rendered in such a way as if encrypted within a larger psychological landscape–especially with her distinctive pointillist style. If you scan the pages too quickly, you might miss a lot. And, if you linger, it can be a combination of unsettling and satisfying. Yes, it pays to be honest. I do so love feet, particularly depicted in unusual and provocative ways. I’m sure there’s a number of stories behind each of these depictions. I like what I see from this very honest and daring artist.
What is so impressive to me about Jemma’s latest book is how she reached a point where she was ready to just completely let loose. This book is totally wordless and confidently so. There’s no need to explain anything. You simply don’t need any form of text to accompany an image of breasts with teeth instead of nipples. That pretty much speaks for itself. The rest of the book plays with more body horror as well as various other surreal imagery involving exotic animals, bondage and strange lab experiments. It’s all quite unusual, fascinating and thrilling. If you enjoy work of a more adult nature, then this is for you. Obviously, this is highly charged work that is unafraid to be, at times, more dark and challenging. But it’s not simply shock value that Jemma is after. Like Phoebe Glockner and Renee French, the work of J. Webster Sharp is invested in cultivating mystery and wonder through finely-crafted work. As I suggest, you will be rewarded for taking the time to linger upon a page. You may even find that you like what you see more than you realized.
