A superb cover by Dan Adkins--spooky and unusual; doesn't this feel a little Evil Dead 2-ish, somehow?"Eerie's Monster Gallery" is a full-page shot of Cyclopses(Cyclopi?) by Roy Krenkel, looking like it was reproduced directly from his pencils.
The first story is the bona-fide classic "Fair Exchange", by Archie Goodwin and Neal Adams, about a rich old man who wants to live forever, even if he has to kill to do it. This is the famous story where Neal, feeling his oats(?), used a different layout technique for each page--full-page shot, tilted panels, all horizontal panels, insets, etc. It doesn't have anything to do with the story being told, but it's part of the dynamic new ground Adams was breaking left and right.
Next is "Rub the Lamp!" by Allan Jadro(a pseudonym?) and Jerry Grandinetti. A guy buys a magic lamp and it all goes wrong. A goofy, fun story, again perfect for Grandinetti--one guy's really horrible day.
Third is "Terror in the Tomb!" by Goodwin and Rocco Mastroserio, an EC-esque tale of mummies and lost tombs. Not bad, but not as exciting as the previous two tales.
Fourth is "The Wanderer!" by Goodwin and Dan Adkins, about a dead guy who isn't quite, and he explains how this came to pass. This is the tale represented by the cover, and it's creepily effective.
Next is "Isle of the Beast!" by Goodwin and Steve Ditko. Ditko really pulled out all the stops with this one, doing the entire job in wash. It's set on an island where beasts hunt men, beautifully done.
"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is an adaptation of an Ambrose Bierce story, which was also adapted as a long-form Twilight Zone episode not too long before this. By Goodwin and Bob Jenney, the story is well-done enough, though Jenney's art is pretty dull and doesn't help much.
Last is "Experiment in Fear!" by Goodwin and Gene Colan, a brutal tale of a Nazi scientist who has the tables turned on him. Nothing satisfies quite like watching a Nazi get it in the end, and Colan's last panel of the poor demented souls about to extract revenge is genuinely unsettling. A classic.
A very, very fine issue, with excellent work by Adams, Adkins, Ditko, Grandinetti, and Colan. An early Eerie classic.
4 comments:
That Walking Man also reminds me a little of the "living" painting of George Mcready in the NIGHT GSALLERY pilot, which scared the bejesus out of me as a kid...
(Yes, I know; I have to type slower, proof deeper, or get my glasses prescription upped!)
(P.S.- Speaking of Serling...
The ZONE ep. based on Bierce was actually the only time they picked up a show they hadn't produced: it was a pre-existing French short.)
i didnt know that about the TZ episode, but it makes total sense!
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