Best Classic Horror Comic Cover (2008).

[Drusilla lives!]

What's your choice for best classic horror comic cover(*) for 2008?

The Beyond #1 Nov. 1950 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=175142&zoom=4)
Haunt of Fear #12 Ingels March-April 1952 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=9489&zoom=4)
Tales From the Crypt #31 Davis Aug.-Sept. 1952 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=9832&zoom=4)
Weird Horrors #7 Ekgren April 1953 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=223262&zoom=4)
Tomb of Terror #15 Elias May 1954 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=11285&zoom=4)
World of Fantasy #6 Everett March 1957 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=13367&zoom=4)
Eerie #10 Morrow July 1967 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=21140&zoom=4)
Nightmare #11 Domingo Feb. 1973 (http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=214511&zoom=4)

Warning - The above links lead to images some may find, well... horrible. Viewer discretion is advised.


(*) Important Notes:
- Cover images courtesy of The Grand Comics Database Project (GCD). (http://www.comics.org/index.lasso)
- Although I strive to incorporate cover candidates, suggestions and comments by all interested forum members whenever and wherever possible, these polls are currently created, maintained and the sole responsibility of myself. Subsequent discussions related to said material, or any results of the polling are completely unofficial and should not be viewed as reflecting the opinions or positions of the owners or management of CBR. Nor are they to be viewed as being supported by, or reflective of the views of all CBR forum members.

[dupont2005]

crime suspenstories #22
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2194/2454166394_c08d53db0f.jpg?v=0

[MDG]

Vault of Horror #30

http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=223245&zoom=4

[Shellhead]

In his excellent non-fiction book about horror, Stephen King made the case that horror is best when it is left at least partially to the imagination.

When there is something pounding on the closed door, that's scary, because something could be anything, and a reader might imagine that it's specifically what scares them the most.

But when the door is finally opened, and it turns out the pounding came from an eight foot tall bug-eyed monster, some of the horror is lost, because the reader might be relieved to see that it's only eight feet tall, and not ten feet tall like he imagined.

So nameless terror is the best, visible horror is second best. And when all else fails, try to gross people out with blatant, disgusting gore.

With that in mind, I chose Worlds of Fantasy #6. Instead of parading severed body parts in a cheap gorefest, it creates a sense of dread. What is that mysterious figure in the mist, the one floating above the ground? Who is this big guy in the foreground, and why is his shirt torn? And what is up with that gigantic parrot? It's all very mysterious and unusual, in a low-key way that works on the imagination. Most of the other covers make it very obvious what has happened and/or what is about to happen. So the cover of Worlds of Fantasy #6 is more compelling and disturbing. Makes me want to read the comic right now.

[Drusilla lives!]

About the "Best Classic Comic Covers" listings:

The "Best Classic Comic Covers" threads are intended to create an annual list of the best classic comic covers from the super hero, horror, si-fi, war, and western genres, as chosen by you, the CBR members.

General rules/guidelines (provisional):

(1) Candidate covers must be at least ten years old at the time of the listing.
(2) Each of the losing candidates will be ineligible for re-listing the following year, the winning candidate will be ineligible for re-listing for the four years following a win.
(3) Listings for each genre will consist of no more than eight candidate covers, initially chosen at random, and an alternate or "Other" option.
(4) Votes for "Other" or alternate titles will not be counted in the current year, but will be used as a basis for the next years listing (if you vote for an alternate, make sure you "write in" your choice in the form of a thread reply).

The above rules/guidelines are provisional. Suggestions as to changes and additions are welcomed and encouraged.

[prince hal]

No Wrightson? :biggrin:

[Drusilla lives!]

No Wrightson? :biggrin:

Ok, you know the drill by now... titles and issue numbers. :)

[KidCommando]

crime suspenstories #22
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2194/2454166394_c08d53db0f.jpg?v=0

Seconded!:smile:

[i*love*comics*247]

I would like to suggest a magazine cover by Neal Adams from October 1973. I always enjoyed those Dracula stories more than the Tomb of Dracula comics and this was one of my favorites.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/4/12222-2634-13690-1-dracula-lives_super.jpg

[Pól Rua]

I voted the Davis 'Tales from the Crypt'.
I like the fact that everything is in your head as you flash forward to the next shot. Wonderful sense of tension, plus everything is important. The background really tells a story here. It's not just a jolting image a la the Crime Suspenstories one.
He really captures the genuine terror of being trapped.

I kinda dug the idea of the 'Nightmare' cover, with its claustrophobic framing device... but the execution really wasn't up to the concept.

And I really liked 'The Beyond'. Very simple, but of all the covers, it LEAPT out at me. Such a standard picture, but the artist's given it a real sense of momentum.

[Sir Tim Drake]

In his excellent non-fiction book about horror, Stephen King made the case that horror is best when it is left at least partially to the imagination.

When there is something pounding on the closed door, that's scary, because something could be anything, and a reader might imagine that it's specifically what scares them the most.

But when the door is finally opened, and it turns out the pounding came from an eight foot tall bug-eyed monster, some of the horror is lost, because the reader might be relieved to see that it's only eight feet tall, and not ten feet tall like he imagined.

So nameless terror is the best, visible horror is second best. And when all else fails, try to gross people out with blatant, disgusting gore.

What's the name of the book where he says that? I'd like to look it up, because his theory of horror writing sounds a lot like my own ideas about the grue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grue_(monster)#Origin).

[MDG]

What's the name of the book where he says that? [/URL].

Danse Macabre. Came out around '80

[dan bailey]

Here's the King quote from Danse Macabre (1981) wherein he advocates at least partially showing horror --

"Nothing is so frightening as what's behind the closed door. The audience holds its breath along with the protagonist as she/he (more often she) approaches that door. The protagonist throws it open, and there is a ten-foot-tall bug. The audience screams, but this particular scream has an oddly relieved sound to it. 'A bug ten feet tall is pretty horrible', the audience thinks, 'but I can deal with a ten-foot-tall bug. I was afraid it might be a hundred feet tall'.

"The artistic work of horror is almost always a disappointment. It is the classic no-win situation. You can scare people with the unknown for a long, long time but sooner or later, as in poker, you have to turn your cards up. You have to open the door and show the audience what's behind it.

"The thing is, with such things as Dachau, Hiroshima, the Children's Crusade, mass starvation in Cambodia - the human consciousness can deal with almost anything... which leaves the writer or director of the horror tale with a problem with is the psychological equivalent of inventing a faster-than-light space drive in the face of E=MC2.

There is and always has been a school of horror writers (I am not among them - it is playing to tie rather than to win) who believe that the way to beat this rap is never to open the door at all."

[Drusilla lives!]

... So nameless terror is the best, visible horror is second best. And when all else fails, try to gross people out with blatant, disgusting gore.


Actually, I thought I was rather tame in my selection of horror covers. No one could render "gothic-victorian" putridity (for lack of a better term) like Ingels. And there are some really wild Domingo covers as well. BTW, who was that guy? I hadn't ever seen his work until recently and by chance.

To illicit such disgust and leave a real palatable distaste in the observers mouth (Ingels does it, for me anyway) is truly remarkable isn't it? What an artist! Contrived fictitious situations meant to convey nameless terror, visible horror or even blatant gore, and that succeed at that purpose is in my opinion the mark of a good artist. But I understand your point of view, it's the mark of a mature and tactful artist to know when "pushing the buttons" of their audience becomes rote manipulation and hence passé. That's why most don't like to be typecast as a "horror" or "Sci-fi" or what have you artist... but some do excel at a certain genre nevertheless.


With that in mind, I chose Worlds of Fantasy #6. Instead of parading severed body parts in a cheap gorefest, it creates a sense of dread. What is that mysterious figure in the mist, the one floating above the ground? Who is this big guy in the foreground, and why is his shirt torn? And what is up with that gigantic parrot? It's all very mysterious and unusual, in a low-key way that works on the imagination. Most of the other covers make it very obvious what has happened and/or what is about to happen. So the cover of Worlds of Fantasy #6 is more compelling and disturbing. Makes me want to read the comic right now.

Yeah, that's a strange cover. Is it the distressed figure in the mist or the one in the foreground that is the one to be feared... very ambiguous. But what's up with the parrot? :)

I bet the story turns out not to be horror-themed... it's probably just a strange, spooky cover. Has anyone out there read that issue by chance?

[Drusilla lives!]

... So nameless terror is the best, visible horror is second best. And when all else fails, try to gross people out with blatant, disgusting gore.


BTW, I cannot speak for some of the other horror comics, but the EC titles (and most of the Warren ones as well) are IMO some of the best written in the history of comics... and always contained a highly moralistic element to boot. That is, they weren't just gorefests or gore for gore's sake.

[Bicorn Halfelven]

Weird Horrors #7!!!!

T_R_I_P_P_Y_!

[Drusilla lives!]

Weird Horrors #7!!!!

T_R_I_P_P_Y_!

Why doesn't it surprise me that you would get a kick out of that one. :)