Stephen King’s Creepshow
Stephen King, Bernie Wrightson
Gallery 13
May 9, 2017
Reviewed by Elaine Pascale
Creepshow, the graphic novel, was originally published in 1982 as a nostalgic homage to the EC horror comics of the 1950s. It has now been rereleased and can be considered a nostalgic homage to the 1980s and to the Romero film. The illustrations certainly have a 1980s feel to them, with the characters looking and dressing like something out of prime time television from that period (conjuring Knots Landing, Hart to Hart, and Falcon Crest), and likewise resembling the actors who appeared in the Romero film. King has always trafficked in nostalgia, in particular regarding the movies of the AIP era, classic rock and roll, and idyllic courtships between attractive, acne-free, decent folk. This is part of what makes “Uncle Stevie” so charming. That charm can be found between the covers of Creepshow but with more bite and less soft kiss.
The graphic novel contains the artwork of Bernie Wrightson, artist of both DC and Marvel comics, as well as other collaborations with King. In this collection, Wrightson used muted colors, realistic faces, and darkly suggestive–without being too realistic–violence. While not my favorite of his illustration styles, the drawings are fully appropriate for the intended tribute. The graphic novel has a narrator, The Creep, who calls readers “kiddies” in that ironic-friendly way that horror hosts have. The Creep leads us through five tales that shoot straight from the hip. There is no subtlety here, which, again, is a loving nod to the horror films and comics of yore.
Father’s Day features a classic revenge tale in which a rotting corpse has an “undeadly” desire for a Father’s Day cake. While not a holiday one typically associates with cake, the story whets the appetite (pun intended) for the slightly more complicated tales that follow.
The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill includes a main character that speaks in the familiar “Castle Rock dialect” that King fans have come to associate with his well-crafted world. Jordy is a very simple man who says things like “I’ll be dipped” and calls people “Idjits.” His lonesome death involves a meteor that falls close to his humble home. At first, Jordy fantasizes that the discovery will bring fame. Instead, it highlights how isolated he really is, intellectually and socially.
The Crate: Henry is boxed into a loveless marriage until a crate from an 1834 expedition to the Arctic is found. This discovery differs from the prior one in that other people are aware of it: some becoming aware in the worst way possible.
Something to Tide You Over: cuckolded and crazy Richard devises a devious plan to get back at his wife and her lover. But will he be the one in over his head?
They’re Creeping Up On You: A bulldozer of a business man with a cleanliness fetish deals with an infestation. Upson Pratt, despite being the world’s biggest corporate parasite, finds that he does not have the stamina or staying power of cockroaches.
Despite its publication date, Creepshow still works on many levels. The stories carry a squeamish if slightly innocent (by 2017 standards) appeal. It is a quick and enjoyable read, and a must for fans of the Romero film.
