Ceej Says… Horror Show #1 review

Publisher: Cult Empire
Writer: George Lennox
Artist(s): Chris Connelly, Jason Mathis, Norrie Millar, James Devlin
Lettering: Colin Bell, Jason Mathis
Cover Art: Alex Ronald
Release Date: 17th October 2014

Comicbook website Cult Empire recently made the transition into the world of publishing with Vietnam Zombie Holocaust, a first issue I described as a “respectful love letter to both the Vietnam and Zombie genres, as well as an intriguing and absolutely gorgeous looking debut” in my review last month. Well, rather than rest on his laurels, Cult Empire owner (and head writer) George Lennox is now on the verge of releasing his second title, the aptly-named Horror Show, at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival later this month.

Utilising the anthology format this time, Lennox has recruited a different, distinctive artist for each of the three stories in his own personal Horror Show, and once again his seemingly boundless affection for the subject matter bleeds through in every page. This is a writer who clearly has a great love and passion for classic horror, and this schlocky, ‘Tales from the Crypt’-style collection most definitely pays homage to that.

Up first we have A Late Night in Royston, possibly the weakest of the three chapters in terms of the story itself, but buoyed by the impressive artwork of Chris Connelly. Connelly is an artist I’ve been a fan of for some time, and it’s great to see his newly improved style put to use in this chilling but undeniably basic tale of a one night stand gone badly, badly wrong. He definitely embraces the more visceral, violent aspects of the story, and while some of his faces may lack detail slightly, the overall expression and grasp of visual storytelling is undeniably impressive. Like I said, there’s not a huge amount of substance to this opening story, but in terms of a palate cleanser to set the tone for Horror Show as a whole, it most definitely hits the mark.

Up next we have Lost Souls, my personal favourite of the three stories, and a tale which introduces a genuinely unsettling premise before swerving things sharply in the final pages. The artwork is provided here in its entirety by Canadian artist Jason Mathis, who does a terrific job in capturing the creeping sense of dread that protagonist Amy finds herself experiencing as the strange, blood-soaked women continue to shadow her every move. Lennox takes the story in a wholly unexpected direction in the final two pages, and the confirmation in his post-comic blurb that this will be a two-part tale is music to my ears (or eyes, I guess), as I find myself desperately wanting to find out more about this one. Most definitely the best slice of pure horror in the anthology, and a story I think could easily carry a full-length comic on its own. Great stuff.

And finally, we have Partyman, brought to life by the artwork of newcomer Norrie Millar and the fantastic colours of SICBA Award-winning James Devlin. This story is where the comic hits its stride, with Lennox delivering a gloriously tongue-in-cheek tale of revenge as the ‘world’s worst party guest’ (we all know the type, right?) comes back from his exile to wreak havoc on those who have shunned him. This is where the Tales from the Crypt comparison is perhaps the most valid, with the ‘video nasty’-style gore and glib one-liners providing exactly the right amount of horror without the story ever taking itself too seriously. Millar’s artwork is impressive as he cooks up some brilliantly twisted visuals of Partyman himself, and Devlin’s colour palette (reds in particular) really give the story an extra something. Excitingly, the final line ‘Partyman will return in Bachelor Party’ confirms that this isn’t just going to be a one-off appearance, meaning we get to be treated to more of this truly manic creation. Works for me.

Credit must also be given to Alex Ronald (he of Vampire Vixens of the Wermacht fame) for the fantastic painted cover, as well as to the ‘Gentleman of Scottish Comics’ Colin Bell for his typically flawless lettering on chapters one and three. It’s also worth mentioning that Lennox has set all three of these stories in Glasgow, giving the book an added local appeal that I’m sure a lot of Scots will get a kick out of (there’s only so many times you can pretend to care about American High School teens being hacked up, right?). Overall, while the quality varies slightly from story to story, Horror Show has an old-school vibe to it that’s difficult not to be drawn in by. A glorious triple header of B-Movie schlock, and another impressive offering from the folks at Cult Empire.

Horror Show #1 goes on sale from 17th October 2014 at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, but you can pre-order yourself a copy right now from the Cult Empire website.