From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Satan Place A Soap Opera From Hell (1988)

Posted on May 2, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink for this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update that will be a fast one as we will be talking about a 1988 shot on video anthology horror comedy film that has been long forgotten by many and only got a VHS release back when it was completed, and that film is called Satan Place: A Soap Opera From Hell! And shockingly enough, this 1988 film would get a comic book in 1992 showing that no matter how small your horror film is in budget and viewers, it still can make for a great horror comic release. This is one that has been on my list to cover for many years now and I feel it is a perfect fit for this two year long look at horror comics based on horror films. So with that, let’s dust off the old VCR and put in the VHS tape as it’s time to take a look at the silly low budget anthology film known as Satan Place.

Let’s take a look at Sally Satan, a lady of the night who is a serial killer! Sally is a very beautiful blonde woman whose looks are stunning and cause men who see her to turn to perverts as well as forget common sense and ignore warning signs all around them. She can use her looks, sexual charm, and she is so hot that it can burn the chest hair off her male dates. She is also very kinky and likes to tie up her dates. She likes to also scare them by claiming she belongs to Satan and speaking in a demonic voice and then use plastic knives to try and scare them to death. Sally is also the bringer of bad luck and misfortune as when she interacts with other people they find themselves in very weird and bad situations that mostly end with them killing or being killed. But while Sally is a killer, she is also very much human and can be killed like any normal person like being shot, stabbed, drowned, crushed or even have a whole blown through her chest by Satan himself for playing games using his name. While not the most dangerous killer we have ever covered here, Sally Satan still has a body count and has help lead to others dying just by people crossing her path.

So now that we have taken a look at Sally Satan and her ways of tormenting and killing, I think that it’s time that we take a look at the film she is from and that is Satan Place: A Soap Opera From Hell that was released in 1988 via VHS. And like we do with all the From Horror Movie To Horror Comic updates, I will be taking the films plot from our pals at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film, so let’s get to Satan Place and see what spooky laughs are to be had.

Satan Place: A Soap Opera from Hell (1988)

“A horror anthology, in which the beautiful bleach-blonde Stephanie Spencer fields a series of crude remarks from belching, T-shirt-wearing, pickup-driving character actors, then watches them die in grisly blood-spurting closeups after being visited by zombies, so that in the big final story of the video, she can dress up in black lingerie, tie her weenie boyfriend to the bed, and summon a demon into her body.”

In 1988 two directors came together to write and direct a horror comedy anthology film. They were Alfred Ramirez and Scott Aschbrenner and they had Melanie Johnson help them with the script and this would be the only film the three would ever work on. The film was clearly shot on video with a low budget and they would bring in such actors as Stephanie Spencer, Warren Andrews, Mark Rackstraw, Nora Miller, Sonja Etzel, Jon Kay, Marsha Malone, Lisa Hatter, Alice Ashbrenner and Mark Blouin to name a few. The film would feature four stories and would have backyard style special effects and once done would be released on home video. And sadly as fast as it was released, the film fell into obscurity and never was able to find its audience. In 1992 the filmmakers would continue Satan Place on with a comic book and this as well never found its footing and most horror comic readers do not even know about it. But those who do know about the film seem to really enjoy it, so it has what could be said a Micro Cult Following. The film would only be released on VHS and never get a DVD or Blu-Ray release yet as of this updates posting. The film in 1988 was released alongside such other horror movies as A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Return Of The Living Dead Part II, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Pumpkinhead, Waxwork, Rabid Grannies, Night Of The Demons, Howling IV, The Blob, Child’s Play, Halloween 4, Maniac Cop, Phantasm II, Friday The 13^th Part VII: The New Blood, Critters 2, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Sleepaway Camp II, Return Of The Killer Tomatoes, Poltergeist III, Dead Heat and They Live to name a few showing that 1988 was a great year for horror.

Satan’s Place: A Soap Opera From Hell is one of those 80’s shot on video films that was released on VHS with hopes of it being on rental store shelves that faded away before it could even be discovered and even to this day a very small amount of horror fans know about it. I first heard of the film many years ago when I was part of an indie horror group that talked about small budget films and this one was brought up a few times, and then a short time later I found out that it also had a comic book based around it that was used to help promote the film. While the comic was easy for me to find, the film was not as used copies of the VHS were rare and when they did pop up they would sell for hundreds of dollars. So I would have to search the grey market and that is where I found a copy to watch, and spent one hot summer evening eating chicken wings and checking out this forgotten humorous fright flick. And the first thing that came to mind when watching it was the old Public Access films I use to watch as the production value was around that same quality. For me the best segment in the film was called “Disposable Love” were a terrible husband kills his wife over beer and then cooks here body as soup to put down the garbage disposal, and yes it has lots of twists and turns and a fun mix of Horror and Comedy. The other three segments are great and Satan in the final tale “Sally Satan” is amazing cheesy stuff that I love about SOV Horror films. I also really like the films score that was done by Scott Aschbrenner and Jon Kay as it has that sound that made so many of those style films special back in the day. And I am sure I am not the only one who thinks that actress Stephanie Spencer who plays Sally Satan looks like she stepped out of a 80’s Hairband music video, and with her looks she should have been in more indie Horror films! While Satan Place is not the greatest horror anthology in the world it is a fun little 80s watch that has some silly humor mixed with some backyard Horror that should get a release on modern physical media in my opinion.

Now that we have taken a look at Satan Place: A Soap Opera From Hell as well as Sally Satan, I think now we should take a look at the comic book based on this 80s flick that was released by the people who made the movie! More indie filmmakers should do this as so many of these awesome indie horror films in the world should get the comic book treatment! And for those of you creators that do just that, good on you and for those who don’t you are missing a great tool to promote your film and give the fans of your film something cool to collect and add to their collections. But enough of that as we have a comic to review so first I would like to thank a Ebay seller for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would then like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s knock on the door at Satan Place and see if Sally is home.

Satan Place: A Soap Opera from Hell # 1 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $3.50 Thunderhill #1 of 1

Sally is new in town and is looking for the apartment complex she is to be moving into and meets a real jerk named Eddie who gives her the directions and then creepily hits on her…Sally gives him a punch for his attempt. “Disposable Love” Eddie comes home from work and his wife Doris and makes her feel like crap over what she made for dinner, he then starts drinking beer and watching wrestling on TV and is demanding more cold beer and when Doris refuses over his health, he hits her so hard that she dies! Eddie chops up his wife and cooks her remains and then puts her down the garbage disposal, with the bones being tossed in the trash truck. But things get spooky for him when the ghost of Doris appears and keeps haunting him even causing his fingers to be chopped off! In the end Eddie dies of a heart attack and you find out that Doris is still alive and she now is being haunted by his ghost as he even mean in death. Sally’s car has broken down before she can get to the apartment and Johnny just drives on by her “Say Goodnight Sophie” as Johnny keeps on driving as he is heartbroken over his lady breaking up with him, and while screaming at his ex on the phone he hits a old man with his truck. Johnny is able to get the old man to the hospital were he later dies as Johnny hits the bar to get drunk. That night on his way home Johnny finds the body of the old man in the road and freaks out and takes it home. In the morning after waking up Johnny takes the old man’s body out and buries it, only for that night to find that the old man is now a zombie and with his zombie lover Sophie they start eating the face of Johnny! Sally has finally made it to her apartment and meets the landlady Enid who is very rude and leaves for home. “Too Much T.V.” as Enid gets home her teenage daughter Lisa is ingnoring her as she is watching her favorite show that is hosted by Richard Slasher and as he keeps showing bloody movies Lisa keeps imagining that all the violence is happing to her mother as Richard Slasher is telling her to kill her mom via the TV! In the end it’s Enid that ends up killing her daughter by slashing her throat. “Sally Satan” Jonathon goes to the apartment of Sally as the two have a date, but once inside things are very weird as he finds a disgusting meal in the microwave, newspaper clippings about Sally being blamed for a murder and she herself is just acting odd when she ties him up to the bed. Sally then pulls out knives and tells her that she is with Satan and stabs him…but the knives are fake and she was pulling a prank. But Sally’s life comes to an end when Jonathon is Satan and kills her for playing games.

Satan Place is a comic adaptation of the film and is clearly being used to not only push the sale of the movie on VHS but also to help launch Thunderhill as a comic book publisher. This comic features Sally a woman new to town who when she comes across people bad things seem to happen for them that night and she is almost out host of four ghoulish tales that feature zombies, ghosts, killers and even Satan himself! The best story in the comic is “Say Goodnight Sophie” as I think it was the one that translated from movie to comic the best, plus you can never go wrong reading about face eating zombies! And I think that the one that did not make the leap very well was “Too Much T.V.” as that one is defiantly better on tape as the whole segment is about the movies Lisa is watching and the host telling her to kill her mom, on panels that spooky feel is lacking. The team behind this comic really did do a great job of bringing this shot on video film to the pages of the adaptation comic and it really reminds me of such indie Horror Comic titles like “Vault Of Doomnation” and even “Campfire Stories” with the later having a indie film made about it. The comic has blood and violence and the Horror comes from not only that but also the creatures and monsters that are roaming around with Satan and the Zombies being my favorites. I have to praise the makers of this film and comic as they understood the power of promotion via a comic as throughout the issue there was ways for readers to order the film on VHS, plus they also showed the films cover box at the start of the comic. The cover for this issue is really cool as it shows Satan’s eyes looking over a mound of fire. The comics interior art is a mixed bag as several different artists helped on this issue and these artists include Alfred Ramirez, Jackson Guice, Al Val and Jeff Guice. Some of the art is very classic Indie Horror style from the late 80s and early 90s, while some was a little more amateurish. But with that said I will say that I really do dig the style and feel of this comic as I feel they creators did a great job of staying true to the film its based on. If you are a fan of the film Satan Place or just enjoy Horror Anthology Comics make sure to track down a copy of this one as I think you will truly enjoy it. Check out the artwork below to see the styles used in this comic.

As you can see Satan Place: A Soup Opera From Hell is once of those micro films made in the late 80’s that made its way into the world of comics in the early 90s and for the most part it made a small impact in both as it really is a fun combo to checkout if you like micro budget films as well as comics that bring a series of spooky stories. But sadly our stay at Satan Place has came to an end but our time with Horror Comics based on Horror Films is still going strong as our next update will be about the indie film A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night and the comic book released about it. So until next time read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as we take a walk with the vampire called The Girl.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Don’t Look In The Basement (1973)

Posted on April 22, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update here at Rotten Ink. This time around we will be heading to the Stephen’s Sanitarium a metal asylum where the patients are wandering the halls and one poor nurse finds herself in the middle of this madness and chaos when all she wanted to do is help! The film we will of course be talking about is the cult movie called Don’t Look In The Basement that was released in 1973 and has scared moviegoers ever sense. We will also be taking a look at the Blood Scream Comics adaptation of the film, and I will not be giving the comic any kind of star ratings as I am connected to Blood Scream and that just seems very silly. But if you are ready, let’s head to the asylum and for gosh sakes lets stay away from the basement.

Let’s start by looking at Dr. Geraldine S. Masters, a crazed woman who deals pain and death to those who cross her path or go against her words. Dr. Masters is a mental patient who, after an accident leaves the real Doctor dead, takes over running the asylum and does so with an iron fist as she does not like it when people disobey her orders. Geraldine Masters is a patient at the Stephen’s Sanitarium who thinks she is a Doctor and has been allowed by the staff to act like one with her fellow inmates, she is schizophrenic and made a mistake when studying to be a nurse that lead her into this madness. Dr. Masters will uses her hold and threats over her fellow inmates in order to keep them in line and to play along with her delusions. Those who do cross her path end up being tortured by being burnt, having their tongues removed and being drugged in order to not speak the truths about her. She has a way to make those who do not know about her believe what she says and truly think she is a doctor who cares about her patients. She is a liar that uses her words to manipulate those around her and can get them to do things she orders as well as think a certain way about a person. If Dr. Masters is crossed or disobeyed to the extreme she will attempt to kill you with a sharp object or will try and have one of her fellow inmates do so for her. But because Dr. Geraldine S. Masters is crazy and human she can be killed like any normal person so stabbing, cutting, bashing, shot, drowned and all other ways of people dying will end her ways of terror. Also her madness and her ego can lead her down a path of death as she pushes her fellow inmates to hard and this will cause them to fight back with deadly results as is her fate in the film. While she is not the most dangerous killer we have ever covered here on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update, she is still very deadly and has the tools and authority to end lives.

Now that we have talked about Doctor Masters and her ways of dealing death and fright I think that it is time that we take a look at the film she appeared in Don’t Look In The Basement. Now I would like to remind you that I will be taking the film’s plot from our pals at IMDB and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s wonder around the Sanitarium and see what dangers await us all.

Don’t Look In The Basement (1973)

“Nurse Charlotte Beale arrives at the isolated Stephens Sanitarium to work, only to learn that Dr. Stephens was murdered by one of the patients and his successor, Dr. Geraldine Masters, is not very eager to take on new staff. Charlotte finds her job maddeningly hard as the patients torment and harass her at every turn, and she soon learns why Dr. Masters is so eager to keep outsiders out.”

Don’t Look In The Basement is a 1973 Horror Film that is known by several other titles like “The Forgotten” and “Death Ward # 13” that was the brain child of director S.F. Brownrigg who also produced the film with Tim Pope writing the screenplay. The film was made to cash in on the big horror boom of the early 1970’s as theaters and drive-in moviegoers seemed to not be able to get enough of them. The film was about a secluded mental asylum that was run by a Doctor who ends up being murdered as well as his head nurse and the inmates take over the asylum and this is bad news for a young nurse who arrives later that night after the killings. The film would cast Playboy Playmate Rosie Holotik as the young nurse with such actors as Bill McGhee, Annabelle Weenick, Jesie Lee Fulton, Harryette Warren, Betty Chandler and Gene Ross making up some of the cast. The films budget was around $100 thousand dollars and was your typical indie film production for the time, and once the film was done Robert Farrar would do the score and American International Pictures would distribute it. The film when released in theaters was meet with mix reviews from critics, but moviegoers seemed to enjoy this downbeat film and over the years thanks to home media the film has built a very strong cult following. The director of the film S.F. Brownrigg would continue to make horror films and would follow this film with such titles as Poor White Trash Part II, Don’t Open The Door! and Keep My Grave Open all that have gotten a following over the decades. Sadly Brownrigg would pass away in 1996 at the age of only 58, as who knows what other delights he could have made for Horror fans. The film did get a sequel in 2015 and was directed by Anthony Brownrigg, the son of S.F. and over the years many remakes have been spoken about but never filmed. When released in 1973 it was joined by such other fight flicks as The Exorcist, Theater Of Blood, Return Of The Blind Dead, The Crazies, Satanic Rites Of Dracula, Scream Blacula Scream, Blood Orgy Of The She-Devils, Godmonster Of Indian Flats and Wicker Man to name a few.

The first time I seen Don’t Look In The Basement was via a old VHS tape my brother found at the store Suncoast that was located in one of our area’s local indoor malls. We both had always heard about the film thanks to the books like The Gore Score and Splatter Movie Guide plus of course old issues of Fangoria Magazine had featured it. And after seeing this film I was a fan as I feel that it was very creepy and spooky and the atmosphere and story did a good job of bringing a very uneasy watch as each of the patients in the asylum have their own personalities and insanities. And the different patients are what really makes this slasher film interesting as each bring their own level of crazy to the unfolding story with some being more dangerous than others, but in the end we have that all the patients can be driven to commit murder. The film is also pretty bloody for the time and budget level with some of the splatter being really well done, and the ending of the film that has the patients hacking away on the Doctor is the best kill in the film. I have to say that Rosie Holotik who plays Nurse Charlotte Beale is not only beautiful but also is not a bad actress, and she would be in two other horror films “Horror High” and “Encounter With The Unknown” and she should have done more as she could have easily became a top casted actress in horror if she would have stuck around longer. The film falling into the public domain has given many people a chance to see it as many companies have released it on home media, it’s has been hosted by many horror hosts and can be found on streaming sites and this hide release for the film is good as it has allowed it to keep building on it’s cult statues. This film is 100% a product of its time as it was a perfect fit for the Drive-In Theater as well as the Grindhouse ones and sadly films like this do not have a theatrical outlet like they use to and they get dumped on one of the many streaming services and get lost in the mountain of content they consume to fill their product…and along the way loose lots of money doing so. But if you have not see Don’t Look In The Basement give it a shot if you like 70’s indie horror flicks.

As you can see, Dr. Geraldine S. Masters is truly unstable and the film Don’t Look In The Basement has earned its cult statues over the years, as it really is an unsettling fright film. It’s crazy that still to this day that more comic publishers and creators are not making comics based on horror or sci-fi films as both of those film genres have great characters and worlds for creators to play in. I mean so many horror films over the centuries should and should have gotten the comic book treatment. And now we are at the review part of this update and as I stated before I will not be giving this comic any type of rating as I was connected to the making of this comic. I would like to thank Marc Gras Cots for creating this comic for Blood Scream Comics and making this update possible. So if you are ready, let’s head to Stephen’s Sanitarium and see what the inmates are up to.

Don’t Look In The Basement # 1
Released in 2017 Cover Price $4.99 Blood Scream # 1 of 1

Nurse Charlotte Beale has shown up to the Stephens Sanitarium as it’s her first day at the job as she has been hired a few days back as they are short handed. She is greeted by Dr. Geraldine S. Masters, who informs her that Dr. Stephens has been killed by one of the patients and now she is the sole Doctor in charge and after some words Masters allows Charlotte to stay on and the next day introduces her to the patients that are Danny a prankster who acts like a spoiled brat, Sgt. Jaffee who lost his mind after he lead his men into battle that caused them all to die, Jennifer a depressed quite young woman, Mrs. Callingham has a broken mind and speak in poems and thinks flowers are her kids, Harriet who carries a baby doll and thanks its her baby, Judge Oliver W. Cameron who has lost his mind and only speaks in court talk, Allyson King a missed used woman who looks for love from anyone and last is Sam a mountain of a man who has a mind of a child. The next day Charlotte finds that Mrs. Callingham has cut out her own tongue and someone has also cut the phone wires cutting of the Sanitarium’s outside communication! And when a phone man shows up he is confronted by Dr. Masters who is mad that he just walked in and later he is cornered by Allyson who uses her flirty ways, and later that night Judge and Sam are talking and Judge says he killed Dr. Stephens with an axe while Sam say he is still alive! And in another room Dr. Masters burns some paper in the hand of Sgt. Jaffee for not going to bed when she told him to, showing that she demands respect. The next day Sam finds the body of the telephone repairman and Allyson snaps and tells Charlotte that Dr. Masters is really a patient who killed the repairman, cut the tongue our of Mrs. Callingham and will kill anyone who exposes her dirty secret! Charlotte goes around and asks many of the patients if it’s true that Masters is not a true Doctor and is a patient like them, and when she finds out that its all true she also learns she is trapped inside and that the phones are still not working. Charlotte then finds the body of Dr. Stephens in the basement as Sam grabs her on the orders of Dr. Masters who wants to cut Charlotte up and remove the illness from her! But Charlotte is able to talk with Sam who stops Dr. Masters from cutting her and the other inmates arrive into the room and start slaughtering Dr. Masters as Charlotte is able to escape the Sanitarium and run for her life away from the madness and slaughter.

This comic adaptation cuts out the opening death of the old nurse and the attack on Dr. Stephens by Judge in order to build more of the suspense on what is the dark secrets of this mental hospital, and I think it is very much achieved as the story unfolds for Charlotte and the reader. The plot is this a young nurse shows up for her first day of work at a mental hospital only to find that the doctor who hired her died in an accident and she soon learns all those around her truly are crazy and all hide a sinister murderous rage that explodes out in the end. The comic as well does a great job of following Nurse Charlotte Beale as she is the main focus of the whole issue and this makes the patients and Dr. Masters the background players who add to the haunting atmosphere of the horrors the young nurse must face as while she is getting to know them she also can not fully trust them. And with this shift of focusing on Charlotte also gives us the reader the element of not truly seeing the more mental and friendly side to the patients which makes for some uneasy reading as we get deeper and deeper into the Sanitarium. We do also get to see the more evil sides of Dr. Geraldine S. Masters as around Charlotte she is firm yet understanding, well that is until her secret is exposed while to the other patients she is cruel as she removes ones tongue and burns another’s hand just for questioning her authority! Dr. Masters is very cruel and very much driven by her madness of wanting to be a real doctor, but she also meets her gruesome end when her fellow patients cannot take her cruelty any longer. While they are around Sam, Judge, Jaffee, Callingham and Allyson play their parts to move along the story while sadly Jennifer, Harriet and Danny only appear very briefly. The comic does have some bloody kills with the death of Dr. Masters being the most brutal and something horror comic readers will love. The cover is really great and captures the screaming mouth of Charlotte with the logo in the middle and fans of this film will truly enjoy this tribute to the films trailer. And artist Marc Gras does a great job on the interiors, as he is able to draw out the creepy atmosphere of the film and capture the characters look and moods. Don’t Look In The Basement is a perfect film to be made into a horror comic, and I was honored to work alongside Marc Gras and Blood Scream Comics to make it possible. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by Marc in this spooky comic.

As you can see, our time at Stephens Sanitarium has came to a very bloody end as Dr. Masters got what was coming to her and not truly the inmates are running the asylum! I for one would love to someday revisit Don’t Look In The Basement with an issue # 2 that would be our creative teams vision of what happened to Nurse Charlotte, Sam and a few other others after the events of the film/comic, and who knows if this will ever happen only time will truly tell. Well with that said let me take a moment to let you know that our next update will take us to Satan Place: A Soap Opera From Hell that is a 80’s long forgotten horror comedy anthology film, so that will be a fun one for sure am I right? So until next time, read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film or two, and as always, support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we will also be meeting Sally Satan, one of the many oddities that lives in Satan Place.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Posted on January 23, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. For this one we will be revisiting a 90’s Horror Film that we have talked about before in 2017, but it was not a themed update like this one, and I feel that it deserves a second look as the film was a phenomenon when it came to horror cinema and was a early trend setter when it came to the “found footage” style that is going strong even to this day. Of course the film is The Blair Witch Project and for this update we will be also looking at the single comic issue released by Image Comics based around it. The Blair Witch Project really is an iconic film that captures the attention of not only horror fans but also that of the mainstream viewer as the film was said at the time to be one of the scariest films ever made and along with the buzz that the film was real made it a must see in the theater event for so many people. So if you are ready, let’s grab our backpacks, our cameras and head into The Black Hill Woods and see what horrors The Blair Witch has in store for us all.

Let’s start by taking a look at Elly Kedward who is also known as The Blair Witch and her ways of dealing death to those she has marked. Elly Kedward was a strange old woman who lived in the town of Blair when she emigrated from Europe in 1800’s and became the town’s creepy old lady. And after she was murdered by the townspeople, she became supernatural and with this came new powers that aid her in her quest for revenge on those who make the mistake of being in the Black Hills Forest and not taking her warnings serious. Elly is said to be able to change her appearance with her always looking like an older woman, but some have reported that she is covered in black horse hair and that just the sight of her is so frightening that it cause terror and panic in those who are unlucky enough to see her. She is also said to be able to get into the minds of people and cause them to commit murders as well as do self-harm, and this is very deadly as she can have another person do her evil deeds and end her prey’s life. Elly is also dead and that means she truly has supernatural powers and makes her an evil spirit that has dark magic. The Blair Witch’s main tools of dealing death are her curses that allows her to mess in the minds of her victims and make them see, hear and feel things that may or may not really be there. She can also mess with nature as well as things like compasses making you lost in her woods and travel in circles never getting close to being able to leave her woods once she has marked you. She can also sound like other people and make you follow it to a location that she wants you to be in. She also uses people’s personal items and body parts in her curses and finding one of her bloody bundles can scare a person to their very core. Plus just her name and story is something that people that live in the area do not like to mention and keeps them out of the woods our of fear. The Blair Witch is very powerful and as of now no weakness or way to defeat her as been found, making her very deadly to those who cross her path.

So now that we have talked about Elly Kedward and her killing ways, I think now we should take a few moments to talk about the film she is from and that is of course The Blair Witch Project. Like always, we will start with the film’s plot that I will be getting from our friends at IMDB, and then after that I will be writing about the film’s production and then my thoughts of the film. So of you are ready, let’s watch out for stick figures in trees and bundle of sticks with human teeth in them and see what The Blair Witch Project is all about.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

“Three film students vanish after traveling into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.”

Florida film students and friends Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick in 1993 decided that they wanted to make a horror movie, but wanted to make it a little different from the others being made at the time, as they wanted it to have a documentary feel that would break the mold of masked slasher killers. The pair would write the screenplay and put out a casting call for the three main roles being the college kids filming a documentary for a class project the actors hired were Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams with other actors hired for minor roles including Patricia DeCou, Ed Swanson, Bob Griffin, Sandra Sanchez and Jim King to name a few. The film had a budget of around $500 thousand with Artisan Entertainment stepping in at the end to distribute the film. The film was shot in Maryland with most taking place in Seneca Creek State Park with even some shots taking place in Burkittsville, the location the film takes place in. Almost all of the film’s dialogue was ad-libbed with the actors only getting left notes for them to talk about key things and move the story in a direction. Once done, the film would have a few reshoots thanks to Artisan and would be scored by Tony Cora and would have a theatrical release starting on July 14, 1999 and was met with mostly positive reviews from both movie goers and critics. The film’s marketing at the time was fantastic and truly built a buzz for the film as it was made to look like the film was really found footage of three real missing students that something supernatural might have happened to them. The film would have coverage also in many main entertainment sources like Rolling Stone Magazine, MTV and Fangoria Magazine to name a few. The film would make around $248.6 million and was a big success for Artisan as well as horror films in general. In 1999, the film was # 10 for the year and many viewers ranked it as the scariest film of the year as well. In 1999 The Blair Witch Project was released alongside such other Horror Films as Sleepy Hollow, Werewolf Of Ohio, The Mummy, Terror Firmer, Wishmaster 2, Candyman 3, Warlock III, The Clown At Midnight, Ragdoll, Virus, The Rage Carrie 2, Stigmata and Retro Puppet Master to name a few. To this day, the film has a massive following as it has spawned two sequels, comic series, tons of merchandise and has influenced indie filmmakers all over the world.

The Blair Witch Project was a horror film that truly was an experience and to be honest was the last film that built so much buzz around itself that many people truly believed that it was real footage from a real spooky event that took place in the woods of Maryland where three college students went missing. When I saw this film opening weekend, young ladies in the theater were crying at the ending believing that they just seen the last moments of peoples lives on the big screen. And after leaving the theater my friends and I all were buzzing about what we had just seen and all of us were fans. Some of them would end up turning on the film once it became cool to hate it…as like with all big hit films The Blair Witch Project started to gain its haters who wanted to complain about how boring it was or how bad the acting was. The one thing that I understood that people disliked about the film was all the shaky camera stuff made some people get motion sickness. The film’s woods and rundown house setting is what helps add the truly creepy nature of the film as do the screams of Heather who at times seems like she is losing her mind from fright. And to me it really is crazy that Heather Donahue did not become a big horror actress throughout the early 2000’s and beyond, but it is said this was also by her choice as she retired from acting in 2008 and in 2020 she even changed her name to Rei Hance, and even at one point in time was a medical weed grower. The film is also one that I have found myself watching once every year or so and this always sparks me to also watch the sequels. When the film was released and beyond I would have the films’ theatrical poster, trading cards, keychain, comics and the Movie Maniac figure from McFarlane Toys, plus owned the film on VHS and later DVD. The cultural impact of this film when released is really hard to explain to those horror Fans who were too young or born after its release, but let’s just say that it helped breath life into horror films in theater as well as kicked off the found footage craze that is still going strong to this day. If you have not seen The Blair Witch Project, watch it one dark and stormy night with the lights all turned off and allow yourself to be taken away to the cursed woods of the Black Hills and allow The Blair Witch to scare you silly! And that is also one thing I want to point out: the film makes you question if The Blair Witch is real or if someone is messing with the students, with one of my favorite theories being that Josh and Mike are the ones who are setting up Heather as they want her dead and they are the ones that lead her around the woods and are tormenting and scare her before they kill her in the old house…think about this theory when you watch the film next.

The Blair Witch in the 1990’s alongside such films as Scream (1996) and The Mummy (1999) really did help keep horror valuable at the box office and is what sparked the 2000’s boom of spooky releases. But now that we have talked about The Blair Witch as well as the first film she is from, I think that it’s time now that we review the one shot issue from Image Comics that was released in 2000. I want to thank Lone Star Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I also want to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s get a little deeper into the Black Hill Woods as I hear that there are some really good camping sites for those of us that want to be scared silly by strange noises in the night.

BW: Dark Testaments # 1 **1/2
Released in 2000 Cover Price $2.95 Image Comics # 1 of 1

The year is 1986, and Davis Crane was a former school and principal who finds himself in jail after trying to kill two infant twins at the local hospital. His actions puzzle the law and Crane feels that something drove him to attempt this crime. While sitting in jail Crane remembers back to his youth and being friends with the twins Rustin and Dale Parr, and even as kids there was something wrong and dark about Rustin Parr but he watched him as he was kind to animals and skilled with a carving knife. He remembers back when the brothers had a fight over Dale killing a squirrel, and Rustin disowned his brother for the death. And that night as Dale was in bed sad, The Blair Witch came to him and promises that things will be ok. The next day at school The Parr Twins are once more speaking to each other but now refuse to talk to Davis as well as their fellow classmates, that is until Rustin is beaten up by town drunk Matt Patterson and tells Davis that The Blair Witch was real and that he hears her in his mind. As Matt Patterson is taking to jail, things start going wrong for him as he pukes up blood and a small tooth that was not his, his daughter strangely dies and the town is struck with fear as they think something supernatural is at play. And later Dale Parr is show and killed by his father while they went hunting, and while said it was an accident many think it was a way to stop The Witch who had touched the boy as rumor is that The Parr Twins were born thanks to The Blair Witch. Time passes and Rustin Parr never returns to school and when Davis finally see’s him he warns his friend to stay away so that the Witch doesn’t hurt him as Matt Patterson is hit by a truck in front of them and dies. And when Davis Crane grew up he stayed away from Rustin Parr and even moved away from Burkittsville to go to college, joined the army and fought in war. Once injured Davis returns home to become a teacher and even was there when Rustin Parr came out of the woods and the bodies of the kids were found. Back to sitting in jail, Davis knows that it was a shadow ghost of Dale Parr that made it look like he was trying to kill the twins, as he was really trying to save them. As the cops leave for the night Davis Crane sits in his jail cell and he knows that the ghosts of The Parr twins will be coming for him in the shadows and darkness.

This is a pretty interesting comic as while it is about The Blair Witch, it is more about The Parr Twins who at a young age were very odd and were said to be the spawn of the witch herself. One brother grew up to kill kids in the name of The Blair Witch, while the other was shot and killed by his own father while still a youth. And the story is told from the prospective of one of their childhood friends who watched their descent into darkness and is now being dragged into it at his now older age. Davis Crane was a good kid who grew up to be a good man as he went into teaching and even fought in a war protecting our country, and even when at the hospital and the staff thinking he was trying to kill two infants, he was really trying to protect them from an evil spirit. Davis was friends with The Parr Twins growing up and while they were odd, he still watched out for them as well as cared about their well being. And now because of them his life and reputation is ruined and he will rot in jail or even their spirits will take his life away. The Parr Twins Dale and Rustin when younger has very different personalities as they both were very odd and both caring and cruel at the same time. They are said to be the “blessing” of The Blair Witch as their mother was unable to have kids and after giving her an offering, the Witch allowed the two to be born and this also meant that they were connected to her. Dale was the first to show signs of being evil as he cursed a man who did his brother wrong that made the man’s daughter die…but before his evil got to out of hand he was shot and killed by his own father. While Rustin would try to get his under control but he did set up the killing of the man who hurt him and later would kill children in the woods. They were doomed from birth as they were touched by evil and that darkness consumed them. Matt Patterson was the town drunk and after losing his cool one-day and beating up one of the Parr kids, a curse is placed on him and his life goes terribly wrong filled with sadness and death. The Blair Witch is around and wandering the woods as well as talking to The Parr Twins gearing them up to do bad things all for her benefit. The comic is pretty bloodless and really the horror comes from the Blair Witch’s curses and the uneasy feeling that everyone in the town has because of her being around and causing issues for everyone with her thirst for revenge. The cover for this issue is a strange one as I am not sure who that is supposed to be on the cover surrounded by blue light and the stick figures, while weird I would say that it is eye catching for those who like the film. The interior art is done by artist Charlie Adlard and is pretty cool, while not overly detailed, it works as it has a kind of spooky appeal and his drawing of the witch always in shadow is great. Over all this is a pretty entertaining comic based around the legend and lore of The Blair Witch, but I do have to say that I wish it had featured more of her. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by Adlard in this comic book.

The Blair Witch Project was so popular that it had several comic series based around its legend from several publishers with Image being one and Oni Press the other. There are always rumors of new sequels or reboots of the film in the works and who knows, maybe one day we will get another film entry. Lionsgate is now the rights holder as they bought out Artisan Entertainment many years ago, and while the sequels thus far have not captured that lightning in a bottle like the first film did, they are very entertaining in there own way. And for fans of The Blair Witch Project if you have never seen the 1998 film “The Last Broadcast” that as well is a horror found footage film this time about the Jersey Devil and a public access show on the hunt for him, you should check it out as it’s a weird one that has lots of twists and turns. But as you can see, we have found our way out of the woods, and before we end this update I would like to let you know that the next one will take us to the waters of Mexico as we take a look at the film Black Demon and the comic series Black Demon Tales based around it. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we talk about the Aztec version of Jaws…or is that The Meg?

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Mardi Gras Massacre (1978)

Posted on October 12, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. Halloween 2024 is creeping up on us very quickly, and I am sure many of you readers are like me as I love the cooler weather and the leaves turning and falling to the ground as the wind picks up and brings that chill down your spine…and also around this time it feels like ghosts, witches, goblins, werewolves and vampires are watching you from a distance. That is why this time of the year is perfect for us horror comic readers as the spooky atmosphere and chill in the air makes for perfect reading weather…I love reading horror comics in a local cemetery around this time the most, but to be honest I do this year round as it is my go to quiet place to enjoy the terrors on the pages. Today’s update is a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update that is based around the sleazy low budget slasher film called Mardi Gras Massacre that splatted its way into grindhouse theaters in 1983 and would be a prefect one to read while visiting your town’s creepiest cemetery. So if you are ready with the cold chill in the air, it’s time to enjoy this horror comic based on a cult film that is set in New Orleans and is surrounded by the mystic of an Aztec Cult.

Let’s first start by taking a look at John, the killer of this film, and his methods and reasons for killing his victims as he truly is an odd and bloodthirsty slasher. John is a middle aged man who has black hair and dresses very nicely in public. While very odd looking in appearance, he does not standout from the crowd, but his looks do give some ladies the heebie jeebies. He looks like he comes from money as he wears a big gold ring and carries big wads of cash that he is able to draw in his victims, mostly prostitutes, with. He is looking for “evil” women that he can lure in and then sacrifice to an Aztec god to please them. While in killing mode John wears a golden mask, a robe and uses a dagger to cut, stab and shred their skin with his main goal being to remove their heart. His golden mask and dagger truly do strike fear in his victims’ then still-beating hearts as they find out his true intensions are not to make love but to slaughter them. John does these killings as he thinks that doing so will give him powers, and he is a true believer in this Aztec cult. But while he mostly kills women, he will kill men if they cross him path or try to do him wrong. His dagger is his main tool of dealing death and he is very skilled in his ritual ways of killing that includes making his female victims feel good with oil messages before he kills them. But while John is dangerous and coldblooded, he is a normal man and can be killed like any other human so that means shot, stabbed, crushed, burnt and blown up, among many other ways one could die. While John is only a mortal man, this slasher is super dangerous and is a master butcher with his dagger. And I should note that John was not the killer’s real name, just that he was a “John” that picked up sex workers.

Now that we have taken a look at John, the masked Aztec ritual killer of New Orleans, I think it’s time we take a look at the film he is from, Mardi Gras Massacre! Like always, we will be taking the film’s plot for our friends at IMDB and then I will write a little about the film’s production as well as my thoughts about the film. So if you are ready, let’s put on our party masks, grab some beads and head to this Mardi Gras Massacre.

Mardi Gras Massacre (1978)

“Police try to capture someone who is committing ritual murders of women during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.”

During the late 1970’s the grindhouse theaters and late night drive-in movies were gaining steam and more and more viewers were flocking to see these cheaply shot films and the more sleazy and exploitive, the better as horror, adult, martial arts and sci-fi films flooded these theaters and many would become cult classics over the years and most made lots of money for the companies who released these films. Jack Weis was one of those producers who cashed in at this time as he was a jack of all trades. He could also direct and write and was already the maker of such genre films as “Death Brings Roses (1975)” and “Crypt Of Dark Secrets (1976)”and in 1978 he wanted more profits so he came up with the script for Mardi Gras Massacre and would quickly get the film into production and would hire such actors as Curt Dawson, William Metzo, Gwen Arment and Laura Misch Owens. The music was done by Dennis Coffet and Mike Theodore, and the movie was filmed fast and yet sat around until 1983 before being released to theaters on February 11. At first it had an X rating due to the nudity and gore and would later be listed as a Video Nasty in England. When released in America, it was part of a triple bill alongside the films Sorceress and Humanoids From The Deep and would over the years build up a cult classic status after hitting home media on VHS, DVD and later Blu-Ray. When released in 1983, it came out alongside such other horror movies as Jaws 3, Psycho II, Sleepaway Camp, The Keep, A Blade In The Dark and Christine, to name a few. While it’s not a super popular and talked about film, for those who have seen this sleazy masterpiece of horror cinema they know the charm it has.

The first time I saw Mardi Gras Massacre was on a VHS that I bought from a video rental store called Accent Video that used to be in Ohio when I was a teenager. They had such a massive horror section as they carried not only the mainstream but also the cult and very weird! They would also over time end up selling some of the films when they needed to make room or sadly the film would stop renting. And on one of the trips to the store to see what horror films they would have in the used section is when I would get my copy of Mardi Gras Massacre, and when I watched it with some friends, I can remember we all had a good time watching the film and laughing at some of the more over the top moments. This film is not for everyone as at times it’s slow moving and is packed to the brim with lots of moments that feature female nudity and low budget style gore effects and main characters that don’t even get names! But to me, these are some of the reasons this film holds such a charm as it really does feel like a grindhouse film. It’s one of those films that has heroes that are two cops…but they are kind of scumbags themselves as one steals money and degrades a prostitute behind her back after he acts like he cares about her. But I will say that some of the prostitutes are the most likable characters in the film, and I have to also say for those of you who have seen this movie, what the hell was up with the pimp character Catfish? That really was a very strange dude who twitches around and talks in weird rhymes. The film’s gore effects for the time were really good and there is lots of it as several ladies are sacrificed and cut up by John The Killer. The most lovely of the “evil” ladies in this film is Laura Misch Owens who played Shirley, the first victim of the film who was also in the 1976 film Crypt Of Dark Secrets that was also directed by Jack Weis. When you hear from those who were involved in this film, it seems that production really was affected several times due to money issues and that is even why it sat unreleased for many years. This makes you truly wonder how many horror films from the 70’s and early 80’s had this same fate and have never been released, as the funds never came through. I am a fan of this weird little film that kind of makes no sense, has a strange soundtrack that features a killer that never even really gets a name.

Mardi Gras Massacre is a very weird cult horror film that is a sleazy gem that is very often overlooked, and that is why it is so awesome that it got the comic book treatment in 2022 via Severin Films and I am very much looking forward to reading this comic. I first would like to thank Severin Films for publishing and releasing this comic and making this update possible. I also want to give a big thank you to all the creators that made this comic possible as the world of horror comics needs more comics based on these type of cult horror films. I want to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, their entertainment value and their art and story. So if you are ready, let’s see what The Killer was up to on that Mardi Gras that many years back.

Mardi Gras Massacre # 1 ***
Released in 2022 Cover Price $14.99 Severin Films # 1 of 1

The body of prostitute Shirley Anderson has been found dumped on the train tracks, and Detective Mayer and Detective Frank Abraham head to a local bar where she used to pick up her clients and meet Sam the bartender who sends them to talk to Sherry, another lady of the night who tells them that the man Shirley left with that night had a big gold ring on. The Killer strikes again; this time he kills a stripper and it is clear he is killing what he thinks are evil woman, sacrificing them to an Aztec God. When this body is found, the police chief is really mad and wants the killer found, and this causes Abraham and Mayer to call in a cult expert who informs them about the Aztec Cults. Also Detective Abraham at this time is dating Sherry, and they are very much an odd couple. The Killer strikes again, and meanwhile Sherry and Abraham have a fight and break up over the dirty cop stealing the money of the deceased ladies of the night. She goes out and parties getting drunk and it’s Mayer who makes sure she gets home safe. During Mardi Gras, the killer hires three ladies to come over ,and he has the plans to sacrifice them all to his Aztec God with one of the ladies being Sherry, but they are all saved by Abraham (who patches things up with Sherry) and Mayer who go after the Killer, who ends up driving a car off the docks and into the water. When they tow the car out of the water, the Killer’s body is missing but his mask is left behind.

This is a really cool adaptation of a cult film that has a very simple plot as it’s about a Killer on the loose in New Orleans that is killing ladies of the night as he feels that they are evil and his God from Aztec lore needs sacrifices. On his trail are two cops who need to capture him before Mardi Gras. This basic story has charm as the sleazy nature of the film carries over to the comic as our Killer lures in young beautiful ladies to strip down for him and become his victims. But while the comic does have its charms, I should also note that it has a few flaws with the biggest being much of the film does not make it into the comic with the opening kill of Shirley missing. We just open with her body being found. The biggest parts missing are the dates and relationship between Detective Abraham and Shelly; it is talked about but not fully explained. And now that I am thinking about it, even The Killer’s motivation, showcasing he has money and even his charming ways to lure and capture his prey is missing…and for those of you who like the character Catfish, he is as well missing from the comic. The Killer aka John is a pretty dang bloodthirsty murderer as he kills at least three women in this comic and uses his trusty dagger to end their lives. Also it makes you wonder if he truly died when the car crashed into the water and his body is not found…or is he still out there killing more ladies for his Aztec beliefs. The heroes of this comic are Detective Abraham, who is kind of an ass and is corrupt as he steals money from crime scenes and seems to take favors in order to not report crimes. But we do see that he also has a weak spot for Sherry, and even after he hurts her feelings, he kind of feels bad and that’s a change as in the film I feel he is just a scumbag from start to finish. Detective Mayer, on the other hand, seems like a decent cop that really wants to crack this case and is embarrassed by his partner’s behavior. He tends to look the other way when bad things are going down that involves his partner and that is where he is flawed. Sherry is a prostitute who seems like a nice woman, but who tends to make bad choices as at the end of the comic she almost dies by going to a Mardi Gras Party with two other ladies at The Killer’s home! The comic has some blood and gore as the death of the prostitutes are mostly shown and has the red stuff flowing, and the comic also has lots of nudity holding with the feel of the film. The cover is pretty cool and holds the vibe of the film it’s based on and is eye catching. The interior art is done by Simona Simone and is fantastic stuff and after seeing her work in this comic, I am very much a big fan of her work and hope that we get more Horror Comics based on films from her in the future as she is that awesome. Over all this is a pretty great comic and one that is a must-have for fans of this cult film. Check out the artwork below to see the style or Simona Simone used in this creepy and sleazy comic.

I have to say that this Mardi Gras Massacre comic really was a cool read and was a nice treat for fans of the film as well as horror comic readers in general, and I cannot stress enough that I hope that Severin Films continues to release these comics based on the horror and cult films they release as they are doing some great work thus far. And with Error 444 and Wild Eye Releasing at least making comics that act as Blu-Ray extras, we might be heading in the right direction as media companies are seeing that comics are great tools to promote the films they release. And companies like Blood Scream Comics, Eibon Press and American Mythology are still killing it, releasing comics based on horror films. With that, I think it’s time that we get away from Mardi Gras and head to the world of pro wrestling as we will be taking a look at the crazed madman Waylon Mercy! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local horror host. And until next time, just remember “Lives are gonna be in Waylon Mercy’s hands”!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

Posted on October 2, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Happy October 2024! For this one, we will be having a very cool “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update that will be based on one of my favorite 80’s zombie films, a film with an amazing soundtrack, great characters and has scary and yet funny zombies and I am of course talking about the horror comedy film Return Of The Living Dead from 1985! This punk rock Horror fright flick is a staple for many fans of the genre as it not only has creepy moments but it also has some great funny ones highlighted by iconic songs that stick in your brain your whole life. What we will be taking a look at for this review is a graphic novel written by actor Don Calfa who played Mortician Ernie in the film based on his script for the film’s sequel that he wanted to get made way back when. So if you are ready, let’s party with the dead at the local cemetery and see if Trash will take off her cloths again!

The zombies that make up Return Of The Living Dead are super dangerous and could be some of the most dangerous undead we have ever covered here on Rotten Ink! The zombies in this film are mostly pack killers and swarm a victim given a human no place to escape. They come in all types of decay, from the newly dead to the long dead with only a skeleton remaining, and this grizzly appearance they have is enough to scare the life out of their victims and cause extreme panic. The zombies use their teeth and hands to rip and tear human skin and even skulls apart as they eat brains and this is a very painful death for the living. The zombies also can move fast and run as well as can speak and have intelligence that they use to trick and capture their next meal. They are reanimated back to life thanks to Trioxin, a gas created by the government that can also infect the living if exposed direct to it making the infected person slowly die and turn into a brain craver. The zombies also can survive attacks and even removal of body parts, in fact the pieces even try to attack making their danger level even higher for the living as every part of them want to try and make you dead. But while hacking, smashing and shooting don’t seem to work, even if you target the brain they can be stopped by being burnt to ashes and as well being blown to bits thanks to say a massive bomb dropped on them. But even with that, people need to be scared as the smoke from their burning flesh will infect the weather and cause acid rain that once it leaks into the ground at your local cemetery the dead will rise again and this cycle will repeat. I truly think up to this point on a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update that the zombies from Return Of The Living Dead are the most dangerous ones we have covered, as it seems that only luck can truly stop them from expanding their ever growing army.

Okay, now that we know how the zombie kill and just how dangerous they are to the living in the Return Of The Living Dead universe, let’s now take some time and chat about the iconic film they are from as we head to the party of the living dead! And like always, I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then after that I will be writing about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on it. So wear a helmet, as these partygoers want brains and be aware they also stink to high heaven!

Return Of The Living Dead (1985)

“When a bumbling pair of employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to re-animate as they go on a rampage through Louisville, Kentucky seeking their favorite food, brains.”

Return Of The Living Dead originally was the brainchild of Night Of The Living Dead co-creator John Russo, who, after splitting away from George A. Romero, ended up owning the “Living Dead” aspect of the film. In 1979, he wrote a sequel to the film called “Return Of The Living Dead” as a novel and years down the line producer Tom Fox wanted to bring his novel to the big screen in 3D with Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper at the helm. But after Hooper left the project scriptwriter Dan O’Bannon was brought in to direct as well as rewrite the script as many of the people involved in the film’s production thought that Russo’s draft was weak and slightly cheesy. The film was then cast with such names as Clu Gulager, Don Calfa, James Karen, Thom Mathews, Miguel A. Nunez Jr., Jewel Shepard and Linnea Quigley to name a few making up our human cast and names like Allan Trautman, Jerome Coleman, Terrence Houlihan and David Bond being casted in undead roles. The film was shot in Bakersfield, California and was a stressful experience for the actors and crew as this was O’Bannon’s first film and he and producers seemed to clash over much of the film’s very tight filming schedule. The films music was from such bands as The Cramps, The Damned, SSQ, 45 Grave and Roky Erickson and became truly part of the film’s cult following. The film was released in theaters on August 16, 1985 and did pretty well at the American Box Office bringing in over $14.2 million dollars on a budget of $4 million. And the film was a hit with film critics and fans and would go on to gain even more cult status when released on home media as well as shown on cable TV. The film was released alongside these other classic Horror and Cult films Teen Wolf, A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Fright Night, Weird Science, Friday The 13^th V: A New Beginning, Cat’s Eye, Silver Bullet, Lifeforce, Once Bitten, Godzilla 1985, The Bride, Re-Animator and my favorite Zombie film of all time Day Of The Dead. And for those of you who really want an in-depth look at the making of this film, check out the documentary called “More Brains! A Return To The Living Dead” as it deep dives into the film’s history and showcases it better than I ever could.

Return Of The Living Dead was a film I first saw on VHS when my brother and I rented it from a local video store and it quickly became one of my favorites as everything about it brought me so much joy and entertainment! I can remember loving the looks of the zombies and of course Tarman was the standout of the undead creatures but I also always liked the rotten look of them all as when I think of zombies these mixed with the Romero amd Fulci film versions are what comes to mind. The film also had a kickass soundtrack with lots of super catchy songs with the likes of “Surfin’ Dead” by The Cramps, “Partytime” by 45 Grave, “Dead Beat Dance” by The Damned and “Tonight (We’ll Make Love Until We Die)” by SSQ being some of my favorites, and it was great hearing The Damned on a soundtrack as they were a band I was a big fan of thanks to the BBC show “The Young Ones” were they performed the song Nasty for a Halloween special. Way back before the days of DVD and Blu-Ray, I had to find this film on VHS to own and that was a quest as the film was very hard to find, and when you did finally find it, the tape carried a very high price tag, and when I finally found it at a second had store I felt like I had found one of the holy grails to my collection…now the film is super easy to find on every format, but for that brief time I can remember all my friends who were into Horror always wanted to watch it when they came over. My favorite character in the film was Spider played by one of my favorite genre actors Miguel A. Nunez Jr. as the character is a punk but also seems to truly care about his friends as well as the safety for other people, and of course everybody loves Trash played by Linnea Quigley as what is not to love about a sexy naked punk rock woman who ends up turning into a brain eating zombie! I am sure I am not the only one who is going to say this, but if you love 80’s Horror, Zombie Films and just Horror in general and have not seen this one, make sure to watch Return Of The Living Dead as it is a fun Horror Comedy film that brings the blood splatter and belly laughs. Also do yourself a favor and just buy this film on VHS, DVD or Blu-Ray as it as well as the films soundtrack on Cassette, Vinyl or CD are working owning in your collection.

I love Return Of The Living Dead, as it’s a film that is easily in my Top 5 Favorite Zombie Films of all time and is a film that I think every horror fan should watch as well as own on physical media in their film collections like I have said above. There is something special about the film as all the elements just seem to work perfectly together and that’s from the directing, acting, music, effects and even set design this is just a well made and great Horror Film that deserves all the praise it gets as well as the Cult status it built for itself. We are now at the review part of this update and I would like to first thank Dead Mouse for making this Graphic Novel and making this update possible, I would also like to say Rest In Peace to actors Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa, Mark Venturini, Cathleen Cordell and any others that passed away as they helped make this film amazing and all did fantastic work in their respected roles. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head into the cemetery and party with the living dead.

Revenge Of The Living Dead # 1 **
Released in 2019 Cover Price $14.99 Dead Mouse # 1 of 1

The bomb has missed it’s target in Kentucky to contain the zombie outbreak and only wiped out some of them. Tina and Ernie are able to survive in the mortuary while across the street in the warehouse Spider, Casey and Chuck survive but boards have fallen on Burt, and they think he is dead. The groups all meet up at the mortuary and are happy to see some of their friends made it out alive from the undead attack as well as the army bomb attack. And best of all they find that embalming fluid can keep the zombie versions of Frank and Freddy (who both also survived) under control and Ernie comes up with the idea of taking one of the ambulances, loading it with some trioxin from the warehouse and using it as well as the two now controlled zombie to expose what the government is up to! Once back in the warehouse Spider and Ernie take out Tarman who has placed his head back on as zombie Frank and Freddy get the trioxen from the basement and load it, and then the group escape and hide as the army is moving in with foot soldiers and vehicles again and have orders to kill everything in site! Ernie and the others watch as all around them the zombies and soldiers are clashing with both sides losing members. Our heroes end up in a mall parking lot and have to kill a truck driver they saved that got bit before arming themselves and having to fight off the attacking zombies who have even killed the military general! As Tina and Casey move the vehicle away from the battle Ernie, Spider and Chuck armed with tons of firearms start blasting the undead. Ernie and the others are able to escape and get away and come in contact with the military and after a brief standoff Ernie, Tina, Spider, Casey and Chuck are able to trade the remaining trioxen and the dead Frank and Freddy for their freedom. While back with the military, the zombies arrive and both Frank and Freddy as well go on the attack and kill them all as even one of the canisters cracks open and creates a new Tarman. The comic ends with Ernie and the others getting to freedom as back in front of the warehouse Burt is alive and fighting off zombies.

Revenge Of The Living Dead is a pretty entertaining read but is also kind of a letdown on several levels as it does not feel like it even is the same universe as the film its based on and while many of the films characters are around, they seem off and not like they should as it was very clear that Don Calfa was one of the writers as the character he plays Ernie is the main focus and is the main hero with all the other returning characters playing background players to his story of survival. The graphic novel’s plot has the bomb attack by the Government on Kentucky being a failure and with that many of the zombies are still running wild but also Ernie, Spider, Chuck, Tina and Casey also have survived and are trying to find away out of the warzone as now armed soldiers are being sent out to kill anything moving, and a subplot has Ernie figuring out that embalming fluid can help keep the undead under control for a short amount of time and uses it on Freddy and Frank to help him and the others get out alive. Ernie is the hero of this GN as he is the one that gets all the remaining punks together, sets all the plans in motion, finds a possible slowdown for the zombie infection and is the one that uses his mind to get himself and the others out of harm’s way buy bribing the military for their freedom. And Spider, Tina, Casey and Chuck are along for the ride taking orders from Ernie and being background players and only doing something big to help when Ernie commands it…and that is a big disappointment…as is the fact Ernie’s ankle injury seems to vanish really quickly as the story goes on. The GN also spends a lot of time with the military and the Generals arguing and being really bad at their jobs, and this “humor” is a little silly and felt more at place in a Looney Tunes cartoon. The zombies are all around with even Tarman and Trash making appearances and are super hungry for brains and the kills are bloody and gooey, plus we even get to see the body of Suicide still in the basement of the warehouse right were Tarman left it. The cover for this graphic novel is very cool and showcases all the main characters of this book, and Jason Miller is the interior artist who has a cartoonish style that is really good and cool…but not the style I would think of when it comes to Return Of The Living Dead. And that is kind of how I feel about this graphic novel as a whole; while it really is a “unofficial” sequel to the film, nothing about it even feels like the film, again sure characters and locations return but everything just seems off. I am glad I have this GN for my collection and it was a charming read, I sadly have to say I was over all letdown as I was looking for the punk rock charm that the film had in a comic, instead got the character of Ernie trying to be a more with it version of Ash from the Evil Dead films. I think I made my expectations way to high due to my love of the film and the fact Don Calfa wrote it. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Miller in this GN and see if you think it has that ROTLD feel.

I really wanted to like Revenge Of The Living Dead more than I did, I just could not get past some of the flaws that just took me out of it…like the mind controlled Freddy and Frank are dressed in suits and are acting like servants to Ernie, like why was that a thing as Frank burns to death in the film and Freddy was super scary as the blinded by acid zombie who was still trying to charm his girlfriend while talking about eating her brains…here in the GN they are just tools that truly add nothing to the story as the whole can be controlled by the embalming fluid goes nowhere. And sadly I am not the only one in my circle of friends who read Horror Comics that was letdown by this one. But let’s hope that sometime in the future a publisher like Eibon Press, HorrorHound Comics, Dynamite Comics, IDW or even a returning Fangoria Comics get a chance at doing a series based on Return Of The Living Dead and get all the right creators to make it what it should be and that’s a scary funny, brain eating, punk rock, fist shaking great time. With that, let’s leave the world of zombies behind and head into the world of voodoo as the countdown to Halloween 2024 continues and we take a look at Mardi Gras Massacre and the comic book based on it. So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update for a sleazy good time in the Big Easy.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)

Posted on September 13, 2023 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink! Do you remember back in the 1990’s when big companies tried to breathe new life into all the classic movie monsters with big stars being cast and bigger budget driven Hollywood blockbusters hitting the cinemas worldwide? This started in 1992 with “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and would be followed by the 1994 films “Wolf” and “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” and in 1996 we got “Mary Riley” based on the maid who worked for Doctor Jekyll, all have their own success and following to this day. During this time the comic book industry had an influx of indie companies and many of them released Horror Comics. One of these indie companies was Topps Comics who released many comic adaptations of films including the one that will be the topic of this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update as its time for us to take a look at Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the 90’s version of a classic monster of literature and cinema as well as the Topps Comics mini series adaptation based on it.

Let’s start off by taking a look at The Monster and his ways of dealing death in this movie depiction. The Monster is the reanimated parts of many dead men whose body is that of a killer and his hatred for being back alive is what drives him as he had a creator that turned on him from the start. His stitched up appearance and massive size strikes fear in the hearts of those who see him and this fear can lead them open to be attacked and killed. The Monster also has brute power and the strength of many men and can use his bare hands to choke, hit and rip the life out of a person as he has enough power to punch inside a person and remove organs. The Monster is also shockingly very smart and can use his twisted mind in order to set up his victims in multiple ways, from killing them to framing them for murder. He also can take way more damage than a normal person and can also survive in the extreme elements of nature, making him very hard to hurt. The weakness of The Monster is that his emotions are all over the place and this causes him to be sloppy at times as well as makes him lash out in anger before thinking about the action. He can be hurt like any living thing from fire to even some bullets can stop and kill him. While The Monster is not the most brutal or most efficient killer we have covered here, I would say that he is a very deadly one when pushed.

So as you can see, The Monster of Frankenstein is a dangerous reanimated thing that is filled with vengeance, revenge and a rage that makes him dangerous. But now we should take a few moments to talk about the film that spawned this version of The Monster! The film’s write up will be coming from our friends at IMDB, and then I will write a little about the film’s production and my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, it looks like science is about to run amok.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994)

“When the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man that he has created, the Creature escapes and later swears revenge.”

After the big success of 1992’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” an idea from Francis Ford Coppola would come to life as he wanted to bring the classic monsters back to the big screen and the second film selected was Frankenstein, but this time around Coppola would only act as a producer and actor Kenneth Branagh would not only direct the film but would also play Victor Frankenstein in it. The film would be released by TriStar Pictures who was happy with the success of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and greenlit this film pretty quickly and the script was written by Frank Darabont and Steph Lady and was given a budget of $45 million. When casting the film some very interesting choices was made with Robert De Niro playing Frankenstein’s Monster, Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth Frankenstein as well as such names as John Cleese, Ian Holm, Aidan Quinn and Richard Briers to name a few. And the score was done by Patrick Doyle who had worked on the music for films like “Needful Things” and “Carlito’s Way” and it was good and solid work. The film would be released in theaters on November 4, 1994 and would be meet with very mixed reviews as many felt that the film lacked scares and was a little all over the place when it came to the plot and being focused, but most critics and fans praised the acting of De Niro as the Monster. The film did $22,006,296.00 at the American box office and was ranked # 59 for the year and beat out films like New Nightmare, The Puppet Masters, Serial Mom, Ed Wood, Brainscan, Leprechaun 2 and Cronos. The film would be nominated for awards and would not win any and would even make many publications “Worst” list including Rolling Stone Magazine. But over the years and thanks to home media and streaming the film has found a cult following and is being looked back on with more fondness.

I was a big fan of Bram Stoker’s Dracula as I found it to be a very entertaining take on the classic Dracula tale and the effects are fantastic and it was oddly and yet perfectly cast and it was one of my favorite modern Horror Films that I had seen for many years. Now on the other hand, I was a little more mixed on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as I thought it was well cast and the look of The Monster was pretty solid, it just lacked the charm for me of the classic Universal Monster and Hammer Horror versions of the classic story as it played up on much of the story’s romance and less of the Horror, but when the Horror is showcased is when the film really shines. And I was really shocked on how violent the film was in spots and for many the highlight of the film was when The Monster removes the heart of Elizabeth as it was shocking and horrific. I also really do think that Robert De Niro as The Monster was a good choice as you could tell he put his heart into the roll and tried to bring out all the emotions the character went through in this tale. Plus casting one of Hollywood’s hidden beauties Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth also got my attention as a youngster as she for some reason has always reminded me of Elsa Lanchester who played The Bride in the Universal Monster film The Bride Of Frankenstein. Sadly due to my age and the small village I lived in not having a movie theater, I had to wait for the film to be released on home media before I could view it, and when the family finally rented it I found myself like it for the most part and also helped push me into having to find the Topps Comics as well as even had the Video Games for Sega Genesis among other items. Over all while this is not the best Frankenstein film made, I will say it’s a very entertaining one that should get more respect than it does in this modern age from Horror Fans.

One thing that I also have to point out about the film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is that is sparked a good amount of merchandise for Horror Fans to collect that include not only the Topps Comic mini series but also the soundtrack, magazines, home media, a video game, novel, trading cards, model kit and even t-shirts. And when growing up I had the comics, home media, the video game and many of the magazines that covered the film mostly put out by Fangoria. And what is crazy is that when this film was released and the merchandise was coming out, I can remember that it did not have the buzz around it like Bram Storker’s Dracula did, but if you are a fan of this film make sure to track down and collect some of this cool stuff for your collection, especially the Comics and the Score Soundtrack CD as they are both great stuff.

So as you can see, when released Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein had the Hollywood hype train behind it and even got its fair share of cool merchandise to try feed the fans’ thirst for all things Frankenstein and his Monster, and even if the film did not live up to what it was expected to at the box office it really does have its own fanbase that really enjoys it. And to be honest I have been looking forward to doing this update for a few years now as it gave me an excuse to re-read these comics as well as watch the film again! Plus a “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been long overdue. So before we head to the lab to see what is on the slab, I should remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, it’s time to visit The Monster done 1994 style with a dash of Topps Comics.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein # 1 ***
Released in 1994 Cover Price $2.95 Topps Comics # 1 of 4

Captain Walton and his men are in a dangerous spot when they are in a winter storm up north trying to find a way to the North Pole, and when trying to break the ship free of the ice a shadow in the snow ends up killing all the sled dogs and they rescue Victor Frankenstein from the freezing weather. Once back on the ship Victor and Walton talk and Victor fills the Captain in on what he was hunting in this storm as well as his life. Victor grew up in a well to do and respected family who ended up taking in an orphaned girl named Elizabeth, who becomes the love of Victor’s life as the two have a very strong bond. But his life is changed when his mother dies while giving birth to his younger brother, and as he grows up his goal to be a scientist an a doctor who can defeat the secrets of death. Once in medical school, Victor meets a classmate Henry Clerval and they end up becoming the secret students of Professor Waldman and teacher who mixes new and old science and even has reanimated the arm of a chimpanzee. But while given the poor a vaccination for small pox Professor Waldman gets stabbed and killed by a crazed man, and this makes Victor double down of his idea of creating life so that people can life forever as death has cheated him out of another important person in his life. Victor steals the brain of Waldman, the body of his killer once he was hung and collected other body parts in order to create life, and after experimenting he has figured out the key to create. And the night of his experiment the village is about to go on lockdown due to an illness outbreak and he must run off both Elizabeth and Henry who beg him to leave, but this night Victor only has one goal and that to create life.

This is a really good adaptation comic and does a great job of both capturing the mood of the film as well as delivering an issue that gets the reader hooked. The story is simple and has Victor Frankenstein being rescued by a ship Captain and his doomed crew during a terrible winter storm at sea, and Victor ends up sharing his story of death and life with the Captain that ends with him doing his first experiment on trying to create a life. You have to feel for Victor Frankenstein as he was a young man who had it all growing up a good family, education, respect and even found the love of his life at a young age…but when people he cares about dies in his life it sets him down a path of science, medicine and alchemy all in order to stop death and create life. Elizabeth is a caring woman who wants what is best for Victor and as his dive into madness gets darker she still tries to stand by his side even when she is forced out of his lab. Henry Clerval who is a classmates who has some of the same ideas as Victor as well sees that his friend is going down a bad path that goes against the will of God, but he as well wants to watch out for his friend. And the Captain and crew of the ship sadly I feel are in the middle of a battle that they do not want to be around and that’s between a creator and his creation. The comic has some creepy moments and a little bit of blood and has that classic horror feel. The cover art for the issue I have is very eye catching and cool as it’s the Monster under a sheet, and has a classic painting feel about it. The interior artwork is done by Rafael Kayanan and is really great stuff and has that 90’s indie comic look as well to me has that Topps Comics look. A good start to this adaptation mini series and is a read that held up for me after all these years, lets see what issue two has in store for us.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein # 2 ***
Released in 1994 Cover Price $2.95 Topps Comics # 2 of 4

Victor Frankenstein is deep into his experiment and after using eels for electricity, the body inside comes alive and once out of his chamber it flings it’s self around and gets caught into cables as Victor watches on in fear and regrets that he gave this thing life and tried to play God, as it’s a grotesque looking monster. As Victor runs from his Monster he decides that he must kill it, and when he returns he finds it gone and swears that he is done with his experiments and The Monster itself. Time passes and The Monster is chased by people of the village as his appearance feeds their fears that he is the one spreading the plague, and this causes him to hide in the woods were he hides and helps and learns from a family that are not aware that he is lurking around. The family is thankful for his help but when they find out what he looks like they run him off with fire and once more he is alone and feared…and returns to his birthplace and finds the diary of Frankenstein and wants revenge on his creator. Meanwhile Victor meets back up with Henry and Elizabeth and wants to start his life over and leave the horror of his creation behind, but then he remembers his diary was left behind and if the Monster finds it his secret is out.

This second issue just like the first does a great job of bringing the film to comic, and captures the building dread and doom that the film delivered to viewers and even turns up the horror level slightly. This issue’s story has Victor Frankenstein both fearing and then hating his creation as he wants to kill it, but is to late to do so as The Monster escapes and finds that the world fears and hates him all over the way he looks…and the creation and the creator are on the path for a showdown as it’s clear they both despise one another. Victor in this issue is very sorrowful for what he has done as he knows now that creating life as a big mistake, and he tries to quickly move on with his life and forget the terror that he has unleashed on the masses. Henry and Elizabeth as always are by his side and try to encourage him to return home and take up just being a regular old doctor to help people. The Monster is very misunderstood and because he looks weird and disfigured he is blamed for the plague as well as mocked and hated by a family that he has been secretly helping through a harsh winter. Being shunned every place he goes you can see why The Monster hates his creator Victor as this life he did not want to have. And I have to say by this issue you have to kind of feel sorry for The Monster as he is really mistreated by everyone just cause the scars on his face, plus his own creator or father figure if you will, runs from him in fear as he hates what he created…must be a terrible feeling The Monster has. The cover for this version I have is eye catching an has The Monster standing with a home on fire behind him, and the interior art by Rafael Kayanan is great like before and the way he draws The Monster is awesome. Over all a relatively bloodless Horror Comic that is a fun read and thickens the plot of creator and creation. Also I feel this issue holds up and is a fun smooth read.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein # 3 ***
Released in 1994 Cover Price $2.95 Topps Comics # 3 of 4

As Victor and Elizabeth are getting ready for their marriage the their family and friends arrive including William who is the younger brother of Victor, and while going to visit his friend he runs into The Monster and is later found dead an the killing is blamed on one of the families female friends who is hung by a mob of mad villagers. As Victor morns, he gets a quick visit from The Monster who tells him to meet him up on a mountain, Victor goes and brings guns as he was to kill his creation. And when Victor arrives he tires to shoot The Monster and fails and then is more shocked that The Monster can read and speak. The Monster says he is the one who killed William and by accident set up the young woman who was blamed, and what he wants his a female friend to love and that if Victor makes him one he will disappear forever from human eyes, Victor agrees to do so. Elizabeth is upset as Victor tells her that they must push off their wedding for a month as he must do something so that they will have peace for life, she is mad and threatens to leave for good. Victor gets the help of Henry and they set up the lab but things get out of hand when The Monster murders a woman and now Victor refuses to help and The Monster tells him he will strike on his wedding night. Time passes and Victor and Elizabeth are married and go on the run with Henry and other guards on the watch as they are told to kill the ungodly creature that is stalking the newly married couple. And as a storm blows in Victor an Elizabeth find shelter as all around them men watch out for a killer.

The third issue keeps the mood building and adds more horror as The Monster is not understanding how to keep his emotions in check. The plot of this issue has The Monster killing the younger brother of Victor as well as getting a Frankenstein family friend blame and killed for the killing and now is trying to force Victor into creating a female monster for him as a mate and threatens him that the urges to kill will get worse if he does not have someone he can love, and Victor tries but when The Monster kills an innocent woman he can not make a bride as The Monster is clearly evil…and now Victor might have doomed his new Bride as well as his family and The Monster is very mad and filled with rage. Victor Frankenstein in this issues faces more heart break over the deaths of some loved ones and must try and avoid loosing the love of his life as well as dodge the rage of the monster he created. And while Victor has done bad things including trying to play God he does not get behind murder for science. Elizabeth is very happy to be getting married to Victor but does not understand the horrors that he committed in his lab. Henry is loyal as ever to his friendship to Victor and his leading men to try and keep the couple safe during their wedding night. The Monster is very confused by his life as he cannot control his evil thoughts and yet also understands what love means and is an all he really wants is to have a Bride that he can run away with and be away from human eyes. The cover is great and showcases The Monster and like before the interior art by Rafael Kayanan is great stuff and captures the looks of the actors really well and I have to say I love the way he draws The Monster. Over all another solid issue that captures the film really well and also held up as a re-read after all these years for me. Let’s see how The Monster an Victor Frankenstein’s tale comes to an end with the next and final issue.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein # 4 ***
Released in 1995 Cover Price $2.95 Topps Comics # 4 of 4

Victor and Elizabeth are alone in the cabin and make love on their wedding night, meanwhile outside Henry and the men are keeping guard as the storm continues to pour down and The Monster watches and waits for his time to strike. And later The Monster distracts Victor, Henry and the men who rush off to try and find and end him, while The Monster kills a guard and then murders and takes the heart of Elizabeth just as Victor returns and cannot do anything to stop it. Victor then picks up the body of Elizabeth and rushes to his lab to bring her back to life, and after the experiment she returns to life confused and twisted in appearance. The Monster enters the lab and wants to make Elizabeth his new undead Bride and as Victor and his first creation argue over the love of Elizabeth she discovers that she is a created life and engulfs herself in flames to end her misery and this cause Victor and The Monster to fight and Victor gives chase. We then go back to the ship and Victor Frankenstein passes away from pneumonia and the Captain tells his men that once the ice breaks up they will continue their journey, when they hear a terrible sobbing sound coming from bellow and when they rush to the belly of the ship they find The Monster over the body of Victor as he is upset about the death of his creator. In the end the Captain and his men watch as The Monster pours fuel all over himself and the body of Victor and then he sets them both on fire ending the story of the Creator and his Creation.

The fourth and final issue of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is really great and captures the downbeat nature of the films final act. And again I have to praise Topps Comics as they proved that they really did understand the art of film adaptations. The story in this issue has Victor Frankenstein before dying sharing the last part of his story that has his wife dying, being brought back to life only for her to commit suicide and lastly is able to try and make it right with his creation. And of course in the end both creator and creation go up in flames and the life work of Frankenstein comes to an end, but their legacy would live on as The Captain and his men have heard the twisted tale as well as seen The Monster itself. Victor Frankenstein in this issue is fueled by hatred as his created Monster will not leave him along and takes the life of his true love Elizabeth and even rips her heart out in front for him showing that The Monster is very cold blooded and yet you also pick up that he is confused by his new life and is torn between good and evil. The Monster is also very much filled with rage and that causes him to lash out at his creator who turned his back on him instead of teaching him how to be a living person, instead he has to deal with all the emotions and not understand how to control them and that leads to why Elizabeth’s heart being removed from her body. The comic is pretty violent and filled with murder and death but does not have lots of blood, but still even without the red stuff it has some great spooky and gross moments that make it a great Horror Comic read. In fact the whole mini series was a great read and while some changes had to be made the film to comic presentation was well done and was a great tool to promote the film as well as give fans a little something special to collect and read. The cover for this issue is great and has the reanimated corpse of Elizabeth standing in her dress and we can see the scars on the back of her skull great image and well drawn and colored. The interior art by Rafael Kayanan is really good stuff and has been solid throughout the series, and I have to say I really like the way he draws The Monster as he even captures the look of Robert De Niro and well as the details of the character in the film. To sum it up, if you like the film make sure to read this comic mini series as it really good, and rereading this made me miss Topps Comics even more. Checkout the artwork below to see the style of Rafael used in this Horror Comic.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a film that helped keep Horror Films alive at the cinema in the early 90’s and to this day has built up a cult statues as fans have discovered the film again thanks to home media and streaming services and I truly think that it is a good film that just lacks a little of the charm of Bram Stoker’s Dracula as that film was a hard act to follow. The Frankenstein story has been done in all types of media over the years from stage plays to direct to video films and everything in-between and this 1994 big budget film version has made its mark on the work of Mary Shelley and that’s not a bad thing as this film did its best to pay respect to the novel that created it. Well with that I think that its time we end this update as we have more Countdown To Halloween 2023 and we will return to the world of Pro Wrestling for the next update and a Horror Themed terror of the squared circle called Yeti who was a short lived AAA Luchador! So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie of two and as always support your local Horror Host! See you next update as it will be a creepy masked Luchador of a spooky time!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Phantasm (1979)

Posted on September 11, 2016 by bloodlinematt

You Write A Good Blog, Boy…But Now You Die! Those words are something I would like to think The Tall Man would scream at me if he was here at my apartment while I write this update. The Phantasm film series is a horror franchise that breaks the mold of what one thinks of when comparing it to other horror films that came before. The film was not made up of vampires, zombies, a slasher killer, ghosts or even animals running wild; oh no, this film was something more with a killer who was beyond the realms of normal horror bad guys as The Tall Man is so much more than your normal villain of cinema. When choosing Horror Comics for this year’s countdown to Halloween many titles were considered, but one I knew for sure had to be in this year’s roundup was this Xmachina comic based on Phantasm as the movie series as well as this comic deserved to be talked about here on Rotten Ink. This marks not only our second update in our countdown to Halloween but also the first in our “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” updates that join our returning update themes like “Horror Host Icon”, “Alien Invasion”, “Undead Files”, “NES Challenge” and “Marvel At The Movies” among others. What I am trying to showcase in these updates are horror movie themed comics that lasted for 1-4 issues (some cases could be more issues) and can be from any comic company from Marvel all the way to Blackthrone and can be an adaptation or its own story or a prequel based on the characters of the film it’s named after. This also can apply to promo comics that used to be given away at video rental stores and now come inside DVDs and Blu-Rays, plus still sometimes at the movie theaters! Many great horror movie themed comics have been released and sadly many have been forgotten, so I feel it’s my duty here on Rotten Ink to dig them up from the comic long box graveyard and give them life once more and share them with you, my friends and readers, who might have interest in tracking them down to read or collect. So with that, let’s move into the graveyard and dodge those evil metal flying spheres and get one step closer to the world of The Tall Man!

The Phantasm movie series is the brain child of director and writer Don Coscarelli who grew up a fan of horror and wanted to make his own in the booming market. Inspired by the book “Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury as well as from elements from films like “Suspiria” and “Invaders From Mars,” he made a film that became a hit at the box office as well sparked a cult-like following that is still going strong to this day. So before we dive too deep into this update, I want to talk about the films. The write ups will once more come from our friends at IMDB with some info and my brief thoughts and memories of the films…so let’s dodge the spheres and leap over some tombstones and get to talking about the films that are near and dear to many horror fans’ hearts.

Phantasm (1979)

“Mike, a young teenage boy who has just lost his parents, is afraid to lose his brother. This fear causes him to follow his brother to a funeral, where Mike witnesses the Tall Man lift a coffin on his own. Mike decides to investigate and discovers a horrible world where the Tall Man, along with his flying spheres, shrink them to half their normal size and reanimate them as slaves. It is then up to Mike, his brother, and Reggie the ice cream man to stop the Tall man.”

Phantasm was one of those films that when I first viewed it as a youngster, I was lost by the twist and turns of the plot, but nonetheless was so drawn in by the atmosphere. Looking back, I think I first saw this film on the USA Network or some other cable station as I can remember watching it with my brother late on a weekend night while living in Waynesville. As I grew older and into my teens when I started to collect more and more horror films on VHS, the Phantasm series was on my must-own list, and part one always remained a chilling and bizzarre classic in my eyes. The film was directed by Don Coscarelli, who also was the brain behind the idea of characters, and the cast was made up of such talents as Michael Baldwin as Mike, Bill Thornbury as Jody, Reggie Bannister as ice cream man Reggie and Angus Scrimm as The Tall Man. At the US Box Office it brought in a total of $11.988,469.00 on a $300,000.00 budget. The year it was released, it was joined by such other Horror Films as “The Amityville Horror”, “The Driller Killer”, “Tourist Trap”, “Zombie 2”, “Screams Of A Winter Night”, “Cannibal Holocaust” and “The Dark” to name a few. This first one is a true cult classic in my book and is one that you should watch this Halloween season if you have not seen it, and hell even if you have seen it, watch it again!

Phantasm II (1988)

“Mike is released from psychiatry, when he agrees with the doctors that the terrible happenings in his past were just in his imagination. But once he’s free, he contacts Redge and they team up to hunt down and eliminate the “Tall Man”, who plunders the graveyards and abducts the sleeping with help of his terrible gnomes. A beautiful strange girl starts to appear in Mike’s dreams. He assumes she’s in danger and needs their help – will they find her before the Tall Man can do her any harm?”

I can remember when Phantasm II was coming out to theaters as Fangoria Magazine was pushing it, and the TV spots playing on the local stations always captured my attention. My first time seeing the film was when it hit home video and my cousins Dino and Norman rented it and had me and my brother over to watch it. I can remember when the sphere killed one of the Tall Man’s funeral workers, Norman and I cheered and were in wonder as the effects looked fantastic. This sequel was also directed by Don Coscarelli with actors James LeGros as Mike, Reggie Bannister as Reggie, Paula Irvine as Liz and Angus Scrimm as The Tall Man. The film did okay for Universal at the US Box Office bringing in $7,282,851.00 on a $3 million dollar budget. The film came in at 103 for the year and beat such cult films as Waxwork, Hot To Trot, Mac And Me, The Unholy, Braddock: Missing In Action III, Elvira Mistress Of The Dark, Monkey Shines, Night Of The Demons, Pumpkinhead, Maniac Cop, Hero And The Terror and Critters 2: The Main Course to name a few. The sequel packs a wicked punch and adds to the mystery of The Tall Man and his wicked dead spreading ways, a great watch for your Halloween season for sure.

Phantasm III: Lord Of The Dead (1994)

“The Tall Man, that imposing menace from Morningside Mortuary, is back and once again haunting the thoughts of the now-adult Mike and his friend, ex-Ice Cream vendor Reggie. The two continue their hunt for the mysterious figure and in his path of destruction encounter a variety of dangerous situations, friends and enemies. They also must contend with the resurrected dead plus a growing number of the infamous and deadly silver spheres which aid the Tall Man as he sets his sights on indoctrinating Mike and finishing the fight begun so many years ago”

Phantasm III was the first of the series not to make it to theaters, and the rumor going around about why it went direct to video was because Universal and Don Coscarelli were at war with each other and they did this as a way to flex their muscle, but by doing this they created one of the top selling direct to video films of all time. I first saw the film when my brother Bryan and I rented it from K&L Video, and both of us liked it but were also confused by some of it. But that’s the real charm of the Phantasm films, they reveal answers but also make it so there are more questions that need answers from film to film. This one also adds female characters named Rocky and Tanesha who are also on a quest to take down the sinister Tall Man…part three in this series is great and was one that was worth renting and now owning on DVD.

Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998)

“Taking off immediately where the last one ended, in this episode Mike travels across dimensions and time fleeing from the Tall Man, at the same time he tries to find the origins of his enemy, and what really happened the night that his brother died. Meanwhile, Reggie (accompanied by a beauty he picked up on the road) battles the spheres and the undead in a quest to find Mike before the Tall Man can complete his transformation.”

The fourth film in the series was another one that my brother Bryan and I rented from Blockbuster Video. While good, I did find it to be the weakest in the series, but even with that said, it’s still an amazing and strange film. I don’t have much to say about this film besides I bought it on VHS and later DVD. It was great seeing The Tall Man back in 1998, and it was released by MGM this time around and not Universal. Also a fun fact is that the film was originally written under the title “Phantasm 1999 A.D.” and would have been set in a post-apocalyptic world and would have co-starred Bruce Campbell, but that script could not find funding so it disappeared into developmental hell. This film also had the lowest budget out of all the sequels that were made up to that point. Over all it’s a solid sequel that adds to the legend and mysteries that is The Tall Man.

Phantasm V: Ravager (2016)

“The final installment of the long-running Phantasm series.”

Not much is known about this fifth film in Phantasm series besides it was filmed in secret from 2012-2013. Oddly enough the film has been scheduled for release this year and has yet to see the light of the movie theater or even the home viewing market, but just recently the release date of October 7th, 2016 was announced. This fifth film is also supposed to be the end of the series and is also the only film not to be directed by Don Coscarelli as David Hartman steps into the director’s chair. I am hoping that the Neon Movies in Dayton will get this film to screen when released, but I won’t hold my breath. I am very much looking forward to this film as the world needs another nightmare of celluloid featuring The Tall Man. So you friends and readers, are you looking forward to this fifth and final Phantasm film?

I am sure some of your readers would like to know who is Tall Man and what is he about. In the 19^th century a mortician named Jebediah Morningside had become obsessed with finding out the connections between the worlds of the dead and the living. He researched and built a machine that would allow him to travel through time and space via a portal that when stepping into it, lead him to an unknown destination and when returning he was no longer Jenediah; he was different…he was now The Tall Man. With these changes he became immortal, super strong, can shape shift, is telekinetic and able to control not only people but also objects with his mind. When having a body part cut off, the severed limb not only grows back but the amputated limb can transform into insect-like creatures. His helpers are many as he not only has humans to help in his goal to make the world a graveyard, but also small dwarves, gas mask wearing guards and spheres to name a few. His only known major weakness is cold as it’s believed that the dimension he came from is very hot and this makes is body not able to deal with freezing temperatures. Another fact is that with the change his blood is no longer red but yellow, and while he can be hurt, he has never been killed as shown for 4 films thus far (could his death be in the fifth film?). What makes The Tall Man a fascinating character is the fact that his motives are unknown for the most part besides he wants the land of the living to be the land of the dead. While he can talk, he is a bad guy of few words and mostly uses his face and eyebrow movement to show his feelings. The Tall Man is said to be 6 feet 4 inches tall, have grey hair and is always wearing a black suit. Actor Angus Scrimm has played The Tall Man for five films and his portrayal will forever lock The Tall Man as a true iconic character in the world of horror films. And one has to wonder if the Creepypasta Slenderman is slightly based on The Tall Man…think about it.

Let’s talks a little about actor Angus Scrimm, shall we? Born on August 19, 1926 in Kansas City, Kansas, Scrimm started his media journey when he wrote and edited for such magazines as TV Guide and Los Angeles Herald Examiner and would also write the liner notes for LPs and CDs for bands like The Beatles and Frank Sinatra and even won a Grammy for his work on liner notes. Hits first acting role was in 1973 in the film “Sweet Kill” with another role that year being in “Sceam Bloody Murder” and after another small role in 1976 for a film called “Jim The World’s Greatest.” His career changing role would come three years later in 1979 when he landed the role of The Tall Man in the film Phantasm. This launched his career in acting in horror and cult films, landing roles in “Wiches’ Brew”, “Subspecies”, “Wishmaster” and “John Dies At The End,” to name a few. Angus would travel around the world acting and appearing at conventions and was always a man who made time for his fans. But sadly on January 9^th 2016 at the age of 89, Angus Scrimm passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and friends. This marked another major blow for fans of horror as the year before we lost Wes Craven and Christopher Lee. While gone, his work will live one, and I just wanted to take a moment and honor the man who truly made The Tall Man come alive and scare all those who witnessed his cinema and home video madness. This update is for you, Mr. Scrimm.

The Tall Man has lots of creepy helpers that are trying to usher in a world of death. Let’s take a few moments to take a look at them. The most popular of his helpers are the Spheres, also known as Sentinels. They are flying weapons of death that are packing drills, knives, lasers and saws inside of them and are pure killing machines. The Dwarves, also called Lurkers, are pint size terrors who are crushed down dead bodies that have their brains removed and act as his main forces in his quest. The Hearse is another of his allies, a roaming self controlled four wheeled death machine, and lastly we have the Gravers, who are gas mask wearing slaves who act as guards. All these minions help make The Tall Man a true menace that the world fears and has to combat in order to save their towns from becoming wastelands of death.

Phantasm has had its share of merchandise and only VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray and other home media releases. Over the years Phantasm and its character The Tall Man have appeared on t-shirts, posters, a comic book, action figures, posters, books, wall clock, hats and many more official and unoffical products. Over the years my most favorite Phantasm item I own is my NECA action figure that not only showcases The Tall Man but also a Lurker. I also really like my Xmachina Comic as well as an item I will be talking about very shortly. So if you’re a fan of Phantasm and are also a collector of cool things, you can find some very kick butt stuff that showcases characters and the logos for this cult classic horror film.

In 2009, a Phantasm homebrew video game was made for the Atari 2600 by Scott Dayton. During its limited release, it was placed on a cart, and I was lucky enough to get a copy of it to play. It’s an adventure game and has you looking around doors in the mausoleum trying to find your shotgun and fighting off the dwarves and dodging The Tall Man who says/screams “Boy” at you. The best part of the game is the midi version of the film’s theme…amazing! While not ground breaking, the game is very much a fun play and makes you flashback to the days when a joystick and one button were all you needed to play a game. While out of print and pretty hard to find, from time to time it will show up on Ebay, and for a high price, you too can get yourself a copy of the horror video game.

The score music for the 1979 classic Phantasm was done by Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave and could be some of the most memorable horror film music to come out of the 70’s next to Goblin’s Dawn Of The Dead work. The opening theme has a creepy organ sound that blends the sound of the 70’s and yet also mixes in the eerie feel of the 60’s horror score music. The soundtrack has been released on vinyl and CD, and both are pretty much out of print and fetch a very high price in the used market. I was lucky to find a special edition CD release for Phantasm that puts the scores for the first and second film on one CD-R and play the main title during the Halloween show of Alpha Rythms on WYSO. If you’re a music score fan and have extra cash, you should check out this soundtrack as it’s worth buying and listening to.

Back in 2011 as part of the podcast Gutter Trash’s Halloween special, I was asked to be a guest to review Phantams alongside hosts Jason Young and Eric Shonborn, and wow was it a fun time! We ate take out Chinese food and watched the film over at Eric’s house and after the film recorded the podcast in the Gutter Trash studio….and I was the only one trying to defend it! It was a great time, and if you want to take a trip to the past and listen to some movie and comic geeks chat about Phantasm and other topics, make sure to give it a listen here.

So we are now in the heart of this Horror Comic Mortuary where good scary comics go to die, and it’s my job to bring them back to life and share them with you my readers – I should warn you that I have had to dodge so many Lurkers who have tried to stop me! I want to thank an Ebay seller for having this issue in stock. I also want to also tell you that this Phantasm comic series was planned to be a four issue mini series, but after Xmachina closed up the comic shop, only one issue was released. But I would like to make a prediction that may could come true; Eibon Press, the new amazing Horror Comic Company who is releasing the missing issues from the Xmachina Gates Of Hell comic series, could take the chance and release the remaining issues..again, just a guess that I could be WAY OFF on. As I am writing this, I can hear a Lurker mumbling this, “Remind them that you grade on a star scale of 1 to 4 and are looking for how well the comic stays to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story.” And that Lurker said it best..let’s move onto the Phantasm comic that is the perfect way to countdown to Halloween with as well as kick off my new themed updates “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” so dodge the spheres and try to outrun The Tall Man and see what this comic has to offer as this is my first time reading it.

Phantasm # 1 ***
Released in 2002 Cover Price $4.95 Xmachina Comics # 1 of 4

Mike is stuck in a world of his memories of his past run-ins with The Tall Man and his strange world and followers. He remembers back to when he was convinced it was all a dream and that his brother Jody died in a car crash and was not taken away by The Tall Man. He also remembers when The Tall Man took him into his world and he witnessed the bizarre and weird place in between dimensions that he walked between. He remembers going along with his best friend Reggie and meeting a female survivor named Rocky and how they had to fight to stay alive, and he remembers how The Tall Man removes his brain to show him not all is what it seems…and then he wakes up attached to machines, greeted by a hippie looking doctor named John Andrew Quezada who is dream specialist. The year is 2047, and he has been studding Mike who he claims has been in a coma since 1979, a year after his brother Jody and friend Reggie were both killed in a car wreck. He also claims that the world went crazy some years back and that many people went into dream comas and that The Tall Man is something that lives in dreams and only one other person has ever lived this long in a coma. Mike is still young as a serum was used to keep him youthful, and now Quezada wants him to help find a cure for the dream coma that is sweeping the world. The woman who survived is Rocky, and Dr. Quezada puts them both through dream tests that pits them against The Tall Man and his army of minions, but also what ever weapon they dream up to fight him with can be made as the clinic has a weapon manufacturing room! In one of his dream tests Mike has his own mind taking the appearance of Reggie telling him that this is all a trick of The Tall Man to get him and Rocky out of the way so he can spread death around the world and that they must fight back and end The Tall Man’s path of destruction. When he awakens, he questions Quezada who in turns answers questions but soon turns into The Tall Man and along with spheres and his minions attack Mike and Rocky, only for them to run away and smack dab into a twisted grotesque version of The Tall Man…and our story ends.

Just like the movie series this is based on this comic took so many twist and turns and was so odd that it fit perfectly into the world of Phantasm! The plot mixes the elements from the four films and tries to twist Mike’s memories into nightmares and say that he has been in a coma for decades – and that The Tall Man is nothing more than a nightmare man who has infected the sleep world of many people on earth causing ones who dream of him to go into comas…this of course is all a trap as Mike and Rocky, a returning character from the film Phantasm III, soon find out that this clinic to help them is just another sick game being played by their most hated enemy The Tall Man. The things that work the most about this issue are that while you are reading it and being drawn deeper and deeper into the possibility that these nightmares of Mike are what’s causing these major and evil problems, you know in the back of your mind that it has to be the work of The Tall Man as his sinister mind games are on par with the Marvel Comic villain The Red Skull as they both get joy in watching their targets squirm as their twisted plans unfold. Mike is a great character as by the point we join him in this comic issue, he has already been through so much and he seems to be fed up with all the strange and sinister antics he has had to deal with in his young life. Plus he knows that he is the key that can stop this approaching end of the world, and he is ready to take up the fight! Rocky is also a fighter, and she tries her best to have no fear even when the odds are stacked against her. The best way to describe her to modern horror comic fans is that she is much like Michonne from The Walking Dead. While we see Reggie and Jody in flashbacks mostly, they are missed in the story, but I have a feeling that later on they would have played a major part in the story. Doctor John Andrew Quezada is one of those characters that from the moment you see him you’re not sure if he can be trusted and after getting to know him a little better you lighten up only to again quickly question his motives…is he good or bad or a pawn of The Tall Man…I can’t say for sure, but by the end of this issue, he sure does seem evil! The Tall Man always seems to be around in this issue whether its in flashback, on TV screens or in person, and he just wants to screw things up and mess with the minds of those who can stop his rampage. Tall Man is always also surrounded by his minions and his spheres making him a major threat. The cover has a dark mood look and for some reason The Tall Man looks like he is part Terminator with his glowing red eye. The interior art is done by Michael Broom and is creepy and fitting for this style of story based on these characters. The story is well crafted and put together by Stephen Romano, who you could truly tell was a fan of the series. I wish that Xmachina Comics stayed around longer so that this series could have been finished up and we horror comic readers could have seen how the story played out. Here is to hoping that sometime in the future companies like Eibon Press or Rough House Publishing will pick up the series and put out the remaining three issues in the planned miniseries. Over all, this is a great read and something that fans of the film series should track down as well as horror comic readers. Below is artwork from the comic that shows the badass nature of what this comic has in store, so enjoy!

So I hope you’re not too scared as we have just started with our countdown to Halloween 2016, and I think taking a look at Jaws 2 and Phantasm was the right way to kick off this season. Phantasm is one of those cult classic films that has a loyal fanbase that just cannot be beat, and I for one will always stand by the fact that I am a fan, or as they say Phan, of this film! Our next update is a comic based on another film that I am a super fan of, the 1932 classic film Dracula. We will be taking a look at the Dark Horse Comic adaptation of that Universal Monster Classic as well as Lugosi’s Dracula and the impact it has had on society. So make sure to join me back here for that as you will not want to miss it. Until next time, avoid The Tall Man, watch a horror movie or two, read a horror comic or three and as always support your local Horror Host. Also watch out for flying spheres as they can be a real pain in the neck!