The Strain, first Manhattan…
Posted by Ms Harker | Filed under Horror Genres, Horror Reading
“They have always been here… Vampires.
In secret. In darkness.
Waiting. Now their time has come.
In one week Manhattan will be gone.
In one month, the country.
In two months, the world.”
Guillermo Del Toro has teamed up with Chuck Hogan to pen a trilogy of vampire novels, the first of which releases in June entitled ‘The Strain”. Interestingly The Strain Trilogy has its own website, set up to entice readers with blog entries from characters in the novel, tidbit lead in’s to the first book and features reviews from critics but also from the general public. The site is well designed and portrays an urban setting, of which our tale of horror takes place.
Having been eagerly awaiting this book (in desperado fashion pre-ordering it a couple of months ago), I was excited when Dread Central posted a clip (see below) with Del Toro a couple of week ago, discussing his take on the vampire mythology and what fear in horror should invoke.
The first novel is a vampire vs humanity plot, commencing with an investigation of a plane which has landed at JFK airport, in which things have gone pear shaped on board. Enter our protagonist disease control investigator Ephraim Goodweather, who finds that all but four of the passengers on board are dead. All of the deceased have been drained of their blood. The survivors are released into the general population and strangely the corpses of those killed in the tragedy go missing. Similar victims then begin to appear.
Reviews so far a very positive, stating that the novel manages to maintain suspense and horror throughout, giving gritty description of the terror which unfolds. Some critics already tipping this could be the next big horror franchise, dare I smell the blood like metallic scent of a quality vampire film trilogy? With Del Toro at the helm, I can feel my incisors tingling already!
Ms Harker
The Strain-Website
Tags: Horror, Horror Novels, Vampire
Why I love Steve Niles…
Posted by Ms Harker | Filed under Graphic Novels, Horror Films, Horror Genres
After Ben Templesmith, my second graphic novel love is Steve Niles. He is the creator of the 30 Days of Night graphic novel series, that most of you would know was then developed into a film. He also did a gritty graphic novel interpretation of the horror stalwart ‘The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ by Robert Louis Stevenson entitled ‘Hyde’. His latest film in development according to Dread Central is called ‘Wake the Dead’. It is a modern take on the classic horror novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
However, due to Guillermo Del Toro’s Hobbits taking priority by the creature workshop they both use, the release date for ‘Waking the Dead’ has been delayed to 2012 (dirty little hobbits).
Boo, I say, boooooo.
However there is a ‘Brain Teaser’ trailer that Niles developed last year for ‘Waking the Dead’, which demonstrates my love for his work and perception of the horror genre.
Ms Harker
Tags: Horror, Horror Comics, Horror Flms
Ben Templesmith: werewolves, sodomites and leprechauns.
Posted by Ms Harker | Filed under Graphic Novels, Horror Genres
I have been on somewhat of a Templesmith comic book binge of late. This has been driven by a love of his artwork and a bizarre patriotic drive to support a fellow Aussie. I think he is producing some of the best ‘horror’ material currently in the comic world. Now I don’t want to get all artsy fartsy on you but his use of colour and creation of mood are what I feel make him stand out from the crowd. Most people would be familiar with his artwork in the 30 Days of Night original graphic novel written by Steve Niles (another legend), I have also previously written about his writing (which often has a rank black twisted sense of humour *sigh*) and illustration of ‘30 Days of Night: Red Snow’.
More recently I have been making my way through the ‘Wormwood:Gentleman Corpse’ series which continues Templesmith’s tradition of black humour and horrific looking characters that you learn to love, see below for the Queen of the Leprachuans, one of my personal favourites!
I cannot gush enough about his latest graphic novel ‘Welcome To Hoxford’ set in a prison for the criminally insane where the inmates are societies most twisted sodomites and cannibals and the staff are even more NQR. Again Templesmith creates a dark and twisted environment which contrasts with the brutality of the inmates crimes and eventual demise (also a werewolf cop’s it in the arse, if anyone has seen that in another comic I’d like to hear it!).
However having just read his blog entry on MTV’s Splash Page I was both pleased and interested to hear his comments on what horror comics are/are not.
Templesmith discusses good horror being about mood and situation, also what you don’t see. Which for me is what makes good horror whether it be in comic or movie form. However he also discusses what he deems horror not to be in the latest slew of reinvented classic’s to hit the shelves:
“I can tell you what isn’t horror: Most comics. Most comics these days seem to take classic “monsters” and reset them in power fantasy, detective, romance or just plain all-out brawl stories. They try to be edgy like that, and most miss the point. Most are drawn in the same or very similar style to superhero comics. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying comics that take what are termed “classical horror” and give them a bit of a new spin are crap, I’m just saying they’re not exactly horror. They’re trading on horror but are actually producing something else.”
Interestingly he doesn’t feel that the ‘Wormwood’ series is within the horror genre, naming it as ‘dark, black humor… with horror trimmings’. Splitting hairs? Maybe, I think it has elements of horror with a sci-fi twist (*gasp*, dare I mention sci-fi in horror blog!).
Whether you are into comics/graphic novels or not, if you are into horror, Templesmith in my opinion is the best out there at the moment and you would be well served to pick up some of his material.
Ms Harker
P.S Keep and eye put for his upcoming new graphic novel Bram Stoker Dracula! Oh and thanks to Ben Templesmith’s flickr site for the pictures.
Tags: Horror, Horror Comics
