If there was ever a bit of visual irony in the back issue bins, it's when modern readers stumble across pretty much any issue of Twisted Tales from Pacific Comics. There's an image such as the one above by Rich Corben with the peculiar brand of "PC" in the corner. Whatever you might want to say about these "twisted tales" from the pen of Bruce Jones, one thing you won't say is that they are "Politically Correct" - a term blessedly unknown in the 80's.
Twisted Tales is the pretty much the brainchild of Bruce Jones, the writer of all the stories which are among the best Warren horror stories not written for the pages of Creepy and Eerie. Jones, who has had a long career writing comics specialized in horror and Twisted Tales was part of a little mini-house he operated within the confines of Pacific Comics. Twisted Tales had a sci-fi sister book called Alien Worlds, but it's TT that stands in my memory and it's because of these covers.
With talent like Rich Corben and Berni Wrightson it's no wonder the images still grab after so many decades. These men were the kings of horror art in their generation.
They are joined on cover art duty by John Bolton, at the time an up and coming British artist making his bones on fantasy and such, but displaying a real flair for horror here.
Another artist brought over the pond was John Pound who had that old magic and fit in quite well.
Twisted Tales survived the demise of Pacific Comics and ended up at Eclipse. (Didn't everyone end up at Eclipse at one time or another? It feels like it.)
After ten harrowing issues the run comes to an end, but still thanks to the great printing and the pure punch of the imagery they still hold up. The interior art and stories were fantastic with talents like Alfredo Alcala, Mike Ploog, Rand Holmes, Doug Wildey, Brett Blevins, Butch Guice, Val Mayerik, Bill Wray and others even Jones himself who ain't a half-bad artist in his own right.
Vile stuff ! Really vile. Highly recommended.
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Isn't Bruce Jones responsible for the second run of Ka-zar in the 1980s. With art by Brent Anderson, the first ten or so issues of that series was really special. And yes - I like Jones's art too. He has some pretty good work in various series and graphic novels. I really wish I could get my hands on these issues, and the SF version.
ReplyDeleteJones did indeed write those Ka-zar stories which really showed me the greatness of Brent Anderson for the first time. I've been an absolute fanboy for Anderson since with his important runs on Strikeforce:Morituri and Astro City.
DeleteJones is one of those working talents who gets short shrift is suspect because he's so reliable, not a hint of prima donna about him that I can detect. I seem to remember he wrote some Conan stories too after Roy Thomas left that title.
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