Black Kiss Day!

Howard Chaykin was born on this date in 1950. He did early work at DC and Marvel after a tenure as one of Wally Wood's many apprentices. He made his mark on an adaptation of Fritz Lieber's Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser and The Scorpion for Atlas-Seaboard and Dominic Fortune for Marvel. He elevated his status and comic art with American Flagg for First Comics. His most infamous work is easily what he created for Black Kiss, a brutal film noir tale of horror, murder, betrayal, and sex. 

I didn't know about Howard Chaykin's Black Kiss when it was first published in the late 80's. But I have to admit the bold sexuality of the book did intrigue when I did learn of it sometime in the last dozen years or so. I finally got around to ordering a version of the story, and I have to say it's absolutely compelling. No comic book I've ever encountered had more pure classic noir elements than this one. This is not a comic book for everyone. This is a story in which the creator seems bent on challenging as many of the taboos in classic comic storytelling as possible. But it is a story which delivers both shocks and surprises. There is the original series produced in the late 80's, and a sequel produced in this century as well as a Christmas special and a Halloween story especially made for the omnibus edition which came out only last month. It's worth the money if this stuff is something you'd be interested in. 

Here is a cover gallery which gives a hint as to what is going on in this wild ride of a yarn. And these covers are provocative. 

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