For this week, I read some of the early horror comics such as Tales from the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, Vault of Horror. I am a fan of horror movies, games, and manga so I thought it'd be fun to read the earlier comics that helped shape the horror genre.
First thing I noticed, and I don't know if it's because horror has changed or if they were aiming for cheesy, but the comics are very cheesy. The style of short horror stories are still consistent, and the style of horror having a moral is consistent as well. But overall, the horror is cheesy. For instance, in Haunt of Fear, the story about the couple where the wife goes insane, the man Stu is comically cold hearted.
In more of horror nowadays, horror seems to take itself much more seriously than back then. It uses atmosphere more, such as one of my favorite horror mangaka, Junji Ito, who draws eerie and unsettling horror manga. Movies and shows also rely much more on atmosphere. I'm sure at least part of it is due to advances in entertainment and mastering other concepts.
I think the comics are fun though--they're little entertaining skits that are much a comedic relief compared to the intense horror of today's horror scene. They're a much different flavor, but it's still obvious why they appeal. Similar to Goosebumps. They also have a fun twist that sometimes even surprises me--like the werewolf and vampire couple getting married as zombies, or Emma going insane and attacking Stu. I assumed that the injured man they drove by would come back to haunt Stu instead, because I had read many a horror story that ended like that. Or the Butcher's wife killing the Butcher in a similar vein.
First thing I noticed, and I don't know if it's because horror has changed or if they were aiming for cheesy, but the comics are very cheesy. The style of short horror stories are still consistent, and the style of horror having a moral is consistent as well. But overall, the horror is cheesy. For instance, in Haunt of Fear, the story about the couple where the wife goes insane, the man Stu is comically cold hearted.
In more of horror nowadays, horror seems to take itself much more seriously than back then. It uses atmosphere more, such as one of my favorite horror mangaka, Junji Ito, who draws eerie and unsettling horror manga. Movies and shows also rely much more on atmosphere. I'm sure at least part of it is due to advances in entertainment and mastering other concepts.
I think the comics are fun though--they're little entertaining skits that are much a comedic relief compared to the intense horror of today's horror scene. They're a much different flavor, but it's still obvious why they appeal. Similar to Goosebumps. They also have a fun twist that sometimes even surprises me--like the werewolf and vampire couple getting married as zombies, or Emma going insane and attacking Stu. I assumed that the injured man they drove by would come back to haunt Stu instead, because I had read many a horror story that ended like that. Or the Butcher's wife killing the Butcher in a similar vein.
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