EC Comics Double Feature: A Snapshot of Death / The American Friend

In A Snapshot of Death (Crime SuspenStories #1), Jean Darrow visits a seedy bar to summon a hit.  The twist?  The contract's target isn’t some crazy ex-lover – Instead, she placed the target on herself.   Although this is an unusual request, we discover Jean is ill and only has a few months to live.  Instead of living in pain and agony, she’d rather end her life quickly and unknowingly.  Within a single panel, artist Graham Ingels summarizes Jean’s fears and eventual decision of suicide. 

When Jean returns home, her husband greets her with “wonderful news.”  Apparently with a simple operation, she’ll be cured of her ailment.  However, Jean already sealed her fate the minute she left the bar.  Jean tries canceling the hit, but cannot contact the hitman.  Luckily for Jean, the readers were already thrown their obligatory story twist.  EC Comics ends this tale on a “happy” note:  Jean’s contract was canceled since her hitman was runover by a truck after leaving their meeting.

An obvious double feature would be SIN CITY.  At the beginning of the film, Josh Hartnett is a hitman that kills dames who pay for their own assassination.   However, a more interesting pairing is with Wim Wender’s THE AMERICAN FRIEND .  In this story, Zimmermann (Bruno Ganz) has been diagnosed with only a few months to live.  Unlike the EC tale, Zimmerman doesn’t contract himself as the target.  Instead, he signs up to become the hitman.  

But why would Zimmerman partake in this mortal sin?  He’s a respected gentleman, an honorable husband, and a loving father.  Well this time, the diagnosis wasn’t a mistake.  Instead, he was manipulated by the Talented Mr. Ripley (Dennis Hopper).   

This whole charade was set into motion because Zimmermann offended Ripley.  As an audience, we sympathize for Zimmermann because he’s been deceived.  So why not partake in this crime?  He’s got nothing to lose and he’ll provide his family financial security before leaving this mortal plane.  The cinematography reinforces our emotions during the first assassination sequence.  The camera maneuvers through a labyrinth of escalators and a confined subway station.  It also captures Zimmerman’s mental state by illuminating the set with sickly green lighting. 

As we’ve seen in PURPLE NOON, Ripley is often depicted as a suave conman.  However, Dennis Hopper plays him differently.  By participating in the art world, he tries to achieve the status of an aristocrat.  However, at the end of the day, he’s nothing but a lowlife criminal participating in the black market of counterfeit paintings.  He’s insecure, scruffy, and wears a cowboy hat.  If anything, his weird quirks are a step towards his frightening Frank character in BLUE VELVET.  Yet uncharacteristically, Ripley is charmed by Zimmermann and feels sorry for being the impetus of his doomed path.  Although he never tries to reverse Zimmerann’s destiny, Ripley befriends him and becomes a hitman himself.

Tarantino Comics - Issue 52

Some of our favorite cult films are the most controversial.  Movies such as A CLOCKWORK ORANGE or THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT remain contentious for their ultraviolence.  THE EXORCIST and FREAKS continue to disgust audiences with their unnerving imagery.  But what about war films?  Sure - We love the good guys and hate the bad guys, but the tactics and methods remain divisive.  So keeping up with this hullabaloo, TARANTINO COMICS #52 may be the most notorious yet.  

Illustrated by Aaron Hazouri, this cover features Adolph Hitler:  The most hated man in history.  However, Aaron isn’t drawing the evil monster in praise.  Rather he’s making homage to one of cinema’s greatest caricatures – INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS.  “The Fury of Der Fuhrer” showcases the dictator’s response after being briefed of Aldo Raine’s latest rag-tag exploits.   

Aaron’s cartoonish style pairs well with this cinematic sequence.  His illustration shows animated movement and over-the-top expression.  Exuding from the page, we feel Adolph’s anger as he pounds and shouts “Nein, Nein, Nein!”  In many ways, Aaron’s art exemplifies the greatness that came from MAD MAGAZINE. 

I commend Aaron since he had the guts to draw Hitler at a comic book convention (MegaCon 2015).  However, he’s in good company -  If you look at the comics from the 1940’s, you’ll see images of Batman and Robin thrashing the Nazi leader on the front cover.  Although Aaron doesn’t draw a tyrant beatdown, he preserves the American spirit with brilliant mockery and parody.

EC Comics: Death’s Double Cross – Twins of Paranoia

Death’s Double Cross was the second tale published in Crime SuspenStories #1.  Although this isn’t Wally Wood’s finest work, he and Al Feldstein achieved a tantalizing story filled with paranoia and murder.  Told from Ruth’s point of view, we learn she’s no longer happy with her marriage.  Even though her husband John provides financial security, she’d rather be with the love of her life – John’s adventurous identical twin brother Ronnie.  Since Ronnie and Ruth have mutual feelings for each other, they agree to kill John so they can finally be together and attain his wealth.

Weeks after John’s “mysterious” drowning, Ronnie marries Ruth and their relationship is filled with hot dates and joyful bliss.   But as time goes by, Ronnie drifts away from being his fun-loving self.  However, it’s not the lack of affection that keeps Ruth awake each night - Instead, it’s the occasional and “accidental” bank vault falling from the sky! Has Ronnie grown to be just as boring as John?  Or did the wrong twin drown?


So it’s fairly obvious this story can be paired with a movie showcasing twins.  However, let’s up the ante and not feature just twins, but Siamese twins!  In Brian DePalma’s SISTERS (1972), Grace (Jennifer Salt) is a smalltime reporter who witnesses a murder from the apartment across the street.  Grace sends authorities to the crimescene, but the door isn’t welcomed by a crazy woman – Instead they’re greeted by the delightful actress Danielle (Margo Kidder).  The police search the apartment but find no evidence of a dead body.  Since Grace's reporter instincts cannot drop the case, she ultimately discovers Danielle’s dirty little secret:  Danielle was surgically detached from her Siamese twin sister Dominique.  Even though Dominique died at the operating table, is she somehow still causing trouble for the lovely Danielle?

DePalma really cuts his teeth with SISTERS.  He films an extended split screen sequence that could be one of  his greatest:  In one panel we see Grace leading authorities to the crime scene.  In the other, we see Danielle trying to hide any evidence of a dead body.  This simultaneous action brings so much suspense, we’re not sure if we should be rooting for Grace or Danielle.  

Along with the visual tension, DePalma brings a sense of paranoia.  Since Danielle is no longer affixed to Dominique, her equilibrium has been lost.  Danielle compensates for this deficiency in a Jekyll and Hyde manner.  Especially in times of intimacy, the innocent Danielle is easily switched into the jealous and murderous Dominique.  Even though Danielle constantly fears transformation, these violent outbursts are necessary in order to maintain inner balance.  In the EC Comics tale, paranoia is still prevalent, but it manifests from a different perspective.  It’s not the twins who live with distrust, but Ruth, the Femme Fatale who helped scheme the murder of John.  However, it’s not her conscience that keeps Ruth living in dread.  Instead she’s terrified of being murdered herself since she’s uncertain if the wrong twin emerged from the bottom of the lake.

Tarantino Comics - Issue 51

There’s no doubt about it - DEATH PROOF is an exploitation film.  So how would you classify it?  Is it a Horror film?  An Action flick?  Or an All-American Carsploitation?  Thankfully Brian Kong captures all these genres in TARANTINO COMICS #51.

I personally like to breakdown DEATH PROOF into two different parts.  The first half is a horror flick.  Stuntman Mike (played by Kurt Russel) is the charming serial killer who stalks and kills beautiful groups of women.  Unlike most murderous bad guys, he doesn’t wreak havoc using a pickaxe or a glistening ligature.  Instead, Stuntman Mike gets his jollies by colliding his death proof car into unsuspecting victims at breakneck speeds.


After Stuntman Mike recovers from his first set of on-screen murders, DEATH PROOF transforms into a high-octane adrenaline rush.  Brian Kong captures this changeover by drawing the fiendish Stuntman Mike in the background of this cover.  Even though his monochrome presence is found lurking over his new prey (who I like to call the Zoe Bell posse), Mike is in for a big surprise when the film shifts into a roadsploitation action movie.  Brian hints at this transformation by illustrating the spunky Abernathy Ross (Rosario Dawson) in the foreground.  Flourished with a pop of pink, Abby’s presence ensures this issue of TARANTINO COMICS isn’t grim – Instead it’s a wild and dangerous ride fueled with fun in the process.

EC Comics: Murder May Boomerang – Parental Revenge

Comic books are not merely tales of super-heroics.  In fact, several publishers feature comics without mentioning an inkling of a masked vigilante.  This may seem like a new phenomenon, but stories like these go back to the 1950’s when EC Comics was producing books.  Although their inventiveness led to their demise, EC Comics shouldn’t be remembered as the publisher brought to their knees by children psychiatry.  Instead, I hope EC Comics can be remembered as the original masters of genre: Crime, Suspense, Fantasy, War, and Terror.   

Good luck finding EC Comics in the back issue bins – You’d be fortunate enough to find a pricey issue hung high on the wall of a reputable comic shop.  Luckily for our sakes, these stories are available through archives from Dark Horse, Gemstone, and Fantagraphics.  As I’ve been reading through these beautiful reproductions, I’ve struggled finding ways to reflect on their body of work.  Thankfully the Pure Cinema Podcast inspired me with their Double Feature format: Thematically pair (1) EC Comics tale with (1) Cinematic Picture.

To kick things off, we’re starting with the first tale published in Crime SuspenStories #1.  Scripted by Al Feldstein and masterfully illustrated by Johnny Craig, MURDER MAY BOOMERANG is a revenge story as cold as any.  This tale is about a son convincing his elderly father to retire after a life filled with nothing but hard work. Hoping to kick-start his dad’s stress relief, the two men go on a hunting trip in the woods. After a supply run, the son returns to the cabin finding his father beaten by an escaped convict. Hoping to capture the escapee, the two men scour the roads for the criminal last seen in hunting regalia.  Spotting the suspected man, the father comes out of his delirious trance and shouts “He’s the one!  He’s the one!”  Blind with rage, the son hits the man with his car leaving him for dead in his tracks.  Ending this tale with the classic EC twist, the father once again shouts “He’s the one!  He’s the one!”  as they drive pass another man in hunting attire in a nearby town.  

Revenge exploitation is a common staple for the cinema – However the act of vengeance is usually inspired by wrongs committed to a spouse or child.  Just like this EC tale, BLUE RUIN differs by featuring a man who retaliates for his parents.  A homeless man named Dwight (played by Macon Blair) learns his parent’s killer is being released from jail.  Leaving his sedentary life, he brutally murders the convict with a knife.  Unfortunately, some evidence is left behind leading the killer’s family back to Dwight.  To keep his own sister and nieces safe, Dwight must take down the entire criminal family before they claim their own revenge.

The acts of vengeance performed in MURDER MAY BOOMERANG and BLUE RUIN are quick but filled with mistakes.  The revenge sequences are performed in silence - One man is quickly run down by two tons of steel while the other is quietly hushed with a shiv to the head.  In the EC tale, an innocent man is pointed out by his shell-shocked father.  In BLUE RUIN, the convict didn’t murder Dwight’s parents – instead the convict was only covering for his father who actually performed the homicide.  

Regardless of why revenge takes place, it never ends well for any party involved.

Tarantino Comics - Issue 50

Comic books love to celebrate milestones.  Whether it’s the 1st issue or the 1000th, artists strive to render a cover that will be recognized for the ages.  For instance, the 50th issue of The AMAZING SPIDER-MAN is easily identified by any comic book fan.  With a simple layout, fans effortlessly visualize the words “Spider-Man No More!”  underneath the defeated Peter Parker walking away from his costumed life.

In the case of TARANTINO COMICS, our 50th cover is just as iconic.  Drawn by Amanda Rachels in 2014, this cover image highlights everything important in DEATH PROOF:  Powerful Women and Fast Cars.

In most slasher films, the targets tend to be dimwitted hussies and douchey jocks.  In DEATH PROOF, Tarantino mixes things up by making the victims strong women we can root for.  Yes, these “cool” girls get murdered by Stuntman Mike.  However, we spent time listening to their conversations, sharing shots of Chartreuse, and dancing to tunes by the juke box.  Therefore we feel an attachment with these characters and become impacted by their demise halfway through the film.

TARANTINO COMICS #50 celebrates the last “hang out scene” with Arlene, Shanna, Lanna Frank, and Jungle Julia.  As I look at this image, I reminisce how this female crew rocks out to the percussive beats of “Hold Tight!”   Just like the film, Amanda portraits each foreboding casualty within their own frame.  But as the bright headlights shine across their faces, this posse meets their death just as the murderous 1970 Chevy Nova darts out from the center of the page. 

Amanda’s layouts are masterful and her likenesses are superb.  I’ve always enjoyed her art.  Plus, she’s a huge Tarantino fan and always includes subtle details – For instance, did you see Jungle Julia’s leg hanging outside the passenger window?  Going back and gazing upon other covers drawn by Amanda, I think this might be my favorite.  She continues to make leaps and bounds and I can’t wait for her to illustrate another issue!

Tarantino Comics - Issue 49

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD has reinvigorated my love for the cinema.  So far, I’ve seen it (3) times (once even on 35 mm film).  Each viewing not only reminds me of Tarantino’s love for the movies, but his passion for the film-making process.  It’s a picture that makes me want to create something of my own.   Although I’ll never shoot a movie, at least I can ponder on the flicks I love and discover new ones to dissect.  Hence I feel refreshed and want to start writing again.  

Since I’m an Optical Engineer by day, I have a greater appreciation for cinematography:  Why was this scene backlit this way?  What lens was used for this shot?  How come the camera was framed from this perspective?  As I ask these questions, I realize comic artists must ask the same things.  Between panel layouts, point of views, and depth of focus, these are all tools that coexist in the (2) mediums that I love – Welcome to Tarantino Comics.  

Today’s issue was produced all the way back in 2014 at Megacon in Orlando, FL.  Depicting a memorable scene from DJANGO UNCHAINED, Rando Dixon replicated this terrifying shot in Tarantino Comics #49:

This scene was all about deception.  At first, Calvin Candie was deceived into allowing Django and Schultz to eat at the Big Table.  But after discovering their true intentions (to rescue Django’s lovely bride), Candie reveals he cannot be fooled.  Armed with a hammer, a broken skull, and a helpless Broomhilda, Calvin Candie truly controls the situation.

Dixon exemplifies the tension of the scene with Candie’s chilling expression – Not only is DiCaprio's likeness spot-on, but we know arrogant triumph is hidden behind that charming grin.  

Besides his great illustration, Dixon’s monotoned color palate wonderfully captures the era of this set piece.  Film makers often depict historic times with earthy and muted color tones: yellow, orange, and brown.  Dixon does the same except for the pop of red flowing across Candie’s hand.  As we all know, blood is a common embellishment in Tarantino films and this scene is no exception.  However while filming, Leo actually cut his hand from the shattered skull.  So whether the blood was intentional or not, the viscous liquid makes a great visual for a climatic scene built with tension and fear.