Being a big fan of alternative comic books I thought I would highlight the work of Japanese horror writer/artist - Junji Ito.

Junji Ito has written and illustrated some delirious deliciously dark horror tales that include:

Uzumaki (vol 1 - 3) - the inhabitants of a small Japanese coastal town start to become obsessed with all things spiral. Things start out small scale and then quickly spin out of control as the whole town undergoes a horrific transformation. Forget the movie this is the real deal.

Gyo (vol 1 - 2) - rotting fish start to drag themselves out from the sea; these rotting mutant fish have evolved legs. Things go from fishy to really bad as a noxious gas the fish emit begin to infect the population of Japan turning them into bloated gassy creatures.

Tomie ( Museum of terror vol 1 - 3) - short stories about that all feature the same mysterious girl that drives men crazy. Some really great horror tales that depict some of Junji Ito's early work as well as a maturing of his signature style towards the second half of the stories. Some brilliant horror yarns are to be found in this collection of short stories.


The great thing about Junji Ito's books is that he makes turning the page a genuine shock as a twist or character fate is revealed. His black and white art perfectly captures the moments of dread and horror and his freakish delight of twisting and distorting the human form is up there with Cronenberg's best.

Highly recommended - you will not regret reading these books.

I agree totally. Uzumaki was one of the most unsettling things I have ever read. He's very good at slow burn horror, with seemingly innocuous situations evolving with frightening consequences.

The fish one GYO was bit more straight forward (as these things can be) and felt more like an action/horror cross compared with Uzumaki. The scene with the shark on metal legs tearing up a busy high street is quality.

The inventiveness of the Asian market, both films and comics, never ceases to amaze me.

Cheers
ART

My reading of horror/almost horror comics is rather limited. Walking Dead, Crossed, and Dead Irons are about it, I have to admit. I might look into these though.

-Wil

Junji Ito is fantastic, as is Kazuo Umezu (check 'The Drifting Classroom' for tons of delirious, sadistic fun, in which he sees just how much weird nastiness he can subject the population of a japanese primary school to).

In american comics, i recommend Black Hole by Charles Burns (being made into a movie I believe, with David Fincher interested) and anything by Al Columbia, which isn't much, but what he has done packs a real punch.

Arthur - I'm surprised you didn't mention Hellboy!

Hellboy is a given!

Your dead right about Black Hole it's an excellent piece of work. If we mentioning horror comics then I'd have to second Walking Dead as my fave horror comic on the shelves at the moment.

Crossgen did some ok work with Route 666, but never finished it.

2000ad always has some very interesting takes on horror; Stickleback being a recent example.

Gutsville is a delightfully weird read about a town in the belly of a massive beast.

Can you count Preacher? it does have a vampire in it.

And lastly From Hell a comics classic.

If you read a few of those mentioned here, you'll be sampling the cream of the crop!

Cheers
ART[/i]

I, personally, maintain that Preacher is the best comic series I have read. Love it.

Have you read Garth Ennis' latest miniseries (it's on issue 4, I believe) called Crossed? Really twisted stuff, he's gone very over the top with the violence and depravity in it. If I'm not mistaken, he's working with the same artist that drew Chronicles of Wormwood for him previously.

Preacher is utterly amazing. I don't know if I would call it horror, but what do I know? I started out hating the vampire, thinking he was silly and lame, and ended up having him my favorite character in the whole thing. I love him.

Crossed, however, is horrifying, lol. It's irresistible. Can't wait to see how it plays out.

Does anyone recall a comic way back, I guess late 70's early 80's called I, Vampire? No one I talk to ever remembers it and my uncle and I loved it when I was a kid.

Preacher was a great series. I wish Garth Ennis would do another series of that quality.

Crossed is good and very twisted - spunk bullets!!!!!

Black Hole is a great book and gorgeous to look at. Charles Burns section in Fears of the Dark was my favourite section of that anthology film.

The Walking Dead is another favourite as it does everything a 'Romero' series should do. I have noticed since the success of TWD there have been a LOT of zombie comics over the past few years but NONE of them understand what makes films like the Romero series or films like 28 Days later successful. Even Romero got in on the act with Toe Tags and even that was only average. What makes TWD work is its realistic setting and its believable well scripted characters (it is why I love the original DOTD so much) and it is not about comedy EC style zombies or tons of over the top gore but no plot.

In my youth I really enjoyed the Halls of Hammer movie adaption comic strips - I wish they would release these strips in the way that old 2000ad stuff has been rereleased.

Death Note was a great series from Japan but don't expect hard core horror.

I've yet to pick up Chronicles of Wormwood and Crossed, but both are on my list to pick up in trade paperback. I think it's Jason Burrows on art duty.

The simple reason why The Walking Dead works is because it's not about zombies, it's about people. It's like the worlds greatest soap set against impending apocalyptic doom. Fantastic stuff.

If there is one thing TWD has shown me, it's that zombie films are the wrong way to go, the genre is crying out for a multi season, HBO style TV series. I've always hated the fact that 2 hours of a movie never quite captures the struggles etc of the survivors. I want to see how people cope in this environment beyond the initial 'siege' style movie.

Dead Set was kind of like that, but very limited in it's scope due to the 6 episode structure.

Cheers
ART

You are dead on about TWD, sir. I mean, who among us (those who admit it's awesomeness, at least) hasn't wondered what it was like for one of the characters from Romero's first two films after they were over? I mean, how did those who survived fair in the helicopter, what became of them? With TWD we've had several siege style situations, with the things between as well. And it's not gotten stale or boring or anything of the kind.

HBO would be the only place I would trust with something of that nature though, they seem to be really supportive of the creators/writers/directors for the shows that they have. At least here in the states, I know that any of the other TV networks would find some way to thoroughly screw it up by the middle of the first season.

As for Crossed, there seems to be some sort of snag going on. It's been a couple of months since we've had a new issue. I can't tell if it's even very popular as I only know one or two people besides myself who have even read it locally. I'm really hoping it doesn't turn into a situation like Kick Ass where we get to wait three or more months between issues.

Read Warren Ellis' Black Gas? I picked up the trade of it and enjoyed it. After having read things like Preacher right before it, I found my expectations were a little high for it, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

Yeah Kick Ass is another one. I forgot I was even getting that it's been sooooo long!

I liked the look of Black Gas and all those Avatar comic stuff, but they aren't regularly on the shelf at my comics shop and I always forget to ask for them.

You guys Moore fans? Apparently, League of Extraordinary Gentleman 3 is on it's way! Can't wait!

Cheers
ART

Can't say that I am but that's only to do with me not having really read much of his. I collected V for Vendetta back years and years ago, but never messed with any of his other stuff. The noise about Watchmen in recent months has made me curious to read that trade, just to see what the fuss is, but outside of that, I actually couldn't have even told you that it was him that wrote League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

I really enjoyed the trade of Mark Millar's Wanted and haven't watched the film version because it is so clearly and astonishingly NOT the same story. I totally fail to see where it could be any good to sit through at all, and figured that I would spare myself the indignity.

-Wil

Yeah Wanted is very different.

I think one of the big problems with Moore is that most people are starting to see the films first. If I had watched League... I'd never have picked up the comic cos the film is so shite.

Suffice to say, the comics are awesome.

Cheers,
ART

ART - Yes Moore is great.

The books I started with was his Swamp Thing series (outside of his early 2000ad stuff). Swamp Thing was a brilliant horror series with one particular stand out story about a female Werewolf that transforms when her periods begin - actually there were lots of standout stories covering all sorts of familiar subjects and scenarios and turning them all on their heads!
It was also the series that also introduced John Constantine to the world (and he wasn't Keanu Reeves).