A Review of Lunchbox Press' Graveyard Slaughter.
Hello again, everyone. Your resident comic book geek here to bring you yet another review of a release that we at Horror Bound believe is fit for our lovely loyal readers to check out. I don’t remember how I originally came across the crowd funding campaign for this tiny little title started by the even tinier publisher, Lunch Box Press. This is partly because we are now a full year removed from the initial launch of the campaign, coupled with a few minor delays in its eventual release, which was made ever worse by the simple procrastination of yours truly. It’s all good, I’ll hop to it.
Graveyard Slaughter was pitched as an homage to small independent video rental stores of the 1980’s, but more specifically, the horror section of said stores and all the crazy VHS cover-art on each cardboard box. Enter Video Hell, the fictional store that is central to four stories that comprise this anthology comic book. This offering features art by four different artists and stories told by writers Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun for Oni Press, Uncanny X-Men, Deadpool) and Kevin Watkins (A Passage in Black, and Listen to the Thunder, Lunch Box Press’ 2017 release about werewolves that visit a small town with the hope of killing all of the inhabitants). And although I can’t remember how I initially came across this crowd funding campaign, I can say with utmost certainty that the reason I decided to put in a pledge was because of the contribution of artist Javier Saltares. Ghost Rider fan boy that I am, I will never pass up an opportunity to support such an underappreciated talent as Mr. Saltares. And yes, I even own a copy of his 1994 artist owned series, B.E.A.S.T.I.E.S. For more on my love of Ghost Rider, as well as its roll in the history of horror comics in general, check out an early piece I did on the site here.
How good was the comic, right? Isn’t that why you’re here? We’ll find out for sure as I break down each tale below. The comic book opens with a brief two-sheet introduction to what may be interpreted as the “wraparound” story to this anthology. In each artist’s entry we’re introduced to the daily ebb and flow of the Video Hell video store through the eyes of various employees and their daily interactions with one really creepy customer. They are not so much individual parts to one connected story, but more of a segue between the larger artist showcased stories presented in a fashion similar to what we would see in a typical anthology film of the time, like the animated comic book sequences of the original Creepshow film. By the end of the book, we realize this creepy little girl customer just really loves her horror films, and possibly freaking out the employees as well. Now to the stories. First up is none other than the Javier Saltares’ penciled contribution.
Barbaric Days
I really dug this tale, and not just because of the artist, but because it opens in a video arcade, aptly named ‘Quarters’. I chuckled to myself because that is such an ‘80s arcade name and if you grew up in the era, you may find it amusing too. The story opens up on video game prodigy Glenn, garnering another high score on yet another game. A googley–eyed observer makes mention of Glenn’s name atop the leader-boards of every game in the arcade. In the shadows, a burly figure studies Glenn from afar. After the arcade closes, we are introduced to the stranger in the form of game designer Alexander Tigh who lures Glenn to his development warehouse with the promise of being the first to play a cutting edge new game before anyone else. The game is, you guessed it, Barbaric Days.
A quick aside here: there are tons of decade appropriate pop culture nods throughout the entirety of the comic. In one story, drunken revelers at a costume party dance to Oingo Boingo’s Dead Man’s Party, wearing costumes in the guise of such 80’s icons as Freddy Kruger, the skeleton outfits and makeup the Cobra Kai fellas wore in Karate Kid and one party-goer is either dressed up as Stallone’s “Cobra” Cobretti, one of the Double Dragon heroes, or The Terminator. I don’t know, but whoever he’s supposed to be, it’s totally era appropriate. In the wraparound story, the Video Hell employees wax poetic about their favorite scenes from films like Alien and A Nightmare on Elm Street. In this first tale, once Glenn starts playing Barbaric Days, he compares it to “. . .one of those animated laser-disc games,” a nod to both Dragon’s Lair (due to it’s genre), and the emerging video game technology that came about in the ‘80s. But I digress.
Once Glenn starts playing, the video game joystick stabs a blade through his hand, preventing him from escaping while the events of the game play out. With each attack villains make in the game, they lash out in reality at Glenn, who starts to present all-too-realistic flesh wounds over his entire body. But he battles on, his spirit for domination of the game fueling him forth. Finally, battered and bruised, Glenn makes it to the end of the game and begs Alexander to let him free of its bloody grasp. Alexander congratulates him, praising his die-hard dedication to a life of video games. Then he pulls the plug on the game and Glenn disappears in a scream of agony.
I’m gonna be honest here. I was a little confused by the ending. Since Glenn was connected to the machine via the joystick, when the game was unplugged did he in all likelihood also ”die?” Or was he sucked into the machine a la Tron and is now doomed to continue fighting eternally as a warrior within Barbaric Days? I don’t know, but you can go check it out and then hit me up on the tweety to let me know what you thought.
Truth or Dare
This one could come straight out of any ‘80s raunchy comedy or horror film. Well, let’s just say the setup can, until it subsequently goes full blown-horror. The thing that I dug the most out of this story was its intro and conclusion, which were presented, frame after frame, as visuals only, no text. I don’t know why, but personally I’ve always enjoyed this approach to storytelling, especially in the comic book medium. Blacky Shepard’s (G.I. Joe, Vampirella) really smooth pencils here don’t hurt the approach either. But back to the story.
The opening frames reveal a raucous party before settling us into the aftermath, where our group of sloshed teens sit around the living room contemplating how long it will take to clean up the mess. Suddenly, one of the youngsters recommends they play a game of truth or dare instead. It starts out innocently enough: a couple is dared to make out “porn-star style,” and they agree. The shenanigans continue until a dare to enter the bathroom and say “Bloody Mary” three times into the mirror is put on the table. That’s when the proverbial shit gets real, as all in attendance are aware of the popular urban legend. But the fearless Max insists, “a dares a dare,” and proceeds to the bathroom.
Like any good horror film, it initially appears that Max was unsuccessful in the summoning as he emerges from the bathroom unscathed. But Bloody Mary suddenly appears and begins to wreak all kinds of havoc on the party-goers. She swiftly goes from room to room throwing kids into the nearest mirrors, one by one, and they each disappear. In one scene, a nude couple having sex in a bedroom are thrown into a cheesy-mirrored ceiling (I guess that’s why the couple chose that room, huh). Finally Max, the lone survivor, is seen cowering in a corner. He gets up to survey the damage, only to find he’s standing right in front of a hallway mirror and like any good jump scare, Bloody Mary launches forward to retrieve him.
Kill With One Eye Open
This was a fun tale that could not have started off any more ‘80s cliché than it did, with a group of teens sitting by a fire in the woods drinking beers and sharing scary stories. Apparently, there had been meteor showers in town and stereotypical nerdy scaredy-cat character Reggie, spins a theory that they’re not meteors at all. Reggie believes the authorities haven’t been finding any impact sites, as if the meteors were simply. . . landing. Of course, the stereotypical preppy, popular jock-type characters laugh at Reggie’s insinuation and begin to tell a story of who they should really be worried about: local legend and maniac killer, Vincent Mordent. And wouldn’t you know it, he used to roam the very same woods the teens are in at that very moment, lopping off innocent victims’ heads only fifteen years prior. The guys keep the thrills going just long enough for the ladies to start freaking out when all of the sudden a giant, hulking machete-wielding man comes out from the trees almost on cue. The now frantic teens assume it’s the real Vinney Mordent coming to slaughter them all.
Now this guy is pretty cool, kind of a cross between sack mask Jason Vorhees from Friday the 13th Part 2 and Victor Crowley from Hatchet. He is just as brutal too. Right out of the gate he chops the head off an unsuspecting kid with that machete of his. He then throws the same machete dagger style across the forest, and it slices through the chest of his next victim. But the best by far, and probably the coolest tip of the hat to ‘ol Jason himself, is when “Vinney” grabs two victims by their necks, one in each hand, and proceeds to fling them in the air towards each other, brutally smashing their heads together like rotten tomatoes. Good stuff.
When Letterman-wearing survivor Bruce stumbles across Reggie, the brilliant twist is revealed: those meteors were indeed alien craft and the worm-like inhabitants had been slowly taking over the bodies of the townspeople by inserting themselves through their eye sockets. Our machete wielding “Vinny Mordent,” was actually killing those who had already been possessed by the hideous aliens. All is revealed when “Vinney” saves Reggie from a mind controlled Bruce intent on consuming him. “Vinney” removes his sack mask and reveals his single eyed visage to Reggie. Light bulb moment, “Vinney” was a previous victim who had somehow escaped his fate and returned to rid the world of all other alien body snatchers.
Cheating
The final tale in the anthology is kind of a quickie, and it is pretty straightforward. A group of kids come across a new, spooky location to play a game of ‘ghost.’ From what I gather, it is kind of like a reverse version of hide and seek. The location is an old abandoned grave site in the middle of the woods anchored by a huge, twisty old tree. As the kids scope out the new locale, little stickler David continuously reminds them of the rules: you can’t open your eyes until the count of sixty, no exceptions. It must be important because David brings it up numerous times over the course of the story. Once the ghost is chosen (poor Matthew) the count begins. Wanting to get a head start on the fun, two of the players turn on their flashlights and start to move around, all the while David reminding them of the rules, “Don’t open your eyes till the count’s done.” Sure enough and all at once, these creepy little ghouls emerge from the ground and out of the trees to drag the players into the depths of the dirt and the darkness, whispering, “Cheater, cheater, cheater.” David, hearing all the commotion, opens an eye to see what all the fuss is about, but unfortunately for him, he was only on the count of fifty-nine when he peeked.
And so concludes our four tales of terror. There’s a good chunk of extra content included as well, such as a praise filled introduction by Bram Stoker Award winning author, Paul Tremblay. There is also a four page special entitled Things Best Left Buried, which includes some concept art and draft pages, the result of some “Super Rad” stretch goals that were met through the course of the campaign. There are some great mock ads for the Barbaric Days video game and Video Hell video store, too. And I can’t go without mentioning the “box art” for each story. You can almost imagine them on the shelves at your local video store, circa 1985.
Let’s not forget the other perks, both free and upgradeable. For anyone that backed a print version of the single issue, you got a bookmark, a digital download of Survive the Night, the official theme song of Graveyard Slaughter, and all unlocked Super Rad stretch goals, which include an official Video Hell membership card and a Barbaric Days poster with art by Javier Saltares. Not bad, but for a couple extra bucks you could’ve nabbed yourself a tee shirt, a custom sketch cover, a set of four “Creepy Girl” trading cards, a variant cover or even a variant cover with real blood splatter (I’m guessing it was just some kind of red ink or paint).
Graveyard Slaughter was well worth the wait, at least for me. I splurged on the tee shirt bundle so I got all that cool swag I mentioned above. I didn’t think it was possible, but it really delivers on its promise of an experience akin to the horror section of an indie video rental store during the golden age of VHS. The gratuitous violence, stereotypical characters, ‘80s pop culture references, general nostalgia, and oh my, those box art covers (!) all add up to a good ‘ol romp for any horror or comic book fan alike. Although the campaign has long since ended, you can still grab yourself a copy over at the official site graveyardslaughter.com/shop or digitally over at Comixology . Four out of five corpse fingers for the book alone, but five out of five for all the awesome free swag!
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