Comic Book Review: The Bitter End and Other Stories illustrated by Reed Crandall and George Roussos
This EC reprint volume covers the latter part of Reed Crandall’s career as an artist of EC comic books, and several genre stories by George Roussos, who didn’t stay with the company long.
The book opens with an introduction by Jon Gothold, which tells us about the reception and reputation of the various stories reprinted here. Since these volumes are arranged by artist, the writers are downplayed, but generally they were also good.
Crandall’s section begins with “Double-Crossed”, written by Carl Wessler. It’s caption-heavy but makes an immediate impact as a man murders a stranger in the very first panel, then follows him as he destroys the corpse thoroughly. Only then does it flash back to why he would do such a thing to someone he just met. It’s obvious from the start that he’s doomed, but when and how will that doom strike?
Towards the end, there’s several stories from EC’s short-lived “New Direction” period. These are reprinted much less often than the classic horror and science fiction tales, so it’s interesting to see them adapting to the Comics Code. The last one is a tale of female reporter Geri Hamilton (no writing credit; perhaps Crandall got to do it himself?) She’s investigating a series of accidents at an Egyptian dig, which the locals are blaming on the curse of Anubis. The lead archaeologist is a former Nazi, and that might be more relevant.
Other standouts include:
“A Kind of Justice” scripted by Carl Wessler. It’s a pitch-dark story about a young woman who’s been raped, the man who is falsely accused of the deed, and the lynch mob that administers “a kind of justice.” This story could never have been printed under the Code, not just because of the subject matter, but because of the final reveal that was specifically banned. It’s a stomach-turning story, and may not be suitable for sensitive readers.
“Dog Food” scripted by Jack Oleck. Stomach-turning for other reasons. The sadistic warden of a prison camp doesn’t lock the gates–because between the inner and outer fences he has a pack of half-starved attack dogs that will savage any prisoner foolish enough to attempt to escape. After his best friend is killed, one of the prisoners decides he needs to escape, but not far, just to the clearly visible house where the warden lives. He just needs enough meat to distract the dogs. But where is he going to find enough meat? Great last panel.
“Swamped” scripted by Jack Oleck. This is one of EC’s most memorable stories, voted tops long before reprints became available. It’s narrated by a shack in the swamp that’s inhabited by a cannibalistic serial killer. Disturbing imagery.
“Close Shave” scripted by Otto Binder. In a depressingly familiar future, Ganymedean people are just like Earth humans, except for their hirsuteness, which gets them called “apes.” For historical reasons, people with Ganymede heritage are treated as second-class citizens at best, and many Terrans think they should be treated like animals. Gee, does this remind you of anything?
Our protagonist is a woman who’s fallen in love with a fellow who stands against the crowd, calling out prejudice whenever he sees it, even when it’s wealthy Ganymedeans abusing Terran service personnel. But when the government announces that it’s found out that some Ganymedeans are “passing” as real humans by shaving their fur, and they’re cracking down on that, he becomes reluctant to keep up his relationship. There’s a neat double twist at the end, which suggests there’s hope for humanity yet.
“The Bitter End” scripted by Al Feldstein. A pompous businessman wants to force his sensitive son into the same mold, pushing against his preferred activities and even forbidding the young man’s relationship with a “common” girl. Finally he resorts to sending his son to an overseas assignment with a branch of the business. It all turns to ashes in the end. This was a Code story, so the twist isn’t horrific, just sad.
John Gothold contributes another introduction to the work of George “Inky” Roussos. While also a fine artist, his style didn’t adapt as well to EC’s standards, and he went on to other jobs.
The first story in this section is “Demons of Death” with no script credit. It’s a straight-up crime story, with two servants planning to kill their wheelchair-bound employer as soon as they can ascertain that he has in fact left his fortune to them. (He’s a thoroughly unpleasant man who’s estranged all his relatives.) The ending is telegraphed a bit when the old man’s doctor states there’s no organic reason his legs don’t work–any sudden shock could get them going again.
“Extermination” scripted by William M. Gaines and Al Feldstein is one of their patented “cruel person is treated the way they’ve treated others” stories. In this case, the central figure is an exterminator who takes an almost sexual pleasure in wiping out vermin. Guess what happens. One of the gross moments is a screaming cockroach, probably inspired by the Madagascar hissing cockroach.
Also standouts are “The Switch” and “Indian Burial Mound”, both scripted by William M. Gaines and Al Feldstein. The first is one of those stories that could have been prevented by no-fault divorce, and revolves around the nearly identical dwellings in the new housing developments. (…”and they’re all made out of ticky-tacky…”) The second has a land developer buy a farm to turn into an airport, but there’s that big bump of earth right in the middle that needs to go. The inhabitants object in the best horror tradition.
There’s mini-bios of the various creators, a more involved one of Mr. Crandall, and a quick history of EC itself.
Since this is a collection by artist, rather than a “best of”, the story quality is a bit uneven. But if you’re a Reed Crandall or George Roussos fan, this is a must have. (People who are just mildly into EC may want to check it out from the library instead.)
