Ghastly and Ghoulish Graphic Novels: Comics and Manga for the Halloween Season
October is here and that means Halloween is right around the corner. Ghost stories, trick or treaters, twelve-foot-tall skeletons in the front lawn, and the inevitable bags of leftover candy corn are soon to be upon us. It is the time of year when it’s fun to be scared. For many that means filling a bowl with popcorn, turning off the lights, and putting on a scary movie. Some people even make it a month-long marathon and do one movie per night, leading up to Halloween. But what if instead of turning off the lights, we keep them on and try something equally scary – reading graphic novels (note: I do not suggest reading in the dark, but I am leaving it up to you)? Let’s take a look at a few of the many graphic novels we have at the Mercer County Library System. Hopefully we can find something that is just the right level of scary for you this Halloween season.
We will begin our search by delving into some menacing and morbid manga.
Statues by Junji Ito
Japanese manga artist Junji Ito is synonymous with horror. Search “horror manga” and the page will mainly consist of images of Ito’s work and people asking for horror manga recommendations other that Junji Ito. Viz Media has been publishing translated collections of his work over the past few years and the most recent, Statues, is a great place to start. Inside you will find ten chilling short stories, perfect to read on your midday break, or, if you’re brave, before heading off to bed.
PTSD Radio Vol. 1 by Masaaki Nakayama
Like Statues, Nakayama’s PTSD Radio is a collection of short horror stories, presenting eerie and often unexplained tales. Frequently compared to Ito, Nakayama’s stories do not feature in-depth plots but do have the haunting imagery and shocking full-page illustrations that horror fans enjoy.
Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. Or at least the title. Shirakawa Marina’s recently
translated 1976 work revolves around a crashed UFO, the parasitic spores onboard, and the humanoid mushroom invasion that follows. Featuring beautiful, classic manga artwork and an alien invasion story that still hits home fifty years later, UFO Mushroom Invasion provides an extra-terrestrial twist to the horror genre.
Hide and Seek by Naono Yoshiko
Another recently translated work from the 70s, Hide and Seek collects twelve tales of trauma, anxiety, jealousy, and guilt. Uniquely juxtaposed with Yoshiko’s cute style and focus on the lives of children, these stories may not be as horrific as those found in Ito and Nakayama’s work, but they are truly intense and oftentimes bleak.
The Stories of H.P. Lovecraft adapted by Gou Tanabe
Although not the first to do so, Gou Tanabe’s adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft’s classic tales of horror are
top notch. The Shadow Out of Time, The Colour Out of Space, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, and At the Mountains of Madness are all beautifully illustrated in Tanabe’s books and nothing is left to the imagination (which is hard to do when it comes to Lovecraft’s otherworldly prose). Luckily for the reader, Lovecraft’s stories are presented unabridged, another difficult task for many comic adaptations of Lovecraft’s writing and any classic work. This provides the perfect combination of reading classics and comics at the same time.
With that we will move westward and sample some of what many of us would consider more traditional graphic novels of Europe and North America. Or maybe we should call them the creepy and cursed comics!
Dark Horse presents Creepy and Eerie
Compiling the early issues of mid-60s horror comic books Creepy and Eerie, these collections are filled with tales of vampires, werewolves, voodoo curses, and haunted houses. Featuring renowned comic artists like Richard Corben, Bernie Wrightson, Wally Wood, and Steve Ditko and with stories that are sometimes comical, sometimes grotesque and horrifying, and sometimes both! A great look at the history of horror comics from a time period of heavy censorship.
Beasts of Burden by Evan Dorkin
Dorkin’s work follows a group of unlikely heroes and paranormal investigators as they protect the seemingly normal and peaceful suburb of Burden Hill from zombies, demonic frogs, black magic and much, much more. Did I mention this crew is made up of a pack of dogs and a cat? An interesting twist on the horror and mystery genre, with splashes of humor tossed in for good measure.
From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
The story of Jack the Ripper has been told many times, in many formats, and is often portrayed as a simple murder mystery. Moore and Campbell’s work moves past the countless regurgitated theories of who Jack the Ripper is and why he did what he did in 1888, proposing a new theory including the occult Freemasons, the Royal Family, and political coverups. From Hell also approaches these murders from a cultural aspect, exploring the celebrity of the serial killer.
30 Days of Night by Steve Niles
We all know that vampires hate sunlight and can only feed at night, right? Simple enough. But what happens when you live in Alaska and the sun doesn’t shine for an entire month? Unfortunately for us humans, vampire feeding mayhem is on the calendar.
Afterlife with Archie by Roverto Aguirre-Sacasa
Everyone enjoys Archie and his pals over in Riverdale. We’re all waiting to see what trouble Archie gets into with his two love interests, Betty and Veronica, or laughing about Jughead eating another absurd hamburger. But what if Jughead was eating human flesh instead? A horrific zombie twist for the usually peaceful residents of Riverdale.
These titles are just a sampling of horrific comics and manga that can be found at the Mercer County Library System. The list could go on and on, but we must stop here – October only has 31 days, and we need to stop reading blog posts and start reading graphic novels if we’re going to get them all in before Halloween! What are some of your favorite creepy comics and gruesome graphic novels to read during the Halloween season?
- Christopher, Ewing Branch
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