Vicente Alcazar 1978
Page 8 from Secrets of Haunted House Special, Spring 1978
From the story "The Castaways" by Bob Toomey
Copyright ©1978 DC Comics.

Nice page design and rendering makes this page stand out. Alcazar uses strong black spotting to maintain a moody, shadowy world throughout the entire 8-page tale. Almost expressionistic line rendering makes for effective, softening grey-tones,

The story by Toomey is a bit of grim silliness about a hapless couple stranded when their coach breaks down. They end up in the company of a household of very well-dressed, and very dangerous, vampires. Reflecting a side of contemporary 1970's cynicism in the pop arts, the innocent "castaways" become victims to the vampiric "Castaways" of the stories title.

I find that the story ending with the victim "happy" about his demise is both a retread of a familiar clichè from that era's horror films, and a fundamentally dishonest stroke of irony. The only good undead vampire is a dead undead vampire.

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Click either page to view 800 pixel-wide enlargements.