Eldritch Pulp Adventure #1 & 2

Posted: Tuesday, July 2, 2002
By: Darren Schroeder

Creator(s): Eric York
Publishers: Maggot Global Publishing
From: USA
Price: $2:00 (US) + $1 P&P for inside USA, $4 for international orders.

Eric describes this quite delightfully as H.P. Lovecraft mixed with Tim Burton and a mouth full of maggots. and the glee that such a comment implies is more than evident in these first two issues. Each contains two continuing stories plus various pin-ups of the range of gothic/horror/fantasy characters that Eric plays with. The pages look great, with intricate artwork full of creepy, spooky and some slightly sleazy imagery.

The world of Eldritch is populated by strange creatures adorned with bondage gear, tails, pointy teeth, fleshless skulls, school blazers, horns and a host of strange things that manage to funny and spooky at the same time. There are references to various tales of dark and supernatural happenings, with HP Lovecraft tentacle faced characters and Inca priests in attendance at nightclubs. Eric packs a lot into his illustrations but it never gets messy. There's always something going on in the background to rewards careful examination.

In the first story entitled The Sponge we follow the four armed Black Aphid in his search for a mysterious killer. There are lots of wisecracks and super-hero in jokes that might have seemed well worn if it wasn't for the delight that Eric takes in keeping things weird; where else has a hero had to ask his sidekick What did I tell you about eating the bad guys? The second of the continuing stories follows the adventures of a little monster known as Dunwich, whose curiosity and appetite get him into all manner of trouble.

Eric goes crazy with inventive character design and scenery, making it a real treat to read this title, though the occasional piece of sexual content and gross out horror make it a guilty pleasure.

In a Word: Gleeful.



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