14: Giants and Mind-Control. What?
1979/1980? | age 11 or 12? Where the hell did that giant come from? Jack the Giant Killer? The Thief of Bagdad? What’s it doing in this comic?!?
Weird and Weirder!
Above: Sudden bizarre appearance of a giant!
You’d almost suspect that there’s some long-range, pre-plotted master plan here. Like J.J. Abrams’ TV series Lost, some mad unexpected element is thrown at the audience to temporarily regain their interest, and keep them watching! But I’ll bet, like J.J. Abram’s Lost–it’ll lead absolutely nowhere.
Violent and More Violenter
Above: A bone-crunching, brain explodingly horrible death. Does anyone deserve this?
This probably surpasses the gruesomeness of my shredded, Mechanically-Recovered-Rebel soldier, <from the Star Wars adaptation. I think my pal, Niall F–who was also artistic–and I would delight in stuff like this. At 9 or 10 years old. You couldn’t anything close to this in comics in Ireland, unless you read Action or Star Lord, and even then… I suspect this was done around 1979 or ’80. The drawig’s better but it’s also reminiscent of the gruesome stuff I drew of ALIEN–before I’d ever seen the film. ALIEN had upped the ante in terms of gore and violence in the mainstream, and as young ’70s nerd-kids, we couldn’t wait to see it. Or rather, wished we were allowed to.
Mind Control
Above: A confused Chewbacca tries to shake off his mesmerised state
I don’t know where this idea came from, or where the hell I thought it was going story-wise. Except, that there was a very effective 1-part story in Star Wars Weekly comic in which Han, Leia and Luke end up on someone else’s ship, or they come onboard the Falcon, and their minds are messed with. They basically go through a terrifying situation in which they know not whether they’re experiencing reality or some sort of twisted dream/hallucination. I must go through my copies and try to dig it out. It makes me wonder if Alan Moore might have written it, now that I think of it. It was actually a good, scary story, with apparent real peril for the heroes. Much better than the usual fare. And Moore wrote at least one other story involving Vader and a game of chess. and the artwork in that was very unusual, in that it looked like it was done in pencil.
We would be honored if you would join us… and leave a comment below. I love to read them.
I like that Chewbacca.
Said you—and Maz Kanata.
Some great art on this page. Your distraught Han looks quite Kirbyesque. I’m wracking my brain trying to place that Star Wars comic where they all get their minds messed with, it sounds vaguely familiar, but I haven’t actually read any of those comics for years.
He DOES look Kirbyesque, Dan! Maybe I was influenced by one of his comics.
I might have a search for that SW comic in question when i get a chance. I’m sure I have it.