George Mendoza* does it again! I first stumbled upon Mr. Mendoza’s works through one of his collaborations, The Good Luck Spider: And Other Bad Luck Stories (1970, Doubleday), which was illustrated by the avuncular Gahan Wilson. Since I also happen to be a Mercer Meyer (last mentioned on this blog by ds in 2018!) fan, I did not tarry nor hesitate when I learned, a few years ago, of a dusty tome entitled The Crack in the Wall & Other Terribly Weird Tales (1968, The Dial Press).
Here’s a look at the book’s first yarn, The Devil’s Pocket, a sort of cautionary folk tale/urban legend.
« It was an old, abandoned Vermont quarry, and the two brothers were forbidden to ever climb down into it or even go near it. » « … their father would look up under his glasses, and in his deepest voice he would say, “It’s the devil’s pocket — don’t ever throw a penny into it!” »« But the more stories the boys heard about the quarry, the more fascinated they became with the devil’s pocket. »Mercer Meyer’s uncanny ability to invest the inanimate with animist animosity is on virtuosic display here.« “I’m not afraid,” said Marty, looking down into the bottom of the quarry. “I’m going to throw a penny into it!” »« But it was too late. Marty was already running down the side of the quarry. » « I’m scared,” Marty whimpered, stuffing the penny into his pocket. “Let’s go home.” »« That night both boys had the same dream. They dreamed that the devil’s pocket was calling them, calling them to give back the penny. »« Perhaps it was only a dream, but when morning came, the two brothers found themselves huddled together in one bed, and the penny was gone! »And here’s the front cover of this delightful tome. It’s not cheap, but not entirely unaffordable, either.
-RG
*kudos to fellow blogger Antmusic for digging up as much as could be reasonably dug up about the elusive Mr. Mendoza.
I don’t necessarily like to contemplate this fact of life, but octopus flesh gets eaten a lot (in some countries more than others). However, comic artists are mostly a classy lot: they tend to like cephalopods, so it’s not too often that one runs across a depiction of them as a foodstuff. An octopus slashed in battle is one thing, but disgraced and transformed into a dish? What kind of person would want to illustrate *that*? Perverts, that’s who!
These bold souls who have drawn the forbidden, mentioned the unmentionable, shall surely be punished by the Elder Gods.
Let’s have a cautious peek (don’t forget to leave a sacrifice at the altar of the Octopus God, however).
Zoot no. 5 (December 1993, Fantagraphics). Cover by Roger Langridge.
Originally called “Ernie” (the name of its main character), the strip was renamed “Piranha Club” presumably because it’s a much catchier title. No, or few, pirañas are involved, but you are guaranteed to encounter Quacko the Human Duck, his wife the Bearded Lady, Effie (who often cooks octopus, much to the dismay of her husband), Bob the zombie, and a host of other irrelevant and quirky characters. Who’s responsible for all this mayhem? Bud Grace, the creator of this strip. If you haven’t heard of Piranha Club, slither over here.
Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 3 (November 2017). This manga series by Ryōko Kui involves a few characters tromping around a dungeon, consuming all and any monsters they find within. “Slimes, basilisks, and even dragons… none are safe from the appetites of these dungeon-crawling gourmands!“
Octopus pie, again? Is it as inedible as tuna casserole, the frequent butt of jokes in all sorts of sitcoms? This is Mom’ Homemade Comics no. 1, October 1969, cover (and everything else) by Denis Kitchen. Visit Comixjoint for the riveting tale of how this underground classic came to be published, as well as a review of its three issues.
Octopus Soup by Mercer Mayer (2011, Two Lions). Technically a book for kids, but I’d highly recommend it for octopus lovers of any age.
Another peek at Octopus Soup…
Cthulhu Does Stuff no. 4, by Ronnie Tucker and Maxwell Patterson. Visit their website.
Who's Out There? 