Scared!: How to Draw Fantastic Horror Comic Characters [1 ed.] 0823016641, 9780823016648

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Senior editor: Candace Raney

Warren

Editor: Sylvia

Senior Production manager: Ellen Greene Designer: Jay Anning,

Thumb

© 2004 by Steve Miller and

Pr

: .

Bryan Baugh

ISBN: 0-8230-1664-1 First

published in

a Division of

2004 by Watson-Guptill

VNU Business Media, New York, N.Y.

Publications,

Inc.

770 Broadway,

www.watsonguptill.com Library of Congress Control All rights reserved.

No

Number: 2004112245

part of this publication

may

be reproduced or used in any form or by any means

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval

systems

—without written permission

Printed in the United States First printing,

1

2004

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 / 10 09 08 07 06 05 04

of the publisher.

This book

is

dedicated to

grew up with the most

my

sister,

Carrie,

and

my

brother, Craig,

horrific creature imaginable, a

middle

who

sibling.

—Steve Miller Special

words

of thanks are

due

to Bernie

lifelong inspiration to both of us as artists

Wrightson

for

and

generous

for his

being such a

contribution to this book.

— Bryan Baugh and Steve Miller

The Pre-Code

About the Artists

8

Introduction

9

A Brief History of Horror

10

The Birth of a Genre

io

The Pulps

12

Comics and Their Demented Cousins

14

Era: E.C.

19

Bernie Wrightson: The Master of the Macabre

21

The Gory 80s

24

Interview with Vincent Locke

27

An Till

More Monsters,

Blood

After the Code:

the Next Full

Moon: Tbe Turn

Less

of the 21st Century

52

Cow Comics

34

Exaggeration

38

Creepy Atmosphere

38

Creepy Characters

42

The Final Gross-Out

50

The Dead and the Undead

52

Werewolves

78

Human Monsters

86

Wrong

94

Came from Outer Space

108

An

Interview with Top

Science Gone It

Femmes

Fatales

116

Creature Features

126

Index

144

About the Artists Adams

Arthur

since the early eighties. Arthur combines a dynamic,

and often humorous

style

and

lisher in

he has worked

he

that is

every major comic book pub-

for

America. Adams’s fan base

is

needed

considered the

first

it

so well established

is

choice whenever a cover

to help attract readers to a

new

artist

the creator of the popular syndicated comic

is

Meadows, which appears

Liberty

strip

lively,

with well-planned layouts and

incredible attention to detail. His credits are legion. Suffice to say that

Frank Cho

has been involved in the comics industry

combines the

effortlessly

classic illustration disciplines

used to create action comic

strips for the

humor

Roger Cruz

a widely-sought-after artist in

is

of a master gag artist.

United States and his native

Darryl Banks,

who

Phantom

Opera and Frank Cho’s Kong

did the steps for Vincent Locke’s vs.

T-Rex,

graduated from and taught illustration at the Columbus

He worked

College of Art and Design.

on

DC

for various inde-

run

starting a seven-year

Comics, Green Lantern where he co-created the

popular

New

Brazil. His

Manga style with a atmosphere. He has worked for

works

as a storyboard artist for

animated television shows. His credits include Batman, Jackie

Chan Adventures, Roughnecks: The

Troopers Chronicles,

Men

to children’s

He

art-

books and magazines. Baugh currently

writes and illustrates his horror comic book, Wulf and Batsy, for

Chanting Monks Studios. He grew up

now

in

Thousand Oaks, California, with his green-eyed goth-queen wife Monica and two ferocious jungle cats, Lucy and Tiger. You can see Fairborn, Ohio, but

more

artwork

of Bryan’s

lives in

at his

which

Kindred, Backlash, Wilde ore, and Backlash/SpiderMan

Reborn: Fantastic Four, X-Men Unlimited, and X-Men. as a toy designer for

in St. Louis, Missouri,

genius behind the book Chicks us out on Scared! by drawing

and

is

the

mad

and Monsters. He helped

many

of the animals in the

“Creature Features” section. Bronson describes himself as

Midwestern

ly relocated to

seen

at the

sci-fi

and horror

illustrator

the West Coast.”

More

who

of his

been a fan

favorite.

Verotik, and to raising

DC

fiendishly clever,

Byrd has worked

up the next generation

SCARED!

and he has long

for

Dark Horse,

Comics, and he has devoted of artists

numerous how-to-draw books and 8

RPGs and album

Steve Miller

numerous

is

articles.

set in a future in

have become

work

frightful

for

covers. Website: http://

an author and

artist

who

has worked in

areas of the entertainment field. His drawings

have been used

in the

production of videos, toys, RPGs,

and video games. Steve’s

Draw Fantastic

latest

book

How to

Freaks!

is

Fantasy Creatures. He

and two wonderful

lives in

Ohio with website

kids. Visit his

http://www.illustratorx.com.

A1 Rio

is

an accomplished comic and fantasy

artist living

He has worked on such highprofile comic books as Gen 13 and DV8 for Image Comics, as well as numerous titles for both Marvel and DC Comics. To see more of Al’s work, visit Fortaleza-Ceara Brazil.

http://www.alrioart.com.

Bernie Wrightson, widely known

as

“The Master

of the

Macabre,” needs no introduction. The legendary

Wrightson has

works of Stephen King, Lovecraft, and Mary Wollstonecraft

illustrated the

Edgar Allan Poe, H.

P.

comic book credits include

Creeps how, House

www.ravenousmedia.com/profile.php?u=williamsquid. is

his ghastly creation

Comic’s Vertigo imprint, Moonstone, White Wolf, and

Shelley. His

Ravenous Media website, http://

Mitch Byrd’s work

with

a majority of the Earth’s population

has recent-

work can be

in

www.vincelocke.com

in

comic books. At Marvel Comics he penciled Heroes

working

broke onto the independent

in the late eighties

website,

Brett Booth wrote and penciled Wildstorm Productions’

Trendmaster Toys

of the top horror artists

illustration today,

his lovely wife

Bronson has worked

.

.

various

at

“a

//www. rogercruz com br/#

Deadworld, a black-and-white comic

http://www.cryptlogic.net.

Bill

:

Vincent Locke, one

DC

has also contributed

work combines

strong sense of design and

zombies. Since then he has done some

Starship

Masters of the

in Black,

Universe, and several others.

work

http

comic scene regularly

both the

Marvel, DC, and Image Comics on popular characters from the X-Men and the Batman lines. Check out his website at

comics and

Green Lantern and Parallax characters.

Bryan Baugh

newspapers with

the timing and

elements of

pendent comic companies before

newspapers

series. Visit his

website at http://home.pacbell.net/adbm3/ArtAdams.htm

of the

daily in

an unexpurgated form from Image Comics. Cho

in

Swamp

Thing,

House of Secrets, Creepy and countless others. He currently

of Mystery,

Eerie, Twisted Tales,

resides in Southern California. Bernie’s website

is

http://www.berniewrightson.com.

a lot of time

by doing

Steve Miller was the acters in Scared!

colorist for

most

of the creepy char-

INTRODUCTION many good books

There are

They

comics.

you

tell

evoke

comic book.

When

The

is

When

required for the job.

demented creepiness

of weird,

demented person

a weird,

goal

If

you want

to

every panel and exaggerate your

mind

in

all

those

is

somewhat

not to create

different

bag of

drawing a horror comic, you must create an atmosphere But

this effectively.

work

agree with

I

main goal

that the

out the reader. So a

You don’t

that runs throughout the story.

do

to

Before you can do good

dynamic superhero

to create

not the same as drawing a superhero or action

is

to freak

is

in

how

urgency and dynamism.

drawing horror comics, keep

a sense of extreme action.

genre.

a feeling of

But drawing a horror comic book

points.

you

tell

camera angles

to use dramatic

characters’ poses so they

tricks

out there that can

won’t

I

lie

any genre, you’ve got

in

draw science

fiction stories,

science fiction and fantasy material.

you want

If

to

you need

to you,

it

be looking at a

draw Westerns, you need

to

to

be

helps.

immerse yourself to

have

actually

in that lot of

be reading

to

books about the Old West and watching cowboy movies. Same thing goes with horror. In order to be a solid horror

You have

to learn to

looking at

illustrator,

speak

you have

language. So

its

what

horror comics. See

lots of

whatever you do, don’t

limit yourself

to

develop a solid relationship with horror.

you want

if

draw horror comics,

to

start

the professional artists out there are doing. But

by only having eyes

for the latest stuff.

I’m not

knocking today’s horror comics, not by any stretch of the imagination, because there

good material coming out now. But

comic book

book

art

form was born

artists are,

it

in the

would be

foolish for a

890s, so no matter

1

young

who

is

artist to forget that

your favorite

the

new comic

there are over one hundred years worth of great comic art behind them.

work

So, sure, explore the

of

your most recent

artistic

heroes to your heart’s content.

Just don’t cheat yourself by stopping there. That will only turn you into an imitator.

There are too

many

people doing that already.

boring than imitation. That

book medium. An

of that artist. Well,

do what you have

world of

that’s the

to do.

artist.”

more

comic

to the

new drawing style will come along and start And you know what happens next. Immediately

only

way you

But think about

who

it:

can find work in comics, okay,

Who

do you want

a

can only make a living by imitating the

be skipping over. The next time you

visit

your

guess you

I

to be, the latest big artist

Broaden your scope. Find and learn from the great comic book

may

is

paying second-rate hacks to do their second-rate imitations

start

on the scene or the guy your friends

nothing

art,

with an exciting

artist

if

in the

one thing that has always been damaging

is

being praised as the latest “hot

dozen other companies

And

latest big artist?

artists of

local

the past, people

comic book

store,

don’t just scan the shelves for the latest issue of your favorite comic. Instead, try looking in the dusty old back-issue bins and see

horror comics. You

may

find

The

first

days.

How

you can dig up copies

something that was printed

that contains artwork far scarier than

coming out these

if

do you

of

some

of the older classic

fifteen years before

any of the newer, computer-colored,

know what

old, out-of-print titles to

illustration

—

full

you’ll

understanding of your chosen

need

to go

—

comics

go hunting for?

chapter in this book, “A Brief History of Horror,” will certainly give you

To develop a

some

ideas.

comic beyond the comic book medium. Go back and read, or field

in this case horror

reread, the great horror authors. Study the films. Personally, nothing fires

my

you were born

slicko

monsters quicker than going back and watching

favorites will probably be different

from yours, but

my

me up

favorite horror flicks.

that’s fine, that’s

draw

(My

why no two

are the same.) So go to lots of scary movies, look at lots of horror art,

to

and read

artists

lots of

horror stories.

And

learn to speak the language of horror.

— Bryan Baugh INTRODUCTION

9

:r?ff history

of horror

The Birth of a Genre was born in the late 1 700s. in 1765 with the publication of Horace Walpole’s The Castle of

Illustrated horror

started

It all

Otranto the ,

first

of a genre that has endured, in various incarnations, over the

By the end

centuries: the Gothic tale.

immensely

popular.

of the century, Gothic novels

had become

They were, however, expensive, putting them beyond the reach

few publishers

—recognizing

money-making opportunity— started to print popular Gothic novels in slender stitched booklets one chapter at a time, leaving readers hanging. If you liked how the story was going, you could buy the following volume to find out

what happened

readers’ attention

artists to

a

next. But something

was

chapbook format

for their tales of

create lurid illustrations that could be

put in every few pages or

so, depicting

strange events in the story.

—was

shilling

right,

The

price

were

the

—one

and by the early

these “shilling shockers”

1

800s,

and away

far

the most popular form of fiction.

As more publishers embraced

this

storytelling format, competition for reader

attention intensified. There wasn’t left to

much

gold

be mined from full-length Gothic

novels, and publishers hired writers to

up with

come

original plotlines. Subject matter

quickly shifted from relativelyvtame stories of

haunted manor houses torture, murder,

to grisly tales of

and the

new earned a new

occult. This

breed of shilling shocker soon

nickname: “penny dreadfuls.” (Sweeney Todd, the

Demon

appearance

in a

Barber,

penny

made

his first

dreadful.)

Libraries these days offer far

more than

just books. You can check out CDs, art prints, movies, software,

books on tape

.

.

.

and you might even find a branch that offers a gateway to another dimension.

Just be careful what doors you open; they are not always so easy to close. Here Vince

Locke has used a powerful bird's-eye-view perspective to increase the visual impact of the illustration.

The lighting— top,

light

objects on dark background; bottom, dark objects on a light background— keeps the focus where the artist wants

10

SCARED!

missing, the

and guarantee that these things would

publishers adapted the

Dracula,

Frankenstein's

Monster, and the

of the average reader.

A

Cruz Classic Monsters

it.

fly off

hook

that

would grab

the shelves. So

mystery and horror, hiring

Wolfman, from the inimitable imagination of

Roger Cruz.

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While the writing

was

in the

actually quite good.

It

penny dreadfuls was often hackwork, most of the artwork had to be. A decent illustration of a beautiful young girl being

bedroom by

attacked in her

a slouching killer

'

with a knife was the sort of thing that

knew what the was about. Well-known artists such as Henry Anelay (1858-1873) and Mary Byfield were drafted to develop the look of the penny dreadfuls, along with countless others who left their work anonymous! Usually working in woodcuts or steel engravings, these illustrators depicted a black-and-white world of horror and graphic violence. The figures were always posed theatrically. The backgrounds, while mostly shown in flat perspective, were often heavily detailed. As these illustrated fiction magazines became even more popular in the latter half of the nineteenth century, production values went up. More expensive, slicker papers were used, raising the cover price to a nickel, then to a dime, then to the princely sum of 50 cents. could convince potential buyers to spend those pennies before they even

story

The Pulps American publisher Frank A. Munsey (1854-1925) found

on

that by printing

rough wood pulp paper, he could publish exactly the same type of magazine

at a

lower cover price and outsell the competition. In October 1896, Munsey did that.

He came out with

the

first

just

Argosy magazine, and revolutionized the

issue of

industry.

Almost immediately other publishers

of illustrated fiction

began copying

The “pulps” covered all genres, but for the first two decades of the 20th century most of them dealt with crime, science fiction, and the Wild West. In 1923, the first issue of Weird Tales, a pulp fiction magazine dedicated specifically to fantasy and horror, hit the stands. The cover shows a woman being Munsey’s

strategy.

attacked by a slimy creature with giant tentacles; her only defender

man with a knife. Many writers who are

is

a wild-

eyed

today considered masters of horror and supernatural pages of Weird Tales, including H.

fiction got their start in the

Cl^k Ashton

Bradbury, R. E. Howard,

P.

Lovecraft,

Ray

Smith, and Robert Bloch. Illustrators for

the magazine included that master of detailed fantasy/horror, Virgil Finlay, and

Margaret Brundage,

seminude damsels But

who

it

who

in

used her daughters as models

for the

nude and

danger on Weird Tales covers.

was the ingeniously

bizarre Lee

Brown Coye (1907-1981

happily pushed realism aside in favor of a twisted, creepy

surrealism effective

which

resulted in

some

of

Weird Tales’ most

imagery and would influence the look of

down

horror comic books a couple of decades

the

road. Coye’s distinctive style resembled that of a 1

9th-century penny dreadful illustrator gone stark,

raving mad. His figures had the appearance of tortured arthritics with bad joints or liquid people

with no bones

in their bodies;

and clench or sway loosely

By

this time,

they either cringe

in the

wind

comic books were around but

still

in their

They consisted mainly of superheroes and funny animal stories. It would be a few more years before the monsters, zombies, and infancy,

and mostly aimed

murderers finally

12

who

clawed

SCARED!

at children.

figured so largely in the horror pulps

their

way




m

book, including three rarely seen Wrightson’s Frankenstein: Or the Modem Pronu this

Bonus sections include a short but fact-fill^Hand fas interviews with Vincent Locke and Top Cow Comic: drav^ngs have been used in the production of videos, toys, RPGs, and video games. Author Bryan Baugh’s numerous credits include storyboards for Batman, Jackie Chan Adventures Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles Men in Black, and Masters of the Universe. He currently writes and illustrates the horror comic book Wulfand Batsyiov Chanting

Author Steve

Miller’s

,

,

Monks

Studios.

Watson-Guptill Publications

770 Broadway,

New York, NY

10003

www.wgpub.com Printed in the United States

144 pages, 8V2 x 130 color and 95

10% inches b&w illustrations

Cover design by Jay Anning, Thumb

ISBN 0-8230-1664-1

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