Once again, its time for another issue of Ahoy Comics Edgar Allen Poe’s Snifter of Blood. When I was first introduced to Edgar Allen Poe’s writing in school, the first story that I had read was The Tell Tale Heart. Yes, there WERE books back then. In fact, The Tell Tale Heart was also the first story I remember reading in Warren’s Creepy Magazine. So when I started reviewing Ahoy’s brilliant Poe Anthology, I wondered when they might adapt The Tell Tale Heart. Well I need not wait anymore. Issue four has brought Poe’s classic tale to life in Ahoy’s inimitable style.
In this adaptation, our host Poe has just arrived in California, hoping to find a new avenue for his stories. Away from the “Fusty Philistines of the East Coast Periodicals.” Poe soon found that the West Coast was no more accommodating than those on the East Coast. “The tentacles of puny-minded Brahmins and Harvard Degenerates stretch even THIS far,” laments Poe. His hope is that there are still new outlets available. An opportunity to reach beyond this “mortal coil.” This leads to The Tell Tale Heart.
The Tell Tale Heart
In writer James Finn Garner and artist Sandy Jarrell’s adaptation, it tells the story of a handyman named Victor. He works for Josh Bradley, a former member of a boy band called 4EVAH. While Josh struggles to find a way to recapture the glory of his past, he treats his handyman like a second class citizen. To be fair, Victor is a bit on the lazy side, but he doesn’t like to be reminded of it. Especially by some has been performer whose best days are behind him. But Victor has something for his boss. Something that neither Josh nor even Victor would be able to put back together. It is probably the first time that Victor has had a chance to use his axe.
All the time that Victor is wielding his axe, he is putting his pun talents to use. Talking about how Josh is now “in the house.” As well as the Garden, the Kitchen, and the Foyer. Dismembered body parts hidden in different parts of the house. Next, he ditched the house security to cover his tracks and finally, he cleaned up the blood. Perhaps if he worked as hard for Josh, he wouldn’t have been yelled at so much. As it is, he finally gets a moment to catch his breath when the police show at the door. Apparently, Josh was supposed to be at a rehearsal so this was a wellness call to check up on him.
Boom! Boom!
As they look around, the officer asks Victor when he last heard from his boss and did he seem ok to Victor. He answered each question and told them to feel free to look around. As they were talking, Victor heard a Boom! Boom! The police officer continues to question him as the constant Boom! Boom! continues. With every question, the constant pounding assailed Victor’s ears. Did the officer not hear that? What was that? Before long, Victor cannot take it anymore, guilt overwhelming him…perhaps? He takes a hammer and breaks open the floor, revealing Josh’s removed heart. The officer immediately broke out his cuffs, as he yelled up to his partner Delgado to cut the sound system off. The booming stops as Delgado comes back down. He couldn’t help himself. It was a “killer” sound system.
Winston
In the second story, writer Tyrone Finch and artist Ryan Kelly tell the tale of Winston. Winston loved trains, even when he was young. His first train set was minimal at best but he loved it all the same. In Winston’s train world, he was in charge. He set the rules, and there was no where he couldn’t go in his 6 year old imagination.
Forty years later, Winston still loves trains. But his set now is expansive and detailed and fills a three car garage. Winston is still ruler of it all. There are cities, and neighborhoods lovingly created with extreme detail. Winston knows every person in his world by name, what their circumstances are, and they are perfect. Just as his world should be. There was a comfort that he could rely on the world he has created couldn’t change…until it did.
Perfection Marred
It started simply, the changing of a single door color. The door in question was in a neighborhood he knew explicitly. How did it happen? How did it go from blue to yellow? It was hideous and it had to be fixed. Winston painstakingly repainted the door back to its familiar teal blue. Perfection had been restored. But more mischief was afoot. Changes continued to be found, even more insidious than the last. Cinema’s were changed to multiplexes, Amusement Parks suddenly appeared. The inhabitants of his world MUST be responsible. There was no other answer. And it wasn’t so much the changes being made that bothered Winston, it was they were not asking his permission to do so. This was HIS a world. Why was he being disrespected by the people he had so lovingly cared for. This could not be tolerated.
Godzilla Winston Attacks
Winston’s frustration boiled over. He became like Godzilla attacking Tokyo. Ravaging his now non-perfect world. If he could not be in control of his world, then the world must be eradicated. All that was missing was Godzilla’s mighty roar. In all of twenty minutes, forty years of work was no more. But, he had regained his place as master of his world. Nothing would be there that he didn’t put there. It was perfect.
Extras
It wouldn’t be Ahoy if we didn’t have extra text based stories. There are three such stories in this issue. Leading off with Brendan Mallory’s “A Cyborg walks into a Bar.” This is a clever story that involves time travel and the concept of the interference of what has already transpired. Or as Chronoptiman, his Cyborg from the year 2345 (or it could have been 3456…or 4567 😏) says “After all . . . those who don’t learn from the future are doomed to repeat it.”
Next was “Hornswoggled” by Kit Josephs which tells the tale of what happens when a magical unicorn has a weapon more deadly than magic. This was a hilarious tale, especially for people like myself who still find flatulence, used in a certain way, funny. Yes, I haven’t quite grown up yet. It’s a work in progress. Thanks, Kit for helping me to realize I still have a ways to go.
Finally, Lisa R. Jonté’s “Tatties on the Moor.” This poetic prose tells the story of a beastly husband who confined his wife and his new servant who discovered his deed and attempted to bring justice to the man. This was a lovely change of pace while still holding to the type of tale that is so embraced by Ahoy. Another winning selection in what is consistently a quality addition to each issue.
Thoughts
As I explained in my opening, Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart has been a favorite of his works since my school days. I have read many different interpretations of it with most clinging closely to Poe’s telling of the tale. This adaptation is different as it uses a more present setting to tell Poe’s classic tale of guilt becoming one’s undoing. The use of the sound system to produce the heart like thumping was clever as was Sandy Jerrell’s choice of using grey tones for the illustrations except for the blood. It was reminiscent of the Classic Warren Anthology illustrations.
I also couldn’t help but snicker at Victor’s stream of puns as he went about his work. As I mentioned, I’m a bit sophomoric. However, I also felt like his reasoning for his crime might have been better explained, other than being yelled at for not doing his work. Mainly for those who might not be familiar with Poe’s original tale. That’s a minor quibble for another well done Poe tale.
Imagination
I enjoyed Winston because I can relate to the need for perfection. Anyone who knows me well has labeled me partially OCD. I say partially because I strive for order in only certain things. For others, I’m a slob (much to my wife’s chagrin). In Winston, his need for perfection (as far as the story goes) only exists for his train world. Forty years of work has went into creating his perfect utopia. All goes as he wants it to and looks like he wants it to.
At times, his story reminds me of Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin was always creating imaginary worlds where he was a deity in control of it all. The difference was, Calvin lived for destroying said world so he could redo it again. Winston only went that route when he appeared to lose control of his perfect world. A well done story and drawn expertly by Ryan Kelley.
Overview
If you haven’t been reading Edgar Allen Poe’s Snifter of Blood, you should. It is a wonderful mix of adaptations of Poe’s work along with other clever tales. All enveloped by some imaginative Poe openings. The covers are also whimsical looks at Edgar Allen Poe in different scenarios. One only need look at the cover above. When added to the quality text stories, it is a must read, especially for those fans of anthologies.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
