Ink Stains 28: Abyss 1

Abyss 1
Abyss Publications, November 1970 ​

Berni Wrightson

If you like the great EC comics of the past, or the similar publications that came later, you will love Abyss! 

Wrightson

Abyss is composed of stories that I thought were originally intended for the short lived Skywald publication, Web of Horror. I was corrected by Dana Maria Andra, who put together the amazing collection of  stories from that greaet mag, more on that later. The contributor’s list is a virtual who’s who of fantasy/horror artists, including Jeff Jones, Michael Kaluta, Bruce Jones, and Berni Wrightson. Irony and dark humor are the modes of operandi here, and there really isn’t much I can supply that you won’t get from reading the stories and looking at the gorgeous art with your own eyes. 

EDIT! Since this column posted years ago, Dana Maria Andra spearheaded a campaign to collect all the actual Web of Horror stories plus some extras! You can get it here!

What you will see when you view the whole fanzine, is a story and a full-page illustration by Jeff Jones, two stories by Michael Kaluta, a very EC-like story by Bruce Jones (right down to the typed captions, modular layouts, and twist ending), and a group of nursery rhymes done as only Berni Wrightson can (as well as a dynamic and well designed cover). You will also see a fine and minimalist back cover by Kaluta (lower left), and a cheesecake pin up by Bruce Jones. 

Mike Kaluta, Jeff Jones.

Attention was also paid to the visual sequence of the stories. The dense and zip-a- tone filled work of Bruce Jones and Wrightson are sandwiched around the spare and elegant galactic tale by Jeff Jones. Also, the serious tone of the other
stories is softened by the grotesque humor in Wrightson’s Revolting Rhymes (see the bottom of the column). First, though, you can see a few pages below from a story by Mike Kaluta.

Jeff Jones’s incredible sense of composition, serene subject matter, and out of the ordinary gestures and body positions (including his command of the female figure) are all on display in his Union, seen below. 

Jones

Bruce Jones’s love of lush forests, impossibly complex Wally Wood inspired machinery, busty women, and the dense vistas that zip-a-tone helped to provide are all on display in Specimen. I think he falls a bit short in the payoff panel, with the alien looking a bit less confidently drawn than the other elements. But before that, we are treated to a contrast of the claustrophobic atmosphere in the ship and the flirty beauty of the woman prisoner, seen below. 

Bruce Jones

Finally, as teased above, Berni Wrightson shows the skills that made him the best horror artist of his time in Revolting Rhymes. Also, his deft juxtaposition of horror and humor make what are simple juvenile rhymes take on a whole new meaning. He somehow manages to keep the story light, despite all the gruesome goings-on. You may gag at the shenanigans, but you will marvel (or in his case, DC) at his brushwork, his command of rendering fabric, and his ability to see and depict complex shadow patterns. Even back then, his art was truly something to behold. 

Wrightson

Abyss lasted only one issue, but what an issue it was! If you liked this material, search out Web of Horror, and of course the fanzines that all these skilled draftsmen worked on...several that will be coming up soon in a further installment of Ink Stains! Please download the pdf, so you can see Michael Kaluta’s other story, The Hunter, as well as the complete stories from which you have only seen excerpts.
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Thanks this time go out to Richard Arndt, who has a fanzine collection far better than mine, and who very graciously supplied the scans for this installment. Props to you, Rich! Thanks to him, you will also see Hot Stuf’ number one in the next installment of Ink Stains! 

If you missed it, the link at the top of the column will take you to a Fantagraphics page where you can order the wonderful Web of Horror compilation!

Ken Meyer Jr.
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