Pretty/Scary - Black Ink Horror (2007)

Black Ink Horror
Louise Bohmer, Darren Franz, Mark Tullius
2006
Sideshow Press Publications
Review by Gabby Goff

What is "Black Ink Horror"? Well, allow me to illustrate! "Black Ink Horror", or BIH, is an illustrated digest that contains three to four pieces of horror fiction, each accompanied by black and white artwork (pen and ink). The issue I read is the now unavailable issue #0.

Issue #0 (or the purple issue) features the story-telling talents of Louise Bohmer, Darren Franz, and Mark Tullius; and the artistic skills of Tom Moran, Dick Starr, and Evangeline Doctolero. The issue also has a section at the end titled, “BIH Pin-up”. Don’t get your hopes up, there are no scantily-clad bombshells here (damn)! But BIH does feature one artist, a piece of their work, and a short biography. Their featured artist was Geff Bartrand. His artwork is definitely finely detailed and the more you stare at it, the more you like it, and the more you like it, the more you stare at it...

The artwork in this particular issue was a bit hit-or-miss for me, but I cannot deny the excellent detail of each piece and the thought that has went into them. Each piece is very original, but to get the full scope of these artists’ work you need to check out the BIH website and explore the online galleries of the illustrators featured in BIH. It is truly impressive stuff. I really dig Tom Moran and Evangeline. So detailed... There are different styles to the artwork contained therein, so really it is up to how you like your cup of tea. Kudos to all the work put into this. BIH is definitely something I want to collect!

Now, on to the stories! First on the slab is Louise Bohmer's wicked satire, "Dark Nectar of the Gods". It is a story that involves the rokurokubi, a female monster with an extremely flexible neck. By day, the rokurokubi (say that seven times fast!) are indistinguishable from normal women, but after nightfall rokurokubi stretch their necks out to any length in search of prey. According to one theory, they are seeking out men in order to suck the life energy out of them. And you didn’t think you would learn anything today. Hah! The story centers on a suicidal man who cannot off him-self due to religious reasons, so he seeks out another avenue to end his anguish; oh and Satan makes an appearance! Did you know that ol’ Lucy shares some DNA with Jesus? How’s that for controversial? This story brings the human condition to the world of the Gods and demi-gods; conditions like addiction, suicide, and greed. What I liked about this story is its originality. I love how Louise can be perverse and tongue-in-cheek, without going over the top. She isn't simply here to shock you, she is here to tell you a story. And tell a story she does!

The next monstrous mini-tale is a preternatural-suspense piece titled, "The Drain" by Darren Franz. This story is about a woman named Patsy who has had a very, very bad time with her boyfriend: he had attempted to rape her! What’s worse is her boyfriend just won't leave her alone! Darren does not go into the details of the near-rape but instead focuses on the fear of not being able to escape a bad situation. Though I felt that there could have been a bit more tension in the piece, I really enjoyed his uncomplicated style of writing. His characters are quite human and realistic. I feel, that with time, he could really pop out a wowzer! Keep your eye on this one, or if you already have your eye on Mr. Franz, I suggest staying away from drains... and his pen.

The last, and certainly not least, tale is "To Feed An Army" by Mark Tullius. This straight "creep-out" story not only made my skin crawl, it made me shake my covers out and double check my sister's cooking! This story involves a military man who has struck out on his own only to discover that he is has just stepped out of a very bad dream, into a really bad fucking nightmare. It explores team-work and trust, illustrating to the reader how the lack of these two elements, as well as the abuse of these elements can make for a bad situation. Of course, I guess that all depends on if you are the part of team, or just another meal. Mark has a real knack for visualization and at the very best; he has given me some great mental-pictures. Plus, who can’t resist a tale involving army men out on the lam? Keep your friends close, your enemies even closer...oh, and carry raid.

The stories are well-told, the digest is nicely put together, and though it is comparatively tame I found myself wanting more when I closed the back cover. Which, by the by, you can find more online at BIH's website www.BlackInkHorror.com. Unfortunately, you can't get BIH #0 as it is no longer available, but #1 and #2 are still up for purchase and according to the website; there are a limited few copies of autographed #0 issues. This is not something you would hand to grandma to read. Unless your grandma is a rabid granny, then that's a-whole-nother story!

I suggest handing it out for a Halloween goodie-bag treat. The kids will love it, it has pictures!

Wear a smile.