"Blind Alleys"

[cyberghostface]

This is a repost of mine from two years ago. With Halloween on the horizon I figured I'd post some old EC comics if I have the time. If you have any requests let me know and I'll see if I can post it. This also applies to Junji Ito's work as well.

This one comes from Tales from the Crypt #46.






Gunner Grunwald uses the allotments that are supposed to be for the blind people for his own personal luxuries. He believes that the blind people don't need anything if they can't see it.

Gunner also turns out to be quite a sadistic bully, often tormenting the blind tenants of the home. He would remove the bannisters from the stairs so that they would fall, or he would add stuff in the halls for the blind people to bump into. He also has a vicious dog as a companion named Brutus who he uses to defend himself but in reality just likes to sic him on whoever is unfortunate enough to get in his way.

One day, the blind people decide they have had enough, and lure Brutus away with some meat. Then they gang up on Gunner and imprison him into a small cubicle in the cellar. The blind tenants get to work on building some sort of contraption.

Comments

[cainofdreaming]

I do love me some poetic justice. And they used this setup in Wolverine, of all places. In Mariko's death story.

[icon_uk]

This, of course, also made a deeply memorable chapter in the "Tales from the Crypt" movie in 1972, with Patrick Magee as the leader of the blind residents.

[kamino_neko]

AND the TV series from the 90s.

It's a popular story.

[captainbellman]

That last line of the story is awfully close to the last line of Ray Bradbury's "The October Game": "And then...some idiot turned on the lights". Also, it's a clumsy usage given that the point was for the guy to get punished. I doubt the blind person who gleefully flipped the switch would appreciate being called an idiot, Mr. Vault-Keeper. For shame.

[skjam]

Given EC adapted "The October Game", I'm sure it was a direct allusion.

[full_metal_ox]

Ah, but that pejorative is probably intended to reflect Gunner's point of view.

[grazzt]

This is probably another repost, but the Hallowe'en story set in an orphanage that's too poor to afford a jack-o-lantern....

[leoboiko]

I swear writing those must have been one of the most fun jobs in the industry. Just look at those alliterations…

[full_metal_ox]

"As the dismembered parts of a corpse said when they were shipped to the undertaker's..."We'll get together again!"

Which brings to mind the very E.C-esque denouement of Clark Ashton Smith's "Return of the Sorcerer".

[silverzeo]

..... hmm... would it be nitpicky of me to say I can't enjoy this as it does a negative portrayal of a pitbull?

[cyberghostface]

It's never identified as such and I'm not sure it would be one given that the pitbull media frenzy only started in the last decade or so.

[icon_uk]

Much more a reflection on what a horrible person Gunner is than the underlying nature of the dog, I think.

If you train a pekinese to be vicious, it will be.