Book
Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable
Synopsis
Children in a classroom are called on by their teacher to deliver an EERIE story to the rest of the class, and we get to see five of them play out.
Disclaimer
I worked with Graham at LucasArts and Telltale, but I would think his stuff is brilliant anyway.
Pros
- More of the creepy-funny feel of the Grickle animated short films he’s been making for years, but on paper.
- Suitable for kids — Or maybe more accurate to say that it’s aimed at kids but suitable for adults? I don’t care! — but there’s little sense of anything being watered down. This feels like the creepy stories real kids would tell each other.
- Graham is a master of expressions and poses; even after years of being a fan, I’m impressed by how he can get across a full-on mood and complete state of mind for a character by changing the position of a line by a fraction of a millimeter.
- The anthology format is great; it calls back to kids’ horror shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark? as well as adult horror anthologies, but also carries through the entire framing story.
- “The Face in the Forest” is my favorite of the stories, and it manages to be horrific and heartwarming at the same time.
- I love how it feels old-fashioned and modern at the same time; it feels like it’s not trying to be anything else.
Cons
- I read it too fast, so I’m only an hour from getting it in the mail and I already want the sequel.
- I’d been hoping for Principal Skeleton.
Verdict
I loved it. I wish I’d had comics like this when I was younger, “younger” including “in my forties.” If you’re a fan of Graham’s creepy-funny animated horror shorts, then this is a no-brainer. If you’re not a fan of them, then what is wrong with you?