On this day, 14 April 1984: Scream!
Cover artwork: Jim Watson
On this day, 14 April 1984 … Four issues in, and Scream! was still on fantastic form. One gets the feeling that the creators really loved producing the scripts and art for this comic – there’s an ungodly vigour, a delicious horror, bringing to life the words and lines in every story. The ghastly Undertaker from Tales from the Grave grabs this week’s front cover, as a tease for the conclusion of his yarn of murder, greed and mistaken identity by Tom Tully and Jim Watson. The Dracula File (Gerry Finley-Day and Eric Bradbury), The Thirteenth Floor (Ian Holland and Jose Ortiz), Terror of the Cats (Simon Furman and John Richardson) and Monster (John Wagner and Jesus Redondo) continue apace, there’s a single-page one-off drawn by Mike Dorey and reprint funnies provided by Graham Allen’s Fiends and Neighbours (originally in Cor!!). For me, however, scare of the week amid stellar competition goes (as in issue one) to Cam Kennedy’s nightmarish art on the Library of Death tale, ‘All Done with Wires’. Horrific. Lovely.
TheDracula File: Gerry Finley-Day (writer), Eric Bradbury (artist)
TheDracula File: Gerry Finley-Day (writer), Eric Bradbury (artist)
TheDracula File: Gerry Finley-Day (writer), Eric Bradbury (artist)
TheDracula File: Gerry Finley-Day (writer), Eric Bradbury (artist)
Library of Death: All Done with Wires: Chris Lowder (writer), Cam Kennedy (artist)
Library of Death: All Done with Wires: Chris Lowder (writer), Cam Kennedy (artist)
Library of Death: All Done with Wires: Chris Lowder (writer), Cam Kennedy (artist)
Library of Death: All Done with Wires: Chris Lowder (writer), Cam Kennedy (artist)
The Thirteenth Floor: John Wagner and Alan Grant (writer), Jose Ortiz (artist)
The Thirteenth Floor: John Wagner and Alan Grant (writer), Jose Ortiz (artist)
Tales from the Grave: The Undertaker: Tom Tully (writer), Jim Watson (artist)
Tales from the Grave: The Undertaker: Tom Tully (writer), Jim Watson (artist)
Tales from the Grave: The Undertaker: Tom Tully (writer), Jim Watson (artist)
Terror of the Cats: Simon Furman (writer), John Richardson (artist)
Terror of the Cats: Simon Furman (writer), John Richardson (artist)
Fiends and Neighbours: Graham Allen (artist)
Ghastly Tale: Mike Dorey (artist)
Monster: John Wagner (writer), Jesus Redondo (artist)
Monster: John Wagner (writer), Jesus Redondo (artist)
Dracula poster: Oliver Frey (artist)
