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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 15, 2022 7:30:17 GMT -5
I mentioned the Victorian Penny Dreadful in another thread on here (Huge Horror Books). It was cheap entertainment for the masses who were becoming more literate, they were booklets of 8-16 pages of text in double columns. Apparently they would just stop no matter where they were in a sentence, if the columns had been filled. They were illustrated too, with a large illustration on the front page to draw the reader in. I thought I'd start a thread about these illustrations, giving a few examples. A lot of the art I find to be high quality, and highly evocative. As the Penny Dreadfuls dwelled on the more seedy side of low class Victorian life, or the decadence of the upper classes, you get a different view of the period. And of course we discover that the average reader of that period loved their blood and gore as much as today's reader. Let us know what you think of the illustrations. So here we go!
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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 15, 2022 7:53:27 GMT -5
The first Penny Dreadful is Varney the Vampire. Published in serial form 1845-1847 The authors are thought to be James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest.
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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 16, 2022 7:36:22 GMT -5
These are from The Mysteries of London. From 1844-1845. When George W.M. Reynolds was writing it. Before it went on to run for another 11 years! The illustrations are by George Stiff (1807-1874) This is the Resurrection man doing his grisly work.
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Post by endo on Jan 16, 2022 13:43:01 GMT -5
Awesome stuff, really love the first one, the cover.
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Post by NDX on Jan 18, 2022 0:15:13 GMT -5
Imagine adapting these into long form comics?
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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 18, 2022 10:42:28 GMT -5
The Victorians actually had comics. They had a recurring character, maybe the first ever, called Ally Sloper. His first appearence was in 1867. Like the Penny Dreadfuls, some of the art on it is of a high level. Maybe I'll start a thread on it if people are interested.
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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 18, 2022 10:43:18 GMT -5
Awesome stuff, really love the first one, the cover. That's my favourite too.
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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 21, 2022 13:34:35 GMT -5
Let's look at a few more illustrations, shall we? I think we should! You might have heard of the musical Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, but did you know it is based on a Penny Dreadful? He appeared first in The String of Pearls (published 1846–47). Here is Mrs Lovatt in her pie shop. Here is Sweeney Todd supplying the ingredients for the pies: Here are some others This is another from The Mysteries of London. The ones in this one seem particularly high quality.
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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 21, 2022 13:45:39 GMT -5
From next Monday I'll add at least one illustration from a different Penny Dreadful every day. There will be murder and robbery and general violence, all done by awful men, naturally, so don't forget to tune in!
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Post by endo on Jan 21, 2022 15:48:30 GMT -5
Looking forward to seeing it!
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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 24, 2022 9:56:25 GMT -5
Here is today's, and it's one of the most famous figures of British urban legend. It's Spring Heeled Jack. Jack is a figure said to have existed in Victorian times. He could make great leaps, was cloaked, and had metallic claws. He often attacked young women. Some people believe he was the creation of various pranksters. He was first sighted in 1837 in London, and the last claimed sighting was in 1904 in Liverpool. I'll quote wiki (often dangerous) to save time: Spring-heeled Jack was described by people who claimed to have seen him as having a terrifying and frightful appearance, with diabolical physiognomy, clawed hands, and eyes that "resembled red balls of fire". One report claimed that, beneath a black cloak, he wore a helmet and a tight-fitting white garment like an oilskin. Many stories also mention a "Devil-like" aspect. Others said he was tall and thin, with the appearance of a gentleman. Several reports mention that he could breathe out blue and white flames and that he wore sharp metallic claws at his fingertips. At least two people claimed that he was able to speak comprehensible English. The most famous of his attacks were these two that added an extra level of horror to the description: Alsop case Jane Alsop reported that on the night of 19 February 1838, she answered the door of her father's house to a man claiming to be a police officer, who told her to bring a light, claiming "we have caught Spring-heeled Jack here in the lane". She brought the person a candle, and noticed that he wore a large cloak. The moment she had handed him the candle, however, he threw off the cloak and "presented a most hideous and frightful appearance", vomiting blue and white flame from his mouth while his eyes resembled "red balls of fire". Miss Alsop reported that he wore a large helmet and that his clothing, which appeared to be very tight-fitting, resembled white oilskin. Without saying a word he caught hold of her and began tearing her gown with his claws which she was certain were "of some metallic substance". She screamed for help, and managed to get away from him and ran towards the house. He caught her on the steps and tore her neck and arms with his claws. She was rescued by one of her sisters, after which her assailant fled. Scales case On 28 February 1838, nine days after the attack on Miss Alsop, 18-year-old Lucy Scales and her sister were returning home after visiting their brother, a butcher who lived in a respectable part of Limehouse. Miss Scales stated in her deposition to the police that as she and her sister were passing along Green Dragon Alley, they observed a person standing in an angle of the passage. She was walking in front of her sister at the time, and just as she came up to the person, who was wearing a large cloak, he spurted "a quantity of blue flame" in her face, which deprived her of her sight, and so alarmed her, that she instantly dropped to the ground, and was seized with violent fits which continued for several hours. Her brother added that on the evening in question, he had heard the loud screams of one of his sisters moments after they had left his house and on running up Green Dragon Alley he found his sister Lucy on the ground in a fit, with her sister attempting to hold and support her. She was taken home, and he then learned from his other sister what had happened. She described Lucy's assailant as being of tall, thin, and gentlemanly appearance, covered in a large cloak, and carrying a small lamp or bull's eye lantern similar to those used by the police. The individual did not speak nor did he try to lay hands on them, but instead walked quickly away. Every effort was made by the police to discover the author of these and similar outrages, and several persons were questioned, but were set free. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring-heeled_Jack
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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 24, 2022 9:57:38 GMT -5
Perhaps NDX or other comic book experts can tell us if this character has been used in more modern day comics?
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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 25, 2022 9:13:05 GMT -5
Here is today's. It's The Flying Dutchman, or, The Demon Ship. From 1839. The Flying Dutchman is a ghost ship, said to be doomed to sail the seven seas forever!
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Post by Silent Scream Queen on Jan 25, 2022 9:32:33 GMT -5
Tomorrows Penny Dreadful looks like it is full of gruesome horrors, so don't forget to stop by!
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Post by endo on Jan 25, 2022 21:45:46 GMT -5
I'll definitely be stopping by!
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