(Art from this incredible anthology by Richard Wells.)
“The Summer People” by Shirley Jackson (1950)
“I wonder if we’re supposed to… do anything.”
This really got me. I’ve had aging and choosing a place to settle (if ever) on my mind recently and this just hits all the right points for me to feel creeped out about the future.
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“Don’t Go to the Island” by Sfé R. Monster & Kalyna Riis-Phillips (2016)
“The skulls at your feet are laughing at you.”
It’s been almost all white American men in my horror comics this month, so I’m pivoting to other creators and eras. Fortunately, the Bones of the Coast anthology has that and also focuses on the Pacific Northwest, undoubtedly my favorite region. It’s a good pairing with the Jackson story. A moody coastal vibe, the gray sky threatening something that doesn’t reveal itself immediately, but instead lingers behind trees and corners, watching and waiting.
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Under the Shadow dir. Babak Anvari (2016)
“Dead people can’t dream.”
This was great, in that it captures an intimate story of two people trapped by the weight of political erosion and violence very well. It’s a slow simmer movie, building up slowly and then explicitly, asking if anyone can ever really escape the horror they’ve experienced.