It is drawn for 3D by using overlays over a background board.
Elder follows Al Feldstein’s original version of “The Strange Couple” in The Vault of Horror #14 (actual issue #3), from 1950.
I have an earlier posting (see the link below) to a posting showing Feldstein’s version, and the 3D story itself, plus a bonus from Boy’s Life, showing how to make your own 3D glasses.
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FELDSTEIN EXPLAINS ABOUT WRITING “THE STRANGE COUPLE”
In an interview with Grant Geissman for the book, Tales of Terror!/The EC Companion by Geissman and Fred Von Bernewitz, Feldstein tells of writing “The Strange Couple” with Gaines, first as a class assignment for an adult course taught by writer Theodore Sturgeon.
Feldstein said, “[The story] was a straight original.”*
“There was an adult course in writing . . . we [Gaines and Feldstein] figured it would help us in writing, plotting and things like that. So we went to this course and [Sturgeon] was talking about how he writes, basics, blah-blah, and we were assigned to do a short story, and we asked if we could collaborate. He said ‘sure.’ We went back and we typed up in text form ‘The Strange Couple.’
“. . . Sturgeon went crazy; he loved it . . . that was kind of an ego thing, so we felt we didn’t need the goddamn course.”
*As opposed to many other EC stories which had their genesis in the works of other writers. — Pappy
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This is the link to the earlier post. Just click on the thumbnail.
Pappy, I recall another faux 3D comic book process from that era. It involved framing each drawing with broad, jet black bands. This was supposed to, I suppose, trick you into thinking you were looking deep into the picture. Mostly the result was to get lot of black ink on your fingers.
ReplyDeleteAs to the red/blue drawings, some were extremely effective. However most were not registered correctly, or the glasses would not block the corresponding color well; in either case the 3D effect was minimal to nil.
So, basically, is this a "fake" 3-D, like Truevision used by ACG?
ReplyDelete"Feldstein" and "EC Horror" are synonymous, but I must admit I prefer Elder's version of this story.
Two old, little, creepy spouses. Much more disturbing than regular Feldstein's horror mugs.
J D, no, not a fake 3-D job like the Truevision issues of ACG. This is the original artwork on bristol board, with transparent overlays for the varyious layers of depth.
ReplyDeleteI like your new picture. Not a fake J D, but the real living, three-dimensional J D, I assume.
John, that faux 3-D was from ACG, and was called Truevision. You can see an example of it and a fake 3-D Charlton story from a 2010 posting here.
ReplyDeleteThe two-color 3-D comics produced during the short 3-D boom of the '50s were OK if the printing was done correctly. Not easy in those days of varying degrees of sloppy, quick printing produced on giant web presses. I have several of those early 3-D's in my collection, and I also have 3-D comics done in the '80s, prepared by Ray Zone for various publishers of the time. On the desk next to me as I write this is a 1987 Eclipse Comic called Scout, done in 3-D, which is quite effective. A side note is that editor Catherine Yronwode had a problem with her eyesight that precluded her from seeing the 3-D illusion while wearing the red-and-blue lenses.
Yes that's me... Not much of a picture, my sister took it with her Iphone. :)
ReplyDeleteEclipse did a great job on 3d, reprinting some classic Horror stories.
Some of them appeared on Michael T. Gilbert's "Mr. Monster" line of comics.
Lovely character, Mr. M., you should call it a labour of love for Golden Age classics.
J D, don't be modest; it's a nice picture.
ReplyDeleteI think I have all the 3D comics that Ray Zone did in the '80s...or at least I thought I did until I was in a junk store recently and found a copy of Truman's Scout in a $1.00 box full of comics. I can see 3D just fine, but it tires my eyes, even after I had corrective surgery 15 months ago. Old, tired eyeballs...not young, energetic eyeballs like I had in my youth.
OMG this is so cool-lookering yo OMG!
ReplyDeleteAlicia, yes it is! Thanks for your stamp of approval!
ReplyDelete