Tales From The Mortuary
Tales From The Mortuary © Script: Arthur Wyatt Art: Chris Askham
| Tales From The Mortuary Script: Arthur Wyatt Art: Chris Askham |
| Links: Arthur's Website Further ZUM! reading: Dr Sponge |
According to writer Arthur Wyatt in his introduction, the stories were produced over an eight year period, and probably this is why there is a slight variation in quality.
For instance, a couple of the strips are introduced by The Mortuary
Attendant, a completely superfluous character, as Lemmy and George themselves are much more fun. Arthur obviously agrees, as he discards the attendant for the rest of the strips.
We start off with The Bodyshifters, a great story about our heroes increasingly desperate attempts to dispose of a corpse for their boss Richie Rich.
It's fast, fun, blacker than the ace of spades, and has a killer (literally)
punchline.
Then there's a two pager introducing Norman & Norman Normanski, twin cross dressing psychopaths, who unfortunately, aren't half as funny as they think they are.
Then back to our two loveable assassins for The House of Cavity Horror, where George takes centre stage, as he runs into serious trouble while trying to rip off a seemingly harmless old lady of her jewellery. Again a lot of fun, tho' I was expecting a better ending.
Finally, it's Underdog Tracks as the Desperate Duo take on the might of the notorious Minski brothers in an over the top surrealfest, bizarrely chock full of Children's TV Characters. (Including what seems to be a grown up Teletubbie.)
The art, by Chris Askham is cool and simple, vaguely reminiscent of Luke Walsh's Prettie Cutie and he makes the most of each page's limited space with a (nearly ) perfect use of black & white. His style is very British, very Deadline, and perfectly suited to the bizarreness the script throws at him.
The only real problem with Tales From The Mortuary (apart from it's so-so title; Lemmy & George Go To Work or some variation thereof, would've been better , and the cover image could've been more iconic) is it's tone.
Obviously, work produced over such a long period of time will vary in style. But Arthur never seems sure whether he's being all out surreal, or comedic, or even straight. As a result, the stories fall between all stools, not really connecting properly. I do, though, love the line: "One instinctively knows when one's leg's been blown off".
And the ending, where after wholesale bloodshed, the pals stroll off into the damp of a rainy, grizzly city morning, is actually quite sweet. (In an all - action, manly kind of way.)
All in all, a good, if slight, read. And I think the characters are worth another go, Chris.
Pete Doree
| Tales From The Mortuary 28 A5 pages, Red Card stock cover |
Received at ZUM! HQ: 6xii02 |
Tales From The Mortuary Each £1 +P+P? |
Chris Askham, 9 Balmoral Grove, Colwick, Nottingham, NG4 2GB. |