It seems that Creepshow has enjoyed a kind of wretched renaissance, to employ a phrase the eponymous Creep might use. Indeed, Creepshow is still showing on the Shudder network, just as horror anthologies are still going strong on all the streaming services. Horror historians might remember that books like Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow not only offended pearl-clutching parents back in the day but also how they created new media properties in the form of movies and television shows. Proving that horror is ultimately cyclical, there is Creepshow, Vol. 1, once more returning to the graphic novel medium while also featuring some heavy hitters in comic book writing like Clay McCleod Chapman and Paul Dini.
Fans of the Creepshow series, the movies, and even the comics are familiar with the format: each issue collected in this trade paperback features two stories (a grand total of ten for this entire collection) and they all feature the same gory, campy shenanigans of the Creepshow brand. From birthday mascots scarier than any clown to forbidden temples guaranteed to make shallow influencers pay for desecrating them, there should be a few tales guaranteed to raise hackles and tempt you to buy some x-ray specs.
Like many anthologies, the entries vary in quality but there are a few standouts, like the one featuring a character that eats more than cake at a children’s birthday party and a group of hunters who frequent a local barber shop talking about what could be lurking out there in the woods. One particular story that shows the series’ gleefully dark humor is about a comics creator who defends his home thanks to the brutal encouragement of his cuddly creations. But if you’re a fan of Creepshow, or even Tales from the Crypt, this is one anthology series you should check out while waiting for new episodes on Shudder.
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