Maniac Killer Strikes Again!: Delirious, Mysterious Stories [Paperback]

Richard Sala (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

Delirious, mysterious short stories by The Chuckling Whatsit's Richard Sala. Maniac Killer Strikes Again! is the tongue-in-cheek title of this "Greatest Hits" collection of "mysterious and delirious" comic strip stories by Richard Sala, hand-picked by the author from three of his long out-of-print books. Sala has selected ten of his favorite macabre tales that showcase his unique niche as a master storyteller lurking beneath the b-movie visual tropes. Included is the entire multi-chapter serial "Thirteen O'Clock" (which was the genesis for his MTV serial "Invisible Hands" on the cult classic Liquid Television) as well as such gleefully spooky stories as "The Fellowship of the Creeping Cat", "The Awful Secret of Dr. Coffin" and "The Impostor". Each story has been reworked and reformatted by the artist for this wonderfully designed 8" x 8" trade paperback.

Mix noir-ish suspense and late-night horror movies, add a dose of whimsy and a touch of German Expressionsim and you get these delightfully creepy tales featuring: The shadowy snooper Mr. Murmur; a living, disembodied head; evil plastic surgeons; a museum of stuffed birds; a woman-eating plant; secret societies; hidden identities; girl detectives; and a birthday party that turns out to be anything but happy. Plus, Sala has created new art specifically for this volume. Maniac Killer is the perfect primer for those unfamiliar with Sala's brand of whimsical horror, as well as a must-have for fans of his comic book series Evil Eye and his books Peculia, The Chuckling Whatsit and The Ghastly Ones.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sala holds a unique place in the comics world. His work is neither fish nor fowl, not too spooky, not too silly and not so far out as to be unreachable. He creates noir stories, some serious, some funny, most both, in a unique visual style. His closest antecedent may be Edward Gorey, but Sala's work is all his own. This collection of short stories from hither and yon goes back nearly two decades. In Sala's world, thieves steal faces, skulls glow, madmen run free, plants eat people and it's always Thirteen O'Clock. The first story (named "Thirteen O'Clock," incidentally) occupies the first 42 pages of the book and brings together many of Sala's preoccupations: strange scientists, detectives, funny names ("Mr. Murmer"), femme fatales, non-humans and so on. But Sala harnesses the weirdness to tell a briskly paced thriller. Once readers get past the subject matter, the storytelling is fairly straightforward. Sala's comics work so well because of the artist's distinctive line work. The characters and places he describes could exist nowhere but in his pages, and so to read a Sala comic is to walk into a baroque world of pen and ink, an experience both jarring and fun. Good for a rainy day or a stormy night, this volume will give old Sala fans a good fix and will thrill (or at least tickle) new ones.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–A collection of long-out-of-print stories from the late '80s and early '90s. Sala's world is full of deformed monsters and secret societies, of a murderous clan of cat-masked villains and simple mad scientists. If there were such a genre as "gothic absurd," these would be representative examples. In the multi-chapter "Thirteen O'Clock," a serial killer bearing a corkscrew strikes repeatedly while a glowing, disembodied skull talks to the victims. But the enigmatic detective Mr. Murmur solves the crime and shares the motive, too ridiculous to be explained here. In each tale, Sala combines noir mystery with absurd humor similar to the Lemony Snicket titles (HarperCollins), or to Charles Addams and Edward Gorey before him. The naive artwork is reminiscent of Lynda Barry and its simplicity helps to convey the tone of spooky delight.–Jamie Watson, Harford County Public Library, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560975741
• ISBN-13: 978-1560975748
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,841,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard Sala grew up with a fascination for musty old museums, dusty old libraries, cluttered antique shops, narrow alleyways, hidden truths, double meanings, sinister secrets and spooky old houses. He has written and drawn a number of unusual graphic novels which often combine elements of classic mystery and horror stories and which have been known to cause readers to emit chuckles as well as gasps. Although most of his books are written with teens and older readers in mind, his most recent book, CAT BURGLAR BLACK, can be enjoyed by younger readers as well. He has also collaborated with Lemony Snicket and Art Spiegelman, and his illustrations and artwork have won awards and been published all over the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maniac Sala Strikes Again!, April 24, 2004

By 

Sy Wolf (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maniac Killer Strikes Again!: Delirious, Mysterious Stories (Paperback)

For fans who want to see Sala's earliest work this collection is a must. For those new to Sala, it is an excellent introduction to the world of this brilliant, original, and quirky artist. You've got to read Richard Sala's work to understand how unlike anyone else he is.