Weird Business (Hardcover)

by Joe R. Lansdale (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Dedicated to, and very much in the humor-loving spirit of, the late Robert Bloch, this original anthology of mostly black-and-white horror comics is a beautiful book to have and to hold, and is great fun to read. Don't expect literary subtlety from this one--these are comics, after all--and your horror thirst will be slaked by stories in which blood flows, corpses move, monsters romp, skull-faced demons walk the night, and only rarely does the good guy win. The stories are almost all by established horror prose writers, ranging from contemporary pros like Norman Partridge and F. Paul Wilson, to adaptations of classics like Edgar A. Poe's "Masque of the Red Death" and Ambrose Bierce's "Oil of Dog." The artwork is by 20-some different artists, and exhibits a range of graphic styles, including some on the cutting edge of today's comics.

Review
"A must read!" --Overstreet's Fan

"I wouldn't call Weird Business a comic book, though it is, strictly speaking, a book filled with comics. It is rather, a hefty 414-page (sic) hardcover, just out from Mojo Press, which gathers a broad spectrum of weird and horrible tales from a truly impressive range of writers. The price is up there at $29.95, but when you consider that in traditional comic book format you would probably break this collection down to about 16 comics for which you would expect to pay about $3.00 apiece... well, it would add up to even more. If horror, dark fantasy, and weird business is your pleasure, then Weird Business is for you.....truly impressive but what's even more remarkable, is how smooth the synthesis of art and text is on so many of these pieces. Only a couple of these 23 tales are by a single person, but many of these are so craftily blended I wouldn't have guessed they were by several people." -- Marianne Jablon from her column "Costumes Optional" in N.I.C.E. News Monthly (the monthly publication from Mile High Comics)

"I've been using Richard Klaw and Joe R. Lansdale's lavish graphic novel anthology Weird Business as a device of seduction (literary, natch) for convincing dedicated readers who say, 'But I don't read comics!' to give the graphic form a try. It works....Weird Business would make a wonderful gift book. But read it first before you pass it on." -- Edward Bryant, Locus

"Considering that routine hardcovers these days run about $20 with no frills, this book is a bargain. The back cover carries the name of 56 contributors, and the contents contain many memorable horrors. ...the editors have provided an elegant mix of types of horror, as well as literary and artistic styles." --Maggie Thompson, Comic Buyer's Guide

"A hardcover graphic collection to lust after." --Don D'Ammassa, Science Fiction Chronicle

"Weird Business, possibly the greatest comic ever..." -Rocky Mountain News -- (Rocky Mountain News)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 420 pages
• Publisher: Mojo Press; 1st edition (May 21, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885418027
• ISBN-13: 978-1885418029
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,635,817 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wide-ranging, provocative collection, October 13, 1998

By A Customer

Often, when one fails to understand the content of something, it is easiest to *blame the content*. "Weird Business" readers will have to do some thinkin' work along with the free shocks -- but the pleasures and terrors are worth it. This eclectic collection, boasting gems like "Hellbound Train," and -- yes -- "Gorilla Gunslinger," covers a range of tones and styles. Where else can you go from Poe to alternate histories, to the wish-it-would- happen trenchant fairytale of bovine revolution, "Till the Cows Come Home?" Where else will you find dinosaurs and Marilyn Monroe's brain in the same story?

Get it while you can, pardners, for tomorrow may bring nothin' but comic collections of over-licensed, over-marketed, corporate-owned characters, and hey: Here's some proof that once upon a time, *some* publishing companies were actually *independent.*

4.0 out of 5 stars A well-done collection of literature-to-comics adaptations., October 9, 1998

By A Customer

Not only does this book contain a bevy of stories by authors you've actually heard of, like Joe Lansdale, E.A. Poe, Ambrose Bierce, Nancy Collins, and Robert Bloch, but Weird Business manages to showcase some brilliant artwork by known professionals and a few up-and-coming artists. If you are a fan of the old-school horror stories, without all of the overly-pretentious hoo ha that goes with it, then grab this book now. Just make sure you lock the doors before you sit down to read it...

4.0 out of 5 stars WEIRD BUSINESS INDEED! One heapin' helpin' of horrific fun!, October 8, 1998

By A Customer

Hell fire & brimstone if this ain't the s***. WEIRD BUSINESS suceeds on so many levels that it's nearly imponderable.