First published back in January of 1971, Issue 1 of the ‘Pocket Chiller Library’ comic series was titled ‘The Body’. Early issues of the comic contained two stories, with the comic titled after the lead story. This issue contained ‘The Body’ along with ‘The Curse’.
During the 1970s the ‘Pocket Chiller Library’ was a pocket-sized mainstream horror comic which ran for a total of 137 issues between 1971 and 1977. Each month, two issues of the comic were published, amounting to a total of twenty-four issues of the comic published each year.
However, it should be noted that issue 83 and then from issue 86 onwards, the publishers started reprinting the earlier stories. Of these reprints, the first 29 reprints (issues 83 and then 86 – 113) retitled the story. As such, there were only ever a total of 84 unique stories within the series, despite there being more titles. This particular issue was one of the 33 issues which were not reprinted.
Unfortunately, each issue was undated, making it difficult to be sure of the date for first publication of each issue. However, it is widely understood the comics were monthly publications, with two publications released simultaneously each month, with the original stories running from January 1971. Therefore, the above date of publication is a relatively reasonable assumption. Additionally, each issue was unfortunately uncredited to either the writer or the comic artist(s).
As a final note, the publishers of the comic didn’t apply a huge amount of care and attention to the final publications, which is reflected within the first two issues, where for this issue and ‘Pocket Chiller Library: Issue 2 – The Jewels’ (1971) the publishers got the cover artwork the wrong way around (the cover artwork for ‘The Body’ illustrates a scene from within ‘The Jewels’ and vice versa).
The Body – 35 Pages
The famous scientist, Paul Britton, was devastated at the premature death of his young wife, Ann. So much so, that whilst crouched at her graveside he promises he’ll free her from death.
That night, just hours after her burial, Paul returns to the grave and exhumes Ann’s lifeless corpse. Without a minute to spare, he rushes the body back to his laboratory where he undergoes the riskiest transplant of his career. Paul attempts to replace her heart with an artificial one. A mechanical device, powered by mercury batteries, that he hopes will return his beloved wife to life.
Somehow, the experimental operation is a success, and Ann Britton’s eyes flicker open. However, Paul’s joy is short lived. For it takes only a minute or two before Paul realises something terrible has happened.
His wife is no longer the sweet, gentle creature of before. Now it seems, inflicting pain on others gives his once beloved wife pleasure…
For an opening story within the very first issue, this one is a damn grisly and pulpy offering! Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so dark and downbeat. Essentially, we have a ‘Frankenstein’ (1818) type of story, only the reanimated lifeform here is a beautiful woman who’s now devoid of any empathy, or indeed any other human emotion. Ultimately, this makes her the epitome of a psychopathic killer.
Of course, being a PCL, the storyline that follows is equal parts ludicrous as it is pulpy horror goodness! After powering down the battery in Ann’s new mechanical heart, our antihero – the scientist Paul Britton – decides its best he whisks her away to a small, rented house by the lake, where no one will know them.
This rental property is managed by a couple – Hector and Martha – who act as the property’s live-in butler and cook (respectively). When he arrives, Paul has Hector help him take the big coffin-sized box containing his dead wife down into the cellar, where he then sets up shop! Of course, Hector goes along with this madness with just the slightest raising of an eyebrow!
What follows, as you can probably imagine, is utterly off-the-wall, outrageously far-fetched nonsense. But we love it! With her mechanical heart kick-started back into life, Ann starts killing things for the sheer fun of it. We start off with little chicks that Martha has in their kitchen… and then move onto the couple’s young boy!!! Yep, we have a young child being sadistically killed in the very first PCL story! A comic series that starts out as it means to go on!
It’s one heck of an opening story. Utterly mad and spectacularly far-fetched. It also ends in a wonderful downbeat way. A theme we see throughout the PCL comics that follow.
The Curse - 29 Pages
Lady Morley had been a famous singer in her youth. Her showbiz past brought with it a great many admirers. One of which had gifted the singer with a beautiful topaz necklace on the condition she allowed the man to court her. Lady Morely accepted the gift, then denied the man any access to her, or any part of her life.
Upon receiving such a cold-hearted rejection from the woman he adored, the man warned the singer that the necklace brought with it a curse. A spell that would bring happiness to the pure, but misery to the evil. A curse which it seemed lived up to its claims, as ever since she tricked the man into giving her the necklace, Lady Morely’s life had been plagued with bad luck.
Now many years later and Lady Morely is a frail old woman. Upon showing her bedside nurse the necklace, the young nurse sees an opportunity for herself. The nurse’s greed to acquire the precious necklace takes over. A simple action, cutting off the old woman’s breathing, and the necklace is hers.
A simple task, undertaken over just a few seconds, but one which comes with terrifying consequences. For the curse doesn’t forget. The curse doesn’t forgive, and in that moment of weakness, the curse is passed on…
For this second story in the comic we have a classic tale involving a cursed object reaping comeuppance. It’s all fairly standard horror stuff, although the brutality of the murders perhaps stands out a tad.
We have no defining protagonist, just Lady Morely who’s carried the curse with her over the years, and Nurse Sue Neblin, whose desire to take possession of the necklace leads her to murdering the old woman.
The resulting comeuppance comes pretty darn swiftly, and with dramatic effect. Ms Neblin certainly doesn’t have the most pleasant ending. Instead, we’re treated to a pissed off ghostly apparition making sure Sue never takes a breath again.
Yeah, nothing hugely original here, but still an entertaining story, nonetheless. All in all, it’s a solid second story to a quality first comic.
The comic book runs for a total of 64 pages.
© DLS Reviews
