Originally Published In Issue 33
Reprinted In Issue 92
First published back in May of 1972, Issue 33 of the ‘Pocket Chiller Library’ comic series was titled ‘The Lake’. The comic was later reprinted under the alternative title ‘Evil Waters’ within Issue 92.
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.
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).
Nancy and Tom Bridges had purchased Lake House from the legacy that was left to them by Tom’s father. Although as the sun went down on their first evening within their new home, the house started to take on a different appearance. A gloomy, cold feel with something almost evil about it.
However, it was as they settled down for their first evening meal in the house, seated by the great window overlooking the neighbouring lake, that the terrifying reality of the house’s dark past revealed itself to the couple.
From across the still and quiet waters of the lake, under the pale light of the moon, a mist started to sweep closer to the house. As it drew close to the windows, the eerily floating, drifting mist began to form itself into shadowy, ethereal phantoms. Forms clambering at the glass panes, seemingly trying to get inside. Only when Tom switches the lights on, do the phantoms finally disperse.
The next day they seek answers from the local historian, Sir Elliot Bradbury. Through him, the Bridges learn of Lake House’s terrible past. How it’d been built in the late fifteenth century by an immensely wealthy man named Sir Edgar Gilbert, the Earl of Ringwall. However, Sir Gilbert was far from a sane man. He’d become obsessed with the idea that a great monster lurked in the lake and would one day emerge to destroy the house, if it were not periodically placated.
A task which Sir Gilbert took upon himself. An evil task which saw him snatching girls away from the village and casting them into the lake waters. Victims to the man’s madness. A terrible legacy which still haunts the lake to this very day…
DLS Review:
This one’s a textbook PCL. A relatively standard haunted house setup, or rather here we have a haunted lake that neighbours the house! Of course, we soon learn the backstory to the haunting, a wealthy nutter that’s obsessed by the idea of a monster lurking in the lake which he needs to provide attractive young female sacrifices to!
This wealthy fifteenth century loon ends up being killed by a mob of decidedly pissed off villagers. Now his ghost is said to walk the house and grounds, seeking more girls to sacrifice to the monster! As I said, it’s a classic plot! Furthermore, the Lake House’s longstanding caretaker named Elisha, is a feeble-minded giant of a man who of course makes for easy pickings for the ghost of Sir Edgar Gilbert to take control of!
As with so many of this 1970s comics, the story’s full of hilarious cliches. So, we have, poor old Nancy Bridges who likes to faint when faced with something spooky. Luckily, Tom Bridges has no qualms facing down a bunch of ghosts clambering at the vast windows. All in a day’s work for our Tom!
In fact, Tom’s instant and complete acceptance of the presence of phantoms and indeed a haunted lake is somewhat refreshing. He’s a practical man, nevertheless, it appears hauntings aren’t something which will throw him one bit. So, it’s off to the estate agents first thing in the morning to discuss why the presence of ghosts didn’t come up on the property survey! Oh, the bloody inconvenience of it all!
The whole story is laughable but utterly enjoyable for that very fact. The pacing is generally tight and straight to the point, other than a slight dip in the last handful of pages where the writer tries to lull us into a false sense of security before the big, horror-ific twist ending (which we can obviously see coming from a mile off).
Despite all the charming, camp horror fun of the comic, it does still feel like it doesn’t do much with the plot other than a spot of haunting and setting down the aforementioned backstory. To be honest, there’re more loose ends in this story than a tornado in a string factory! Luckily, good old Tom Bridges comes to the rescue with that immortal line “Darling, there are just some things we will never understand…”. Sorted!
It's all good, solid PCL horror fun, which doesn’t take itself too seriously. The illustrative artwork is relatively mediocre but does the job. Although the facial expressions of our feeble-minded caretaker will probably have you guiltily smirking. Yeah, the artist didn’t hold back on depicting our simple-minded victim in the whole damn palaver. Elisha doesn’t half get the shit-end-of-the-stick the whole way through. Ahhhhh…the 1970s!
The comic book runs for a total of 66 pages.
© DLS Reviews
