First published back in April of 1971, Issue 8 of the ‘Pocket Chiller Library’ comic series was titled ‘The Pirate Brothers’.
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).
When Hippolite Piery got himself arrested for instigating a drunken brawl at the port of Ponape in the Caroline Islands, the last thing the commander of the post was expecting to hear from the prisoner was the extraordinary adventure Piery had to tell.
The schooner Piery had arrived at the island on was not the ‘Poi’, as was declared at the docks, but in fact the ‘Niuhorahiti’, which was also not owned by the other two men onboard either, but instead the property of the Prince of Tahiti.
Piery himself had been unwittingly caught up piracy. Those responsible were the brothers Alexander and Joseph Rorick. The pair had killed the schooner’s captain, ditching his body along with the bodies of the other crew overboard. The only survivor onboard the schooner, other than the murderous brothers, was the schooner’s cook – Hippolite Piery.
Some months later the schooner had arrived at the Caroline Islands, with just the three remaining crewmen onboard. Piery knew it was a risk, but he had to tell someone. He had to get his story out. Justice had to be served on the brothers.
Although, their story is far more complicated than what Hippolite Piery has to tell. In fact, to some, the pair are considered national heroes…
As is with the case with a number of these early PCL comics, the story told here is based on a real-life true crime case, only with the names of those involved slightly changed. Here the story is that of the Rorique brothers (here renamed the Rorick brothers) who in 1893 reportedly killed seven people aboard the Tahitian schooner – the ‘Niuroahiti’ (gain, slightly renamed to the ‘Niuhorahiti’ in the PCL). The cook onboard was a man named Hippolyte Mirey (rather than Hippolite Piery).
Of course, the slight renaming of the characters could just be down to errors in translation. However, whatever the reason, the main gist of the story – especially the murkiness of the lies and deceit about the true identity of the brothers – sticks relatively close to what we know of from the recorded true crime case.
How this is told in PCL format is a little odd. The first part of the story – the murders of the seven men onboard the schooner – is told in a blow-by-blow account, weaving a tale of piracy, brutish behaviour, and murder. However, for the second half of the PCL, this is told in a much faster pace, more akin to documenting the craziness that followed, with the trial of the brothers, them condemned to be shot for their crimes, the revelation that they’re not quite who they say they are, and instead the brothers Leonve and Eugene De Grave (real-life names Léonce and Eugene Degrave) – who it transpires are national heroes in Belgian!
Yeah, it’s all pretty wild and would otherwise be completely far-fetched, only its supposedly all true! The story does continue on further, detailing their past lives before this little spout of piracy, then covering their imprisonment and onto some even wilder turns of event which followed. Honestly, you just couldn’t make this stuff up!
For a PCL, the story is ok. It’s packed with twists and turns, but the wildness of this story has simply been condensed down too much. However, that does mean there’s absolutely no dull moments. Every page, every frame in the comic, has something new to offer. Another twist and unlikely turn of fate.
How much is in reality true, is probably open to debate. We know the pair were compulsive liars. We know seven men died and their bodies were thrown overboard. But we know little else for absolute fact.
The PCL does also manage to instil an overall air of doubt and deception. This works in its favour. As does the very dated feel, look and dialogue. I think it’s possibly the first time I’ve seen someone called a “coxswain” in a comic! Love it!
The illustrative artwork is pretty basic, but it does the job. Ultimately, it’s a no-frills comic that tells a supposedly true story, with almost zero padding to it.
The comic book runs for a total of 64 pages.
© DLS Reviews
