Originally Published In Issue 38
Reprinted In Issue 97
First published back in July of 1972, Issue 38 of the ‘Pocket Chiller Library’ comic series was titled ‘The Children Of The Damned’. The comic was later reprinted under the alternative title ‘Insane With Terror’ within Issue 97.
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).
Len Harperton had been a junior reporter at the Milstown Argus for nearly twelve years, yet it was Toadie Murdoch that got all the good stories. It had always been that way for Len. His life had been a litany of underachievement. A long string of disappointments, never really making much out of anything.
Which was why the reporter was now at Joshua Reed’s decaying property. Harperton had been sent there for an interview with the wealthy ninety-six-year-old who was known to be both an eccentric and a recluse. The inside of the man’s home bore out the truth of the rumour. Nevertheless, Len’s editor wanted a story on the old man’s success. Another dull page-filler for Harperton to handle whilst Murdoch took on the bigger and better stories.
However, when Harperton spoke with Reed, what he found was a story of utter madness. Harperton was told that years ago, when Reed was a young man, he’d sold his soul to the Prince of Darkness. A trade in return for fortune, fame and the pleasures of the flesh.
But recently, Reed had felt the presence of the Dark One stalking his every move. Now, upon telling his story for the first time, the old man keels over, insane with absolute terror.
Wanting to be gone from the house as quick as possible, Harperton turns to leave when he spots a strange, old looking book. He has no idea why he decides to take the book on his way out, but he does. And in doing so, Len Harperton’s first tentative step towards a descent into hellish eternity is made…
Oh, this is a good one. A story awash with satanic practices and the hellish consequences of dabbling with the dark arts! It’s all wonderfully 1970s Satanic Panic, serving up a constant sense of impending doom which keeps you gripped to the progressing storyline!
Essentially, we have a fella whose life has been full of underachieving. Perfect fodder for manipulation from one who trades in devious corruption. Of course, the prospect of gaining something more from life is just too much for Harperton to resist. So, he feels compelled to go along with everything that follows.
Much of this gentle coercion and careful sinister persuasion is delivered through an attractive woman who suddenly moves in upstairs within Len Harperton’s bedsit. She calls herself Marla, and we instantly know she’s a bad ‘un. Turns out, she’s more than just a little wicked. The girl has been sent by you know who?!
The story as a whole is largely just one man’s gradual submission and subsequent descent into selling his soul to good ole Satan. Much of this is fairly predictable stuff, although the writer has thrown some particularly nice touches into the mix, such as the reanimated spider which after coming back to like in the first black ritual, seems to now be forever linked to Harperton.
There’s a constant, ominous feeling of something deeply sinister at work throughout the story. Quiet suggestions and a mounting sense of evil are the absolute mainstay here. Honestly, it works incredibly well within the PCL. The only time the story gets a little campy, is when poor old Harperton is subjected to a sudden torrent of tormenting visions…or as the PCL describes them: “nightmare shapes, screaming, contorted faces, bestial and inhuman”. Said visions are in fact, very, very kid friendly comic book depictions of goblin faces, bats, and floating heads. Unlike the rest of the comic, this part I’m afraid is just a tad silly.
Nevertheless, it’s still an excellent and altogether creepy PCL read.
The comic book runs for a total of 64 pages.
© DLS Reviews
