Random Happenstance

We don't have a bunch of them this year, but I did luck into one over the weekend: from 1973, the Twilight Zone #53. Cover by George Wilson.

Is historical accuracy important to you? If you answered yes, you're still a poser to "The Expert." John Phipps was a historical consultant, who hired out to movies and TV shows, to neg them about inaccuracies. While he's technically correct, as when he points out ancient Romans wouldn't have had access to pineapples; John is also a pedantic know-it-all. Until he goes on vacation in England, and visiting a castle, is treated with a quick visit to the past. At first thinking they were just actors, he critiques them on their clothes, the decor, and their dance steps; before realizing this was how it really was, regardless of what he 'knew.' Returned to the future, John has learned a lesson and is cooler and a lot more chill, which I worry is going to get him fired. "Did medieval knights wear sunglasses?...eh, historical records are spotty at best on the subject, so why not?" (A rare writer's credit, from the GCD: written by Paul S. Newman, pencils by Adolfo Buylla.)

I swear I haven't been looking for these, but it feels like voodoo has come up on the blog a lot this year? Here's another problematic one, with more problems: "Who's Afraid of the Ju-Ju Man?" After losing at poker, a farmer is coerced into selling his best 'field hand,' Dr. Sam. (Slave. They mean slave.) Bigger plantation owner Clay gets a bit wild-eyed talking about Dr. Sam, who was well-respected by all, possibly because he was a witch doctor: Clay felt he needed to be taken down, to show the others their place. The farmer's wife tries to warn Dr. Sam, who had been making a house call on a local child, and diagnosed appendicitis. (He wasn't going to perform the surgery, saying "only a white doctor's knife" could save the kid...ugh.) Dr. Sam refuses to run, since he knew Clay would take it out on other slaves, but tells them Clay would destroy himself. Clay tries to lay down the law, first by telling him no more 'doctor' talk, then that he had to deny having any special powers. Having special powers, Dr. Sam refuses to lie, and is locked in a wardrobe for days, but still refuses to break. Dying, Dr. Sam curses Clay, with the most powerful curse of all, to become what he hates most...and Clay's color changes, to that of a black man. Clay then spends the rest of his days, as "just another field hand...a prisoner not of stone or steel--but of my own skin!" The farmer and his wife still see Clay as a white man, but think he cracked when Dr. Sam died. Does that mean you should keep letting him work as a slave? I suppose they aren't making him work, exactly; just letting him think he has to...Well, they already owned slaves, so I guess no point splitting hairs on the moral high ground there. (Art by Luis Dominguez.)

The cover feature, "The Isle of the Dead" follows two reporters, visiting said isle near Venice, on All Hallows' Eve. They're looking for proof of the supernatural, and of course get more than they bargained for, as the dead rise up...to dance. (No credits for this one?)

Finally, in "Those Good Ol' Days," (art by Jack Abel) a record shop owner possibly hurts the feelings of his best customer, Herbie, who dressed like a 33-year-old greaser. (So, a typical greaser, then.) Herbie was still living like it was his personal golden age, 1957; but then buys a batch of "Vermillion grooming oil" from a peddler, that had maybe expired, transporting him back to his teenage years. (I had to look up if that was a real product, so far I don't think so!) Herbie quickly discovers, oh yeah, 1957 sucked ass, as he's harassed by his folks, the cops, and the gangs. Returning to the present, Herbie grows up, starting by unloading his record collection, cheap. Forty years later, he sees an article about what those records would be worth now, and immediately dies. OK, I made that last bit up, but still consider it canon...in the Twilight Zone.