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Clive Barker's Hellraiser (1989) #1
Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Book 1
All-new chilling tales that take you beyond
the horror that began in Clive Barker's
darkly malevolent films--tales of terror the
movies don't dare unleash...
Contents:
The Canons of Pain by Erik Stalgaber, John Bolton
Dead Man's Hand by Shelly Fische, Dan Spiegle
The Warm Red by Jan Strnad, Bernie Wrightson
Dance of the Fetus by Ted McKeever
the horror that began in Clive Barker's
darkly malevolent films--tales of terror the
movies don't dare unleash...
Contents:
The Canons of Pain by Erik Stalgaber, John Bolton
Dead Man's Hand by Shelly Fische, Dan Spiegle
The Warm Red by Jan Strnad, Bernie Wrightson
Dance of the Fetus by Ted McKeever
64 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1989
2 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Clive Barker
704 books15.1k followersClive Barker was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Joan Rubie (née Revill), a painter and school welfare officer, and Leonard Barker, a personnel director for an industrial relations firm. Educated at Dovedale Primary School and Quarry Bank High School, he studied English and Philosophy at Liverpool University and his picture now hangs in the entrance hallway to the Philosophy Department. It was in Liverpool in 1975 that he met his first partner, John Gregson, with whom he lived until 1986. Barker's second long-term relationship, with photographer David Armstrong, ended in 2009.
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 29, 2024
The first two stories were great. I loved the twist on the second one, and the art was gorgeous on the first. The third and fourth stories are not so good.
April 19, 2019
Iconic, classic, and still haunting some 30 years plus down the road, the first iteration ff the Hellraiser comics follow in the same tradition of its time honored approach to the real spooky shit. Albeit watered down unto 5 separate parts, the only connective tissues here are the same topical tendons of the series. Hooks, chains and the unforgettable Lament Configuration bind these micro tales across time and space - starting in the Crusades and ending in our modern era.
Steering clear of anything resembling a full bodied narrative, the craftsmanship here is at the minimal level. Just enough to wet your pallet but not enough elevation toward a full course, these tiny treats are far more akin to snack fare than proper appetizers. Chewed as quickly as they are to be digested the flavors are meant for the fans, and most likely the fans alone.
In either case as much unearthed time capsule level pleasure as legitimate enjoyment, what holds up holds up well. What is less than spectacular of course should be perceived as artifacts of a bygone era. I'm a Hellraiser fan so i enjoyed it, and even if you're not there's still enough goodness to go around.
Steering clear of anything resembling a full bodied narrative, the craftsmanship here is at the minimal level. Just enough to wet your pallet but not enough elevation toward a full course, these tiny treats are far more akin to snack fare than proper appetizers. Chewed as quickly as they are to be digested the flavors are meant for the fans, and most likely the fans alone.
In either case as much unearthed time capsule level pleasure as legitimate enjoyment, what holds up holds up well. What is less than spectacular of course should be perceived as artifacts of a bygone era. I'm a Hellraiser fan so i enjoyed it, and even if you're not there's still enough goodness to go around.
December 23, 2013
First of the Hellraiser graphic novel anthologies. This one has 4 stories:
The cannons of pain - in which the wife of a crusading knight opens the box to defeat evil once and for all and gets more than she bargains for.
Deadman's hand - A cowboy plays cards with the devil and wins. Love the end twist here, totally didn't see it coming!
The warm red - in which a greedy reel estate agent meets a serial killer - OK, but predictable
And finally the superb "dance of the fetus" in which a demon takes possession of a willing host only to find that she was unknowingly pregnant and has the dilemma of what to do with the innocent baby.
Not the best collection, but not bad, a real mixed bag of art styles, from beautiful to horrific.
The cannons of pain - in which the wife of a crusading knight opens the box to defeat evil once and for all and gets more than she bargains for.
Deadman's hand - A cowboy plays cards with the devil and wins. Love the end twist here, totally didn't see it coming!
The warm red - in which a greedy reel estate agent meets a serial killer - OK, but predictable
And finally the superb "dance of the fetus" in which a demon takes possession of a willing host only to find that she was unknowingly pregnant and has the dilemma of what to do with the innocent baby.
Not the best collection, but not bad, a real mixed bag of art styles, from beautiful to horrific.
November 10, 2024
Love the different art styles. Can't wait to read the next issue
July 6, 2024
Dug this one up from the basement and it's still as good now to my 44 year old eyeballs as it was when I read it at 9 when it was first published. CREEPY! Absolutely love it and essential for Hellraiser fans.
November 15, 2018
This is not something I wanted to be any longer but it was very well done. I have another but it'll take awhile to get the nerve.
This isn't of the Dark Horse variety of hero/funny/pseudo/non-scary/reasonably-scary horror- it's the skin-crawling kind!
This isn't of the Dark Horse variety of hero/funny/pseudo/non-scary/reasonably-scary horror- it's the skin-crawling kind!
May 27, 2020
Review soon on Kendall Reviews.
July 8, 2021
Some good Hellraiser tales in here. All of the stories were certainly better than most of the movie sequels.
December 11, 2022
Very artistic and creative, although it completely misses the cheese that made the movies good. Some consider the approach of the movies cheap art, so they may enjoy more of this graphic novel...
March 28, 2024
Pretty cool! The cowboy story was my favorite, the last one was the worst because it was impossible to understand.
October 18, 2022
I've been wanting to read this series forever, and I happened to find an original copy at my local comic shop last time I was in. The stories in this first collection are gloriously untainted by any of the film sequels past Hellbound, it's so cool to experience something from this world that was made before it was sullied by a crop of boring stories that had Pinhead lazily thrown in at the end. The art in the first story is jaw-droppingly good, it's a shame that John Bolton didn't do more work in comics. Definitely going to be reading the rest of this series.
January 9, 2017
Teeming with that pungent 80s horror vibe that Epic Comics shared so well with Vertigo comics, I picked up several of these old prestige format books in a back issue bin and absolutely love them. I was looking for a way to continue the feeling Hellraiser and Hellbound inspired in me after a recent re-watch and found these to be just the thing.
These are the true sequels to the Hellraiser legacy!
These are the true sequels to the Hellraiser legacy!
August 8, 2016
A slim volume, but well drawn and written. I especially liked the art in the first short, and the premise of the 4th short. The second and third shorts were alright, but seemed to lack the poetry and unique style of the other two.
May 3, 2014
Quite good, different settings but all with the same theme. Was good to see a variety of art styles though it did seem quite simplistic
July 31, 2019
here we go, instant buy, didnt regret it
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews