Deadbeats

by Chris Lackey, Chad Fifer, I.N.J. Culbard (Artist)

Chicago, 1924. For jazz trumpeter Lester Lane, the 'Windy City' is about to get a whole lot windier. On the run from the mob, Lester scores a desperate gig for his trio – dapper pianist Hank Arvin, with old-timer 'Iron Willie' on drums (among other things). Only trouble is, the booking is for a funeral, over in the backwoods of Illinois – where they sure ain't never heard of Tiger Rag. What happens then proves to Lester and his band that a White Zombie is far, far more than a fancy cocktail…

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Lovecraftian, Graphic Novels Comics, Music

127 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2012

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a piece of trash was that. Really now, what was that? Culbard's second quality animation themed drawing style is always a pain to watch, but in "Deadbeats" what steals the show is the crappiness of the script. One of the worst things i've read in the horror genre by far. I'm not one to complain about milking the lovecraftian cow but that's shameful.

Bad slapstick humor, underlined racist jokes, crappy story full of cliches. The only good thing (and the reason I've read that in the first place) is the cover.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so on to the last two of the Self Made Hero Lovecraftian books (though I am still waiting for the King in Yellow to be delivered !!!)

This is rather different to the rest in the series (I suppose I should have read this one last) as its not based on any one specific story like the other volumes but rather influenced by the style, settings and atmosphere that makes Lovecraft's stories so memorable.

So now you have a story set in 1924 where so many events are bubbling away under the surface - it almost feels like the horrors of the mythos are about to be submerged below the horrors of man. However regardless of how fast and ferocious life may seem there are always back waters and isolated corners where horrors can hide and congregate.

And so you have the setting of chaotic romp through the border of Iowa - not the first place to you would expect one of Lovecraft's horror to be residing.

And now for my guilty admission - I used to play Call of Cthulhu when I was younger and one of the things about the game was that even though they wanted it to be as faithful as possible to the stories they were careful not to cross refer their scenarios to the original tales.
So to achieve this they often took the adventures to other locations away from those most commonly associated (although there were many a reference and referral).

So as such you would often find yourself wrapped up with some eldritch plot in some unfamiliar territory and what I am trying to say (and probably not making a very good job of it) is that this story reminds me so very much of those tales.

As a result I think this is a brilliant story which has all the right tones for a perfect Lovecraft homage.

[Mika Lietzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovecraftian monsters meet a jazz trio with a pants-challenged drummer. Sounds odd and it is, a weird concoction in the good sense of the words. A group of jazz musicians on the run from the Chicago mob accept a gig at a funeral that isn't a funeral, jam it up a bit too much, and manage to summon something that then proceeds to cause all kinds of mayhem. The tone of this jazz-age tentacular spectacular is light and comedic throughout (see recurring jokes about pants), but the roots of the story are seriously lovecraftian. The characters are well developed (for a comedy) and act like sensible people when facing the compulsory lovecraftian monstrosity, as in that they don't really face it, but get the hell out of Dodge when the situation gets too hot to handle. Lesser minions of course get their asses properly kicked in a wonderfully gratuitous manner. Culbard's ligne claire drawing style and excellent coloring are as attractive as ever, with special mentions going to the elegantly deformed villagers and a two-page glimpse of the big bad at the end of the book. However, there are sections that seem a bit rushed, and scenes where the action borders on the incoherent. But then again, Deadbeats is Culbard's second full length graphic novel published this year, and all the madcap nonstop action would be hard to capture even for a more action-oriented artist. So, minor quibbles. All things considered, the book is a fine fun read, with a suitably nonsensical approach to all things unnamable and indescribable, and in all honesty, one of the better original lovecraftian graphic novels that have appeared over the years. And what a great cover design as well!

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vuosi on 1924. Chicagolaiset jazzmuusikot onnistuvat suututtamaan mafiaperheen ja joutuvat sitten häipymään kaupungista kiireen vilkkaa. Kolmikolle järjestyykin korvaava keikka syrjäisestä pikkukylästä, mutta miksi ihmeessä eteen tyrkätyssä sävelteoksessa on sellaisia kummallisia osasia kuin "Kutsuminen" ja "Herättäminen"? Lisäksi on tärkeää soittaa teos läpi nuotti nuotilta, juuri niin kuin se on kirjoitettu...

Chris Lackeyn ja Chad Fiferin käsikirjoittama "Deadbeats" (SelfMade Hero, 2021) lähestyy lovecraftilaista kauhua pilke silmäkulmassa. Lopputulos on ihan viihdyttävä sarjakuva-albumi, mutta näistä mukavan perinnetietoisista aineksista olisi keitellyt paremmankin sopan, etenkin jonkun muun kuvittajan kuin I.N.J. Culbardin kanssa. Niukasti jäädään kahteen tähteen.

[Doug Bolden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in mostly a single go (with one tiny break) after a long day, because it was relatively light and interesting, and I think that you could get almost you need to out of this review by thinking about that. Are you looking for the kind of graphic novel featuring jazz-age backwoods mythos horrors with an enjoyable dose of not always relevant humor? Then give it a read.

Sure, it could have been heavier on the mythos (though I think it dialed the mythos to the just right amount) and on the mob (I think it downplayed the mob to its detriment), but who wouldn't love a bit of jazz in their Lovecraft, though the jazz stylings they seemed to be tapping into would have been probably post-prohibition period. I mean, the jazz of Cthulhu is surely Sun Ra, right? "Nuclear chaos...don't you know..." It also missed a beat with Sarah Blake, though I didn't quite notice how much until retrospect, at the time I was reading I was flipping through too fast to take fault. Maybe more like 3.5 stars than 4, but 4 in some angles of light.

The fact that I am tired the next day and can't right a coherent review means I probably need a better schedule, or maybe the non-euclidean horrors within have warped my mind. Either. Or.

[Ex-Priest Tobin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing light comic-horror graphic novel from the creators of the excellent H.P. Lovecraft literary podcast. Most of the jokes land home, the heroes are likeable and Culbard's art style perfectly fits the setting and tone of the story. However, the plotting is predictable and the horror elements are a little trite. Recommended for Lovecraft fans, particularly players of the Call of Cthulhu pen-and-paper game given the twenties setting.

[Chris Browning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Culbard is one of my favourite comic artists - there’s a looseness to his line that makes his characters really alive with the bare minimum of line work. He’s at his best here, juggling horror and comedy and gangsters and weirdness with aplomb. The story itself is fine, but feels like one of those character owned stories that ends up in the Megazine every now and then where you only really remember how good the artist is. But when he’s as good as Culbard is here that is no bad thing at all

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quickly picked up Deadbeats in an “I don’t have anything to read-panic”. I was basically going for a light read and the comedy here helped to meet my expectations – not really necessary to have fully developed characters etc. On the other hand there’s quite some depth – especially when we are looking at the lovecraftian input to this work. There’s a near perfect balance which made me forget all about the few little things initially bothering me. I’m pleasantly surprised!

[Daniel Kovacs Rezsuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deadbeats is very similar to Lovecraft Country in a lot of ways, which was actually published years after this comic book. Lovecraft Country is a more sprawling story with a lot more going on both in terms of characters, plot and themes. The plot of Deadbeats on the other hand cannot be longer than 24 hours, occasional flashback exposition notwhithstanding, offering a more focused and concise experience. Hard to say which one I prefer better: I certainly view them both as achievements reaching equal levels of quality, but in slightly different ways. All I would say is Deadbeats would make a better film, than Lovecraft Country did a tv series.

[Joel Hacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great period genre piece by the geniuses behind the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast, with a genre bending choice of protagonist. An action packed, visually engaging read.

[user · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not too bad.

[Andrii Rudenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent take on Mythos in the 1930s, from jazz musian's viewpoint. Good art style, not so sudden plot, liked it.

[The Smoog · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bit silly at points, but the story isn’t too bad an I liked the setting. It loses points for clunky dialogue though, and artwork which really didn’t appeal to me.

[Jon Carroll Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty fun and the guys responsible are kinda awesome. The characters are lively and original, but I think I wanted a little more since Lackey and Fifer are such strong writers. The art is almost perfect but some pages seem rushed and bland. It would be great if this was only the first story in a series.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, but not fantastic. I probably gave it an extra star just for the setting and material, which is very similar to the Call of Cthulhu campaign I'm in right now. :) Going to loan this around to my CoC group to read!

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This graphic novel was a gift. I know I would not have found it on my own. So thank you thank you thank you!

The story is straight out of Lovecraft. It's creepy and horrifying. But the author also incorporates much-needed humor and dynamite characters. I really enjoyed it.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good stuff, I heard about it through the podcast.

[Mark J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable story from a great creative team. Lovecraftian fun awaits!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Lovecraftian fun! Would recommend to anyone interested in the Mythos who has a sense of humour.

[Tvermar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars really - good fun. now lent to my 12 year old nephew - think he will enjoy