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Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?
One of the greats in the field of true-crime literature, Harold Schechter (Deviant, The Serial Killer Files, Hell's Princess), teams with five-time Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist Eric Powell (The Goon, Big Man Plans, Hillbilly) to bring you the tale of one of the most notoriously deranged murderers in American history, Ed Gein. DID YOU HEAR WHAT EDDIE GEIN DONE? is an in-depth exploration of the Gein family and what led to the creation of the necrophile who haunted the dreams of 1950s America and inspired such films as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs.
Painstakingly researched and illustrated, Schechter and Powell's true-crime graphic novel takes the Gein story out of the realms of exploitation and gives the reader a fact-based dramatization of these tragic, psychotic and heartbreaking events. Because, in this case, the truth needs no embellishment to be horrifying.
Painstakingly researched and illustrated, Schechter and Powell's true-crime graphic novel takes the Gein story out of the realms of exploitation and gives the reader a fact-based dramatization of these tragic, psychotic and heartbreaking events. Because, in this case, the truth needs no embellishment to be horrifying.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2021
109 people are currently reading
6313 people want to read
About the author
Eric Powell
504 books281 followersEric Powell has contributed work on such comics titles as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Hellboy: Weird Tales, Star Wars Tales, The Incredible Hulk, Black Panther, The Avengers, The Hood, MAD Magazine, Devil Dinosaur, Swamp Thing, the Avengers, She-Hulk, the Simpsons, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and Action Comics.
Although eking out a meager living in the comics field since 1995, Eric didn't find true success until he launched his critically acclaimed dark comedy series The Goon. The Goon was subsequently picked up by Dark Horse Comics and boasts a diehard cult following.
Although eking out a meager living in the comics field since 1995, Eric didn't find true success until he launched his critically acclaimed dark comedy series The Goon. The Goon was subsequently picked up by Dark Horse Comics and boasts a diehard cult following.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 652 reviews
January 25, 2022
If you have lived in Wisconsin, as I have, you know the book Wisconsin Death Trip which makes a case for the state being one of the creepiest places on the planet (including chapters on monsters/serial killers such as jeffery Dahmer, and so on). But before Dahmer, in 1957, there was Eddie Gein, one of the most truly macabre people to ever walk the planet (oh, I know he has competition). And I admit, I have recently taken a (shallow, hypocritical) stand against the sensationalization of murder in my review of a graphic memoir, The Murder Book (Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell), a book about the author's obsession with True Crime, as I was at the same time reading Norman Mailer's Executioner's Song, about psycho-killer Gary Gilmore.
I read this graphic biography/history for two reasons; 1) Sam Quixote had it on his list as one of the best graphic works of 2021, and 2) because I was going to spend the weekend at a lake cabin not fifteen miles from where Ed Gein is buried in an unmarked grave in the tiny village of Plainfield, Wisconsin (no, I did not visit the gravesite of the murderer! I haven't sunk that low!), and I knew many of the older people who were going to be staying at this cabin had grown up near Plainfield, and would very well recall the events of the book, because they were (in their seventies) old enough to have lived through those days.
Some of you may have your own reasons for reading this book, one of which might include the fact that Gein's story is sort of the origin story or "inspiration" for Wisconsin novelist Robert Bloch's Norman Bates, in Psycho, on which Alfred Hitchcock's film was based; also Leatherface of The Texas Chainsaw Murders, and Buffalo Bill of The Silence of the Lambs.
I don't quite agree with Sam that this book is one of the best graphic works of the year, but it's good, getting at the heart(lessness) of the story, based as it is on the author's original True Crime classic about Gein, now adapted for comics. Eric Powell's (The Goon) illustration, digital, black and white with grayscale, has a touch of goony Mad Magazine about it, but it's well done. The story is better at the development of the early dysfunctional life of Ed with his brother and drunk father and controlling mother (recall Norman Bates and his mother?!); the trial and later events are a little truncated and rushed, though I like the additions in the appendices of interview excerpts with a psychologist and a neighbor. Knowing the story, as I do, I think it is a good adaptation, like maybe a 3.5 rating.
As to the second reason for my reading the book, that part of it was unforgettable, in that four adults I stayed with had very specific memories of various events relating to Gein, who murdered two women close to the age of his mother, and "grave-robbed" the bodies of several other women for his various purposes. (I checked to see all the doors were locked as we talked, of course) (just kidding, but it was a little spooky to be that close to the site). My informants not only recalled the names of the murdered women, but also some of the names on the graves that had been robbed. They all knew the name of the guy who made the headstone for Gein's grave which they assume was since stolen. They all knew the institutions where he--deemed "insane"--had been housed or decades. That experience alone can't be separated for me from the reading, so I bump it up to 4 stars. But trust me, you will need a strong stomach to read this, unless of course you are one of the hardened True Crime aficionados.
I read this graphic biography/history for two reasons; 1) Sam Quixote had it on his list as one of the best graphic works of 2021, and 2) because I was going to spend the weekend at a lake cabin not fifteen miles from where Ed Gein is buried in an unmarked grave in the tiny village of Plainfield, Wisconsin (no, I did not visit the gravesite of the murderer! I haven't sunk that low!), and I knew many of the older people who were going to be staying at this cabin had grown up near Plainfield, and would very well recall the events of the book, because they were (in their seventies) old enough to have lived through those days.
Some of you may have your own reasons for reading this book, one of which might include the fact that Gein's story is sort of the origin story or "inspiration" for Wisconsin novelist Robert Bloch's Norman Bates, in Psycho, on which Alfred Hitchcock's film was based; also Leatherface of The Texas Chainsaw Murders, and Buffalo Bill of The Silence of the Lambs.
I don't quite agree with Sam that this book is one of the best graphic works of the year, but it's good, getting at the heart(lessness) of the story, based as it is on the author's original True Crime classic about Gein, now adapted for comics. Eric Powell's (The Goon) illustration, digital, black and white with grayscale, has a touch of goony Mad Magazine about it, but it's well done. The story is better at the development of the early dysfunctional life of Ed with his brother and drunk father and controlling mother (recall Norman Bates and his mother?!); the trial and later events are a little truncated and rushed, though I like the additions in the appendices of interview excerpts with a psychologist and a neighbor. Knowing the story, as I do, I think it is a good adaptation, like maybe a 3.5 rating.
As to the second reason for my reading the book, that part of it was unforgettable, in that four adults I stayed with had very specific memories of various events relating to Gein, who murdered two women close to the age of his mother, and "grave-robbed" the bodies of several other women for his various purposes. (I checked to see all the doors were locked as we talked, of course) (just kidding, but it was a little spooky to be that close to the site). My informants not only recalled the names of the murdered women, but also some of the names on the graves that had been robbed. They all knew the name of the guy who made the headstone for Gein's grave which they assume was since stolen. They all knew the institutions where he--deemed "insane"--had been housed or decades. That experience alone can't be separated for me from the reading, so I bump it up to 4 stars. But trust me, you will need a strong stomach to read this, unless of course you are one of the hardened True Crime aficionados.
November 26, 2021
Ed Gein was a wee bit coo coo for cocoa puffs. He murdered two women (though it’s likely the number is much higher) and robbed the graves of several other recently-deceased elderly women so that he could flay the corpses, turn the skin to turn into clothes and wear it so that he could “be” a woman/his mother. He also made furniture out of human remains, as well as other clothing items, like a belt made of nipples! He was eventually caught in 1957 and spent the rest of his life in a nuthouse.
True crime writer Harold Schechter teams up with true comics artist greatness Eric Powell to bring us “Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?”, a morbidly compelling account of the strange, sad life of Ed Gein.
Raised by a tyrannical, religious zealot and likely insane mother Augusta and drunken, violent father George, Schechter/Powell provide glimpses of scenes Ed would probably have seen in his youth which might explain his later behaviour, like seeing his mother butchering a pig and his father tanning leather. It’s a very grim life story and it’s not hard to see how damaging a life of paranoia and isolation could be to a person - Ed really had no chance right from the beginning.
I’ve seen documentaries on Gein before so I was familiar with most of the grisly details in this book, but there were some interesting new aspects that Schechter introduces for the reader to consider. Like whether Gein truly was insane given that his murders, particularly the last one, Bernice Worden, shows definite premeditation, and he got away with his crimes for many years before eventually being caught. He also comes across as very careful with his words in the interviews and not being declared insane at his trial would’ve meant going to the chair instead of being confined to a mental institution. He was certainly mentally ill but insane, as in not in control of his actions? Hmm…
I like that Schechter stuck to the facts of the case. There was a lot of sensationalism around the story at the time that Schechter points out and instead highlights only the proven facts. Gein’s confirmed murder victims were Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, though it’s implied that Gein also probably murdered his brother Henry, and there were numerous other human remains found in Gein’s house and buried on his farm - some possibly murdered by Gein or as the result of his extensive grave-robbing.
That said, there is one scene that isn’t a confirmed fact: Ed’s childhood sexual assault at the hands of older boys, which was only ever a rumour, though he seemed to have been bullied throughout his life which could have fed into other behaviours. Also certain characters here - the journalist and the university professor - are composite characters; the journalist is a composite of several reporters who covered the story, and the professor is a mouthpiece for Schechter/Powell’s theory on Gein’s motivations that he acted as part of his warped religion where his mother was god.
I appreciated the insight into Gein’s motivations because Gein took that information to the grave (unmarked, following years of vandalism of his headstone, though he would’ve been pleased to know that he’s buried next to his beloved mother) and we’ll never know why he did what he did. Schechter/Powell’s theory is a believable explanation for someone so unhinged and it’s more satisfying to have this included from a reader’s perspective.
The only part of the book I didn’t think was that great was the look at how Gein’s community was affected in the immediate aftermath of his arrest. The numerous comments from the townsfolk of Plainfield, Wisconsin, who generally said the same thing: he was a quiet fellow, shocking to discover, etc. - I’m not sure what this angle adds to the story and seems kind of redundant to include. Wouldn’t atrocities like these bother any community?
Schechter also notes how impactful Ed Gein was on popular culture. Initially there was Robert Bloch’s bestselling novel Psycho followed by Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic movie adaptation which introduced the world to Norman Bates, and then later emerged other incarnations like Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs. Carrie’s mother in Stephen King’s debut novel was also probably inspired by Augusta Gein. It’s quite a legacy. And then of course there are books like this that continue to be produced about him, 60+ years after his arrest, because it’s such a unique story.
I’ve been a fan of Eric Powell’s for years and he’s the reason I picked this one up. I wondered why he had stopped writing/drawing his recently relaunched Goon series after just the second book and now I see why - he was working on this one instead!
Powell’s a master draftsman and the whole book is drawn beautifully - the characters’ expressions are especially evocative. He’s been drawing macabre comics for years and that experience shows here. Particularly striking is the comic-book style of Gein as priest of his religion, as he might have thought of himself in his head, juxtaposed instantly on the next page with the gruesome reality of what he likely looked like. The art absolutely sells the horror of Gein’s life and crimes.
“Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?” is an excellent, informative and enthralling summary of the case of Ed Gein - definitely worth a look if you’re a fan of true crime comics.
True crime writer Harold Schechter teams up with true comics artist greatness Eric Powell to bring us “Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?”, a morbidly compelling account of the strange, sad life of Ed Gein.
Raised by a tyrannical, religious zealot and likely insane mother Augusta and drunken, violent father George, Schechter/Powell provide glimpses of scenes Ed would probably have seen in his youth which might explain his later behaviour, like seeing his mother butchering a pig and his father tanning leather. It’s a very grim life story and it’s not hard to see how damaging a life of paranoia and isolation could be to a person - Ed really had no chance right from the beginning.
I’ve seen documentaries on Gein before so I was familiar with most of the grisly details in this book, but there were some interesting new aspects that Schechter introduces for the reader to consider. Like whether Gein truly was insane given that his murders, particularly the last one, Bernice Worden, shows definite premeditation, and he got away with his crimes for many years before eventually being caught. He also comes across as very careful with his words in the interviews and not being declared insane at his trial would’ve meant going to the chair instead of being confined to a mental institution. He was certainly mentally ill but insane, as in not in control of his actions? Hmm…
I like that Schechter stuck to the facts of the case. There was a lot of sensationalism around the story at the time that Schechter points out and instead highlights only the proven facts. Gein’s confirmed murder victims were Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, though it’s implied that Gein also probably murdered his brother Henry, and there were numerous other human remains found in Gein’s house and buried on his farm - some possibly murdered by Gein or as the result of his extensive grave-robbing.
That said, there is one scene that isn’t a confirmed fact: Ed’s childhood sexual assault at the hands of older boys, which was only ever a rumour, though he seemed to have been bullied throughout his life which could have fed into other behaviours. Also certain characters here - the journalist and the university professor - are composite characters; the journalist is a composite of several reporters who covered the story, and the professor is a mouthpiece for Schechter/Powell’s theory on Gein’s motivations that he acted as part of his warped religion where his mother was god.
I appreciated the insight into Gein’s motivations because Gein took that information to the grave (unmarked, following years of vandalism of his headstone, though he would’ve been pleased to know that he’s buried next to his beloved mother) and we’ll never know why he did what he did. Schechter/Powell’s theory is a believable explanation for someone so unhinged and it’s more satisfying to have this included from a reader’s perspective.
The only part of the book I didn’t think was that great was the look at how Gein’s community was affected in the immediate aftermath of his arrest. The numerous comments from the townsfolk of Plainfield, Wisconsin, who generally said the same thing: he was a quiet fellow, shocking to discover, etc. - I’m not sure what this angle adds to the story and seems kind of redundant to include. Wouldn’t atrocities like these bother any community?
Schechter also notes how impactful Ed Gein was on popular culture. Initially there was Robert Bloch’s bestselling novel Psycho followed by Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic movie adaptation which introduced the world to Norman Bates, and then later emerged other incarnations like Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs. Carrie’s mother in Stephen King’s debut novel was also probably inspired by Augusta Gein. It’s quite a legacy. And then of course there are books like this that continue to be produced about him, 60+ years after his arrest, because it’s such a unique story.
I’ve been a fan of Eric Powell’s for years and he’s the reason I picked this one up. I wondered why he had stopped writing/drawing his recently relaunched Goon series after just the second book and now I see why - he was working on this one instead!
Powell’s a master draftsman and the whole book is drawn beautifully - the characters’ expressions are especially evocative. He’s been drawing macabre comics for years and that experience shows here. Particularly striking is the comic-book style of Gein as priest of his religion, as he might have thought of himself in his head, juxtaposed instantly on the next page with the gruesome reality of what he likely looked like. The art absolutely sells the horror of Gein’s life and crimes.
“Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?” is an excellent, informative and enthralling summary of the case of Ed Gein - definitely worth a look if you’re a fan of true crime comics.
August 14, 2021
I’ll start with a little confession: I spent most of this book reading the dialogue in a Fargo-esque Midwest accent, so I invite you to do the same here. Okee then, let’s go.
Schechter and Powell have created something spectacular and horrifying. Their well-researched and narratively-engrossing depiction of Ed Gein & his crimes evokes a range of responses, from pathos and humor on one end to revulsion and horror on the other.
The art is perfectly suited to Schechter’s telling of the tale, and Powell’s real achievement here is in how he delivers the visual gut punches and portrays the inner workings of insanity. His depictions of Ed Gein’s dippy eye, Hitchcock’s Droopy jowels, and the incongruous features of the townsfolk of Plainview are charming in the light. But under the Wisconsin moon, the horror inside the Gein home is presented in horrifying, unembellished detail. “Wonderful” is the word that comes to mind, but as the people of Plainview might say, that would be a bit odd.
All that aside, I know I’ll remember this book for 2 specific moments in particular. [No spoilers; even if you already know the true story, the artistic choices here deserve to be experienced fresh, so I’ll be vague. Also, the authors have a unique take on Gein’s psychosis and seeing their disturbing depiction of his inner thoughts is what really makes this book].
First, the stand-out moment in this book is essentially a terrifying smash-cut between Ed’s inner fantasy and the plain reality of what he was physically doing. It was unexpected and strange, borderline comical right before the smash-cut, but grotesque in the reveal.
This is what we call Textbook Horror, folks.
It takes dashes of strangeness, familiarity, horror, humor, revulsion and humanity and stirs them all up in a black cauldron. The result, when done right, is… uh… chef’s kiss?
The second thing I think will remain burned into my brain like a Junji Ito 2-page spread is the author’s theory on Gein’s psychosis, manifested in Powell’s art. There are several panels that show this in strange and terrifying ways, but one in particular stands as the perfect image of what Gein’s subconscious may have thought of his mother.
It’s just so… strange. This book is not a horror show, nor a thriller about the bogeyman next door. It’s a bizarre mishmash of wholesome and horrifying, of sad and sickening. And because of that, it’s deeply unsettling. You start to get a sense of how the people of Plainview must have felt when that oddball Eddy did what he did.
If you’re at all interested in true crime, dark psychological stories, or even pulp horror, you will find something to love here—and then some. Highly recommended.
Schechter and Powell have created something spectacular and horrifying. Their well-researched and narratively-engrossing depiction of Ed Gein & his crimes evokes a range of responses, from pathos and humor on one end to revulsion and horror on the other.
The art is perfectly suited to Schechter’s telling of the tale, and Powell’s real achievement here is in how he delivers the visual gut punches and portrays the inner workings of insanity. His depictions of Ed Gein’s dippy eye, Hitchcock’s Droopy jowels, and the incongruous features of the townsfolk of Plainview are charming in the light. But under the Wisconsin moon, the horror inside the Gein home is presented in horrifying, unembellished detail. “Wonderful” is the word that comes to mind, but as the people of Plainview might say, that would be a bit odd.
All that aside, I know I’ll remember this book for 2 specific moments in particular. [No spoilers; even if you already know the true story, the artistic choices here deserve to be experienced fresh, so I’ll be vague. Also, the authors have a unique take on Gein’s psychosis and seeing their disturbing depiction of his inner thoughts is what really makes this book].
First, the stand-out moment in this book is essentially a terrifying smash-cut between Ed’s inner fantasy and the plain reality of what he was physically doing. It was unexpected and strange, borderline comical right before the smash-cut, but grotesque in the reveal.
This is what we call Textbook Horror, folks.
It takes dashes of strangeness, familiarity, horror, humor, revulsion and humanity and stirs them all up in a black cauldron. The result, when done right, is… uh… chef’s kiss?
The second thing I think will remain burned into my brain like a Junji Ito 2-page spread is the author’s theory on Gein’s psychosis, manifested in Powell’s art. There are several panels that show this in strange and terrifying ways, but one in particular stands as the perfect image of what Gein’s subconscious may have thought of his mother.
It’s just so… strange. This book is not a horror show, nor a thriller about the bogeyman next door. It’s a bizarre mishmash of wholesome and horrifying, of sad and sickening. And because of that, it’s deeply unsettling. You start to get a sense of how the people of Plainview must have felt when that oddball Eddy did what he did.
If you’re at all interested in true crime, dark psychological stories, or even pulp horror, you will find something to love here—and then some. Highly recommended.
December 18, 2024
Disturbing!!
November 5, 2021
Starts promising but takes a sharp turn to the dull as it moves from showing to telling. The first half of the book is a dramatization of Ed Gein's childhood and early adulthood taking us to just months before he would begin his grave robberies and murders. Then suddenly the narrative shifts to the day of his arrest and mostly becomes a sea of captions with a few flashbacks to his crimes tucked in between the endless talking heads of neighbors, authorities, and doctors.
It's like switching from a Lifetime movie to a History Channel documentary without warning.
It's like switching from a Lifetime movie to a History Channel documentary without warning.
August 1, 2022
This is the first comic my mom has read!
She’s a huge fan of those murder mystery shows so I got her to read this one and My Friend Dahmer.
She says she quite enjoyed it.
I like the idea of doing bio-comics. I don’t really enjoy serial killer stuff. Especially when it feels like we’re making these awful people into a type of celebrity.
I trust as a society, we’re doing a better job of identifying at risk people and giving them the help they need as a child. Gein was obviously a disturbed person but I think was a product of his upbringing.
Powell does a wonderful job illustrating this book (as usual). Definite worth it for fans of his, people interested in real-life murder stories, and people interested in the origin of the story for Psycho.
She’s a huge fan of those murder mystery shows so I got her to read this one and My Friend Dahmer.
She says she quite enjoyed it.
I like the idea of doing bio-comics. I don’t really enjoy serial killer stuff. Especially when it feels like we’re making these awful people into a type of celebrity.
I trust as a society, we’re doing a better job of identifying at risk people and giving them the help they need as a child. Gein was obviously a disturbed person but I think was a product of his upbringing.
Powell does a wonderful job illustrating this book (as usual). Definite worth it for fans of his, people interested in real-life murder stories, and people interested in the origin of the story for Psycho.
March 3, 2025
Parece que é um cliché os assassinos em série terem problemas com as mãezinhas e este Ed Gein não foge a esse lugar comum. E, com uma mãezinha daquelas, como é que o rapaz podia fechar bem as portas?
Não sendo o assassino que matava as vítimas com os maiores requintes de malvadez, deve ter sido o que fazia com os restos mortais as coisas mais atrozes e nojentas.
Colocou a cidadezinha de Plainfield no mapa, o que não foi motivo de orgulho para os seus habitantes, e inspirou o livro Psycho de Robert Bloch, que por sua vez deu às telas o célebre Norman Bates.
Não sendo o assassino que matava as vítimas com os maiores requintes de malvadez, deve ter sido o que fazia com os restos mortais as coisas mais atrozes e nojentas.
Colocou a cidadezinha de Plainfield no mapa, o que não foi motivo de orgulho para os seus habitantes, e inspirou o livro Psycho de Robert Bloch, que por sua vez deu às telas o célebre Norman Bates.
March 3, 2025
PT Perturbador. Ilustrado de forma impressionante por Eric Powell.
Uma imersão arrepiante na vida de um dos mais infames monstros da vida real nos Estados Unidos e um dos primeiros serial killers documentados.
Apesar do tema macabro, a história é apresentada com um mínimo de violência e gore, focando-se sobretudo na jornada de Gein até aos eventos horrendos que chocaram a nação.
No final, é difícil não sentir um ligeiro traço de compaixão por ele. Sim, é um assassino, mas também é o produto de uma mãe superprotetora e fanática religiosa que o castrou emocionalmente e impediu o seu desenvolvimento, deixando-o incapaz de se integrar na sociedade. Quando ela morreu, ele tornou-se um elemento imprevisível num mundo que não sabia como enfrentar.
Ed Gein não é o único monstro aqui.
--
EN Disturbing. Insanely well illustrated by Eric Powell.
A chilling dive into the life of one of America's most infamous real-life monsters and one of the first documented serial killers.
Despite the macabre subject, the story is presented with minimal violence and gore, focusing instead on Gein's life journey leading up to the horrific events that shocked the nation.
By the end, it's hard not to feel a tinge of sympathy for him. Yes, he's a murderer, but he is also the product of an overprotective, religiously fanatic mother who emasculated him and stunted his development, leaving him ill-equipped to function in society. When she died, he became a loose cannon in a world he couldn't navigate.
Ed Gein is not the only monster here.
Uma imersão arrepiante na vida de um dos mais infames monstros da vida real nos Estados Unidos e um dos primeiros serial killers documentados.
Apesar do tema macabro, a história é apresentada com um mínimo de violência e gore, focando-se sobretudo na jornada de Gein até aos eventos horrendos que chocaram a nação.
No final, é difícil não sentir um ligeiro traço de compaixão por ele. Sim, é um assassino, mas também é o produto de uma mãe superprotetora e fanática religiosa que o castrou emocionalmente e impediu o seu desenvolvimento, deixando-o incapaz de se integrar na sociedade. Quando ela morreu, ele tornou-se um elemento imprevisível num mundo que não sabia como enfrentar.
Ed Gein não é o único monstro aqui.
--
EN Disturbing. Insanely well illustrated by Eric Powell.
A chilling dive into the life of one of America's most infamous real-life monsters and one of the first documented serial killers.
Despite the macabre subject, the story is presented with minimal violence and gore, focusing instead on Gein's life journey leading up to the horrific events that shocked the nation.
By the end, it's hard not to feel a tinge of sympathy for him. Yes, he's a murderer, but he is also the product of an overprotective, religiously fanatic mother who emasculated him and stunted his development, leaving him ill-equipped to function in society. When she died, he became a loose cannon in a world he couldn't navigate.
Ed Gein is not the only monster here.
December 22, 2021
Three Words That Describe This Book: well researched, disturbing, compellingly paced
Excellent True Crime Graphic novel.
All fans of Psycho [book or movie], TX Chainsaw Massacre, Silence of the Lambs, really any oder fictional slasher needs to read this.
Extremely well researched with plenty of notes and bonus primary documents at the end. But be warned-- it is gruesome and disturbing. Since there are pictures some of the more graphic things Eddie did with the bodies he exhumed are there on the page, not just described.
Look, it is very detailed about the horrible things this man did, but they lay out the story with appropriate breaks. Chapters go up to a horrifying point and then the next chapter steps back a bit to reframe the story from a different angle-- even when just slightly reframing, it helps immensely. It moved quickly, but you will need to take breaks. The compelling storytelling choices however, draw you back after taking short breaks.
For fans of any famous case true crime. I learned about this GN from the NoveList LibraryReads True Crime Crash Course. Anyone can go here to watch it and get PLENTY of readalikes: https://www.ebsco.com/blogs/novelist/...
Excellent True Crime Graphic novel.
All fans of Psycho [book or movie], TX Chainsaw Massacre, Silence of the Lambs, really any oder fictional slasher needs to read this.
Extremely well researched with plenty of notes and bonus primary documents at the end. But be warned-- it is gruesome and disturbing. Since there are pictures some of the more graphic things Eddie did with the bodies he exhumed are there on the page, not just described.
Look, it is very detailed about the horrible things this man did, but they lay out the story with appropriate breaks. Chapters go up to a horrifying point and then the next chapter steps back a bit to reframe the story from a different angle-- even when just slightly reframing, it helps immensely. It moved quickly, but you will need to take breaks. The compelling storytelling choices however, draw you back after taking short breaks.
For fans of any famous case true crime. I learned about this GN from the NoveList LibraryReads True Crime Crash Course. Anyone can go here to watch it and get PLENTY of readalikes: https://www.ebsco.com/blogs/novelist/...
November 14, 2023
So this book gives the back story on who Eddie Gein was, his upbringing ( which was jacked up and tragic as hell ), and the atrocities he committed from two known murders, to digging up bodies from their graves, and wearing the victims skin and dancing around in it. I can say that the writer did good research as the book was very informative on giving you the details on Gein but to me, that’s all it was. Almost like reading an encyclopedia entry on him that had pictures. I felt it didn’t have the engrossing story elements with intrigue, suspense making you curious to see what happens next, or any kinda of hook drawing you in. Just bland information. This was a black and white comic with some really great art. The pencil work was awesome. From Hell by Alan Moore had what I wanted this book to have. There, Moore was informative on the story of Jack the Ripper but it was written as a great story with all that intrigue and suspense that I wanted. That book had me at work or out and about craving to get back home to continue reading curious as hell to see what was going to happen next. This didn’t hit those marks for me but it was still a decent read at least.
November 9, 2022
It never fails to blow my mind how truly fucked up serial killers are and I think Gein is in a realm of his own. No he didn’t kill that many but wasn’t what he did almost worse? Desecrating graves and bodies and making the most gruesome creations. I mean, some of the images in this graphic novel were quite horrifying. As much as I love boobs, I never want to look at a nipple belt ever again. So many stories have been based on Gein and they’re each disturbing in their own right but you can’t get more disturbed than the original. It gives me shivers thinking about him preparing all his lamps and bowls and decorations. Such things are just unthinkable to me and it’s even more horrifying because it’s a true story and not a made up horror story.
April 2, 2025
Horror absolutny.
September 20, 2023
For my first Halloween read this year, I have chosen the new graphic novel about Eddie Gein who was a necrophile serial killer who inspired Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs! This true-crime story was horrifying, yet of course sickly fascinating.
Established author Harold Schechter who has written a previous book about Gein is paired with artist Eric Powell, known for his The Goon and Hillbilly graphic novels, and they proved to be a superb team to tell this tale. The story opens with Alfred Hitchcock in 1960 recounting how Psycho was inspired by Gein’s crime, just three years prior. The well-researched story then flashes back to Gein’s childhood in Wisconsin, born to mismatched parents- a weak drunkard father and a strong-willed and religiously fanatical mother. While young his parents move him and his older brother Henry to an isolated farmhouse where the boys can’t escape from their mother’s tyrannical rantings and they become warped by her teachings. Despite this, Eddie develops an unhealthy attachment to his mother, believing all other women are harlots.
The story continues chronologically, with the boys aging into strange men, still under the thrall of their mother. The father dies in 1940 and a few years later Henry (perhaps killed by his brother), leaving Eddie happily alone with his mother. A stroke leaves her in a weakened state, and some disturbing pictures show Eddie’s sick delight in helping her with all her personal care. Her eventual death in 1945 leaves Eddie alone to his own devices, and in his grief, he seeks ways to recreate his mother, in shocking ways. Unchecked for a dozen years, Gein committed at least two murders and uncounted grave robbings, in which he then used the women’s skins to make himself a skin suit, facemasks, and other ghastly creations.
The evocative art by Powell, done in his trademark black and white illustrations, is inked and shaded to perfection. Each chapter opens with newspaper headlines, that guide you through the story, with the depictions of the Gein family and townspeople very accurate to photos of them and to that era. Some people have a touch of caricature to them, such as Gein’s droopy eye and in later pictures, the townspeople sharing their recollections seem exaggerated. In the midst of all this, Powell actually adds some whimsy, in guessing what Gein’s inner thoughts might have been, finding dark humor in Gein’s psychosis. It proves to be an interesting blend of pulp horror and non-fiction.
Darkly disturbing, and scarier because it is based on facts, this story is not to be missed for true-crime aficionados!
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2021/10/0...
Established author Harold Schechter who has written a previous book about Gein is paired with artist Eric Powell, known for his The Goon and Hillbilly graphic novels, and they proved to be a superb team to tell this tale. The story opens with Alfred Hitchcock in 1960 recounting how Psycho was inspired by Gein’s crime, just three years prior. The well-researched story then flashes back to Gein’s childhood in Wisconsin, born to mismatched parents- a weak drunkard father and a strong-willed and religiously fanatical mother. While young his parents move him and his older brother Henry to an isolated farmhouse where the boys can’t escape from their mother’s tyrannical rantings and they become warped by her teachings. Despite this, Eddie develops an unhealthy attachment to his mother, believing all other women are harlots.
The story continues chronologically, with the boys aging into strange men, still under the thrall of their mother. The father dies in 1940 and a few years later Henry (perhaps killed by his brother), leaving Eddie happily alone with his mother. A stroke leaves her in a weakened state, and some disturbing pictures show Eddie’s sick delight in helping her with all her personal care. Her eventual death in 1945 leaves Eddie alone to his own devices, and in his grief, he seeks ways to recreate his mother, in shocking ways. Unchecked for a dozen years, Gein committed at least two murders and uncounted grave robbings, in which he then used the women’s skins to make himself a skin suit, facemasks, and other ghastly creations.
The evocative art by Powell, done in his trademark black and white illustrations, is inked and shaded to perfection. Each chapter opens with newspaper headlines, that guide you through the story, with the depictions of the Gein family and townspeople very accurate to photos of them and to that era. Some people have a touch of caricature to them, such as Gein’s droopy eye and in later pictures, the townspeople sharing their recollections seem exaggerated. In the midst of all this, Powell actually adds some whimsy, in guessing what Gein’s inner thoughts might have been, finding dark humor in Gein’s psychosis. It proves to be an interesting blend of pulp horror and non-fiction.
Darkly disturbing, and scarier because it is based on facts, this story is not to be missed for true-crime aficionados!
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2021/10/0...
December 9, 2021
Ever wondered who that Texas Chainsaw guy was based off of?
That's Mr. Eddie Gein, though not directly him, he's a big inspiration for the character.
But those are fictional characters, and Eddie Gein is for sure NOT. He was a mentally unstable person abused by his mother and other people in his town, and eventually averted his attention to killing folks because...well reasons. But in this book they go into a deep dive. You'll learn about Eddie from birth to death, and while it's most certainly not painting him as a worthy person to be talked about, it shows who and maybe even hints to why he did what he did.
This was a real interesting title. I loved a huge portion of it. Keep in mind this is a mix of a drama of Eddie Gein but also a documentary style of talking about what he did, how, and maybe even telling us some reasons why. Eddie is portrayed as a bumbling fool at times, but the author and artist show he might have a much more sinister side, which I 100% believe. The back and forth between is he sane or not is the best part of the book.
I'd say it can slow down a bit much at times, making the pacing feel a bit all over the place. But the excellent art, solid dialogue, and intriguing look into a murderer, made me read this in one long 30-45 minute sitting and it was very much worth it. A 4.5 out of 5.
That's Mr. Eddie Gein, though not directly him, he's a big inspiration for the character.
But those are fictional characters, and Eddie Gein is for sure NOT. He was a mentally unstable person abused by his mother and other people in his town, and eventually averted his attention to killing folks because...well reasons. But in this book they go into a deep dive. You'll learn about Eddie from birth to death, and while it's most certainly not painting him as a worthy person to be talked about, it shows who and maybe even hints to why he did what he did.
This was a real interesting title. I loved a huge portion of it. Keep in mind this is a mix of a drama of Eddie Gein but also a documentary style of talking about what he did, how, and maybe even telling us some reasons why. Eddie is portrayed as a bumbling fool at times, but the author and artist show he might have a much more sinister side, which I 100% believe. The back and forth between is he sane or not is the best part of the book.
I'd say it can slow down a bit much at times, making the pacing feel a bit all over the place. But the excellent art, solid dialogue, and intriguing look into a murderer, made me read this in one long 30-45 minute sitting and it was very much worth it. A 4.5 out of 5.
August 30, 2021
4-1/2 stars. Review coming soon through Cemetery Dance
October 21, 2021
Sigh.
There are essentially two strains of true crime. One is the lurid and exploitative variant characterized by the pulp magazines Gein is shown reading. The other is the more high-brow variant that appeals to readers of the New York Times and listeners of NPR. This "dramatic" retelling of Gein's life and crimes wants desperately to be the latter, but I have the sinking feeling it is more of the former. As a horror/thriller novel, it's well put-together and a genuine page-turner. Gein's crimes are inherently, if disturbingly, fascinating and this work strikes a nice balance in showing you the horror without committing overkill. If this was a Stephen King novella, sure, I guess it does the trick (even if it does rely on some hoary and problematic tropes as I will get to in a second).
However, when you finish the work and try to assess it critically, the book falls apart because you simply cannot trust the story you are being told. Although it purports to be based on "research," there are no sources cited and several of the more dramatic scenes would seem to require an implausible level of access to Gein's memories in order to qualify as "true." Likewise, I can't help but feel that the mother character, while probably an overbearing proto-evangelical, can't really have been the King-like monstrosity she is depicted as here; people rarely exist in the world as fully formed stock characters from that universe.
Of course, if you read the endnotes, you will see that they flubbed at least one scene involving a sexual assault of Gein as a child; while you would think such a claim would probably require attribution, the authors essentially say "there were lots of rumors and it seemed true, so we included it." For me, that was a killer--it directly confirmed my suspicions that the authors were less invested in giving an accurate account and more interested in titillation and voyeurism. (To be fair, I willingly read a book about a necrophile/serial killer so maybe this is all just projection).
Of course, we also need to address a few of the other glaringly problematic elements. First, there's the resort to classic transphobic tropes--his mother taught him that men are gross, he wanted to be a woman, when he couldn't get the courage to cut his cock off, he decided to kill women and dress in their skins. Asserting that Gein was somehow trans and that this trans identity fueled his deeply disturbing behavior seems unforgivably reckless in 2021, especially when one considers that the authors are basing those parts of the book on the reports of a deeply transphobic medical/psychological establishment in the 1950s and 60s. Anyway, it doesn't really matter, I guess, since the authors then offer their own Jungian interpretation of his criminal motivations--with what I am sure are troubled references to Aztec mythology--that seems just as ridiculous. (But hey, it allows them to draw an image of Gein wearing a skin suit worshipping his mother, so I guess that gets the pages turning).
Anyway, this book is a page turning work of real-life horror, albeit one that makes you feel a little intellectually dirty afterwards. Maybe just read the wikipedia article instead.
There are essentially two strains of true crime. One is the lurid and exploitative variant characterized by the pulp magazines Gein is shown reading. The other is the more high-brow variant that appeals to readers of the New York Times and listeners of NPR. This "dramatic" retelling of Gein's life and crimes wants desperately to be the latter, but I have the sinking feeling it is more of the former. As a horror/thriller novel, it's well put-together and a genuine page-turner. Gein's crimes are inherently, if disturbingly, fascinating and this work strikes a nice balance in showing you the horror without committing overkill. If this was a Stephen King novella, sure, I guess it does the trick (even if it does rely on some hoary and problematic tropes as I will get to in a second).
However, when you finish the work and try to assess it critically, the book falls apart because you simply cannot trust the story you are being told. Although it purports to be based on "research," there are no sources cited and several of the more dramatic scenes would seem to require an implausible level of access to Gein's memories in order to qualify as "true." Likewise, I can't help but feel that the mother character, while probably an overbearing proto-evangelical, can't really have been the King-like monstrosity she is depicted as here; people rarely exist in the world as fully formed stock characters from that universe.
Of course, if you read the endnotes, you will see that they flubbed at least one scene involving a sexual assault of Gein as a child; while you would think such a claim would probably require attribution, the authors essentially say "there were lots of rumors and it seemed true, so we included it." For me, that was a killer--it directly confirmed my suspicions that the authors were less invested in giving an accurate account and more interested in titillation and voyeurism. (To be fair, I willingly read a book about a necrophile/serial killer so maybe this is all just projection).
Of course, we also need to address a few of the other glaringly problematic elements. First, there's the resort to classic transphobic tropes--his mother taught him that men are gross, he wanted to be a woman, when he couldn't get the courage to cut his cock off, he decided to kill women and dress in their skins. Asserting that Gein was somehow trans and that this trans identity fueled his deeply disturbing behavior seems unforgivably reckless in 2021, especially when one considers that the authors are basing those parts of the book on the reports of a deeply transphobic medical/psychological establishment in the 1950s and 60s. Anyway, it doesn't really matter, I guess, since the authors then offer their own Jungian interpretation of his criminal motivations--with what I am sure are troubled references to Aztec mythology--that seems just as ridiculous. (But hey, it allows them to draw an image of Gein wearing a skin suit worshipping his mother, so I guess that gets the pages turning).
Anyway, this book is a page turning work of real-life horror, albeit one that makes you feel a little intellectually dirty afterwards. Maybe just read the wikipedia article instead.
January 30, 2022
The infamous Ed Gein is perhaps Exhibit A in the ongoing nature-vs.-nurture debate of violent crime. In a desolate farmhouse in Plainfield, Wisconsin, Gein's macabre crimes would inspire some of the most well-known and frightening ghouls of pop culture horror. However, as incomprehensible as it might be, Gein's story was terrifyingly real.
What created Ed Gein? This book delves deep into a backstory of a ruthless, overbearing mother whom young Ed worshipped despite her viciousness, as well as a violent household filled with tragedy and forced ostracism. The society in which Ed lived--a middle American farming community in the 1950s, while often idealized by today's commentators, was no picnic, either. As the book details, the harsh environment was filled with cultural cruelty as a matter of course: domestic violence, bullying, and yes, animal abuse, both the legally-sanctioned kind that comes along with use of animals as resources and the more deviant kind that comes from plentiful pet and farmed animals, callous attitudes, and zero consequences.
The artwork in this book is chilling and amazingly well-done, bringing a time, place, and community to life. Perhaps Gein could have been helped, or at least, stopped, much sooner, had people been paying attention.
What created Ed Gein? This book delves deep into a backstory of a ruthless, overbearing mother whom young Ed worshipped despite her viciousness, as well as a violent household filled with tragedy and forced ostracism. The society in which Ed lived--a middle American farming community in the 1950s, while often idealized by today's commentators, was no picnic, either. As the book details, the harsh environment was filled with cultural cruelty as a matter of course: domestic violence, bullying, and yes, animal abuse, both the legally-sanctioned kind that comes along with use of animals as resources and the more deviant kind that comes from plentiful pet and farmed animals, callous attitudes, and zero consequences.
The artwork in this book is chilling and amazingly well-done, bringing a time, place, and community to life. Perhaps Gein could have been helped, or at least, stopped, much sooner, had people been paying attention.
July 14, 2023
Лячна реальна історія серійного вбивці Еда Гейна, вбивства якого до всрачки налякали американців 50-х. Його постать стала прототипом для автора ”Психо”, ”Техаської різанини бензопилою” та інших кульових горор-слешерів.
January 3, 2022
This was my last read of 2021, and it wound up being one of my favorites of the whole year. Schechter is a true crime writer and has written some fascinating books, including a biography of Ed Gein. That knowledge and research shines in Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?.
Eric Powell, perhaps best known for The Goon comics, was also an excellent choice for illustrator. Every muted panel captures the sadness and dreariness of Gein's world.
Gein here is a nuanced character, to be pitied even while reviled. The way Schechter and Powell portray his childhood, it's no wonder he grew up to become a grave robbing ghoul and murderer. Obviously nature vs. nurture is still a debate today, and this book backs up my belief that both work together to shape the people we become, which in Gein's case, is monstrous.
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? could easily have been exploitative, but is much more respectful, especially in its depiction of Gein's victims and those left wondering what made this man do what he did.
Recommended.
Eric Powell, perhaps best known for The Goon comics, was also an excellent choice for illustrator. Every muted panel captures the sadness and dreariness of Gein's world.
Gein here is a nuanced character, to be pitied even while reviled. The way Schechter and Powell portray his childhood, it's no wonder he grew up to become a grave robbing ghoul and murderer. Obviously nature vs. nurture is still a debate today, and this book backs up my belief that both work together to shape the people we become, which in Gein's case, is monstrous.
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? could easily have been exploitative, but is much more respectful, especially in its depiction of Gein's victims and those left wondering what made this man do what he did.
Recommended.
August 22, 2021
Powell's art is unique in that most of a panel could be ink wash or pencil strokes with only the most important focus getting inked. His handling of people and their body language is brilliant and rarely matched.
The research and how it facts were dramatized by Schechter are interesting choices in what was included. Typically comic writers are warned to stay away from "talking heads" but there are several pages where the team made that choice which puts emphasis on the text instead of the art. These are specific times such as interrogations/interviews. The early mention of Psycho and the inclusion of it (and other well known serial killer fiction) essentially bookend this ugly chunk of Wisconsin history.
I highly recommend the OGN for those who can stomach the subject matter, but go in with the knowledge that some things are shifted or invented for the purposes of narrative. All that is explained in the first appendix.
The research and how it facts were dramatized by Schechter are interesting choices in what was included. Typically comic writers are warned to stay away from "talking heads" but there are several pages where the team made that choice which puts emphasis on the text instead of the art. These are specific times such as interrogations/interviews. The early mention of Psycho and the inclusion of it (and other well known serial killer fiction) essentially bookend this ugly chunk of Wisconsin history.
I highly recommend the OGN for those who can stomach the subject matter, but go in with the knowledge that some things are shifted or invented for the purposes of narrative. All that is explained in the first appendix.
August 24, 2022
I love Eric Powell's funny, nostalgic horror comic 'The Goon'. For this graphic novel, he keeps the horror but switches to non-fiction: the story of Eddie Gein, told by Harold Schechter, a professor who specializes in writing about serial killers. This time Eric Powell's artwork is bathed in shades of gray, very appropriate, reminiscent of old black-and-white movies.
Everything was very well researched and conveyed as truthfully as possible without making it a dry retelling. It was actually a very captivating read (read the 200+ pages in one sitting) and one of Eric Powell's finest works.
Everything was very well researched and conveyed as truthfully as possible without making it a dry retelling. It was actually a very captivating read (read the 200+ pages in one sitting) and one of Eric Powell's finest works.
July 21, 2023
Brutal la historia de este personaje con su infancia y sus crimenes. Epílogo muy completo
February 1, 2022
En ole aina ihan varma mitä makaaberista true crime -genrestä pitäisi ajatella, mutta tulinpa kuitenkin lainanneeksi kirjastosta Harold Schechterin ja Eric Powellin albumin "Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done" (Albatross, 2021).
Sarjakuva alkaa Alfred Hitchcockin haastattelulla, jossa maineikas ohjaaja käsittelee Psyko-elokuvaansa, ja toteaa sen taustalla olevan Robert Blochin romaanin perustuvan tositapahtumiin. Ja näinhän se tosiaan menee, että edellämainitut teokset eivät olisi koskaan syntyneet ilman Ed Geinin (1906-1984) tekoja.
Sarjakuvan alkupuolella käydään läpi Geinin surullista lapsuutta, jota varjostivat alkoholismi sekä henkinen että fyysinen väkivalta. Geinin maailman keskipisteeksi muodostui hänen syvästi uskonnollinen äitinsä, jonka näkemykset eritoten naisista mahtoivat vaurioittaa nuorta mieltä entuudestaan.
Ja niin siinä sitten kävi, että wisconsinilaisessa Plainfieldissa murhattiin loppuvuodesta 1957 kauppias Bernice Worden. Gein jäi melkein heti käpälälautaan, mutta hänen tilalleen saapuneet viranomaiset eivät olleet varautuneet siihen mitä he löytäisivät... Sisältövaroitus on paikallaan, kuvamateriaali on hetkittäin aika häiritsevää.
Kaikin puolin surullinen sarjakuva perustuu aika tiukasti faktoihin, joiden pohjalta Harold Schechter on kai kirjoittanut elämäkerrankin. Loppusanoissa mainitaan kohdat, jotka ovat arvelun varassa tai tekijöiden omaa tulkintaa.
Aikamoista. Sarjakuvapuolelta suosittelisin tämän rinnalle ainakin Derf Backderfin erinomaista Ystäväni Dahmeria ja pienin varauksin myös Jeff Jensenin Green River Killer: A True Detective Storya.
Sarjakuva alkaa Alfred Hitchcockin haastattelulla, jossa maineikas ohjaaja käsittelee Psyko-elokuvaansa, ja toteaa sen taustalla olevan Robert Blochin romaanin perustuvan tositapahtumiin. Ja näinhän se tosiaan menee, että edellämainitut teokset eivät olisi koskaan syntyneet ilman Ed Geinin (1906-1984) tekoja.
Sarjakuvan alkupuolella käydään läpi Geinin surullista lapsuutta, jota varjostivat alkoholismi sekä henkinen että fyysinen väkivalta. Geinin maailman keskipisteeksi muodostui hänen syvästi uskonnollinen äitinsä, jonka näkemykset eritoten naisista mahtoivat vaurioittaa nuorta mieltä entuudestaan.
Ja niin siinä sitten kävi, että wisconsinilaisessa Plainfieldissa murhattiin loppuvuodesta 1957 kauppias Bernice Worden. Gein jäi melkein heti käpälälautaan, mutta hänen tilalleen saapuneet viranomaiset eivät olleet varautuneet siihen mitä he löytäisivät... Sisältövaroitus on paikallaan, kuvamateriaali on hetkittäin aika häiritsevää.
Kaikin puolin surullinen sarjakuva perustuu aika tiukasti faktoihin, joiden pohjalta Harold Schechter on kai kirjoittanut elämäkerrankin. Loppusanoissa mainitaan kohdat, jotka ovat arvelun varassa tai tekijöiden omaa tulkintaa.
Aikamoista. Sarjakuvapuolelta suosittelisin tämän rinnalle ainakin Derf Backderfin erinomaista Ystäväni Dahmeria ja pienin varauksin myös Jeff Jensenin Green River Killer: A True Detective Storya.
October 30, 2025
This was excellent. I've watched and read some other things about Ed Gein and the facts all seemed to match up to what was presented here, although there was some new material here as well. Everyone knows Eddie Gein as a monster, but honestly, when you analyze the story closer it's more sad than anything else. His crimes were so bizarre and horrific a lot of people think of him as a serial killer, but he really didn't fit that profile.
On a side note, the Eric Powell art was very well done.
This is a great story of a very macabre and dark part of American History. If you think you'll like this, you probably will.
On a side note, the Eric Powell art was very well done.
This is a great story of a very macabre and dark part of American History. If you think you'll like this, you probably will.
January 18, 2025
I did appreciate the information about the tie in to the “Psycho” franchise and other media spin offs, as well as the psychological information and aspects. The interviews with neighbours and townspeople who actually knew Ed gave more insight into the persona he had for the public.
I wish there had been more about the victims (those he killed and grave robbed). The liberties the authors/artists took in fictionalizing some parts of the story for sensation felt wrong. The illustrations were a unique take on this story, but ultimately felt a bit flat.
Frankly, I’m thankful I was able to get this book from the library. If I had paid full price for this (and it’s not cheap!) I would’ve been disappointed about the purchase after reading it.
I wish there had been more about the victims (those he killed and grave robbed). The liberties the authors/artists took in fictionalizing some parts of the story for sensation felt wrong. The illustrations were a unique take on this story, but ultimately felt a bit flat.
Frankly, I’m thankful I was able to get this book from the library. If I had paid full price for this (and it’s not cheap!) I would’ve been disappointed about the purchase after reading it.
Read
October 26, 2025With the recent controversy about the season of Monster revolving around Ed Gein, I thought it would be a good idea to re-read this book and see if it holds up. I'm happy to say it does.
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done shows that you don't have to embellish anything to make a true story interesting. Aside from a few speculative elements (such as if Ed really did kill his brother or the amount of women he really killed during his reign of terror), this story is rooted in historical fact about how Ed's crimes really happened and how it's impacted pop culture, without any half-assed attempts to comment on true crime's bad habit of sensationalizing the crimes they're depicting. There isn't any attempts to judge, nor tone down, what Ed Gein did. And Harold Schechter and Eric Powell take it and turn it into a deeply compelling piece of sequential art.
It's hard not to feel pity for Ed Gein once you read this. He seems less a monster and more of a sad, disturbed man who struggled with some pretty intense demons. Now mind you, that doesn't excuse or justify what he did. Yet I caught myself shaking my head a few times, thinking of the waste of Ed Gein's life and who he could have been, had he been raised by someone different. It reminded me a bit of another great true crime comic My Friend Dahmer, though this book doesn't have the personal connection that My Friend Dahmer has. It's that distance between the creators and the subject matter that makes this book more objective, though less personal.
Also to be appreciated is the meticulous attention to detail of the story. Harold Schechter is the expert on Ed Gein and his breadth of knowledge on the Plainfield Ghoul is made plain here. Even the speculations he makes about situations involving Ed are believable, even if they'll never be proven in a court of law. It also makes the case more eerie, as we'll never truly know all that Ed Gein did. Much like Dahmer, Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done contends with the inability to understand what makes a sick mind like Ed Gein tick and how we'll never fully understand it. It's not quite as powerful as Dahmer, but it's definitely there and is explored well.
What's also haunting about this book is how Schechter and Powell illustrate (no pun intended) how you could have seen this coming. Ed Gein wasn't a Ted Bundy or Ed Kemper, who could slip into facades of normalcy and lure their victims in. Ed was already an odd guy with some...macabre hobbies. It's just nobody noticed how twisted he was until it was far too late. It's not quite as poignant as some other books I've read on the subject, but it creeped me out all the same. One never knows who they live around, and Ed Gein was one of the first in popular memory who showcased what kind of sick mind lived in an otherwise normal rural community.
That all said, the real show stealer of the book is Eric Powell's magnificent artwork. It is lush and filled with detail. While I still think Hillbilly is his best outing as an artist, Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done comes close. There's an exaggeration to his work that harkens back to the old pulp magazines that covered grisly crimes, but he also makes his characters distinct and feel human. He also doesn't hold back when showcasing the horrific nature of Ed's crimes. While he may not have not killed that many people, what he ended up doing with the remains is nothing short of nightmarish and Powell doesn't spare the audience any detail when showing it through his outstanding artwork.
I also remember some people complaining about the scenes after Ed gets caught and said it was repetitive, I'm afraid I must disagree. I think it shows Powell using the comic medium to its fullest potential, I was reminded of Dave Gibbons' use of perspective in Watchmen at times, especially during Ed's interrogation, which eerily reminded me of Rorschach's sessions with Dr. Long. Though Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done pulls more from the pulp goodness of EC Comics than Moore and Gibbons' masterwork. Sometimes, I noticed the character models looking a bit too similar to each other, but it wasn't distracting at all.
There's also an exploration in how much Ed has had an impact on pop culture. Psycho is an obvious example, with the crazy killer obsessed with his mother. But there's also echoes of Ed in stuff such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of The Lambs. This book doesn't try to comment on Ed's impact on pop culture, as the show did, but merely explains how Hollywood has used Ed's crimes as inspiration for their own dark dreams and spooky tales over the years. There's also a refreshing lack of sensationalism, allowing the horror and tragedy to flow naturally from the story being told. Ed Gein's story is nightmarish enough, without exaggeration.
If there is one problem I have with the book, it's that it doesn't really go too far into exploring Ed Gein's psyche. It gives explanations on why Ed acted the way he did, but it doesn't really go into depth on how he felt, what he thought about what he did. Granted, I don't know if this story really needed that, but I think it could have been a more haunting experience if we had a look behind the ghoulish fiend that robbed graves and killed people. But it's ultimately a very small complaint in a supremely crafted piece of sequential literature.
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done joins the ranks of other great comics about real life serial killers such as From Hell or My Friend Dahmer and hopefully it will become a classic in the genre. Now...I just need to get to Torso before too long.
April 15, 2023
ReRead 15 April 2023
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Incredibly well done.
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Incredibly well done.
December 31, 2024
The human psyche is a realm of unfathomable depth—its brilliance has propelled us to astonishing heights of achievement, yet its darkness remains as chilling as it is unpredictable. It is within this paradox that the story of Ed Gein unfolds, a harrowing exploration of a deeply disturbed individual whose actions left an indelible scar on the annals of true crime.
In this book, the seamless collaboration between the writer and artist elevates Gein’s story into a compelling narrative masterpiece. The writing is nothing short of sublime, capturing the psychological intricacies of a murderer and suspected serial killer with a stark yet poetic realism. Complementing this evocative storytelling is the artwork, which is as expressive as it is unsettling. The visual narrative strikes a delicate balance, neither glorifying the grotesque nor shying away from the horrors of Gein’s life and crimes.
This book is a complete package for fans of murder mysteries and true crime. Whether you’re drawn to the psychological depth, the narrative brilliance, or the striking artwork, this book offers something extraordinary, leaving you captivated and, perhaps, a little unsettled.
In this book, the seamless collaboration between the writer and artist elevates Gein’s story into a compelling narrative masterpiece. The writing is nothing short of sublime, capturing the psychological intricacies of a murderer and suspected serial killer with a stark yet poetic realism. Complementing this evocative storytelling is the artwork, which is as expressive as it is unsettling. The visual narrative strikes a delicate balance, neither glorifying the grotesque nor shying away from the horrors of Gein’s life and crimes.
This book is a complete package for fans of murder mysteries and true crime. Whether you’re drawn to the psychological depth, the narrative brilliance, or the striking artwork, this book offers something extraordinary, leaving you captivated and, perhaps, a little unsettled.
June 26, 2022
Well this was disturbing. Cool. Cool cool cool.
It also makes me think a lot about what nonfiction is. I mean, this medium itself is cinema graphic and there’s a certain amount of license cutting to scenes of pure conjecture, admitted to be not much more than a theory; though they believe it, based on significant evidence they’ve consumed… but certainly cannot remotely prove. Scenes where Eddie is wearing skin and upon a corpse in “motion”, for instance. Or other such license taken. Events shifted from location to location. Filling in the fiction where things are blurry makes it all fiction to me. Mostly true seems to skate by though, doesn’t it?
Otherwise, I think the paneling work is great and I like the artwork. Certainly a gripping story. Hadn’t a clue about him, nor the inspiration for Psycho and Silence of the Lambs derived from him.
It also makes me think a lot about what nonfiction is. I mean, this medium itself is cinema graphic and there’s a certain amount of license cutting to scenes of pure conjecture, admitted to be not much more than a theory; though they believe it, based on significant evidence they’ve consumed… but certainly cannot remotely prove. Scenes where Eddie is wearing skin and upon a corpse in “motion”, for instance. Or other such license taken. Events shifted from location to location. Filling in the fiction where things are blurry makes it all fiction to me. Mostly true seems to skate by though, doesn’t it?
Otherwise, I think the paneling work is great and I like the artwork. Certainly a gripping story. Hadn’t a clue about him, nor the inspiration for Psycho and Silence of the Lambs derived from him.
May 8, 2022
I was very curious about this graphic novel (or a comic, as I will refer to this book from this point on) can tell what wasn't already known, especially to me since I already read Harold Schechter's "Deviant", an in-depth look at Gein's case. But I was pleasantly surprised. The information was true to the case (and couple inconsistencies were explained in appendixes) and didn't invent any facts or information.
But the artwork was absolutely stunning. It invoked many emotions in me which sometimes reading just plain case file doesn't happen. This comic gives a visual that changes perspective on the case from desensitized cop-talk to something that truly shakes you deep within. Gein's case is special not only because of the crimes and the lives he took - but also what kind of legacy he left behind and both Eric Powell and Harold Schechter address this as well with much grace and insight.
Overall - while this can be considered a quick look at case and the complex mind that Ed Gein was - it's definitely worth the time, if not for the story that many already know - then for the artwork that is so hauntingly perfect, reader is nearly transported through time to witness the events themselves.
But the artwork was absolutely stunning. It invoked many emotions in me which sometimes reading just plain case file doesn't happen. This comic gives a visual that changes perspective on the case from desensitized cop-talk to something that truly shakes you deep within. Gein's case is special not only because of the crimes and the lives he took - but also what kind of legacy he left behind and both Eric Powell and Harold Schechter address this as well with much grace and insight.
Overall - while this can be considered a quick look at case and the complex mind that Ed Gein was - it's definitely worth the time, if not for the story that many already know - then for the artwork that is so hauntingly perfect, reader is nearly transported through time to witness the events themselves.
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