I was so interested in the image above that when I couldn't find a source, I bought a physical copy of the book on amazon here's the TL:DR with an emphasis on the hypnosis
A) this is the most hypno-centric scene in the entire ~220 pg comic. There are maybe 2-3 other scenes where the hypnosis is tangentially alluded to
B) the hypnosis lacks verisimilitude. From the simple process of being tied up, shown a spiral, and listening to headphones [attached to some big machines] for a few days, the girls [and all the subjects are college age girls] express unquestioning and unwavering love and obedience to the puppet. While they are seemingly otherwise normal, able to make choices, think rationally, and carry on conversations, they also have dropped out of college or other parts of life to join a girl gang, dress like pirates, kill and be killed, and kidnap other woman for the same. No woman ever resists, doubts, or stops being hypnotized at any point, even when confronted by a friend from their recent past or when other pirate girls die or disappear, nor do they require any regular or follow up treatments
C) the hand behind the initial Aunt Azalea [there is a different one in the epilogue] is a psychotic formerly conjoined twin midget [who's glandular problem makes him look like a child]. He wants to capture an 150 year old man who has seemingly found the secret to eternal youth, having something to do with glands and murdering young fit people [I guess it is implied that the expert might be able to fix his glands]. He dies, eaten alive by rats after killing one of his own pirate girls [the one in the chair] and attempting to kill the heroine [to be fair, the pirate girl did see him without the puppet, but it also seems possible she would have continued obeying the puppet] It is never really expressed how someone who looks like a child was able to get a hypnosis machine, real sabers, flintlocks and knockout dart guns, somehow feeds and organizes a girl gang while being in a daycare most of the day, much less how he was able to subdue the initial girls [seemingly without revealing himself] so that they could eventually subdue others
D) while I loved Richard Sala's creepy style, there is almost no character development, the plot is thin, circuitous and confusing, there is a lot that is neither explained nor has a reasonable explanation, and there is a lot of murder sloppily mixed with a kids mystery adventure parody a la Nancy Drew
You spent much, much more time critiquing this comic then I ever would. I too was disappointed that there was so little focus on the mind control and that all the girls save for one died, yeah. But I think at some point you just kind of have to repeat to yourself it's just schlocky horror with some good atmosphere mixed in, I should really just relax.
I still liked this comic overall. Although I'd say that Sala definitely should spend more time on the sense of atmospheric dread and crazy conspiracy, and less on the gratuitous murder. His recent works, The Hidden and The Crimson Cardinal were honestly pretty disappointing.
This guy had other works involving hypnosis, didn’t he? There was a vampire story with college girls turning into vampires for a Mistress so something like that.
MindMasher said: This guy had other works involving hypnosis, didn’t he? There was a vampire story with college girls turning into vampires for a Mistress so something like that.
That’d be Peculia and the Goon Grove Vampires, right? I haven’t read it, but if there’s mc I might...
notanotheralias said: You spent much, much more time critiquing this comic then I ever would. I too was disappointed that there was so little focus on the mind control and that all the girls save for one died, yeah. But I think at some point you just kind of have to repeat to yourself it's just schlocky horror with some good atmosphere mixed in, I should really just relax.
I still liked this comic overall. Although I'd say that Sala definitely should spend more time on the sense of atmospheric dread and crazy conspiracy, and less on the gratuitous murder. His recent works, The Hidden and The Crimson Cardinal were honestly pretty disappointing.
I had a lot of disappointment to work through, plus if anyone was as possessed by the art and wanted to know more, as I did, I wanted them to be forewarned
and I love that you're as into comics, or perhaps even more so, then I am
Grim said: and I love that you're as into comics, or perhaps even more so, then I am
Extremely Comic Book Guy From the Simpsons Voice: "I have wasted my life."
But nah, I haven't been reading many comics lately due to limited money/free time but yeah, comics are generally my thing.
I for one really like Sala's art style, but a lot of his stories are kind of lacking. Sometimes the pure schlock works, and sometimes it doesn't. From what I have read of his, I feel like his best work is "The Chuckling Whatsit," (note, no hypnosis in that one) which IIRC was one his first attempts at long-form work.
Apple said: That’d be Peculia and the Goon Grove Vampires, right? I haven’t read it, but if there’s mc I might...
You might also be disappointed with that one, there's vampire eye contact hypnosis for all of about two panels in that one IIRC, unless you count people rising from the dead a vampires and being instantly evil as a sort of "corruption" type control (I personally don't). If you're not turned off by the lack of mc I'd actually recommend the comic in general.
>> #235943
Score: 0 (vote Up)
here's the TL:DR with an emphasis on the hypnosis
A) this is the most hypno-centric scene in the entire ~220 pg comic. There are maybe 2-3 other scenes where the hypnosis is tangentially alluded to
B) the hypnosis lacks verisimilitude. From the simple process of being tied up, shown a spiral, and listening to headphones [attached to some big machines] for a few days, the girls [and all the subjects are college age girls] express unquestioning and unwavering love and obedience to the puppet. While they are seemingly otherwise normal, able to make choices, think rationally, and carry on conversations, they also have dropped out of college or other parts of life to join a girl gang, dress like pirates, kill and be killed, and kidnap other woman for the same. No woman ever resists, doubts, or stops being hypnotized at any point, even when confronted by a friend from their recent past or when other pirate girls die or disappear, nor do they require any regular or follow up treatments
C) the hand behind the initial Aunt Azalea [there is a different one in the epilogue] is a psychotic formerly conjoined twin midget [who's glandular problem makes him look like a child]. He wants to capture an 150 year old man who has seemingly found the secret to eternal youth, having something to do with glands and murdering young fit people [I guess it is implied that the expert might be able to fix his glands]. He dies, eaten alive by rats after killing one of his own pirate girls [the one in the chair] and attempting to kill the heroine [to be fair, the pirate girl did see him without the puppet, but it also seems possible she would have continued obeying the puppet]
It is never really expressed how someone who looks like a child was able to get a hypnosis machine, real sabers, flintlocks and knockout dart guns, somehow feeds and organizes a girl gang while being in a daycare most of the day, much less how he was able to subdue the initial girls [seemingly without revealing himself] so that they could eventually subdue others
D) while I loved Richard Sala's creepy style, there is almost no character development, the plot is thin, circuitous and confusing, there is a lot that is neither explained nor has a reasonable explanation, and there is a lot of murder sloppily mixed with a kids mystery adventure parody a la Nancy Drew
>> #235970
Score: 0 (vote Up)
I too was disappointed that there was so little focus on the mind control and that all the girls save for one died, yeah. But I think at some point you just kind of have to repeat to yourself it's just schlocky horror with some good atmosphere mixed in, I should really just relax.
I still liked this comic overall. Although I'd say that Sala definitely should spend more time on the sense of atmospheric dread and crazy conspiracy, and less on the gratuitous murder. His recent works, The Hidden and The Crimson Cardinal were honestly pretty disappointing.
>> #235997
Score: 0 (vote Up)
>> #236008
Score: 0 (vote Up)
This guy had other works involving hypnosis, didn’t he? There was a vampire story with college girls turning into vampires for a Mistress so something like that.
That’d be Peculia and the Goon Grove Vampires, right? I haven’t read it, but if there’s mc I might...
>> #236133
Score: 0 (vote Up)
You spent much, much more time critiquing this comic then I ever would.
I too was disappointed that there was so little focus on the mind control and that all the girls save for one died, yeah. But I think at some point you just kind of have to repeat to yourself it's just schlocky horror with some good atmosphere mixed in, I should really just relax.
I still liked this comic overall. Although I'd say that Sala definitely should spend more time on the sense of atmospheric dread and crazy conspiracy, and less on the gratuitous murder. His recent works, The Hidden and The Crimson Cardinal were honestly pretty disappointing.
I had a lot of disappointment to work through, plus if anyone was as possessed by the art and wanted to know more, as I did, I wanted them to be forewarned
and I love that you're as into comics, or perhaps even more so, then I am
>> #236149
Score: 0 (vote Up)
and I love that you're as into comics, or perhaps even more so, then I am
Extremely Comic Book Guy From the Simpsons Voice: "I have wasted my life."
But nah, I haven't been reading many comics lately due to limited money/free time but yeah, comics are generally my thing.
I for one really like Sala's art style, but a lot of his stories are kind of lacking. Sometimes the pure schlock works, and sometimes it doesn't. From what I have read of his, I feel like his best work is "The Chuckling Whatsit," (note, no hypnosis in that one) which IIRC was one his first attempts at long-form work.
That’d be Peculia and the Goon Grove Vampires, right? I haven’t read it, but if there’s mc I might...
You might also be disappointed with that one, there's vampire eye contact hypnosis for all of about two panels in that one IIRC, unless you count people rising from the dead a vampires and being instantly evil as a sort of "corruption" type control (I personally don't). If you're not turned off by the lack of mc I'd actually recommend the comic in general.