Ghastly Goodies is an anthology of stories from creator Warren E. Elliott. They’re like a mix of MAD, EC Comics and Tales from the Crypt, but still wholly original. Our keeper of the stories, our Rod Sterling of this world is a man in a strait jacket, wearing a hat with candles burning on the brim. Inside is four stories, all horror themed and each having its own twist. None of them are even close to being the same which is great considering they’re all from one creator. I’m going to talk about two of the stories to give you an idea of what’s inside for you to read, but I did enjoy all four stories.

The first story, The Hand of Glory, definitely caught my attention. It’s about a thief who takes the hand of a hanged man. The lore goes that if you light candles put between the fingers and all of them light up, that all of the occupants are asleep and the thief can do their thing. Really this story is all about the twist and I really enjoyed the twist. Getting there wasn’t bad either as we get to know the main character and even feel a little bad for them. Overall, it’s a story and an idea that stays with you.

The other story I want to talk about is Dance of the Corpse Worm. The story follows a man that’s come to town for his uncle’s funeral, but discovered that he’s the only person there to bury him. Him and the mortician that handled the funeral. They end up getting to know each other over diner and drinks and things lead to other locations. I won’t spoil this one for you, but the ending is great. I was like, “Damn! That’s fucked up!” It is. It really is. It was a great read and the simple narration really sold the story better than a barrage of dialogue could.

The art changes a bit from story to story showing Elliott’s range of talent. It gives each story its own distinct feel to it which helps the overall issue from feeling plain or repetitive. All of Elliott’s styles are very detailed, some more stylized with exaggerated features on the characters, but all of them very consistent and the right match for their story. I actually picked the two previous stories because of the art. They’re as different from one another as could possibly be, but I enjoyed both as both did a great job telling the story visually.

If you like horror stories, but not “boo scared you” horror stories, then definitely check out Ghastly Goodies. The stories aren’t throwback, but the formula is, which makes for some entertaining reading. Do yourself a favor and check this one out.

Score: 4/5

Almost Normal Comics’ Ghastly Goodies Creator: Warren E. Elliott Publisher: Almost Normal Comics Price: $2.99 or $0.99 Format: One-Shot; Print/Digital Website