Body Horror Zine

Body horror Zine based on Eastern and Western visual media.

Transcript

2. Body horror is known as the degeneration, disintegration, or destruction of a body, most commonly human. Body horror is often depicted as visceral, gore, and perhaps the supernatural. As a horror fan myself, I am attracted towards more psychological than visual horror and since I was unaware of all types of horror, I wanted to challenge myself into investigating a sub-genre of horror I was not very used to reading or watching. Body horror can be placed in different ways, for example, transformation horror often includes parts of body horror, especially when it comes to zombies. As a vast sub-genre, there are many ways to enjoy it. This zine explores the similarities and differences between Eastern and Western body horror depicted in comics or manga. Not only does it analyze the characteristics of the sub-genre based on its source location, but it looks into the history of sequential art, adding in visual representations of that learned in class mixed with a little bit of body horror. It is recommended not to eat before reading this zine, and if you're queasy this might not be for you. Viewer discretion is advised. WARNING Body Horror: Eastern vs Western The following Zine contains graphic material. Viewer discretion is advised.
3. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
4. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
5. Crossed is a post-apocalyptic horror comic created by Garth Ennis, Jacen Burrows, and David Lapham, published by Avatar Press. It takes place after a pandemic hits the world, and those who get infected get a rash across their face in the shape of a cross and lose all inhibitions to follow and complete their most evil thoughts. There are a few side stories to the main story being Crossed. These other titles are: Crossed: Family Values, Crossed Psychopath, Crossed: 3D, Crossed: Badlands, Crossed: +100, Crossed: +100 Mimic, Crossed: Wish You Were Here, and finally Crossed: Dead or Alive. These all go through the same idea with the virus, yet they are placed into different storylines, characters, and locations. The content in this particular series can be triggering to certain audiences so if you are not comfortable with the worst types of deprivation a person can think of, I would suggest you not to read it, as well as the inclusion of extreme body horror. In this article, I will be analyzing issue #4 of the original Crossed comics as well as issue number 3 of Crossed: Family Values. The Crossed story in issue 4 takes place with a particular group who is trying their best to survive in a said dilemma. The group has recently had to take the hard choice of killing a bunch of kids for the sake of their survival, showing how the madness of the virus is not only presented in the crude actions of those who are infected, but also those who are trying to survive from it. The idea of losing our humanity is a vastly explored topic in this particular issue, as it shows how the horror aspect can not only transcend the visual, but also the psychological. Now, onto the visual aspect of the comic. This particular issue begins with the more emotional aspect and is filled with dialogue yet the transition from the first few pages onto page six is so drastic and gives out the essence of the comic. The muted color palette in this issue gives off to the somber tone of the story, the only colors that stand out the most are the ones that depict the blood and fire in the most visceral images shown. Despite the muted colors, there is no need for flashy colors to bring out the idea of body horror. For example, on page eight, the panel where the old man is standing next to the man without hands or legs, may be overlooked, yet if you pay attention you can see that the loincloth that the old man uses is in fact not cloth, but a human face (Crossed issue 4, pg 8). The horror of it is not only to look at the visual imagery of a human face placed as a piece of clothing but the horror of imagining how this came to be. Body horror is not just looking at the gore and carnage in a scene, but the implied context of it. This issue in particular mixed in the horror of the implied in body horror as well as the visual as it is filled with horrifying yet exemplary scenes. Giving this series a realistic art style really pulls in the idea of how horrifying this situation really is as the suspension of disbelief is a little stronger when the artwork resembles reality. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
6. Horror can adapt to so many ideas and visual imagery. In the case of Crossed: Family Values, the moral compass of people is further disturbed and scrutinized, therefore making it one of the largest aspects of horror in this series, other than the body horror which is common to the series in total. In issue 3 of this series, we explore the moral compass of a group that is settled into the faraway sides, who have farming as an advantage to their survival. This particular group is a religious group in which one of the male characters, the father of the protagonist, is the preacher and who states what is right or wrong. How can you make sure that what your community does is inherently right? Rape and incest are a heavy aspect of this issue, making the psychological and visual horror grow even further than the issue analyzed above. This particular issue does not inherently have as much visual body horror as it is presented in the previous issue, yet there are still acts of violence, gore, and horror presented in other ways. In the issue, the main character finds out that her father had raped her sister and since she had been infected afterward, had been kept tied to a table, to take care of her while observing how she behaved. As issue #4 in Crossed, this issue also has a similar color palette and realism into the characters, therefore making it more realistic. The horrifying aspect of this issue is that of the idea of having a community of “non crossed” people be as depraved as the actual infected, and justifying it with the divine. No questions asked, what the preacher says or does is not doubted nor frowned upon, rather followed as when the main character speaks with her mother, all she says is “It’s a new world Addy. God has wiped it clean. He guides your father’s hand. The line of the prophet must remain strong for the coming days” (Crossed: Family Values, Issue 3, pg 10). The Crossed series isn’t just your typical body horror imagery, although it has plenty. It also talks about the horrors of humanity and how our moral compass, empathy, and anything good in ourselves can be lost to survival or a virus. SOURCES Cartoné. “Crossed.” Whakoom, January 11, 2022. https://www.whakoom.com/ediciones/407621/crossed-cartone. Ennis, Garth. “Crossed #4.” Read Comics Online for Free. Avatar Press. Accessed March 15, 2022. https://comiconlinefree.net/crossed/issue-4/8. Lapham , David, and Javier Barreno. “Crossed: Family Values #3.” Read Comics Online for Free. Avatar Press. Accessed March 15, 2022. https://comiconlinefree.net/crossed-family-values/issue- 3/10. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
7. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
8. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
9. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
10. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western Cartoonist Kayfabe. “Rare Charles Burns' Sketchbook: Close Your Eyes.” YouTube. YouTube, July 28, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/?gl=NL. “Charles Burns (Cartoonist).” Wikiwand. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Charles_ Burns_(cartoonist). “Charles Burns.” lambiek.net, January 1, 1970. https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/burn s.htm.
11. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western Kate Lacour: Vivisecitonary is a very unique comic, answering the most unnerving and strange questions ever made for creatures. It excels in the body horror genre and becomes some sort of bestiary. Carmen Maria Machado: The Low, Low Woods is one insanely visual body horror masterpiece. With a new infection and the fear of forgetting, 2 friends try to investigate the dark mystery of their town. Pat Mills and Carlos Ezquerra: The creators of the comic Judge Dredd, licensed by DC in the 90s. Originally standing from the comic 2000AD, Judge Dredd is a superhero who decides to take action as he sees the decaying cities overruled by crime. Warren Ellis: In his work of Stormwatch the body horror genre is found plenty. The victims of attacks turn into gory mutagens. Gail Simone: Creator of the comic Clean Room which is a story about a journalist uncovering the mystery behind her fiance's suicide after working with a mysterious author. Other Body Horror Comic Recommendations:
12. Emilia belongs to a world where monsters are not common. Without knowing her personal history, many would call her a Frankenstein's monster, yet her body disfiguration comes from years of torture. Before the accident, Emilia was a science nerd, top of her class, and very into sci-fi movies as well. After the accident, Emilia wants revenge. She keeps the facade of the best student, but secretly she is planning her revenge in the most painful way possible. She hides most of her body with dresses or long clothing, especially her right leg, which has part of her bones visible. However, her face is always on display, earning quite the looks of those who do not know her. To many, she's the perfect girl, a complete beauty. To her kidnapper, the perfect target. Currently, she holds her body together with her abilities, trying to mend it back together and improve it. Those who know her story justify her revenge as an act of a vigilante, as she also takes care of anyone who steps out of line. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
13. Body horror can not only be a significant part of the story for how impactful it can be if used right, but it is not only there to create a horrifying visual aid. Hadashi no Gen is a ten- volume historical series made by Keiji Nakazawa. This particular manga is based on the horrible outcome of World War Two in Japan, especially the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The manga takes into account the author’s own experience with the atomic bombing and portrays them through the eyes of the main character Gen Nakaoka. The manga was first published in the Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine. Later on, Hadashi no Gen was released as a two-part animated film: one released in 1983 and the other in 1986. Usually, body horror is linked to the visceral imagery and the shock factor of a story, usually fictitious. In the case of Hadashi no Gen otherwise known as Barefoot Gen, the body horror comes along with the reality of an actual historical event that was devastating to its people. The body horror emphasizes the fear, trauma, and horrible conditions people had to live with during the bombing of Hiroshima. Even if it is in a black and white format, the vivid detail in the horrifying images of decaying bodies is enough to evoke an emotion of fear in the reader. The heavily inked pages and the detail in Gen’s expressions are what evokes the sense of horrific fear onto a reader and the addition of the visual body horror is what amplifies this feeling. Body horror in Hadashi no Gen is necessary, not as an implied method of horror, but as a form to explicitly depict what happened and with all openness, criticizing the effects of war and in the case of Hiroshima, atomic bombing. On page 253 of the first volume, the audience can see the last two panels, showing the gruesome scene of a man melting and Gen’s reaction to it. The intense facial expressions Nakazawa has been able to deliver in Hadashi no Gen mirror the feelings of the audience as they read this tragedy. Even further, on page 271 of this same volume, the most horrifying image of all in my opinion is that of the survivors coming out of the rubble. Heavy inked lines and marks depict the tragedy and with Nakazawa’s inking technique one can look at the flow of the upwards fire flames that contrast the melting bodies, pulled down by gravity. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
14. SOURCES Despite its grand popularity, mass translations, and even the adaptations into both animated and live-action films, Hadashi no Gen is a work of art that is banned around many of its cities in Japan, especially in schools. One of the reasons is due to its political heavy context and how the army and Japanese government are placed in the manga, oftentimes not in the greatest light. The second reason is that the harsh visuals and extreme body horror, especially on the first volume with the scene in which the aftermath of the bombing, could be deemed “too much” for a younger audience despite it being historically accurate. In an interview, Misayo Nakazawa, the author's wife and now a widow stated “War is brutal. It expresses that in pictures and I want people to keep reading it”. Hadashi no Gen, despite its current controversy, is a prime example of a deeper use of body horror that evokes not only disgust but fear and moves the audience to see through the author’s feelings and even take them as their own. “Barefoot Gen (1983).” ‎ Barefoot Gen (1983) directed by Mori Masaki • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd. Accessed March 15, 2022. https://letterboxd.com/film/barefoot-gen/. “Manga: Barefoot Gen Volume 01 .” Internet Archive. Accessed March 15, 2022. https://archive.org/details/manga_BarefootGen-v01/page/n289/mode/2up. Markham, Barbara. “Barefoot Gen: The Bombing of Hiroshima as Seen through the Eyes of a Young Boy.” Zinn Education Project, April 8, 2020. https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/barefoot-gen. Reuters Staff. “Japan School Board Bows to Outcry, Drops Curbs on Anti-War Comic.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, August 26, 2013. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-manga- idUSBRE97P0AM20130826. The first volume ends with one of its most powerful pages when Gen has helped his mother deliver her baby right between the chaos of survival. It depicts Nakazawa's feelings towards the war and its aftermath, including the message of hope, as Gen’s mother raises her child against the flames, showing her daughter the disaster. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
15. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western Feet ready to run from any potential killer / danger One very strong stomach to handle the gore with some snacks Hands ready to grab the blankets and hide A heart that goes wayy over speed limit Dry eyes from watching too many movies
16. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
17. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western Heath, Will. “Junji Ito: 10 Best Stories from Japan's Master of Horror.” Japan Objects. Japan Objects, July 3, 2020. https://japanobjects.com/features/junji-ito. “The Horrifying Appeal of Junji Ito.” The Artifice. https://the- artifice.com/junji-ito/. “Who Is Junji Ito? Everything You Need to Know.” – Childhood & Life History. Accessed March 16, 2022. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/junji-ito- 48034.php.
18. Q Hayashida: Creator of famous manga Dorohedoro and now recently Die Dark. Hayashita is known for the more 'grungy' and dark style of her work which contains a lot of gore. Other Body Horror Manga Recommendations: Body Horror: Eastern vs Western Kentaro Miura: the author of one of the biggest manga's of all time, Berserk. Filled with intricate detail and extreme gore, Berserk is a great way to look into more body horror and dark fantasy. Hitoshi Iwaaki: Creator of the sci-fi manga Parasyte. Filled with lots of body horror, this manga talks about alien invasions on the human body and how the protagonist tries to survive while dealing with his own alien. Kazuo Umezu: One of the great fathers of the horror genre in manga, and creator of The Drifting Classroom. This manga is the story of one school which goes adrift and ends up appearing in the middle of nowhere, with no possible way to go back home. Kastuhisa Kigistu: Creator of the horror manga Franken-Fran, which takes place of a girl who does unusual treatments on her patients, most of them ending up being the most ungodly creations to ever appear.
19. Body Horror: Eastern vs Western
20. viccach