Horror Author Confesses Rare Comic Find Was Elaborate Hoax

Coming Clean

Horror author, Jasper Bark has been forced to come clean about an elaborate horror comic hoax he perpetrated. A hoax that involved Tripwire and its readers. Worda: Joe Collins…

Back on 17 April, Tripwire ran a story about a startling discovery Bark claimed he had made in the attic of a deceased friend. The author stated that he’d found some unpublished printer’s proofs of comics that never hit the newsstands – Weird Chills #4 1954, and Chilling #6 1971. The printers proofs were allegedly all reprints, apart from three stories which were attributed to an artist called R. L Carver.

Tripwire posted one of the stories, called KILLER CABOOSE, supposedly from Weird Chills # 4, which you can read here. Other websites also covered the find. British comics site, Down the Tubes ran a story about it and printed another story from Weird Chills, called SIGN OF THE CRIMES, which you can read here. The final story, said to be from Chilling #6, entitled TIPPING THE SCALES, appeared on the Diversions of the Groovy Kind blog, which specialises in posting bronze age comics, run by writer Lloyd Smith. You can read that story here.

Jasper asked comics fandom for help tracking down information about the artist R. L. Carver. Many people came to his aid, but turned up nothing. Other’s smelled a rat and claimed the strips were clever fakes, questioning the lettering and the colouring which they claimed were digitally created.

Finally, Jasper admitted that the artist R. L. Carver was a fictional character who appears in Draw You In, his new trilogy of novels, published by Crystal Lake Entertainment. The first of these novels, entitled Draw You In, Vol 1 – Collector’s Item, is due to be released on Friday 7^th of June. The second volume Draw You In, Vol 2 – Secret Origins will be released on June 21st and Draw You In, Vol 3 – Behind the Mask is due out on July 5^th.

So, was this all a cheap publicity stunt? Jasper addressed the issue. “I did hope to grab your attention, but I had other reasons for doing this. Draw You In explores the history of horror comics, from the pre-code 1950s to the present day. But another of its themes is the way that reality and fiction often bleed into one another, especially in the world of comics.”

In line with this theme, Jasper invited comic legends Walt and Louise Simonson to appear as characters in his trilogy. He elaborates: “Both creators not only appeared as characters, they wrote their own dialogue and actions and interacted with the main characters, affecting the narrative in ways I couldn’t control. I don’t think that’s ever been done, quite this way, in a novel before.”

But he didn’t only want real life people to step into his fictional world. He wanted his characters to escape from the novel as well. “The plot of Draw You In follows an FBI investigation into the life and work of a forgotten horror comic artist called R. L. Carver. A misunderstood genius who never received the acclaim he deserved. I wanted my character, R. L. Carver to step off the pages of my novels and into the real world. I wanted readers to wonder if Carver had actually existed, if only for a few moments.”

Jasper revealed that the comics were drawn by artist Mick Trimble, best known for the Markosia title Bloodfellas, coloured by Aljoša Tomić and lettered by Mindy Hopkins. He says: “If you liked what you read that’s probably down to my collaborator’s contributions. If it annoyed you for any reason, then I guess that’s on me.”

 Draw You In is available on Amazon and all main book platforms. The first novel is available for pre-order which you can buy here.

MORE INFO:

DRAW YOU IN, VOL 1 – COLLECTOR’S ITEM

Can you disappear so completely that only one person remembers you existed?

That’s what comics creator Linda Corrigan asks, when her editor, disappears without a trace. Drawn into an FBI investigation by Agent McPherson, Linda and comics historian Richard Ford unearth a chilling link to the forgotten comic artist R. L. Carver, whose work might just hold the key to a series of mysterious disappearances.

As they explore Carver’s life, they uncover the secret history of horror comics, the misfits, madcaps and macabre masters who forged an industry, frightened a generation and felt the heat of the Federal Government. They also stumble on the shadow history of the United States on a road trip that veers into the nation’s dark underbelly, where forbidden knowledge and forgotten lore await them.

Described as “Kavalier and Clay meets Clive Barker,” Draw You In Vol.1 – Collector’s Item is the first in a mind-bending trilogy of novels. It contains stories within stories that explore horror in all its subgenres, from quiet to psychological horror, from hardcore to cosmic horror.

Experience the epic conspiracy thriller that redefines the genre for a new generation.

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Draw You In Vol.1 – Collector’s Item is the fourth book in the Bark Bites Horror series.

Bark Bites Horror is a spine-tingling series that takes the horror genre to a whole new level. Get ready for a Goosebumps for grown-ups and a sexed-up Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! This is your favorite new obsession. These are the terror tales you’ve been waiting your whole life to read.

This is Horror 2.0, re-gened, re-tooled and recreated for a fearless new audience! Think you’ve seen everything in horror? Think again. Bark Bites takes you places you’ve never been and shows you sights few mortal eyes would dare behold.

Don’t be the only weird kid on your block to miss out!