If you’re of a certain age, you very likely grew up reading Goosebumps or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. These were classics of YA horror appropriate for grade schoolers, but no less terrifying in their storytelling. From that tradition comes the latest offering from cartoonist (among his many other talents) Graham Annable. “Eerie Tales from the School of Screams” from First Second walks that line, and walks it through multiple genres. This anthology presents five stories of terror across multiple genres, all grounded by students telling stories trying to impress their classroom. And without getting into spoiler-y territory, these stories become a little too real for the kids by the end.
Written by and with art from Graham AnnableCover by Graham AnnableStudents take turns reciting scary stories in front of their classroom in this anthology graphic novel. These include stories of missing villages, other dimensions, and space stations. But it soon becomes apparent this school is more than it seems.
The book opens simply enough, with a teacher writing the word Eerie on the chalkboard of her classroom before asking which of her students would like to tell their story first. This is our framing device, with each of the stories part of some school English lesson. It’s the set up that gives the book its title, and one that could have felt tacked in lesser hands. Right from the beginning, Annable’s expressive artwork draws you in, before immediately shifting into the first story. Each character, from the overly enthusiastic teacher, to reluctant student Davis, performs with their entire body.
There are five total, not counting the framing story itself. Though that ties directly into the final tale. Each of these stories are unique in subject matter and tone. Whether it’s the Lovecraftian ‘The Village That Vanished’ about fish men carrying an entire town to the sea, of ‘The Ghastly Ghost Chase,’ about modern day kids reacting to some random ghost showing up, these stories range from horrifying to hilarious. But each are in that same Annable art style that lets you connect with the characters the moment you look at them.
While this book is aimed at a younger audience, and the characters are a bit cartoony, this does not lessen any of the tales as horror stories. The implications of ‘Face in the Forest’ are unnerving. The monstrous beings of ‘The Door to Demons’ are creative as they are horrifying. ‘Infinity Loop of Lunacy’ is as isolating and anxious as all great Sci-Fi horror should be. It also has weird snake that pop out of people’s eyes. Something that would be a lot more disgusting if it wasn’t for the cartoony art style, and generally not being as gory as it sounds. While some children can handle horror better than others, this book does any incredible job of striking that exact midpoint.
Annable’s incredible sense of psychological storytelling helps this. The story visuals of the book mean he doesn’t have to constantly rely on dialog or narration to tell the story, making the space stations and empty (former) villages painfully quiet. It’s a silence you can almost hear off the page, as if the ink itself should be making some noise, any noise. It’s obviously a bit hard to experiment with sound in a purely visual medium. But this book succeeds in making that silence part of the experience.
It’s also worth noting that there’s a fair amount of comedy. The way Annable draws his fishmen is absolutely delightful, mostly in how unimpressed they are with humanity. And ‘The Ghastly Ghost Chase’ is almost farcical (in a good way) with how he draws the ghost all the kids are scared of/angry at.
Even down to the tiniest, subtle details, this book succeeds. The characters’ facial expressions and body language are excellent. Their environments are the perfect balance of vast and claustrophobic. But what immediately stuck with me is the color palette. The book is mostly grayscale, with one color to accent each chapter. It’s enough to add life to the panels, while accentuating the space where it’s absent, letting the gaps drain that life from key points. That and it’s a great visual shorthand for where you are in the book. Even if you don’t remember the exact title, you’ll remember the purple story or the green story. And when you realize this story is the same color as the school, you realize that the framing device tying everything together is about to be dragged into the fray. Without getting too far into spoiler territory, the book ends in pitch black and a single bit of dialog.
Overall this book is fantastic for all ages. It’s genuine horror storytelling with only cartoony characters and a bit of humor to make it appropriate for younger audiences. It respects the intelligence of the reader, and displays a remarkable amount of craft in the process. Granted with Annable’s remarkable body of work, that shouldn’t be a surprise. But whether it’s for you or children, “Eerie Tales from the School of Screams” is fantastic read for horror fans, no matter what stage of their fandom they’re in.
You can check out our interview with Graham Annable here.
