A Tale from the Crypt; Class Trip 1997

Jack Davis created this piece in ink and watercolor, and you can just see the hand of the artist in it. It’s comic horror but it’s also funny, and you feel like Davis had fun making it. Look how the artist contrasts the neat rows of coffins with the ghoulish woman leaning over a coffin that's sprung open! And then there are the kids, all crowded in, looking scared and excited. Imagine Davis bent over the paper, drawing each kid with a slightly different, caricatured face. The kids in the front are in bright colors, but the watercolor wash fades out towards the top, creating a spooky atmosphere. It reminds me of the old EC Comics, with their lurid, exaggerated style. Davis’s energetic lines and juicy colors makes me want to grab some ink and brushes and join in the conversation, riffing on what he’s done here, adding my own twist!