I read #DaveSim’s The Strange Death of #AlexRaymond last night, and it took a solid amount of energy to understand what he was getting at. There are two sides to this, the rational that says it feels like the comic history version of #ABeautifulMind regarding the #Nobel prize winner, John Forbes Nash. There is a piecing together of unrelated occurrences to make a point not proven by any rational conduct. On the metaphysical and likely irrational end, it is Sim looking at #WardGreene, the writer of the #RipKirby strip and editor of #KingFeatures comics line, as a nefarious #occultist who hexed Raymond into his #carcrash that killed him. Sim uses odd facts that are likely coincidences to support and try to triangulate the idea that a large reality altering magic from Greene using script, art and mass publication to effect reality. It definitely sounds like a conspiracy theory, but Greene did intersect for many years with known occultist and #cannibal William Seabrook who also intersected with #AleisterCrowley. #StanDrake who was in the car with Raymond, drew the Heart of #JulietJones which is said here to be sourced from #MargaretMitchell the writer of Gone with the Wind, who also had dealings with Greene and also died in a #caraccident. This story had much less to do with the details of the actual accident and more to do with a conspiracy theory that can’t be proven by any forensic sciences. But it’s certainly intriguing and adds some (likely fictional) backstory to these historic names. Sim also analyzes illustration in comics using comic strips that I’ve read reprints of like #FlashGordon, Rip Kirby, Secret Agent Corrigan, etc. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t what I expected. Pic description: Ward Greene (left) Margaret Mitchell (right) page from book middle. #DavidLynch’s eyes (bottom) because Lynch could make a hell of a movie out of this. More on Greene and Seabrook here: http://www.ramblehouse.com/ridethenightmarechapter.htm https://www.instagram.com/comicbookhistorians/p/CYHZMVJr9cI/?utm_medium=tumblr
