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Dwellings
Dwellings #1
SHOCK! TERROR! FUN! SATURDAY MORNING MEETS THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT IN AN ALL-NEW, BI-MONTHLY LIMITED SERIES PRESENTED IN PRESTIGE FORMAT, 72-PAGE CHAPTERS WITH TWO COMPLETE TALES IN EACH ISSUE!
Welcome to Elwich, an oasis of American perfection, where the schools overflow with cheery-eyed children, lovingly adorned homes line the historic boulevards . . . and only the crows can see the deep, festering rot that lurks beneath the pristine surface. Murder. Demonology. Possession. Obsession. Elwich has them all on offer—and behind every DWELLING awaits a horrifying new story to be told!
From the sugar-addled brain of Emmy Award-winning, Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist and animator Jay Stephens (Tutenstein, Jetcat Clubhouse), prepare yourself for the inescapable curse of "They Know" and and the sinister purpose of "Second Tongue" as Dwellings unleashes its first two-fisted tales of occult terror! Fright has never looked like so much fun . . .
FOR MATURE READERS (AND DEFINITELY NOT FOR KIDS—OR COWARDS!)
Welcome to Elwich, an oasis of American perfection, where the schools overflow with cheery-eyed children, lovingly adorned homes line the historic boulevards . . . and only the crows can see the deep, festering rot that lurks beneath the pristine surface. Murder. Demonology. Possession. Obsession. Elwich has them all on offer—and behind every DWELLING awaits a horrifying new story to be told!
From the sugar-addled brain of Emmy Award-winning, Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist and animator Jay Stephens (Tutenstein, Jetcat Clubhouse), prepare yourself for the inescapable curse of "They Know" and and the sinister purpose of "Second Tongue" as Dwellings unleashes its first two-fisted tales of occult terror! Fright has never looked like so much fun . . .
FOR MATURE READERS (AND DEFINITELY NOT FOR KIDS—OR COWARDS!)
75 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 10, 2023
Nice, mean little stories that most anyone else would have made empty novelty
October 3, 2023
2023 - 365 Days of Horror
Day 275 and 276: Both stories were fun and the illustrations just helped that. 3.5⭐️ for They Know and 4⭐️ for Second Tongue.
Day 275 and 276: Both stories were fun and the illustrations just helped that. 3.5⭐️ for They Know and 4⭐️ for Second Tongue.
November 13, 2024
Really dark comic with two short stories. The plot was a bit all over the place and difficult to follow at times.
February 18, 2024
“History is a horror story.”
Jay Stepehns in this collection tells the creepy story of the town of Elwich. A town plagued by possessions, violent acts and strange behaviour. Each story brings a new type of horror to the legacy of Elwich.
I loved this collection. Each story is bizarre and becomes darker the further you read. The representation of people literally losing their minds over something macabre and evil is portrayed in a way that was clever and addicting to read.
The cartoon style of this graphic novel made this even more fun and twisted. There is a great mix of chilling stories followed by vintage adverts which in this style of illustration make it even creepier.
Overall a brilliant collection of stories mixed with vintage advertisements made this a fun and messed up read. One I would definitely recommend.
Many thanks to @netgalley for a copy of this graphic novel.
Jay Stepehns in this collection tells the creepy story of the town of Elwich. A town plagued by possessions, violent acts and strange behaviour. Each story brings a new type of horror to the legacy of Elwich.
I loved this collection. Each story is bizarre and becomes darker the further you read. The representation of people literally losing their minds over something macabre and evil is portrayed in a way that was clever and addicting to read.
The cartoon style of this graphic novel made this even more fun and twisted. There is a great mix of chilling stories followed by vintage adverts which in this style of illustration make it even creepier.
Overall a brilliant collection of stories mixed with vintage advertisements made this a fun and messed up read. One I would definitely recommend.
Many thanks to @netgalley for a copy of this graphic novel.
July 27, 2024
Cute but creepy and violent stories. The ads in between were a comedic touch!
Very much vintage style, and honesty the hardback is a good “coffee table” book if you like vintage and/or horror!
Very much vintage style, and honesty the hardback is a good “coffee table” book if you like vintage and/or horror!
September 4, 2024
What's with all the crows, dude? Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Fucking Halloween eagles!!! They're are totally following me.
A mash-up of several interconnected dark tales, while all taking place within the same cheerful yet very violent town.
I had a super fun time with Dwellings as I knew I would the moment I laid eyes on it's very cart👀ny retro design cover. I recently discovered/stumbled upon writer Jay Stephen's while searching for another book I wanted to check-out from my local library but couldn't find. Coincidentally that I ended up with this book instead? I certainly think not lol.
Remember those terrors you believed were lurking under the surface of your town, when you were a kid? What if they're still there. The true meaning of nostalgia is to return home in pain. Um... I'm hoping Dwelings makes you feel very nostalgic. Thank you.
—Jay Stephen's
I feel I may now be obsessed with these books. Thank you Jay Stephen's for not only returning to comics (apparently) after two decades, and especially for your latest creations Dwellings. The story "They Know" was my most favorite which kicks-off these disturbing events. About a young man who's *constantly* being pestered by crows to kill again after getting their bloody gorged fill from a corpse, in hopes of receiving their next meal.
"History is a Horror Story"
Something I personally love seeing is whenever an author features any kind of mixed-media in their books. (told through various formats of information) Such as newspaper articles, journal or diary entries, interviews etc, etc. you get what I'm saying. So here in Dwellings it includes some really fascinating fake ads throughout the entire graphic novel in-between every story. That advertises many horror related items and Halloween items/mask as well. All of which, shows them for purchasing with a section for mailing information.
ELWICH COSTUMES:
Escape into terrifying fantasy
In stores near you this Hallowe'en
only $9.95 plus 58.¢ post & hand
It's never too late We Are No Longer
to hide! Your Children
Kids, El-tee Designs Are NOW Available
as radical IRON-ONs! 👕 shirts
There were many fun elements with all the very detailed ads which made Dwellings all the more enjoyable. And these ads wasn't just included for the sake of entertainment, but Stephen's actually makes some of the items reflect upon the actual story.
I kept forgetting we're dealing with adult characters, because they'll look like children. Which made it all the more effective when they delivered real moments of brutal behavior. The vintage style illustrations had such a playful and fun classic comic strip look to it. That'll also take you back to a time when you were reading similar stories under your covers with a 🔦 flashlight. Even the pages has an old-magazine texture feel to it and yellowish tinge color.
All that being said, I'm ready to *dwell* pun intended into more adorable tales of horrors. And yes Jay Stephen's e everything about this book was so very nostalgically pleasing.
Caw! Caw! I love crows. They're amazing. Super smart. Closest bird brain to people, actually. Caw! Instead of searching for dead things to eat, or waiting around for something to die... like a vulture, crows are one step ahead. And hang out with predators because they know they are guaranteed to kill again.
Why did you say that to me? WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?!
CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW!
October 29, 2024
Jay Stephens' Dwellings pairs mature horror stories with a cutesy art style to cultivate some unsettling yet mildly comedic comics. Perhaps not a unique stylistic choice, but can't argue with the execution. Stephens' comics are an appeal to lovers of the old-school Harvey Comics aesthetic but utilizes contemporary horror tropes to craft something quite fresh.
The absurdities in the stories work due to the cartoonish designs, allowing the ultraviolent setups to not feel overwhelming and indeed, they serve to propel much of the black comedic elements well. Starting with the opening story, "They Know", we follow a young man's descent into madness as he murders his way through several people to keep a certain secret intact. The situation flies off the handle rapidly, with each successive murder getting more and more ridiculous. Following this up with "Second Tongue", we follow a scientist who investigates "Foreign Accent Syndrome" but it results in her uncovering something even more absurd under the surface.
These comics are generally entertaining and well drawn, but it's also the design elements behind the issues worth noting. To couple with the classic comics aesthetic, Stephens utilizes yellowed out pages to subdue the colors. The palette is still vibrant and kinetic, but the murkier mix of these colors compound the darker tones of the narratives. Adding to this are the well placed ads that are all designed by Stephens himself, adding just a bit extra artistry involved. Dwellings is an absolutely enjoyable one-man horror anthology that is worth checking out.
The absurdities in the stories work due to the cartoonish designs, allowing the ultraviolent setups to not feel overwhelming and indeed, they serve to propel much of the black comedic elements well. Starting with the opening story, "They Know", we follow a young man's descent into madness as he murders his way through several people to keep a certain secret intact. The situation flies off the handle rapidly, with each successive murder getting more and more ridiculous. Following this up with "Second Tongue", we follow a scientist who investigates "Foreign Accent Syndrome" but it results in her uncovering something even more absurd under the surface.
These comics are generally entertaining and well drawn, but it's also the design elements behind the issues worth noting. To couple with the classic comics aesthetic, Stephens utilizes yellowed out pages to subdue the colors. The palette is still vibrant and kinetic, but the murkier mix of these colors compound the darker tones of the narratives. Adding to this are the well placed ads that are all designed by Stephens himself, adding just a bit extra artistry involved. Dwellings is an absolutely enjoyable one-man horror anthology that is worth checking out.
February 29, 2024
(This review is for the entire Dwellings collection, #1-3)
I made a few notes about each specific story but overall, I loved the way little details were sprinkled through each story to help tie them together. I was also obsessed with the art style - I'm a big fan of mixing cute and horror aesthetics, so the adorable character designed paired with the grisly stories worked really well for me. I've toyed with the intersection of suburbia and the occult in some of my personal writing for years, so I loved that this collection also dug into that concept through the cursed town of Elwich. I also loved the advertising inserts, etc scattered throughout the collection. The retro vibes were such a fun addition and they helped round out the world building as I was reading.
The first two stories were the strongest for me but I enjoyed the final story a lot as well! I would definitely read more installments from our creepy lil Canadian town.
#1: I looooove a good creepy crow story, no notes.
#2: Gory + crazy cultists + a clean reveal at the end.
#3: Can't go wrong with a creepy puppet.
#4: Not my favorite of the stories but did some heavy lifting on world building in the town!
#5: Revenge time!
#6: I love stories that explore children's capacity for cruelty.
Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I made a few notes about each specific story but overall, I loved the way little details were sprinkled through each story to help tie them together. I was also obsessed with the art style - I'm a big fan of mixing cute and horror aesthetics, so the adorable character designed paired with the grisly stories worked really well for me. I've toyed with the intersection of suburbia and the occult in some of my personal writing for years, so I loved that this collection also dug into that concept through the cursed town of Elwich. I also loved the advertising inserts, etc scattered throughout the collection. The retro vibes were such a fun addition and they helped round out the world building as I was reading.
The first two stories were the strongest for me but I enjoyed the final story a lot as well! I would definitely read more installments from our creepy lil Canadian town.
#1: I looooove a good creepy crow story, no notes.
#2: Gory + crazy cultists + a clean reveal at the end.
#3: Can't go wrong with a creepy puppet.
#4: Not my favorite of the stories but did some heavy lifting on world building in the town!
#5: Revenge time!
#6: I love stories that explore children's capacity for cruelty.
Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2024
Thank you, Jay Stephens and NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!
I'm so glad I was able to read this. I haven't read anything like this... it's unlike anything I've seen before, and it's fantastic! It's a horror comic! I used to read Manga when I was younger, but I just haven't really been into that sort of read. This was definitely worth the read. Though I'll be honest, it's not something I'm into anymore. The details, color, and art were phenomenal and just lept off the page, and the ads were hilarious.
The gore and details were what stood out to me the most. You certainly don't want younger kids to be reading this. Reading this, I didn't really have a favorite story leap at me, but I truly enjoyed them all! They are all spooky and definitely sinister to the very core.
Thank you so much for letting me have the chance to enjoy this.
I'm so glad I was able to read this. I haven't read anything like this... it's unlike anything I've seen before, and it's fantastic! It's a horror comic! I used to read Manga when I was younger, but I just haven't really been into that sort of read. This was definitely worth the read. Though I'll be honest, it's not something I'm into anymore. The details, color, and art were phenomenal and just lept off the page, and the ads were hilarious.
The gore and details were what stood out to me the most. You certainly don't want younger kids to be reading this. Reading this, I didn't really have a favorite story leap at me, but I truly enjoyed them all! They are all spooky and definitely sinister to the very core.
Thank you so much for letting me have the chance to enjoy this.
July 8, 2024
DWELLINGS – Jay Stephens – Horror Graphic Novel — NOT FOR CHILDREN
Shock?
Terror?
Wry Humor?
Yes, Please!
‘Welcome to Elwich, an oasis of small-town perfection where the schools overflow with cheeky-eyed children, lovingly adorned homes line the historic boulevards . . . and only the cries can see the deep, festering rot that lurks beneath the pristine surface.
Murder.
Demonology.
Possession.
Obsession.
‘Elwich has them all on offer—and behind every dwelling awaits a horrifying new story to be told.’
I had a blast reading DWELLINGS, a graphic novel filled with creepy-cringy-macabre-goodness that I found also nostalgically pleasing with mail-order ads sprinkled throughout that are childlike funny, or filled with dark humor.
Highly Recommend!
Thank you, NetGalley and Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group, LLC., for providing me with an eBook of DWELLINGS at the request of an honest review.
Shock?
Terror?
Wry Humor?
Yes, Please!
‘Welcome to Elwich, an oasis of small-town perfection where the schools overflow with cheeky-eyed children, lovingly adorned homes line the historic boulevards . . . and only the cries can see the deep, festering rot that lurks beneath the pristine surface.
Murder.
Demonology.
Possession.
Obsession.
‘Elwich has them all on offer—and behind every dwelling awaits a horrifying new story to be told.’
I had a blast reading DWELLINGS, a graphic novel filled with creepy-cringy-macabre-goodness that I found also nostalgically pleasing with mail-order ads sprinkled throughout that are childlike funny, or filled with dark humor.
Highly Recommend!
Thank you, NetGalley and Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group, LLC., for providing me with an eBook of DWELLINGS at the request of an honest review.
March 25, 2024
As I said before don't be fooled by the cute cartoon characters, this is the stuff of nightmares!
I got the copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and my review is, read this if you like mild horror. The cute cartoon style is so easy on the eyes but the subject matter still is grim. I really enjoyed reading this and recommend it as well.
Netgalley version is longer but cannot find the longer version on Netgalley. This review is for the entire book rather than the entire mini Dwellings series.
I got the copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and my review is, read this if you like mild horror. The cute cartoon style is so easy on the eyes but the subject matter still is grim. I really enjoyed reading this and recommend it as well.
Netgalley version is longer but cannot find the longer version on Netgalley. This review is for the entire book rather than the entire mini Dwellings series.
March 10, 2024
The book had an interesting start. The first story was really creepy. But, some parts of the book were confusing. The graphics were good, but all the characters looked so similar that I was not able to differentiate between them. I had great hopes for the book. And, I was really looking forward to enjoy this. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an opportunity to read and review the book.
January 29, 2024
I was worried this would be akin to Millar's Unfunnies, a cheap attempt at edgy gross-out humor by clashing horror and cutesy 50s style cartoons. But it has some genuinely fun kills, an interesting (if uneven) story and, yeah, great art.
March 15, 2024
Hah! Nice. I read a lot of EC comics I picked up second hand from flea markets when I was a kid. This reminds me of those. In a good, updated way. Nice little stories, very Tales from the Crypt but not quite as corny.
February 20, 2024
This was great fun.
Similar to Stray Dogs except tolerable violence.
Similar to Stray Dogs except tolerable violence.
March 3, 2024
Exquisite art of horrible things! Cartoon dementia!
Demons! Demon birds! Demon children speaking Polish!
Great graphic that puts the “graphic” in graphic!
Demons! Demon birds! Demon children speaking Polish!
Great graphic that puts the “graphic” in graphic!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews