tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143329265106812387.post8734868730650624739..comments2024-03-11T14:51:33.612-05:00Comments on Heart In a Jar: The Writers - Jack Olecksenskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469603484774090192noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143329265106812387.post-24846197003508443542023-03-30T13:36:50.298-05:002023-03-30T13:36:50.298-05:00Oleck was to me the meat of the DC horror fare. He...Oleck was to me the meat of the DC horror fare. He (almost always) wasn't as classic or iconic as some authors at their peak, but he was never usually the worst story in an issue. Almost all of his stories had clear plots and endings, as opposed to some of the attempts at hipper, more experimental fare that don't always age well.<br /><br />Now, there are obvious flaws to Oleck's stuff:<br /><br />-A GIGANTIC amount of his stuff is cribbed from other sources, which I suppose almost everyone does, but his is just blatant reworkings of Twilight Zone episodes.<br /><br />-None of his characters could talk like real people...like at all. Characters rant and rave and say their motivations over and over again. If you have a character who wants to sell his soul to the devil to become young, by golly, he'll say that like every panel.<br /><br />-His work was somewhat dependent on the artist. Artists who could really capture the pathos, suspense, or craziness of an Oleck story could make his stuff seem better than some who just made them seem kind of cheap and silly.<br /><br />-He definitely had a few stock endings/plots. I've seen the one where a woman keeps having a dream about a ghost and then dies at the end and she's the ghost turn up in a few places. He's done a variation of the plot of "sick kid dies, but turns out kid's friend/dog/whoever is also dead, so it's bittersweet happy after all" in a few issues.<br /><br />-Part of the fun of an Oleck story is guessing the twist ending. Like if there was ever a living version of horns.wav it's almost every Oleck character.Mike Cheynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05631744633298744678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143329265106812387.post-51590801416722013072014-09-22T05:14:30.752-05:002014-09-22T05:14:30.752-05:00Oleck seemed to involve children in a lot of his s...Oleck seemed to involve children in a lot of his stories. "Nightmare" was one of the best stories ever written. A couple years ago I even showed it to my Mom & she was impressed, assuming most comic books were about fighting. Beautiful story.Guy Aokihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13225535103349818327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143329265106812387.post-73726464463615510692014-06-13T09:49:08.665-05:002014-06-13T09:49:08.665-05:00You are most welcome! So grateful you discovered t...You are most welcome! So grateful you discovered this. His stories were an indispensable part of my youth, and I wish there was more material on the net about him. All my best to you and your family...senskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15469603484774090192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143329265106812387.post-82630845851174130732014-06-12T20:40:11.475-05:002014-06-12T20:40:11.475-05:00Wonderful tribute to a prolific writer...who happe...Wonderful tribute to a prolific writer...who happens to be my father! Since his death and the birth of our kids, we have collected hundreds of comics with his stories. He left his mark! Thanks for the write-up!kaweeneehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02380983424495989134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143329265106812387.post-75856904924094426252012-04-21T13:00:35.138-05:002012-04-21T13:00:35.138-05:00As a child (I would've been eleven in '71)...As a child (I would've been eleven in '71) I paid far more attention to the artists than the writers; however your descriptions of Oleck's style and specific works brought back a rush of chilling-fun memories!<br /><br />I'll be sure to look more into his works.Tim Whitcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18072021569016967821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143329265106812387.post-6540109761512086102012-04-03T11:32:56.987-05:002012-04-03T11:32:56.987-05:00I've been reading DC horror ever since getting...I've been reading DC horror ever since getting into Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. I am close to completing my sets on Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion, Secrets of Sinister House, Secrets of Haunted House, and Weird Mystery Tales, and I have a selection of House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Weird War Tales, The Unexpected, Ghosts, and The Witching Hour. This was a very nice introduction to Oleck.Scott Andrew Hutchinshttp://scottandrewhutchins.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143329265106812387.post-89033504716311959402012-03-30T13:01:29.478-05:002012-03-30T13:01:29.478-05:00Thanks, Jose! DC has published 5 volumes of HoM an...Thanks, Jose! DC has published 5 volumes of HoM and HoS reprints; hope there will be more. And yes, this will be a continuing feature, but I won't just limit it to comic authors. Stay tuned!senskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15469603484774090192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143329265106812387.post-788426830451644352012-03-30T12:49:36.508-05:002012-03-30T12:49:36.508-05:00Excellent overview of this man's career, Steve...Excellent overview of this man's career, Steven. I'm not nearly as in touch with the DC Horror titles as I should be, but this post has surely given me one rousing recommendation to fix that post haste! I especially loved the sound of "Spawns of Satan" (heh-heh-heh). Will we be seeing more of these features on other comic book scribes like Wessler and Goodwin?Jose Cruzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18152405075039057304noreply@blogger.com