Spot the Difference: Scream comic art uncensored

By John Freeman on July 3, 2017

Dan Dare art from 2000AD by Dave Gibbons

Over on eBay, seller “Forbidden Box” is not only selling a smashing piece of 2000AD Dan Dare art by Dave Gibbons but also an early, uncensored page from the short-lived weekly Scream drawn by Jesus Redondo.

The Scream art from “Monster“, a strip originally devised by Alan Moore – offered for £350 – differs from the published edition in its depiction of the deformed, misunderstood “Uncle Terry” continuing the strangulation of Kenneth Corman into the final panel of the page.

Original uncensored “Monster” art by Jesus Redondo for Scream

Such a gruesome act was clearly too much for the management at IPC at the time, who ordered the dramatic sequence diluted for the final published edition with a re-working that makes it look as though Terry is patting down the scared teenager for sweets.

This is of course not the only instance of the management interference that hampered the comic, which was thoroughly documented in Hibernian Press’ Scream Comics Archive.

Of course, it could also be argued that given Scream used the “full script” method, and since the caption in both instances reads “As the creature’s hand fell away” and is followed by the boys speech (unhampered by strangulation), it seems in this case at least the change could also have been made to ensure the story is accurately reflected by the artwork rather than management censorship.

• You can bid on this British comics rarity here on eBay – the auction closes on 7th July 2017

(With thanks to Richard Sheaf)

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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.