Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?

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This book takes Gein’s gruesome crimes out of the realms of exploitation and delivers a powerful, fact-based dramatization of the tragic, psychotic, and heartbreaking events,” said Powell. “Because, in this case, the truth needs no embellishment to be horrifying.” Eric Powell, perhaps best known for The Goon comics, was also an excellent choice for illustrator. Every muted panel captures the sadness and dreariness of Gein's world. Powell is best known as the creator of the long-running Dark Horse series The Goon, and has also worked on titles like Action Comics, Swamp Thing and Star Wars: Tales. Schechter is a true crime writer who has penned nonfiction books like Deviant and The Serial Killer Files.

Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? (Albatross Review – Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? (Albatross

The book is interested in presenting the horrors of Gein’s case as coming from beyond the gruesome and the macabre. What’s terrifying here is Gein’s childhood, the abusive family environment he endured, the invasive sexual repression, and a uniquely American obsession with violence.

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Obviously Ed Gein’s story has been fictionalized many times in the movies,” said Schechter. “In no visual medium, however, have the bizarre inner workings of his mind been explored and portrayed. The graphic novel is the perfect medium to conduct such an exploration. Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? will not only bring the factual details of Gein’s crimes to vivid, compelling life but draw the reader into the phantasmagoric realm of his uniquely deranged psyche.” First, the bad: Eric Powell, the creator of cult-favorite comic The Goon, is taking a break from his indie Eisner-winning title after just putting out the latest issue (that would be issue 13, which dropped on March 10). If you have lived in Wisconsin, as I have, you know the book Wisconsin Death Trip which makes a case for the state being one of the creepiest places on the planet (including chapters on monsters/serial killers such as jeffery Dahmer, and so on). But before Dahmer, in 1957, there was Eddie Gein, one of the most truly macabre people to ever walk the planet (oh, I know he has competition). And I admit, I have recently taken a (shallow, hypocritical) stand against the sensationalization of murder in my review of a graphic memoir, The Murder Book (Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell), a book about the author's obsession with True Crime, as I was at the same time reading Norman Mailer's Executioner's Song, about psycho-killer Gary Gilmore. This was my last read of 2021, and it wound up being one of my favorites of the whole year. Schechter is a true crime writer and has written some fascinating books, including a biography of Ed Gein. That knowledge and research shines in Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?. In short - this book is fantastic and if you have any interest at all in these murders I would highly recommend it. It is not simply a summary of events as much as it is an in-depth history and analysis of what happened, and why... complete with social context. It was respectfully written, and not overly compassionate to the killer but also still humanized him.

Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? (Hardback) - Waterstones

Gein has always been a fascinating case. In terms of body count (which, in the world of true crime, is the sexiest statistic, the equivalent of home runs in baseball), he was pretty much a dud, tallying a meager two killings. But the grim details of the house of horrors he inhabited in tiny, unremarkable Plainfield are what made him one of the country’s most notorious maniacs and led to so many people patterning fictional killers, from Norman Bates to Leatherface to Buffalo Bill, on his story. Gein sewed suits of clothing out of the skins of dead bodies, made a belt out of nipples, ate his meals out of a bowl fashioned from the top of a skull, and performed a litany of other horrors. He was the quintessential American psychopath, and his story caused a media frenzy that loomed far larger than the human cost of his crimes. Harold Schechter is a true crime writer who specializes in serial killers. He attended the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he obtained a Ph.D. A resident of New York City, Schechter is professor of American literature and popular culture at Queens College of the City University of New York.

I like the idea of doing bio-comics. I don’t really enjoy serial killer stuff. Especially when it feels like we’re making these awful people into a type of celebrity. I believe Gein’s story continues to haunt us because he’s entered the realm of folklore,” answers Powell. “A real-life bogeyman who lived in a house of horrors. He’s become a truly American urban legend. A mid-century Vlad the Impaler.” Six Former Winners of the Cundill History Prize Reflect on What the Future Holds November 1, 2023 by Literary Hub

Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?

Kaikin puolin surullinen sarjakuva perustuu aika tiukasti faktoihin, joiden pohjalta Harold Schechter on kai kirjoittanut elämäkerrankin. Loppusanoissa mainitaan kohdat, jotka ovat arvelun varassa tai tekijöiden omaa tulkintaa. This comic book was remarkably readable. Very little was not taken from primary sources, and what wasn't taken from primary source was explained in the end notes with further explanations behind the reasoning afforded. What you got from reading this was not simply the history, but also an analysis of some of the reasoning behind the fixations that Gein developed. I left the book both knowing a great deal more about him, and also wanting to read Schechter's official book about the murders. That having been said? This book seems to summarize the events extraordinarily well. None of it felt like it was glossed over. One of the greats in the field of true crime literature, Harold Schechter (Deviant, The Serial Killer Files, Hell’s Princess), teams with five-time Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist Eric Powell (The Goon, Big Man Plans, Hillbilly) to bring you the tale of one of the most notoriously deranged serial killers in American history, Ed Gein. As with the original book that this is based on, “Did You Hear About What Eddie Gein Done?” doesn’t just tell the story of Ed Gein’s crimes, it also details the childhood and upbringing that in no small way shaped the man that became what the press would term the “Plainfield Butcher”; and this book is a condensed but relatively faithful retelling of Schechter’s brilliant book Deviant (there are some minor changes to make the story work better in GN format) which is brought to life by Eric Powell’s unique and masterful artwork.

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I’ll start with a little confession: I spent most of this book reading the dialogue in a Fargo-esque Midwest accent, so I invite you to do the same here. Okee then, let’s go. All fans of Psycho [book or movie], TX Chainsaw Massacre, Silence of the Lambs, really any oder fictional slasher needs to read this. Born in 1948, Professor Schechter https://haroldschechter.com/ has written extensively about deranged criminals, both as true crime stories and as fiction. We are honoured to have him answer a few questions about the book and its infamous protagonist. One of the greats in the field of true crime literature, Harold Schechter (Deviant, The Serial Killer Files, Hell's Princess), teams with five-time Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist Eric Powell (The Goon, Big Man Plans, Hillbilly) to bring you the tale of one of the most notoriously deranged serial killers in American history, Ed Gein. I’ve seen documentaries on Gein before so I was familiar with most of the grisly details in this book, but there were some interesting new aspects that Schechter introduces for the reader to consider. Like whether Gein truly was insane given that his murders, particularly the last one, Bernice Worden, shows definite premeditation, and he got away with his crimes for many years before eventually being caught. He also comes across as very careful with his words in the interviews and not being declared insane at his trial would’ve meant going to the chair instead of being confined to a mental institution. He was certainly mentally ill but insane, as in not in control of his actions? Hmm…

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The “Superhero” Trademark: how the name of a genre came to be owned by DC and Marvel, and how they enforce it He added: “And when my favorite true-crime author and Gein expert, Harold Schechter, enthusiastically agreed to work with me on a project, it was a dream (nightmare?) come true. The best part is we have a really unique take with in-depth information. I’m really proud of this book and I think anyone also intrigued by the darker aspects of the human psyche is really going to enjoy it.”It is here that the book shines even more, not just thanks to the impossibly masterful strokes of artist Eric Powell’s pencil, but also by not giving us a straight answer: surely, we are given an interpretation of what might have happened in those moments when nobody was present, but, at the same time, there is no final judgment being uttered by the two writers. Obviously Ed Gein’s story has been fictionalized many times in the movies,” said Schechter in a press release. “In no visual medium, however, have the bizarre inner workings of his mind been explored and portrayed. The graphic novel is the perfect medium to conduct such an exploration. DID YOU HEAR WHAT EDDIE GEIN DONE? will not only bring the factual details of Gein’s crimes to vivid, compelling life but draw the reader into the phantasmagoric realm of his uniquely deranged psyche.”