"Killer Smile"
10 pgs. Appeared first time in Gangland #2 (1998).
Story: Simon Revelstroke. Art: Richard Corben (no signature). Colors: Grant Goleash. Editor: Alex Alonso. Lettered by computer (Comicraft).
FIN: as "Tappajan hymy" in Kauhu #1 (2000).
SPA: as "Sonrisa asesina", in Grande autores de Vertigo: Richard Corben (2015).
Style: Color with black line. Genre: Crime. Time Span: No particular moment of time. Nudity: None.
Keywords: Gangsters. Smile. Childhood. Friendship. Home. Betrayal. Grave. Stiff.
Synopsis: Rigo "The Chef" Jansci escapes set up to end up old and forgotten home backyard. He drifts into his childhood's best friend and savior Hugo who keeps smiling even after betrayal.
Comment: Exellent, almost brilliant B&W artwork (added colors works seamlessly). Story by Simon Revelstroke grows interestingly till the end, but lacks with good conclusion.
Gangland; Previous Record: The rumours of Richard Corben's criminal record prove to be exaggerated. The 50+-year-old comic book artist denies accusations of petty theft, lecherous conduct, trafficking in controlled substances, associating with known felons, and kidnapping buxom women to work in an artist's model ring. As for the scoure of prison inmates on his subscription lists, Corben says, "It's not my fault my work appeals to society's underside!"
While Simon Revelstroke is understandably reticent about his various "misunderstandings" with The Law, he does admit to once being thrown off the Orient Express as a suspected terrorist. It seems he had picked up, by mistake, another gentleman's black attache case, thinking it his own. Imagine his surprise when, on opening the case in the restaurant car to retrieve his 24-karat Sheaffer Schnorkel pen, a tear-gas cartridge exploded! At least the fifty concealed gold sovereigns came in handy at the border.
Copyright © 2000 Heart-Attack-Series, Ink!,
Created: April 19, 2000. Modified: April 7, 2017.