Pilgor the Plunderer Portfolio, Plate #6

1981. Toutain Editior. 37,6 x 46,8 cm. B&W. [nico,plogg]

Printed in: Pilgor the Plunderer [SPA] (1981)

Plate #6: “Uncle Hunghoul Collects a Titbit”
1 plate. s-Bruce Jones. a/r-Richard Corben. B&W.

Urging his war horse forward, Pilgor crashed into Hunghoul’s soldiers with a great cacophony of battered steel and grinding armour. In one smooth movement he drove his war lance through half a dozen rotted bellies at once and, drawing his long sword, cleft the head from a score of gibbering ghouls. But to his shock, the Prince of Pillage discovered that no blood spurted from the veins of the walking dead and no amount of skilfull swordplay could halt their ceaseless charge. Headless, armless, even legless, the tottering obcenities crawled or hobbled or hopped like leprous spiders at their assailant no matter how many bone-weary blows the frenzied youth delivered. Pilgor felt a knot of dread tighten in his stomach as the hellish legion pressed him into the brackish waters of a nearby swamp and Hunghoul’s maniacle laughter echoed across the marshes.

Terror followed terror as Pilgor’s horse screamed warning and the hysterical beast sank to its haunches in the vile, sucking mud. As the poor creature wrenched and tossed feverishly in the turgid embrace, sinking deeper yet, Pilgor grasped the branches of an overhanging tree and pulled himself to safety. Not so fortunate was his wretched horse nor the dread army of the night that pursued it. Even as the gallant steed sank from sight the crumbling soldiers of Hell marched after it into the bilious ooze, blindly carrying out Hunghoul’s last order.