"Forty Coffins" en Broke Horror Fan

Most adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula gloss over the events aboard the Demeter, the Russian schooner that brings the titular vampire and his coffins full of soil to England. Forty Coffins, a Space Goat Publishing comic book, tells the story of the voyage from the ship crew’s point of view. It’s written by Rodolfo Santullo, as inspired by Stoker’s novel, and illustrated by Jok.
Set in 1889, Forty Coffins begins as the Demeter sails into the bay of Whitby, England. Despite its rapid speed and the stormy weather, the ship manages to traverse the reef and stop safely at the shore. Locals are shocked to discover no crew aboard aside from the deceased captain, who’s tied to the wheel. They find the ship’s log, which tells the bulk of the story - carrying over the epistolary format of Stoker’s influential novel.



The vessel’s nine-man crew are being handsomely compensated to transport boxes of dirt by a mysterious employer, but tensions run high as they believe someone - or something - is on board with them. Crew members begin disappearing one by one while the excursion hits a never-ending barrage of storms, fog, and rough seas. Meanwhile, there are sightings of a disappearing stowaway. Captain Strogoff, the weathered commander of the Demeter, is at a loss.
If the cover of the book didn’t tout Forty Coffins as “Dracula on the high seas!” those unfamiliar with the source material may mistake it for something of a haunted house at sea, as Dracula doesn’t show up in his recognizable form until about three quarters of the way through. That’s not a knock on the comic; this horror story is most effective by keeping the boogeyman in the shadows.



Perhaps I’m projecting my own tastes onto the material, but Forty Coffins brought to mind two of John Carpenter’s classic films. The all-male crew, isolated and increasingly paranoid about a monster, is reminiscent of The Thing. And it’s impossible not to be reminded of The Fog when seeing Jok’s eerie illustrations of the large ship enshrouded in a green-tinted mist.
Forty Coffins is a “one and done” one-shot comic, wrapped up in 56 pages (including several pages with early sketches and more). While I enjoy the self-contained nature of the story, I would love to see Santullo and Jok tackle more of Stoker’s Dracula. Santullo offers a fresh take on the familiar material while remaining respectful to its roots, and Jok brings the Gothic atmosphere to life with his artwork.

Alex DiVincenzo

Forty Coffins is available now via Space Goat Publishing.

"Quarenta Caixões" entre As 13 Melhores HQs de Horror de 2016

11 – Quarenta Caixões de Rodolfo Santullo e Jok (Jambô Editora, dez/2016)

O roteirista uruguaio, Rodolfo Santullo e o artista argentino Jok se reúnem para contar a história sobre a viagem do navio Deméter, que trouxe o Conde Drácula da Bulgária até a Inglaterra, como visto no clássico romance Drácula de Bram Stoker. A Jambô Editora, famosa por sua linha de livros, RPGs e HQs de fantasia, faz zua estreia no meio dos quadrinhos de horror com um belo álbum que possui um texto envolvente e uma arte incrível.

Compre AQUI.

"Quarenta Caixões" en Redação Multiverso

CCXP – Jambô lança HQ de Rodolfo Santullo

Publicado em 07/12/2016 às 11:49.

Por Guilherme Wunder

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A editora Jambô preparou uma série de lançamentos de quadrinhos para esta edição da Comic Con Experience. Ao todo, foram cinco HQs lançadas pela editora durante o evento. São elas: Rat Queens – Volume 2, Anima, Mercenário$ Especial, P•Soldier e Quarenta Caixões. Esta última conta uma história do Conde Drácula, o famoso vampiro de Bram Stoker. Na trama, o vampiro precisa realizar uma viagem da Bulgária até a Inglaterra, levando quarenta caixões com terra de sua pátria. Bram Stoker não mostra diretamente os acontecimentos deste empreendimento em seu livro, apenas alguns registros do capitão, e são exatamente tais momentos que são explorados pelos autores na HQ. A obra foi roteirizada pelo uruguaio Rodolfo Santullo e desenhada pelo argentino Jok, ambos presentes no Artists Alley da CCXP.



A equipe do site Redação Multiverso conversou com o roteirista uruguaio Rodolfo Santullo que, em 2015, esteve na Comic Con RS lançando a obra Far South através do selo gaúcho Stout Club. Agora foi a vez da Jambô trazer mais um projeto de Santullo para o Brasil, e o próprio falou sobre a receptividade que o brasileiro tem pelo seu trabalho. “Creio que este meu novo projeto será bem recebido. Como Far South, que foi editado pelos meus amigos da Stout Club, e trazia um pouco do estilo western, Quarenta Caixões trabalha com uma temática muito popular, que é o gênero de terror. Os leitores gostaram de Far South e eu espero que esta HQ tenha a mesma recepção. Ainda mais por trabalhar com um grande personagem da cultura popular como o Conde Drácula”, ressalta o uruguaio. Quarenta Caixões pode ser adquirida aqui.

"Forty Coffins" en Addicted to Horror Movies

Rodolfo Santullo, Jok ‘Forty Coffins’ Review

Posted on November 17, 2016 in Horror Comics // 0 Comments

Confusion sets in when a schooner arrives in port with no one but the decaying remains of the captain entangled in the ships steering wheel. There should be nine shipmates aboard, but alas, every single man is missing, sans the deceased captain. Naturally this has the locals – fishermen and tradesmen in particular – frightened and uncertain of what became of the ill-fated Demeter.
The story of the problems at sea are retold through a diary written by the captain, and in it a number of violent and atypical occurrences are documented. One of the greatest mysteries of the boat and its mission is the fact that the cargo in tow is nothing other than 40 boxes of dirt. But who would pay – handsomely at that – for 40 boxes of dirt, and what is the secret behind this dirt?
These are the questions posed by scribe Rodolfo Santullo, and not only do readers get a strong sense of what has happened on this ship, but the story’s characters are also of the belief that something ominous travels with them.
Plot details – severed.
I won’t flat out ruin the story for you, because it’s a well-told piece with some extremely unique artwork from Jok, who delivers an aesthetic that draws no immediate comparison but generates a dreaded atmosphere all too familiar with those fascinated by the macabre. The frames tend to be a bit action and detail heavy, but look at these images long enough and the story begins to paint itself clearly, nearly to the point in which no narrative is required.
But we’ve got reason to be thankful for said narrative. Santullo is a straight-forward storyteller, but he’s got a magnetic style that ensures readers will plow through the book in record time. All in all, it really does make for a stellar read, and as the conflict reaches a head, we become entangled in this lovely period piece that echoes elements of more than a single classic tale.
If terror at sea is for you, than Forty Coffins is a must own. And if narratives recited from the diary of a dead man happen to pique your attention – as they most certainly do mine – than you’ve got to drop what you’re doing right this instance, and add Forty Coffins to your collection.

Order it here.

Rating: 4/5

"40 Cajones" en Canal Lector

¿Quién pagaría una fortuna por trasladar en barco una carga de 40 cajones que sólo contienen tierra? Ésta es la pregunta que la tripulación de la goleta Demeter se hace mientras cruzan bravos mares. El miedo y la superstición los ciega. Además ¿por qué la goleta llegó a Inglaterra sólo con el cadáver del capitán amarrado al timón? Todo está escrito en el diario de abordo y a través de él nos enteramos de esta aventura. Inspirados en el famoso episodio de “Drácula” de Bram Stoker, el equipo (guionista y dibujante) supera con oficio el obstáculo que significa adaptar una historia conocida por todos. La hicieron nueva y novedosa: Santullo ajustándose a mencionar detalles y formular preguntas, mientras que Jok se encargó de acentuar esos silencios en favor de un clima de pesadilla (gracias a un gran trabajo de color y sombras) que contrasta con la notable humanidad de todos los personajes. Un libro que se lee de un tirón, porque eso es lo sentirá el lector al terminarlo: la mano invisible del misterio pidiendo permiso.

"40 Coffins" en Everygeek.net

This Week’s Haul:

Forty Coffins ($3.99) – OUR BOOK OF THE WEEK!

Writer: Rodolfo Santullo
Artist: Jok
Letterer: Jacob Bascle
Genre: Horror
It’s Kind of Like: John Carpenter’s The Thing on a boat.
The Premise: A mysterious second mate. A hull full of worthless cargo. A disappearing stowaway. The crew of the Demeter has its fair share of problems—and that’s before people start disappearing.
100-Word Review: ComiXology Submit is full of great horror books, and you can add Forty Coffins to the list. Jok’s art evokes Gabriel Rodriquez’s moody work on Locke & Key (if you’ve read Locke and Key, you know that’s a compliment), and while Santullo’s writing isn’t quite up to Joe Hill’s standard, Forty Coffins offers a haunting and action-packed look at an entire crew’s descent into madness. If you’re up on your classic horror, you know where Forty Coffins is going—but instead of ruining the surprise, this foreknowledge makes the Demeter‘s journey towards its inevitable fate all the more chilling.
Buy it here.