Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?

Chances are that you’re more familiar with the fictional killers that Ed Gein inspired rather than the man himself.  Killers like Norman Bates from “Psycho.”  Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”  Buffalo Bill from “The Silence of the Lambs.”  This is probably for the best since the things Gein did are best relegated to the annals of history and reserved for those with a curiosity for the most morbid of true crime stories.  Such is the case here as co-writers Harold Schechter and Eric Powell take us through Ed’s unhappy childhood which was lorded over by his religiously overbearing and strict mother Augusta well into his adult life.  Looked upon by many as the harmless village idiot who was just a bit odd, it wasn’t until November 1957 when evidence of his crimes was uncovered and Gein entered the national consciousness as its latest boogeyman.

Schechter and Powell note in their afterword that they relied mostly on primary source material (newspaper articles, forensic accounts, interviews) with a few additions and reshufflings for narrative clarity.  The result is a graphic novel that remains a compelling read from beginning to end, especially for those like me who are only familiar with Gein through the fictional monsters he inspired.  It also allows the first half to come off as eerily believable as it does, even though it’s clear that the creators are following their own inspiration.  This does leave the back half to become a bit more didactic as it feels like they’re following the official accounts as closely as possible.  Still, when you’re dealing with material as sensational as this, the fact-based approach actually works pretty well.

Tying it all together is Powell’s amazing art.  His color work has always had plenty of detail to it, but seeing his black and white pencil work here is a sight to behold.  Powell’s characters are tremendously emotive and he makes the setting of rural Wisconsin look utterly, believably normal, which sets up a disturbing contrast when Gein’s crimes come to light.  All of this, the pencilling, the writing, the research, is further proof that even though I have no desire to follow the further adventures of Powell’s signature creation, following his new works is still a worthwhile endeavor.