Cryptology #6 December 2025 (magazine review).
As you can tell from the cover of this edition of ‘Cryptology’, the theme is zombies, although it widens to a few other subjects but is mostly still on topic.
Writer Mark Voger points out that in the early days of American cinema, despite segregation officially coming to an end, it was difficult for Black actors to get film work in anything other than subservient roles until Haitian zombies came along. However, his list of actors and actresses who did get work is quite significant, even if they didn’t all play necessarily black roles and some featured better in zombie films. Rather significantly, ‘Son of Ingagi’ (1940) had Black actors Zack Williams and Laura Bowman in the lead roles.
Probably the most significant thing about Roberto Barreiro’s article on the 1932 film ‘White Zombie’ was discovering that ‘zombie’ can’t be copyrighted because it’s a common word. Producer brothers Edward R. and Victor Hugo Halperin came to this realisation, leading to their successful lawsuit over this film.
Writer Tom Vincent looks at the zombie illustrations and paintings of Bernie Wrightson, who explained that there is some comedy in them. Considering his idol was Graham Ingels, I’m surprised there isn’t an article about his work here, too.
A lot of the articles are focusing on various zombie films over the years. Film zombies are not all cannibals; some are just controlling the recently dead, and this distinction highlights the diversity in zombie portrayals across different films. I do wonder who originally came up with the idea of zombies walking with their arms outstretched. Yes, there is an element of menace, but if zombies are partially sighted, they might lack balance, which extending their arms could help compensate for.
It’s intriguing that co-editor Peter Normanton pointed out the problems of seeing ‘X’ films when underage. My voice broke early, so I paid as an adult to see horror films and such and stayed that way. I heard some of my class decided to vary their age depending on the film but got caught out, which led to discussions about the importance of age restrictions and the consequences of trying to bypass them.
Will Murray’s interview with actor Mark Donovan, who acted as a hulking zombie in ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ and is a fan of the genre and make-up, gave some interesting insight, so I might watch the film next time it’s on television.
There’s a look at pre-Comic Code Authority comics with zombie themes and a rather intriguing list of later Marvel artists, like George Tuska and Werner Roth, who worked on them. Even Stan Lee wrote them in the limited run ‘Menace’ comic book.
It’s hardly surprising that, like with other comic books moving over to the cinema, zombie films are still prolific today. I’m sure the Cryptkeeper will return to this subject again. As it is, if you’re after a briefing on zombie history in cinema and comic books, then this issue is worth picking up.
GF Willmetts
February 2026
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISSN: 2997-4-416X. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US))
check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_194&products_id=1846
