 If you were to believe pop culture and the memories of old folks then you’d think the 1950’s were this magical time where life was as good as it was going to get. Yet those of us in the real world know that a lot more was going besides sockhops, poodle skirts, and happy families. Eric J. Guignard also believes this, so he gave us Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror, 18 horror-filled stories that peer beyond the plastic fantastic shine of American kitsch. It is a bit of a mixed bag of good and bad, with some of the tales feeling a bit unfinished or rushed. Which is a shame considering the list of authors that are included here. Guignard got some of the top names in genre fiction to contribute a story, I mean we have Seanan McQuire, Kasey Lansdale and Joe R. Lansdale, Jeff Strand, Lisa Morton, and a number of other A-listers. Yet, I felt a bit underwhelmed with what’s on display. I’m not saying they weren’t fun, because even with the worst story I was still smiling by the end. Everyone of them clearly did their homework in capturing the time period. There was just something missing that kept this from being a great anthology. Pop the Clutch reads a lot like the old EC horror comics, where the guys are tough, the girls are hot, and somebody is probably doing something to incur the wrath of evil. We spend a lot of time watching greasers drag race, sometimes dragging contestants hanging on to their bumpers, other times racing for the love of a devil. Rockabilly stars are almost never what they appear to be, just like reels of film always contain more that what was recorded. Greasers will popup either fighting for turf or for a girl. And oh lord are there monsters here, though sometimes they are not truly a monster compared to others. But, some of these tales touch on deeper themes, the budding thoughts of a young woman in love with another woman, the musician strictly against playing “negro” music, the equality between men and women. This mixture of lighthearted and introspection creates a wonderful balance that elevates the stories above cheesy horror fare. Anthologies can always be difficult to review because the word count it would take to cover all of the stories would be ridiculous. So, I’ll just highlight a couple of the ones that stood out to me. Amelia Beamer’s She-Creature is probably my favorite of the bunch. It’s got it all: horror, humor, heartbreak, even some elements of a coming-of-age story. Joy is a teenager that is wrestling with her feelings for other girls. It comes to a head when she meets a new girl and they break into an amusement park at night. They discover there is more in the park than just their budding feelings for each other. Beamer injected a lot of power into this short tale and what it meant to be different during the 1950’s. It is wonderful and tragic. Fish Out of Water by Will Viharo is a fresh take on the Creature From the Black Lagoon story. In Viharo’s tale, the Creature has been captured multiple times, and has been experimented on to the point that he resembles a human more than a fish monster. The Creature is hiding out in Seattle, when he comes across a group of greasers gang raping a girl. He breaks up the assault, and befriends the heroin addicted woman. The tragic tale that follows is one that will break your heart and make you hate humanity just a bit more. It is so beautifully crafted that I would to see a full length piece. The next two are a bit similar in that they both deal with detectives and otherworldly creations. Mystery Train: An Arcane Investigation by Max Allan Collins and Matthew V. Clemens follows a detective who believes he is dead and his investigation into a green fog that turns sober people into monsters. The Starlite Drive-In by John M. Floyd is set in modern times but revolves around some evil film reels that bring to live the monsters that graced those movies. Both of these fit right in with the B-movie monster stories that gained popularity during the 50’s. I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face as I read about the eerie green fog rolling in from the swamp or how Reptilicus flipped over a police cruiser. I would almost say these two perfectly captured the fun the anthology was going for. Themed anthologies can always be hit or miss. Either the author is on board and finds the balance between theme and story or there is so much flash that there is no story. But, Pop the Clutch came strutting in with a leather jacket, switchblade, and the right amount of pomade to make its hair into a perfect duck’s tale. Even with the not so great stories, there was enough fun to keep you smiling. And the ones that stood out did more than carry the anthology, they became some of my favorite stories of the year. So, kickback to some Charlie Feathers, pop open a Schlitz, and cheer your heart out for the monsters.  Welcome to the cool side of the 1950s, where the fast cars and revved-up movie monsters peel out in the night. Where outlaw vixens and jukebox tramps square off with razorblades and lead pipes. Where rockers rock, cool cats strut, and hot rods roar. Where you howl to the moon as the tiki drums pound and the electric guitar shrieks and that spit-and-holler jamboree ain’t gonna stop for a long, long time . . . maybe never. This is the ’50s where ghost shows still travel the back roads of the south, and rockabilly has a hold on the nation’s youth; where lucky hearts tell the tale, and maybe that fella in the Shriners’ fez ain’t so square after all. Where exist noir detectives of the supernatural, tattoo artists of another kind, Hollywood fix-it men, and a punk kid with grasshopper arms under his chain-studded jacket and an icy stare on his face. This is the ’50s of Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror. This is your ticket to the dark side of American kitsch . . . the fun and frightful side!   Comments are closed.
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