Help identifying an old story

[maxnutter]

This has been doing my head in for many a year, I hope this is the right place to post this, if not, I apologise.



I remember reading this in the late 70s / early 80s (UK) and wondered if anyone recognised it.



I think it was in a reprint of one of those Tales from the crypt, EC horror comics or Uncanny Tales:



A newlywed couple takes their honeymoon on an ocean liner, but their voyage takes a horrific turn when the ship rescues a survivor from a small boat. This survivor carries a contagious disease that transforms anyone who touches them into a monster. As the disease rapidly spreads throughout the ship, the couple finds themselves trapped among the infected passengers and crew. Desperate to escape, they make their way to a window with the hope of reaching safety. The husband manages to climb out and into a lifeboat, but as his wife is about to follow, she is touched by one of the infected individuals. Realizing that she is now transformed into a monster, the husband, fearing for his life, leaves her behind and escapes in the lifeboat alone.



The monsters looked a bit like Ben Grimm or the Hulk, bulky, broad foreheads, deep set eyes, but that's all I remember!
Please help!

[ramseycampbell]

It sounds very much like a graphic adaptation of William Hope Hodgson's "The Voice in the Night", but that's as much help as I can be.

[Michael Connolly]

Jun 18, 2023 22:16:09 GMT maxnutter said:

This has been doing my head in for many a year, I hope this is the right place to post this, if not, I apologise.



I remember reading this in the late 70s / early 80s (UK) and wondered if anyone recognised it.



I think it was in a reprint of one of those Tales from the crypt, EC horror comics or Uncanny Tales:



A newlywed couple takes their honeymoon on an ocean liner, but their voyage takes a horrific turn when the ship rescues a survivor from a small boat. This survivor carries a contagious disease that transforms anyone who touches them into a monster. As the disease rapidly spreads throughout the ship, the couple finds themselves trapped among the infected passengers and crew. Desperate to escape, they make their way to a window with the hope of reaching safety. The husband manages to climb out and into a lifeboat, but as his wife is about to follow, she is touched by one of the infected individuals. Realizing that she is now transformed into a monster, the husband, fearing for his life, leaves her behind and escapes in the lifeboat alone.



The monsters looked a bit like Ben Grimm or the Hulk, bulky, broad foreheads, deep set eyes, but that's all I remember!
Please help!

Ramsey is right. I know the story exists as I have read it as a reprint and have since read about it. Following a television adaptation of William Hope Hodgson's "The Voice in the Night", Stan Lee (I think) wrote a script based on it for Steve Ditko (I think) to draw for a Marvel horror comic. You should be able to find more information online.

[maxnutter]

Thanks.

"The Voices in the night" seems to be based around a fungus, and the character in the lifeboat seems friendly, neither of which map.
In the story (I may have dreamed up!) the disease spread instantly, and the infected were hell bent on spreading it to those that were uninfected.

It's driving me bonkers! 

[enoch]

You may be able to locate the story at this website, which concerns old horror comics:

thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/

I'm not familiar with this particular story, but I have to admit that I, too, believe it was probably "inspired" by Hodgson's "A Voice in the Night."  At least this one was changed significantly from its source material, so that it could reasonably be argued that the story is entirely original.  EC Comics blatantly plagiarized stuff by Ray Bradbury and others.