Alcatraz has now been a museum for longer than it was ever a prison, but it remains the most famous prison in pop culture. The very name “Alcatraz” connotes an inescapable prison — except three men did escape in 1962, a year before the prison closed.
These were Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin, who tried to row to freedom on the shore. (A fourth prisoner, Allen West, was part of the breakout plan but failed to escape his cell in time.) Authorities ultimately concluded that the escapees’ raft never made it to land and they drowned, but with no bodies, imaginations have run wild about their fates. The new comic “Out Of Alcatraz” by writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Tyler Crook will run with the premise that the men did make it to land, but did they ever find freedom? Oni Press has shared an exclusive preview of “Out of Alcatraz” #1 with /Film (via Superfan Promo), including three previously unseen pages. These might help shed some light on that question.
Cantwell is best known to TV fans for co-creating “Halt and Catch Fire,” a “Mad Men” style four season drama about the early days of the Silicon Valley computer revolution. However, he has also built up a prolific comic writing career; his work includes a 10-issue “Doctor Doom” solo series at Marvel and “Briar,” a dark fantasy reimagining of “Sleeping Beauty” at Boom! Studios.
Crook is mostly known for drawing horror comics; he came to fame working on the “Hellboy” spin-off “B.P.R.D.” He has since drawn the horror series “Harrow County” (written by Cullen Bunn) as well as writing and drawing the monster hunter series “The Lonesome Hunters.” His experience drawing dark shadows, bloody violence, and haunted faces serves “Out of Alcatraz” perfectly.
Crook’s cover for “Out of Alcatraz” #1 is a work of beauty, blending detailed illustration and minimalist graphics while binding form and narrative (i.e. the prison spotlight serving as the dividing lines). The orange color-and-black color scheme, shadow figure cut-outs, and uneven lettering are done in the style of Saul Bass’ famous posters for “Vertigo” and “Anatomy of a Murder” — lovely and period accurate!
Oni Press
The 1962 Alcatraz escape was previously dramatized in the 1979 Clint Eastwood picture, succinctly titled “Escape From Alcatraz,” where Eastwood played Morris. Directed by Eastwood’s previous “Dirty Harry” director Don Siegel, “Escape” is often regarded as one of the best prison-set movies. “Out of Alcatraz,” though, skips over the incarceration and follows the imagined aftermath of the escape. Crook has previously said he considers the comic akin to a “classic ’60s crime/road movie.”
Out Of Alcatraz will answer an unsolved mystery of history
The opening pages of “Out of Alcatraz” #1 (previously released in past previews) show the escape itself. The first page opens with a wide shot of the island prison, with panels descending down the page showing the stormy tides; there are no onomatopoeia sound effects lettered in but you can hear the roaring of the waves from just a glance at the art. As the imagery sets the scene, the narration explains the real history of the case; the final panel, captioned “no bodies were ever discovered” features a close-up of Frank’s face as he swims.
In Cantwell and Crook’s version, it turns out that one of the prisoners did indeed drown while swimming to shore: John Anglin. Clarence tries to swim back to save his brother but Frank pulls him to shore, where they have no time to mourn.
Oni Press
Oni Press
Oni Press
Oni Press
Once on dry land, the pair make it to Modesto. There they meet their contact and the mini-series third lead; an unnamed woman who Frank and Clarence are paying to shepherd them across the border to Canada. In a quote to /Film, Cantwell explained she is a cornerstone of the series and its themes:
“An essential character of this series is one built out of whole dramatic cloth. Yes, the fugitives are at the center of the story, but I researched successful prison escapes in history, and often they work best when there is someone helping from the outside. Enter our mystery character, who our fugitives must meet up with once they get off the Rock. In a story sense, this gives the fugitive a real vector, something to head towards and not just run away from. It gives them a plan. But our character on the outside is complicated. She is running herself. And what might compel someone to help men escape from Alcatraz? The answer is very American — money. But there is more to it than that and it’s a mystery even the fugitives themselves will be unpacking for some time.”
The first issue of “Out of Alcatraz” stays vague about who this woman is, but she seems to have a history with Frank. In three pages shared for exclusive preview by /Film, Frank and the woman discuss plans outside their safe house, from there being two fewer prisoners than expected to whether Clarence is worth keeping around.
Oni Press
Oni Press
Oni Press
The real fate of Frank Morris and Clarence Anglin may never be truly solved, but “Out of Alcatraz” is poised to offer a compelling answer.
“Out of Alcatraz” #1 is scheduled for print and digital publication on March 19, 2025.
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