Nice page design and rendering makes this page stand out from the usual DC Mystery comics work of the late 1970s.
Alcazar uses strong black spotting to maintain a moody, shadowy world throughout the entire 8-page tale. Almost expressionistic line rendering makes for effective, softening grey-tones. The story by Toomey is a bit of grimness about a hapless couple stranded when their coach breaks down. They end up in the company of a household of very well-dressed, and very dangerous, vampires.
Reflecting a side of contemporary 1970's cynicism in the pop arts,and a pastiche from too many Hammer horror films fromt he UK, the innocent "castaways" become victims to the vampiric "Castaways" of the stories title.
I find that the story ending with the victim "happy" about his demise is both a retread of a familiar clichè and a fundamentally dishonest stroke of irony. The only good undead vampire is a dead undead vampire.
"He felt a brief pang...!"
