"Doom Ranch 5000" Book Review

I have never been to Texas. All I know about it is that everything is bigger there and the stars at night are big and bright...*clap*clap*clap*clap* deep in the heart of Texas. (Sorry, you can't leave that second part unsaid.) Doom Ranch 5000 serves as possibly the coolest unintentional travel guide. It's an artist anthology that showcases a variety of the supernatural myths and folklore that can be found in the state. There are a dozen altogether, each presented with a full-page image next to a few paragraphs that outlines these local urban legends.

There is not a bad story in this bunch. They cover a broad spectrum from the humorous like "The Ottine Swamp Monster" by David Wilson, to the heartbreaking like "La Llorona" by Jessica Corea, to the downright weird with "The Lake Worth Goat Man" by Cody Schibi. Each tale could easily be read around the campfire as a ghost story.

Click images to enlarge

The accompanying artwork is what sets Doom Ranch 5000 apart from your average prose anthology. There is some top notch stuff here. The art styles complement the text very well. The opening story, "Bowden Rd" by Jessica Grundy, features an incredibly creepy little girl with piercing red eyes standing beside a tricycle on a dark road. The accompanying story details a haunted road surrounded by cemeteries in which people often see red eyes glaring from the forest or hear a child's laughter in the distance. Reading this sends an instant shiver down your spine, imagining walking down one of these secluded paths, unsure as to what you may encounter.

Doom Ranch 5000 is the kind of book that I wish was handed out at rest stops throughout the entire state of Texas. It should be right next to maps and pamphlets showing things to do in the area. It gave me a number of things I want to check out...and a number that I'd like to avoid, all with a supernatural twist.