Greaser Boys in Horror

Prol, F (2014). 'Sugar and Dirt: Memoires of a Tortoise'. USA: Wheatmark Inc. p90-91.

Tom McLoughlin (1991). 'Sometimes They Come Back'. Film.  

Description of the Greaser:

Prol writes that the 'greaser' also referred to as the 'Blodes' had a very specific look within the 1950's. They were commonly seen in blue jeans, rolled up at the ankle typically exposing a pair of white socks underneath. Formal tops consisted of a bowling shirt or "Banlon shirt" however these were worn loose and never smartly tucked in. For casual occasions a wife beater or fitted t shirt was worn often tucked into braces with the sleeves rolled dup over the shoulder. Hair was slicked back against the head, often this was with a combination of pomade and grease, the hair was a key element to the whole look and therefore had to be perfectly combed back consistently. 

Not only was the concept of the greaser boy a fashion but it was also an attitude and lifestyle. Most young men of the is grouping spent much of their spare time either fighting in gang rivalries or working on cars and bikes. As a result many grew up to be mechanics or engineers and were therefore constantly covered in dirt and motor oil during the process of perfecting their motors for racing. In the horror film "Sometimes They Come Back" by McLoughlin this violent nature of the 'greaser' was exposed to a new level and reinstated the sense of intimidation that surrounded the male youth of the 1950's 'greaser' community. 

The Horror of the Greaser - "Sometimes They Come Back"

Within Steven Kings film "Sometimes They Come Back" the image of the dangerous greaser boy is enhanced through the horror conventions of demonology and murder. The films plot follows two brothers who are attacked by a gang of local greaser boy on their return from a public library. One brother is killed while the other mangoes to escape. Years later, Jim, the survivor of the attack, takes a job as an English teacher at a local school however he becomes taunted by his past as the students from his classroom are eventually killed off one by one and replaced by students that resemble the very greaser gang that killed his brother all those years before. It eventually unfolds that the greasers who attacked and killed his brother were themselves found dead as a result of a car accident on their way back from the library, however through contact with evil powers they return from the grave to continue their torment of Jim. Eventually murdering his wife. The film follows a number of classic horror conventions including how Jim then uses the summoning of a demon in the form of his dead brother to weak revenge on the killer greaser boys. 

This film was a good source of inspiration to me as it demonstrated how the fashions of the period can become demonised through classic connections with modern horror phenomenas. My concept for Quentin is of similar connotations as the antagonists within this film as my Quentin is a hybrid of the greaser and the clown, constantly mocking Claudia of her inability to overcome her agoraphobia and fears of his disloyalty.