The World of ‘NOS4A2’ Part 2: Strong Creatives, Knives, and Inscapes

Written by Juanita ‘Obi-Juan’ Bonner

​Welcome back kiddies! I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of this three-part series where I offered up some peppermint twists (*WINK*) for Charlie and his Wraith along with my own theories on the dynamics of their… um… jolly (LOL!) relationship. This time we’ll DRIVE a little deeper into some of the concepts offered in this diabolically evil world. All of which are well worth a look!! For our purposes, I’ll focus primarily on the television series. Adapted by Jami O’Brien (Fear the Walking Dead, Hell on Wheels), her vision brings a much appreciated presents (HAHAHA, pun intended!!) to Joe Hill’s creations with beautiful precision while adding a few new delectably sinful elements along the way. HECK YEAH!! So, join me on a little sleigh ride through Strong Creatives, Knives and Inscapes, won’t you?   

STRONG CREATIVES

Across the festive feast of all three platforms – novel, comics and television – Strong Creatives are the main entrée if you will. For they are the reason it all exists. Each with their exceptional gifts, none like the other, we are immediately drawn to this world and fall deeper with each new entry. Even the term sparks thoughts of inquisitive complexity. For me, it describes something supernatural that I could spend endless hours trying to understand. It’s esoteric and occultish and I LOVE IT!!
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Yet, so far, when discussing Strong Creatives, I’ve spent extensive, and well deserved time, on Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto). However, the others strung throughout are equally as intoxicating. Including Charlie’s nemesis, Vic McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings). Also known as “Brat”, her tough kid exterior carries over from youth to adulthood and Cummings plays this role perfectly!! We also get to meet a past love turned enemy towards Charlie named Jolene July (Judith Roberts) who uses her gift to fight Manx and actually dies in the process. *SIGH* She’s a lovely character deviation from the novel who offers insight on Charlie that’s key to the series as a whole – how to defeat him!! Oh, and we mustn’t forget Maggie Leigh (Jahkara Smith), the proverbial sidekick and sounding board for Vic. Each damaged by life in their own way, Vic and Maggie are an excellent duo. Especially on screen!! There’s also The Hourglass Man (AKA: Jonathan Beckett) played by Paul Schneider. Who, like Jolene, is also a completely new character to this realm. He’s handsome yet ruthless. Plus, he’s the one who explains to Maggie how to beat the debilitating power of using their gifts. It’s a small scene that carries a lot of weight. For it’s in these words that a Strong Creative must decide who they really are since using your gift comes with a price. Do you hurt others or hurt yourself? For Maggie, unquestionably, the answer is herself. Vic and Jolene too. Look at these bad ass Ladies go… NICE!! Beckett on the other hand seems absolutely content with hurting others. To say nothing of Manx, along with Abe (Reg Rogers) and a whole host of other Strong Creatives at the Parnassus bar. BASTARDS!! There’s even a small mention of someone called The Backwards Man, which, I must admit sounds intriguing AF… LOL!! Ever appealing these Strong Creatives are!! Plus, many on screen are new additions from the novel which is awesome! Thanks Jami and crew!! But none of them would be able to do what they do, good or bad, without their Knives!!

KNIVES

Similar to Charlie, I’ve discussed his Knife – The Wraith – in considerable detail. For it is, after all, the title of the 7 part limited comic series (LOL!!). And its signature license plate is used for the novel and TV series as well. I’ve offered plenty of theories on this car. Including Joe Hill’s possible tribute to his father’s ghostly car Christine (Columbia Pictures; 1983), which as far as I know, is just a fan theory at this point. But looking at it ONLY as a Knife, it’s beautiful. A classic 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith, just like the comics of the same name, was also a limited edition. VERY COOL!! Not to mention the words creepy AND elegant come to mind immediately. Then there’s Vic, who like Manx, uses items in motion as a means for her gift. From her bicycle in the novel to her motorcycles in both the novel and TV series, Vic seems drawn to her Knives by a force unseen. We also see Jolene who uses Roller Skates in her youth (Morgan Lindholm) and a Wheelchair in her elder years as her Knives. So basically, something that moves takes you to your Inscape, right? You’d certainly think that upon first glance, but then we see a trickier side that feels more mysterious. Let’s discuss.
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Knives, seem to take on a form that’s needed for the Strong Creative. What’s particularly neat is the fact they can be just about anything and always compliment their owner and the gift they possess. Exactly how a Strong Creative is matched with a Knife is a bit of a mystery. Though I do postulate that Charlie’s Wraith sought him out, not the other way around. THAT CAR IS PURE EVIL I TELL YA… LOL!! My chills for the Wraith aside (LOL!), whether conjured, summoned, or simply envisioned, Knives are fracking fantastic. Not sure I could think of a better word for something that pierces, slices or cuts through the veil between worlds. It’s on the nose without being ridiculous or comical. And it’s beyond cool that none of them are ACTUALLY Knives… LOL!! Take Maggie Leigh’s Scrabble Bag. HOLY COW, this is one hell of an otherworldly-like feature, am I right?!? The special effects are simple and eerie and the purple velvet matches the highlights in Maggie’s hair making it even more personal. Plus, instead of a commonly used prop in the supernatural realm, like bones or ruins, her bag contains Scrabble Tiles. GOD… I LOVE THIS!! Using them as the opening sequence letters for each episode is a creepy and fascinating touch as well. NEAT!! Then there’s Beckett’s aptly named Hourglass which allows him to manipulate time and control people. YIKES!! However, no matter how unique the Knife, where it takes its user is the most captivating of all!

INSCAPES

The wonderful world of Inscapes is quite literally the most confusing part of the greater NOS4A2 creation. Simply because, via the combination of a Strong Creative and their Knife, the veil between actual reality and the imagination are pierced. But if you leave the questions surrounding its existence behind, you’ll fall in love with the tales within. And for horror fans who like mind boggling twists of fright over chopping off limbs, inside lies mouthwatering evil that will make your skin crawl in all the right and horrific ways you’re looking for!! HECK YEAH!! Christmasland, in all its twinkling glory (LOL!), is the prime example here. GEEZ… there’s just something about Christmas malintent that’s crazy good, no? Shudders galore!! And, via Screen Rant, it’s recently been likened to another spine tingling favorite – the Upside Down in The Duffer Brothers monster hit Stranger Things (Netflix; 2016). NICE!! However, just as the same article suggests I agree more with the similarities to the Pennywise Circus from Stephen King’s IT (Viking; 1986). WHOA!! I FRACKING HATE CLOWNS!! With a passion… LOL!! Regardless, Pennywise has been ingrained in horror culture since his debut and rightfully so. Now, with his tie to the world of NOS4A2 which shows his Circus on Charlie’s United Inscapes of America (LOL!!) map (1.01: ‘The Shorter Way’) and the painted demon himself in the bar (1.08: ‘Parnassus’), I am much more intrigued due to this collision of worlds. Including the Lovecraft Keyhole from the comic series Locke & Key (IDW Publishing; 2008), which also appears on the map. Further, unlike my unconfirmed theory on Hill’s Christine homage, this one is concrete AF and it’s glorious!! There’s also The Empty Forest, creepy Abe’s Inscape and The Tree House of the Mind from Hill's novel, Horns (William Morrow; 2010). Both of which we really know nothing about which makes speculation all the more delicious.

On the flip side, similar to Santa’s naughty and nice list (*WINK*), other Inscapes, at the behest of their users, offer information and help. At least as far as we can tell through the television series and source material. Like Maggie’s Scrabble Bag or Vic’s Shorter Way Bridge. But it’s without question that they can also be used to work forces against Manx. Like Jolene’s Dark Tunnels used to astral project to Parnassus.  Beyond that, little detail is known. Good versus evil is really all we got. I have often wondered if the concept of nothing but static for the Top Hat that swallows Agnes Claiborne in the comics would extend inside Maggie’s Scrabble Bag. That is, if one could actually climb through. Just exactly what is her Inscape anyways? Does Maggie’s hand reach into a static filled void? It’s not on Charlie’s map so where is it? It’s certainly interesting to ponder! And what about the tradeoff for using this magic? Vic has migraines and often looks like her eye is about to pop out. Maggie has a stutter and seizures. While Jolene appeared to lose… what? Lifeforce? Years? At this point, only Maggie seems to get a handle on hurting herself and cigarette burns sound absolutely horrible. OUCH!!

Still, as much as I love these ladies, it makes so much sense that other damaged and broken people would turn to the malicious hurting of others over themselves, right? It’s all a twisted form of escape. Even for the good guys!! Hill himself says: “I have this notion that people need to escape their everyday lives almost as badly as they need food and drink. It’s very close to a basic need. And Vic yearns for a way out even more than most of us: she has so much she wants to leave behind.” This insight speaks volumes to Hill’s perception of life and how he uses it in his work. And for that, it makes me love the small few that would fight the temptation to harm others over themselves all the more!! NICE!!   

Well kids, there you have it. A deeper look into the NOS4A2 world. When looking at Strong Creatives, Knives and Inscapes, even without words from the creator himself, it’s easy to see the entire thing revolves around something we all crave – escape! It just so happens this particular escape is laced with monstrously addictive evil… LOL!! But every time I indulge, more questions arise. Like, what makes this entire New England area a haven for all these Inscapes? Are there more stretched across the U.S.? The Globe? I mean… Maggie is all the way in Iowa and Charlie himself, takes his St. Nick’s Parkway to and from Colorado. And Vic seems to be able to go just about anywhere with her Bridge obviously making her a hot commodity to either side of the fight. Overall, I’ve mostly concluded that this is Hill’s way of tying his work to that of his father’s. Of which, there are many links. But, I also like to think that Hill is simply fascinated with stories inside stories. This is evident across all three platforms and I’ve most definitely mentioned it before. He’s wonderful at tying worlds together with even the simplest of Easter Eggs leaving the fans foaming like Cujo (Viking Press; 1981) for more… LOL!! Besides, he’s just like me. He grew up watching his father’s work adapted into movies and TV. Why wouldn’t he want to pay homage while connecting said work to new and excitingly evil tales? Regardless of his reasons, I’m overjoyed to have been introduced to this world, particularly visually via the comics and television series, and I can (AND WILL) speculate on all its origins and avenues for years to come!

See you next week as I unwrap the final gift in my series with some more thoughts on a list of beloved stand outs and why in Part 3: Character Favorites. While you wait, head on over to our Collections page and check out other NOS4A2 themed works. Until next time.