This short-lived indie supernatural series hearkened back to older gothic and macabre series by DC, EC, and Warren, complete with "horror hostess" narrators including the one seen here, Madraven Stark. Each issue contained four stories of eight pages each. Though exempt from the Comics Code, Maggots stayed in PG territory.
It was published by Hamilton Comics, run by Bruce Hamilton of Prescott, Arizona. He started three simultaneous series: Maggots, Grave Tales, and Dread of Night. Each was an anthology using established creators like Joe Staton, Gray Morrow, and Alfredo Alcala. Newer artists included Batton Lash, who would later produce the "Archie Meets the Punisher" crossover.
In this story by DC writer Jack C. Harris, an ugly duckling goes to extreme lengths to become her high school's beautiful swan, ultimately reaping disaster. The first two pages introduce Cheryl Stevens, a brainy girl dissatisfied with her place in the high school pecking order. An advertisement for a makeover artist intrigues her. Could Anton turn her fortunes around?
Gray Morrow brings his classic illustrative style to the work in mixed media. It's mostly inked, with scattered areas of magic marker which have faded to purple and green with time. The bushes atop page 2 seem to be rendered with crayon. Traces of the pencil underdrawing peek through here and there. Morrow used Craftint Doubletone paper frequently at this point in his career to achieve clothing texture effects.
