Narcotic showed an endless spectrum of drugs and injecting methods and was shocking, even for the exploitation industry, in its detailed depictions. For good measure, it also featured lots of sex and prostitution. It was while on the road with Narcotic that Dwain Esper boosted ticket sales by displaying the corpse of 'Elmer The Dope Fiend'. The preserved cadaver was, in fact, that of a former highwayman acquired by Esper from a circus.