Creepy #105 - Warren

I'm not sure what this cover by Esteban Maroto has to do with the "Spectacular Giant Holiday Issue!" tagline, but I love it anyway--especially how detailed it is, except for the comely lass' red hair, which is just a flat blob of red. Way cool.

First up is "Shrivel", by Bob Toomey and Val Mayerik, a light-hearted tale of a dragon that's eaten too much and gotten too fat to fly away and find more worthy prey. Silly but cute, except the ending is sort of a "that's it?".

Next is "Night Life" by Toomey and Auraleon. A vampire's old life comes back to haunt him in the streets of New York...beautifully drawn by Auraleon, but I had a heck of a time figuring out what these people were talking about.

Third is "Dime Novel Hero!", by Nick Cuti and Russ Heath, one of the favorite stories of Nick's that he mentioned in his interview. A western tale that is simultaneously straightforward and yet also a comment on these types of stories:

The story is crisp and scary, and there's something about Russ Heath's clean, no-frills style that gives the piece an extra oomph. Here are two panels from it, one featuring a moment of startling violence, and the other a solemn cameo by a famous cowboy:

I never was that into the Lone Ranger, but he look so cool here...I would've liked to have seen a Warren Lone Ranger magazine drawn by Russ Heath, wouldn't you?

Next is "Always Leave 'Em Laughing" by Len Wein and Alex Nino, who turns in his typically amazingly detailed, nuanced work, with an amazing splash page:

...and yes, this is story is about what it looks like...Space Clowns! A fun tale, with an ending out of a Batman vs Joker story, which of course author Wein would be familiar with.

Next is "The Sign" by Roger McKenzie and Moreno Casares, a grim story tied in to one of the seminal moments in our world's religious history.

Following that is "Visit To A Primitive Planet" by Bill DuBay and the always-great John Severin, an O Henry-type tale that is told almost entirely without dialogue. Funny and sad.

Last is "The Summoning", by Bruce Jones and Gonzalo Mayo, a great, classic scary monster story about a horrible creature that lives in the swamp, and the unwitting scientist and his improbably-built wife who stumble upon in. It has a goofy, dark humor ending right out of the ECs, and a great tale to go out on.

A very fine issue--I've stated before that I'm a little wary of all the sci-fi content in Creepy and Eerie, and this issue has a lot of it, but "Dime Novel Hero" and "The Summoning" are such classic old-school horror stories that it makes the whole issue better.

Creepy #144 - Warren

Ah, memories of Creepys gone by with this reprint of Frazetta's cover from Creepy #5, made all the more poginant when you know that this was the next-to-last issue of the magazine. *sigh*

It says "Collector's Edition" on the cover, an indication of an all-reprint issue. Man, this is getting hard to type. Let's see what's inside...

"Forgotten Flesh" by Doug Moench and Vincente Alcazar--graverobbers get what's coming to them! (Creepy #64)

"For The Sake of Your Children!" by E.A. Fedory and Jaime Brocal. Something is happening to all the village children, something deadly. Very gory with some sexy vampire babes, always fun. (Creepy #45)

"It!" by Tom Sutton, a brilliantly-executed(no pun intended) story about a creature who rises from the grave. The first three pages are told in sixteen panels each, all the same size, and then the story opens up for the finale. A great tale, a classic. (Creepy #53)

Next is "In Darkness It Shall End!" by Moench and Alcazar again, a straightforward vampire tale, featuring Alcazar in a more photo-realistic style. Not bad, but nothing groundbreaking. (Creepy #76)

Next is "The Ghouls!" by Carl Wessler and Martin Salvador--more graverobbers, though with a gory, goofy twist. (Creepy #61)

Poe's "Berenice" is adapted by Rich Margopolous and Isidro Mones, a tale of a man driven mad(duh, it was Poe!). Excellent rendered by Mones. (Creepy #70)

Last is "The Terror-Stalked Heiress!" by Wessler and Jose Gual, a very silly and charming story of an air-headed heiress(who's, like, so hot) constantly threatened by nasty demons, but is under the protection of her dead uncle Tom. Yes, I typed that right. (Creepy #72)

...as usual with these "best of" collections, its an excellent issue sine there was so much good material to perm from. Yeah, its sad that Creepy was doing so many all-reprint issues near the end, but at least it was all good stuff!

Creepy #129 - Warren

If memory serves, this is the only Creepy in my collection to sport this new, slicker logo. I guess the old drippy one didn't seem "eighties" enough? (Didn't last long, though--they went back to the classic one just long enough for Creepy to go belly up)

The imposing cover is by Jeff Easely, and after an Uncle Creepy frontspiece by Rudy Nebres, we have "The Terrible Truth About Danny!" by Will Richardson and Martin Salvador. A creepy(jeez, I gotta get a thesaurus) tale of a boy with amazing powers, but doesn't know how to control them, straightforwardly told and well done.

Second is "The Saga of Popeye Jackson!" by Gerry Boudreau and Paul Neary, about a guy who finds his brain put in a robot body. Somebody call Adam Link!

Third is "Working Class Hero!" by Roger McKenzie, Carmine Infantino, and Alfredo Alcala, a goofy tale of a 9 to 5 office nebbish who longs for adventure, and gets it. Charmingly silly, and Infantino and Alcala make a nice team.

Next is "The Last Voyage of Sinbad" by Budd Lewis and Fred Carrillo which is, as the title indicates, the final adventure of Sheherazade's creation. Much fun, even if Carrillo's work here is a little gloomy; I would've liked to have seen more Sinbad stories via Warren.

"He Who Lives!" is by Lewis and Daniel Bulandi, a short(six pages) mystical/futuristic tale of Lord Purge, who hunts down and eradicates all evil. Somehow, a vampire is worked into this story, too! Not terribly involving, though it ends before it really wears out its welcome.

Last is "Strategic Retreat" by John Ellis Sech and Herb Arnold, a tale of a bloody war between two races of beings, with one thing in common--they wanna get paid. Arnold's art is cartoony in a Corben-esque manner, not bad.

Not a bad issue, not a great one--no instant classics, but no dreck, either.

Creepy #95 - Warren

"Naked Apes in Color!"--not the greatest tagline ever created to sell a comic. Nicely designed, Frazetta-esque cover by Don Maitz, though.

First up is "The Star Saga of Sirius Sam" by Nicola Cuti and John Severin, a goofy, Star Wars-esque tale of star-hopping treasure hunters, a lot of fun and perfect for Severin.

Next is "The Laughing Man", by Bruce Jones and Berni Wrightson. Again an ape-centric tale, this time one of brutal, gruesome horror. One of Wrightson's best.

Third is the color feature, "Murder on the Vine", by Cary Bates and Esteban Maroto, that starts off with the murder of no less than Tarzan(unofficially). More gruesome fun, and Maroto renders a very sensual jungle woman, even if she is murderous.

Fourth is "The Empire of Chim-Pan-Zee", by Cuti and Luis Bermejo, a tale of time-traveling monkeys(no, not Zira and Cornelius!) fighting for survival, and featuring a nice ending.

Next is "The Oasis Inn" by Bob Toomey and Jose Ortiz, a total comedy piece about apes going, well, ape while on vacation.

Last is "The Old Ways" by Roger McKenzie and Leo Duranona, a much more somber tale of apes learning a horrrible lesson from Man. Nice combo of line art and collage backgrounds from Durnona gives this piece a wrecked, sprawling feel.

A very solid issue, and even though I've never been a big fan of the sci-fi stuff in Creepy or Eerie, it worked for me here, maybe because the stories and art are all top-notch.

Creepy #75 - Warren

One of my all-time favorite issues of Creepy!

The cool cover is by Ken Kelly and there's a great Uncle Creepy frontspiece by Berni Wrightson, and then we jump right into "The Escape Chronicle" by Budd Lewis and Jose Ortiz. The story of the nebbish-y Bernard Kedward, who lives in a grim, authoritarian future world and dreams only f escape via hot air balloon. Sad, tragic, hopeful.

Next is "Phantom of Pleasure Island", by Gerry Boudreau and Alex "The Man" Toth! A murder mystery set in an amusement park--a fun, diverting tale, made into a near-masterpiece by Toth's flawless storytelling. As if I had to say that.

Third is "Snow" by Bruce Bezaire, Rich Buckler, and Wally Wood--a grim tale of doing anything to survive in a snow-covered wasteland.

Next is "Death Expression" by Jim Stenstrum and John Severin. Treachery and murder in the upper echelons of government. No horror, per se, just a tough-as-nails tale of people willing to kill to control the levers of power. Like Toth, Severin takes a good, solid tale and makes it sublime.

Last is "Thrillkill" by Stenstrum and Neal Adams--TwoMorrows' The Warren Companion ranked this as the single best Warren story ever; the all-too-real story of one insane man taking revenge on society through the safety of a sniper's perch. Adams' storyelling is perfect; and through the use of captions instead of word balloons you feel you're on the street along with these people as it is happening, and that you might be next.

As real and relevant today as it was in 1975, it's definitely a contender for Warren's best, and a perfect example of how over time Warren went from an EC clone(and an excellent one, at that) to crafting its own brand of horror, and putting something out there that only they could've done(really; could you have pictured a story like this running in The House of Mystery or a Marvel monster mag?).

There isn't one bad story in this issue, and I'd say three of them rank as some of Warren's best ever, so this just might be the best Creepy ever!

Update: Based on a comment left by a reader known only as "Weirdo"(surely not the first blogger to try and register that name!), it occurs to me that since is one of(if not the) my favorite Creepys ever, I should've posted some of the gorgeous art in this issue.

So here are three masterful splash pages from the stories drawn by Toth, Buckler/Wood, and Adams:

Creepy #58 - Warren

I realy like this cover by Sanjulian; nothing's really happening on it but I like the creepy wizard guy and that curious look on his face.

On the inside covers is "The Old School" by Steve Skeates, Vicente Alacazar, and Bill DuBay, a horror tale with a really goofy ending. Much fun.

After the letters page we start with "Change...Into Something Comfortable!" by Doug Moench and Rich Corben, so you know you're in for something good! A gruesome tale of a werewolf in love.

Next is "An Excuse for Violence" by Don McGregor and Adolpho Abellan, a murder mystery set on a college campus rife with racial tensions. Not bad, but I found Abellan's art a tad too all over the place, almost getting in the way of the story at times.

Third is "Shriek Well Before Dying!" by W. Eaton and Jose Bea, a Psycho-esque tale of familial devotion, even after death. Ghoulish fun.

Fourth is "Soul and Shadow" by Gardner Fox and Reed Crandall. Clearly the Old School segment of the issue, from the talent behind it to its supernatural, barren world-of-the-past setting.

Last is "The Walking Nightmare!" by McGregor and Munes, a gripping tale of a guy who all of sudden starts going on a killing spree. A little text-heavy, but I enjoyed it a lot.

A very solid issue, each tale ranging from excellent to at least not bad. One of my favorites.

Creepy #50 - Warren

I didn't have any Halloween-specific magazines to talk about, but this anniversary cover(by Sanjulian) works pretty well. How'd you like to see this little get-together as you ask for candy?

First up in this anniversary issue is "Forgive Us Our Debts" by Jim Stenstrum and Esteban Maroto, a nasty, EC-esque revenge tale of some jungle explorers out for revenge and treasure. Creeeepy.

Next is "Frog God!" by E.A. Fedory and Adolfo Abellan. Another intrepid explorer discovers a lost city of frogs! Goofy fun.

Third is "Side-Show" by Fred Ott and Jose Bea, about the creepy-looking Professor Mephisto and a guy who wants to use Mephisto's black magic to get revenge.

Fourth is "The Sum of Its Parts" by Doug Moench and Reed Crandall, the awesomely gory tale of body parts with a mind of their own. Crandall's clean, simple style helps tell what could've been a really unpalatable tale.

Last is "The Climbers of the Tower" by T.Casey Brennan and Felix Mas, about a man obsessed with getting to the top of a tower, and succeeds...but why did he try in the first place?

Not a bad issue, though when I first saw the cover I was hoping for an Uncle Creepy/Cousin Eerie/Vampirella team-up or something...

Creepy #36 - Warren

That is one dark cover, courtesy Ken Smith. I like it, though--a little more low-key than usual.

Tom Sutton brings us another chapter of "Creepy's Loathsome Lore", this time about body snatchers and the biggest "body" snatching of all!

First up is "One Way To Break The Boredom" by James Haggenmiller and Jack Sparling, about a guy who makes a deal with the Devil to turn into a vampire, and is then surprised it all goes wrong. Goofy fun, though Sparling's art is a just a tad sloppy for my tastes.

"Weird World", by Nicola Cuti and Sutton, about a space explorer that lands on a planet that seems like paradise, featuring dinosaurs and a beautiful woman(like we saw on the cover), but it turns out the planet is not quite what it seems. Another fun tale.

Third is "Frankenstein is A Clown" by Bill Warren and Carlos Garzon, about a kiddie-show host that finds himself becoming a real monster. Really unusual premise, not totally pulled off, but pretty different.

Next is "On the Wings of A Bird" by T.Casey Brennan and Jerry Grandinetti, which means we're in for cool layouts and a kick-ass splash page, and this story is no exception:
A very dark story about a man learning the depths of torment one soul can experience. As always, a nice art job by Grandinetti.

"Forbidden Journey" is by Greg Theakston and Rich Buckler, about four space explorers who visit another dangerous planet. Didn't they read "Weird World"?

Next is "If A Body Meet A Body" by R.Michael Rosen and Sparling. It's a classic guy-who-doesn't-know-he's-dead story, which always works and does again fairly well here.

Last is "Frozen Beauty", written and drawn by Richard Corben, which I believe is the very first story he ever did for Warren. A grim, gory tale with a real gut-punch of an ending, made only more unsettling by Corben's cartoony style. The first of many distinctive stories he would go on to do for the company.

All in all, not a bad issue--a copy of dull spots, but any issue with contributions by Sutton, Grandinetti, and Corben means you're in for some creepy fun!

Creepy #32 - Warren

Signs of rebirth all over this issue of Creepy...first off, this is, as far as I know, an all-new cover by Frank Frazetta. How'd they afford this during the lean times? Maybe Jim skipped eating out for, like, a month.

The other major sign is the opening story..."Rock God", featuring a Harlan Ellison story drawn by Neal Adams! Apparently Ellison based his tale on Frazetta's cover, which he had turned in to Warren unannounced and uncomissioned.

A weird cult calls for their god, a giant stone creature, as they offer it a sacrifice. Taking place in two different eras and locales, Adams pulled out all the stops for this story and it's one of the finest jobs he ever did for Warren, and that's saying something.

The reason no one has ever read "Rock God" unless they bought this isssue is apparently due to some sort of horrible miscommunication between Warren, Ellison, and to a lesser extent Adams--none of these men being wallflowers, exactly. It led to Ellison getting so mad at Warren that he revoked the rights to it, so Warren could never reprint it, even though its clearly one of their best ever:
...I mean, wow. (Hope I don't get sued for this! I don't have Comics Journal money!)

I would not want to have to follow that--I would've run all the Captain Company ads at this point, but...

Next is "Death Is A Lonely Place" by Bill Warren(?) and Bill Black, about a guy who rose from the grave. Fairly amateurish looking, and it doesn't help following "Rock God."

Third is "I...Executioner" by Don Glut and Mike Royer, all about the mysterious man in the black hood that's really good at his job. Royer's work is a huge improvement over his previous story in Creepy, just two issues ago.

Next is "A Wall of Privacy" by our pal Nicola Cuti and David St.Clair. A really inventive story with a crazy twist ending, about two people desperate to escape the Totalitarian society they live under.

Fourth is "V.A.M.P.I.R.E." by Bill Warren and Tony Williamsune, about a blood-sucking computer. No, I'm not kidding. Following that is "Movie Dissector!" by R.Michael Rosen and Bill Dubay, a pretty silly story about amateur movie makers. Forgettable.

Last is "The 3:14 Is Right On Time!" by Ken Dixon and Billy Graham, about a train boarded for...the great beyond! Nice moody work by Graham.

"Rock God" is an all-time classic, there are some good stories here, and some dreck. An uneven issue, to say the least.

Creepy #30 - Warren

I know the cover by Bill Hughes is meant to be scary and/or, well, creepy, but there's something about that five-heads-high professor that makes this scene look sorta...cute, I guess. Jim Henson's Frankenstein Babies. Am I crazy?

"Creepy's Loathsome Lore!" this time is about Exorcism, written and drawn by Tom Sutton...perfect choice!

First up is "The Mind of the Monster!" by R.Michael Rosen and Ernie Colon, a definite good start. Some evil scientists create a monster to do their bidding, and as you can imagine that doesn't quite work out as planned. Wonderfully expressive goofy/scary work by Colon.

Second is "Drop In!" by Don Glut and Tom Sutton, about a weird psychic(redundant?) who predicts L.A. will be hit by a cataclysmic earthquake. Unusual premise and like the first story ghoulishly funny.

Third is "The Haunted Sky!" by Archie Goodwin and Roger Brand, reprinted from Creepy #17. A test pilot is thrown into a world of madness. Really good story undone by weak art by Brand. With Dark Horse taking over the Creepy and Eerie brands, someone should take this story back out and have it redrawn.

Next is "The River!", story and art by Johnny Craig. A thief trying to escape the police falls into a river, one he'll never climb out of. Some nice wash work, but it looks a little rushed by JC's high standards. Reprinted from Creepy #15.

Fifth is "To Be Or Not To Be A Witch" by Bill Parente and Carlos Prunes. The Salem Witch Trials--always a good setting for a horror story. Nice old-timey-looking art by Prunes.

Next is "Piece by Piece" by Goodwin and Joe Orlando, reprinted from Creepy #14. A gory take on the Frankenstein story.

Last is "Dr.Jekyll's Jest" by Rosen and Mike Royer, about a doctor getting a little too into his research. An ok tale, but Royer's work is pretty rough here.

We're still in the middle of Warren's first big rough patch, with half the magazine being reprints and most of what was new not being that good. Considering how fast I've heard Ernie Colon is, I would've hired him to do every non-reprint story in the book!

Creepy #24 - Warren

An odd cover choice--a not bad cover(by Gutenberg Monteiro) slapped with a hideous, overly-big yellow banner. Yeesh.

"Creepy's Loathsome Lore" is about werewolves and is by Gray Morrow, reprinted from an earlier issue. That doesn't bode well...

The first story is called "Black Magic!", and is by Archie Goodwin and Steve Ditko, reprinted from Eerie #5. A fine tale about the misuse of magic, but it was barely two years old...

Next is "You Do Something To Me" by Bill Parente and Tom Sutton, an original tale, another tale about the Dark Arts. Goofy and gruesome.

Third is "The Day After Doomsday!" by Goodwin and Dan Adkins, from Eerie #8, about a guy facing surival after the end of civilization. As if he didn't have enough to worry about, there's still monsters around!

Fourth is "Room For A Guest", by Parente and Reed Crandall...more black magic! I sense a theme here.

Next is "Type Cast!" by Goodwin and Jerry Grandinetti, also from Eerie #8(wow, that took some guts), about a horror movie actor who takes The Method a tad too seriously. Grandinetti was superb at guys slowly going mad.

Last is "A Silver Dread Among the Gold" by Parente, George Hagenauer, and Tony Willamsune. A really silly tale about a Viking legend amid the frozen wastes of a mountaintop. About as scary as your average Casper comic, with the addition of a beheading. And a half-full issue of Creepy whimpers to a close...

Creepy #21 - Warren

The cover, by Gutenberg Monteiro, looks like the kind you saw on those Warren knock-offs that drove Jim Warren into fits of apoplexia. I just love the juxtaposition of the horrific image of a guy being attacked by rats alongside the cheery "More Great Comics" tagline.

"Creepy's Loathsome Lore" is about the hidden treacheries awaiting you in the jungle, with art by Bob Jenney. I think "Loathsome Lore" subjects were running a little thin by this point. What's next, "Running with Scissors"?

First up is "The Rats in the Walls", by H.P.Lovecraft, by an uncredited writer and art by Jenney. A plague of rats drives people insane, but the art by Jenney is so dull that the story just sort of limps along. Lovecraft deserved better.

Second is "Room With A View!" by Archie Goodwin and Steve Ditko, reprinted from Eerie #3, which was only two years ago. That said, its a fine choice if you had to run a reprint, about a guy consigned to Hell. Nobody did a sweaty guy trapped in a room better than Ditko.

Next is "The Immortals!" by Ron Parker and Sal Trapani, a horror story set in the future. An ok story, but the visuals are really dull and the outfits look like they came from the back of old issues of Strange Adventures.

Fourth is "A Reasonable Doubt" by Parker and Tony Williamson, about a young woman hounded the locals of a 19th century Massachusetts town. Once again, an ok story, with a twist ending that Goodwin was so good at, but the execution is so bloodless(no pun intended) that its nothing memorable.

Next is another reprint, the Warren classic "Swamped!" by Goodwin and Angelo Torres--vampires in the bayou! Reprinted from Creepy #3.

Last is "Timepiece to Terror!" by Bill Parente(who had taken over the editing of Creepy by this point) and Gutenberg Monteiro, about a pawnbroker who gets ahold of a magical watch and immediately uses it to execute his darkest fantasies. A fun story, but the art is very cartoony--it sorta looks like the stuff Wally Wood did for Plop!--which doesn't really match the story. But of all the new material here, this is probably the best of the bunch.

As issues go, Creepy had done, and would do, much better.

Creepy #18 - Warren

A nice cover by Vic Prezio, and it occurs to me that, for the most part, you really don't see many horror stories set on the high seas. You'd think just that setting alone would help you in trying to scare the reader, since it hits a little closer to home than, say, vampires or deals with the Devil.

"Creepy's Loathsome Lore" is all about ape-men/missing links and is by Roy Krenkel, and the first story is "Mountain of the Monster Gods!" by Ron White and Roger Brand, about two overeager explorers. It's feet are firmly planted in the Downward Spiral of Warren era, when the stories were silly in the extreme and the art was nowhere near the standards Warren itself had set.

Second is "The Rescue of the Morning Maid!" by Raymond Marais and Rocco Mastroserio, about a group of monstrous, disfigured people living on the margins of a small village. Not as bad as the opening tale, but nothing special, and even at just ten pages it feels like it goes on forever.

Third is "Act, Three!" by Johnny Craig, about a mismatched couple whose marriage goes horribly, murderously wrong. A very fun, black-humor tale, it feels like it was ripped right out of Crime SuspenStories.

Next is "Footsteps of Frankenstein!" by Archie Goodwin and Reed Crandall, yet another gloss on the Frankenstein story, but with a real bang! of an ending.

Last is "Out of Her Head!" by Clark Dimond, Terry Brisson, and Jack Sparling, a very silly horror tale set in the swingin' sixties! There's a reason why most horror tales are either set in olden times or a generic era--trying to mix in hipness and horror rarely works, and doesn't here.

We've definitely taken a few giant steps into Warren's first bad era, when Jim himself, loaded with debt and overworked, was editing the magazines and he just couldn't put the time in that was needed. A lot of the best artists and writers had moved on, and their replacements were scarcely more edgy than the stuff you saw in Charlton horror comics, and in some cases(like "Mountain of the Monster Gods!") even less so.

Creepy #14 - Warren

Another cover by Gray Morrow, pretty unusual subject matter for both Gray and Warren; this looks like something Heavy Metal might have run in its early days.

This issue's "Creepy's Loathsome Lore" is by John Severin, who does a great job(of course) discussing all kinds of creepy magicians.

The first story is "Where Sorcery Lives!" by Archie Goodwin and Steve Ditko, which feels like John Carter Warlord of Mars meets Dr.Strange. Goodwin and Ditko were always a solid combo at Warren.

Next is "Art of Horror" by Goodwin and Jerry Grandinetti, about three skeptics who spend a night in a haunted house. Another nice job by Grandinetti(I think I say that every time).

Third is "Snakes Alive!" by Clark Dimond, John Benson, and Hector Castellon. This to me is the first story of the upcoming fallow period for Warren--the story is silly, concerning a rock band getting involved with voodoo, and the art is amateurish in the extreme:

...especially compared to the other artists in this book(John Severin, Reed Crandall, Dan Adkins, Neal Adams), this story sticks out like a sore thumb.

Next is "The Beckoning Beyond!" by Goodwin and Dan Adkins, a really fun tale of a guy who creates a machine that can send someone into another dimension. This could've been the plot of a classic Twilight Zone or something, and Adkins EC-esque style only reinforces that.

"Piece by Piece" is by Goodwin and Joe Orlando, and is a goofy, gory take on the classic Frankenstein story. Next is "Castle Carrion!" by Goodwin and Reed Crandall, about a knight who seeks shelter in a spooky castle. Its what you'd get if you had left William M.Gaines write a Prince Valiant sunday strip.

Last but certainly not least is "Curse of the Vampire!" by Goodwin with a tour de force art job by Neal Adams, about a vampire curse that affects several generations. Powerful illustrations, gripping layouts, and beautiful wash work makes this one of Neal's best jobs for Warren, and that's saying something.

A solid issue, with all good material except for "Snakes". I think I would've preferred more early Captain Company ads...

Creepy #13 - Warren

Unlucky number thirteen, and we're already off on the wrong (clawed)foot with the cover. The painting by Gray Morrow is nice enough, but what's with the big ugly leprechaun-green border? Why not just run the painting full out? Morrow clearly left enough space for the title and cover copy. Hmmm...hesitantly, we proceed.

"Creepy's Loathsome Lore", also by Morrow, is about werewolves, and first up is "The Squaw!", adapted by the Bram Stoker story by Archie Goodwin and Reed Crandall. A kitty cat gets revenge amid a tortue chamber, something that seems very in character from my experience with cats.

Next is "Early Warning!" by Goodwin and Jerry Grandinetti, who turns in a typically intricate, highly dynamic art job about a stranger who comes to a creepy town full of odd citizens. Grandinetti's use of lights and darks was excellent, and he always managed to ramp up the claustrophobic content in any horror tale.

Third is "Scream Test!" by John Benson, Bob Stewart, and Angelo Torres, about an intrepid girl reporter(from the Daily Planet, perhaps?) interviewing a weird old guy who used his make horror movies. There's actual stills from real movies like the silent versions Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame worked into the art, which you rarely saw in early Warren mags and works fairly well here. I guess this was writers Benson and Stewart's fanciful idea of what might've become of Lon Chaney had he not died in his prime.

Next is "Madness in the Method!" by Carl Wessler and Rocco Mastroserio, a story about a guy's fool-proof plan to get away with murder, complete with crazy ending.

"Fear in Stone" is by Goodwin and (yay!)Gene Colan, about a murderous sculptor. A fine story, not one of Goodwin's best, but wonderfully brought to life by Colan.

Adam Link stars in "Adam Link, Gangbuster!", by Eando Binder and Joe Orlando, which ends with poor Link being chopped, smashed, and melted to death. Is this the end of Adam Link??

Last is "Second Chance!" by Goodwin and Steve Ditko. These stories of mystical goings-on and deals with the Devil were presumably written for Ditko, since he excelled at these tales set in weird dimensions filled with creepy creatures. And Ditko did a fine job, turning very clean-looking yet still creepily unsettling art. I imagine this is what he wanted his Dr.Strange stories to look like, but that would've blown young Marvelite's minds.

A good issue, much better than the cover would indicate. I should've known the number thirteen wouldn't have been a bad omen for Creepy...

Creepy #8 - Warren

One of my favorite Warren covers, courtesy Gray Morrow. Nice colors, brilliantly composed. And even though its depicting a horrible act of violence, it's against a vampire so who's gonna complain?

"Creepy's Loathsome Lore", by Angelo Torres, is about (surprise!)vampires this time, and then the opening story is "The Coffin of Dracula!", by Archie Goodwin and Reed Crandall. About a vampire that just won't die, this is rare in that the story is directly continued into the next issue, something Warren rarely did.

Next is "Death Plane" by Larry Ivie and George Evans. If you had a story centered around planes, you generally called Alex Toth. If he was busy or in a cranky mood(50/50), Warren usually then called Evans, whose love of planes was well known.

Third is "The Mountain", with story and art by Jay Taycee, whose work looks suspiciously like Johnny Craig. Reproduced right from his pencils, which looks just awesome, its about a woman who wanders a snowy mountainside, collapsing right outside a cabin, having been rescued by a strapping, handsome guy who lived there. They end up hatching a plan about black magic and murder. A completely crazy story--including an appearance by Satan, no less--beautifully rendered by Craig...er, Jay Taycee.

Next is "The Invitation" by Englehart, Jones, & Whitman(didn't they sing "Don't Pull Your Love Out On Me Baby"?) with art by Manny Stallman, someone whose work was not exactly beloved by fans, but I think does a great job here, about a visitor to a spooky castle, filling the panels to the very edges with little creepy details.

Adam Link is back in "Adam Link's Mate!" by Eando Binder and Joe Orlando. Adam, in his lonliness, creates an Eve. For some reason Adam thinks Society will, having not been able to accept one man's-brain-in-a-robot's-body, will now accept two.

Next is "A Vested Interest" by Ron Parker and George Tuska, a goofy tale about a werewolf stalking the city streets. It's mostly a crime story, full of men with guns and wearing snap-brim fedoras, perfect for Tuska, the veteran of like a million crime comics.

Last is "Fitting Punishment" by Goodwin and Gene Colan, always a welcome presence in Creepy. He turns in another superb art job about a modern-day grave robber. He paces the story just perfectly, allowing him the room to do a full-page panel, setting the tale very effectively:

...Colan was apparently so proud of this splash he signed it(bottom right), and I don't blame him. I know I've said it like a hundred times before, but Colan's Warren stuff was top-notch, almost always the best thing in any given issue.

Another fine issue, with "The Mountain" and "Fitting Punishment" sticking out to me as bona-fide classics.

Creepy #6 - Warren

Another early Creepy and another classic cover by Frank Frazetta.

After the inside cover "Creepy's Loathsome Lore" by Roy Krenkel, we open with "The Thing In The Pt!" by Larry Ivie and Gray Morrow, a classic guy's-car-breaks-down story, where of course the only shelter is a creepy house populated by some horrific residents. Nice, nice art job by Morrow, of course.

Next is "Thumbs Down!" by Anne T. Murphy and Al Williamson, an EC-esque revenge tale set in Ancient Rome.

Adam Link is back in "Adam Link in Business" by Otto Binder and Joe Orlando. Link continues his struggle to fit in with society, with the added complication of him being an unwitting part of a love triangle!

Next is Poe's "Cask of the Amontillado" by Archie Goodwin and Reed Crandall, featuring some amazing line-work by Crandall. Following that is the classic "The Stalkers" by Goodwin and The Man, Alex Toth. Alien visitors have a surprise in store for earthling Alex Colby. As with any tale Toth drew for Warren, it's superb.

Bill Pearson and John Severin contribute "Abominable Snowman!", a tale of murderous greed in the Himalayas. Severin, like Toth, always kicks ass(sequentially, I mean).

Last is "Gargoyle", by Goodwin, Krenkel, and Angelo Torres. Boy, those gargoyles made by the local sculptor sure are real looking...

As you'd expect from any book featuring Roy Krenkel, Al Williamson, Joe Orlando, Alex Toth, John Severin, and Frank Frazetta, a solid issue. Warren was still in its early stages, aping the EC Comics style much more directly; but it remains that these early issues were classics.

Creepy #98 - Warren

An unusual cover look for Creepy; they usually didn't do the whole incorporating-the-text look, but I thought this cover, by Attila Hejje, was really cool and effective.

First is "The Alien Factor" by Budd Lewis and Jose Ortiz, about a weird little blob that shows up in a small Texas Town circa 1973, and the less-than-thought-out reaction to it.

Second is "Helen Horror Hollywood" by Gerry Boudreau and Leo Duranona, about a young woman whose love of movies crosses into obsession.

Next is "Graveyard Shift" by the great Bruce Jones and Leopold Sanchez, about a late-night DJ who gets a call from someone saying the stranger is coming to kill him! Great paranoid-y type tale with nice moody wash work by Sanchez.

Fourth is "Starlet, Starlet, Burning Bright" by Boudreau and...well, the story is credited to Ramon Torrents, but I think it's a safe bet it was by Carmine Infantino and Dick Giordano(who are listed as contributors on the contents page):
...you don't have to be comics-art expert to recognize that's Infantino!

It's a really grim tale of a woman who meets a G.I. and they fall in love, but with a tragic end. It's an odd combo; seeing a very Warren-esque tale told with a very DC-type style, but it works.

Last is "The Image Makers" by Nicola Cuti and Ortiz, about two intrepid inventors who come up with a device to create real-looking holograms, and plan to get rich. Of course, one of them plans to get a little more rich than the other...

And as the cover promises, this issue does contain lots of Star Wars merchandise, like t-shirts(had some), action figures(had 'em all), bedsheets(check), and lightsabers(that, too!). Send your money in today!

Creepy #62 - Warren

One of Creepy's finest issues is headlined by a beautiful Ken Kelly cover, and then a Wrightson Uncle Creepy frontspiece, and opening story, an adaptation of Poe's "The Black Cat", the kind of story Wrightson really sank his teeth into. Did Warren ever collect all the Poe/Wrightson adaptations?

Next up is "Buffaloed" by Larry Herndon and the legendary John Severin, about a ruthless buffalo hunter who wakes up in an Indian village, and doesn't bother to listen to the local legends. Classic EC-esuqe story told with high-style by Severin--like Wrightson with his Poe tales, these western stories seem to fit Severin to a tee.

Third is "Firetrap" by Jack Butterworth and Vincente Alcazar, about a slum landlord who gets his comeuppance. Nice use of claustrophobic blacks--the story seems lit by a 20-watt light blub at best--by Alcazar.

Next is the color feature, "Judas" by Rich Margopoulos and Rich Corben, about an alien race coming to take over Earth, and it's one last, desperate attempt to fight back.

After that is "Survivor or Savior!" by Steve Skeates and Gonzalo Mayo, a grim tale of a time traveler who attempts to save the world. Distractingly nubile women populate this story, all courtesy Mayo.

Next is "The Maze" by Skeates and Leo Summers, about a small-time theif looking for a place to hide out until the heat's off, who stumbles upon an entire nightmarish world underground. He adjusts rather well.

Finally is "The Demon Within!" by Skeates(again!) and Isidro Mones, a psychological-horror tale set on the ledge of a building as a woman contemplates suicide. Another grim tale courtesy Steve Skeates, who must have been in a weird mood that week...

Like I said, a really great issue, feauring some classic artists and some newer talents, plus settings as varied as the Old West all the way to modern Manhattan. Throw in a couple of pages of Captain Company ads and you've got a solid installment of Creepy!

Creepy #48 - Warren

One of my favorite things is a collection of comic covers all together--I think they look like gangbusters when you've got a bunch of them, so I think I bought this "best of" issue based solely on the cover.

This is all previously published material of course, but it was some of Warren's best:
"The Coffin of Dracula" by Archie Goodwin and Reed Crandall, a two-part Dracula sequel from Creepy #'s 8 and 9
"The Castle on the Moor!" by Johnny Craig, a spooky-castle tale from Creepy #9
"Moon City!" by Larry Englehart and Al McWilliams, about man's colonization of the Moon, from Creepy #4
"Swamped!" by Goodwin and Angelo Torres--vampires in the bayou! From Creepy #3
"Thumbs Down!" by Anne T. Murphy and Al Williamson, a horror tale of revenge set in the Roman Empire, from Creepy #20
"The Cosmic All" by Wally Wood, a classic space-exploration tale, filled with Wood-style heroic spacemen, wondrous elaborate rocketships, and creepy aliens, from Creepy #38
"Drink Deep!" by Eando Binder and John Severin, about a power-mad ship's captain who gets his comeuppance, from Creepy #7
"The Adventure of the German Student!" by Goodwin and Jerry Grandinetti, adapted from the tale by Washington Irving, about a young man convinced he is possessed by an evil spirit, featuring an absolutely knock-out art job by Grandinetti. Just look at the cinematic, moody splash:
...why this story is buried in the middle of the Captain Company ad section, I have no idea. It's one of the best tales in the book, and that's saying something.

Man, kids got a lot for $1.00 back in 1972...