A very good issue of Vampirella with a cover by Enrich. This issue has a special gimmick. Editor Louise Jones, sick of people complaining about predictable ending asked the readers to predict the ending of each of the six stories, removing the final page from each of the non-Vampirella stories. The last page of each story ran in the next issue. To make it easier for the reader I'll be covering the complete stories here based on the endings included in the following issue.
First is "The Mad King of Drakulon" by Jose Gonzalez (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Vampi is returned to Drakulon where she meets the sole living person there, Cedrin, who actually lives on a moon near Drakulon. She is happy with him for a while until she realizes he stays alive by keeping captive various tourists to Drakulon, sucking the blood out of them to create a river of blood. Vampi responds by drinking his blood, killing him.
Second is "A Game of Hide and Seek" by Leo Duranona (art) and Roger McKenzie (story). Some very nice art here by Duranona, one of his best horror stories for Warren. An old man, Eric invites a number of unrelated people to his house telling them they're inheriting something due to his death. He tells them that they are to hunt him, and whoever kills him gets the inheritance. He in turn will be hunting them. The story focuses on one of the people invited, Elizabeth. As various people in the house are murdered, a new handsome man arrives, Michael, who Elizabeth falls in love with. Soon they are the only two left in the house. Elizabeth opens the shades however, killing Michael, who is actually Eric. He was a vampire, so by opening the shades she is able to kill him with the light.
Third is "Mystery of the Strangled Stockbroker" by Jose Ortiz (art) and Gerry Boudreau (story). This story is a murder mystery about a stockbroker found strangled on a desk. There are numerous suspects with numerous motives. It ends up that the killer is the elevator operator, who had been stealing which was known by the stockbroker. This issue's weakest story since its so complicated.
Fourth is "The Pharoah's Lady" by Luis Bermejo (art) and Nicola Cuti (story). Upon hearing of the pharoah becoming a god in the afterlife, one of his slave women plots to become the god herself. She murders both the pharoah's wife, then the pharoah himself and heads into his pyramid where she instead is given a jackal head of an egyptian god.
Fifth is "But First, This Brief Interruption" by Leopold Sanchez (art) and Bruce Jones (story). A broke man meets a mysterious man in a bar who bets him $500 to answer a riddle, which he does successfully. Our protagonist uses the money to get back on his feet again and become successful, but keeps encountering the mysterious man and bets again and again, each time for higher stakes. The final bet is for a million dollars, with his life at stake if he loses. He is able to answer the complicated riddle at the last second, saving his life.
Last is "Goodbye, Norma Jean" by Auraleon (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Norma is a siamese twin, her younger sister Jean is actually a second head growing out of her soldier. While in college Norma fell in love with a fellow student Tom, and they had a child, Leslie. By threatening to take Leslie away from him, Norma was able to get Tom to marry her despite her deformity. When he discovers that Jean grew out of Norma's body starting at seven, Tom gets upset, thinking it could happen to Leslie. Norma gets worried even more and goes to a psychiatrist where another shocking truth is revealed. Leslie is normal, but Norma & Jean have yet another head growing on their soldier.
First is "The Mad King of Drakulon" by Jose Gonzalez (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Vampi is returned to Drakulon where she meets the sole living person there, Cedrin, who actually lives on a moon near Drakulon. She is happy with him for a while until she realizes he stays alive by keeping captive various tourists to Drakulon, sucking the blood out of them to create a river of blood. Vampi responds by drinking his blood, killing him.
Second is "A Game of Hide and Seek" by Leo Duranona (art) and Roger McKenzie (story). Some very nice art here by Duranona, one of his best horror stories for Warren. An old man, Eric invites a number of unrelated people to his house telling them they're inheriting something due to his death. He tells them that they are to hunt him, and whoever kills him gets the inheritance. He in turn will be hunting them. The story focuses on one of the people invited, Elizabeth. As various people in the house are murdered, a new handsome man arrives, Michael, who Elizabeth falls in love with. Soon they are the only two left in the house. Elizabeth opens the shades however, killing Michael, who is actually Eric. He was a vampire, so by opening the shades she is able to kill him with the light.
Third is "Mystery of the Strangled Stockbroker" by Jose Ortiz (art) and Gerry Boudreau (story). This story is a murder mystery about a stockbroker found strangled on a desk. There are numerous suspects with numerous motives. It ends up that the killer is the elevator operator, who had been stealing which was known by the stockbroker. This issue's weakest story since its so complicated.
Fourth is "The Pharoah's Lady" by Luis Bermejo (art) and Nicola Cuti (story). Upon hearing of the pharoah becoming a god in the afterlife, one of his slave women plots to become the god herself. She murders both the pharoah's wife, then the pharoah himself and heads into his pyramid where she instead is given a jackal head of an egyptian god.
Fifth is "But First, This Brief Interruption" by Leopold Sanchez (art) and Bruce Jones (story). A broke man meets a mysterious man in a bar who bets him $500 to answer a riddle, which he does successfully. Our protagonist uses the money to get back on his feet again and become successful, but keeps encountering the mysterious man and bets again and again, each time for higher stakes. The final bet is for a million dollars, with his life at stake if he loses. He is able to answer the complicated riddle at the last second, saving his life.
Last is "Goodbye, Norma Jean" by Auraleon (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Norma is a siamese twin, her younger sister Jean is actually a second head growing out of her soldier. While in college Norma fell in love with a fellow student Tom, and they had a child, Leslie. By threatening to take Leslie away from him, Norma was able to get Tom to marry her despite her deformity. When he discovers that Jean grew out of Norma's body starting at seven, Tom gets upset, thinking it could happen to Leslie. Norma gets worried even more and goes to a psychiatrist where another shocking truth is revealed. Leslie is normal, but Norma & Jean have yet another head growing on their soldier.
in regards to the "But first this brief interruption" story - what happened to be the answer to the riddle? I have been trying to figure it out
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