1994 #29

John Berkley provides the cover for this issue, the final issue of 1994, from February 1983.

First is "Grandmother Running Box" by Vic Catan (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This story features the character of the title, from the Little Beaver series. Running Box is in pursuit of Little Beaver, and also teams up with some women warriors as well. This story ends with a to be continued, but was never concluded.

Second is "Goddess" by Peter Hsu (art) and Timothy Moriarty (story). This bizarre story features humans fighting some bizarre ape like aliens. They land on a mountain that ends up being a large naked woman, who is also a spaceship. Yes, the story's that odd. Rather obvious that the story is little more than an excuse for Hsu to draw lots of naked women.

Third is "Ghita of Alizarr" by Frank Thorne (story & art). In this story Ghita is able to chop off Rahmuz's arms and Dahib helps drop him into a chasm, killing him. With Rahmuz dead, his minions all vanish. Ghita and the others leave Urd, with Runthar and Dakini now in charge. A fairly good ending to the Ghita saga, I wonder if this was meant to be its ending or if it was meant to continue further had the magazine not died.

Fourth is "Farmed Out" by Delando Nino (art) and John Ellis Sech (story). This story takes place in Luna City in the future. An enforcer (a cop) hopes to win the lottery which permits the winner to be sent to the lovely nature of Earth. Our hero and his wife end up killing the real winners, blowing up their home, and taking their place on the ship being sent to Earth. But it ends up that the whole lottery is a trick, and that those who win it are actually gassed and turned into fertilizer. A very good ending for this issue's best story.

Fifth is "The Warhawks" by Abel Laxamana (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This story is the second part of a story started in issue 27, unfortunately an issue I do not own. This story features the Warhawks, a group of astronauts fighting aliens in space, who end up being actors. The entire thing ends up being part of a movie.

Eerie 136

Nestor Redondo provides the cover for this issue of Eerie, featuring the interior story Starlad. This issue is dated November 1982. Lots of stuff coming to an end in this issue.

First is the Rook in "The Fallen Part Two" by Luis Bermejo (art) and Budd Lewis (story). This story was the last Warren appearance of the Rook. This story continues from the previous issue, where the Rook has traveled into the future and encounters a crashed spaceship. In this story an evil alien being breaks out and starts killing people. The Rook and the others realize that the ship's pilot caused the creature's creation and that any exposure to it will cause the person being exposed (or animal being exposed) to also turn into a monster. The Rook solves things by traveling back in time and removing the alien pilot from his ship such that the alien monster was never created.

Second is "Space Force: Shipwrecked", by Paul Gillon (art) and Jean Claude Forest (story), in its final appearance. Chris and the others travel to one of Saturn's moons. The natives tell them of rat-like aliens gathering and of Valerie, that she is there and is considered a goddess. Chris heads there and finds talking frog creatures who attack him. After escaping he finally comes across Valerie, still encased in the orb that he too was encased in while in space. Mara meanwhile is confronted by the frog creatures as well. Unfortunate that the series suddenly ends here when it is getting interesting.

Third is "Starlad" by Vic Catan (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This story is another color insert story in the style of the one appearing in Eerie 134. This story features a sick boy who is about to die. His doctor tells him that he is actually an alien superhero, and he makes the boy into a superhero as well. In reality, the boy has died. I could tell by page two exactly where this story was going as Bill Dubay simply rips off his own story "Dick Swift and His Electric Power Ring" from Creepy 86. Very lame.

Fourth is "Haggarth" by Victor de la Fuente (story & art). Haggarth's last appearance, this story resolves a number of running storylines such as the amazonesses, the stones, and the spirit Haggarth had encountered earlier. A fairly good finale, although not as well resolved as the earlier Haggarth storyline. Still the best story in the issue though.

1994 #28

Steve Fastner & Rich Larson provide the cover for this issue, published in December 1982.

First is the final "Young Sigmund Pavlov!" story by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Pavlov crashes on a planet filled with various robot creatures. He and the robots end up recreating the Wizard of Oz, albeit with various robot creatures in place of the notable characters from that story. This story ends with a to be continued sign, but this would be the last story in the series. This story is very unlike the other stories in this series, as it doesn't contain the usual extremely bizarre Nino art and over the top sex filled story by Dubay.

Second is "Too Many Termarrows" by Vic Catan (art) and Tim Moriarty (story). This story features two men who land on a planet carrying a secret weapon. One of the men has a key robbed by a woman he sleeps with, so they pursue her through the desert and eventually find that she is part of a group of wives of a sultan. Our two protagonists release their weapon, human eating termites that kill everyone but them.

Third is "Ghita of Alizarr" by Frank Thorne (story & art). This story features Ghita taking part in a ceremony with Rahmuz where she is brought underground, where oddly enough, stars start appearing. A mummy which is Khan Dagon appears, then soon varous other corpses and monsters as well.

Next is "Angel" by Rudy Nebres (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This dull series finally comes to an end with this story. Angel and Ape find a group of savages that have captured a communist scientist who plans to destroy them. They end up being saved by a Tin Man superhero.

Last is the finale of "Diana Jacklighter, Manhuntress!" by Esteban Maroto (art) and Dan Hallassey & Bruce Jones (story). Lots of revelations in this story, where it is revealed that pretty much the entire quest of Diana to this point has been a lie. Her ally Jason has been the true villain all along, and the convict Frank Branner was actually an engineer named T. L. Hoyt who is a good guy on her side. With his help she returns to Earth and defeats Jason once and for all. A very good end to the strongest series of the latter part of 1994's life.

1994 #26

Richard Corben provides the cover of this issue of 1994, which bears an artwork date of 1977. The actual cover date of this issue is August 1982. One wonders why Warren waited 5 years to use this cover! Sorry, once again, I couldn't track down an image of this cover on the web to show you all (its days like this I wish I had my scanner! :()

First is "Young Sigmund, Sr." by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Not much to say regarding this story, its the latest in a long line of stories by Dubay and Nino where the art from each page can be combined with one another to form a seemingly infinite image. Quite impressive artwork as a result, with a rather poor story which is forced to work around the artwork.

Next is the latest story in "Diana Jacklighter, Manhuntress!" by Esteban Maroto (art) and Bruce Jones & Dan Hallassey (story). Diana and Branner go after the latest criminal, Marella Chryseis, who is currently hiding within a Sargaso. While there Marella seemingly kills Branner, but it is actually just a robot, which goes berserk and kills her. They then head to another planet where Branner takes off, marooning her. The planet contains shape shifters, and she ends up being confronted by Conley, another one of the escaped criminals. He ties her up and tries to escape on a ship, that ends up being a monster which kills him.

Third is "Ghita of Alizarr" by Frank Thorne (story & art). Dakini realizes Ghita's plot to deatroy Rahmuz when she attacks her while dreaming. Ghita later meets him for the first time. She also soon finds out that Dahib is alive. Thats it for this issue, a shorter Ghita segment than usual.

Fourth is "Little Beaver" by Vic Catan (art) and Dan Hallassey (story). Similar to the previous story in this series, it features Little Beaver, her grandmother Running Box and Worm, their tentacled monster pet. In this story they meet some revolutionaries who plan to use Little Beaver as a bomb to blow up their Russian enemies by planting it within a certain, ahem, part of her anatomy which will blow up when they try to have sex with her. Luckily Little Beaver makes it out okay.

Fifth is "The Trials and Tribulations of Ariel Hart!" by Peter Hsu (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This story is somewhat better than the previous Ariel Hart story. The President seeks to kill Ariel, and she ends up falling into a large chasm. The President sends one of his governors to ensure that she is dead. She hasn't actually died however, and has fallen into a pool where a tentacled creature attacks her. She is luckily able to escape.

Last is "Retard" by Alex Nino (art) and John Ellis Sech (story). Aliens take over Earth, and many deformed children are born soon after. The alien overlords require all people to do labor for them, and any child who cannot work by a certain age is disposed of. All the 'retards' are set to be disposed of, but instead they end up destroying the aliens entirely, although they die as a result.

1994 24

Skipping issue 23 of 1994 as it is an all reprint issue (the magazine's only one, thankfully). The cover for this issue, dated April 1982, is by Steve Fastner & Rich Larson. There are no credits on the stories in this issue, so I've based the writing credits here on the ones posted in Richard Arndt's wonderful Warren analysis.

First is "The Ugliest Woman in Creation!" by Vic Catan (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Rumors are abound about the "Cosmo Girls", Amazon women that are the ugliest one could ever imagine. By having sex with them, a man will become as ugly as them and spread this 'disease' to anyone he sleeps with. Anyway, this story features a woman who is hired by a Sultan to find him an extremely ugly woman, and she turns to a friend of hers, who manages to find one of the Cosmo Girls. While the woman is provided to the sultan, it is not before she has sex with him, and he soon has sex with our heroine, spreading the disease of ugliness...

Second is "Diana Jacklighter, Manhuntress!" by Esteban Maroto (art) and Bruce Jones (story). Diana is now on another planet, looking for the second of the seven escaped convicts. She travels through a wintery landscape that nonetheless feels rather warm. The man she is after takes off his boots and heads back to her ship, trying to steal it, but he dies as the snow they have been traveling on is instead tiny, but deadly white little worms that manage to kill him.

Third is "The Star Queen" by Delando Nino (art) and John Ellis Sech (story). This story features a humanoid woman who lives with some ape creatures after being born there when her mother's ship crashed. Some evil humans arrive which she is able to defeat.

Fourth is "Ghita of Alizarr" by Frank Thorne (story & art). Rahmuz continues to come after Ghita, this time 'killing' Thenef and Dahib and being able to kidnap Ghita by taking Thenef's form. Rahmuz plans on the wedding he hopes for himself and Ghita while Dakini, the four breasted harem member of his wonders what will become of her then. Luckily at the end it is revealed that Thenef and Dahib survived after all.

Last is "Coming of Age!" by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay (story). An interesting story featuring mankind from their very beginnings through the present and apocalypse. A nice way to end the issue.

1994 20

Given the total ineptitude of Eerie 113, I'll be covering a second issue as well today.

The cover of this issue is by Nestor Redondo. Only a so-so issue at best unfortunately. It is cover dated August 1981.

First is another "Young Sigmond Pavlov" story by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay (as Will Richardson, which is how he's referenced throughout the issue). This story is actually a vast improvement over the previous one. It features Pavlov once again talking to a patient, this time a guy who claims that God sent him a giant spaceship-like ark and ordered him to gather bizarre creatures from across the world. He does so only to find out its only a joke being played on him by God. Similar to the previous story, this story is primarily two page spreads by Nino, although the artwork is considerably toned down in terms of content compared to the last story.

Second is "Diana Jacklighter, Manhuntress!" a new series by Esteban Maroto (art) and Jim Stenstrum (story, as Alabaster Redzone, which is how he's credited throughout the issue). The most interesting thing in this issue, it kicks off a pretty long series. Jacklighter is a pilot responsible for what was supposed to be an easy mission, transporting a group of 7 criminals that are in suspended animation. When her ship is struck by a meteor however, the ship crashes and all the criminals, who also happen to be suffering from a plague, escape. Jacklighter is now forced to head out and capture all of them. Some nice art by Maroto although the suspended animation chamber appears to be ripped off from the movie Alien.

Third is "Little Beaver" by Vic Catan (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This story takes place in a future where the communists and capitalists have battled, wiping out most of the world. A teenage native american girl and her grandmother Running Box think they are the only humans left and live with a tentacled monster, but some communists still alive arrive and end up getting blown up by a nuclear bomb they possess.

Fourth is "Ghita of Alizarr" by Frank Thorne (story & art). This story's considerably shorter than the usual Ghita story, at only 8 pages. Ghita and friends come across an inn where they stay. There they witness a mute maid being decapitated as part of a magic trick. During the trick her head tells Ghita not to return to Alizarr.

Last is the return of "Spearchucker Spade: Intergalactic Eye" by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay (story). The previous story was so-so, this one is rather lousy, although the art is nice. Spade heads out to a space station to help fight against Ronald Reagan's crazy descendent. Thankfully this was it for this particular character.

1994 19

This issue starts off with a good cover by Jordi Penalva.

First is "Young Sigmond Pavlov!" by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay (story, as Will Richardson, which is how he's credited throughout the issue). Its around this point in this magazine's life where you truly start to wonder whether Bill Dubay and Alex Nino have lost their minds. This story kicks off a completely nonscensical series of stories with little to them in terms of plot, but with by far the most bizarre and over the top artwork Warren ever published. Not just extremely bizarre, but also incredibly offensive as well. This story, which has Pavlov, a psychologist, talking to a patient, consists pretty much entirely of two page spreads of incredibly over the top material (much of it sexual in nature). And trust me, its gets even more over the top in the stories to come. You wonder how Nino even thought of much of the stuff he starts drawing with this story. This stuff has to be seen to be believed. Probably on its own makes this issue, and the later ones featuring this stuff a worthwhile purchase.

Second is "Fugue for a Ferrite Fugitive" by Vic Catan (art) and Bill Dubay & Kevin Duane (story). This story features a robot who is accused of murder who is innocent, as another robot who looks just like him committed the murders. Unfortunately things don't go well for the robot; even though he does find the other robot, the both of them end up getting destroyed. A so-so story at best.

Third is "The Holy Warrior!" by Delando Nino (art) and John Ellis Sech & Bill Dubay (story). This story takes place in a future where there are Jesus clones. Our hero, the Holy Warrior, is seeking to rescue one, which is just a child from communist enemies. He is able to do so, but the two of them are so hungry that he ends up killing the clone and eating him! Quite a bizarre and heretical ending for this story.

Fourth is "Ghita of Alizarr" by Frank Thorne (story & art). Rahmuz, leader of Urd, is introduced. He desires for Ghita to join his harem, which already includes a four breasted woman (!). He hopes to make Ghita his Queen and as a result rule over Alizarr as well. Ghita meanwhile meets an old lady who reveals that the unicorn she's traveling with has the spirit of Khan Dagon within it. Sartan arrives and cuts off the horn from the unicorn, hoping to make himself rich with it. Ghita bids farewell to the old woman and meets back up with Thenef and Dahib.

Fifth is "Et Tu Casey!" by Abel Laxamana (art) and Kevin Duane (story). This story, as one would think from the title, is heavily inspired by the story of Casey, the great baseball player who struck out when his team needed him most. The twist on this story is that first, it takes place on an alien planet, and second, Casey does manage to hit the ball, but it explodes, blowing up the entire ballpark.

Last is "Steele!" by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay & Budd Lewis (story). This story makes a hell of a lot more sense than Dubay and Nino's first story for this issue. It features a man who is severly wounded, losing the bottom half of his body. He is put in suspended animation then later brought back to life to become an assassin, assigned to killing demons. Eventually the original Hunter makes an appearance and after being severly injured, our protagonist is transformed once again, into the Exterminator featured extensively in the Hunter II series. A pretty good prequel story tying in to the Hunter and Hunter II serials from Eerie.

1994 18

This issue of 1994 features a cover by H.R. Giger, most well known for his designs on the Alien movies. Unfortunately this was his sole work for Warren.

First is "The Lost Loves of Cranfranz P. Thitwacker" by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay (story, as Will Richardson). 'Cranfranz' has been a name that I've seen excessively in Alex Nino drawn stories in this issue for a while now. Anyway, Cranfranz is a forty seven year old virgin who buys a 'make your own woman' kit, which he promptly screws up, creating a horrific creature that immediately falls dead. He later tries to creatue another woman, and screws up her even more. By trying to dispose of the remains, he is caught and brought to jail. His neighbor meanwhile decides that she'd like to look into such a kit herself to create a man for her.

Second is "Lone Wolf" by Delando Nino (art) and John Ellis Sech (story). This story takes place in the future, where much of humanity has moved underground, leaving above ground to mutants. People underground known as Seekers head above ground to kill them. One such Seeker is Lone Wolf, who is generally disliked by all. He goes above ground where he meets a woman taking care of some deformed children. When they are attacked by fellow seekers, he fights them off, and decides to stay above ground for good.

Third is "The Mad Planet" by Vic Catan (art) and Gerry Boudreau & Bill Dubay (story, Dubay is creited as Will Richardson). A prisoner is on a planet that is hit with a plaugue, killing all but him and a guard, a monster whom he falls in love with. Due to the plague, he is quarantined on the planet. Eventually his lover passes away of a heart attack and soon after astronauts arrive with a cure for the plague, wanting to use him to help a candidate be elected president. The prisoner wishes not to leave however, and kills them all. Some pretty good art here by Catan in the best story of the issue.

Fourth is the latest "Ghita of Alizarr" story by Frank Thorne (story & art). Ghita and friends meet an old friend of her, Sartan. They take part in a performance, but trolls interrupt it and they head after them. Along the way they encounter Noads, tiny troll like creatures that take Ghita capture. Ghita is able to escape due to a unicorn.

Last is thankfully the final part of "The Starfire Saga" by Rudy Nebres (art) and Bill Dubay (story, as Will Richardson). Chris heads back to the base from the first part, but is attacked due to being a suspect in the murder of a character from the first part (about half this story is a recap of the first part of this series). Instead it is revealed that a pedophile man stationed there killed the man, and Chris has a happy reunion with her father. In the end this series ends dissappointing, but then again this entire series has been a poor dissappointment. I can't believe they wasted eight appearances on this boring drivel.

1994 14

A pretty good cover starts of a pretty good issue of 1994. The Sanjulian cover, featuring Ghita of Alizarr and the various characters from her serial wraps around to include the back cover as well, a rarity for Warren. Sorry, couldn't track down an image of the cover for this issue!

First is "Womb With a View!" by Alex Nino (art) and Nicola Cuti (story). A husband and wife who are about to have a baby consent to allow a doctor to use a machine on her that will enable the baby to learn from inside the womb. This soon has major effects on the baby (known as Cranfranz) however, who gains the ability to read their minds and force them to do things from within the womb. He forces the father to do things for him including killing people. The father manages to stop him by permanently becoming his twin brother in the womb, and strangling him.

Second is "The Benevolence" by Jose Ortiz (art) and Jim Stenstrum (story). The best story in this issue, and a pretty long one, at 22 pages long. 'The Benevolence' is a program where supplies are brought to colony planets around the universe. The last ship on their trip is filled with horrifically mutated scientists. When there is a malfunction with their ship, they have the ability to escape unharmed, but only if they drop off part of the ship down to the planet, killing everyone there. The captain doesn't want to do it but his crew mutinies and causes it to happen anyway. Wishing to keep the Benevolence program alive, the captain accepts all the blame himself for the events that occurred.

Third is "The Galaxy Grand Prix" by Vic Catan (art) and Jim Stenstrum (story, credited to Alabaster Redzone). The worst story of the issue, it features an intergalactic race taking place in spaceships. Nothing all that interesting here.

Fourth is the latest "Ghita of Alizarr" story by Frank Thorne (story & art). Ghita leads her forces towards Nergon's city and she surrenders to them unarmed. There Nergon shows her to everyone in order to humiliate her, but when Ghita's forces, including Drill arrive, the trolls become scared and Ghita uses the opportunity to seize a sword and kill Nergon's soldiers, and soon Nergon himself. Victorious over the enemy, Ghita decides to share her rulership with Thenef and Dahib. A pretty good conclusion to the first series of Ghita stories. This series would take a few issues off before starting up again with issue 17.

Last is the second part of "Baby Makes Three" by Abel Laxamana (art) and Kevin Duane (story). Turner and Kelly come across the space station seen at the end of the last part, and meet Chulmann, the head of the place. While there Turner listens to a report from his superior. Only 6 pages long and ending abruptly, I wonder if this was originally meant to be part of the next story and got split off for inclusion here.

1984 10

1984's last issue under this title, starting with the next issue it would become 1994. The cover is by Patrick Woodroffe, featuring a character from the Starfire Saga.

First is "The Whatever Shop!" by Alex Nino (art) and Jim Stenstrum (story). Looking to get a new popcorn popper, a man instead finds a store where the storeowner can get him anything he wants. He initially asks to for just a new popper, but comes back later when he realizes the owner gave him something else. He finds the owner trying to sell stuff to terrorists, and when the owner offers to give him anything he asks for a girl from a porno magazine, causing the machine to go crazy. The owner is arrested, as it ends up he was stealing and teleporting things using the machine. A pretty good, light hearted story to start off the issue.

Next is the finale for "Herma" by Jose Gonzalez (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Herma finds out that the movie career promised to her is all a lie, and she is instead locked up by a woman (who looks quite a lot like Vampirella) who gets off on people's pain and anguish. Luckily Herma's rescued by Dr. Pitts and Sir Robert Bolt, who had originally discovered her.

Third is "The Little Spaceship That Could!" by Jose Ortiz (art) and John Ellis Sech (story). A fleet of ships is asked to deliver an anti-toxin through a black hole. The smallest ship volunteers for the very dangerous mission, aware that he may not make it out alive. He heads through the black hole, is about to get out safely... then blows up. A rather unexpected ending to an otherwise dull story.

Fourth is "The Klanks Are Coming! The Klanks Are Coming!" by Vic Catan (art, his Warren debut) and Rich Margopoulos (story). This is a rather boring story featuring robotic aliens attacking and eventually destroying Earth. A Margopoulos clunker, what a surprise.

Fifth is the second part in the "Starfire Saga". Rudy Nebres now takes on the art duties, with Bill Dubay handling the story. Kris Starfire, revealed to be a girl who is masquerading as a boy (clearing up a very confusing ending to the last issue's story) heads to another planet and is a stowaway on a ship where a pervert attacks her. She is saved by Dr. Snufflesniff and some other men. Just then, space pirates arrive. Only two stories in and I'm already bored to death by this serial.

Sixth is part three in "Ghita of Alizarr" by Frank Thorne (story & art). Ghita and friends head through a forest where they encounter a unicorn, then is confronted by some trolls, whom she tricks and defeats by showing them her breasts. With three parts under our belt, I've still not really gotten all that into this story, which is a shame.

Seventh is "Haxtur" by Victor de la Fuente (story & art). This series was originally published in Europe in the early 70's and was reprinted for a couple of issues of 1984/1994 before being moved to Eerie. Alas, this means that after these first two parts we won't be seeing this series for a long, long time since its very far off compared to where I am in Eerie right now. Haxtur is a man apparantely killed by a giant lizard who is visited by four men calling themselves the Timeless Ones. They tell him he's cursed to discover man's destiny. Haxtur awakens to find himself attacked by lizard like men. He is rescued by some men who tell him of the Tyrant, a man who has created some robot creatures called Greyks who dominate the lizard men. Haxtur defeats the Greyks, which enables the Lizard men to kill the Tyrant.

Eight and final story is "Thinking of You" by Abel Laxamana (art) and Nicola Cuti (story). This story features a pilot whose ship has a woman-like personality, who gets jealous over the fact that he's with a human woman. Eventually the ship takes advantage of the opportunity to fire off a missile at her, eliminating its competition.