Eerie 130

This issue compromises the single worst issue in the history of Warren publishing. The cover is by Steve Fastner and Richard Larson, and is dated April 1982. The artwork is by E.R. Cruz, with story by Rich Margopulos. This issue is comprised of four stories, titled "Stitches in Time", "Corridors of Doom", "Vortex" and The End of Time". This is an issue long feature about Vampirella and the Time Force, which is actually a number of characters from Eerie's history. Recurring characters in this issue include Vampirella, Pendragon, Conrad, Adam, Pantha, Hunter, Schreck, Exterminator, Dax, Child, Pie, Mac Tavish, the Spook, Coffin, Hunter II, Darklon, the Rook, Bishop Dane and Manners. Very few of which act like they did in their original stories by the way. That Margopoulos would bring back so many characters, many of whom were dead, and make them behave in no manner whatsoever like their original characters reeks of a pathetic attempt to simply increase interest in the quickly declining Eerie magazine by bringing back popular characters from Eerie's past. The problem is that most of these characters were not superheroes, and to act here like they were shows that Margopoulos has no concept of Eerie's history. He even urinates on his own creation, Hunter here. And not just that, Cruz's artwork here is among the worst artwork to ever appear in a Warren magazine. Vampirella and Pantha look exactly the same, and as unsexy as they ever appeared in their Warren life. Conrad appears with regular glasses in many panels, and sunglasses in others. Adam has blond hair. Some of the characters from Eerie's past look nothing like they did in their original appearance. Just pathetic. No other issue in Warren's publishing history is so embarressing.

Oh, and for those who want to know what the plot is, it features Tenichi, a recurring villain from Vampirella's storyline who comes up with a plan to summon various characters from Eerie's past from the past and future to use them to fight Vampirella. To do this he needs the amulet that belonged to Pie. Eventually these characters realize that they shouldn't fight Vampirella, so they team up with her and Tenichi summons even more characters. Eventually the Rook becomes involved as well. And so on. In all honesty, its just not worth discussing this issue any further.

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 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 22

This issue of 1994 features a cover by Steve Fastner & Rich Larson. Quite a poor issue with little memorable here except Nino's art on the first story.

First is the latest segment of "Young Sigmond Pavlov" by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay (story). As with the other Pavlov stories, this features a nonscensical story where Pavlov sees a lunatic, this time a bizarre looking monster. As usual this story has many two page spreads, and in fact the pages can all be combined horizontally to becomes a single giant image. Very interesting art, but a story thats not interesting at all.

Second is "Love Among the Ruins!" by Delando Nino (art) and Bill Dubay & Tim Moriarty (story). This story takes place in a future where Earth has been attacked by tentacled monsters. Years pass and the monsters are barely seen, so few believe they are still around. A man dreaming of a beautiful woman heads underground where he sees her for real. He brings his friends down as well, but it is all a trap as she is one of the monsters and summons other ones to eat all of them. The best story of the issue.

Third is "Bringing Up Baby", part of a new series, Ariel Hart. Art is by Peter Hsu and story is by Bill Dubay. A horrible story with little to no story to it, featuring Ariel under pursuit from some evil doers.

Fourth is the second "Angel" story by Rudy Nebres (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This story features Angel kidnapped by a large beast similar in appearance to her friend Ape. A man arrives and saves her, but she tells him that the creatures are just lonely and he shouldn't have done that. Yawn.

Last is "Mike Marauder: Knight Errant of the Spaceways!" by Rueben Yandoc (art) and Rich Margopoulos (story). Mike attacks an evil villain who *gasp* uses robots to let women have sex. After Mike interrupts things time and time again, the women cut off his penis, and it is he who is now in the position where the story's villain is helping him out. Margopoulos rips this story off from one he did in Eerie 118, making this an extremely lame way to end the issue.