Eerie 73

This issue of Eerie by Ken Kelly features Hunter II and the Exterminator.

First is the finale of the Hunter II series, "Death of the Phoenix" by Paul Neary (art) and Budd Lewis (story). Being recovered by Yaust, Karas and Exterminator discover the truth, that Yaust is actually the good guy and that the goblins he created to fight off the evil ones went out of control. Mandragora is the true evil one, and there is no such thing as a time shell which will be used to save the world. Karas returns to Mandragora's home, where he finds the White Council and they are all killed. The world doesn't come to an end after all, and the series ends on a happy note.

Second is "Carnival at Midnight", the second story in the 'Freaks' serial. Art is by Leopold Sanchez and story is by Budd Lewis. This story surrounds two young brothers, one of whom is crippled who come across the freaks late at night. The boy's father and then a mob come after them, only to find that the Freaks were actually helping the boy by fixing his legs for him.

Third is "Day of the Vampire 1992: The Tombspawn" by Gonzalo Mayo (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This story takes place in a post apocalyptic world where much of the world is in ruins. Two men, Stevie and Biff hunt various creatures and come across a cavern where a beautiful woman lies inside in suspended animation. A hologram appears and tells them that she is a vampire and warns them of reanimating her. Stevie falls in love with her however and brings her back to life. After sleeping with him she escapes however, and the Earth forces blow her up. Stevie finds himself now a vampire after an encounter with her and attacks his friend Biff as the story ends.

Fourth is "A Brave Terror Leads to Death!" the final segment in the 'It' series. Art is provided by Jose Gual, in his final Warren appearance, and story is by Carl Wessler. Thieves attack Jan Foley's house, but It arrives once again to rescue her. The thieves plan to blow up It so it can't bother them anymore. Jan and her fiance however follow them and prevent them from doing it. The thieves sneak into their house but It arrives and saves the day yet again. Although the series ends in an open ended manner, this would be the final appearance of It. I do have a few more It stories to cover which appeared in Creepy, including the original story, which will come some day soon down the line.

Last is "Voyage to the Final Hole", part 2 in the Peter Hypnos series, with art and story by Jose Bea. Peter finds a rose in the field that grows huge and swallows him up. He continues to shrink inside the rose and meets a multitude of bizarre creatures who tell him that he'll make it through a hole back to safety as long as he believes that he'll keep shrinking. He does so and shrinks small enough that he finds the hole in question and jumps into it, bringing him back to the real world.

Creepy 122

A Richard Corben cover starts off this issue of Creepy, featuring an upside down dead asian man. Uncle Creepy is given a one page introduction by Rudy Nebres.

First story is "The Killing" by the team of Alex Toth & Leo Duranona (art) and Roger McKenzie (story). This story, taking place during the civil war features a confederate civilian woman who ends up being forced to take in some Union soldiers. Although she planned on blowing them up, killing herself along with them, she has a change of heart and waits until they leave before killing herself.

Next is "The Watcher" by Leo Duranona (art) and Bob Toomey (story). This story is about a censor at the Comics Code who is very over the top with his censorship. He takes home a new comic one night, Mooneyes, featuring a scantily clad heroine. He discovers the real Mooneyes, or rather the model that portrays her and ends up killing her. Having gone crazy by the event, he moves out to the suburbs and becomes a comic writer himself, but his prospective publisher comes to see him and finds her rotting corpse in the house with him.

Third is "The Perfect Specimen" by Steve Gan (art) and Budd Lewis (story). This story features two rather confused aliens who come to Earth and land in an ocean, thinking that fish are the dominant species of the Earth. They capture a great white shark and thinking it friendly, go in a tank to meet it, unaware of how dangerous it actually is.

Fourth is "Midnight in Chinatown" by the team of Carmine Infantino & Alfredo Alcala (art) and Gerry Boudreau (story). The issue's weakest story, this is a mystery/action story about a man attacked by a mysterious assassin in Chinatown. He investigates and eventually encounters him again, discovering that he is Japanese and manages to kill him.

Fifth is "Routine" by Martin Salvador (art) and Carl Wessler (story). This story appears to have been originally written years before as Carl Wessler was no longer with Warren by this point and Uncle Creepy hosted the story, which hadn't happened in years. The story surrounds a middle aged man in a rather quiet city in his normal routine, such as going to the Bank where he is president, and having a party for his wife. As we reach the last page and find him dining with all skeletons it becomes apparant that he's the only human left alive, but to keep himself sane he pretends that everyone else is still alive. A short, but interesting story.

Sixth is "Magic Man" by Fred Carillo (art) and Gerry Boudreau (story). This story features a magic man who stays in a book store who befriends a young woman, but won't let her touch him. He has the ability to create illusions of any real matter, making it appear to be something else. The woman thinks that he's an illusion himself, but when she touches him it is she who dissappears, as she was an illusion, not him.

The issue concludes with "Roomers" by Mike Zeck (art) and Bruce Jones (story, miscredited to Budd Lewis). This story features a nerdy college student who goes through an elaborate plan to tutor a beautiful fellow student. When she refuses his advances however he snaps, killing her and raping her corpse. He succesfully escapes his apartment complex and disposes of the body, but when he returns he discovers that his elderly landlady spied on him and blackmails him into having sex with her! One of the most horrific Warren endings ever, if you're a young guy like me.

Vampirella 73

This issue of Vampirella fatures a book length story titled "A Gathering of Demons". The cover is drawn by Bob Larkin, hardly one of his or Vampi's better covers. This issue's art is provided by Gonzalo Mayo while the story is written by Bill Dubay. At 71 pages, this is the single longest story in Warren history and the only instance in which a book length story actually consisted of a single story rather than multiple related stories.

The story itself unfortunately is nothing all that special. It surrounds a series of murders happening each day where a "V' is left on the scene. Conrad initially blames it on Vampi, but it later becomes apparant that the murders are due to a council of wizards who are leaving the "V" because it forms a giant pentagram. Working on selecting a new leader, the Anti-Pope, they kill a person each day that one isn't selected until ten have been killed. In addition the ten council members have each selected a human host to be used in a battle of demons against each other to determine who will become their leader. Vampi and our heroes interfere, resulting in the deaths of the council and their defeat. For now anyway. Many characters from this story including Crissy Collins (one of the human hosts) as well as council member Tenichi would make appearances later in Vampirella's history once Rich Margopoulos became the Vampirella writer. These stories have already been covered on this blog.

Overall this is a rather dissappointing effort. While issue 64's book length Vampirella story was quite a good one, this one drags excessively and even the usually dependable Mayo contributes a less than great effort, probably due to the huge amount of pages drawn.

Eerie 12

This classic issue of Eerie was the first of the non-Goodwin era, although most of the stories contained within were created before Goodwin's departure. Dan Adkins provides the cover, featuring the Mummy, a cover which appears to have been originally intended for the prior issue. The frontis is a reprint from issue 4, "Eerie's Monster Gallery: Zombies!" by Roy Krenkel.

First story is "The Masque of the Red Death" by Tom Sutton (art) and Archie Goodwin (story, uncredited). This story is an adaption of Poe's classic story. It is about a plague that arises, killing many. Prince Prospero and his friends barricade themselves in a castle safe from the plague, and won't let any of the sick people in. They hold a ball where a mysterious caped man arrives who touches them, causing them to all die of the plague themselves.

Second is "Vampyrus" by Jeff Jones (art) and Archie Goodwin (story, uncredited). A pair of men head to a temple in Central America which houses bats as well as a native in the emple who they flee from. One of them is bitten by the bats, turning him into a vampire that attacks his companion.

Third is "...Nor Custom, Stale..." by Johnny Craig (story & art). A man travels to the desert country of Sumaria with his new wife, who he met in a hospital. Because she has amnesia she remembers nothing about her past, but at a travel agency feels something when they see a picture of 'The Temple of Life' in Sumaria. When they arrive there, he falls asleep one night only to find his wife wandering off to the Temple itself, where druids take her and start casting some sort of spell on her. In a rage he rescues her and kills them, running off into the desert where he collapses. When he awakens he finds the man from the travel agency there, who reveals the truth to him, that his wife was dead and brought back in the temple of life. She needed to head back there annually to stay alive, but by interfering, he has killed her forever.

Fourth is "Escape!" by Joe Orlando (art) and Archie Goodwin (story, uncredited). A pair of convicts escape the island they are imprisoned on, being helped by a native. One of the two kills the other so he doesn't have to share a treasure that he is hiding in the woods. Along the way he gleefully chops the head off an anaconda. Upon finding the treasure, he is stung by a scorpion. He asks the native to help keep him alive, so he does so, by transfering his head to the anacanda!

Fifth is "Portrait of Satan!" by Ric Estrada (art) and Archie Goodwin (story, uncredited). An overworked artist says he'd sell his soul to Satan if he could do some reputable, serious art rather than all the commercial art he's churning out. Satan himself arrives, offering that in exchange for his soul. The artist refuses, not wanting to give up his soul, but agrees to do a portrait of Satan as payment instead. He does so, but Satan takes his soul anyway because he said he'd put his "heart and soul" into the art. A rather poor story based on simple word play.

Last is "The Past Master" by Al McWilliams (art) and Craig Tennis (story, uncredited). The best story of the issue, this is an adaption of the Robert Bloch story, and was originally printed in the book Christopher Lee's Treasury of Terror. Told from the perspective of many witnesses, this story tells of a mysterious man who comes out of the sea and starts buying or stealing large quantities of artwork. It is revealed that the man is from the future, coming back to save works of art that will be destroyed in an upcoming war. Upon his escape however his craft is destroyed by the US navy, thinking its a soviet craft, which triggers the very war that he was speaking of.

Creepy 104

This issue is an all robots special of Creepy. The cover by Ken Kelly was originally used for the back cover of Eerie 63, although the entire background has been edited out for this reprinting. A so-so issue at best with nothing terrible but nothing that good either.

First is "The Games" by Pablo Marcos (art) and Roger McKenzie (story). The story features a pair of gladiator 'brothers' who perform very well, but are forced by their masters to be part of a large melee in which they fight various people including themselves. The two of them are the last standing and forced to fight to the death, but the winner is allowed to go free from his masters, who end up being robots who have taken over humanity.

Next is "The Caretaker" by Alfredo Alcala (art) and Bob Toomey (story). The story features a man on his own accompanied by robots who is allowed to live forever as long as he doesn't head outside. He eventually decides to knowing that he'll die, and ages to death, leaving only the robots left.

Third is "Mother Park" by Jose Ortiz (art) and Roger McKenzie (story). This story features an oafish man who is chased by cops through an amusement park that talks to him. He is being chased due to causing the death of a young girl. He is haunted by spirits within the park and soon meets his death.

Fourth is "In the City of Gold" by Pepe Moreno Casares (art) and Budd Lewis (story). This story features the character Wolfer O'Connell, who originally appeared in Eerie 76. While traveling through a winter wilderness, Wolfer comes across a city occupied by a giant robot man. The robot man tells him that he is from another planet and calls this a City of God. An interesting story, the best of the issue.

Fifth is "Holocost" by Terry Austin (art) and Steve Englehart (story). This story takes place in the future where there's a great war of men vs. women. Eventually the fighting is reduced to a single man and woman who have a prior relationship with one another, but it ends up that the woman is nothing more than a hologram, as the robots had taken their place a while before.

The issue concludes with "Keep Kool" by Alex Nino (art) and Bob Toomey (story). An old man who is quite wealthy despises humanity so he heads off to another planet where his only companions are robots. He has the robots fight one another, then receives a giant box that he can create monster from to fight one another.

1984 9

A fairly good issue of 1984. The cover for this issue is by Patrick Woodroffe, featuring a spaceship taking off.

First story is "Break Even" by Alex Nino (art) and Kevin Duane (story). This is... believe it or not... a well thought out, intelligent story to kick off an issue of 1984 that doesn't feature sex! It features a pair of astronauts hired to scope out the asteroid field between Mars and Jupiter who find a very small planet that's actually a shrunk gas giant planet which they end up destroying. If only every issue could start off like this.

The second part of "Herma", by Jose Gonzalez (art) and Bill Dubay (story) is second. Herma, refuses to sleep with the Mexican 'sultan' she's been brought to and actually convinces his entire group of wives to leave him. They head through the Mexican desert where they find some more men, who of course they end up sleeping with. Herma is recruited to a whore house where her first customer is actually a talent scout for his mother's movie studio. That's where the story ends, to be concluded in the next issue. As with the prior part, a rather poor story, but very attractive art by Gonzalez.

Third is the issue's best story, "A Clear and Present Danger!" by Jess Jodloman (art) and Gerry Boudreau (story). A man is distraught over the death of his beautiful wife, and agrees to go back in time to prevent the birth of an 'Archbishop' that controls their society and was responsible for her death. In the past he finds the Archbishop's mother, pregnant with him, and pushes her off a cliff, causing a miscarriage. He returns to the present only to find that his actions in the pasts caused his wife to never marry him, and he married a hideous fat woman instead.

Fourth is this issue's color story, "Starfire" by Herb Arnold & Frank Springer (art) and Bill Dubay (story). The issue's poorest story, this is about a flying ace who is just a 13 year old boy and a rival who wants to get revenge on him. The rival sneaks up on the boy in the men's locker room showever, where he has suddenly become a woman, he tries to rape 'him', but gets killed. A very odd story that doesn't make much sense. I miss Mutant World already!

Fifth is "Humungus", part of the Rex Havoc series, returning after a multi-issue absense. Art is by Abel Laxamana and story is by Jim Stenstrum. Rex Havoc and the Asskickers of the Fantastic head to Japan, and this story parodies Godzilla. By this point I have had about enough of Rex Havoc and they must have thought the same thing as this was the series's final appearance.

Last is "The Schmoo Connection" by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay (story). An odd story that is hard to make much sense of due to the poor dialogue and some very exotic, but hard to understand art by Nino. It appears to be about a woman whose husband committed suicide, which is somehow connected to Schmoos, creatures which can change their appearance to satisfy any person's sexual desires. Similar in nature to the story "Snarking Down" from Vampirella 86.

Eerie 72

Another Hunter II and Exterminator cover for the latest issue of Eerie, by Sanjulian. Berni Wrightson provides a one page intro from Cousin Eerie. After having only a couple of series features in the last issue, this issue is all series.

First is "Daddy Was a Demon Man", carrying the series title "The Demons of Jeremiah Cold". This series would feature a number of different names over the next 6 issues. Art is by Jose Ortiz and story is by Bill Dubay. This story features Jedediah Pan, a demon worshipper who owns two bracelets that can summon demons. His family killed, he swears revenge and takes back one of his bracelets from the mayor of the town, killing him afterwards. Meanwhile, Jeremiah Cold of the title reveals to his son that he is actually Jedediah's son, and he goes to see Jedediah, who lets him keep the other bracelet, apparantely not aware that he's his son.

Next is "Valley of Armageddon", the latest story in the Hunter II serial. Art is by Paul Neary and story is by Budd Lewis. Karas and the Exterminator head towards the mountains where Yaust's castle is. There they find a huge amount of Goblins being fought by other Goblins, making it apparent that the Goblins are not all in Yaust's employ. Karas is severely injured, and the Exterminator finds Yaust himself willing to help him out. This series will be concluded in the next issue.

Third is a new series, Reuben Youngblood, in "Beware the Scarlet Combine" by Howard Chaykin & Berni Wrightson (art) and Budd Lewis (story). Youngblood is a private eye who is hired by a German woman who brings him aboard a zeppelin, where it soon becomes apparent that she is of a group of vampires. Youngblood escapes from the zeppelin and blows it up. The next Youngblood story wouldn't appear for a number of years until near the end of Eerie's life.

Fourth is another new series, The Freaks, in "A Thin Dime of Pain". This is this issue's color story. Art is by Leopold Sanchez and story is by Doug Moench. This series had been discussed for years in the feature pages and previews, as early as three years prior to this issue, but didn't make its appearance until now. This first story was probably written around that time, as Doug Moench had left Warren by this point. This story features some mistreated Freaks who get revenge on their master by turning him and his son into one of them.

Fifth is "The Pie and I" by Luis Bermejo (art) and Budd Lewis (story). A sequel to the very popular "Daddy and the Pie" from Eerie 64, this story is a rather poor one, featuring the son from the first story, now grown up. He and his family continue to be treated badly, and when he is beat up by the townfolk, the father heads out with a gun and is killed. The son plans to blow up the entire town using the device Pie left behind, but Pie's spirit, contained within the device, convinces him not to.

The issue concludes with yet another new series, Tales of Peter Hypnos, in "The Incredible People-Making Machines" by Jose Bea (story & art). This was Bea's first appearance in Eerie since issue 41 in 1972. A very strange and surreal story, this features Peter, a young boy who finds himself suddenly in a bizarre world which features mutated and deformed people who show him the various devices they use to enlarge people's bodies and heads, and switch human heads with animal heads. They want to use a device on Peter, but he escapes from them and back to the real world.