Creepy 3

A classic early issue of Creepy, featuring a cover by Frank Frazetta. A scary looking cover, but one that was never chosen for reprinting. Jack Davis does the art for this issue's frontis, "Creepy's Loathsome Lore". During this era of Creepy's existence there was rarely if ever a dud story; this issue is a great example, nothing bad here at all.

First is "Swamped" by Angelo Torres (art) and Archie Goodwin (story). A criminal is under pursuit by law enforcement in the middle of a swamp. He comes across a mansion occupied by three vampires. Rather than be killed by them, he leads them to the men pursuing him who are all killed by the vampires. He is captured by the vampires but kills them with stakes during the daytime and runs back out to the swamp... only to be killed by the vampires that the men pursuing him became.

Next is "Tell-Tale Heart" by Reed Crandall (art) and Archie Goodwin (story). This is an adaption of Edgar Allen Poe's classic story. This story tells of a servant of an old man who goes crazy due to the old man's eye and kills him. He hides the man's body in the floor boards and succesfully convinces the cops that he's done no wrong until he hears a beating heart which drives him to admit the truth. Goodwin's adaption adds a new ending to the end where the murderer is put in an institution and kills himself after seeing himself in a mirror with his bloodshot eye looking similar to the old man's.

Third is "Howling Success" by Angelo Torres (art) and Archie Goodwin (story). A city is plagued by a werewolf. A man who hates his wife encounters the werewolf but is safely able to hide from it by running through a cemetary fence. He plots to bring his wife to this spot at he next full moon so she can get killed by the werewolf, making him money on insurance. Only when he brings her there he discovers that she's the werewolf and becomes its next victim!

Fourth is "Haunted!" by Gray Morrow (art) and Archie Goodwin (story). A man inherits a hotel from his uncle rumored to be haunted, so he brings a supernatural expert there along with some of his cousins. The cousins leave, and the two of them head through the house, which does appear to be haunted, until the supernatural expert discovers that the cousins were faking it all in order to get the property for themselves. When asked how he knew they were faking it, the supernatural reveals the truth, that he's a ghost himself, as he removes his mask, revealing his skeleton face. A very enjoyable ending to this story.

Next is "Incident in the Beyond!" by Gray Morrow (art) and Archie Goodwin (story). A ship heads through space, testing a new warp drive to ensure it works. There was one prior try at the warp, which failed before. Along the way they find an apparent alien ship, which they destroy. The warp drive works, but they find that it has not saved them any time, and they find another ship trying the drive thinking they're aliens, so they are destroyed as well, like they had destroyed the original ship.

Last is "Return Trip!" by Joe Orlando (art) and Arthur Porges (story, his sole Warren appearance). A man's corpse returns from the dead. As he heads towards his old house, we flashback to when he was alive, and his wife, bored with him, plotted to poison him with a friend of his. The corpse returns to the home and murders his old friend then finds his wife. Surprisingly enough, rather than kill her he kisses her!

Vampirella 81

A half reprint/half new issue of Vampirella, featuring all Vampirella stories. The cover is a reprint of Sanjulian's cover for issue 16, with a recolored background by Kim McQuaite.

First is "Vampirella and the Alien Amazon" by Pablo Marcos (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This story, which continues from the previous issue has Vampirella and Pantha captured on a spaceship by a Lupae alien woman. The alien woman explains the origin of the battle between the Drakulons and the Lupae, and how the Lupae caused the destruction of Drakulon. With the help of the demon summoned by Pendragon in the previous story, Vampirella and Pantha escape from their captor, and get back to Earth where they're reunited with Adam, Conrad and Pendragon.

Second is "Scourge of the Dragon Queen", by Gonzalo Mayo (art) and Bill Dubay (story), wrapping up the Vampirella storyline that had been taking place throughout the issues in the late 70's. Vampirella and friends are in Hong Kong, investigating the murder of multiple heroin drug dealers from a dragon. Through some investigation Vampirella encounters the dragon, which is actually a shape shifting old man who was taking revenge for his murdered son. His revenge completed, the old man kills himself.

Third is "And Be A Bride of Chaos", a reprint from Vampirella 16. Art is by Jose Gonzalez while story is from Archie Goodwin. Vampi and Pendragon are hired to perform for Count Dracula himself, who is holding a meeting of various members of the Cult of Chaos to decide who will be the bride of Chaos and bear his child. While one of the priestesses, Lucretia strongly desires to be the bride, Dracula chooses Vampirella instead and takes her captive. Dracula tells of his origin, about how he is originally from Drakulon and is able to take on the bodies of various people. Conrad Van Helsing arrives and tries to kill Dracula, but the powers given to him by Chaos prevent him from dying. Vampirella arrives however, freed by Lucretia, and rescues Conrad. Chaos takes Dracula's powers away and he crumbles into dust since the stake remains in his heart. Lucretia meanwhile, as a mere mortal crumbles to dust upon Chaos's arrival.

Last is "Dracula Still Lives, a reprint from Vampirella 18. Art is by Jose Gonzalez and story is by T. Casey Brennan. Continuing from the previous story, Dracula is once again brought to life when another man sits inside his coffin. He summons the conjuress, a powerful woman he had originally summoned when he was on Drakulon. Vampi meanwhile heads after Dracula into a mirror world where she decides to spare his life. Conrad, believing she is going to turn his son into a vampire seeks to destroy the mirror, trapping her in there forever, but Vampi is able to make it out okay.

Eerie 79

A football themed cover by Ken Kelly on this issue of Eerie.

First is "Time and Time Again" by Richard Corben (art) and Bruce Jones (story), a continuation of the "Within You Without You" story from Eerie 77. Karen is requested to go back in time to retrieve a gun that had been left behind. While there she seeks revenge on the Tyranosaurus that killed Lydecker. She gets her timing mixed up however, and ends up killing the dinosaur before it killed him, so she encounters the past version of him and herself. The scientists bring her out of it, but Lydecker ends up occupying her mind when they do that.

Second is "The Pea-Green Boat", a new series from Leopold Sanchez (art) and Budd Lewis (story). Two men work on a boat, which they paint Pea Green. Eventually the apocalypse occurs and the two escape to the ocean on the boat, fighting off anyone who tries to come aboard.

Third is the second Darklon story, "The Price" by Jim Starlin (story & art). This story tells of Darklon's origin, how his father disliked him because of his peaceful nature. His father finds a new 'son' that Darlon reveals is going to betray him. Darklon goes to see the mysterious 'nameless one' who agrees to give him power, but does so by chopping off his head, killing him. An interesting origin for this Warren superhero.

Fourth is "Third Person Singular" by Luis Bermejo (art) and Bruce Jones (story), the first of two part story. An odd story that takes place in a world where everyone (well almost everyone) is a male homosexual. The hero of our story is one of the very few heterosexuals in the world, who are under seige by caped agents called Snuffers. At the end of our story a snuffer raid is stopped by our hero, who discovers the snuffer to be a woman.

Last is "Sam's Son and Delilah" by Carmine Infantino & Al Milgrom (art) and Bruce Jones (story). The story tells of a boy, Bubber who is born deaf and mute. He becomes quite good at painting and playing football. His career continues at his father's urging even though he'd rather paint. He is so famous that a stadium is built for him. Eventually however a tumor that his father ignored causes him to go crazy. At a commemorative event for him he ends up destroying the entire stadium, killing himself and his father.

Creepy 88

Steve Hickman provides the cover for this issue of Creepy, his sole cover for Warren.

First is "Castles Made of Sand" by Jose Ortiz (art) and Gerry Boudreau (story). One of, if not the most nonscensical and confusing story in this magazine's history, it features a bunch of interconnected storylines about a God on a beach, a woman in a cave and a President's quest to eliminate all religious people.

Second is "Eye For Eye, Fang for Fang" by Carmine Infantion & Ernie Chan (art) and Doug Moench (story). This story is about the son of a count, Prince Varma who befriends a shephard, Strack. One night they are attacked by a wolf. While Varma is okay, a werewolf soon appears in the land. The count has Strack lock up Varma each night, as Varma admits that he must be the werewolf. Years pass. Now grown up, Strack has an affair with the Count's wife. The Count has him locked up with Varma on the night of the full moon. Only it ends up that Strack was the werewolf, not Varma, and the next day he gets his revenge on the Count.

Third is "Do You Believe in Sinsigs" by Luis Bermejo (art) and Gerry Boudreau (story). A light hearted story about Sinsigs, children who take on the appearance of various animals. The star of the story is a boy who looks like a normal human except for a tail. He meets a shapeshifting fairy who tells him that Sinsigs are on Earth to keep people believing with the fantastic. The boy and his friends are confronted by boogeymen, but laught at them so they dissappear. Too lighthearted a story for me, although Bermejo's art is good.

Fourth is "Temple of Seilos" by Leopold Sanchez (art) and Bruce Jones (story). A rather convoluted, but interesting story about two agents that are investigating a man named Seilos on a planet named Phobos where a Toad God is worshipped. Its rather confusing to summarize here, but has some interesting twists in it and good ending.

Fifth is "Iron Man" by Esteban Maroto (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This story is about a kingdom where a knight is upset with a wizard, not believing him, and challenges him to a duel. During the duel the knight overpowers the wizard and chops off his head, only for the headless corpse to come after him. It ends up that it was all an illusion and the wizard proves once and for all that he has real powers.

Last is "Second Childhood" by Ramon Torrents (art) and Bruce Jones (story). This story is about a man, nicknamed Knobby and his rich friend, Chadwick. Chadwick, who with his wealth can have any woman he wants becomes enamored with a priestess in a small African village. Forbidden to be with her, he burns down the village and brings her back to the US. She refuses to sleep with him until drunk one night he rapes her. After their baby is born, Chadwick ends up going into an institution, being unable to write or talk anymore. Knobby goes to his home where he finds Chadwick's baby, which is revealed to actually have Chadwick's mind.

1994 11

With this issue 1984 becomes 1994. The official reason, as listed on the letter page was to avoid confusion with George Orwell's novel of the same name. More likely reason was due to actual complaints from the Orwell estate. In addition, a magazine about the future named 1984 certainly was starting to make less sense when it was already 1980, the year this issue came out. The cover is by Alex Nino, credited to 'A2-120'.

First story is "East of Euthanasia" by Alex Nino (art) and Bill Dubay (story, credited as Will Richardson). It is the future, where politicians caused the apocalypse and our heroes are traveling across the Earth, working to wipe out the remains of humanity. Using biologial warfare they succeed in some of their plans, but end up getting infected themselves and dying. The politicians who were hiding out come into their vehicle however, which ends up infecting them as well.

Next is "The Jewels of Araknid" by Jose Ortiz (art) and Rich Margopoulos (story). This story features a small bug like humanoid creature on a planet filled with dinosaur-like creatures, including some half human half dinosaur creatures which he helps. They bring him to a temple where they worship a giant spider. Our hero finds some jewels there which he takes, and must fight a giant spider to escape. Only he soon discovers after taking a nap that they're not jewels, but spider eggs and he's quickly eaten by all the baby spiders.

Third is "Outpost 1017" by Mike Saentz (art) and Rich Margopoulos (story). This story features a lone astonaut in a large space shuttle that is responsible for warning earth if there are any dangerous aliens found. He discovers some alien spaceships that don't respond to him, so he blasts them. Only he discovers that what he blasted were actually peaceful aliens with some armor on them.

Fourth is "Live Large" by E.R. Cruz (art) and John Ellis Sech (story). This story features some hunters in the prehistoric era. Some of them get into a fight over some gambling, which gets some dinosaurs involved. A very poor story with some even poorer art by Cruz. Cruz was a horrible, horrible artist who unfortunately did many stories in the last few years of Warren's existence. All his faces look exactly the same

Fifth is the third part of "The Starfire Saga" by Rudy Nebres (art) and Bill Dubay (story). This story is in color. Kris, Snuffy and the others fight the pirates that come aboard their ship. After saving themselves they crash on a strange planet where a bizarre creature comes after them. This series continues to be quite dull.

Sixth is the fourth part of "Ghita of Alizarr" by Frank Thorne (story & art). Ghita, Theneff and Dahib work on recruiting an army of half trolls they find in a cave to join them. Ghita also meets the handsome Temmen whom she has sex with frequently. Theneff realizes that he is actually a traitor working for the evil troll Nergon who will kill her. Ghita initially doesn't believe him, but the next time they have sex he does try to kill her, but she saves herself and kills him, revealing him to be a troll. A pretty good story, my favorite of the Ghita serial so far.

Seventh is the second part of "Haxtur" by Victor de la Fuente (story & art). Haxtur ends up releasing a sorceress from a tree, as warned by an old man. He kills the sorceress only to find that the old man is the real evil one, so he kills him too. He then is encountered by an armored man on an elephant that he defeats. Haxtur leaves, depressed by all the killing he has done. This series would switch to Eerie after this issue.

Last is "Once There Was... A Master!" by Alex Nino (story & art). This is a short three page dialogue/caption less story featuring a bunch of mechanical parts coming together that form a humanoid giant robot.

Eerie 77

A terrific Richard Corben cover for this issue, arguably his most famous Warren one.

First is "Within You... Without You" the first part of a new series from Richard Corben (art) and Bruce Jones (story). A group of scientists manipulate the mind of a telepathic young woman, who happens to be the wife of one of them, such that she is telepathically in prehistoric times, finding dinosaurs. When an Earthquake hits her link to reality gets screwed up, so they recruit Lydecker, a man who has similar telepathic abilities, but he also had a prior relationship with her. When a dinosaur attacks however, Lydecker is eaten, killing him in the present. An interesting story that becomes even more complicated over the next few stories.

Second is the second and final Moonweavers story, "The Gift". Art is by Leopold Sanchez, who once again turns out a terrific job, and story is by Budd Lewis. "The Gift" in question is the inpregnation of a woman due to an alien from the 'Dark Star' which Gerome and Jason are able to sense. Not as good a story as the previous one unfortunately, and the series would conclude here.

Third is "Demons of Nob Hill" by Jose Ortiz (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Jedediah Pan and his son head to the town of Nob Hill where a womanizer gets a hold of one of the bracelets. Using the other one, they are able to defeat him. Pan tosses aside his bracelet, which is picked up by a priest.

Fourth is the finale for the 'Demons' series, "The Demons of Father Pain" by Jose Ortiz (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Color is provided by Dubay's wife Peggy. Father Pain uses the bracelet to get a lot of money for his church. Jeremiah confronts him about it, revealing that he wasn't aware that the demons were killing people to get the money. Quite a naive guy. With this the series ends, although the bracelet would later be used in Vampirella's series a few years later.

Fifth is the Oogie finale, "Oogie and the Lie" by Esteban Maroto (art) and Bill Dubay (story). Buck Blaster is cancelled, and things aren't the same for Leroy and co. because of that. Prunie and Oogie are revealed to have been having an affair with each other, and Oogie takes away her god-like powers. He then creates a clone of her so he and Leroy can each have her. The series concludes here. Overall it was quite a dissappointing one, with Maroto(who is usually one of Warren's two or three best artists)'s art getting progressively worse with each story. This story infact contains an obvious swipe from Luis Garcia's "Song of a Sad Eyed Sorceress" from Vampirella 18. The storyline also never was all that interesting either, particularly after the first part.

The issue concludes with a new series, Cronk, in "Stalker in the Maze" by the team of Carmine Infantino & Wayne Howard (art) and Nicola Cuti (story). Cronk is a pig/warthog humanoid hero. After his parents were murdered, he went to live with a human family as a pet, but once it was revealed that he could talk he became like a son to them. In this story Cronk goes after and successfully kills the two men who killed his parents.

Creepy 131

A so-so issue of Creepy. The cover is by Frank Frazetta, a reprint from issue 4.

First is "The Nut" by Delando Nino (art) and Budd Lewis (story). A man invents a time machine, in the form of a nut. He uses it to go to the future, which his life later does as well. Only they go into the future where there is no Earth, and find themselves out in the middle of space.

Next is "Son of the Nut!" by Martin Salvador (art) and Bill Dubay (story, as Will Richardson). This story actually stars Budd Lewis and Bill Dubay, authors of the two 'Nut' stories in this issue. Lewis tells Dubay that the Nut story is true, and he's found a way to go back in time to the wild west. He wants to avoid publication of the story so he can go there undisturbed, but Dubay decides to publish it anyway, and then they both go back and time. Why in the world this story is in a horror magazine, I have no idea.

Third is "Lycanthropist" by Bill Draut (art) and Budd Lewis (story). A town of werewolves requests werewolf hunters who are used as prey. This time however the werewolf hunter who comes is actually a robot, who defeats all the werewolves and plans on taking over humanity as well.

Fourth is "Possession is Nine Point of the Soul" by Danny Bulanadi (art) and John Ellis Sech (story). A priest is brought to a lighthouse to help out a boy that has been possessed by a demon. He successfully performs an exorcism, but the demon takes over him!

Fifth is "Bella Donna" by Fred Carillo (art) and Nicola Cuti (story). An institution doctor becomes enamored by a beautiful patient and ends up releasing her so she can live with him and his wife. The patient isn't cured though, and kills a guest, then later gets the man to go along with killing his wife as well.

The issue concludes with "Mindwar" by Noly Panaligan (art) and John Ellis Sech (story). This story, which features the best art and story of the issue features a war between Earth and aliens. It is decided that the war will be decided by a one on one battle between an Earthling and alien in the fifth dimension. The Earth representative manages to defeat the alien, saving Earth, but is paralyzed for the rest of his life. Some very good art here by Panaligan, its too bad that he did so few interior stories for Warren.