Creepy Archives Volume 1 [Hardcover]

Various (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 19, 2008 | Series: Creepy Archives

Gather up your wooden stakes, your blood-covered hatchets, and all the skeletons in the darkest depths of your closet, and prepare for a horrifying adventure into the darkest corners of comics history. Dark Horse Comics further corners the market on high-quality horror storytelling with one of the most anticipated releases of the decade - a hardcover archive collection of the legendary Creepy Magazine! This groundbreaking material turned the world of graphic storytelling on its head in the early 1960s, as phenomenal young artists like Bernie Wrightson and Neal Adams reached new artistic heights with their fascinating explorations of classic and modern horror stories.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Creepy was a 1960s effort to recapture the spirit of the beloved EC horror comics of the 1950s that, by publishing in larger magazine format, ducked the Comics Code imposed to quiet public outcry over precisely such lurid fare as the EC horrors. Creepy hewed as closely as possible to the EC model, rounding up many of the line’s most talented artists, including Al Williamson, Jack Davis, Reed Crandall, and Joe Orlando, and using a comically grisly host to introduce the tales à la EC’s Crypt-Keeper. The magazine sported lush, eye-grabbing covers by painter Frank Frazetta, who became one of the most acclaimed sf-fantasy artists. Creepy arguably outdid its inspirers. The scripts, mostly by editor Archie Goodwin, were less text-heavy than EC’s, and the black-and-white printing and larger page size showed off the detailed artwork to fuller advantage. Creepy and its stablemate Eerie would soon augment the EC-veteran contributors with other artists as good. The brilliant Alex Toth appears in the last of the issues reprinted here, and forthcoming volumes will spotlight more top talent. --Gordon Flagg

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse; Reprint edition (August 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593079737
• ISBN-13: 978-1593079734
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #369,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceeds Expectations, August 14, 2008

By 

Grouchy Editor "grouchy" (U.S. of A.) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Creepy Archives Volume 1 (Hardcover)

OK well I admit I am a kid at heart. I've been around for half a century, and I read about 30 books every year, but when I heard Creepy was coming out in book form ... well, I haven't been this excited since I bought (stole?) my first Playboy back in 1970.

Then I went to a bookstore and looked at some of the so-called competition. I won't name names, but the compilation of horror comics I looked at was disheartening: cheap paper stock, bad reproduction, small pages. So, when I pre-ordered this book, I was expecting a letdown.

Not ... to ... worry.

Creepy Archives came in the mail today, and I couldn't be happier (I know, I know, this sounds like a publisher sales pitch; it's not).

The paper stock is thick, shiney, and much better than the originals way back in the early '60s. The reproduction is excellent. Page size is the same as the original. And -- completely unexpected -- each of the first five covers (Frazetta, gotta love him) is reproduced in glorious living color.

But of course, all of this is secondary to the main point -- the genius of Frazetta, Archie Goodwin, Reed Crandall, et al. The artwork and stories are unparalled for this kind of work.

Can you tell I'm a happy hiker today?

44 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last., August 16, 2008

By 

M J Heilbron Jr. "Dr. Mo" (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Creepy Archives Volume 1 (Hardcover)

At last.

A cultural touchstone for thousands of young kids from the 60's and 70's has made its' way to the archive bookshelf, and that "touchstone" is Creepy Magazine.

Being, purportedly, a "grown-up" now, I realize that the Warren magazines like Creepy and Eerie were the sequela to the EC phenomenon. But back then, I was the wrong age for EC. Didn't know they even existed. I was absolutely the right age for Creepy. I devoured them right along with my Spider-man and X-men comics.

If you have ventured this far into the review, I suspect you:

1) have this fizzy glee after reading the words "Creepy Archives" and "now in stock".

2) have this carbonated sizzle in your brain noticing the words, 'volume ONE.'

3) are immediately recollecting those lazy days of reading and re-reading these amazing stories coupled with black and white artwork so good...so evocative...that whole color schemes formed in your skull. Sounds. Odors. These were mini-movies that we replayed over and over again.

4) are wondering if those glorious ads are included. Well, so far, they are. They were an essential part of that Warren experience. Leaving them out would be like leaving the jelly off a PB& J sandwich. It doesn't ruin the meal, but you don't get the intended flavor. It just wouldn't BE "Creepy" without them.

The book itself is lovely. The covers are reproduced in vivid color. The size of the book is at least as big as the original magazine; it somehow appears larger. The artwork is sharp and laser precise. I found myself admiring details that as a kid, you simply aren't that aware. Better said, I knew great art when I saw it when I was 9 or 10, but now I can see why I thought that.

A side effect of traveling back in time to when this sort of stuff occupied a significant portion of my free time, is that associated memories come flooding back. A certain type of candy bar that I liked at the time. The smell of model glue. The popular songs on the radio from that era. Those trips to South America to visit my extended family.

Like it or not, "Creepy" was around for a big chunk of my childhood. I have boxes of them stored in Mylar in storage somewhere.

This magnificent, luxuriously produced edition, has brought back wonderful memories, and at the same time has allowed me to further appreciate this singular phenomenon.

Dark Horse...bravo on a remarkable addition in the archiving of comic history.

Don't you DARE stop now!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally - they're back!, August 15, 2008

By 

T-Bone (Baker, LA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creepy Archives Volume 1 (Hardcover)

I was eight years old when I first read Creepy Magazine, then later Erie and Vamperella -talk about growing up fast! Creepy featured all the greats such as Frazetta and Wally Woods, professionally inked and shadowed in black and white. The intent was to scare and entertain with short stories featuring your sarcastic host Uncle Creepy -reminiscent of Tales from the Crypt. Just like in the movie Blade Runner, the visual aspect was so detailed, I found myself reading them over and over again. Many of the stories are predictable, but I fancy the thought of movies or T.V. shows we see today were inspired by these quaint little plots and characters. This hardback edition includes issues 1 through 5 with color covers and old advertisements - just like the originals. This is a wonderful treat for those nostalgic fans of fantasy or those who are a little afraid to unpack their collectibles. I hope they continue reproducing all the Warren Publishing Mags in the same quality binding and print.