Creepy Archives Volume 2 [Hardcover]

Archie Goodwin (Author), Larry Ivie (Author), Others (Author, Artist), Gray Morrow (Author), Reed Crandall (Author), Alex Toth (Author), Al Williamson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Creepy Archives | Publication Date: December 16, 2008

This vein-chilling second volume showcases work by some of the best artists to ever work in the comics medium, including Alex Toth, Gray Morrow, Reed Crandall, John Severin, and others. Each archive volume of Creepy is packed with stories (usually up to eight short stories were featured in every issue!) running the gamut of gruesome subject matter, from reimagined horror classics such as "The Cask of Amontillado," to spectacularly mind-twisting shorts such as "The Thing in the Pit," or the macabre maritime yarn "Drink Deep."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

These reprints of '60s b&w horror comics magazines Creepy #6–10 are aimed at the connoisseur. They're faithful reproductions, to the extent of including each issue's cover, seven or eight short stories, table of contents, letter column and ads (updated with Web site addresses). Since the glossy stock is much finer than the authentic newsprint, visually, these pages are better than the originals, with moody, dark blacks that punctuate the shock endings. Even if they don't make sense, the villains get what they deserve, regardless of historical period—Roman, Victorian or contemporary. Some Archives projects run into trouble with color, since it's cheaper to print without it, but here, there's no loss to the gorgeous art. Various shading and cross-hatching techniques provide depth to the illustrations of outstanding talents: Gray Morrow, Reed Crandall, Al Williamson, Joe Orlando, Alex Toth, John Severin, Angelo Torres, Gene Colan and Steve Ditko. Combine them with writer/editor Archie Goodwin, one of the best ever in the business, and the result is pulp at its highest level of craft and entertainment. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

This second collection of the 1960s, which attempts to replicate the success of the classic 1950s EC horror comics, shows a ratcheting-up of quality as some of the era’s most talented artists were added to the magazine’s roster, including Alex Toth, Steve Ditko, Gene Colan, and EC veterans Wally Wood and Johnny Craig. The scripts, most by editor Archie Goodwin, are generally workmanlike and emulate EC’s reliance on ending with a twist. Enduring appeal lies in the stellar artwork, which is served well by Creepy’s black-and-white format and oversized pages, which this archival volume duplicates. --Gordon Flagg

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (December 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595821686
• ISBN-13: 978-1595821683
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Speaking of Fantagraphics' "Blazing Combat" book..., December 4, 2008

By 

Trollbeard "Trollbeard" (Rockville, MD) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creepy Archives Volume 2 (Hardcover)

Perhaps one reason that the Fantagraphics "Blazing Combat" book is so much cheaper than Dark Horse's "Creepy" Archives is that, according to Amazon's listing, "Blazing Combat" is only going to be 8" x 5" in size! What a shame. I'm a great admirer of Fantagraphics, and own many of their excellent publications. But I'm puzzled and disappointed as to why they chose (if Amazon's listing is correct)to publish "Blazing Combat" in a reduced format. I'm very thankful that Dark Horse is reprinting the Creepy Archives books full-size, with color covers intact.
At any rate, if you compare the prices between the full-sized Dark Horse book and the half-sized Fantagraphics book, they come out about even.
Regarding Creepy Archives #2, at the Amazon price it(as well as #1)is worth every penny. These are classic stories, right up there with anything EC ever did. Dark Horse's reproduction is far better than I've seen in their other archives books. I still have the first 20 or so Creepy magazines, and these reprints compare very favorably in my eyes. The involvement of Jon Cooke, the penultimate Warren collector, must have kept Dark Horse on the straight and narrow.
All I can say is, "Thanks, Dark Horse! This is a class act! Keep up the great work! And bring on Eerie!"

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Ghoulishly Good Archive Edition, December 16, 2008

By 

Daniel V. Reilly (Upstate New York, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Creepy Archives Volume 2 (Hardcover)

Having grown up in the '70's, I was there for the tail-end of the CREEPY/EERIE era, but I missed all of the earlier issues that have since reached near-mythic proportions among collectors, and there have never really been any reprints, at least none that I knew of....So I was thrilled when Dark Horse announced they were going to be issuing chronological reprints of CREEPY and EERIE. (My enthusiasm was dampened when I learned they were going to be priced at $49.95 per volume, though....) So, with mixed anticipation and dread, I shelled out my fifty clams for CREEPY ARCHIVES VOLUME ONE, and was blown away. Picking up Volume Two was a no-brainer.

I'm not going to join the debate about the reproduction quality or the price point. I've been collecting comics for almost my entire life, and I remember how lousy some of those old newsprint Warren Books looked....The CREEPY ARCHIVES looks gorgeous. Without the original issues to compare them to, that's more than enough for me. The quality of the paper is top-notch, and the color cover reproductions look stunning, as does the black-and-white interior art. And considering that I spent five or six hours reading this book, I'm not too bothered by the fifty dollar price point, especially since you can buy it considerably cheaper on Amazon. It's great entertainment value for the money. The art ranges from decent to stunning; It's great to see forgotten work from EC greats such as Reed Crandall and Joe Orlando, Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko, and early work from legends such as Gene Colan and Alex Toth. This volume also features fan art that just might be the first published work from Nick Cuti, Frank Brunner, and the legendary Berni Wrightson. The stories can be a bit of a mixed bag, and they certainly pale in comparison to the classic EC tales, but then again, what wouldn't? There's not really any groundbreaking writing here, but most of it is very enjoyable, and I'll certainly be back for Volume Three. And bring on the EERIE ARCHIVES, Dark Horse!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Wonder, January 2, 2009

By 

Mrs B "Dolly" (Ringgold, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creepy Archives Volume 2 (Hardcover)

I bought my husband the first CREEPY ARCHIVE in August of 2008 and he couldn't wait for the second edition. I find the art work beautiful. Each story is like a mini-movie and most of the stories pull you right into the art panels. No wonder he loved these magazines. He has many of the original CREEPY EERIE and VAMPIRELLA's the new prints really show off the fine art work involved. So now he is ready for CREEPY ARCHIVES VOLUME 3 and EERIE. My husband hopes that VAMPIRELLA would be printed like CREEPY and EERIE but he thinks someone else other than DARK HORSE has the I guess to say copy rights? I recommend these books to any collector, especially those that had them when they were growing up. The price for them with Amazon is a very fair and low price for this quality of work. Just as soon as they become available I will be here ordering them!!