Customer Reviews

Creepy Archives Volume 4

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

While I am thrilled as always that Dark Horse is reproducing the classic magazines Creepy and Eerie, I was a bit disappointed in this particular collection. During this period Archie Goodwin left as editor, and, as another reviewer pointed out, there may have been some financial issues with the magazines. As a result, Creepy #18 and #19 only contained 5 stories each, as opposed to the usual 7, and in #18, 1 of the 5 was a reprint (Footsteps of Frankenstein) and there were 2 reprints in #19 (Monsterwork and Eye of the Beholder). These reprints were from Eerie magazines and are included in the earlier Eerie Archives Vol. 1. Finally, in issue #20 there were only 2 new stories! I don't blame James Warren as he was probably doing the best he could, but couldn't Dark Horse, in light of the circumstances and the fact that this Archives comes in almost 50 pages shy of the others, have included an extra issue this time around? After all, they are charging the same price. This seems a bit greedy of them.

On the positive side, we get two great Frazetta covers, which is good, and the other three covers are okay, particularly Vic Prezio's Mark of the Beast. Also, the stories are, for the most part, still strong and the usual gang of artists are in good form.

I agree with the first reviewer who said there was still good stuff ahead content- wise, I just hope Dark Horse keeps in mind that the fans don't want to pay the same for less in the future.

Update: Warren Publishing had some tough times back in the 60's and as a result began publishing a number of reprints in their magazines. Creepy's reprints began with Issue 20 and went all the way through Issue 31. Eerie's reprints started with Issue 13 and went through Issue 25. Some issues were complete rerun issues, while others had between 1 and 4 stories reprinted, along with a few new tales. Eerie stories appeared in Creepy magazine and vice versa. Be aware of this when ordering the coming 2 Dark Horse Creepy and Eerie archives as you may find a number of reprints, unless Dark Horse chooses to include twice as many issues in the next round of each archive to make up for all the repeats.

So far, I've been very happy with these Creepy Archives collections. A great chance to see what I origionally missed, as I started reading the original series from about issue # 50.
But, what's up with this book? Creepy #20, the last issue of this collection, is supposed to feature 6 stories, two of which are in this book. The rest is missing.
My book has a total of 240 pages - that's also what is says here,in the Amazon product description. So my copy can't be a mis-print.
If I had known, I don't think I would have ordered this book.

siep

Dark Horse Comics presents "CREEPY ARCHIVES VOL.FOUR HC" [Hardcover], Creepy originals #16-20 (1967) ~ Dark Horse has put together some true classics with an all-star lineup of storytellers and illustrators...started collecting 'Creepy' and Eerie Archives, which I own the originals and was also involved in the fan club roster.

Covers by Frank Frazetta (cover #16 & 17), Albert Nuetzell (cover #20) and Vic Prezio (cover #18 & 19) each cover an original. Plus Neal Adams, Dan Adkins, Roger Brand, Gene Colan, Hector Castellon, Johnny Craig, Reed Crandall, Steve Ditko, Frank Frazetta, Archie Goodwin, Jerry Grandenetti, Jeff Jones, Gil Kane, Roy G. Krenkel, Rocco Mastroserio, Gray Morrow, Donald Norman, Joe Orlando, John Severin, Tom Sutton, Angelo Torres, Jay Taycee, Alex Toth, Sal Trapani, George Tuska, Maurice Whitman, Wallace Wood...and the man calling the shots Jim Warren.

Frazetta's cover art on issue #16, A CURSE OF CLAWS, is none to say the least a classic, even for Frazetta. Inside the issue story by Archie Goodwin and artwork by Neal Adams, as we join them in a haunted journey into illustrated terror and suspense, which is a fantastic combination. A hunter uncovers a curse in cat's clothing.

Haunted fear and sheer terror illustrated by Frazetta on cover #17, inside story by Archie Goodwin and art by Donald Norman, outside the raging thunderstorm...within a frightened and helpless girl wanders through cold stone corridors haunted by a blood drenched legend, we call HERITAGE OF HORROR.

Script by Ron White and artwork by Roger Brand in MOUNTAIN OF THE MONSTER GODS, surely no human hand carved these grotesque figures, but if not human who? Issue #18 cover art by Vic Prezio.

Vic Preszui was given another cover assignment with #19... Superior artwork by Johnny Craig and Rudyard Kipling with a fantastic story about India and the strange powers of the Gods...Your Gods and My Gods, do you know or I know, which are the stronger, THE MARK OF THE BEAST

THE DAMNED THING, story by Archie Goodwin and art by Gray Morrow...another 'Creepy Classic' ~ a strangely different terror, this FEAR FABLE is a version of a spinetingler by Ambrose Bierce ...cover #20 art by Albert Nuetzell

* Special footnote: ~ Must agree with one of the reviewers..."The one drawback is that four stories which would have been "reprints" from previous issues are not included. Instead, Dark Horse chose to simply reference their position in the previous volumes. This is too bad. Better, I think, to publish all the issues intact and not presume that readers will have access to the earlier books". ---- Most assuredly agree with this reviewer and any changes that were not in the originals --- Dark Horse, don't ruin a good thing!

For product description and editorial review check this out on the Amazon site above my review.

Highly recommend ~ another winner from Warren and Dark Horse, they just keep getting better.

Total Page: 240 Pages ~ Dark Horse Comics #ISBN-13: 978-1595823083 ~ (August 4, 2009)

The great CREEPY tradition continues in this fourth volume, bringing us the last two issues of 1967 and the first three of 1968. As with the previous volumes, the presentation of the artwork is crisp, the cover artwork is presented full-size and in creepy living color, and, best of all, this edition features a lengthy interview with writer Archie Goodwin as the foreward. The one drawback is that four stories which would have been "reprints" from previous issues are not included. Instead, Dark Horse chose to simply reference their position in the previous volumes. This is too bad. Better, I think, to publish all the issues intact and not presume that readers will have access to the earlier books.

That said, this volume still has tons of new stories and offers a rich variety of drawing styles. As one might expect, the zombies, vampires, werewolves, and other assorted sundry creatures of the dark make their appearances; often in some very chilling ways. Two issues do include reprints from Eerie, which I appreciate, rather than assuming I have the Eerie editions, too. This "special guest" appearance, although perhaps a way for the original publication to save money, does hearken back to the EC days when the Cryptkeeper begrudgingly shared his pages with his equally insidious EC cohorts. (By the way, if you have a chance to get the old EC Archives...do it!)

I've purchased all the CREEPY Archives available and have yet to be disappointed. All the books have arrived carefully packaged by Amazon and in very good condition. If you're a fan of CREEPY, don't hesitate. Get your copy while you can.

This collection of CREEPY is where some of the stories were reprints. I think the publisher of CREEPY then in the 1960's was having trouble with a distributor
and a shortage of money. Never the less it is an important group of CREEPY magazines. The next CREEPY group of magazine may have a few reprints in them, but WARREN gets his
stuff together and the best is yet to come.I have some of the orginal CREEPY and EERIE and am so glad to finally be able to get them all in one hard bound book. The only other thing about it is the dates of release for these books. Number 4 had me wait nearly a month now the next CREEPY ARCHIVES #5 is due out way up in December.I hope it will be ready then and EERIE ARCHIVE #2 should be out soon. I hope they do put out all the CREEPY and EERIE in hard bound books like these is just the waiting that gripes me. The books are just fabulous.

While I am glad that Dark Horse is printing those classic Warren magazines...there are over 50 pages of reprints in this volume, which already appear in previous volumes, it is not a good idea to include those stories that already appear in those earlier volumes.
Instead of those repeating stories, it would be a good idea to note those stories as appearing in an earlier volume-whether it is Creepy or Eerie. Ideally, all future volumes should have no repeating stories-so not to waste my money. Nobody wants to reread those stories in another volume-so think about that, Dark Horse!! (and save the trees)

It's been some twenty years now or so since hardcover collected archive editions of classic comic books came into vogue. Some of these titles did easily deserve the archive treatment...others, not so much. Just because it's old doesn't make it good. There is no debate when if comes to Warren's classic horror magazines of the 1960s and 70s. Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella are three of the most influential horror magazines ever produced. They not only gave a forum to some of the most talented artists in the business, but without them, we'd have had little more than comics code-watered down books to read back then.

Dark Horse continues to republish Creepy magazine in its entirety with letter columns and advertisements included. This fourth volume collects issues #16 - 20 of the series. It all starts with a fantastic cover by Gray Morrow (doing his best Frazetta take). The opening story, "A Curse of Claws" presents art by one of the all-time greats, Neal Adams with a story written by the late Archie Goodwin. An arrogant hunter goes off on his own in a hunt for big game in the jungle and finds more than he bargained for when he encounters a beast-controlling witch.

Early Spider-Man artist Steve Ditko provides a tale about, what else...a comic book artists whose monstrous drawings come to life to threaten him and his new bride. Joe Orlando provides the art in a seven page adaptation of "The Mummy's Hand", the 1940 Universal horror film that was the first (and best) of five mummy films made by the studio in the 1940s. Orlando does a brilliant job of capturing the likenesses of stars Dick Foran and George Zucco, as well as Tom Tyler who played the Mummy.

Reed Crandall, a great veteran artist from the EC Comic days has a couple of stories in this volume including his take on Frankenstein in "Footsteps of Frankenstein". A doctor arrives at a quaint English village looking for the shunned Dr. Sebastien and his monstrous creation. There is also an adaptation of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's classic vampire novel "Carmilla".

The good is that most of the stories in this volume were written by Archie Goodwin. Goodwin grew up on EC comics as a kid and no writer had a better feel for capturing the tone of EC Comics than Goodwin. The bad is that the quality of art started to go down here. If you talk to artists who worked for Warren back then they will to a man tell you stories about how cheap Bill Warren could be and soon some of the major talents that worked on early issues of Warren's magazines began to leave. There is only one Frazetta cover (Issue #17) and a lot of the art was done by lesser names such as Sal Trapani, Maurice Whitman, Roger Brand, and other artists who Warren could get cheap. Thankfully most of Goodwin's stories are able to rise above the mediocrity of some of the art.

Yes I agree with most readers here:
1) These Warren Reprints are a treasure, but the distribution is as slow as the remakes of Gunsmoke on DVD - must be the same moronic business executives.
2) These short stories bring back fun memories analogous to the old amusement park (like in Grease) instead of the "blow away policeman" in Grand Theft Auto video games.
3) This book is quality bound and I would like Dark Horse to look into bringing back Vampirella reprints as well - another Warren gem.
4) I've collected a lot of the later issues and enjoy the reprints where I can share them with my teenage kids - again, some clean fun a second time around.
Although I reread the stories with a different perspective, being much older now, it's fun to see how the art and stories may have influenced many a show and movie over time. I'll keep collecting these volumes as long they keep producing them. As far as chopping up this volume, it's just perplexing how some business's just don't get it - cut quality and make a quick buck in the short run, loose out in the long run. Sounds like another ironic ending for a future Creepy/Eerie story.