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Horror Comics in Black and White
In 1954, the comic book industry instituted the Comics Code, a set of self-regulatory guidelines imposed to placate public concern over gory and horrific comic book content, effectively banning genuine horror comics. Because the Code applied only to color comics, many artists and writers turned to black and white to circumvent the Code's narrow confines. With the 1964 publication of Creepy #1 by Warren Publishing, black-and-white horror comics experienced a revival that continued into the early 21st century, marking an important step in the maturation of the horror genre within comics and the comics field as a whole. This generously illustrated work offers a comprehensive history and retrospective of the black-and-white horror comics that flourished on the newsstands from 1964 to 2004. With a catalog of original magazines, complete credits and insightful analysis, it highlights an important but overlooked period in the history of comics.
297 pages, ebook
First published December 15, 2012
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 1, 2017
At times, more of a checklist / table of contents for magazines than anything else, but the author weighs in occasionally for something a bit more substantive than just a laundry list of credits. The weakest section is the longest - the Warren line of horror and sci-fi magazines. Sure, we get his opinion on the strongest stories in the issues, but no real rubric for how he rates them beyond his own individual tastes.
The book particularly shines when discussing the B&W Skywald horror magazines line ... but then again, as it is one of the lines where the author did first hand research, it provides the richest experience for anyone who picks up this book and wants to know more about the horror magazines.
Amusingly, Arndt sniffs disdainfully at the craptacular Eerie Publications line and provides zero coverage. However, as recently read and reviewed by yours truly, the amazing examination of the Eerie brand "The Wild World of Eerie Publications" as written by Mike Howlett is everything Arndt's title is not, with over 300 pages of full color covers, copious examples of interiors, interviews with creators, historical information, and much much more.
Even stranger ... both titles have equally charming and well-written introductions by the legendary writer/artist Stephen Bissette and both manage to misspell his name (either on the cover or the title page ... sheesh).
The book particularly shines when discussing the B&W Skywald horror magazines line ... but then again, as it is one of the lines where the author did first hand research, it provides the richest experience for anyone who picks up this book and wants to know more about the horror magazines.
Amusingly, Arndt sniffs disdainfully at the craptacular Eerie Publications line and provides zero coverage. However, as recently read and reviewed by yours truly, the amazing examination of the Eerie brand "The Wild World of Eerie Publications" as written by Mike Howlett is everything Arndt's title is not, with over 300 pages of full color covers, copious examples of interiors, interviews with creators, historical information, and much much more.
Even stranger ... both titles have equally charming and well-written introductions by the legendary writer/artist Stephen Bissette and both manage to misspell his name (either on the cover or the title page ... sheesh).
Displaying 1 of 1 review