When I first heard that Creepy and Eerie would finally be made available I crossed my fingers. Would somebody really commit to getting all those issues out in the manner they deserved? So far Dark Horse has done just that and more. Add a little library plastic and these handsome affordable volumes become not only irresistible to the touch but to anyone who remembers the glory days of short form horror comics.
The history of short horror fiction is especially illustrious in the comic field. Some of Americas best writers and illustrators showcased their work in stuff like House of Mystery, Tales from The Crypt and countless other horror titles. Perhaps most significant these contributions cut across the timeline of comic book history giving illustrated horror fiction a chance to emerge and re-emerge no matter what critics threw at it. Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allan Poe, HP Lovecraft, Robert Bloch and a host of other early and modern writers had their work imaginatively brought to life by Frazetta, Orlando, Ditko, Severin and others.
And the connections to the film world are all there. Not only did the horror comics sometimes get made into movies ad hoc (Tales from The Crypt [1972] , Vault of Horror [1974]) but more importantly the comics borrowed heavily from, and reinforced, the conventions laid forth by film, incorporating and re-imagining the stories and characters of the Universal Monsters and science fiction apocalypse til the cultural crossover between the worlds of anthology horror in comics and film became so fluid as to be almost nonexistent. Filmmakers still readily dip back into these classic comics for inspiration and even adaptation. And though the zeitgeist changes (currently in vogue are vampires and zombies) the quick jolt, the ironic twist, the sense of cosmic judgement that has pervaded the comics is also a staple of todays horror cinema. People may think superhero when th conversation shifts to comic book cinema but the connections between cinema and comics have always gone beyond tights and capes.
Each issue is lovingly created page by page in its original black and white, even the ads and fan letters pages are included. The covers are presented in gorgeous color and each volume offers an introductory essay. Volume #3s essay is on the publishing history of Creepy. also Volume three offers some truly stunning stuff and covers issues 11-15. My personal favorites are the first story in #11 Hop Frog, a Poe story detailing the murderous revenge of a much abused court jester and his undying love for a diminutive ballerina and the humorous Piece by Piece in #14 that offers an interesting version of the Frankenstein myth. But picking favorites is pretty hard.
As I review the volumes in this series (and in Eerie) I'll be commenting at greater length on the art and writing and their direct connection to film . Suffice to say any issue of Creepy has highs and lows but like all great lasting pop cultural phenomena the highs of this particular example shine deep and broad in their influence over the cinema we all know and love
I didn't realize these were being done. Are they monthly or trade paperbacks?
Guess I missed the BUY IT NOW link.
@andrewz
In addition to the hardcover archive series, Dark Horse has also begun publishing a quarterly comic of all new Creepy stories. First issue hit in July, and IIRC the second is due at the end of October. The new stories thus far have been quite good as well with a mix of younger talent (Eric Powell, creator of the Goon is fairly involved) and older masters from the original series heyday contributing.
They've also been rolling out the reprints fairly regularly, Dark Horse has solicited through V6 of the Creepy archives into the winter of 2010.