In the early Seventies, the vaunted Comics Code was relaxed enough so that publishers could once again feature macabre creatures such as werewolves, vampires, and zombies. Sales of superhero comics were in a bit of a slump at the time, and publishers were ready to try something new. Marvel tested the waters in the pages of Spider-Man with the villains Man-Wolf and Morbius, the Living Vampire. Their popularity encouraged Marvel to go ahead with all-out horror titles such as Tomb of Dracula, Werewolf by Night, and The Monster of Frankenstein.
Around the same time, Marvel was experimenting with a line of black-and-white magazines, most likely in attempt to mimic the success Warren Publications was having with the likes of Creepy and Vampirella. The magazine format meant that the stories were not subject to the Comics Code at all, thereby encouraging more mature writing and art (aka blood and boobies). The horror stars were a natural fit for this line, and titles such as Vampires Tales and Monsters Unleashed soon hit the stands.
Today, I've uploaded a handful of some of the more obscure comics from those days of yore. All of the comics are in cbr format, so you will need a reader program such as CDisplay to view the comics after you download and unpack the files. By the way, RapidShare limits the frequency of downloads for free users, so make sure you grab the set of comics you're most interested in first!
First up is a slightly random batch of mags featuring some of Marvel's better-known horror heroes such as Morbius and Blade the Vampire Slayer. Also appearing is the mind-boggling Manphibian, by all accounts the absolutely least successful character of the early Seventies' monster boom. Included in the file are Legion of Monsters #01, Marvel Preview #03 (featuring Blade), and Marvel Preview #08 (featuring the Legion of Monsters).
http://rapidshare.com/files/156986353/LoM.rar
Next up is a couple of books showcasing two of Marvel's lethal ladies, the sinister Santana and the lithsome Lilith, Daughter of Dracula! Included in the file are Marvel Preview #07 (with a fantastic Bob Larkin cover) & #12.http://rapidshare.com/files/156995699/L_S.rar
From 1975, here's the complete run (all two issues) of Masters of Terror, a horror-themed companion to the (slightly) more successful Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction. Unlike Marvel's other mags that delivered original creations, Masters featured adaptations of yarns by the likes of H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Robert Bloch. http://rapidshare.com/files/156993386/MoT.rar
And as a bonus, here's a collection of Brother Voodoo sagas from Marvel's color comics. Included are Jericho Drumm's first appearances in Strange Tales #169-173 as well as guest-starring roles in Marvel Team-Up #24, Marvel Two-in-One #41, and Werewolf by Night #39-41.http://rapidshare.com/files/157000648/Brother_Voodoo.rar
There! That should keep you busy until the second volume of Essential Marvel Horror hits the stands. (A month after Halloween - way to go, Marvel marketing!)
Keep the Faith, True Believers!
0 comments:
Post a Comment