Vampirella variants

[50 Cent #II (1st)]

Anyone know the history of the U.K. Vampirellas? Did they come out at the same time with the same covers and just a pence price like many of the comics or not?

[Makmorn]

Not sure about the dates, but who the heck thought that

"Voted: the world's most horrible magazine" was a good idea to put on the cover

 

I know what they meant, but it really comes across wrong

 

They probably needed to think it thru a little better and find another way to say that.

[50 Cent #II (1st)]

Just checked, this #4 has a different cover and came out in 1975, not 1969.

[The Troll King]

Yeah, many of them came out later and had different covers from the series used.

 

Not sure if these were ever considered "horror" comics traditionally (I think they're more in the romance catagory) but the UK use to have (and may still) long standing customs restrictions that prevented the importation of "horror" comics.

 

I believe that's why the title didn't reach the UK sooner and had to be published there.

[The Troll King]

Ok, I just double checked and horror comics are still listed on the prohibition list.

 

PROHIBITED ITEMS

 

•Firearms

•Valid Firearms Certificate issued by the police authorities

•All handguns other than certain .22 caliber target pistols, are now illegal in the United Kingdom. Importation is strictly prohibited

•Ammunition, flick knives, explosives and fireworks

•Drugs and narcotics

•Counterfeit currency

•Pornographic material and horror comics

•Meat, poultry, fish and other animal products

•Radio transmitters (CB radios, walkie-talkie, cordless telephones, etc.) not approved for use in the United Kingdom

•Trees, plants, shrubs, seeds, bulbs, soil, potatoes and certain other vegetables and fruits

•Most animals and all birds, whether alive or dead (i.e. stuffed) and certain articles derived from protected endangered species including furskins, ivory, reptile leather and goods made from the endangered species

[Makmorn]

Horror comics?

 

I can understand the porn, the comics is a bit odd. It must be from around the time of the SOTI and before the comics code. Techincally the Vampirella's should have been able to slide past that rule as they are magazines, rather than comics. That is how Warren got around the comics code stuff, but they may have not been able to get that to fly in England.

 

It just seems so odd for a country that produced Jack the Ripper, Hammer films, Mary Shelley, and Bram Stoker (Irish, but close enough).

[wb1972-migration]

There were only ever four issues of the UK edition published in the mid 70's by IPC. I have all four, and they are well worth getting, as they reprint various material from the Warren Vampirellas, but in colour! (Or color, even!)

And this was before the famous 1977 Special book was published.

They also have some text stories in English, which were only previously published in the German editions.

See http://isd.usc.edu/~shoaf/vampirella/ for full details of these issues.

[50 Cent #II (1st)]

Won this issue, so I'll be nice to see these color pages.

Thanks for the info. WB.