Warren Magazine Reading Club! 7 7

[Jayman]

On 4/20/2022 at 1:38 AM, Axe Elf said:

 September

CREEPY #47 8/4/2024  
 VAMPIRELLA #19 8/11/2024    
October

CREEPY #48 8/18/2024      

EERIE #42

@OtherEric, @Stevemmg I was getting ready to see the next Eerie to post when I saw the lineup switched up yet again. It looks like Vampi #19 is up next. I assume we are still keeping with the original release dates from the first page? 

Edited August 10 by Jayman

[OtherEric]

On 8/9/2024 at 8:32 PM, Jayman said:

@OtherEric, @Stevemmg I was getting ready to see the next Eerie to post when I saw the lineup switched up yet again. It looks like Vampi #19 is up next. I assume we are still keeping with the original release dates from the first page? 

I see no reason to change the schedule, particularly if we can't edit Axe Elf's original post.  It's a reasonable pattern:  Month of cover date, then books alphabetical within the month.  The schedules on the books varied just enough that I don't know anything would work perfectly, so we might as well roll with it.  I'm also somewhat sentimental about the idea that we're still using Axe Elf's plan.

With all that said, if either of you have an argument in favor of changing it I could probably be easily persuaded.

[OtherEric]

Creepy 47 thoughts:

Cover:  It looks like a last-minute fill in, doesn't it?  Still, not the worst of their last minute fillers, either.

Loathsome Lore:  An actual lore page for once, largely historically accurate, telling a story that would be easy to dismiss as completely over the top if it wasn't actually true.  An excellent start to the issue.

The Land of Bone:  I think this is Saunders last story for Warren.  As I've suggested, I think he deserves more credit than he gets for the quality of his work.  He goes out with a clever fantasy magnificently illustrated by Maroto.  I particularly like the castle that looks like it might have partially inspired Castle Greyskull.

Mark of the Phoenix:  Reed Crandall returns, and even if the index is right and he's not quite as good as he was, he's still pretty spectacular.  Brennan provides an interesting and effective story as well.

The Law and Disorder:  There's a core of a good idea somewhere in here, but the execution is muddled and the ending seems tacked on and, at least to me, not entirely clear.

The Eternity Curse:  Thraxis's second and last story is actually a big step up from his first, with a nicely played epilogue.  Not a masterpiece, but a solid story.  Although I'm a sucker for anything tied to Ancient Egypt, and have been ever since I was a little kid and the King Tut craze was going on.

Point of View:  A very good story, although it could have used an intro and outro from Uncle Creepy, I also was thrown by the ending not being clearly marked.  I wonder if this was originally done for some other magazine, either overseas or picked up by Warren after it wasn't needed elsewhere for some reason.

This Burden- This Responsibility:  A decent proto-cyberpunk story, with Grandenetti turning in some very solid work after a story or two where I thought he wasn't doing as well.  I still don't care for it viscerally, though.  I suspect this story also worked better when it first came out; I called it proto-cyberpunk, and we've seen a LOT of stories dealing with some of the concepts much better since then.  But that just makes me want to credit it more for being ahead of its time, even if it's not as entertaining on its own terms now.

Futurization Compjtation (sic):  @Jayman, I actually think this works well as a follow-up to the last story.  It's played more for comedy and is much shorter, making it a quick counterpoint to the previous piece that I think works better than it would have elsewhere.

Creepy Book Reviews:  I've actually got two of these, the Horror Comics of the 50's and The Comix.  The EC collection is really one of the first Archive-style books, presenting old comics in a prestige format.  To this day it's a beautiful collection.  The Comix is even more relevant since I think it's the first book that started to place Warren in a historical perspective, and actually reprints stories (not sure how many) from the Warren magazines.  Still one of the only histories that really tried to at least touch on everything in comics to the then current date, from Carl Barks to Robert Crumb.

The Beginning:  A decent story to wrap it up.  I've known how underrated Sutton has been for a long time, unlike some of the creators I'm discovering here, but he's always fun to see.

Overall, an B+ or so issue I think, with a lot of good stories but no all-time classics.

[Stevemmg]

While I don’t have a real review to share, I will say that Creepy 47 is a weaker issue for me starting with the reused cover. The Land of Bone would be my favorite of the issue. As Eric mentioned, they do in fact have book reviews in the issue and the first EC reprint book, Horror Comics of the ‘50’s is talked about. The reviewer says there are more volumes planned, but we know that went a different direction. I do have an original art page from Mark of the Phoenix, so thought I may as well share it. 
 

[Stevemmg]

On 8/9/2024 at 10:32 PM, Jayman said:

@OtherEric, @Stevemmg I was getting ready to see the next Eerie to post when I saw the lineup switched up yet again. It looks like Vampi #19 is up next. I assume we are still keeping with the original release dates from the first page? 

Thank you for the heads up on this!  I would have completely blown the assignment. It works out better for me anyway, as I will be at Pebble Beach for car week. #19 is, of course, an annual issue, so I may even shock you with some commentary on the one new story.  

[Stevemmg]

19. cover: Jose Gonzalez & a montage of previous covers (Sept. 1972) 

1) Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Vampirella But Nobody Ever Told You… [J. 

R. Cochran] 2p   [text article w/photos, frontis & on inside back cover]

                2) Vampirella: Shadow Of Dracula! [T. Casey Brennan/Jose Gonzalez] 10p

                3) To Kill A God! [Wally Wood] 8p   reprinted from Vampirella #12 (July 1971) 

                4) Two Silver Bullets! [Don Glut/Reed Crandall] 6p   reprinted from Vampirella #1 (Oct. 1969)

                5) Fate’s Cold Finger! [Doug Moench/ Ken Barr] 6p   reprinted from Vampirella #9 (Jan. 1971)

                6) Jack The Ripper Strikes Again [Chris Fellner/Jerry Grandenetti] 8p   reprinted from Vampirella 

#9 (Jan. 1971)   [miscredited to Fred Ott]

                7) The Survivor [Buddy Saunders/Ernie Colon] 6p   reprinted from Vampirella #7 (Sept. 1970) 

                8) The Soft, Sweet Lips Of Hell! [Denny O’Neil/Neal Adams & Steve Englehart] 10p   reprinted

                                from Vampirella #10 (Mar. 1971) 

                9) The Silver Thief And The Pharaoh’s Daughter [Dean Latimer/Jose Bea] 11p   reprinted from

                                Vampirella #10p (Mar. 1971) 

 

Notes: Cost increased to $1.00 & size increased to 80 pages.  The 1972 Vampirella Annual was now included in Vampirella’s regular numbering.  Unlike either Creepy or Eerie’s, Vampirella’s annual usually featured a new Vampirella story.  The text article revealed that the inspiration for Vampirella was Jane Fonda’s 1968 movie role depiction of Barbarella.  It also disclosed underground cartoonist Trina Robbins’ hand in designing Vampirella’s costume and look while Frank Frazetta added the serpentine bracelet and the bat design on the crotch of her costume.  Gonzalez’s cover art was lifted from his Vampirella poster advertised in the back Captain Company catalog pages.  Manuel Sanjulian painted the Eerie & Creepy poster versions, which were also advertised there.  It is this poster that people often believe actress Barbara Leigh, a dead ringer for Vampi, posed for but it wasn’t true.
_______________________________________________________________________

So as mentioned, this is the first in-series Vampirella annual and does include a new story  continuing the Dracula theme.  The front and back inside cover do indeed give a behind the scenes account of Vampirella’s creation, and Jim Warren hints at his contribution to the look based on his girlfriend from his youth, Gloria. If you have read either the Horror Biz interview with Jim when he resurfaced in the ‘90’s or the Bill Schelly Empire of Monsters book, you will know that he ended up reunited with her. Interesting that in this 1972 issue they are already talking about a Vampirella movie and possible lead actresses. Barbara Leigh is fairly far off yet.
 

This issue is graced by quite likely the most recognizable Vampirella image of all time. What the Warren reference information does not mention at all is that this image is a collaboration between Jose “Pepe” Gonzalez and Enric Torres-Prat. The two worked together at Seleciones Internacional and were good friends. At the time, Pepe, while a spectacularly talented penciller, had no experience painting. He created the pencil image for this piece from the photo of the model, and Enric then painted it. Carol De Haro who posed quite often for the SI artists is the model for this and several other upcoming issues. The painting image is overlayed on a selection of prior covers, most of which have changed up color schemes. This is a square bound issue to hold the extra pages as is usually the case. The back cover is the same Viet Nam war massage from Jim Warren as previously seen.

Gloria from the Horror Biz article

Carol De Haro

 

Pepe Vampi Pencil

Enric recreating the art in larger six foot tall form.

 

[Jayman]

On 8/10/2024 at 10:16 AM, Stevemmg said:

This issue is graced by quite likely the most recognizable Vampirella image of all time.

Great info already Steve! I fully agree with the above. I would guess that even if some comic fans didn’t know who that was on the cover, they would at least have seen that iconic pose of Vampi before. 

[OtherEric]

Vampirella #19 thoughts:

Cover:  As we've already said, this is the definitive, iconic image of Vampirella.  It really deserves a Classic Cover notation in my opinion.  My copy isn't the most beautiful one out there, but I spent a lot of extra time looking for a fairly nice one for obvious reasons.  It was definitely one of the last few issues I needed for the run.  I THINK this is actually the first appearance of the image, with the poster ad first appearing on the back cover of #20.

Text article:  Probably more interesting to those of us who haven't read the previous issues, but also not a bad idea at all if you're hoping to pick up new readers with the Annual.  Not sure that's as likely as it was when the annuals were separate from the main numbering, but I really don't know.

Vampirella: Shadow of Dracula: A decent enough story once it gets rolling, what there is of it.  But the weird in media res start and time travel plot means it takes several pages for us to get our footing, at which point the story is nearly over.  Still, I like the tradition of having a new Vampirella story in the annual for the first several years.

To Kill a God: They already used The Curse in the last annual, so this is a solid choice assuming that having a Wally Wood story was a given.  And the Wood stories were all good enough that it was a given.

Two Silver Bullets:  Still some great Crandall art, and it's not a bad thing to showcase him if he's back with Warren at the moment.

Fate's Cold Finger:  Still a little darker in tone than I like, but I can't deny the craft is strong.

Jack the Ripper Strikes Back:  Not a fan of Grandenetti still, so not the best judge of the choice as a reprint.

The Survivor:  I've mentioned it before, but my appreciation of Colon's art has gone way up since the club started.  A fine choice.

The Sweet, Soft Lips of Hell:  Including your one Denny O'neil- Neal Adams in a reprint collection in September 1972 is an absolute no-brainer.

The Silver Thief and the Pharaoh's Daughter:  I still think it's an all-time classic.  It's slightly bittersweet seeing again, since our friendly disagreement over the story was really the last interaction I had with Axe Elf before his passing.  But the important thing there is that it was extremely friendly, even if we were about as far apart in our opinions as it was possible to be.

Overall, this is probably the best Warren Annual so far- the choices for reprints start somewhere around solid and range up to a couple genuine classics bookending the reprints part of the issue, all under a classic cover.

 

[Jayman]

Vampirella #19 thoughts:

This one is a treat for me. As I didn’t participate early on in the reading club, I never got to review any of the early issues I remembered from my youth. This annual gives me the chance. First off, we are graced with the most iconic Vampirella pose ever! I’m not usually a fan of mini covers used as a background for annuals but Warren used this same layout for Creepy, Eerie and FM too. So over the years they’ve become sort of a classic look that I’ve come to admire.

Inside front and back cover:

As has been said, interesting info about Vampi’s creative origins and a nice recap of where she started to where she’s headed befitting an annual issue.

1 Vampirella: Shadow of Dracula:

I thought I missed an issue here with the story starting out in 1897! A decent chapter but my only gripe is that if the Van Helsings had the ability to time travel, Conrad could have easily gone back in time to prevent Vampi from killing Adam (even if it only happened in a dream). Heck, they could have gone back in time and killed Dracula too! Oh well, we get another great introductory splash page by Gonzalez. I can’t help but think text was planned to fill the bottom right corner of this page but was never used.

At least this story ends with the hopes of getting back to some real horror!

2 To Kill a God:

A classic Wood story that I have read many times. Not only filled with stunning art, the story is pretty good too. I always liked the take that Marc Anthony and Cleopatra were the first werewolf and vampire. This page is one of my favorites, the amount of skulls Wally drew on this page is incredible!

3 Two Silver Bullets:

Nice Crandall art carries a fairly simplistic werewolf tale along to a straight forward ending with no twist or clever point of view. Not a bad story, just pretty basic in concept.

4 Fate's Cold Finger:

Yet another I remember reading as a kid and liking a lot. Just one of those cruel twist of fate stories, but the first one I ever read and it left an impression on me. I still won’t walk under large icicles!

5 Jack the Ripper Strikes Back:

A pretty clever tale that delves into the speculations of who the Ripper could have been. A little cliche using and showing a scar as the telltale, but it works within the story. Also, who sells fresh apples in the middle of the night when there’s a killer about? 

6 The Survivor:

A very familiar story to me that I did not totally understand when first read as a kid. The fact that this was some sort of immortal being that could transfer from one body to the next is a fascinating concept. Very similar to the Hammer movie “Horror Express”. Loved the artwork and concept of this one. Another favorite!

7 The Soft, Sweet Lips of Hell:

My first introduction to the concept of incubi and succubi. Could have been my intro to Neal Adams too. Terrific love story cloaked in horror. Classic!

8 The Silver Thief and the Pharaoh's Daughter:

So this was Bea’s first work for Warren. After reading @OtherEric’s review where he and Axe Elf disagreed on how this story rated, I have to lean towards liking it, more so BECAUSE of the ending. I do agree that it’s not a typical horror story. A bit of a historical account with horror elements sprinkled in here and there. I mean, he did have to kill his own brother and chop off his head! I believe the severed hand was used for the purpose of not getting caught rather than being used to gain entry as Axe had thought. Alcom may have thought there may have been another hand-grabbing trap and therefore brought his brother’s severed arm just in case. The ending is not  horrific but is a totally unexpected twist that cannot help to put a smile on your face after reading it. Another great choice for the annual. Here’s that clever last page.

This was a very good issue as far as the story choices go. If you were new to Vampirella, this issue would have made a great introduction!

[The Lions Den]

On 8/12/2024 at 11:00 PM, Jayman said:

I’m not usually a fan of mini covers used as a background for annuals but Warren used this same layout for Creepy, Eerie and FM too. So over the years they’ve become sort of a classic look that I’ve come to admire.

I also like the way they changed the appearance of the earlier covers by using the new title lettering and different color schemes. And that classic Vampirella rendering is simply the icing on the cake...    

[OtherEric]

Creepy #48- October 1972

 

cover: montage/back cover: Jack Davis  front cover reprints 12 covers from different eras of Creepy while the back cover is reprinted from Creepy #1 (Jan. 1965)

                1) What Can You Say About An Eight-Year Old Creepy? [J. R. Cochran] 1p   [text article, frontis]

                2) The Coffin Of Dracula [Archie Goodwin/Reed Crandall] 16p   reprinted from Creepy #8 & 9  (Apr. & June 1966)   [2 pages edited out from the second part]

                3) The Castle On The Moor! [Johnny Craig] 6p   reprinted from Creepy #9 (June 1966)

                4) Moon City! [Larry Englehart/Al McWilliams] 6p   reprinted from Creepy #4 (Aug. 1965)

                5) Swamped! [Archie Goodwin/Angelo Torres] 8p   reprinted from Creepy #3 (June 1965)

                6) Thumbs Down [Anne T. Murphy/Al Williamson] 6p   reprinted from Creepy #6 (Dec. 1965)

                7) The Cosmic All [Wally Wood] 8p   reprinted from Creepy #38 (Mar. 1971)

                8) Drink Deep! [Otto Binder/John Severin] 7p   reprinted from Creepy #7 (Feb. 1966)

                9) The Adventure Of The German Student! [Archie Goodwin/Jerry Grandenetti] 8p  reprinted from Creepy #15 (June 1967)

Notes: The Creepy Annual now becomes part of the regular numbering. 

__________________________________________

So, we continue our slow end of summer as the Annuals continue.  I'm not sure why we don't have Uncle Creepy posing in front of the covers like Vampi did and Cousin Eerie will do on the Annual next year.  The similarly designed Famous Monsters with Captain Marvel is also 1973, not 1972, which is surprising... maybe they were afraid people would confuse the issues with the similar covers, but then why do it in the first place?

I recall somebody posting a version of this they had modified to add Uncle Creepy to the cover, I really wish they had done that with this issue.

Edited August 18 by OtherEric

[Jayman]

On 8/18/2024 at 12:19 AM, OtherEric said:

I recall somebody posting a version of this they had modified to add Uncle Creepy to the cover, I really wish they had done that with this issue.

[The Lions Den]

On 8/18/2024 at 8:48 AM, Jayman said:

That's great, Jayman! Too bad you never worked for Warren...he could've used a guy like you!  

[OtherEric]

Creepy #48 thoughts:

Cover:  Not impressed at all.  The lack of a Uncle Creepy figure, unlike the other covers, makes this one far less interesting.  I think only one of the sixteen issues has a story reprinted in the issue.  And it has not one but two of the covers that were borrowed from Famous Monsters.  Very half hearted work here.

Intro:  Meh.

Coffin of Dracula:  This is a relevant reprint given that they're following the story up in concurrent issues of Vampirella.  I'll even give them a pass on reprinting the 2nd part a third time since it's the first reprint of part 1.  Solid choice with a good reason to reprint it.

The rest of the issue:  Decent selections, but other than "The Cosmic All", they're all from the Goodwin era, and three of them (3 1/2, if you include Coffin of Dracula) are getting their second reprinting.  Which isn't necessarily a totally bad thing several years after the first printing, but I would do that more where there's a theme for the issue... and this one really doesn't have a theme.

Overall, this is probably a decent collection for anybody not particularly familiar with the series... but it has almost nothing to offer a long term reader.  The annuals will improve considerably, with reprints of either entire storylines or Artist spotlights, but for a long term fan this one is here so you don't get annoyed at a gap in the numbering between 47 and 49.

[Jayman]

Creepy #48 thoughts:

Yet another indulgence for me to review some of the older stories. I would hope that Warren had originally planned for Uncle Creepy to be on this cover. This obviously never happened and that’s a shame. It’s an otherwise unglamorous cover that I yet once again doctored up to my liking!

1 The Coffin of Dracula:

Very competent story continuing the lore and legend of Dracula. Crandall delivers excellent ink wash work that makes this a pleasure to read.

2 The Castle On The Moor!:

Another entertaining tale that sets you firmly in the creepy old castle setting. Craig’s art still has that EC flair while the story delivers some decent twists to surprise you at the end.

3 Moon City!:

An ambitious story here that reminds me of one of those educational films you’d see in grammar school about how man will conquer space. Everything seems noble and heroic (even with the slight diversion of marriage), so that when the horrible fate comes, it seems truly unjustified to the characters. Add to that, they are just dogs. After a few attacks, I’m sure the remaining space crew would have dispatched them with their weapons.

4 Swamped!:

One of the best stories in this issue. Leroy Kane is an escaped convict on the run. He cleverly outwits the posse and a trio of deadly vampires, to the point you actually start rooting for him. Alas, he ultimately meets with his comeuppance! There was also some clever dialogue used. This line made me laugh.

5 Thumbs Down:

To Ancient Rome we go for a tale of cruelty and greed. Williamson delivers superb artwork on this “wronged dead” tale.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that Hollywood got the whole thumbs up/down thing wrong. Historical research has found that “thumbs down” meant for the gladiator to lay down his sword. While “thumbs up” meant to deliver an upwards killing thrust.

6 The Cosmic All:

A very intriguing story that kind of shows what might have happened if “The Thing” from John Carpenter’s film had gained access to the main population of the planet. Stunning artwork from Wood, and I firmly believe he drew naked women throughout this story, then just threw in some minimal cloth lines and sleeves during the inking!

7 Drink Deep!:

Entertaining tale that almost felt it belonged in a precode Atlas book. Mostly due to the Severin art which I enjoyed very much. It was nice to see his rendition of Uncle Creepy on the opening splash too.

While the story was ok with most of it showing how our protagonist was way over the top cruel in an almost comical way, this panel delivered some straight up creepiness!

8 The Adventure Of The German Student!:

I was not at all familiar with this Washington Irving tale but I had heard the urban legend story of the decapitated woman who hid the fact under her neck band. The latter must have derived from Irving’s original tale. A nice chilling story to close out this annual. 

Finally, a nice back cover reproducing the cover to Creepy #1. Odd that they chose issue #46 to be held, and in blue too?

Nothing new or exciting here for diehard readers of Creepy as these were all reprints, but as a stand alone issue, it’s a hard one to top!

[OtherEric]

@Jayman: Thank you for your review of the Creepy #48.  I think we actually came to roughly the same overall review, but from opposite ends... good for newer readers, not much for long term.

[Jayman]

On 8/23/2024 at 12:49 AM, OtherEric said:

@Jayman: Thank you for your review of the Creepy #48.  I think we actually came to roughly the same overall review, but from opposite ends... good for newer readers, not much for long term.

You’re quite welcome. As I said, it was an indulgence to get to review some of these earlier stories I missed out on at the beginning of the reading club. I actually went back through the thread and read the earlier reviews from you and Axe to make sure I wasn’t just repeating what has been already posted.

[The Lions Den]

On 8/22/2024 at 10:49 PM, Jayman said:

Entertaining tale that almost felt it belonged in a precode Atlas book. Mostly due to the Severin art which I enjoyed very much. It was nice to see his rendition of Uncle Creepy on the opening splash too.

It's always a pleasure to see Severin's artwork. And is it just me, or does his rendering of Uncle Creepy here look eerily similar to the one-eyed Prince Aegon from "House of the Dragon?"   

Edited August 23 by The Lions Den

[Jayman]

Eerie #42

From the Warren Magazine Index:

Cover: Luis Dominguez (Oct. 1972) 

1) The True Story Of Eerie…How To Gain Forty Pounds Of Ugly Fat In Six Years! [J. R. Cochran] 1p [text article, frontis]

2) The Mummy Stalks! [Roy G. Krenkel & Archie Goodwin/Reed Crandall] 8p reprinted from Eerie #5 (Sept. 1966) 

3) The Blood Fruit! [Johnny Craig] 8p reprinted from Eerie #11 (Sept. 1967) 

4) It That Lurks! [Archie Goodwin/Dan Adkins] 6p reprinted from Eerie #7 (Jan. 1967)

5) Dark Rider! [Archie Goodwin/John Severin] 6p reprinted from Eerie #8 (Mar. 1967) 

6) Life Species [Bill DuBay] 2p reprinted from Eerie #30 (Nov. 1970)

7) Ogre’s Castle [Archie Goodwin/Angelo Torres] 6p reprinted from Creepy #2 (Apr. 1965) 

8) Room With A View! [Archie Goodwin/Steve Ditko] 6p reprinted from Eerie #3 (May 1966)

9) Voodoo Drum! [Archie Goodwin/Neal Adams] 8p reprinted from Eerie #10 (July 1967) 

10) I Am Dead, Egypt, Dead [Doug Moench/Victor de la Fuente] 8p reprinted from Eerie #35 (Sept. 1971)

11) The Thing In The Alley [Al Hewetson/Berni Wrightson] 1p [text story, on back cover]

Notes: $1.00 cost & 80 page issue.  With this issue the Eerie Yearbook/Annual became part of the regular numbering.  First squarebound issue. I’ve already mentioned that this was my first Warren purchase. However, even without the rosy glow of nostalgia, this is a pretty great issue, even for a reprint. Great stories and art from all involved. Due to a mix up at the printer, which Warren & Skywald shared for a time, the back cover for rival Skywald’s Nightmare #9 (Oct. 1972) was also printed as the back cover for this Warren magazine.

——————————————————

Never realized this issue was considered an annual. Nothing about the cover even hints about it. Nice seeing some Dominguez art though. So we have more reprints to sort through. We will see if they grouped some worthy ones for this issue. 

[OtherEric]

Eerie #42 thoughts:

Let's deal with the errors in the index first:  It omits the story "The Lighthouse" from Eerie #3 between "Life Species" and "Ogre's Castle", and on every copy I've seen the back cover is a reprint of the Eerie #2 cover, not the story from the Skywald Nightmare #9.  I suspect the indexer, who says this is their first Warren purchase, is going off a beat up copy that somehow had the wrong cover taped onto the back.  I would love to be proven wrong, though, and find out there really are two versions of the issue.

Cover: It's not the classic the #41 was, but it's very nice piece by Dominguez.

Contents:  Not a lot to say, honestly.  The indexer isn't wrong when they describe it as a pretty great issue, with lots of excellent material.  But half a dozen of the stories are getting second reprintings, although admittedly some of those were in Creepy, not Eerie.

Overall, my reaction is this is similar to the Creepy last week, not a lot for those of us who have been reading the series from the start.  But the new cover and story selection does make this one more fun to flip through as a trip down memory lane than the Creepy was.