Copper DC Horror

[ft88]

This is a fringe question and opening the debate as usual with "when did it begin" but I think there is a definite difference in DC Horror as you transition to 40/50 cent covers on up compared to the 20 to 25 cent brothers from the early 70's. 30 ad 35 centers are touch but are really Bronze IMO. Just like with Bronze DC Horror, Copper DC Horror is relatively tougher to find as the 70's older brothers were quarter bin material, why buy the new stuff. I'll post a couple I have here but was curious what others thought.

 

BTW, when did Wrightson and Adams stop doing DC Horror? or at least when did the longer runs end?

 

The colors tend to be brigher than Bronze but also the shiny paper stock on the covers is a bit different starting in the late 70's.

 

Ed

[Earl Davis]

Hellblazer...

 

[chrisco37]

How about Swamp Thing #21 as the start of "Copper/Modern DC Horror"? Certainly planted the seeds for Vertigo imprint.

 

(Yes, another shameless plug for Alan Moore )

[shiverbones]

I go with Swampy 21, its the real turning point.

[Timulty]

I have always considered The later House of Mystery and House of Secrets books to be the progenator vertigo titles though, the Wasteland horror anthology, certainly helped pave the way for new horror titles at that time. I think, I remember reading somewhere though, that Swamp Thing was pushing the limits of the mature readers titles. So, it is really a toss up, at least to me.

[shiverbones]

Wasteland was a trip! Perhaps the darkest & strangest stuff DC has printed! There is even a necrophilia cover on the last issue!

[buttock]

I never cared for wasteland. I re-read the 1st 15 or so a while ago, and it was like a poor attempt to "adultify" the old EC stuff. There were a few gems in there, but for the most part, blase.

[Jayman]

I thought Swamp's "Time-Travel" story arc was a great read. Well thought out and plotted with a nice smattering of guest stars.

[bigfiver69]

I recently sold off 95% of all my bronze age DC horror, but for sentimental reasons, I hung onto most of the copper stuff... it was what I was buying off the shelf. I love those later issues.

 

Do we consider the short-lived runs of Mystery in Space and Time Warp from the late 1970s true horror, or sci-fi in stead? They definitely have a weirdo vibe. Great art too - Kaluta, even some Bolland in the MIS books.

 

Shep

[precodekeith]

I go with Swampy 21, its the real turning point.

 

My thoughts as well.

[Zonker]

 

BTW, when did Wrightson and Adams stop doing DC Horror? or at least when did the longer runs end?

 

 

By end of 1974, Wrightson & Adams had both stopped doing interior art. Batman 255 for Adams and Swamp Thing 10 were pretty much the end of the road respectively. They each both disappeared from doing covers by that time.

 

Then there was a brief return of both to drawing covers about 1978/79 at the time of the launch of Dollar Comics experiment. The first few Dollar Comics of each of the 4 titles had Adams covers, and Wrightson contributed at least a couple of covers in the House of Mystery Dollar Comics run.

[sterlingcomics]

Do we consider the short-lived runs of Mystery in Space and Time Warp from the late 1970s true horror, or sci-fi in stead? They definitely have a weirdo vibe. Great art too - Kaluta, even some Bolland in the MIS books.

 

I consider MIS #111-117 and Timewarp in the mutual Horror/Sci Fi category much like WWT shares a Horror/War multi-category.Both titles share more Sci Fi than horror, but some of the horror elements are in the stories.