Eerie was a magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing, however by around issue #80 it leaned more toward science fiction/adventure fantasy (with a horror theme). The first issue, in early 1966, had only a small limited 200-issue run of an "ashcan" edition. With a logo by Ben Oda, it was created overnight by editor Archie Goodwin and letterer Gaspar Saladino to establish publisher Jim Warren's ownership of the title. Warren explained, "We launched Eerie because we thought Creepy ought to have an adversary. The Laurel and Hardy syndrome always appealed to me. Creepy and Eerie are like Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre."
Official distribution began with the second issue (March, 1966), priced at 35 cents. Behind the Frank Frazetta cover were graphic horror tales edited by Goodwin and hosted by the lumpish Cousin Eerie, a curious character created by Jack Davis. With scripts by Goodwin, E. Nelson Bridwell and Larry Ivie, the second issue featured art by Gene Colan, Johnny Craig, Reed Crandall, Bill Draut, Jerry Grandenetti, John Severin, Angelo Torres and Alex Toth.
The magazine had a long run, concluding with issue 139 in February, 1983.
While mainly being an anthology, the title did feature several serial characters, including "Hunter" (#52-57, a mutant hero set in a world devistated from a nuclear war, fighting other mutants, while wearing a flightsuit and fighter pilot helmet; all reprinted in #69), "Exterminator One" (#60, 63, 64, robot soldier in [the same?] future world devestated by nuclear war), "Hunter II" (#67-68, 70-73. 101, successor to Hunter and joined by an Exterminator robot), "The Rook" (#82-85, 87-95, 98-105, 116, 120, 130, 132, 134, 136, time traveler), "Dax the Warrior" (#39-41, 43-50, 52; most reprinted in #59), "Coffin" (#61, 67, 68, 70) and others. |