EERIE PUBLICATIONS

[horrorhunter]

Eerie Publications published cheap monster mags and began in 1966. It was helmed by a real character named Myron Fass. Jim Warren had secured the rights to the name "Eerie" used for a magazine title by publishing the very limited ashcan Eerie #1 before Fass could claim the title, so Fass spitefully named his publishing house Eerie Publications (or Eerie Pubs for us demented fans). Since the magazine format was exempt from the CCA (Comics Code) Fass could title his first mag "Weird" which was one of the words frowned on by the iron-fisted CCA. Eerie Pubs published several different Horror titles during the late '60s through the early '80s. They outlasted several monster mag publishers such as Skywald, Marvel's B&W monster mags, Stanley, and Atlas-Seaboard.

Here's the Wikipedia lowdown on Eerie Publications: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eerie_Publications

"Less well-known and more downscale than the field's leader, Warren Publishing (Creepy, Eerie, Vampirella),[1] the company, based at 150 Fifth Avenue in New York City,[2] was one of several related publishing ventures run by comic-book artist and 1970s magazine entrepreneur Myron Fass. Titles published during its 15 years of operation included Weird, Horror Tales, Terror Tales, Tales from the Tomb, Tales of Voodoo, and Witches' Tales.[3] All of these magazines featured grisly, lurid color covers and no advertisements,[citation needed] having the final page of a story on the back cover.

New material was mixed with reprints from 1950s pre-Comics Code horror comics. Writer and artist credits seldom appeared, but included Marvel Comics penciler/inkers Dick Ayers and Chic Stone,[4] as well as Fass himself, with brother Irving Fass and Ezra Jackson serving as art directors.[4] Mel Lenny[4] initially and then Golden Age of Comic Books producer Robert W. Farrell had the title of publisher. Carl Burgos, creator of the Golden Age original Human Torch, was editor;[4] he created a short-lived character called Captain Marvel, no relation to either the old Fawcett Comics superhero nor Marvel's Captain Marvel, for Fass' M. F. Enterprises in 1966.[5].

Fass' business partner, Stanley Harris, left in 1976 after a falling-out,[citation needed] and formed Harris Publications, whose comic book arm published Vampirella and other former Warren properties.[2]"

Eerie Publications Titles:

Horror Tales (45 issues, June 1969 – Feb. 1978)
Strange Galaxy (4 issues, Feb. 1971 – Aug. 1971)
Tales from the Crypt (1 issue, July 1968)
Tales from the Tomb (35 issues, July 1969 – Feb. 1975)
Tales of Voodoo (36 issues, Nov.1968 – Nov. 1974)
Terror Tales (46 issues, March 1969 – Jan.1979)
Terrors of Dracula (6 issues, May 1979 – Sept. 1981)
Weird (63 issues, Jan, 1966 – Nov. 1981)
Weird Vampire Tales (9 issues, 1979-1982)
Weird Worlds (5 issues, Dec. 1970 – Aug. 1971)
Witches' Tales (34 issues, July 1969 – Feb. 1975)

11 titles for a total of 284 issues, which may well be off by a few. Eerie Pubs were treated like trash for years and shunned by most collectors early on, so record keeping was very chaotic and inaccurate, even in the Overstreet Price Guide. I've already had to correct this info originally copied from the Wikipedia info on titles and issues. They left out Weird Vampire Tales, and I found other errors as well. I'll continue to amend this list as more info is discovered. The chaos is part of the fun when collecting Eerie Pubs.

This book is the best source of information on Eerie Publications- The Weird World Of Eerie Publications by Mike Howlett.



It's a nicely printed large hardback and is still a great value at around $30. I recommend it highly for anyone into Eerie Pubs in particular, or just monster mags in general.

Here's a pic of Myron Fass, the Eerie Pubs head honcho:



Myron often carried a very large pistol around his publishing offices and is reported to have threatened people with it (including his employees). What a guy. 

My own experiences with Eerie Pubs started at the age of 9 in 1968 with the purchase of the 1st issue of Tales Of Voodoo (Vol. 1 #11).



I grabbed the issue from a grocery store magazine rack because I've always been a monster fiend and the garish cover got my attention. I kept it with my other monster mags for awhile and after a few months it ended up in our utility room as a dartboard.  Even as a kid I realized it was well below the quality of my Warren mags, but over the years I have developed an appreciation for all monster mags, and especially for the strange trashy ambience which is exuded by Eerie Pubs.

When I first started collecting comics in 1975 (as opposed to just reading and saving a few) the Eerie Pubs mags were treated like total trash by most collectors. They had little if any value as back issues and most of them were torn up or simply thrown away. Man, how times have changed. Now the average Eerie Pubs issue sells for more than the average Warren. Check eBay and be amazed at some of the selling prices for Eerie Pubs these days. They have become popular because so many collectors are drawn to the over-the-top gory, garish, colorful covers, and the fact that they aren't as common as the higher quality monster mags that were saved and taken better care of. I have a near complete Warren collection, but I only have 86 Eerie Pubs issues (with Weird #1 on the way). Also, many more of my Eerie Pubs are in lesser condition than my other mags, which almost seems appropriate considering what they are. I would still prefer high grade Eerie Pubs, and some of mine are, but it doesn't bother me to have low grade copies either. Low grade Eerie Pubs just seem natural considering they were treated with such disdain for so long. When I bought most of my monster mags in the '90s and early 2000s Eerie Pubs could still be had for cheap, even cheaper than most other more common monster mags. I bought several Eerie Pubs for $1 each back then, and some were in mid and even high grade.

Now most low grade Eerie Pubs seem to sell for $10 or more, mid grade for around $20, and high grade ones for $40-$100 or even higher. The few keys such as Tales From The Crypt #10 (1-shot), Tales Of Voodoo #11 (really the 1st issue, see pic above), and the first Eerie Pubs monster rag (er, mag) Weird #10 (#1), usually sell for much more than those average prices. Early issues with the 35 cent cover prices, and extreme covers showing excessive gore, usually bring more as well. The market has really flipped concerning these mags that were considered virtually worthless just a few years ago.

Anyone else with anything to post regarding Eerie Pubs should do so. I'll be adding stuff to this thread periodically, but it would be great to get other's input whether it be posting pics from your collection or just any experiences you might have had reading Eerie Pubs as a kid. I'm sure many an Eerie Pubs issue got demonized by strict parents back in the day. Maybe those parents were yours. 

[Sir Masksalot]

the 1st issue of Tales Of Voodoo (Vol. 1 #11)

Wow, what a cover: serpentine monster smeared in blood of bound busty babe. No monsterkid could resist that!
I have some oddball stuff in my magazine stack but can't recall anything from Eerie Publications. If something turns up, will post.
Thanks for the fine introduction, horrorhunter.

[BigShadow]

Thanks for the info Horrorhunter.  Those Eerie books are somewhat tricky to find. Two years ago at a local comic convention, I ran across a dealer selling Witches' Tales and Terror Tales.  After devising a trade consisting of some graded Wolverine comics, the dealer and I cam to an agreement, and I left with several copies of each title.  This was the first time I had seen each title and was completely enthralled by the covers and interior artwork.  Some of the stories weren't the best, but they were delightful to read anyhow.  I'm still in search of many of the Eerie Publications, and can hopefully find some this year at a convention.

[horrorhunter]

Thanks for the info Horrorhunter.  Those Eerie books are somewhat tricky to find. Two years ago at a local comic convention, I ran across a dealer selling Witches' Tales and Terror Tales.  After devising a trade consisting of some graded Wolverine comics, the dealer and I cam to an agreement, and I left with several copies of each title.  This was the first time I had seen each title and was completely enthralled by the covers and interior artwork.  Some of the stories weren't the best, but they were delightful to read anyhow.  I'm still in search of many of the Eerie Publications, and can hopefully find some this year at a convention.

Collecting Eerie Pubs can be a real pain due to the numbering system they used. Several years ago I created a tally sheet consisting of several blank underlined spaces which could be assigned to different titles and the grade of the issues you have could be penciled into the blank space. I then took the sheet to Staples and had them do double sided copies and make a spiral-bound notebook to use to list the collection. I know there are aps and programs for this these days but I still stick with my hardcopy list (I'm not dependent on a good internet connection at a con that way, for example). So, ANYWAY, with this set-up I was able to list the Vol #, Issue # as used to identify the issue by Eerie Pubs by writing it very small inside the blank space on my list and cross-index it to give the true issue #. That way I could tell what I had in what grade, and what I needed.

This book by Mike Howlett is a very valuable resource for serious Eerie Pubs collectors- The Weird Indexes Of Eerie Publications.



Here's the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Weird-Indexes-Eerie-Publications/dp/1300262648

It's still cheap, and it's a great value for serious Eerie Pubs collectors. It doesn't reprint any stories, just gives essential info on every Eerie Pubs issue.

[horrorhunter]

I was poking around on eBay and ran across this listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tales-from-the-Crypt-10-FN-6-0-1968/363144459491?hash=item548d18b4e3:g:uegAAOSwENFfinef

It's for the Eerie Pubs 1-shot Tales From The Crypt #10 in FN condition.



For the jaw-dropping price of $570.00!!! 

I have never seen an asking price anywhere near this for any Eerie Pubs issue. Granted, it is a key issue, and My Comics Shop is notorious for high prices, but DAMN. This one is hard to believe.

I have a copy of this in G/VG (3.0) condition that I picked up in a huge eBay lot of monster mags for an average of around $5 each several years ago. It was one of those deals where you get outbid and then later the seller contacts you with a Second Chance Offer because the high bidder reneged. In this case the seller even knocked a few bucks off my high bid price. I grabbed that lot as fast as I could. As I remember there were several scarce monster mags in there including several Stanley titles. But that Tales From The Crypt 1-shot was the gem of the deal, even in low grade. I had never even seen one of those before in person.

There's a cool story behind this issue. Myron Fass tried to ape EC for this title until he received a C&D letter from Bill Gaines' lawyer. The next issue in the numbering was Tales Of Voodoo #11 (the 1st ish posted previously) and Fass gave up on trying to cash in on EC's (then) infamy, which was later considered fame. Some monster magazine publishers were larger-than-life ruthless cutthroats during the Monster Magazine Wars era of the late '50s-early '80s. Fass and Jim Warren especially were very aggressive, and then throw in Stanley Harris, Calvin Beck, Stan Lee, Al Hewetson, Stanley Morse, and others, and you have a combustible soup just ready to explode into an entertaining documentary or movie or TV series. The behind-the-scenes was as weird and fun as the monster mags they published.

[BigShadow]

That's a cool issue, but way overpriced.  I can't believe Errie Pub had the ball to publish that title knowing that Gaines would come after them, even though they were defunct by then.

[horrorhunter]

That's a cool issue, but way overpriced.  I can't believe Errie Pub had the ball to publish that title knowing that Gaines would come after them, even though they were defunct by then.

Fass was sort of unbelievable. Here are pics of him waving his .44 magnum around:



He actually shot that thing in the Eerie Pubs offices according to scuttlebutt.

[horrorhunter]

I was watching a few Eerie Pubs eBay auctions by Infinity Comics and most went for a lot more than I thought they would. Here's one that stands out:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Weird-Vol-3-5-Blackness-of-Evil-Gorgeous-VF-Condition/324426871698?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649



It's Weird Vol. 3 #5 from 1969 in the VF range (classic lady-in-a-meat-grinder cover). It sold for $144.50 plus shipping, and had 22 bids. 20 years ago I didn't think I would live to see any Eerie Pubs issue sell for over a hundred dollars, especially any other than Weird #1, Tales From The Crypt 1-shot, or Tales Of Voodoo #11 (1st issue). In the '90s I was buying these things for a buck each in whatever grade (including high grade copies). This is kind of like waking up in the Twilight Zone for me, only it's real.

[marsattacks666]

Great thread, HorrorHunter
I collect Eerie Publications magazines.

[horrorhunter]

Terror Tales Vol. 1 #8 (1969, G(2.0)- G/VG(3.0) range) sells at auction for $76 with 14 bids.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/TERROR-TALES-Vol-1-8-Magazine-High-Res-Scans-99-Cent-Start-/133625662826?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=ukEZmjEG65byrAISQlk25gnSMJ8%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc



This classic Eerie Pubs cover features a giant (Frankenstein Monster-type?) eating females (who appear to be vampires) from a plate. Over-the-top gore makes this one a high demand classic issue. I think just the idea of some kid seeing this on the magazine rack in 1969 and being able to buy it adds a mystique to the whole Eerie Pubs thing and fuels demand for such issues.

I don't mind gore, but I'm not really into explicit Torture Porn. I'm at that point where I appreciate Cannibal Holocaust but I draw the line at the Faces Of Death films. That stated, I like the Eerie Pubs and similar mags (like the even lower quality Stanleys) because I grew up with them and had some as a kid, and I'm delighted by how extreme they were for the time. Eerie Pubs were part of that Monster Kid Zeitgeist which was a bubble existing inside the pervading world view and mostly conservative ideas of the U.S. in the '60s/'70s. The 'Pubs were part of our freedom of ideas, and our small-time rebellion. They let us go against the grain and stretch our minds.

[horrorhunter]

A few more Eerie Pubs eBay auction sales:

Horror Tales Vol. 1 #7 G-VG range $63 19 bids:



Tales Of Voodoo Vol. 2 #4 VG-FN range $87 15 bids:



Weird Vol. 2 #9 around VF+ $68.99 10 bids:



Horror Tales Vol. 1 #9 around VF+ $88.99 11 bids:



The early Eerie Pubs issues with the 35 cent cover price are generally more in demand than the later issues, and fetch higher prices. Certain covers featuring excessive gore, decapitations, and barely clad comely females, also command higher values. The 12 year old in all of us males (and a few females) craves the forbidden and salacious. Such content in classic monster mags and comics, though tame by comparison, is often more appealing than the extreme material easily available now. The Monster Kid history with the mags makes them very desirable to many of us.

[horrorhunter]

The Cast of Eerie Publications perform the Johnson-Smith Novelty Company "Horror Record"

https://youtu.be/Yq_hSKKrg0Y

[horrorhunter]

Horror Magazines of the 60's and 70's EERIE Pubs!!! Gory, Gruesome, and Very Cool Art!!

https://youtu.be/vj0hGCmjJMA

[marsattacks666]

Horror Magazines of the 60's and 70's EERIE Pubs!!! Gory, Gruesome, and Very Cool Art!!

https://youtu.be/vj0hGCmjJMA

H.H.
The cover-art is really awesome. 

[horrorhunter]

https://archive.org/search.php?query=eerie%20publications

Lots of good stuff here. Down the page are various Eerie Pubs and other monster mags to read, as well as interviews and other related material.