Horror comics are comic books , graphic novels , black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction . In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to the demise of many titles and the toning down of others. Black-and-white horror-comics magazines, which did not fall under the Code, flourished from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s from a variety of publishers. Mainstream American color comic books experienced a horror resurgence in the 1970s, following a loosening of the Code. While the genre has had greater and lesser periods of popularity, it occupies a firm niche in comics as of the 2010s.
94-403: Dylan Dog is an Italian horror comics series created by Tiziano Sclavi and published by Sergio Bonelli Editore since 1986. The series features the eponymous character, a paranormal investigator who takes on cases involving supernatural elements such as ghosts, demons, vampires, undeads, werewolves and other creatures, but also horrifying sociopathic criminals and serial killers. It defies
188-541: A March 29, 1948, United States Supreme Court ruling that a 64-year-old New York State law outlawing publications with "pictures and stories of deeds of bloodshed, lust or crime" was unconstitutional. Regardless, the uproar increased upon the publication of two articles: "Horror in the Nursery" by Judith Crist , in the March 25, 1948, issue Collier's Weekly , based upon the symposium "Psychopathology of Comic Books" held
282-679: A backup feature to Irving's " Rip Van Winkle " in a package titled Rip Van Winkle and the Headless Horseman . The next issue, Classic Comics #13 (August 1943), adapted Robert Louis Stevenson 's horror novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as the full-length story Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , making it the earliest known dedicated horror comic book. Historian Ron Goulart , making no mention of those earlier literary adaptations, identifies Avon Publications ' Eerie #1, dated January 1947 and sold in late 1946, as "the first out-and-out horror comic book". Its cover featured
376-549: A comics and novel writer, while the graphic representation of the character was elaborated mainly by Claudio Villa , who was its first cover artist too, taking the inspiration from the English actor Rupert Everett , as he saw in the movie Another Country . The character was named for poet Dylan Thomas , while his surname derives from " Dog figlio di... ", the Italian title of Mickey Spillane 's 1972 book " Erection Set ", which
470-492: A market dominated by traditional adventures aimed at a younger audience. Martin Mystère opened the door to many other new course characters, both from Bonelli and other publishers. In 1983 Castelli and Guido "Silver" Silvestri resurrected Eureka magazine. However, it folded after only 12 issues. In 1992 Castelli launched the new series Zona X , a spin-off of Martin Mystère , that ran until 1999. Castelli also wrote
564-560: A new English version of some Dylan Dog stories. In 2018 and 2019, Sergio Bonelli Editore published a limited English variant edition. DC Comics published the Batman /Dylan Dog crossover series in March 2024. A 680-page volume, Dylan Dog Casefiles , was released in 2009 ( ISBN 1595822062 ), to tie in with the movie Dylan Dog: Dead of Night . It reprinted the seven stories Dark Horse previously released. This volume also includes cover art by Mike Mignola . Claudio Villa created
658-959: A number of horror titles, including Dracula Lives! , Monsters Unleashed , Vampire Tales , Tales of the Zombie , Haunt of Horror , and Masters of Terror . Additionally, Skywald Publications offered the black-and-white horror-comics magazines Nightmare , Psycho , and Scream . DC during this time continued to publish its existing supernatural fiction and added new horror series such as Ghosts , The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love (later titled Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion ), Secrets of Haunted House , Secrets of Sinister House , Swamp Thing , Weird Mystery Tales , Weird War Tales , and Tales of Ghost Castle . Charlton continued in this vein as well, with Ghostly Haunts , Haunted , Midnight Tales , Haunted Love , and Scary Tales . Underground cartoonists , many of them strongly influenced by 1950s EC Comics like Tales from
752-429: A number of popular horror titles, including Hellblazer and Swamp Thing . One of Vertigo's early successes was Neil Gaiman 's Sandman , which reworked a number of DC's old horror characters and added fantasy to the mix. A number of other horror titles carried on at Vertigo, like Deadman , House of Mystery and Haunted Tank , or were given a horror spin or an update like Kid Eternity and Jonah Hex . In
846-486: A personal take on The Invisible Man drawn by Ferdinando Tacconi ; Gli Aristocratici , a group of gentlemen thieves, again with art by Tacconi; Otto Kruntz , a mad scientist drawn by Daniele Faragazzi ; and L'Omino Bufo , an absurdist humor strip that Castelli drew himself. In 1978 Castelli wrote for Supergulp magazine the adventures of Allan Quatermain , an explorer specializing in archaeological mysteries that foreshadowed Castelli's most famous creation. In
940-435: A picture of a large and pervasive industry, shrouded in secrecy and masterminded by a few, that operated upon the innocent and defenseless minds of the young. He further suggested the industry strong-armed vendors into accepting their publications and forced artists and writers into producing the content against their will. Wertham alleged comics stimulated deviant sexual behavior. He noted female breasts in comics protruded in
1034-423: A private investigator specializing in the supernatural. Dylan lives with Groucho at 7 Craven Road in a cluttered apartment with a doorbell that screams. His hobbies include playing the clarinet (he only knows to play Devil's Trill , but plays it often) and constructing a model ship which he apparently never manages to finish; he has many phobias , including claustrophobia, fear of bats and acrophobia . Dylan
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#17327930627711128-412: A provocative way and special attention was lavished upon the female genital region. A cover by Matt Baker from Phantom Lady was reprinted in the book with the caption, "Sexual stimulation by combining 'headlights' with the sadist's dream of tying up a woman". Boys interviewed by Wertham said they used comic book images for masturbation purposes, and one young comics reader confessed he wanted to be
1222-484: A range of mini-series released by IDW Publishing . At Dark Horse , Mike Mignola has been working on Hellboy , and has created a large fictional universe with spin-off titles like BPRD and Lobster Johnson . Alfredo Castelli Alfredo Castelli (26 June 1947 – 7 February 2024) was an Italian comic book artist and writer. Born in Milan , Castelli began his comic book career at an early age, creating
1316-452: A red-eyed, pointy-eared fiend threatening a rope-bound , beautiful young woman in a scanty red evening gown, set amid a moonlit ruin. The anthology offered six primarily occult stories involving the likes of a ghost and a zombie. While all but one writer are unknown — Edward Bellin, who teamed with young artist Joe Kubert on the nine-page "The Man-Eating Lizards" — the artists include George Roussos and Fred Kida . After this first issue,
1410-568: A result of the Congressional hearings, DC Comics shifted its ongoing horror titles, House of Mystery (1951–1987) and House of Secrets (1956–1966), toward the suspense and mystery genres, often with a science fiction bent. In fact, from 1964 to 1968, House of Mystery became a mostly superhero title, featuring J'onn J'onzz, the Manhunter from Mars and, later, Dial H for Hero . Similarly, during this period Marvel Comics produced
1504-482: A selection of Dylan Dog stories in 1999. This six-issue miniseries was later completed by a one-shot released in 2002. To avoid legal complications regarding Groucho Marx's estate, the art was altered so that Groucho no longer sports the Marx brother's signature moustache, and was renamed "Felix". Every cover in the six-issue mini featured art by American comics artist Mike Mignola . As of 2016, Epicenter Comics published
1598-444: A seven-page, abridged adaptation of Horace Walpole 's seminal gothic novel The Castle of Otranto , by an unknown writer and artist Al Ulmer . Following the postwar crime comics vogue spearheaded by publisher Lev Gleason 's Crime Does Not Pay , which by 1948 was selling over a million copies a month, came romance comics , which by 1949 outsold all other genres, and horror comics. The same month in which Adventures into
1692-517: A sex maniac. Wertham contended comics promoted homosexuality by pointing to the Batman–Robin relationship and calling it a homosexual wish dream of two men living together. He observed that Robin was often pictured standing with his legs spread and the genital region evident. Most alarmingly, Wertham contended that comic books fostered deceitfulness in children, who might read funny animal comics in front of their parents but then turn to horror comics
1786-449: A vein of surrealism and an anti- bourgeois rhetoric. His clothes are one of his defining characteristics: he always dresses the same way, in a red shirt, black jacket, and blue jeans; he bought twelve identical outfits after the death of his lover Lillie Connolly. Even during the worst weather, he never wears an overcoat or even carries an umbrella, since, according to him, an overcoat "would ruin his look", and he thinks that an umbrella
1880-461: A week earlier by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham ; and Wertham's own features "The Comics ... Very Funny!" in the May 29, 1948, issue of The Saturday Review of Literature , and a March 19, 1948 symposium called "Psychopathology of Comic Books" which stated that comic books were "abnormally sexually aggressive" and led to crime. In response to public pressure and bad press, an industry trade group ,
1974-424: Is a "useless invention. Especially when it doesn't rain." One of the principal supporting characters in the series is his assistant (or rather, comic relief), Groucho, a punning double of Groucho Marx . Another supporting character is Inspector Bloch, who was his superior when he worked at Scotland Yard and remains his father figure (in fact he calls Dylan "Old boy") even after Dylan struck out on his own to become
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#17327930627712068-549: Is a vegetarian. Some crossover stories combining Dylan Dog with characters from different comics were published, including, with Martin Mystere , Mister No , Ken Parker , Nathan Never , and Dampyr . In October 2019, DC Comics and Sergio Bonelli Editori announced a crossover series between Dylan Dog and Batman . Issue #0 of the crossover, titled " Relazioni pericolose " ("Dangerous liaisons"), script by Roberto Recchioni with art by Gigi Cavenago and Werther Dell'Edera,
2162-577: Is also particularly susceptible to motion sickness , which is one of the reasons why he rarely travels, and anyway never by plane. Once an alcoholic, he now never drinks. He is a vegetarian and animal rights supporter. Dylan cares little for many aspects of modern life. He hates cellphones and to record his memories, he still uses a feather-pen and an inkpot. Naturally, he loves literature (poetry in particular), music (his tastes range from classical to heavy metal), and horror films. Though perpetually penniless, he does not seem to be interested in money. In fact,
2256-482: Is mainly set in London, where the protagonist lives, though he occasionally travels elsewhere, such as imaginary realms such as "La zona del crepuscolo" (Twilight Zone). His address is 7 Craven Road, London, in reference to director Wes Craven . The Cafe at 7 Craven Road, Paddington, London, was renamed Cafe Dylan Dog in 2013. In 2012, the cafe offered "Dylan Dog Meal" with beef or pork included, even though Dylan himself
2350-699: The Association of Comics Magazine Publishers (ACMP) was formed with the intent of prodding the industry to police itself. The Association proved ineffective as few publishers joined and those who did exercised little restraint over the content of their titles. In 1954, Dr. Fredric Wertham published Seduction of the Innocent , a tome that claimed horror, crime and other comics were a direct cause of juvenile delinquency . Wertham asserted, largely based on undocumented anecdotes, that reading violent comic books encouraged violent behavior in children. Wertham painted
2444-831: The Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) and its Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed. The Code had many stipulations that made it difficult for horror comics to continue publication, since any that didn't adhere to the Code's guidelines would likely not find distribution. The Code forbade the explicit presentation of "unique details and methods of crime...Scenes of excessive violence...brutal torture, excessive and unnecessary knife and gun play, physical agony, gory and gruesome crime...all scenes of horror, excessive bloodshed, gory or gruesome crimes, depravity, lust, sadism , masochism...Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, or torture". As
2538-570: The Mutual Broadcasting Network 's radio show of that name and including amid its crime and science-fiction stories a reprint of the Edgar Allan Poe adaptation " The Tell Tale Heart ", reprinted from Charlton Comics ' Yellowjacket Comics #6. Street and Smith also published two issues of "Ghost Breakers" in late 1948. (ibid GCDB) The floodgates began to open the following year with the first horror comic from
2632-614: The Universal horror films of the 1930s and other sources. In 1935, National Periodicals published the first story of Doctor Occult by Jerry Siegel (script) and Joe Shuster (Art) in New Fun Comics # 6, where he confronts Vampire Master. In Detective Comics # 31–32, Batman fights a vampire. By the mid-1940s, some detective and crime comics had incorporated horror motifs such as spiders and eyeballs into their graphics, and occasionally featured stories adapted from
2726-480: The horror genre" by historian Don Markstein , and "[t]he first real horror series" by horror-comics historian Lawrence Watt-Evans, the feature ran through Prize Comics #52 (April 1945) before becoming a humor series and then being revived in horrific form in the series Frankenstein #18-33 (March 1952 - November 1954). Gilberton Publications ' 60-page Classic Comics #12 (June 1943) adapted Washington Irving 's short story " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " as
2820-453: The 16th-century Mixtec codices . In the early 20th-century, pulp magazines developed the horror subgenre " weird menace ", which featured sadistic villains and graphic scenes of torture and brutality. The first such title, Popular Publications' Dime Mystery , began as a straight crime fiction magazine but evolved by 1933 under the influence of Grand Guignol theater. Other publishers eventually joined in, though Popular dominated
2914-575: The 1950s' most prolific horror-comics publisher, Atlas Comics , the decade's forerunner of Marvel Comics . While horror had been an element in 1940s superhero stories from the original predecessor company, Timely Comics , through the war years, "when zombies, vampires, werewolves, and even pythonmen were to be found working for the Nazis and the Japanese", the publisher entered the horror arena full-tilt with Amazing Mysteries #32 (May 1949), continuing
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3008-520: The Crypt , also tried their hands at horror. Titles like Skull ( Rip Off Press / Last Gasp , 1970–1972), Bogeyman ( Company & Sons / San Francisco Comic Book Company , 1969), Fantagor ( Richard Corben , 1970), Insect Fear ( Print Mint , 1970), Up From The Deep (Rip Off Press, 1971), Death Rattle ( Kitchen Sink Press , 1972), Gory Stories (Shroud, 1972), Deviant Slice (Print Mint, 1972) and Two-Fisted Zombies (Last Gasp, 1973) appeared in
3102-406: The Crypt . In 1947, publisher William Gaines had inherited what was then Educational Comics upon the death of his father, Maxwell Gaines . Three years later, Gaines and editor Al Feldstein introduced horror in two of the company's crime comics to test the waters. Finding them successful, the publisher quickly turned them and a Western series into EC's triumvirate of horror. Additionally,
3196-474: The Stars Fall", only final pages not in black and white), #224 "In nome del padre" (In Father's Name), #350 "Lacrime di pietra" ("Tears of Stone"), #361 "Mater Dolorosa" and #375 "Nel Mistero" ("To Mystery"), which celebrates the return of Tiziano Sclavi in writing the script. Dylan Dog is a penniless "nightmare investigator" ("L'indagatore dell'incubo") who defies the whole preceding horror tradition with
3290-747: The Tomb Harvey Comics ' Tomb of Terror, Witches Tales, and Chamber of Chills Magazine , Avon Comics ', Witchcraft , Ajax-Farrell Publications ' Fantastic Fears , Fawcett Publications ' Worlds of Fear and This Magazine Is Haunted , Charlton Comics ' The Thing , and a slew from Atlas Comics , including Adventures into Weird Worlds , Adventures into Terror , Menace , Journey into Mystery , and Strange Tales . Indeed, from 1949 through comics cover-dated March 1955, Atlas released 399 issues of 18 horror titles, ACG released 123 issues of five horror titles, and Ace Comics, 98 issues of five titles — each more than EC's output. In
3384-665: The United States in 1999, 2002 and 2009; a new edition was published by Epicenter Comics as of 2017. Sergio Bonelli Editore also released a limited English variant edition in 2018. The series has sold over 60 million copies worldwide, and is the second best-selling comic book in Italy after the Tex series, another publication by Sergio Bonelli Editore, with over 120,000 copies sold each month. The film Cemetery Man (original title: Dellamorte Dellamore , 1994) starring Rupert Everett ,
3478-493: The Unknown premiered, the comic-book company EC , which would become the most prominent horror-comics publisher of the 1950s, published its first horror story, "Zombie Terror", by the then relatively unknown writer and artist Johnny Craig , in the superhero comic Moon Girl #5. Almost simultaneously, Trans-World Publications issued its one-and-only comic, the one-shot Mysterious Traveler Comics #1 (November 1948), based on
3572-464: The bi-monthly reprint Grande ristampa was released. February 1997 saw the release of the Super Book , a tri-monthly release that reprinted the special annual issues that had come out ten years before. In August 2007, a new annual was released. Containing 4 new stories, the new comic book was called "Dylan Dog Color Fest" because it contained only stories full colored and not black and white like
3666-487: The black-and-white horror magazine business, mixing new material with reprints from pre- Comics Code horror comics, most notably in its flagship title Weird (1966–1981), as well as the magazines Tales of Voodoo (1968–1974), Horror Tales (1969–1979), Tales from the Tomb (1969–1975), and Terror Tales (1969–1979). Stanley Publications also published a line of black-and-white horror magazines from 1966 to 1971, including
3760-466: The classic tradition such as Frankenstein , Dracula , and other high-caliber literary works written by Edgar Allan Poe , Saki , Conan Doyle , and other respected authors whose works are read in schools around the world. Following this, Marvel returned to publishing true horror by first introducing a scientifically created, vampire-like character, Morbius, the Living Vampire , followed by
3854-475: The company folded in 1967. The publishers Gilberton , Dell Comics , and Gold Key Comics did not become signatories to the Comics Code, relying on their reputations as publishers of wholesome comic books. Classics Illustrated had adapted such horror novels as Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in comic book form, and quickly issued reprints with new, less gruesome covers. Dell began publishing
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3948-505: The covers until Dylan Dog No. 42 (1990), after which he was replaced by Angelo Stano . While Stano has also illustrated several stories, Villa has illustrated only a short one, in the seventh Dylan Dog Gigante . In 1994 Italian director Michele Soavi directed the film Dellamorte Dellamore (known abroad as Cemetery Man or Of Death and Love ), with a screenplay written by Giovanni Romoli and based on Tiziano Sclavi 's similarly titled novel. Francesco Dellamorte (his mother's surname
4042-500: The early 1970s. By the mid-1970s, the horror comics boomlet slowed and various titles were cancelled. Only a few of the DC titles persevered by the end of the decade, the long-running Gold Key mystery comic series ceased during the early 1980s, and some predominantly-reprint Charlton series managed to survive to the mid-1980s. DC's traditional titles sputtered out during the early 1980s, and its transformed anthology "Elvira's House of Mystery"
4136-649: The early scripting, writing a story a day with twist endings and poetic justice taken to absurd extremes. EC's success immediately spawned a host of imitators, such as Ziff-Davis ' and P.L. Publishing's Weird Adventures , St. John Publications ' Weird Horrors , Key Publications ' Weird Chills , Weird Mysteries and Weird Tales of the Future , Comic Media 's Weird Terror , Ziff-Davis' Weird Thrillers , and Star Publications ' Ghostly Weird Stories . Others included Quality Comics ' Web of Evil , Ace Comics ' Web of Mystery , Premier Magazines ' Horror from
4230-415: The entire comic book industry displayed murder, torture and sexual titillation for the reader's consideration. The most widely discussed art was that from "Foul Play", a horror story from EC about a dishonest baseball player whose head and intestines are used by his teammates in a game. Seduction of the Innocent sparked a firestorm of controversy and created alarm in parents, teachers and others interested in
4324-415: The field with Dime Mystery , Horror Stories , and Terror Tales . While most weird-menace stories were resolved with rational explanations, some involved the supernatural. After the fledgling medium of comic books became established by the late 1930s, horror-fiction elements began appearing in superhero stories, with vampires, misshapen creatures, mad scientists and other tropes that bore the influence of
4418-555: The film being set in New Orleans instead of London, the character of Groucho being replaced by an un-dead sidekick called Marcus due to issues for the production to acquire the rights to use the Groucho Marx name and style, another difference is Dylan Dog's Volkswagen Beetle being black with a white hood instead of the opposite like in the comic. The film also appears to be much lighter in tone and more action-oriented, lacking
4512-416: The first horror comic with original content. The first horror-comics series is the anthology Adventures into the Unknown , premiering in 1948 from American Comics Group , initially under the imprint B&I Publishing. The horror tradition in sequential-art narrative traces back to at least the 12th-century Heian period Japanese scroll "Gaki Zoshi", or the scroll of hungry ghosts (紙本著色餓鬼草紙) and
4606-760: The form that horror comics would take in the coming decades. Printed in color on high-quality paper stock despite a higher cover price, the series Twisted Tales and Alien Worlds were short-lived and hard-pressed to keep to a regular production schedule, but offered some of the most explicitly brutal and sexual stories yet to be widely distributed in a mainstream ("non-underground") format. Both series eventually moved to Eclipse Comics , which also produced similar titles such as The Twisted Tales of Bruce Jones and Alien Encounters (which they inherited from Fantaco). Later horror titles from DC's Vertigo line had more in common with these Pacific/Eclipse efforts, and more success, than DC's sporadic efforts to revive or maintain
4700-536: The horror comic Black Cat Mystery with issue #30 (August 1951). Horror comics briefly flourished from this point until the industry's self-imposed censorship board, the Comics Code Authority, was instituted in late 1954. The most influential and enduring horror-comics anthologies of this period, beginning 1950, were the 91 issues of EC Comics ' three series: The Haunt of Fear , The Vault of Horror and The Crypt of Terror , renamed Tales from
4794-437: The horror genre, claiming he was the first to publish such comics. He insisted that delinquency was the result of the real environment and not fictional reading materials. His defiant demeanor left the committee (which felt the industry was indefensible), astonished. He had prepared a statement that read in part, "It would be just as difficult to explain the harmless thrill of a horror story to Dr. Wertham as it would be to explain
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#17327930627714888-692: The horror theme. January 1993 saw the appearance of a new annual book, the Dylan Dog Gigante ("Giant-Size Dylan Dog"), so called because it was much larger than the monthly book and because it contained more stories. Dylan Dog maxi came out in July 1998. This was another annual release that collected together three previously unpublished stories. In October 1990 an irregularly numbered issue came out: Dylan Dog e Martin Mystère – Ultima Fermata: l'incubo! ( Dylan Dog and Martin Mystère – Last Stop: Nightmare! ). It presented an unpublished story in which
4982-457: The horror tradition in the mid-1960s, bypassing the Comics Code Authority restrictions by publishing magazine-sized black-and-white horror comics. Under the direction of line editor Archie Goodwin , Warren debuted the horror anthologies Creepy (1964–1983) and Eerie (1966–1983), followed by Vampirella , an anthology with a lead feature starring a sexy young female vampire. The low-rent Warren imitator Eerie Publications also jumped into
5076-500: The introduction of Dracula in Tomb of Dracula . This opened the floodgates for more horror titles, such as the anthology Supernatural Thrillers , Werewolf by Night , and two series in which Satan or a Satan-like lord of Hell figured, Ghost Rider and the feature " Son of Satan ." In addition, following Warren Publishing 's longtime lead, Marvel's parent company in 1971 began a black-and-white magazine imprint , which published
5170-422: The late 1940s, comic books – particularly crime comics – had become the target of mounting public criticism for their content and their potentially harmful effects on children, with "accusations from several fronts [that] charged comic books with contributing to the rising rates of juvenile delinquency ." Many city and county ordinances had banned some publications, though these were effectively overturned with
5264-468: The licensed TV series comic book Twilight Zone in 1961 and publishing a Dracula title in 1962 (though only the first issue was horror related; the subsequent issues were part of the super-hero genre revival), followed in 1963 by the new series "Ghost Stories." Gold Key, in addition to releasing Boris Karloff Thriller , based on the TV series Thriller (and retitled Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery after
5358-734: The literary horror tales of Edgar Allan Poe or other writers, or stories from the pulps and radio programs. The single-issue Harvey Comics anthologies Front Page Comic Book (1945), bearing a cover with a knife-wielding, skeletal ghoul, and Strange Story (July 1946), introduced writer-artist Bob Powell 's character the Man in Black, an early comic-book example of the type of omniscient-observer host used in such contemporary supernatural and suspense radio dramas as Inner Sanctum , Suspense , and The Whistler . As cultural historian David Hajdu notes, comic-book horror: ...had its roots in
5452-852: The mid-1990s Harris Publications also revived Vampirella , and Marvel, after mostly taking the 1980s off, published its " Midnight Sons " line of horror comics that included such series as a revived Ghost Rider , Nightstalkers , Darkhold: Pages from the Book of Sins and Midnight Sons Unlimited . In addition to its long-running titles carried over from the 1990s, Vertigo published more conventional horror, like vampires in Bite Club (beginning in 2004), and Vamps . In addition, from 1999 to 2001 they published their own horror anthology , Flinch . At Image Comics , Robert Kirkman has created The Walking Dead . Steve Niles predominantly writes horror comics, and his 30 Days of Night has spawned
5546-620: The moment their parents left the room. Wertham warned of suspicious stores and their clandestine back rooms where second hand comics of the worst sort were peddled to children. The language used evoked images of children prowling about gambling dens and whorehouses, and anxious parents felt helpless in the face of such a powerful force as the comics industry. Excerpts from the book were published in Ladies' Home Journal and Reader's Digest , lending respectability and credibility to Wertham's arguments. A 14-page portfolio of panels and covers from across
5640-521: The nightmare investigator teamed up with another famous Bonelli character, Martin Mystère . Alfredo Castelli and Tiziano Sclavi wrote and plotted this story, and Giovanni Freghieri did the drawings. The story had a sequel in 1992. The first reprint series came out in July 1990, the second in June 1991, and the third in June 1996, this time called Collezione Book ( Collection Book ); in October 2006
5734-711: The numbering of the defunct superhero series Sub-Mariner Comics , followed by the superhero anthology Marvel Mystery Comics becoming the horror series Marvel Tales with #93 (August 1949) and the final two issues of Captain America Comics becoming the mostly horror-fiction Captain America's Weird Tales #74-75 (October 1949 & February 1950) — the latter of which did not contain Captain America at all. Harvey Comics followed suit with its costumed-crimefighter comic Black Cat by reformatting it as
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#17327930627715828-425: The pernicious influence of comic books upon children. His passionate testimony at the hearings impressed the gathering. Kefauver suggested crime comics indoctrinated children in a way similar to Nazi propaganda. Wertham noted Hitler was a beginner compared to the comics industry. Publisher William Gaines appeared before the committee and vigorously defended his product and the industry. He took full responsibility for
5922-520: The protagonist, Francesco Dellamorte, while Italian model and actress Anna Falchi played the female lead. Although having Everett in the main role, the Dylan Dog character did not appear in the movie. Kevin Munroe has directed Dylan Dog: Dead of Night , an official American film adaptation of Dylan Dog starring actor Brandon Routh as the title character. Differences between the comic result in
6016-785: The pulps, where narratives of young women assaulted by 'weird menaces' ... had filled magazines such as Terror Tales and Horror Stories for years. Variations on gothic fright had also appeared in several comics— Suspense Comics (which began in 1943), Yellowjacket (which included eight horror stories, billed as "Tales of Terror", in its run of ten issues, beginning in 1944), and Eerie (which had one issue published in 1947). Issue #7 (December 1940) of publisher Prize Comics ' flagship title, Prize Comics , introduced writer-artist Dick Briefer 's eight-page feature " New Adventures of Frankenstein ", an updated version of novelist Mary Shelley 's much-adapted Frankenstein monster . Called "America's first ongoing comic book series to fall squarely within
6110-617: The regular series. In 2010 it became bi-annual (coming out in April and August every year). By 2016, each album would contain 3 colored stories – even though some albums also contain one individual story – and it would get published each number every three months. In November 2018, the 27th album will be released. Dylan Dog (like all Sergio Bonelli comic books) is printed in black and white. However, there are some issues that came out full colored to celebrate certain anniversaries. These include numbers that are multiple of 100, decade anniversaries of
6204-466: The revival of Kitchen Sink's Death Rattle , followed a year later by the debut of FantaCo's horror anthology Gore Shriek , edited by Stephen R. Bissette , who also contributed stories to each issue. Bissette also edited the acclaimed anthology Taboo , which ran from 1988 to 1995. In 1982, Pacific Comics produced two series that, while admittedly inspired by the EC Comics of the 1950s, foresaw
6298-495: The same year Castelli began his cooperation with publisher Sergio Bonelli , writing stories for Zagor and Mister No . Two years later, he submitted the idea for a new series to Bonelli based on a New York researcher who investigated scientific mysteries: after two years of gestation, in 1982 he created Martin Mystère . The series, initially drawn by Giancarlo Alessandrini , marked a turning point in Italian popular comics history, introducing modern and sophisticated themes in
6392-418: The series Cappuccetto a Pois with Maria Perego and the screenplay for the movie Il tunnel sotto il mondo . In 1969 he contributed to the humor magazine Tilt . A year later, together with Pier Carpi , Castelli created Horror magazine, in which he published his strip Zio Boris . He then joined the staff of Il Corriere dei Ragazzi as editor/artist/writer. For this magazine he created L'Ombra ,
6486-464: The series and other rare occasions. The first full colored issue was # 100, titled "La storia di Dylan Dog" ("The Story of Dylan Dog"), which told the final chapter of the adventure of Dylan. It was written by Tiziano Sclavi with drawings by Angel Stano. Color issue 121, "Finché morte non vi separi" (Till Death Do Us Part) celebrated the 10th birthday. Issue number 200 "Il Numero 200" ("The Number 200"), written by Paola Barbato with art by Bruno Brindisi,
6580-546: The series has reached the number 300, entitled "Ritratto di famiglia" ("Family Portrait"). In August 1987 a special annual release was added to the monthly series, called Numero Speciale ( Special Issue ), with one story longer than usual and, in addition, small extra books on various horror -related subjects. Another annual release was added in March 1991, L'almanacco della paura ("The Almanac of Fear"): together with Dylan Dog stories, it includes articles and curiosities about film, literature, and other topics, all related to
6674-1149: The series has sold over 60 million copies worldwide. The series is also published in Croatia by Ludens, in Serbia by Veseli Četvrtak and Expik Publications, in North Macedonia by M-comics, in Denmark by Shadow Zone Media, in the Netherlands by Silvester, in Poland by Tore, in Spain by Aleta Ediciones, in Sweden by Ades Media, in Turkey by Rodeo and Hoz Comics, in Greece by Mamouth Comix, Jemma Press and Mikros Iros Publications and in Mexico by Panini Comics . American publisher Dark Horse Comics released an English translation of
6768-651: The series will be faithful to the comics, and that they were preparing the casting. Horror comics Precursors to horror comics include detective and crime comics that incorporated horror motifs into their graphics, and early superhero stories that sometimes included the likes of ghouls and vampires. Individual horror stories appeared as early as 1940. The first dedicated horror comic books appear to be Gilberton Publications ' Classic Comics #13 (August 1943), with its full-length adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson 's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde , and Avon Publications ' anthology Eerie #1 (January 1947),
6862-497: The severed head of a blond woman. Mr. Gaines replied: 'Yes, I do—for the cover of a horror comic.' Though the committee's final report did not blame comics for crime, it recommended that the comics industry tone down its content voluntarily. By 1953, nearly a quarter of all comic books published were horror titles. In the hearings' immediate aftermath, several publishers revamped their schedules and drastically censored or cancelled many long-running comic series. In September 1954,
6956-536: The show went off the air), bought the Twilight Zone license from Dell in 1962. In 1965 Gold Key put out three licensed horror-themed comics, two based on the TV horror-comedies The Addams Family and The Munsters , and the other titled Ripley's Believe it or Not! , which had three different subtitles: "True Ghost Stories," "True War Stories" (#1 and #5), and "True Demons & Monsters" (#7, #10, #19, #22, #25, #26, and #29). Warren Publishing continued
7050-538: The strip Scheletrino , a humor series for Italian comic book Diabolik , when he was only 16 years old. In 1966, with Paolo Sala , he created Comics Club 104 , the first Italian fanzine dedicated to comics. A year later Castelli started writing scripts for several Italian comic books, including Pedrito el Drito and Piccola Eva published by Universo, Cucciolo and Tiramolla for Edizioni Alpe , and Topolino for Mondadori. Castelli then expanded into television, writing several advertisements as well as
7144-477: The sublimity of love to a frigid old maid." Crime Suspenstories , issue 22, April/May 1954, was entered into evidence. The exchange between Gaines and Kefauver led to a front-page story in The New York Times : He was asked by Senator Estes Kefauver, Democrat of Tennessee, if he considered in "good taste" the cover of his Shock SuspenStories , which depicted an axe-wielding man holding aloft
7238-660: The superhero comic Moon Girl , which had become the romance comic A Moon...a Girl...Romance , became the primarily science fiction anthology Weird Fantasy . For the next four years, sardonic horror hosts the Old Witch , the Vault Keeper and The Crypt Keeper introduced stories drawn by such top artists and soon-to-be-famous newcomers as Johnny Craig , Reed Crandall , Jack Davis , Graham Ingels (who signed his work "Ghastly"), Jack Kamen , Bernard Krigstein , Harvey Kurtzman , and Wally Wood . Feldstein did most of
7332-484: The surreal feeling, the black humour and the melancholy of the comic book, and the Dylan character is portrayed like more of a scientist-adventurer in the vein of Indiana Jones , rather than the romantic loner he is in the comics. Accordingly, Dylan's physical appearance changes to that of a muscular action hero rather than the slightly built in the comics. It was originally going to premiere on Halloween 2010 in Italy but
7426-458: The title and the character as he saw fit. Moore reconfigured Swamp Thing's origin to make him a true monster as opposed to a human transformed into a monster. Moore's (and artists Stephen R. Bissette and John Totleben 's) Swamp Thing was a critical and commercial success, and in 1988 spun off the ongoing series Hellblazer , starring occult detective John Constantine . In 1993, DC introduced its mature-readers Vertigo line, which folded in
7520-644: The title to its horror roots with issue #175 (July/August 1968); a similar transformation was made to House of Secrets and The Unexpected (formerly " Tales of the Unexpected "), with the company debuting a new title, The Witching Hour . In 1971, the Comics Code Authority relaxed some of its longstanding rules regarding horror comics, which opened the door to more possibilities in the genre: Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with, walking dead or torture shall not be used. Vampires, ghouls and werewolves shall be permitted to be used when handled in
7614-572: The title went dormant, but reappeared in 1951 as Eerie , beginning with a new #1 and running 17 issues (1951 - September 1954). Goulart identifies the long-running Adventures into the Unknown (Fall 1948 - August 1967), from American Comics Group , initially under the imprint B&I Publishing, as "the first continuing-series horror comic". The first two issues, which included art by Fred Guardineer and others, featured horror stories of ghosts, werewolves, haunted houses, killer puppets and other supernatural beings and locales. The premiere included
7708-469: The titles Strange Tales (1951–1968) and Journey into Mystery (1952–1966). Each company gradually changed from suspense stories toward fantasy, science fiction and monster stories, and then to related superhero characters during the years after the code came into effect. Charlton Comics' suspense titles, such as Unusual Tales, persisted to the mid-1960s. ACG titles Adventures into the Unknown and Unknown Worlds thrived during this Silver Age period until
7802-552: The titles Shock and Chilling Tales of Horror . A number of supernatural mystery / suspense titles were introduced in the latter half of the 1960s, including Charlton Comics ' Ghostly Tales , The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves , and Ghost Manor ; and Marvel Comics ' Chamber of Darkness / Monsters on the Prowl and Tower of Shadows/Creatures on the Loose . At DC Comics , new House of Mystery editor Joe Orlando returned
7896-582: The traditional horror comic title (e.g. Elvira's House of Mystery ). Wasteland (DC Comics) was a pre-vertigo, non-Code horror series from DC in the late 1980s. In 1982, DC Comics revived the Swamp Thing series, attempting to capitalize on the summer 1982 release of the Wes Craven film of the same name . In 1984, Briton Alan Moore took over the writing chores on the title, and when Karen Berger became editor, she gave Moore free rein to revamp
7990-402: The usual first piece of advice he gives to numerous clients who have found themselves in his study over the years is to go to a psychiatrist or psychologist. He does not believe in coincidences. He is also a hopeless romantic who loves and loses a new woman in nearly every issue. In fact, in a majority of his cases, his clients are women, with whom he often has a sexual relationship. The series
8084-478: The welfare of children; the concerned were galvanized into campaigning for censorship. Public criticism brought matters to a head. In 1954, anti-crime crusader Estes Kefauver led the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency . Dr. Wertham insisted upon appearing before the committee. He first presented a long list of his credentials, and then, in his clipped German accent, spoke with authority on
8178-484: The whole preceding horror tradition with a vein of surrealism and an anti-bourgeois rhetoric. Dylan is supported mainly by his trusty sidekick Groucho (a Groucho Marx lookalike) who adds humour to this grisly genre and Dylan's sombre temperament. The series is mainly set in London , where the protagonist lives, though he occasionally travels elsewhere. Dark Horse Comics has published the English version of Dylan Dog in
8272-709: Was Dellamore) – a sort of Italian alter ego for Dylan Dog – appears for the first time in the third special issue of Dylan Dog, Orrore nero ( Black Horror ), released July 1989, in which he met the Nightmare Detective, but Sclavi's novel was written before the special issue. Francesco Dellamorte also appears in a short (comic book) sequel to Orrore nero, entitled Stelle cadenti ( Falling stars ), where Dylan, Groucho, Francesco and Gnaghi are walking together during saint Lawrence's night, watching shooting stars and talking about life and death. English actor Rupert Everett , who inspired Dylan Dog's design, played
8366-605: Was also full colored and was the "sequel" of number 121 and the "prequel" of the very first issue ("Dawn of the Living Dead"). It tells what happened after Dylan's wife dies and how he became the "nightmare investigator". Issue 241 and 242 celebrated the 20th birthday of the series. Also in color was Sclavi and Brindisi's #250, "Ascensore per l'inferno" (literally "Elevator to Hell"). The next full colored issue would be #300, "Ritratto di famiglia" ("Family Picture"). Other coloured issues are number #131 "Quando cadono le stelle" ("When
8460-402: Was loosely based on the comics, but its main reference was Tiziano Sclavi's novel Dellamorte Dellamore . A direct American film adaptation, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night , starring Brandon Routh , was instead released in 2011, although it was significantly different from the source material. A television series based on the comics is also in development. Dylan Dog was created by Tiziano Sclavi ,
8554-557: Was published in December 2019. It was published in English by DC Comics on 12 March 2024. Italian author Umberto Eco said: "I can read the Bible, Homer , or Dylan Dog for several days without being bored." Dylan Dog is the second most widely sold comic book in Italy (the first one is another publication of Sergio Bonelli Editore, Tex ): including both reprints and new stories, it sells over 120,000 copies each month. As of 2017,
8648-578: Was since pushed back to a 29 April 2011 release. The film has been produced by the independent company Platinum Studios . A television series based on the comics, produced by James Wan and his production company Atomic Monster , was announced by Sergio Bonelli Editore in August 2018. In December 2022, Wan stated that the series was still in development, and that he was also working with the publishing house to find investors. On 2 June 2023, Michele Masiero, editorial director of Sergio Bonelli Editore, said that
8742-601: Was the final code-approved traditional anthology title to be produced, lasting only a dozen issues around 1987. As these and Warren publications disappeared, new titles from the 1980s onward would all be in new formats (i.e. glossy paper, not code-approved) or sporadically produced by small independent companies. Beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s, independent publishers produced a number of successful horror comics franchises. FantaCo Enterprises and Millennium Publications boasted lineups almost exclusively devoted to horror, vampire, and zombie comics. For instance, 1985 saw
8836-573: Was the provisional name Scalvi gave to his characters during the creation phase of his books before completing them. Dylan Dog series debuted in October 1986 with a comic book entitled "L'alba dei morti viventi" ("Dawn of the Living Dead"), plotted and scripted by Tiziano Sclavi and illustrated by Angelo Stano ; it proved to be a huge publishing success in the years to come. May 2003 saw the publication of Issue 200, entitled "Il numero duecento" ("The Number Two-Hundred"), plotted and scripted by Paola Barbato and drawn by Bruno Brindisi . In August 2011,
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