Frank Frazetta’s Final Comic Book Story in Creepy #1

This is where so much of it all began. Creepy Magazine, launched by Warren in 1964 as a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format to evade the strictures of the Comics Code Authority, with sister publications Eerie and Vampirella, a horror anthology with stories introduced by the magazine’s host, Uncle Creepy. Created by Russ Jones, with Joe Orlando as illustrator and story editor, Archie Goodwin soon took over the managing editor role, and brought in the likes of Neal Adams, Dan Adkins, Reed Crandall, Johnny Craig, Steve Ditko, Frank Frazetta, Gray Morrow, John Severin, Angelo Torres, Alex Toth, Al Williamson and Wally Wood.

In the seventies, Creepy would introduce the artists of the Barcelona Studio of Spanish agency Selecciones Illustrada including the likes of Esteban Maroto, Jaime Brocal, Rafael Aura León, Martin Salvador, Luis García, Fernando Fernández, José González, José Beá, Isidro Monés, Sanjulián, and Enrich Torres as well as Valencia Studios artists José Ortiz, Luis Bermejo, and Leopold Sánchez Bas well as new writers Gerry Boudreau, Budd Lewis, Jim Stenstrum, Steve Skeates and Doug Moench, 

Louise Jones– later Louise Simonson – would edit a long stretch in the seventies and early eighties before moving to Marvel.  Former DC Comics publisher Carmine Infantino became editor and drew dozens of stories while also opening up the American market to artists from the Philippines such as Alex Niño, Alfredo Alcala and Rudy Nebres, while other recurring writers included Bruce Jones, Bob Toomey and Roger McKenzie, until the magazine closed in 1983.

Creepy changed modern-day comics from outside the strictures of the market and brought familiar names and faces into the industry. And now a copy of the very first issue of I is up for auction at Heritage Auctions in a 7.0 CGC grade, with current bids totalling $81. Including the story Werewolf! by Frank Frazetta, his last full comic book story, before he turned to cover art. Werewolf! tells the story of a hunter is hired by an African village to track a creature they believe to be a legendary demon, written by Larry Ivie and the 6 pages pencilled and inked by Frazetta. It also contains stories by Joe Orlando, Al Williamson, Reed Crandall, George Evans, Gray Morrow, and Angelo Torres.

Creepy #1 (Warren, 1964) CGC FN/VF 7.0 Off-white to white pages. Warren’s first full-length horror comic magazine. First appearance of Uncle Creepy. Cover by Jack Davis. Interior art by Frank Frazetta (believed to be his last full-length comic book story), Joe Orlando, Al Williamson, Reed Crandall, George Evans, Gray Morrow, and Angelo Torres. Overstreet 2022 FN 6.0 value = $54; VF 8.0 value = $124. CGC census 3/23: 56 in 7.0, 363 higher.

Affiliates of Bleeding Cool buy from and/or consign to Heritage Auctions.