If you missed the last one…
Change is in the air. Sword & Sorcery, that most cherished of things in the early 1970s, has become old-hat. Don’t believe me? Consider the number of Sword & Sorcery covers on Warren’s three magazines? Only one in eleven issues. Even the number of S&S stories is down, 11 from 17 the year before.
“El Cid: Demon’s Treasure” is the last of that series. There would be no more gorgeous Dak/El Cid type series. Merlin shows up one time but the old days of Esteban and Dax are behind us. Like 1974, the magazine seems more interested in Horror. And another factor in this period of Star Wars is the rise of Science Fiction. Chasing that new market will see the creation of 1984 the following year. Let’s not forget, 1977 was also the year of Heavy Metal’s first issue. Warren has new competition, in color, and with far more graphic sexual content. So let us enjoy this last swelling of S&S before everything changes…
“El Cid: Demon’s Treasure” (Eerie #71, January 1976) written by Budd Lewis.
“Day Of The Vampire 1992: The Tombspawn” (Eerie #73, March 1976) written by Bill DuBay.
“Merlin: A Secret King” (Eerie #74, May 1976) written by Budd Lewis.
“The Castle, The Dungeon And All” (Vampirella #51, May 1976) written by Gerry Boudreau.
“Wings of Vengeance” (Creepy # 81, June 1976) written by Bill DuBay and Esteban Maroto.
“Jackie And The Leprechaun King” (Vampirella #53, August 1976) written by Bill DuBay.
“Rusty Bucklers” (Vampirella #57, January 1977) written by Bruce Jones.
“The Sleeping Beauty” (Vampirella #58, March 1977) written by Bill DuBay & Esteban Maroto is a stunning return for the master of the Spanish style. Double-paged images throughout this fairy tale retelling.
“Fallen Angels” (Vampirella #60, May 1977) written by Bill DuBay.
“Iron Man” (Creepy #88,Ā May 1977) written by Bill DuBay.
“Eye For An Eye, Fang For a Fang” (Creepy #88, May 1977 ) written by Doug Moench.
“The Enchanting Fable Of Thistlewhite The Bold” (Vampirella #61, July 1977)written by Bill DuBay.
“Gamal and the Cockatrice” (Creepy #91, August 1977) written by Bruce Bezaire.
“Goddess in a Kingdom of Trolls” (Creepy #92, September 1977) written by Gerry Boudreau.
Conclusion
Esteban Maroto re-established himself as the Sword & Sorcery artist at Warren for 1977. He tried some new things like the full page Fairy Tales that remind me of Tom Sutton’s work years before. It was fun to see Doug Moench, Carmine Infantino and Ernie Chan freelancing away from Marvel for a story. Russ Heath is always a favorite too. These two stand out in a sea of Spanish ink.
Next time…1984, no, I mean 1978….
