Warren Publishing The Legacy of Horror and Fantasy Magazines

Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren, who entered the publishing world in 1957 and remained a prominent figure in the industry for decades. The company became renowned for its high-quality black-and-white horror and fantasy magazines, which allowed them to bypass the restrictive censorship of the era.

Publishing History and Founding

The company's initial publications were Famous Monsters of Filmland and Monster World, both edited by the legendary Forrest J Ackerman. These magazines focused on horror-fantasy and science fiction movie magazines. Warren soon expanded his portfolio with Spacemen and, in 1960, Help! magazine, where Gloria Steinem was the first employee.

Bypassing the Comics Code Authority

In 1964, Warren introduced "Monster Comics" in Monster World, leading to the expansion into horror-comics stories in the sister magazines Creepy and Eerie. These were published in a standard magazine format (8½" x 11") rather than the traditional comic-book size, and were sold for 35 cents. This strategic move was designed to avoid the restrictions of the Comics Code Authority (CCA), the industry's self-censorship body.

James Warren explained that the CCA made comics "clean, proper and family-oriented," which limited creative freedom. By positioning Creepy and Eerie as magazines rather than comic books, Warren was able to produce more mature, graphic stories that appealed to an older audience. This approach paved the way for later graphic-story magazines like Heavy Metal and Marvel's Epic Illustrated.

Editorial Leadership and Growth

Russ Jones was the founding editor of Creepy in 1964, followed by Archie Goodwin, who helped establish the company as a leader in the field. Between 1965 and 1966, the company also published Blazing Combat, a controversial anti-war themed war-comics magazine.

Vampirella and International Artists

After a period of instability and a move from Philadelphia to New York City, the company saw a resurgence in 1969 with the premiere of Vampirella. During this time, the company began utilizing artists from the Barcelona studio of Spanish agency Selecciones Illustrada, and later from Valencia. Spanish artists soon dominated the magazines, bringing a unique aesthetic to the Warren publications.

In 1973, editor Bill DuBay transformed the magazines to create a uniform style. By 1974, Warren Publishing was dissolved and replaced by Warren Communications, a sister company founded by James Warren in 1972. Under DuBay's leadership, the frequency of the magazines increased to nine issues per year.

Line Expansion in the 1970s

The Spirit and Other Titles

In 1974, Bill DuBay oversaw the revival of Will Eisner's The Spirit, reprinting the 1940s and 50s newspaper supplements for a new generation. The company also debuted Comix International, a color magazine reprinting earlier Warren stories. Toward the end of the 1970s, the company published the science-fiction anthology 1984 (later renamed 1994) and The Rook, starring a time-traveling adventurer.

Throughout this era, the company's editorial staff included figures like Louise Jones and Carmine Infantino, and the company began incorporating artists from the Philippines, further diversifying its visual style.