Mark Spears Monsters #1

Sep 2024 · Keenspot Entertainment · 5.99 USD

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“Part 1 - The Return”

About this Issue

Mark Spears Monsters #1 marks the formal debut in comic-book form of an entire original universe of characters — including the Slayer, Bryan Macintosh, Joe Skorzeny, Crowley, Ilsa, and Clint Abbott — none of whom had appeared in sequential-art storytelling prior to this issue's September 2024 publication. The book is notable as a rare modern example of a completely creator-owned horror series that grew organically out of a prior non-comics medium: a self-published Kickstarter trading card line, making the jump to ongoing comics through Keenspot Entertainment. By weaving public-domain classic monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Werewolf) together with an entirely original cast of human hunters and criminals in an early-1980s setting, Spears carved out a distinct creative niche in the post-Universal-horror revival era of indie comics. The series grew rapidly enough that a Vol. 1 hardcover collecting the first four issues was subsequently distributed through Simon & Schuster, giving an independent Keenspot title mainstream bookstore reach.

writer, artist, inker, colorist Mark Spears · letterer Micah Meyers · cover Mark Spears

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (NM) $45

CGC 9.8 · 2096 in census $315

CGC 9.6 · 191 in census $181*

CGC 9.4 · 52 in census $148*

CGC 9.2 · 19 in census $130*

CGC 9.0 · 9 in census $120*

CGC 8.5 · 7 in census $95*

Show all 9 grades ▾

CGC 8.0 · 5 in census $52*

CGC 7.5 none in existence

CGC 7.0 · 1 in census $37*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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History

The Monsters property began not on the comics page but as a series of Kickstarter-funded retro-style trading cards first launched around 2020–2021 by Spears Art LLC, Huntsville, AL, with the artist citing Famous Monsters of Filmland cover painter Basil Gogos as a key stylistic influence. After multiple successful card campaigns — and Rondo Hatton Horror Award recognition, including a 2020 Artist of the Year win — Spears partnered with Keenspot Entertainment to adapt the property into an ongoing comic series, serving as sole writer, artist, and cover artist throughout. The first issue shipped to comic shops on September 18, 2024 (Diamond/Previews order code JUL241773), and demand prompted at least four printings of #1 as well as a substantial wave of retailer-exclusive variant covers from shops including Ultimate Comics, NC Comicon, Nirvana Comics, and Borderlands Comics.

Trivia · 8 facts

First comic-book appearances of original characters: the Slayer (retired monster hunter protagonist), Bryan Macintosh and Joe Skorzeny (the two detective figures), Crowley, Ilsa, and Clint Abbott all debut in this issue.
Classic public-domain monsters appearing in issue #1 include Dracula (in a supporting role) and cameos by Frankenstein's Monster, Bride of Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Werewolf — all reimagined within Spears's original continuity.
Mark Spears is the sole creator on the issue — writer, interior artist, and cover artist — with Micah Myers serving as letterer on the series.
The series is set in the early 1980s and the first story arc is titled 'All That Remains,' spanning at least the first four issues later collected in the Vol. 1 hardcover (Simon & Schuster distribution).
The comic is a direct adaptation of Spears's own Kickstarter trading card line, which launched circa 2020–2021 and featured 72+ monster art cards in a retro 1970s–80s style influenced by Famous Monsters of Filmland cover artist Basil Gogos.
Spears holds multiple Rondo Hatton Horror Award nominations, including a 2020 Artist of the Year win, recognized for his monster-themed artwork prior to the comic series launch.
Issue #1 received at least four distinct printings and a large number of retailer-exclusive variant covers, including homage covers to Star Wars, X-Men #1, Spider-Man's Torment, and EC Comics, reflecting strong initial sell-through at the direct market level.
A printing-error variant of issue #1 exists, noted on Key Collector Comics, distinguished by an ink artifact that creates the appearance of a mole on a female character's upper arm on the cover.