Monsters Unleashed #1

History

Monsters Unleashed was published under the Magazine Management imprint and distributed by Curtis Circulation Company, whose logo — rather than the Marvel brand — appeared on the cover, a deliberate separation from the Comics Code-governed newsstand comics. The series was edited by Roy Thomas for its first six issues, and the debut issue was produced during Thomas's concurrent tenure as Marvel's editor-in-chief; it ran on a bi-monthly schedule. The issue's lead Solomon Kane story, 'Skulls in the Stars,' was adapted by Thomas with art by Ralph Reese, an artist whose background in underground comics gave the strip an unusually gritty and atmospheric quality distinct from Marvel's house style. The cover for issue #1 was painted by Gray Morrow, one of a roster of illustrators including Boris Vallejo, Neal Adams, and Frank Brunner who gave the Curtis magazines their distinctive fully-painted cover look.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First Marvel Comics appearance of Solomon Kane, Robert E. Howard's 16th-century Puritan witch-hunter, in 'Skulls in the Stars' — adapted by Roy Thomas with art by Ralph Reese.
• 'Skulls in the Stars' is an adaptation of Howard's prose story of the same name, originally published in Weird Tales (January 1929).
• Cover art for issue #1 was painted by Gray Morrow.
• Published under the Magazine Management / Curtis Magazines imprint, distributed by Curtis Circulation Company; the magazine format placed it outside the Comics Code Authority's jurisdiction.
• Roy Thomas edited the series for its first six issues; the magazine ran 11 issues total (1973–1975) plus one annual, on a bi-monthly schedule.
• The lead story, 'The Man Who Cried Werewolf,' is adapted from a short story by horror writer Robert Bloch ('The Man Who Cried Wolf') and was later reprinted in Masters of Terror #2.
• The issue also includes a reprint from Journey Into Mystery #1 and a 'World of Warlocks' story, the latter of which was reprinted in Monsters Unleashed Annual #1.
• The series ran alongside sister Curtis horror titles Dracula Lives!, Tales of the Zombie, and Vampire Tales — all launched in 1973 as part of Marvel's concerted push into the black-and-white magazine market.

Full credits