After the 10 issues of MONSTER WORLD published between 1964 and 1966, it wasn't until 1978 that Warren attempted another companion to the steadfastly successful FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. Actually, it is not entirely clear that Warren intended to create another magazine or if he just wanted to secure the rights to use the title, HOUSE OF HORROR, for a future project that was spinning around in his ever-entrepreneurial mind. The UK publisher, Top Sellers, had designs on using the title for a US version of their horror magazine line when Warren stepped in and kibosh-ed it.
What came after was another ashcan edition of hasty pudding whipped up in the Warren kitchen with retreads of articles from FAMOUS MONSTERS and two movie-tie ins (see MMW post HERE to view the issue). The magazine was sold from a mail order ad in the pages of FM for $1.00 (even though the cover price is 50 cents). Most sources state that the print run was around 400 copies, so the limited nature of the magazine makes it one of the rarer Warren publications.
Shown here is the uncredited Sanjulian-esque cover art from HOUSE OF HORROR #1 (1978), now up for bidding at auction. The striking 13" x 20" work, called "soulful" by the auctioneer, is rendered in oil on Masonite and is not signed. The original image was flipped horizontally for the cover of HOUSE OF HORROR, and again, when it was used as the cover for FAMOUS MONSTERS #180 (1982). Of course, the inspiration for the image came from a publicity still of Boris Karloff, made up by genius Jack P. Pierce, for his role in THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935).
A rare piece of horror history here, fellow Monsterologists!
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| The entire painted image. |
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| HOUSE OF HORROR #1 |
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| FAMOUS MONSTERS #180. |
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| Publicity still from BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN by Jack Freulich. |
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