VAMPIRELLA NO. 3 (PART 1)

VAMPIRELLA
Vol. 1 No. 3
January 1969
Warren Publishing Company
Publisher: James Warren
Editor: Bill Parente
Cover: Larry Todd and Vaughn Bode
Pages: 66
Cover price: 50 cents

What better way to celebrate Women's Equality Day here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD than with an issue starring the fabulous femme, Vampirella? This issue (#3) has remained in the collector's category of "rare" for years because of its low distribution.

The cover by the dynamic 70's duo Todd & Bode in my opinion would have been much more striking if it had been printed as a full-bleed image with the titles over it. The interior stories and art are all, by Warren's standards at the time, average fare with nice work by Tom Sutton, Billy Graham and Jack Sparling (we saw some of his illustration in last week's NATIONAL LAMPOON post). Dick Piscopo had an interesting style and his work was used off and on by Warren. Later, Piscopo also did work for Charlton horror comics.

Also notable in this issue is the appearance by a certain scripter by the name of Al Hewetson, who would soon become the force behind the Skywald horror titles. There's a couple of provocative panels showing Lucy Fuhr in her see-through satanic negligee, and the last story of the issue, "A Slimy Situation" has what could only be interpreted as a near-rape scene involving a half-naked woman and a -- wait for it -- possum! Or, maybe I just have a twisted mind? 

CONTENTS
"Vampi's Feary Tales"
Script: Forrest J Ackerman
Art: Dick Piscopo

"Wicked is Who Wicked Does!"
Script: Bill Parente
Art: Tom Sutton

"4--3--2--1 Blast Off to a Nightmare!"
Script: Al Hewetson
Art: Jack Sparling

"Eleven Footsteps to Lucy Fuhr"
Script: Terri Abrahms (story); Nick Beal (adaptation)
Art: Ed Robbins

"I Wake Up. . . Screaming!"
Script: Billy Graham
Art: Billy Graham

"The Calegia!"
Script: Nicola Cuti
Art: Dick Piscopo

"Didn't I See You On Television?"
Script: Billy Graham
Art: Billy Graham

"A Slimy Situation"
Script: R. Michael Rosen
Art: Jack Sparling

Concludes on Wednesday!