| Chamber of Chills | |
|---|---|
 Chamber of Chills #23 (May 1954), cover-art credits uncertain. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Harvey Publications |
| Schedule | Bimonthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Publication date | June 1951 — December 1954 |
| No. of issues | 26 |
| Creative team | |
| Artist(s) | Bob Powell Warren Kremer Lee Elias Rudy Palais Howard Nostrand |
Chamber of Chills is the name of two anthology horror comic books, one published by Harvey Publications in the early 1950s, the other by Marvel Comics in the 1970s.
The first Chamber of Chills was a 10-cent horror anthology published bimonthly by Harvey Publications that ran 26 issues (cover-dated June 1951 - Dec. 1954). [1]
Artists included Bob Powell, Lee Elias, Rudy Palais, Howard Nostrand, and Warren Kremer. Issue #7 is mentioned in Dr. Fredric Wertham's 1954 indictment of comic books Seduction of the Innocent (p. 389). Chamber ceased publication following the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency hearings of 1954. Harvey Comics then began concentrating on titles for young children, including Little Dot and Richie Rich .
Chamber of Chills was formerly Blondie Comics, taking over that comic's numbering with issue #21. After issue #24 (Dec. 1951), the numbering was reset to #1. Chamber of Chills became Chamber of Clues with the February 1955 issue, and ceased publication two issues later, the last cover-dated April 1955.
An unrelated comic-book series titled Chamber of Chills was published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s. It ran 25 issues (Nov. 1972 - Nov. 1976).
The title was one of four launched by Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Roy Thomas to form a line of science fiction and horror anthologies with more thematic cohesiveness than the company's earlier attempts that decade, [2] which had included such series as Chamber of Darkness and Tower of Shadows . Whereas those titles generally presented original stories, these new books would instead adapt genre classics and other works.
With the four titles' debuts set to be staggered over the course of four months, Marvel premiered Journey into Mystery vol. 2 (Oct. 1972), Chamber of Chills (Nov. 1972), Supernatural Thrillers (Dec. 1972), and, with a late start, Worlds Unknown (May 1973). The first issue features an original six-page story by science fiction novelist George Alec Effinger, "Moon of Madness, Moon of Fear", penciled by P. Craig Russell (then credited as Craig Russell), and a slightly retitled adaptation of the Harlan Ellison short story "Delusions for a Dragon Slayer", by writer Gerry Conway and artist Syd Shores; in-between was a story by writer Stan Lee and artist Russ Heath, "They Wait in Their...Dungeon", reprinted from Menace #1 (March 1953), from Marvel's 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics.
The bimonthly series ran exclusively new material through issue #4, with one reprinted story added to the mix for the following two issues, and only one new story in issue #7, after which the series became all-reprint. Most of the reprinted stories were 1950s "pre-Code" horror stories, which the industry self-censorship organization the Comics Code Authority had forbidden on Code-approved comics until a loosening of the Code in 1971.
Other creators included novelist John Jakes, scripting "Spell of the Dragon", starring Brak the Barbarian (#2), with art by Val Mayerik and Dan Adkins, and adapting his own short story "The Opening of the Crypt", a sequel to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado", with art by Frank Brunner (#4); and Gardner F. Fox, a DC Comics veteran from the 1940s on, with a story each in #3 (art by Ernie Chan) and #4 (penciled by Howard Chaykin). Also contributing were Marvel regulars Steve Gerber, Tony Isabella, Larry Lieber, Don McGregor, and Doug Moench, as well as editor Thomas, adapting Robert E. Howard's "The Thing on the Roof", with artist Brunner (#3). Others include two writers better known for their work at rival DC, John Albano and Steve Skeates. Other artists included Don Heck, Jay Scott Pike, and Paul Reinman.
The 1950s reprints included work by artists Dick Ayers, Gene Colan, Tony DiPreta, Sam Kweskin, Mort Lawrence, Pete Morisi, Don Perlin, Bob Powell, Werner Roth, Robert Q. Sale, Joe Sinnott, and Pete Tumlinson. The latter part of the run began including late-1950s and early 1960s "Pre-superhero Marvel" stories by the likes of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, mixed with a handful of tales from the earlier 1970s horror comics. Cover artists included Gil Kane and John Romita, Sr.
Frank Brunner is an American comics artist and illustrator best known for his work at Marvel Comics in the 1970s.
Journey into Mystery is an American comic book series initially published by Atlas Comics, then by its successor, Marvel Comics. Initially a horror comics anthology, it changed to giant-monster and science fiction stories in the late 1950s. Beginning with issue #83, it ran the superhero feature "The Mighty Thor", created by writers Stan Lee and Larry Lieber and artist Jack Kirby, and inspired by the mythological Norse thunder god. The series, which was renamed for its superhero star with issue #126, has been revived three times: in the 1970s as a horror anthology, and in the 1990s and 2010s with characters from Marvel's Thor mythos. The title was also used in 2019 for a limited series as part of the "War of the Realms" storyline.
Amazing Adventures is the name of several anthology comic book series, all but one published by Marvel Comics.
Stephen Ross Gerber was an American comic book writer and creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck. Other works include Man-Thing, Omega the Unknown,Marvel Spotlight: "Son of Satan", The Defenders,Marvel Presents: "Guardians of the Galaxy", Daredevil and Foolkiller. Gerber often included lengthy text pages in the midst of comic book stories, such as in his graphic novel, Stewart the Rat. Gerber was posthumously inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2010.
Marvel Mystery Comics is an American comic book series published during the 1930s–1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. It was the first publication of Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics, a division of Timely Publications.
The Vault of Horror was an American bi-monthly horror comic anthology series published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. Along with Tales from the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear, it formed a trifecta of popular EC horror anthologies. The Vault of Horror hit newsstands with its April/May 1950 issue and ceased publication with its December/January 1955 issue, producing a total of 40 issues.
Eerie Publications was a publisher of black-and-white horror-anthology comics magazines.
Tower of Shadows is a horror/fantasy anthology comic book published by the American company Marvel Comics under this and a subsequent name from 1969 to 1975. It featured work by writer-artists Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Johnny Craig, and Wally Wood, writer-editor Stan Lee, and artists John Buscema, Gene Colan, Tom Sutton, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Bernie Wrightson.
Chamber of Darkness is a horror/fantasy anthology comic book published by the American company Marvel Comics. Under this and a subsequent name, it ran from 1969 to 1974. It featured work by creators such as writer-editor Stan Lee, writers Gerry Conway, Archie Goodwin, and Roy Thomas, and artists John Buscema, Johnny Craig, Jack Kirby, Tom Sutton, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Bernie Wrightson. Stories were generally hosted by either of the characters Digger, a gravedigger, or Headstone P. Gravely, in undertaker garb, or by one of the artists or writers.
Rocco A. "Rocke" Mastroserio was an American comic book artist best known as a penciler and inker for Charlton Comics. He sometimes signed his work "Rocke M.," "RM," "Rocke," or "RAM."
Wayne Wright Howard was an African-American comic book artist. He is best known for his 1970s work at Charlton Comics, where he became American comic books' first series creator known to be credited on covers, with the horror anthology Midnight Tales announcing "Created by Wayne Howard" on each issue — "a declaration perhaps unique in the industry at the time".
Worlds Unknown was a science-fiction comic book published by American company Marvel Comics in the 1970s, which adapted classic short stories of that genre, including works by Frederik Pohl, Harry Bates, and Theodore Sturgeon.
Supernatural Thrillers was an American horror fiction comic book published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s that adapted classic stories of that genre, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson and H. G. Wells, before becoming a vehicle for a supernatural action series starring an original character, the Living Mummy.
Uncanny Tales is the name of two American science-fiction / horror comic-book series, published in the 1950s and the 1970s. The first volume was by Atlas Comics, the 1950s precursor of Marvel Comics, and the second volume by Marvel. It is also the title of a British comics digest.
Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction was a 1970s American black-and-white, science fiction comics magazine published by Marvel Comics' parent company, Magazine Management.
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to the demise of many titles and the toning down of others. Black-and-white horror-comics magazines, which did not fall under the Code, flourished from the mid-1960s through the early 1980s from a variety of publishers. Mainstream American color comic books experienced a horror resurgence in the 1970s, following a loosening of the Code. While the genre has had greater and lesser periods of popularity, it occupies a firm niche in comics as of the 2010s.
Ghost Manor was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1968 to 1984. Volume one was "hosted" by the Old Witch, while volume two was hosted by Mr. Bones.
The Mighty Marvel Western was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. A Western anthology that ran 46 issues, it consisted of reprint stories of the Marvel Old West heroes the Rawhide Kid, Kid Colt, the Two-Gun Kid, and Matt Slade, featuring much art by Jack Kirby, Jack Keller, and others. New covers, on all but three issues, were by Herb Trimpe, John Severin and Gil Kane, among others.
Venus is an American romance comic book published by Timely Comics in the United States. Running for 19 issues from 1948 until 1952 it transformed over its run from its romance-led stories to finish as a science fiction and horror anthology. It is noted for introducing the Marvel character Venus and an early incarnation of Loki who would later become the nemesis of Marvel character Thor. The final three issues were published through Atlas Comics.