Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Warren Presents (1977-1983)

Warren Publishing Co. / Warren Communications Inc.
Publisher: James Warren

Warren Publishing produced a dozen one-shot movie mags from 1977-1983, most under the heading Warren Presents. Several of these were "Official Collector's Edition" type mags covering a single movie, while Movie Aliens Illustrated (Warren Presents #4) and Dracula '79 (WP #5, both featuring all reprinted material) covered a then trendy aspect of fantasy films. The final three were FM yearbooks (again, all reprints), although the Famous Monsters connection was downplayed, somewhat, and the Warren Presents title was again used.

(The other titles in the Warren Presents line were all one-shot comics mags and included UFO and Alien Comix (1977), Future World Comix, Starquest Comix, Galactic War Comix (all 1978), Ring of the Warlords (WP #1), The Rook (WP #2), Alien Invasions Comix (WP #3), Strange Stories of Vampires Comix (WP #6, all 1979), Pantha (WP #8), Empire Encounters Comix (WP #9, both 1980), Sword & Sorcery Comix (WP #13) and Rex Havoc (WP #14, both 1981). There is no WP #7, 10-12.)

When Warren got wind that the publisher of the UK mag House of Hammer was planning to change the name to House of Horror and distribute the mag in the US, he quickly rushed out his House of Horror no. 1 in order to trade mark the name and, hopefully, quash the competition. This 34 pg. "ashcan" edition was completely made up of reprinted FM material and had a low print run (probably no more than 400 copies) and limited distribution. All of which helped make it one of the scarcest Warren mags. House of Hammer eventually changed it's name to Halls of Horror and got it's US distribution.

Famous Monsters
Star Wars Spectacular
Editor: Forrest J Ackerman
Oct. 1977







Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Editor: FJA
Jan. 1978








House of Horror no. 1
Editor: FJA
April 1978

Cover Artist Unknown






Lord of the Rings
Editors: FJA, Bill Dubay
May 1979

Cover: Tom Jung Poster Art






Dracula '79
Editor: Warren, Ackerman
Sep. 1979

Cover Art by Basil Gogos






Movie Aliens Illustrated
Editor: Warren, Ackerman
Sep. 1979

Cover Art by John Stone






Moonraker
Editor: Jeff Rovin
Oct. 1979

Cover:  Dan Goozee Poster Art






Alien
Editor: Jeff Rovin
Dec. 1979








Meteor
Editor: Jeff Rovin
Jan. 1980

Cover: John Berkey Poster Art






Horror Movie Yearbook 1981
Editors: Ackerman, Rovin
Feb. 1981








Film Fantasy Yearbook 1982
Editors: Ackerman, Rovin, Bill Mohalley
March 1982








Film Fantasy Yearbook 1983
Editors: Mohalley, Rovin, Randy Palmer
March 1983

6 comments:

  1. A couple of artists for you and a correction.

    LORD OF THE RINGS - the artist is Tom Jung

    MOONRAKER - the artist is Dan Goozee not John Berkey

    METEOR - the artist is John Berkey

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  2. Thanks, again, for your expertise in this area!

    I don't suppose you know who painted "Forbidden Planet", "Them!" and "The Day The Earth Stood Still"?

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  3. I wish I knew who painted those 3. I have looked everywhere and just cannot find out.

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  4. Just my 3 favorite unknown poster artists from '50s sci-fi, though there are many more.

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  5. Im trying to get a complete famous monsters collection and I def consider some of these warren presents as famous monsters issues. also the horror of party beach the mole people horror of dracual frankenstein book ,the monster make up issue. What do you consider part of a compehensive fm collection?

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    Replies
    1. I suppose anything with the name "Famous Monsters" on the cover qualifies. The 3 Horror/Fantasy YBs and the Star Wars special, but then there aren't all that many Warren horror/sci-fi movie mags left. Eight others on this page (though House of Horror is a tough one to get) and the Super Heroes mag. Warren considered the 10 issues of Monster World to be the missing FM #70-79. Might as well throw in the 9 issues of Spacemen, while you're at it. :)

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