Hammer's Halls of Horror
G.B.D. Ltd. / Top Sellers Ltd.
Editor: Dez Skinn
1976 - 1978
Halls of Horror
Quality Communications Ltd.
Editor: Dez Skinn
1982 - 1984
The best selling British film magazine of it's time, House of Hammer was very well written by top talent, like John Brosnan, Dennis Gifford, Ramsey Campbell, Alan Frank and others. It featured excellent, colorful cover art with movie posters on most back covers. Combining features on current (especially those from Hammer Studios) and classic horror films with comic strip adaptations of Hammer films by UK comics artists such as Brian Lewis, Brian Bolland, John Bolton and others. Dez Skinn was the editor of Marvel UK, and had earlier helmed Monster Mag (Vol. 2) and later created Doctor Who Weekly and the long running sci-fi movie magazine Starburst.
In March 1978 Hammer's House of Horror was launched in the US with issue no. 1, a compilation of previously published material and the same cover art as no. 17. The title of the UK edition of the mag was similarly changed on issues number 19 and 20. Having earlier gotten wind of this, Warren Publications copyrighted the title and printed a few hundred copies of it's House of Horror no. 1, which forced Top Sellers to change the name, once again, to Hammer's Halls of Horror for issues number 21-23 (US 20-23), after which the mag was cancelled by the parent publisher. In 1982, Halls of Horror returned (now published by Quality Communications Ltd.) for a further seven issues and an all comics Dracula special issue.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 5Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 6
No. 7
No. 8
No. 9Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 10Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 11Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 12Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 13Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 14Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 15Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 16
No. 17Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 18Cover Art by Bill Phillips
No. 19Cover Art by Ramon Sola
No. 20Cover Art by Bill Phillips
No. 21Cover Art by Villagran
No. 22Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 23
No. 24Cover Art by Brian Lewis
No. 25Cover Art by Garry Leach
No. 26Cover Art by Garry Leach
No. 27Cover Art by Mick Austin
No. 28Cover Art by Gary Ward
No. 29Cover Art by Gary Ward
No. 30Cover Art by Gary Ward
Dracula Comics SpecialCover Art by Mick Austin
US No. 1Cover Art by Brian Lewis
(with Halls of Horror title)
Cover Art by Bill Phillips
Top Sellers No. 24Unused cover art (by Brian Lewis) for the never published issue.
Thought you and your readers/viewers might be interested in a new website I've put together with an extensive coverage of my old House of Hammer magazine. But be warned, it's up to 60,000 words and I've only reached 1979 so far!
ReplyDeletehttp://dezskinn.com/warner-williams-2/
Kind regards,
Dez Skinn
Thanks, Dez!
ReplyDeleteI had a post in the main blog about your site and linked it to your name in this post, but it's good to have a link to the particular page, too!
Fantastic site that evoked many pleasant memories of when I used to buy these awesome monster mags as a kid back in the seventies. One question: do you know if there are any affiliate programs selling monster mags? I ask this because I am planning to set up my own site selling monster mags.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work
Regards
Alan
www.trueghoststories.co.uk