SHUDDER 2026 SPOOKTACULAR ANNUAL

The folks at Warrant Publishing survived their lawsuit some years ago when their title, THE CREEPS came under fire for infringing too close for comfort for the owner of the Warren property. As a result, they were forced to discontinue using the title and a few other things (see full story below reprinted from FEAR IN FOUR COLORS' companion blog, WORLD OF MONSTERS). Renamed SHUDDER, they haven't seemed to miss a beat and are still publishing regularly, even managing to stay on the newsstands.

Just announced is their 2026 SPOOKTACULAR ANNUAL, that collects stories from past issues. Pre-order it HERE.

Copies of THE CREEPS #1 are now selling for upwards of $100. I have more affordable copies of #1 and #2 for sale HERE.

From the publisher:

The Shudder 2025 Spooktacular recreates the iconic Warren horror annuals popular in the 1970’s by emulating Warren’s early page layouts and publishing work by original Warren artists and writers. This Annual edition collects the best stories from the early issues of Shudder magazine in a highly collectible perfect bound collector’s edition.

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers"

- William Shakespeare

It had to happen sooner or later. After a run of over 30 issues, THE CREEPS magazine will be changing its name to SHUDDER. The reason? Richard Sala, publisher of the popular illustrated horror comics mag got sued for trademark infringement by the current owner of the rights to the original CREEPY. We'll never know all the details, but it seems Sala gets to retain his "Warrant Publications" name (an emulation of "Warren Publications"), but will be changing the magazine's title and host.

Why now? What finally triggered New Comic Company to lower the legal boom on a publication that was a faithful tribute to the original? After all, when is the last time you saw an issue of CREEPY on a newsstand alongside THE CREEPS? It's not like they were vying for shelf space.

I don't have a high regard for a lot (not all) lawyers, but it looks like they did their job here. Again, it appears that there were some consolations given to Sala. On the other hand, he must try and sell all his back stock by May, 2022, when he'll no longer be able to sell the title.

From THE CREEPS:

IMPORTANT ALERT!!! This Fall, 2021, the name of "The Creeps" magazine will be changing to "Shudder" magazine. Warrant Publishing Company and New Comic Company (the “Parties”) have both determined that to avoid the potential costs and time involved in litigating a court case, it is in the mutual interest of both parties to finalize a private, amicable settlement, which has been negotiated by the attorneys representing both Parties and executed. The Parties agreed to a non-disclosure clause in this agreement, and in accordance with the same we are limited in what we can disclose with respect to the settlement. However, we are discontinuing use of "The Creeps." The content of the magazine formerly published as “The Creeps” will continue to be published uninterrupted under the name "Shudder" magazine starting in Fall, 2021. The final issue of "The Creeps" magazine will be issue #32. The story contents of "Shudder" will be a continuation of the content in "The Creeps," but the numbering of "Shudder" magazine will re-set at issue #1. Subscribers to "The Creeps" will continue receiving their copies of "Shudder" every two months, without interruption. Thank you for your attention. With the resolutions of this case, we are excited about entering a new phase of business here Warrant Publishing Company. We look forward to continuing to bring you the World's #1 illustrated horror magazine for many years to come. 

Here's a news report regarding this topic that appeared last year (ironically during the Halloween season):

Happy (legal) Halloween: It’s Creepy vs. The Creeps in LA horror-comics lawsuit

By CITY NEWS SERVICE | news@socalnews.com | October 28, 2020

LOS ANGELES — The copyrights holder of Creepy magazine, a horror-comics magazine that lived for decades on newsstands, is suing the owner/publisher of The Creeps magazine in Los Angeles for alleged trademark infringement, according to court papers obtained Wednesday, Oct. 28.

The suit, filed in federal court on Tuesday by New Comic Company LLC, alleges that Richard J. Sala’s The Creeps is a “knock-off” version of now-defunct Creepy magazine, which was launched in 1964 by legendary horror magazine publisher James Warren and published by Warren Publishing Company.

According to the lawsuit, Sala’s use of the word Creeps as his mag’s name, and by calling his company Warrant Publishing Company, he is “intentionally seeking to take advantage of the popularity and goodwill of Creepy magazine, its prior publisher (Warren), and Creepy’s devoted fan base.”

In a statement posted on the Facebook fan group he oversees — Warren Publishing Fans and Friends — Sala said he cannot comment on pending litigation but that “our attorneys are dealing with this case.”

New Comic Company acquired the rights to Creepy and its sister publication Eerie from Warren in 2007 and published archival hardcover anthologies of the original magazines.

SHUDDER'S previous annuals:

THIS'LL GIVE YOU A SHUDDER

Warrent Publishing recently announced pre-order sales for it's 21st issue of SHUDDER. This is significant because it indicates a lasting interest for new horror comics and that it is sold through Diamond Distributors and magazine racks at Barnes & Noble only prove that out.

Warrant began with the title, THE CREEPS, but because so much of the looks and content, the owners of Warren's CREEPY property at the time forced them to change a number of things, including the title being too close to the original. They were also forced to stop selling any back stock bearing the title of THE CREEPS after a certain cut-off date,After the bilious smoke cleared, Warrant's homage to Warren's classic magazines looked little worse for the wear. Ironically, the current owners of rights to CREEPY aren't even publishing it! Now, who's the real "Creep"?

So far, Warrant has published a total of 52 issues between the two titles and there's no sign of them slowing down. That's a good thing for horror comics fans.

Anyone interested in picking up the first two issues of the now out-of-circulation THE CREEPS can purchase them right here at the FEAR IN FOUR COLORS "New Comics Sale" page HERE.

Following is my review for THE CREEPS #1, originally posted at my companion page, MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD (now titled WORLD OF MONSTERS) on Friday, January 23, 2015, as well as a later follow-up on Thursday, June 23, 2016.

Visit the SHUDDER webpage HERE.

SHUDDER COVER GALLERY

THE CREEPS NO. 1 REVIEWED

Originally posted at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD on Friday, January 23, 2015.

I hold in my hands the first issue of "Warrant Company's" homage to Warren Publications, entitled, aptly enough, THE CREEPS. Okay, here goes -- Scraggy, drippy cover logo? Check! Image of The Old Creep in the upper left corner for easy spotting on a cramped newsstand shelf? Check! Cover painting by a notable Warren alumnus? Check! Contents page formatted as a dead-ringer for vintage CREEPY and EERIE magazines? Double check! Stories and artwork as good as the classics? Well ... read on and I'll tell you.

Subtitled, "All New Tales in the Warren Tradition!", THE CREEPS is the latest addition to the venerable illustrated horror anthology market. Magazine-sized, but comic book length (issue #2 promises to be 52 pages instead of 36), it's the brain child of one Richard Sala. Writing as "Artie Goodwin", another homage, this time to the late Archie Goodwin, author of countless stories for the Warren titles, and sharing the illustration chores with a host of other artists including Rich Buckler and Joe Rubenstein, Sala has wrangled a pretty good first effort.

Upon opening the 'zine the reader is drawn instantly back to the storied past of the original Warren series of "illustrated fear" with an inside front cover page take on "Loathsome Lore", this time titled "The Old Creep's Historic Horrors" (a tale of the succubus drawn by Frank Brunner), and the aforementioned contents page that's designed about as close to CREEPY's original contents page as one can get. There's even an anti-smoking ad to be found like the type that were often seen in the Warren 'zines (remember Frazetta's half-pager?).

So, how does THE CREEPS measure up to its predecessors? The artwork, while mostly lacking the skill of say, an Angelo Torres or Al Williamson, thankfully avoids the tiresome, never-ending trend of the angular style of comic art introduced in the 1990's by the likes of the late Michael J. Turner and Todd McFarlane and that morphed into the school of slick realism a la Alex Ross. Over all, the work here is at least average and often above, albeit with a tendency toward a certain lack of anatomical symmetry and awkward foreshortening that pervades in several instances. Still, I'd have to say that the artwork is at least on par with the folks over at Dark Horse, who currently have the rights to the Warren illustrated material.

It appears that Sala writes all the stories under his nom de plume of Artie Goodwin. His own illustrated story, "Vengeance!" has a Frazetta/Wrightson-inspired look, and Rich Buckler's "Castle of Doom" conjures up a tip of the brush to Wally Wood, including a splash page layout panel that replaces Woody's obligatory maiden's bare backside with that of a horse (!). All have the EC comics trademark of the twist ending that succeeds in varying degrees.

The verdict? THE CREEPS tries hard to uphold the legendary legacy of Warren's horror comics empire -- and early indications suggest that it will. I'm anxious to see what's ahead. Could a future issue even find the reader flipping through the back pages, shopping for monster goodies to order from "Capstone Company"? Only time will tell. Heh! Heh!

THE CREEPS REVIEWED

Originally posted at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD on Thursday, June 23, 2016.

Since Warren's original run of CREEPY from 1964 - 1983 (145 issues) there have been numerous attempts at reviving the spirit of the vaunted magazine-sized horror comic book. Dark Horse acquired the rights to the Warren title and branding, including the image of Uncle Creepy, as well as the rights to reprint the backlog. The resulting series of "Creepy Archives" is impressive, but disappointingly, the new version of the title was shrunk to a standard comic book size, exactly the opposite of Warren's work-around to the albeit weakening stranglehold of the Comics Code Authority which caused the self-immolation of many horror comic publishers in the mid-1950s who were either unwilling or unwitting enough to adapt to the new rules.

Another, indie-produced horror comic, BLOKE'S TERRIBLE TOMB OF TERROR, uses similar design features and themes to CREEPY. Publisher/writer Jason Crawley (really!) and artist Mike Hoffman and Co. do a pretty good job of it, but don't quite hit the heart with the stake.

Then, from out of the blue (or the grave, as Unca' Creepy would probably say) comes THE CREEPS, a brand-new, magazine-sized horror comic that is an unapologetic, unabashed, near clone of CREEPY. Now in its sixth issue, THE CREEPS is the closest thing yet to a true homage to the original, so close in fact, that one could say it is a pastiche. It is obviously deliberate by design, and while other attempts capture the "look" of CREEPY, THE CREEPS not only accomplishes that, but it also actually "feels" like the old CREEPY.

Granted, we will never again see the likes of a team of writers and artists that shepherded the early years of CREEPY. These consummate professionals were the crème de la crème of illustrators that had cut their teeth and sharpened their pencils over the drawing board for EC, the greatest line of horror comics ever, for chrissakes!

In this latest issue of Warrant Publishing's THE CREEPS however, one can see artists clearly under the spell of the aforementioned genius loci of horror comics. What you have here is a bullpen of artists like the Reed Crandall-esque Reno Maniquis, the Wally Wood-esque Jason Paulos, the Orlando-esque Mansyur Daman and the Brunner-esque Mike Dubisch, all combined to achieve a vague, but eerily (no pun intended) reminiscent appearance of the original. Even the mag's mascot, The Old Creep, is a blatant swipe of Uncle Creepy. Editor Rich Sala, writing as "Artie" Goodwin has brought aboard a capable stable of story scripters, including Warren alumni Nicola Cuti and Don Glut. And yes, the stories themselves have that old touch of the macabre and sardonic, with twist endings that hit the mark nearly every time.

I have to admit, I was a little leery with the first couple of issues, but the last two or so have shown a significant improvement in the writing as well as the art moving in the direction of more traditional draughtsmanship as opposed to modernist comic illustration. Issue #6 even sports a Frazetta cover! And I would be remiss to mention the anti-tobacco ad on the letters page as was seen in the original Warren 'zine?

I'm looking forward to more of THE CREEPS. Now that it's selling well enough to be put on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, it is hopeful that a new wave of readers will catch on to the entertainment found between its covers.