Free Old School Comic Magazine Download - 1984 Magazine Warren Publishing Issue #9 (1979) For Your Old School Science Fiction Campaigns

 

Grab It Right Over
HERE

Welcome to issue number # 9 of Warren magazine's controversial and subversive more adult title, 1984 then  it's other titles either Creepy or Eerie. They went quite a bit further upon some of the sexual bits and story elements that are racy even by today's standards. Warren was competing with titles such as Heavy Metal. So consider yourselves warned! This stuff isn't for the kids. Considered yourselves warned! 

There's plenty of weird and high strangeness to pull from in these issues for old school gaming, everything from dark and dangerous one shot plot lines for adventures to dangerous characters as NPC's.

But really what was 1984 and what was its backdrop on the comic magazine scene back in 1979?

According to Wiki :

1984 was a black and white science-fiction comic magazine published by Warren Publishing from 1978 to 1983.1984 was edited by Bill Dubay. The title of the magazine was changed to 1994 starting with issue 11 in February,1980 based on a request by the estate of George Orwell.

 Back then it featured some of the top talent of comic book artists and writers. 

Artists who contributed stories to 1984/1994 included Alex Niño, Richard Corben, Jose Gonzalez, Jose Ortiz, Frank Thorne, Esteban Maroto, Rudy Nebres, Abel Laxamana, Wally Wood, Luis Bermejo, Alfredo Alcala and Vic Catan. Cover artists included Nino, Corben, Patrick Woodroffe, Jim Laurier, Sanjulián, Jordi Penalva, H.R. Giger, Steve Fastner, Rich Larsen, Lloyd Garrison, Terry Oates and John Berkey. Writers included Dubay, Thorne, Jim Stenstrum, Jan Strnad, Rich Margopoulos, Kevin Duane, Nicola Cuti and Gerry Boudreau.

The magazine featured a set of recurring characters : 

• Mutant World (Artist: Richard Corben; Writer; Jan Strnad)
• Ghita of Alizarr (Drawn and written by Frank Thorne)
• Idi Amin (Artist: Esteban Maroto; Writer: Bill Dubay)
• Rex Havoc (Artist: Abel Laxamana; Writer: Jim Stenstrum)
• The Starfire Saga (Artist: Rudy Nebres; Writer: Bill Dubay)
• Young Sigmond Pavlov (Artist: Alex Niño; Writer: Bill Dubay)
  
  
  Issue nine is of special interest because of its line up of stories to pull from for old school gaming. 

Break Even has a whole pack of trouble waiting for your interstellar adventurers right out of the gate. Strange technologies, odd interstellar worlds, and plenty of opportunities to get the PC's in the deep end. A nice and perfect little yarn for an X plorers or Stars Without Numbers one shot. 

Herma is a well drawn take on the princess frozen in the block of ice motif that got used numerous times in swords and sorcery comics here its the basis for a character whose got far more going on under the plot then first meets the eye. A nice back drop story for use with a retroclone like Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea. Imagine coming across an NPC Viking princess from Old Earth and all of the weirdness that would go right along with such a character. This is a perfect vehicle for such a character. 

Clear and Present Danger  is a time travel yard with some really interesting wrinkles on how a super science gimmick and device can be used to generate a whole cloth undercurrent for a one shot adventure. Imagine your party trying to prevent the birth of a madman who will go on to end the world far in the future? Suddenly the gateway is open for those old school evil assassin types in your campaigns. A nice yarn to use with all of those science fiction retroclones with super science and technologies. 

The Star Fire saga was a really well done series of adventures centering around a regular feature in 1984 and its perfect for something like Stars Without Number. Great 1970's star ships, classic science fiction elements and a perfect one shot adventure piece for fodder for game play. The origin point for one of the characters is pretty damn controversial by today's standards and I don't endorse that particular bit. Moving on. 

Rex Havoc and the Ass Kickers of the Fantastic is a strip that had its its tongue planted firmly in cheek, much of this material is perfect fodder for Planet Mother %$%$er or an encounter critical campaign. The art is about on the old Crack Magazine from the 1970's level and Rex is a real one of a kind character.

All in all I think that issue nine of 1984 was a pretty solid issue. The magazine ceased publication with issue 29 in February, 1983 due to the bankruptcy of Warren Publishing. You can read more about that right over HERE

The Rook - Return of an American Legend Video & Upcoming Comic Book Series

Like I said a while back 'The Rook' from Warren publishing was/is a major influence on me growing up. I remember that only certain grocery stores and later comic shops would carry the Warren publishing material.

When it comes to The Rook from Warren Publishing I'm definitely a fan of the old school comics magazine, now apparently this was upcoming series from Dark Horse. Now this isn't at all surprising given that Dark Horse has been reprinting all kinds of Warren Publishing comic book properties. 

Now what is the The Rook - Return of an American Legend going to be about? 

Restin Dane’s kick-ass time machine is the Time Castle, a dark-energy powered vehicle that resembles a large rook chess piece; which is how Restin became known as The Rook. He is no stranger to the space-time continuum either, he descends from a family of scientists whose members include the time traveler in the novel "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells.

Time Castle, in the video game universe, is a third person survival shooter through time. One minute you are battling the undead and the next morlocks, dinosaurs and many more hordes of Quarb’s design. Protect the Alamo, defend Earth from an alien invasion or heck take a bazooka back the Jurassic age. Whether fantasy lore, legend or historical, the excitement of it all captivates all who dare to be entertained.

It looks like Steven Grant and Paul Gulacy will be helming this title and I'm familiar with these gentlemen's work over the years. I was able to score some press info from Dark Horse's website -

Time Castle, holder of all worldwide rights to The Rook, is pleased to announce that America's favorite time-traveling adventure hero will make its return to comics this fall through a new publishing agreement with Dark Horse Comics!

Beginning in September 2014, Dark Horse will introduce The Rook adventures starting with Eerie Archives #17. The inaugural issue will feature an original painting by Paul Gulacy, commissioned by Bill DuBay in 1979 to portray the origin stories of THE ROOK- but never published in its entirety.

The Rook’s return to comics is designed to illustrate the adventures of the next episodic television adventure hero. Hit comic book series 2Guns creator Steven Grant is preparing the literary wizardry for the new series. The family has asked the original Rook designer and story teller, Jim Stenstrum to fill the shoes of creative consultant to help massage the new series into a pilot season of The Rook’s Time Castle. Jim’s work in recent years makes him the ideal candidate for this role.

Seeking his roots, a time traveling adventurer stumbles across history’s darkest secret: an immortal genius who has terrorized and shaped human culture since the dawn of man. Though seriously outgunned he begins a lone guerrilla war across time, in pasts unheard of and futures undreamed of, to free humanity from the immortal’s unending grip.

"People talk a lot about series, or TV shows, or movies or concepts that are ahead of their time, but The Rook, ironically, wasn’t ahead of its time. It was ahead of everyone’s time," says Grant. "Bill DuBay’s vision spanned science, mythology, literature and pop culture, uniting them in clever and challenging ways. So trying to match and exceed that vision, to bring the series into today without losing what made it great and return The Rook to the vanguard of science fiction adventure comics, is a thrill and a challenge. The Rook may be still be ahead of everyone’s time, but The Rook’s time is now."

“A brilliantly written time travel trek expands the dreams and imagination of every demographic. The very premise provides a vehicle to explore the viewer’s deepest fantasies of being in a different place and time. The idea of making past wrongs right or tracking down one’s roots are inherently interesting. Taking fantastic voyages into the days of yesterday and tomorrow allows our imaginations to soar. Time Travel is an adventure that can take you anywhere or any-when and The Rook’s adventures in episodic television will allow the viewer to experience the journey” adds Benjamin DuBay


I for one can't wait till this hits the newsstands at the local comic shop. So I'm keeping my eyes pealed. 
I actually have the Harris Comics’ The Rook #1 and Rook #2. And it was a very interesting and different take on the classic Rook character from Mike Mignola of Hellboy fame. It was a very different take on the character. 

More info right over HERE
There is a ton more information on this killer time travel hero adventurer right over HERE on the official site. 

Free Old School Warren Comic Magazine 'The Rook' Issue One And David Bay Miller's " Pay for your coffins....Django and Sartana are coming!" (OSR in the American West.) Rpg System

David Bay Miller is trying to break me, he's released his popular " Pay for your coffins....Django and Sartana are coming!" (OSR in the American West.)" rpg system and claiming that this is all my fault ;-) Well you can grab it right over HERE
And tonight he's release the unusual weapons tables and such right over HERE
But I'm one step ahead of him with a perfect time traveling campaign setting from one of the coolest of the Warrren titles from the 70's with a free download from Warren with the very first issue of the Rook. One of my all time favorites from the pages of Warren publishing! 

Right Over
HERE

I know your wondering whose the 'Rook' and what does this have to do with the 'Old West'? Well the Rook was one of the very best of Warren comic magazine's self published heroes and more often then not his time traveling adventures roatated around Warren's alternative historical universe.

According to Wiki:

The Rook is a fictional, time-traveling comic book character whose adventures were chronicled in 1970s issues ofWarren Publishing's Eerie magazine and then in his own 1980s title, The Rook Magazine. He was created by writer-artist Bill DuBay in Eerie #82 (cover-date March 1977).

he Rook debuted in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror/science-fiction comics magazine Eerie #82 (March 1977). Created by writer-artist Bill DuBay,^[1] who drew the character's cover illustration, the Rook debuted in the 20-page story "The Man Whom Time Forgot!" by writer Dubay and artist Luis Bermejo. He was featured in nearly every issue of the otherwise anthological title, through Eerie #105 (Oct. 1979), missing issues #86 and 96-97. His stories ranged from 11 to 31 pages in length.^[2]

The character was then spun off into his own comics-magazine series, titled The Rook on its trademarked cover logo and The Rook Magazine in its indicia copyright notice. This ran 14 issues (Oct. 1979 - April 1982), and also included, in various issues, the ongoing backup features by Dubay (either under his own name or his pseudonymWill Richardson) and others, including "Voltar",^[3] writer-artist Alex Toth's "Jesse Bravo", writer-artist Jose Ortiz's "Viking Prince",^[4] "Kronos", "The Goblin" and writer Jim Stenstrum and artist Abel Laxamana's "Joe Guy, America's Foremost Hero!". A handful of one-time features also appeared, such as "Buck Blaster and the Starbusters", "Bolt", and writer Don McGregor's "Dagger"^[5]

Following his solo title's cancellation, the Rook appeared in eight- to 13-page stories in Eerie #132, 134 and 136 (July, Sept., Nov. 1982). He had also guest-starred in the Vampirella story "Ghostly Granny Earloose" in Vampirella#70 (July 1978); Vampirella and Pantha likewise guested in the Rook story "Warriors from the Stars" in Eerie #95 (Sept. 1978). The first four Rook stories were reprinted in Warren Comics Presents #2 (May 1979).^[2]

^{The Rook travels throughout space and time, and over  the course of his adventures in time and space he's encountered a ton of heroes, doing cross overs with every major figure in the Warren line and sometimes beyond. Its not out of the realm of possibility that he might run into your adventurers as an NPC. But that's not all.} 

Fictional History

The Rook is scientist Restin Dane, who comes from a family of scientists whose members include the unnamed protagonist of the novel The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. Dane gains his nickname from the fact that his time machine resembles a giant chess rook. Taking to wearing Western-style clothing and a gunbelt, he has his first time-travel adventure at the Alamo in order to save an ancestor. There he succeeds in rescuing his great-great-grandfather Bishop Dane, who accompanies him on many of his adventures, along with two robots Restin has built.

In a later adventure, he meets the time traveler from Wells' book, who is revealed to be his grandfather Adam Dane, and helps him in a war between the Eloi and theMorlocks.^[6]

In the initial stories (Eerie # 82-85), Restin appears to be romantically involved with January Boone, while Bishop Dane is involved with Katie McCall. Later stories establish that Restin and Katie have a relationship.

Many of the Dane's adventures are rough,ready, and completely cinematic and are a perfect meld for David's Wild West material. The Dane family left a whole bunch of their time castles scattered throughout time and space. They could end up anyplace and anywhere, including post apocalyptic wastelands, the wild west, the far future, and beyond. But we really don't know what the end game is for Restin and Co. I've used him in the past as a time traveling patron for adventurers. A time traveling NPC invesigator, hero, and plain pain in the rear for my adventurers a couple of times.
Because of the very nature of the character he's a really nice fit for an old west style game and his comic book exploits were some of my all time favorites from Warren.

This post is in no way an attempt to violate the copyright or trade mark of the 'Rook' or the characters of his creation. This blog entry is for educational and entertainment purposes only. 

Free Old School Comic Magazine Download - 1984 Magazine Warren Publishing Issue #9 (1979) For Your Old School Science Fiction Campaigns

Grab It Right Over
HERE

Welcome to issue number # 9 of Warren magazine's controversial and subversive more adult title, 1984 then  it's other titles either Creepy or Eerie. They went quite a bit further upon some of the sexual bits and story elements that are racy even by today's standards. Warren was competing with titles such as Heavy Metal. So consider yourselves warned! This stuff isn't for the kids. Considered yourselves warned! 
There's plenty of weird and high strangeness to pull from in these issues for old school gaming, everything from dark and dangerous one shot plot lines for adventures to dangerous characters as NPC's.
But really what was 1984 and what was its backdrop on the comic magazine scene back in 1979?
According to Wiki :

1984 was a black and white science-fiction comic magazine published by Warren Publishing from 1978 to 1983.1984 was edited by Bill Dubay. The title of the magazine was changed to 1994 starting with issue 11 in February,1980 based on a request by the estate of George Orwell.

 Back then it featured some of the top talent of comic book artists and writers. 

Artists who contributed stories to 1984/1994 included Alex Niño, Richard Corben, Jose Gonzalez, Jose Ortiz, Frank Thorne, Esteban Maroto, Rudy Nebres, Abel Laxamana, Wally Wood, Luis Bermejo, Alfredo Alcala and Vic Catan. Cover artists included Nino, Corben, Patrick Woodroffe, Jim Laurier, Sanjulián, Jordi Penalva, H.R. Giger, Steve Fastner, Rich Larsen, Lloyd Garrison, Terry Oates and John Berkey. Writers included Dubay, Thorne, Jim Stenstrum, Jan Strnad, Rich Margopoulos, Kevin Duane, Nicola Cuti and Gerry Boudreau.

The magazine featured a set of recurring characters : 

• Mutant World (Artist: Richard Corben; Writer; Jan Strnad)
• Ghita of Alizarr (Drawn and written by Frank Thorne)
• Idi Amin (Artist: Esteban Maroto; Writer: Bill Dubay)
• Rex Havoc (Artist: Abel Laxamana; Writer: Jim Stenstrum)
• The Starfire Saga (Artist: Rudy Nebres; Writer: Bill Dubay)
• Young Sigmond Pavlov (Artist: Alex Niño; Writer: Bill Dubay)
  
  
  Issue nine is of special interest because of its line up of stories to pull from for old school gaming. 

Break Even has a whole pack of trouble waiting for your interstellar adventurers right out of the gate. Strange technologies, odd interstellar worlds, and plenty of opportunities to get the PC's in the deep end. A nice and perfect little yarn for an X plorers or Stars Without Numbers one shot. 

Herma is a well drawn take on the princess frozen in the block of ice motif that got used numerous times in swords and sorcery comics here its the basis for a character whose got far more going on under the plot then first meets the eye. A nice back drop story for use with a retroclone like Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea. Imagine coming across an NPC Viking princess from Old Earth and all of the weirdness that would go right along with such a character. This is a perfect vehicle for such a character. 

Clear and Present Danger  is a time travel yard with some really interesting wrinkles on how a super science gimmick and device can be used to generate a whole cloth undercurrent for a one shot adventure. Imagine your party trying to prevent the birth of a madman who will go on to end the world far in the future? Suddenly the gateway is open for those old school evil assassin types in your campaigns. A nice yarn to use with all of those science fiction retroclones with super science and technologies. 

The Star Fire saga was a really well done series of adventures centering around a regular feature in 1984 and its perfect for something like Stars Without Number. Great 1970's star ships, classic science fiction elements and a perfect one shot adventure piece for fodder for game play. The origin point for one of the characters is pretty damn controversial by today's standards and I don't endorse that particular bit. Moving on. 

Rex Havoc and the Ass Kickers of the Fantastic is a strip that had its its tongue planted firmly in cheek, much of this material is perfect fodder for Planet Mother %$%$er or an encounter critical campaign. The art is about on the old Crack Magazine from the 1970's level and Rex is a real one of a kind character.
All in all I think that issue nine of 1984 was a pretty solid issue. The magazine ceased publication with issue 29 in February, 1983 due to the bankruptcy of Warren Publishing. You can read more about that right over HERE

Free Weird Wednesday Comic Book Download - Comix International Issue #5 (Warren Publishing) (1977) For Your Old School Campaigns

Grab It Right
HERE

This is one of those classic Warren publishing reprints from 1977 which includes some great old school comics reprints in the Warren tradition. Some of these are perfect for use with your old school campaigns.
This issue includes : 

Bowser - This is the story of a boy and his monster, the art is great but the twisted story has some very interesting twists and turns, enough to use as the basis for a modern take on a weirdly humorous old school adventure looking for the victims of 'Bowser' and the horror filled Lovecraftian spawn of this monster. 

The Succubus Stone- What happens when those dark and dangerous magical relics and artifacts from your dungeons end up in a modern setting with dark Lovecraftian overtones? Murder,mayhem, and possibly a story with a lead in for a Call of Cthulhu style investigation. There are some nice monstrous possibilities in this story as well. The stone can provide a few twisted avenues to add in as background for even a D&D style adventure. After where did it come from? Was your party responsible for its recovery? 

Vampirella: The Corpse with the Missing Mind - This story has plenty mad science ends and a bit of a twist or two that might be added in to a post apocalpytic or dark fantasy adventure quite easily. The artwork is solid and its a quick read as well. Nice source material to play around with. 

The Mummy...and an End - Warren takes yet another crack at their own version of the classic Universal movie tale without being a Universal movie. There's plenty of hard core horror elements to pull from for a solid Call of Cthlhu follow up investigation or even a dungeon crawl related to this one. Nice artwork and solid mix of stories is what we've got with this end of a series. Plenty of fodder between the bandages here. 

Deja Vu -Witch craft, past lives, dark implications, and dire warnings spell black magic and trouble in this tale. This dark tale is a perfect modern mid level investigation for a team to come into the story after the fact. A good solid shocker with plenty to offer a DM. 

The Demons of Father Pain- Diabolical murder, dismemberment, and a dark story line that could be used for a Lamentations of the Flame Princess style story or a Gothic retroclone adventure with some artistic license and redressing. 

The Origin of the Spirit - The Will Eisner classic is a perfect piece of adventure fodder for a Strange Adventures or modern style mini adventure. The artwork is classic Will Eisner and the tale is a quick read. Very handy for an evening's entertainment. 

In Deep- A nice Gothic take on the classic tale of survival, murder, and mayhem. A very handy tale to have adventurers come in after the fact and easily redressed for a classic Gothic horror or retroclone style adventure. 

Comix International Issue #5 (Warren Publishing) (1977) was a nice shift up from some of the other material appearing on the comic market back in the Seventies. The quality was a nice change of pace and its great material to pull from and not well known among gamers that much. The vibe of high weirdness and horror twisting adds a certain something when pulling on these comics for your old school gaming. Because its free its an added bonus. 

Free Psycho Magazine 1973 Issue # 8 For Your Old School Campaigns

Grab It Right Here 

HERE

Another Monday brings another free old school Skywald download, Psycho magazine was always a favorite of mine. It was a perfect blend of high weirdness, old school horror, and more. This issue features some impressive offerings. Skywald has a distinctive feel by comparison to the Warren Publishing affairs. Some of their material seems a tad more lurid and on edge or perhaps that's just me. 

We start out right out the gate with a look at the Grand_Guignol which if you haven't used this vernerible theater of the mind and blood for your old school games especially Call of Cthulhu or Lamentations of the Flame Princess as backdrop material clink on the link.

It doesn't get any more perfect to set your investigators or adventurrs on edge then the grand illusions and plays of the theater of blood. Place it as you will and enjoy the spectacles. 



A Gargoyle - A Man is a very interesting twist on a very old tale. This tale features the first appearance of a pair of very unlikely and wonderful heroes in the form of a husband and wife set of gargoyles. If you've never thought of a monster as a PC then this is an excellent resource to start with.
There are echoes of the Frankenstein myth mixed in with low level Satanic cult and their demonic Lovecraftian horrific minion. This story is a nice gate way for a horror campaign where man is more of the monster and the monsters are far more humane then the men.
Another nice e middle article on Lon Chaney Sr., there's actually a really nice little resource as film catalog of some of Chaney's best and most interesting films. 
Good fodder for an old school horror DM or players, Chaney never disappoints.
Devil's Woman is simply perfect for a Lamentations of the Flame Princess rpg or Call of Cthulhu rpg set of NPC's . A down and dirty cult of occultists right out of a Hammer film done right. Marv Wolfman, Andru, and Esposito crank up the occult action in this one with monster straight out of the Lamentations summoning spell table. A nasty little cult perfect to unleash on a modern or Renaissance or psuedo European dark fantasy country of your choice. 
'Have You Ever Seen The Black Rain' is a multi chapter whirl wind of Dark Fantasy and horror in the weird Hammer style of Skywald. This is a nice take on the dark legacies that were spun out in the Gothic penny dreadfuls and are perfect fodder for a dark legacy in the New World. Nice background fodder for a CoC adventure or an old school horror story. 
'Filthy Little House of Vodoo ' makes an excellent adventure location for any old school horror game but CoC comes to mind with a Seventies dark background. It includes a nice set up for a sprawling NPC wizard and packs of ghouls roaming the countryside. 
A Bad Choke is a nod back to the ghost stories of the Fifties and makes a nice little quick encounter with ends of the dire attentions of a ghost. The PC's come in right at the end and the action can pick up from there. 
City of Crypts - One part dark adventure encounter, one part CoC fodder, and the perfect twist on the Egyptian mummy story with a boomerang thrown in at the end. The PC's come in find the 'girl' and there's the potential for a very large lost city mega dungeon. Which brings us to the close of Issue number Eight. 

Free Comix International Issue #3 Warren Publishing From (1975) As Fodder For Your Old School Campaigns

Download It Right Over
HERE

Comix International was a short-lived magazine comprised entirely of reprinted material (in color) from other Warren publications that hit the shelves in 1975. There were a wide range of reprinted stories and this issue was no different. 

It featured some of Warren's top artistic talents for these tales including : Richard Corben, Esteban Maroto, Jeff Jones, Jose Bea, Doug Moench, and others. 

 Stories in this issue  to mine for old school games include: Child: Mind of the Mass! by Greg Potter and Richard Corben; Child: Childhood's End by Budd Lewis and Richard Corben. Child was a weird creation & one with a tragic history. He's a great example of a flesh golem and the first tale is one that high lights some of the more tragic and interesting angles from the Frankenstein legend. The second tells one of the weird ends that the Child character came to under the pen of Budd Lewis and Corben. I say one possible end because Child later popped up in the pages of Creepy and Errie. He was a strange and more then twisted character. Very strange stuff that could be easily adapted to a horror game such as Chill or a D&D style clone with easy. 

Wizard Wagstaff by Jack Butterworth and Richard Corben is another Corben effort with darkly comedic undertones that might be shaped into a Weird Adventures style tale with several possible links into a fully fleshed out adventure encounter possibilities. 

Hard John Apple: An Angel Shy of Hell by Jim Stenstrum and Richard Corben, this is a dark and very unPC take on the post apocalpytic wasteland tale. This is a very edgy and darkly saterical tale of a character firmly in the role of anti hero. Just the sort of NPC who would make a great villain in Mutant Future or other classic post apocalyptic wasteland adventure. 

Harry by Jeff Jones; Dead Run by Jeff Jones, need a nasty magical artifact for a horror game? Here's the perfect low level one with a very nasty background. Nice art but dark tale. 

A Wonderful Morning by Fernando Fernandez, ever wonder how those skeletons with all that nifty gear get to be in those caves, grottoes, etc. Here's the tale with the back story to mine for an adventure? This is one of those tales perfect for the post apocalytic wasteland. 

Puppet-Player by Jose Bea, need a tale to get that Lamentations of The Flame Princess game going with a weird death connected with a supernatural backdrop to it? This is just the tale to kick things off with!  Dax the Damned: Chess by Esteban Maroto,  by Doug Moench and Esteban Maroto This is the perfect sword and sorcery one shot to mine for a one shot adventure for a D&D retroclone. Finally  Vampirella: Return Trip by Joseph Toutain and Jose Gonzalez is a perfect over the top  adventure encounter for a Carcosa or Mutant Future over arch with a weird NPC death to really throw NPC's into the deep end of things! 

Rounding out this issue is a group of  artist profiles of Richard Corben, Jose Bea, Jeff Jones, and others. Cover depicts a montage of interior panels in the Seventies old school style I love so much! 

Free Creepy Magazine Issue 43 As Fodder For Your Old School Campaigns

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HERE

Creepy Issue #43 is a perfect echo of yesteryear taking us all the way back to 1971 with cover art by Ken Kelly and the usual gallery of high caliber Creepy and Warren artists.
This issue starts out with some of that good old fashioned Uncle Creepy's Loathsome Lore and kicks it into high gear with a look into 1971's comic book fandom. A real contrast to the community now. Gaming fuel wise is Three Way Split to star things off a very interesting look into the alternative Earth style of corporate in fighting and backstabbing, a lovely little tale of brain, heart, and organ bank hi-jinks that can be adapted to an old school cyberpunk or even a post apocalyptic campaign.
The Mark of Satan's Claw is a story done in the old school Hammer tradition, a tale that concerns a very nasty little cult operating out of the English countryside proving that not all deals are cut and dry with cults.
A very useful little gem of a tale perfect for those old school investigations into the occult where a switch is needed. The perfect plot hook is for the PC's to pick up when the action of the tale ends and your party is brought into the affair!
 The Men Who Called Him Monster is my favorite of the tales and spins a web of supernatural terror and werewolf inspired weirdness. Alexander Richards the main character of the story is African American and could have appeared in any number of other Marvel tales such as Curse of Dracula. He's everything an investigator of the occult needs to be. He's confident, sure of himself, interesting, brave, and open to circumstance. If your going to bring in a PC into the swinging Seventies filled with occult horror. This is really the guy your going to want at your party's side. 

One thing this guy makes a perfect NPC foil for a party of adventurers to interact with. He's got a history with the supernatural, there's dark deeds in his past, and he's a pro. A good solid mix to add into a game as a patron. 

This story also features  one of the first interracial kisses that I came across as a kid and the main protagonist
of the story looks like the movie star Sidney Poitier.

This issue's story also feature's some great werewolf artwork inspired by Werewolf of London one of my all time favorites.
Is there a connection between the monsters? Possibly but you'll have to link them yourself as a DM. More information right over HERE  on the classic 1935 film.

Free Old School Comic Book Download And Commentary - 1984 #1 (1978) From Warren Publishing For Your Old School Space Based Campaigns

Grab Issue #1 Right
HERE

1984 came out a year before the film Alien and offered a sort of window into what seemed to be in the air back in the 1970's in comics and films. The pulp and 1950's science fiction pop culture landscape had given way to the used and lived in universe of the collective unconsciousness. A vibe violently seen in the Alien and less so in the fantasies of  Star Wars. Images bathed in the science fiction and fantasy of Seventies Hollywood and smack in the middle of this whole iconic morass of  science fictional dreams was 1984 from Warren publishing.
Issue one contains a boat of mixed Seventies science fantasy goodness. This mag was written to compete with Metal Hurlant and the American Heavy Metal magazine, which although it couldn't hold a candle to made a pretty damn good stab at. Issue one contains a number of pieces that will interest the science fiction and fantasy retro clone gamer. They're a definite pessimistic science fantasy vibe from the Seventies here, each story has the bombs and super weapons going off and vaporizing Earth. So for you Mutant Future players who want to get your campaigns into space. Here's a solid way of doing it.
The stories go like this :
Last of the Great Joy Juice is a mixed bag tale with some really sleazy elements lurking in the background. The type of a story that can be added into the background of a retroclone like Star Ships and Space Men with little issue. There's some nice art and mix of mutant and near humans in this one. 

Saga Of Honey Dew Melons is a sexist commentary tale that can happen in any sleazy backwater space bar in spades. This tale can have some back drop history with your favorite post apocalyptic wasteland quite easily. 

Once Upon Clarissa is pretty interesting and there are several plot lines that could be added into your favorite space based retroclone quite nicely. 

Quick Cut - This is a mix of fantasy and post apocalpytic hi jinks all the way, there's a Ralph Bakshi Wizard's vibe echoing throughout this tale. 

The Saga Of Xatz And Xotz is nicely done with some elements that can be borrowed for your old school favorite sagas in space rather nicely. 

Bugs is a pure throwback tale that could be added into the backdrop of a space opera retroclone adventure 

Mutant World begins here are and this is pure post apocalyptic inspiration all the way through for Mutant Future or Gamma clone dreams. Take a look at this one for wasteland ideas. 

Faster Then Light has excellent artwork and a good space based backdrop for a space opera tale or adventure. 

Angel has a slightly errie quality to it and the artwork makes the tale.
Momma can you hear me is one of those little tales that can be added to bother a party in a space opera and let it echo through a campaign during play.


I remember walking into Maxwell's drug store back in 1978 in downtown Torrirngton and seeing the above vividly lurid artwork. I didn't have the dollar fifty at the time to get it. But years later I did and its been a pretty damn controversial magazine through the years.
According to wiki right out of the gate the mag had some issues: 

1984 was a black and white science-fiction comic magazine published byWarren Publishing from 1978 to 1983. 1984 was edited by Bill Dubay. The title of the magazine was changed to 1994 starting with issue 11 in February, 1980 based on a request by the estate of George Orwell.^[1] The magazine ceased publication with issue 29 in February, 1983 due to the bankruptcy of Warren Publishing.

 Yet artists who contributed to it reads like a whose who of Seventies and Eighties 

comic book iconic artists. Again from Wiki : 

Artists who contributed stories to 1984/1994 included Alex Niño, Richard Corben, Jose Gonzalez, Jose Ortiz, Frank Thorne, Esteban Maroto, Rudy Nebres, Abel Laxamana, Wally Wood, Luis Bermejo, Alfredo Alcala and Vic Catan. Cover artists included Nino, Corben, Patrick Woodroffe, Jim Laurier,Sanjulián, Jordi Penalva, H.R. Giger, Steve Fastner, Rich Larsen, Lloyd Garrison, Terry Oates and John Berkey. Writers included Dubay, Thorne, Jim Stenstrum, Jan Strnad, Rich Margopoulos, Kevin Duane, Nicola Cuti and Gerry Boudreau.

So what really did in the magazine and Warren publishing? Well the 1984/1994 magazine might have been the start of the unraveling of Warren. According to wiki they went ahead and published something that they shouldn't have : 

One of the most notable incidents that occurred regarding the magazine was an unauthorized adaption of Harlan Ellison's story, "A Boy and His Dog", which has been rumored as one of the major factors in the bankruptcy of Warren Publishing. As discussed in the book The Warren Companion, editor Bill Dubay approached writers Gerry Boudreau and Jim Stenstrum about adapting science fiction stories for the magazine. Boudreau asked permission to adapt Ellison's story, and Dubay approved this, without first asking Ellison. When Ellison refused to grant permission, Dubay had artist Alex Niño draw the story anyway, then provided the art to Stenstrum to use as the basis for a new story. The story was published in issue 4, under the title 'Mondo Megillah'. Despite Stenstrum's revisions to the script, the story was still obvious plagiarism and Ellison filed a lawsuit, which he eventually won. 

Warren has had its far share of sex and controversial subjects but when you alter an iconic comic book icon's art well you might be walking on thin ice. Especially when that comic book legend happens to be loved Wally Wood. Once again from Wiki : 

As discussed by comics historian Richard Arndt, editor DuBay edited stories within the magazine to focus more on this subject matter, such as this incident that occurred with artist Wally Woodregarding stories that appeared in the first two issues of the magazine:

Wood's original story was entitled 'The End' and was 12 pages long. It was a part of his Wizard King series. Bill DuBay, without Wood's ok or knowledge, split the story in two, rearranged pages & panels, rewrote Wood's original script and presented the greatly altered work as two separate stories, changing Wood's original rather charming adult oriented tale into shorter pieces that leaned heavily on the scenes (which were also in Wood's original but not nearly so highlighted as their appearance here) of naked women in bondage being whipped and brutalized. Understandably, Wood was outraged and never worked for Warren again.

Want to know more about 1984/1994? Check out the wiki page HERE 

As well as the Richard J.Arndt interviews HERE