Get In The Mood For Halloween With These Horrifying Comic Covers!

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Dazzling Erin

Once upon a time, horror comics were all the rage. In the 1950s, impressionable young readers were told scary stories by hosts with names like The Cryptkeeper and The Old Witch, and the Vault-Keeper. That all changed when Congress got involved and held a series of hearing on whether or not horror comics were leading to juvenile crime. All of the horror comics were canceled and the comic book industry agreed to tone things down with the Comics Code.

Trying to suppress horror comics only made them even more popular amongst readers and collectors. Who could have seen that coming? Teachers and juvenile court officers may have hated them in the 50s but now, they’re some of those most valuable comics around. Here are a few classic covers from the 50s horror comic era.

Great Moments In Comic Book History #40: Chambers of Chills #2

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Jedadiah Leland

In the early 70s, with the Comics Code Authority weakened by a changing culture and publishers that were finally willing to stand up for themselves, horror comics finally started to make a comeback.

Not to be confused with the earlier pulp magazine, Chambers of Chills was published by Marvel from 1972 to 1976. It featured adaptation of horror stories from writers like Robert E. Howard, Edgar Allan Poe, and H.P. Lovecraft. The cover almost always featured monsters on the verge of attacking, the better to capture the attention and allowances of potential readers.

I’ve always felt that cover for Chamber of Chills #2 (which came out in October of 72, despite the January date on the cover) was one of the best of the series. Credit for this cover goes to Gil Kane, Tom Palmer, and Gaspar Saladino.

Previous Great Moments In Comic Book History:

Horror Artist Profile: Ben Templesmith

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Arleigh

BEN TEMPLESMITH

Ben Templesmith has been one of the more interesting artists when it came to horror comics or, at the very least, when going for a more horror-themed cover. He has done cover work for comic publishers like IDW, Image comics and lately for DC Comics.

Born on Match 4, 1984 in Perth, Australia, Ben Templesmith like most comic artist would get his start working on a degree in graphic art and design which he would use to begin work as early as 2002 doing cover work for Todd McFarlane’s Hellspawn series. This would be the beginning of what would be a career of doing work for the large indie comic publisher Image Comics.

Yet, it would be the cover and interior artwork that he creates for Steve Niles’ 30 Days of Night horror franchise over at IDW Publishing that would be his claim to fame. His covers for the main series and the off-shoots would lead to more personal horror works such as Welcome to Hoxford, Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse and Choker.

Ben Templesmith has a unique rough-hewn style that’s both disturbing and beautiful and brings to mind a dreamlike (or nightmarish depending on one’s predilection) and surrealistic style. It’s no wonder his style has become very synonymous with modern horror comic art.