NOT FOR THE NERVOUS!

lan Wheeler remembers a short-lived horror comic that is enjoying a resurgence

- 

In 1984, a new children's horror comic hit British newsstands. It was destined to last for only 15 issues, but it would strike terror into the hearts of a generation and build up a cult following that it still enjoys today.

Horror comics had traditionally enjoyed a mixed reaction in the UK. Comic publishers had to exercise caution following the 1955 Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act. The act sought to prohibit comics that were thought to be harmful to children and was in part a reaction to the imported American horror comics that had flooded into the UK in the 1950s.

Misty, a girls' comic featuring supernatural stories, had enjoyed success from 1978 to 1980 but, by 1984, the boys' market was dominated by adventure comics such as Eagle and 2000AD. Barrie Tomlinson was group editor of the Boys' Sport and Adventure department at IPC Magazines, one of the main comics publishers in the UK.

As Barrie recalls: “IPC managing editor Gil Page had always wanted to do a ‘horror’ comic. Eventually, the management agreed, and it was given to my group. I wasn’t given any lectures about what we could or couldn’t do but I knew we had to keep to certain levels of horror.”

A dummy version of the first issue was produced, with Barrie carefully balancing the content so that the horror elements were not excessive. The dummy was torn apart by IPC senior management. Massive alterations to both stories and artwork were demanded, toning down the more horrific content. Inevitably, the first issue was late going to the printers.