Supernatural Thrillers



Supernatural Thrillers was a horror fiction comic book published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s that adapted classic stories of that genre, including works by  Robert Louis Stevenson and  H.G. Wells, before becoming a vehicle for a  supernatural action series starring an original character, The Living Mummy.

Publication history
Supernatural Thrillers ran 15 issues (Dec. 1972 - Oct. 1975). The title was one of four launched by Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Roy Thomas to form a line of science fiction and horror  anthologies with more thematic cohesiveness than the company's earlier attempts that decade, which had included the series Chamber of Darkness and Tower of Shadows. Whereas those titles generally presented original stories, these new books would instead adapt genre classics and other stories.

With the four titles' debuts set to be staggered over the course of four months, Marvel premiered Journey into Mystery vol. 2 (Oct. 1972), Chamber of Chills (Nov. 1972), Supernatural Thrillers (Dec. 1972), and, with a late start, Worlds Unknown (May 1973). Originally slated to be titled Gothic Thrillers, the first issue of Supernatural Thrillers featured Theodore Sturgeon's 1940 short story "It", "adapted by writer-editor Thomas and  penciler  Marie Severin, with cover art by  Jim Steranko. Four of the next five issues likewise contained adaptations:  H.G. Wells' 1897  novella The Invisible Man, by writer  Ron Goulart and penciler  Val Mayerik (#2), featuring another Steranko cover;  Robert E. Howard's "The Valley of the Worm", co-written by  Gerry Conway and Thomas and penciled by  Gil Kane (#3);  Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella  Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by writer Goulart and artist  Win Mortimer (#4); and the quasi-adaptation "The Headless Horseman Rides Again", writer  Gary Friedrich and penciler  George Tuska's original sequel to  Washington Irving's 1820 short story " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".

The Living Mummy
Issue #5 (Aug. 1973) introduced The Living Mummy in a standalone story about an  African tribal prince enslaved by  Egyptians and  mummified by an evil priest, who eventually reawakens in modern times. The character, created by writer Steve Gerber and penciler  Rich Buckler, returned two issues later as the starring character in a generally 15-page solo series that ran from #7 to the final issue, #15 (June 1974 - Oct. 1975). The cover logo during this time was "Supernatural Thrillers featuring The Living Mummy". With issue #8, the creative team became writer Tony Isabella and artist Val Mayerik, who was occasionally credited as co-plotter. John Warner wrote or co-wrote the final two issues, with Tom Sutton drawing the finale. Len Wein scripted #10 from an Isabella-Mayerik plot.

The series went to 16 pages with issue #11, and became a full-length, 18-page feature the following issue. Backup stories were reprints from "pre-superhero Marvel" science fiction/ fantasy anthologies, and in two cases elsewhere. They are: (#7) "He Came from Nowhere", by artists George Tuska and Joe Sinnott (writer unknown), from Strange Tales #94 (March 1962); (#8) "The Little Gypsy Tea Room" by writer  Stan Lee and artist  Steve Ditko, from Amazing Adult Fantasy #13 (June 1962); (#9) "The Secret of the Universe" by Lee & Ditko, from Amazing Adult Fantasy #11 (April 1962); (#10) the three-page "Flying Saucer", writer unknown, art by penciler tentatively identified as  Ross Andru, and inker  Jack Abel, from Marvel-predecessor Atlas Comics' Adventures into Weird Worlds #16 (March 1953); and (#11), the two-page "Contact!" by writer-artist Tom Sutton, from Marvel's Tower of Shadows #6 (July 1970).

Reprints

 * The two covers by Jim Steranko
 * Marvel Visionaries: Jim Steranko (Marvel 2002, ISBN 0785109447, ISBN-13: 9780785109440


 * "It"
 * Masters of Terror #1 (May 1975)


 * "The Invisible Man"
 * Masters of Terror #2 (Sept. 1975)


 * "The Valley of the Worm"
 * Kull and the Barbarians #1 (May 1975)