Haunted was a horror

Horror comics

Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. Horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the imposition of the self-censorship Comics Code Authority contributed to...

-suspense anthology

Anthology

An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...

 comic book

Comic book

A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

 series published by Charlton Comics

Charlton Comics

Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...

 from 1971 to 1984 (though it was primarily a reprint

Reprint

A reprint is a re-publishing of material that has already been previously published. The word reprint is used in many fields.-Academic publishing:...

 title from 1978 onward). The book was "hosted" by Impy, a pint-sized ghost

Ghost

In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...

 dressed in an all-white superhero

Superhero

A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...

 costume. With issue #21, the book's host became Baron Weirwulf (who first appeared in Ghost Manor

Ghost Manor (comics)

Ghost Manor was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1968 to 1984 . Volume one was "hosted" by the Old Witch , while volume two was hosted by Mr...

#19, published in July 1974). From that point forward, Haunted's title was changed to Baron Weirwulf's Haunted Library (though it was still known as Haunted in the indicia).

Haunted was part of a wave of new horror and suspense comics published by Charlton during this period. Its sister titles, with many of the same creators, were the Charlton anthologies The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves

The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves

The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves was an American supernatural-anthology comic book published by Charlton Comics and best known as a showcase for the popular writer-artist Steve Ditko, the co-creator of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man. The eponymous Dr. M. T...

(with host Dr. M.T. Graves), Ghostly Tales

Ghostly Tales

Ghostly Tales was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1966 to 1984 . The book was "hosted" by Mr. L. Dedd , a middle-aged gentleman with purplish skin and horns who dressed like a vampire. Mr...

(with I.M. Dedd), Ghost Manor

Ghost Manor (comics)

Ghost Manor was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1968 to 1984 . Volume one was "hosted" by the Old Witch , while volume two was hosted by Mr...

(with host Mr. Bones), Ghostly Haunts

Ghostly Haunts

Ghostly Haunts was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1971 to 1978. The book was "hosted" by Winnie the Witch, a "moddish" blue-skinned witch....

(with Winnie the Witch), and Scary Tales

Scary Tales (comics)

Scary Tales was a horror-suspense anthology comic book series published by Charlton Comics from 1975 to 1984. The book was "hosted" by Countess R.H. Von Bludd, an alluring female vampire in a tight-fitting dress...

(with Countess R.H. Von Bludd).

Publication history

Haunted was published bimonthly; with issue #35 (April 1978), it became primarily a reprint title, republishing material from its own archives as well as those of its sister titles. (Even covers from the latter years of Haunted were often taken from interior art from the reprinted stories.) Haunted went on a publishing hiatus between issues #15 and #16, which lasted from November 1973 to June 1974; suffered another hiatus between issues #31 and #32 (January–October 1977); and underwent a final hiatus between issues #51 and #52 (October 1980–December 1981). Altogether, Haunted published 75 issues — with only the first 34 being primarily original material.

Regular contributors to Haunted included Jack Abel

Jack Abel

Jack Abel a.k.a. Gary Michaels was an American comic book artist best known as an inker for leading publishers DC Comics and Marvel Comics. He was DC's primary inker on the Superman titles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and inked penciler Herb Trimpe's introduction of the popular superhero...

, Vince Alascia

Vince Alascia

Vincent Alascia , also known as Nicholas Alascia, was an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America during the Golden Age of comics, and for his 23-year run as inker on a single creative team, with penciler Charles Nicholas Wojtkowski and writer Joe Gill at Charlton Comics...

, Pat Boyette

Pat Boyette

Pat Boyette Pat Boyette Pat Boyette (July 27, 1923, San Antonio, Texas – January 14, 2000, was an American broadcasting personality and news producer, and later a comic book artist best known for two decades of work for Charlton Comics, where he co-created the character The Peacemaker...

, Nicola Cuti, Steve Ditko

Steve Ditko

Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....

, Joe Gill

Joe Gill

Joseph Gill was an American magazine writer and highly prolific comic book scripter. Most of his work was for Charlton Comics, where he co-created the superheroes Captain Atom, Peacemaker, and Judomaster, among others. Comics historians consider Gill a top contender as the comic-book field's most...

, Wayne Howard

Wayne Howard

Wayne Wright Howard was an African-American comic book artist best known for his 1970s work at Charlton Comics, where he became American comic books' first known cover-credited series creator, with the horror anthology Midnight Tales blurbing "Created by Wayne Howard" on each issue — "a...

, Pete Morisi

Pete Morisi

Peter A. Morisi , who sometimes went by the pseudonym PAM, is an American comic book writer and artist who also spent much of his professional life as a New York City Police Department officer. He is best known as creator of the 1960s Charlton Comics series Peter Cannon .....

, Don Newton

Don Newton

Don Newton was an American comic book artist. During his career, he worked for a number of comic book publishers, including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Charlton Comics. He is best known for his work on The Phantom, Aquaman, and Batman...

, Charles Nicholas, Enrique Nieto, Joe Staton

Joe Staton

Joe Staton is an American illustrator and writer of comic books.-Career:Staton started his work with Charlton Comics in 1971 and gained notability as the artist of the super-hero book E-Man...

, Tom Sutton

Tom Sutton

Tom Sutton was an American comic book artist who sometimes used the pseudonyms Sean Todd and Dementia...

, and Tony Tallarico

Tony Tallarico

Tony Tallarico is an American comic book artist, and children's book illustrator and author. Often paired in a team with his generally uncredited penciler, Bill Fraccio, Tallarico drew primarily for Charlton Comics and Dell Comics — including for the comic book Lobo, the first to star an...

 (as Tony Williamsune). Haunted was primarily edited by George Wildman

George Wildman

George Wildman , is an American cartoonist most noted for his work in the comic books industry. He was a top editor at Charlton Comics from 1971–1985, where he also became the long-time regular artist on Popeye comic books....

, who took over the title from Sal Gentile with issue #8 (October 1972), and helmed the book until its cancellation with issue #75 (Sept. 1984).

Horror comics in general were in decline in the early 1980s, and Charlton in particular was suffering financially. In the fall of 1984, Charlton suspended publication, and Ghostly Tales ended its run along with the rest of the company's remaining titles.