James Warren (publisher)
Encyclopedia
James Warren is a magazine publisher and founder of Warren Publishing
.
Magazines published by Warren include Creepy
, Vampirella
and Famous Monsters of Filmland
. He was the first publisher to put a magazine devoted expressely to monsters on America's newsstand in 1958.
, he attended the University of Pennsylvania
School of Architecture, where Louis Kahn
, another architect whose work he admired, served on the faculty. Warren served in ROTC, leaving college his junior year to enlist in the United States Army
when the Korean war
broke out. Accepted into Armored Infantry Officers Training, he was deafened six months later in a night training operation when he got too close to the .50 caliber heavy machine gun. He was medically discharged a few months later.
Instead of returning to Penn, Warren pursued his childhood interest in comic strips, his favorites of which were Buzz Sawyer
and Captain Easy
by Roy Crane
, and The Spirit by Will Eisner
.
, which lasted four issues and led to his arrest on charges of obscenity and pornography for featuring bare bosoms on the inside and Bettie Page
on the cover. The Philadelphia Inquirer headline read "Pornographer Arrested", with a photo of him in handcuffs. Later, inspired by an issue of the French movie magazine Cinema 57 devoted to movie monsters, he founded Famous Monsters of Filmland
magazine with After Hours contributing writer Forrest J Ackerman
, an avid collector of movie memorabilia
including stills and horror-movie props. Securing newsstand distribution through Kable News, he launched the magazine in 1958.
horror comic books of the 1950s, Warren launched the black-and-white horror-comics magazines Creepy
, Eerie
, and Vampirella
. He continued to publish a variety of magazines until the 1980s, when he left the field due to health problems.
Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades...
.
Magazines published by Warren include Creepy
Creepy
Creepy was an American horror-comics magazine launched by Warren Publishing in 1964. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. The anthology magazine was initially published quarterly but...
, Vampirella
Vampirella
Vampirella is a fictional character, a comic book vampire heroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and costume designer Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine Vampirella #1 . Writer-editor Archie Goodwin later developed the character from horror-story hostess, in...
and Famous Monsters of Filmland
Famous Monsters of Filmland
Famous Monsters of Filmland is a genre-specific film magazine started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman.-Magazine history :...
. He was the first publisher to put a magazine devoted expressely to monsters on America's newsstand in 1958.
Early life
An art student during his grammar school and high school years, he came in second in the Pennsylvania State Scholastic Art Competition. Motivated to be an architect by the designs of Frank Lloyd WrightFrank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, he attended the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
School of Architecture, where Louis Kahn
Louis Kahn
Louis Isadore Kahn was an American architect, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. After working in various capacities for several firms in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935...
, another architect whose work he admired, served on the faculty. Warren served in ROTC, leaving college his junior year to enlist in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
when the Korean war
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
broke out. Accepted into Armored Infantry Officers Training, he was deafened six months later in a night training operation when he got too close to the .50 caliber heavy machine gun. He was medically discharged a few months later.
Instead of returning to Penn, Warren pursued his childhood interest in comic strips, his favorites of which were Buzz Sawyer
Buzz Sawyer
Bruce Woyan was a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Buzz Sawyer. Throughout his career, he was also known by the nickname "Mad Dog". He was characterized by his crazy antics inside the ring and out.-Career:Sawyer started wrestling in 1979 in the National Wrestling Alliance 's...
and Captain Easy
Captain Easy
Captain Easy, Soldier of Fortune was an action/adventure comic strip created by Roy Crane that was syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association beginning on Sunday, July 30, 1933...
by Roy Crane
Roy Crane
Royston Campbell Crane , who signed his work Roy Crane, was an influential American cartoonist who created the comic strip characters Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy and Buz Sawyer. He pioneered the adventure comic strip, establishing the conventions and artistic approach of that genre. Comics historian...
, and The Spirit by Will Eisner
Will Eisner
William Erwin "Will" Eisner was an American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of comics as an...
.
Early career
In the 1950s, Warren worked in advertising as an artist and writer. Inspired by the publishing efforts of [Hugh Hefner]], he launched his own men's magazine, After HoursAfter Hours
- Television and film :* After Hours , a 1985 movie directed by Martin Scorsese* After Hours , a 1953 Canadian television series* After Hours , a 2007 television drama broadcasted in Singapore...
, which lasted four issues and led to his arrest on charges of obscenity and pornography for featuring bare bosoms on the inside and Bettie Page
Bettie Page
Bettie Mae Page was an American model who became famous in the 1950s for her fetish modeling and pin-up photos. She has often been called the "Queen of Pinups"...
on the cover. The Philadelphia Inquirer headline read "Pornographer Arrested", with a photo of him in handcuffs. Later, inspired by an issue of the French movie magazine Cinema 57 devoted to movie monsters, he founded Famous Monsters of Filmland
Famous Monsters of Filmland
Famous Monsters of Filmland is a genre-specific film magazine started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman.-Magazine history :...
magazine with After Hours contributing writer Forrest J Ackerman
Forrest J Ackerman
Forrest J Ackerman was an American collector of science fiction books and movie memorabilia and a science fiction fan...
, an avid collector of movie memorabilia
Movie memorabilia
Film memorabilia consist of objects considered of value because of their connection to the cinema. These include costumes, props, advertising posters, and scripts, among other things...
including stills and horror-movie props. Securing newsstand distribution through Kable News, he launched the magazine in 1958.
Creepy, Eerie, Vampirella
In the mid-1960s, inspired by the ECEC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
horror comic books of the 1950s, Warren launched the black-and-white horror-comics magazines Creepy
Creepy
Creepy was an American horror-comics magazine launched by Warren Publishing in 1964. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. The anthology magazine was initially published quarterly but...
, Eerie
Eerie
Eerie was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. Each issue's stories were introduced by the host...
, and Vampirella
Vampirella
Vampirella is a fictional character, a comic book vampire heroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and costume designer Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine Vampirella #1 . Writer-editor Archie Goodwin later developed the character from horror-story hostess, in...
. He continued to publish a variety of magazines until the 1980s, when he left the field due to health problems.
External links
- James Warren interview, Comic Book ArtistComic Book ArtistComic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
#4, Spring 1999. WebCitation archive