I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that a Gredown index is sorely needed, so I thought a good place to start would be to compile a list of the known titles and issues.
It’s taken a week or so, but I’ve now compiled a list of 222 confirmed Gredown Horror titles!
Without further ado:
Beware!
Bite of the Scorpion
Bite of the Vampire
Black Doom
Black Havoc
Black Legend, The
Black Spectre
Blade of Fear 1-8
Black Terror
Blind Despair
Blind Terror
Blood Plague, The
Brute, The
Buried Alive!
Call From Beyond
Call of the Monsters
Chain of Pain
Chills of the Supernatural
Claustrophobia
Claw of Pain
Crawling Horror
Crawling Terror
Creepy Things
Cruel Beyond
Cry of the Werewolf 1-5
Crypt of Creatures 1-6
Crypt of Souls
Curse of Doom
Curse of No Return
Daunting Images
Deeds of the Diabolical
Deadly Horror Stories
Deadly Mayhem
Deadly Omen
Deathly Horrors
Death Rattle
Death Wish
Deeds of the Diabolical
Demon is a Hag, The 1
Demon Phantoms, The
Demons of the Deep
Demons Revenge
Descent Into Horror
Devil's Brood
Devil's Doom 1-2
Devil's Dilemma
Devil's Seed, The
Devil's Triangle, The 1-8
Doom Zone
Doorway to Doom
Dread of the Dead
Dread of the Unknown
Dreaded Werewolf Tales
Edge of Fear
Empty Tomb, The
Eternal Hell
Evil Eye, The
Evil Ones, The
Evil Shadows
Evil Trap, The
Evil Winds of Death 1-4
Escorpion
Eyes of Night
Face of Doom
Fate of Death
Fanged Monster, The
Fearful Fancies
Fearful Forces
Fearful Freaks
Fearful Spectres
Fearful Tales of the Occult 1-3
Fearsome Stories
Fear Zone
Fiends and Demons
Fiends and Things
Fiends of Frenzy
Fingers of Doom
Fingers of Fear
Flight Into Peril
Forbidden Tales
Forever Dead
Frantic with Fear
Fright! 1-3
Freaky
Future Shock!
Gasp!
Ghastly Encounters
Ghost
Ghost Dancers
Ghost Panic
Ghostly Horrors
Ghostly Shadows
Ghosts and Ghouls 1-7
Ghosts of Terror 1-7
Ghouls from the Grave
Ghoul Tales 1-2
Grave Ghost's Tales 1-3
Grinning Skull
Grip of Death 1-4
Grotesque
Gruesome Nightmare
Hand of Death
Haunted Horror 1
Haunting Images
Help!
Hell Fire
Hell Pit
Hell Rider 1-2
Hell's Doorway
Hideous Haunts
Horror Encounters 1-3
Horror Experience 1
Horror in the Dungeon
Horror Tales of Vampires
Horror/s Unleashed
Infernal Nightmare
Insane
Jaws of the Deep
Kiss of Death 1-2
Knife Edge
Living Horrors
Living Nightmare
Loathsome Ghosts
Macabre Destiny
Macabre Monsters
Mad Fear
Maze of Monsters
Midnight Terror
Mind Possessed
Monstrosities
Morlock 2001
Night Creature
Nightmare
Night Without End
Orgy of Destruction
Out of this World 1-2
Pact with the Devil
Panic Struck
Panther's Revenge
Peril Below 1-4
Phantom Fear
Phantoms of Evil
Pit of Evil 1-13
Planet Doom 1
Planet of the Spirits
Planet of Vampires 1-6
Portrait of Peril
Princes of Darkness
Prison of Fear
Pure Panic 1
Pure Madness
Rampage of Demons 1-2
Ramparts of Evil 1
Return from Death
Road to Disaster
Satan's Corpse
Satan's Disciples
Screaming Terror
Secrets of the Supernatural 1-2
Shadow of Death
Shadows of Doom
Shock and Dilemma
Shriek of Despair
Shriek of the Dead
Shuddering Fear
Shudder Tales 1-6
Sinbad
Skulls of Death
Sorcery 1-3
Spells of Blackness
Spirit's Den
Spirits from the Unknown 1-2
Spirits of Misfortune
Spooks of Terror
Stark Fear 1-4
Storm Forces
Strange Encounters
Strange Experience 1-10
Strange Macabre Tales 1
Strange Mission of the Weird Brain
Tales of the Forbidden
Tales of Horror 1-10
Tales of the Mystic
Tales of Torment 1-3
Tales of the Zombie
Tarantula
Tentacles of Terror
Terror Madness
Terror Trail
Terror Under the Sea
Terror Unleashed 1-2
Thirst of Blood
Toll of Doom
Tomb of Ghosts
Tombstone Terrors
This Comic is Haunted 1-6
Thriller Tales
Underground, The
Undreamed of Horrors
Vault of Demons 1-8
Vault of Fear
Vampire Havoc
Vampire Killers
Vampire Mania
Vampire Scare
Vault of Ghosts
Vengeance of the Vampires 1
Vengeful Corpse
Victim of the Vampire
Vile Monstrosities
Vile Tales of Havoc
Visions of Doom
Voodoo Tales
Voyage to Death
Weird Experience
Weird Tales of the Macabre 1-4
Weird Tales of Werewolves 1-3
Werewolf Fangs of Horror
Werewolf Prowls, The
Wicked Witches Tales 1
Wild Fear!
Witches Cauldron 1-3
A few notes about this list:
1. This is, needless to say, not a complete list of Gredown horror titles;
2. Some of the issue numbers are unconfirmed, but presumably exist. For example, issue #’s 1,2,5, and 6 of Planet of Vampires are confirmed, so I assume issues 3 and 4 also exist. I considered listing confirmed and unconfirmed issue numbers, but opted for the short neat version. However I have kept a separate list of confirmed and unconfirmed issue numbers;
3. All unnumbered titles are presumed to be one-offs, but there may be multiple issues with the same title;
4. I’ve deleted some titles which were K.G. Murray or Yaffa/Page titles, but there may be one or two which have snuck under my guard;
5. I have not included other Gredown genres eg westerns in this list. Some titles listed above may be deemed ‘supernatural’ or ‘sci-fi horror’ rather than horror proper, but that’s close enough for me.
6. I have not included dates or cover prices on this list, but I wish to include this information going forward.
This list is based on a data from half a dozen collections. Apart from my own copies, I have drawn upon a couple of sell/wants lists I’ve had lying around from a couple of traders/collectors. This list was supplemented by many more titles and issue numbers contributed by Daniel Best and Mark Cannon. Mark Muller topped up the list with some additional titles towards the end.
I know there are many other collections of these comics. I am happy to act as coordinator of a master list of Gredown horror comics via this blog, so if any Gredown collector would like to contact me and submit a list of confirmed horror titles and issue numbers, I will be more than happy to periodically update the list and post it here.
The long-term goal is to catalogue and index all the issues, including the contents. The GCD is an excellent forum for this, but I admit I have a soft spot for dedicated sites as per the Ausreprints or Atlas Tales sites. Danny has already sent me contents data, so if anyone else would like to send me similar information, again, I’ll be happy to act as coordinator.
But that is all for later - the short-term priority is to compile a master list of known titles and issue numbers. Bring them on!
Update 23 January 2023: this list has been substantially updated and corrected notes from the junkyard: The complete Gredown comics list
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13 comments:
I’d have to say, Spiros, that I don’t think I’ve ever had quite so much fun helping to assemble a list. This would have to be the best compilation of horror comic titles I’ve ever seen.
What crazed genius could have come up with names like “The Demon is a Hag”, “Fiends and Thing” and best of all, “Strange Mission of the Weird Brain”? I’ve always liked to think that the Gredown staff (If indeed there was more than one person!) gathered over a few beers on a Friday night and competed to see who could come up with the most absurd titles.
While few Gredowns wre numbered and none were dated, I wonder how frequently they wer issued? I never bought any new, but have vague memories of them being pubished circa 1977-79 - though I could be out by a year at either end of that. If they published for, say, three years, they could have issued as many as two titles a week!
Cheers
Mark Cannon
Yep, there’s some pearls in there. And I agree “Strange Mission of the Weird Brain” gets the gong. I’m partial to the titles with “vile” or “loathsome” in them. And I’m willing to bet that the drinking session which generated “The Devil's Seed” also conjured “The Devil's Triangle”, but maybe that’s just me.
Timeframe - based on Page/Yaffa prices/dates - which may not quite apply to Gredowns, of course - the earliest would be about 1977/1978 for $0.50. But there’s Gredowns with $0.45 cover prices which I guess would be 1977 or earlier. Maybe there’s even lower cover prices…? I know there’s also $0.55, $0.60 and $1.00 prices
But I can’t say I recall any between $0.60 and $1.00.
Your date range - give or take a year - is probably on the money. I’d certainly be surprised to see any earlier than 1975 and later than 1982.
Total number of Gredowns – don’t know. Personally, I guess it would be between 250-300 individual titles. Add the issue numbers and it’s substantially higher. But who knows? A good reason to start with a list!
I'll dig through mine and see if I can't get some cover dates. But there were Gredowns around as early as 1976 - that's the publication date on my copies of Hell Rider.
I think it might be safe to expand those dates to include 1976 and 1980 at least, if not further.
Thanks Danny. Good call on the Hell Rider date,I should have remembered that myself. Please also let me know if you find prices lower than $0.45. Cheers!
Will do. I have my collection of Gredown's with me now and am having a quick flick through them.
Interesting note: The cover to DEVIL'S SEED (circa 1980) is the exact same to the cover of THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE #1 (1976). Contents are different, but it shows that Gredown weren't above reusing their own cover art when need be.
PLANET OF DOOM #1 is also dated 1976 and sports a cover price of $0.40.
STRANGE EXPERIENCE #5 is the same as the above - dated 1976 and priced at $0.40.
WEIRD TALES OF THE MACABRE #1 - 1976 and $0.40 cover price.
I think it'd safe to assume that they came along in 1976 and I'm sure that they went past 1980. I can remember seeing them for sale in as late as 1981.
The recycled cover in 1980 suggests to me the venture was running out of steam/funding, so 1981 may indeed be the last year of publication for these magazines.
$0.40 cover prices! Good stuff!
Weird Tales of the Macabre #2 is a $0.50 cover price,suggesting #1 is late 1976 - my impression is that the numbered issues of all titles followed one another in quick succession.
I wonder whether Strange Experience #1 was also 1976, or 1975?
The K.G. Murray horror comics began in 1972. There were changes to Australia's censorship laws around this time. Presumably this triggered the flood of horror comics in this period. I believe this is also the reason for the ratings - M/Mature Readers on the KGMs, A/Adult Readers on the Gredowns and others. I intend researching this more to get a better handle on the dates, the cause and effect, the ratings etc.
What I'd like to know is whether there were any Australian - or Australian edition - horror comics published before 1972, for example Warren material, Vampirella, anything else.
KGM's Doomsday #1 from January 1972 may be the first Australian horror comic to be given an M rating. TBC.
My copy of EERIE #1 is dated 1974, same with my copy of CREEPY #3. I think that the Vampirella reprints started at roughly the same time, so I doubt there'd be anything earlier from the Warren period than that.
The SkyWald stuff only started appearing in 1976, and by that stage it was already a few years old.
Unless we find a copy of a Gredown with a 1975 copyright we're only going to be guessing.
But then 5 And The Infinite #1 has a $0.50 cover price, a cardstock cover and no publication date...curious. So when did the Westerns first start appearing?
Not sure when the Gredown westerns started.
I know there's KGM westerns with low numbers (Ringo, The Fastest Gun Western)advertised in Haunted Tales #1 from 1972, along with Savage Tales which also carried the M rating.
I'm checking out the changes to the censorship laws, should have a little story to tell soon.
Hi Spiros,
This is a great blog, glad to see that you got the ball rolling as far as beginning to index these comics. I agree that the GCD is also a great resource, I hope it continues to grow. I will go through my collection and let you know if I find any other issues to add to the list. I think it would be great if we could get pictures of all the confirmed issues up onto a site as well. Is this feasible? I think it is interesting regarding the discussion of the first appearance of the Gredown horrors in Australia, which I believe to be 1976 through as late as 1983. I believe I have at least 1 or 2 issues that have what appear to be news agent arrival date stamps on them and I think I have seen the year 1983, but I will have to check to be sure. That is the only indicator of dates that I am aware of other than a few early issues which just say 1976 in them. Has anybody found out any info on who ran Gredown? I know they include reprints of US Eerie Publications comics by Myron Fass, and I would not be surprised if he had some involvement with getting them put out over there. The time frame
is interesting because his comics began publishing here in the US as competition to Warren in about 1966 consisting entirely of redrawn US precode horror comics, but went on an abrupt hiatus around 1975. They reappeared in 1976 with a larger page count format and were pretty much all reprints of the material that was published from 1966-1974. The company apparently reorganized around 1976 which is when the Gredowns began to appear over there. Eerie Publications ceased over here around 1982 and not surprisingly so did the Gredowns over there around the same time. It is just my theory, but I don't think this is coincidence. If only there was somebody over there who worked at the company who could fill us in. I also suspect that the same person who came up with the crazy titles also did the cover logos which seem to mostly come from the same hand and were tacked up over the cover art. There is also material which I believe to be of Spanish origin in the Gredowns, although I have not seen any of the original Spanish material to confirm this.It is mentioned in the inside covers of some of the Gredowns and the title appears to be "The Illustrated" from Barcelona ,Spain. Perhaps this is an English translation of the Spanish title? I am pretty sure that a lot of the cover art is from Spanish artists and is taken from these comics originally published there. On the other hand, I am also pretty sure that some of the Gredown covers are drawn by one or two most probably Australian artists who worked for Gredown. Some of these seem to be redrawn and painted (and most times better and more lurid) versions of some US comics covers. I can recall a couple of Charlton swipes for sure, I will give you more info when I research this in greater depth. If only these artists would surface, it would be great to hear the story of Gredown from somebody who actually worked for the company.
Anybody out there reading this a former employee? If so please tell all!! Will post more as I continue my research into the Gredown mysteries!
Best,
-Mike Wills, USA
Thanks for your comments Mike.
I look forward to any titles or issues you can add to the list. Also any further information eg dates.
Loading all the covers at once is not really feasible, that’s really the role of a dedicated site, but I’m happy to periodically load the issues as I index them, as well as any images and data which are contributed. The list is a start, a scoping of works
I understand Gredown have been approached for info, I think it was Danny who phoned them, but the enquiries have drawn a blank, no one there appears to know anything about their history. Not quite a dead end, but far from the promising lead it could be. I agree the best option for first-hand information will be if and when a former employee comes forward.
I like your comments regarding the time frame of the US magazines, I agree it does not appear to be a coincidence.
Check out Kevin Patrick's blog regarding the Spanish connection http://comicsdownunder.blogspot.com/2006/11/spanish-connection.html
When you have a moment, if you could point out a couple of the swipes, that would be great.
One of my main interests in these magazines is the pre-Code horror reprints. These can be difficult to identify, so if you recognise any I put on the blog as unidentified or incorrect, please send me an email.
Are many or most of the pre-Code reprints in these magazines redrawn as per the Eeries?
Cheers!
Hi Spiros,
Periodically I google "Gredown", and until now, no hits.
Thank you for your above list, I’ve been looking for something like this for many years.
In the mid-late eighties I inherited about 30 Gredown titles from my uncle, and *I kid you not* have received nothing but blank stares from every comic shop / second hand store I’ve ever tried to strike up a conversation in.
(I should add that I never go to conventions, and I’m not exactly a wizard on the pc)
What I have learnt from the above post and comments has made my day!
All of my issues are bagged and boxed but I’ll check on them to see if I can add to the above list, even though I only have a fraction of the titles listed above, you never know.
*** I usually have a couple handy in the study and out of interest my copy of Ghosts of Terror No 1 is priced 40c
Thanks again
Tommy
Good to hear from you Tommy!
Yes, it's been difficult getting a response from most comics shops when it comes to Australian reprint comics, whether they be Gredown or Page or Yaffa or Newtons or KG Murrays. Most shake their heads and move onto the current variants clogging up their shelfspace. But occasionally you'll find one that's hoarding an odd box here and there, or willing to keep an eye out for them if you strike up a conversation and they know you'll buy them. I recently bought just such a box with around 80 issues, and I've heard of other similar purchases recently.
So, they're around, but you need to hunt and be prepared for dozens of knockbacks before the occasional Eureka moment. This includes fairs and markets and garage sales.
But yes, by and large, the comics shops have dried up for this material, just as the secondhand bookshops have dried up.
I'll be happy to add any 'new' titles and issue numbers you have to the list, I've added a few more as you'll see in subsequent blogs, and I'll be redrafting the master list when we hit the 150 issue benchmark.
And thanks for the price on Ghosts of Terror #1!
Cheers!
I have just come across some gredowns mags "the truth western" 1.2.3. "infamous sex crimes"1,to 7."horror stories" 1."horror stories magazine" 2.3. "weird romance stories".1. also "pit of evil".1to 8. are the mags with the stories worth money or just the comics from gredowns in the 70 to 80
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