The first issue of Vampire Tales — Marvel’s black-and-white horror magazine that kicked off their Monster Group line with a full blast of gothic pulp. This debut centers on Lord Ruthven, billed as “the first, most fearsome vampyre of all,” alongside early Morbius material and a stack of horror features built to feel like a midnight movie marathon in print. It’s oversized, atmospheric, and exactly the kind of ’70s Marvel experimentation collectors love.
The painted cover by Esteban Maroto sets the tone immediately: lurid, theatrical, and drenched in Euro-horror influence. Ruthven leans over his victim in a scene that could have been lifted from a Hammer Films lobby card. Inside, the magazine mixes comics, text features, promos, and still-photo introductions — Morbius stories, werewolf retellings, classic reprints, film analysis, and a deep dive into vampire mythology that only the 1970s could deliver.
Contents
Cover — Esteban Maroto (painting)
Lord Ruthven over a blood-spattered victim, rendered in lush painted color. Classic early-’70s magazine horror.
“Morbius” — 14 pages
Art: Pablo Marcos
Steve Gerber retells the tragic, fractured origin of Michael Morbius, weaving in flashbacks with Spider-Man, Emil Nikos, and Curt Connors. A grim LA-based horror piece with new villains and first appearances.
“To Kill a Werewolf!” — 5 pages
Art: Bill Everett
A 1954 Everett story reprinted in stark black-and-white — psychological horror with a twist ending.
“The Vampyre!” — 13 pages
Art: Win Mortimer
A comics adaptation of Polidori’s classic story introducing Lord Ruthven. Regency-era vampire melodrama, faithfully adapted.
“Revenge of the Unliving!” — 8 pages
Art: Jordi Bernet
A resurrected vampire seeks vengeance on the grandson of the man who entombed her. Atmospheric and sharp.
Plus: multiple text features, film still intros (Nosferatu, Dracula, Hammer films), Chris Claremont’s essay on Montague Summers, photo-heavy horror journalism, and magazine-era Marvel house ads.
A crisp, strong mid-high grade copy with excellent cover color — that deep red background still pops. Light wear along the spine with a few small ticks, some corner softening on the bottom right, and mild handling on the front. Back cover shows faint discoloration and a couple of tiny stress marks near the edges. Interior pages are clean, bright, and firmly attached, with the magazine’s thick stock aging evenly. A sharp example of this oversized first issue, presenting extremely well.
The first issue of Vampire Tales — Marvel’s black-and-white horror magazine that kicked off their Monster Group line with a full blast of gothic pulp. This debut centers on Lord Ruthven, billed as “the first, most fearsome vampyre of all,” alongside early Morbius material and a stack of horror features built to feel like a midnight movie marathon in print. It’s oversized, atmospheric, and exactly the kind of ’70s Marvel experimentation collectors love.
The painted cover by Esteban Maroto sets the tone immediately: lurid, theatrical, and drenched in Euro-horror influence. Ruthven leans over his victim in a scene that could have been lifted from a Hammer Films lobby card. Inside, the magazine mixes comics, text features, promos, and still-photo introductions — Morbius stories, werewolf retellings, classic reprints, film analysis, and a deep dive into vampire mythology that only the 1970s could deliver.
Contents
Cover — Esteban Maroto (painting)
Lord Ruthven over a blood-spattered victim, rendered in lush painted color. Classic early-’70s magazine horror.
“Morbius” — 14 pages
Art: Pablo Marcos
Steve Gerber retells the tragic, fractured origin of Michael Morbius, weaving in flashbacks with Spider-Man, Emil Nikos, and Curt Connors. A grim LA-based horror piece with new villains and first appearances.
“To Kill a Werewolf!” — 5 pages
Art: Bill Everett
A 1954 Everett story reprinted in stark black-and-white — psychological horror with a twist ending.
“The Vampyre!” — 13 pages
Art: Win Mortimer
A comics adaptation of Polidori’s classic story introducing Lord Ruthven. Regency-era vampire melodrama, faithfully adapted.
“Revenge of the Unliving!” — 8 pages
Art: Jordi Bernet
A resurrected vampire seeks vengeance on the grandson of the man who entombed her. Atmospheric and sharp.
Plus: multiple text features, film still intros (Nosferatu, Dracula, Hammer films), Chris Claremont’s essay on Montague Summers, photo-heavy horror journalism, and magazine-era Marvel house ads.
A crisp, strong mid-high grade copy with excellent cover color — that deep red background still pops. Light wear along the spine with a few small ticks, some corner softening on the bottom right, and mild handling on the front. Back cover shows faint discoloration and a couple of tiny stress marks near the edges. Interior pages are clean, bright, and firmly attached, with the magazine’s thick stock aging evenly. A sharp example of this oversized first issue, presenting extremely well.
