HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY Berni Wrightson
BERNI WRIGHTSON WAS THE MASTER OF THE MACABRE — so it’s truly fitting that his birthday falls right in the heart of Halloween week. Few artists have ever captured the eerie, the unsettling, and the beautifully grotesque quite like Bernie.
I only had the chance to speak to him once, briefly, at a Boston Comic Con, but that moment stuck with me. And I’ve never heard a bad word spoken about the man — only stories full of warmth, respect, and admiration. Everyone who met Bernie seemed to walk away with the same impression: this was someone who loved what he did. He lived and breathed horror, and that passion poured into every pen stroke, every shadow, and every haunting face that graced his pages.
People often say Berni’s work would’ve fit right in with the EC horror comics of the 1950s — Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, and the like. And while that’s true, we were lucky to get him in the Bronze Age, where his imagination helped reignite the love of horror in comics. His arrival came at the perfect time — the early 1970s — when the Comics Code had loosened and artists could once again explore darker, more mature themes. Wrightson helped lead that charge, combining classic gothic atmosphere with a modern sense of mood and movement.
Alongside writer Len Wein, Bernie co-created Swamp Thing, one of the most enduring characters to emerge from that decade. Their 1971 story in House of Secrets #92 was a masterclass in horror storytelling — tragic, poetic, and dripping with atmosphere. When Swamp Thing launched as its own series, Bernie’s art elevated it into something truly special. You could feel the humidity, the rot, the sorrow in every panel. The book didn’t just tell a story — it immersed you in a world where beauty and horror were intertwined.
But Berni’s influence went far beyond Swamp Thing. He worked for both DC and Marvel, bringing his distinctive style to books like House of Mystery, Creepy, Eerie, and even superhero titles. Yet it was his love of classic literature that produced one of his greatest achievements: his illustrated edition of Frankenstein (1983). That project took him seven years to complete — every line meticulously inked by hand. The result wasn’t just a book; it was a masterpiece, a love letter to both Mary Shelley’s creation and the gothic art traditions that inspired him.
Berni Wrightson wasn’t just a comic artist — he was a storyteller, an illustrator, and a craftsman of nightmares and beauty alike. His influence can still be seen today in modern horror art, movies, and even concept design. His legacy continues to inspire every artist who dares to make horror beautiful.
So, on this Halloween week — here’s to you, Berni. Thank you for the shadows, the monsters, and the beauty in the dark.
