Book Review: The Complete Web of Horror

Web of Horror was a very short-lived horror magazine that ran from late 1969 until early 1970. After a grand total of three published issues and one in the works, it disappeared just as mysteriously as it had appeared. For years its large, loyal fan base was left wondering what happened and pondered what could have been. Thanks to Fantagraphics we need wonder no more as they have collected everything available for the release of The Complete Web of Horror.  

Web of Horror sprang forth from publisher Robert C. Sproul and his Major Magazines Inc., which was best known for Cracked, a Mad Magazine imitation. Major also had some success with its EC horror comics inspired titles Eerie and Creepy. They also ran a “zine” called For Monster Only, a knock-off of Forrest J. Ackerman’s Famous Monsters of Filmland. Copycat seemed to be Major’s M.O. Working for Sproul as editors were two young comic fans, Terry Bisson and Clark Diamond, who noted the success of the scary stuff and decided to launch a new horror mag. One that would break away from Sproul’s other publications as it would feature new, original, first-run stories and artwork. 

They dubbed their creation Web of Horror and thought of a clever human-like spider creature named Webster to introduce the stories that would be written by Bisson along with a few other notable names like Nicola Cuti, Marv Wolfman and EC veteran Otto Binder. Web would also spotlight up and coming artists like Mike Kaluta and Ralph Reese alongside old pros such as Syd Shores and Tony Tallarico. There were also a few other old hands around that lent their talents to Web under various nom de plumes, possibly to avoid legal action. Issue four, had it made it to the press, would have probably even run a story from the mind of Len Wein, legendary creator of Swamp Thing. 

Sadly, issue four never saw the light of day. Just after issue three hit newsstands, Bisson packed up and headed west to join a hippy commune, leaving the Web crew in search of an editor. Two of Web’s top contributors, writer Bruce Jones and artist Berni Wrightson, picked up the editor reins and began to ready the next issue in hopes of making it even better than the previous three outings. Trouble was that Sproul became as elusive as a mountain Yeti. After many failed attempts to contact him by phone, the lads paid a visit to Sproul’s office in New York, where they were greeted by an empty room with scraps of paper blowing about. It was then that the frustrated duo had had enough and decided to hang up Webster’s web for good. Years later, they discovered that Sproul had relocated to Florida without notice, leaving them and the popular fledgling horror mag high and dry. 

A handful of completed stories, some slated for issue four, were gathered up in a box and forgotten when Sproul moved. Some of those stories would appear in fanzines from time to time while the others were considered lost until 2014 after that box was found and sold at auction. Fantagraphics has gathered those forgotten gems along with the planned cover art for issue four and included them in The Complete Web of Horror as a mock-up of what that issue may have looked had it been published back in 1970. 

The Complete Web of Horror is simply amazing. The artwork perfectly illustrates the spectacular Twilight Zone-esque plots that are lively, twisted, creepy, and presented well. Webster’s introductions are witty and fun without being silly or overplayed for laughs. These yarns aren’t all graphic gore but truly fantastic tales with plot twists and surprise endings that will chill, thrill, and keep you up at night pondering their conclusions. There are classic monsters like werewolves, vampires, and zombies; one story even introduces us to the Brothers Ussher, who are set up to return in future adventures as they ply their monster-hunting trade. Beyond those tried and true creature features, there are also Sword and Sorcerer pieces and delightful sci-fi shockers that take us on terrifying trips through space and time.  

The writers in the late 1960s had the edge over those older EC comics as they were able to draw inspiration from TV shows like the aforementioned Twilight Zone as well as Star Trek and Lost in Space. With those shows in mind as well as works of authors such as Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Richard Matheson, and Philip K. Dick, whose creativity expanded the boundaries of horror, Web‘s writers could be more gritty and real as they dug into our minds and played with our fears. These stories do more than provide nightmare fuel: they make us think and linger in our imagination.

The Complete Web of Horror had me completely enthralled from cover to cover as I sat and read its terror tales, some twice, and learned the backstory of the horror magazine that could have reigned over them all in essays written by Dana Marie Andra as well as Bisson and Diamond themselves. I was fascinated by the whole of it, the art, the six-page stories and the life of the magazine itself; from how it came about and suddenly disappeared, to how it lived on in fanzines and at comic cons. The Complete Web of Horror will haunt my mind for years as I continue to spread the word and sing its praise.