In his out-of-print essential resource book on Warren Publishing, Gathering Horror, David Horne lists the various foreign versions of Warren's magazines as well as those first printed in the United States. Among them are the French translations of CREEPY.
Five years after CREEPY was launched in the States (1964), the French publisher, Publicness, began producing the first French version. Lasting 30 issues, the French CREEPY, subtitled Le Premier et le Meilleur Magazine Illustre D'Epouvante!... (The First and Best Magazine of Illustrated Horror), it contained reprints from the originals as well as text and photo articles similar to those found in another Warren magazine, FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. Sometimes the articles were laced with adult content, so it is safe to assume that the target audience in France was of a more mature nature. No matter how sophisticated, however, it was unlikely that many Parisians were observed reading CREEPY at the Cafe de Fiore while sipping their cafe au lait and nibbling on a croissant.
Included in issue #27 (shown here), was a text/photo article on Georges Franju's 1960 ethereal and mysterious, LES YEUX SANS VISAGE (EYES WITHOUT A FACE). A quietly celebrated entry into the French horror film canon, it has just been released on Blu-ray by the ever-productive Criterion Collection. For years, snobby film enthusiasts have had to endure the declasse, U.S.-dubbed version, luridly titled, THE HORROR CHAMBER OF DR. FAUSTUS.
NOTE: I came across this excerpt of CREEPY #27 on the 'net, and I believe it was on a French website. Unfortunately, I do not have a record of the site so I cannot properly acknowledge them. If it becomes known, I will list it here where credit is rightly due.
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| The cover image of the U.S. CREEPY used for the French edition. |
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