House of Hammer, The
Entry updated 19 December 2017. Tagged: Publication.
UK small Bedsheet-size Cinema magazine printed on newsprint. Published first by G D B Limited, then Top Sellers Limited. Editor: Dez Skinn. 24 issues, 1976 to 1978.
The best-selling UK Monster Movies magazine of its day, The House of Hammer was attractively produced, with Brian Lewis covers for most of Volume One; further featured artists were Brian Bolland and John Bolton. Other contributors included John Brosnan, Ramsey Campbell, Alan Frank and Dennis Gifford. The publication naturally covered Hammer Films thoroughly, including black and white Comics adaptations of various productions. Another attractive feature was back-cover film poster artwork on most issues. US productions were well covered, including such titles as Carrie (1976), Squirm (1976) and – repeatedly from #13 onward – Star Wars (1977), with #16 being dedicated to this film. In 1978 the magazine gained US distribution for its last few issues, switching title to Hammer's House of Horror with #19. However, Warren Publishing had learned in advance of this development, and quickly printed a few hundred copies of an undistributed magazine also called House of Horror in an effort to stake a claim to the title. This forced a second House of Hammer title change, to Hammer's Halls of Horror from #22 onward; but the magazine folded with #24. In 1982 it was revived under the auspices of Quality Communications Limited, which distributed the title in the US as well as the UK during the short run of Volume Two, ending with #30. Dez Skinn has since made all issues available in online archives. [GSt/DRL]
see also: Hammer Horror; Media Magazines.
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