Eclipse Monthly

    (Eclipse, 1983-1984)
™ and ©1983 Eclipse Comics and the respective creators

(From the Slings & Arrows Comic Guide)

High-quality mainstream anthology, with good production values and an adventure-based remit. Eclipse Monthly mixed super-heroes and Westerns, moral tales and thrillers, and featured a star-studded line-up. Steve Ditko’s “Static,” while not the work of a creator at the peak of his powers, is still a thing of wonder (series two #1–3), and Doug Wildey’s complex Western, Rio (#1–4, 9–10), equals Clint Eastwood’s finest efforts in the genre. Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers’ Coyote appeared in series one #2–8 before spinning off into its own Epic title, and Don McGregor and Gene Colan’s “Ragamuffins” was a far-sighted attempt—with its pencil-only artwork and reflective insight into the terrors and pressures of childhood—to expand what was an acceptable topic for a comic story. Although not to everyone’s taste, Trina Robbins’ stylised adaptation of a neglected and rather risqué Sax Rohmer pulp, Dope, is sympathetically executed. Although relying on a backbone of super-hero adventures (such as B. C.Boyer’s Spirit homage The Masked Man and Mark Evanier and Mike Sekowsky’s Nightingale), Eclipse Monthly got the best out of its contributors and is a lasting monument to the publishing company. The first series is a black and white magazine with occasional color pages, but the second is traditional comic format. ~FJ

		Notes	Writer	Artist
	#1 Date:  8/1/1983 Cover Price:  $2.00 NM Guide:  $2.50 6 copies available from $1.00		B.C. Boyer, Doug Wildey, Marshall Rogers, Steve Ditko, Trina Robbins	B.C. Boyer, Doug Wildey, Klaus Janson, Marshall Rogers, Steve Ditko, Trina Robbins
	#2 Date:  9/1/1983 Cover Price:  $2.00 NM Guide:  $3.00 9 copies available from $1.25		B.C. Boyer, Steve Ditko, Marshall Rogers, Trina Robbins, Doug Wildey	B.C. Boyer, Steve Ditko, Marshall Rogers, Trina Robbins, Doug Wildey
	#3 Date:  10/1/1983 Cover Price:  $2.00 NM Guide:  $2.75 9 copies available from $1.75
	#4 Date:  1/1/1984 Cover Price:  $1.50 NM Guide:  $3.25 7 copies available from $0.99		Chris Goldberg, Marshall Rogers, Don McGreggor, B.C. Boyer	Marshall Rogers, Gene Colan, B.C. Boyer
	#5 Date:  2/1/1984 Cover Price:  $1.50 NM Guide:  $3.00 7 copies available from $2.00		B.C. Boyer, Doug Wildey	B.C. Boyer, Doug Wildey
	#6 Date:  3/1/1984 Cover Price:  $1.50 NM Guide:  $2.50 5 copies available from $1.99		B.C. Boyer, Christy Marx, Mark Evanier	B.C. Boyer, Peter Ledger, Mike Sekowsky
	#7 Date:  4/1/1984 Cover Price:  $1.50 NM Guide:  $2.50 6 copies available from $1.75		Barney McAllister, B.C. Boyer, Jan, Dean Mullaney, Carlos McLlyr, Mark Evanier, Mike Sekowsky	Al Gordon
	#8 Date:  5/1/1984 Cover Price:  $1.50 NM Guide:  $3.00 9 copies available from $2.00		Christy Marx, Don McGregor, B.C. Boyer	Peter Ledger, Billy Graham, B.C. Boyer
	#9 Date:  6/1/1984 Cover Price:  $1.75 NM Guide:  $2.50 5 copies available from $1.50		Wendi Lee, Sandy Saidak, Tom Saidak, Doug Wildey, B.C. Boyer	Steven Masseroni, Doug Wildey, B.C. Boyer
	#10 Date:  7/1/1984 Cover Price:  $1.75 NM Guide:  $3.00 858 copies available from $1.75		B.C. Boyer, Doug Wildey, Wayne Truman	B.C. Boyer, Doug Wildey, Wayne Truman