Apple Comics, also known as Apple Press, was a comic bookpublisher which operated from 1986–1994. Published by Michael Catron, they began as an imprint of WaRP Graphics, but had their own financing structure. Apple was known for publishing war comics, particularly its long-running title Vietnam Journal (as well as many spin-offs and one-shots).
Other notable titles published by Apple included Blood of Dracula, Desert Storm Journal, Eagle, FantaSci, Fish Police, Myth Conception, Thunderbunny, and Vox. Creators associated with Apple included Don Lomax, Lee Marrs, Aaron McClellan, Ken Mitchroney, Steven Moncuse, Rickey Shanklin, Neil Vokes, Mark Wheatley, and John Workman.
In 1986, Richard Pini turned over all of WaRP's publishing and marketing duties to Apple so that WaRP could concentrate on editing comics.[1] Titles packaged by the newly-uncapitalized Warp for Apple were the anthology series FantaSci, the mini-series ElfQuest: Siege At Blue Mountain and Unicorn Isle, and the ongoing title Thunderbunny.
In 1987, Apple began publishing original titles, including Blood of Dracula, Myth Conceptions, and Vietnam Journal. They also picked up the title Space Ark from Americomics, and in 1988 picked up Eagle from Crystal Publications.
Forbidden Fruit[]
From 1991–1992, Apple published an erotic comics imprint known as Forbidden Fruit. Titles published by Forbidden Fruit included The Adventures Of Misty, Sexy Superspy, and Sindy.
Bankruptcy[]
The comics market meltdown of 1994 hit the small press very hard, and Apple was one of the many small publishers which didn't survive.[2]
Titles[]
Apple Comics[]
The Bat (1 issue, March 1994)
Big Bad Blood of Dracula (2 issues, July 1991-September 1991)
Blazing Combat: Vietnam and Korea (2 issues, 1993)
Blazing Combat: World War I and World War II (2 issues, 1994)
Blood Of Dracula (19 issues, November 1987-March 1991)
Dark Fantasy (1 issue, September 1992)
Days of Darkness (6 issues, March 1992-February 1993)
Days of Wrath (4 issues, August 1993-June 1994)
Death Dreams of Dracula (4 issues, September 1991-March 1992)
Desert Storm Journal (9 issues, September 1991-March 1993)
Dracula In Hell (2 issues, January-March 1992)
Eagle (7 issues, picked up from Crystal Publications, July 1988-1989)
ElfQuest: Siege At Blue Mountain (8 issues, March 1987–December 1988)
FantaSci (8 issues, picked up from WaRP Graphics, December 1986–December 1987)
Fish Police (10 issues, picked up from Comico, August 1989-Spring 1991)
Fish Shticks (6 issues, November 1991–March 1993)
High Shining Brass (4 issues, November 1990-June 1991)
Invasion '55 (3 issues, October 1990-May 1991)
The Miracle Squad: Blood and Dust (4 issues, January–June 1989)
Mister Fixitt (2 issues, January 1989-March 1990)
Myth Conceptions (8 issues, November 1987-January 1989)
The New Crime Files of Michael Mauser Private Eye (1 issue, January 1992)
Space Ark (3 issues, picked up from Americomics, 1987)
Survive! (1 issue, April 1992)
Thunderbunny (7 issues, picked up from WaRP Graphics, 1986–November 1987)
The Timejump War (3 issues, October-December 1989)
Trollords: Death and Kisses (6 issues, picked up from Comico, July 1989-September 1991)
Unicorn Isle (3 issues, picked up from WaRP Graphics, July 1986-May 1987)
Vampiric Jihad (1 issue, 1991)
Vietnam Journal (16 issues, November 1987–April 1991)
Vietnam Journal: Bloodbath at Khe Sanh (4 issues, 1992-December 1993)
Vietnam Journal: Indian Country (1 issue, 1990)
Vietnam Journal: Tet '68 (6 issues, March 1992–1993)
Vietnam Journal: The Iron Triangle (1 issue, 1993)
Vietnam Journal: Valley of Death (2 issues, June-August 1994)
Vox (7 issues, June 1989 - 1990)
Forbidden Fruit[]
The Adventures Of Misty (11 issues, 1991 - 1992)
Aviatrix (3 issues, January to May 1992)
Metallica (3 issues, December 1991 - April 1992)
Moonchild (3 issues, January 1992 - November 1992)
Scorchy (1 issue, April 1992)
Sexy Superspy (7 issues, November 1990 to August 1991)
Sindy (5 issues, 1991)
Notes[]
↑"WaRP titles now under Apple aegis," The Comics Journal #110 (August 1986), p. 17.
↑"Comics Publishers Suffer Tough Summer: Body Count Rises in Market Shakedown," The Comics Journal #172 (Nov. 1994), pp. 13-18.