Sunday, August 23, 2009

'THE SPINECHILLER COLLECTION'













Throughout the years here in England, there have been hundreds of weekly or fortnightly magazines known as Partworks on any given subject. Of interest to readers of The Cobwebbed Room there have been a few with a supernatural/horror theme such as 'The Unexplained', 'Man, Myth and Magic', 'Fate and Fortune', 'The X Factor', and 'The Horror Collection'? 'The Spinechiller Collection' was another supernatural/horror themed publication which was aimed at a younger reading group. Published by Eaglemoss in 1998/1999. The first issue as with most partworks was sold for an introductory price of 75p, all issues thereafter would be priced at 1 pound 50 per issue. With the first issue which came in a card folder also contained a pack of 3 Spooky pop-ups [There were 30 of these pop-ups all in all to collect throughout the magazines run, these were intended to be used to play a game called 'Zap the Spook']. Issue 2 came with a free binder which would hold 15 issues and another spooky pop-up, other free gifts apart from the pop-ups were a skull hologram sticker with issue #5, a card Dracula bookmark with issue #6, and a small sheet of spooky tattoos in issue #11.

The Spinechiller Collection's contents were illustrated with artwork and photographs, and written work consisting short stories, supernatural factual accounts and Unexplained phenomena. Contents of each issue consisted of a Scary Story which were originally published in one of the following short story collection books:

'Super Scary stories for sleepovers' (1995)
'More Scary stories for sleepovers' (1992)
'Even more Scary stories for sleepovers' (1994)
'Mega Scary Stories for sleepovers' (1996)
'More Super Scary stories for sleepovers #6' (1995)
'Even more Super Scary stories for sleepovers #6' (1995)
'Still more Scary stories for sleepovers' (1993)
'Scary stories for sleepovers #8' (1997)
'Mega Scary stories for sleepovers #7' (1996)
'Bone chilling tales of fright' (1994)
'Still more Bone chilling tales of fright' (1995)
'More Scary stories for when you're home alone' (1996)
'Scary stories for stormy nights' (1995)
'Even more Scary stories for stormy nights' (1997)
'Scary stories from 1313 Wicked Way' (1996)
'Darkness Creeping' (1995)

'Our Haunted World' covered stange and spooky stories from around the world, I am not really sure what the next part was called but it contained a 2 page story in comicstrip format that were the sort of stories passed from a friend of a friend kind of like Urban Myths, 'Strange but True' covered case documents about srange phenominia, events etc, then we have the 'Creepy Puzzles', a 'Classic Serial' featured a condensed version of a classic horror or ghost story which each story ran over 2 to 3 issues, here are those stories that were featured:

'Phantom of the Opera' - Gaston Leroux
'The Portrait Painter' - Charles Dickens
'Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde' - Robert Louis Stevenson
'Squire Toby's Will' - Sheridan Le Fanu
'The Old Nurse's Story' - Elizabeth Gaskell
'The Real and the Conterfeit' - Mrs.Alfred Baldwin
'The Shadow' - E.Nesbit
'Croul's Ghost' - Sheridan La Fanu
'Wolverdon Tower' - Grant Allen
'The Ghost Chamber' - Charles Dickens
'The Dead Sexton' - Sheridan La Fanu
'Dracula's Guest' - Bram Stoker
'The Signal Man' - Charles Dickens
'The middle toe of the right foot' - Ambrose Bierce
'The Open Door' - Charlotte Riddell
'The Pit and the Pendulum' - Edgar Allan Poe
'The Canterville Ghost' - Oscar Wilde
'Frankenstein' - Mary Shelley
'A Christmas Carol' - Charles Dickens
'Dracula' - Bram Stoker
'The Violet Car' - E.Nesbit
'The Spectre of Doom' - Bram Stoker
'The Stranger' - Ambrose Bierce

Finally 'The Unexplained' looks into bizarre unsolved mysteries. Throughout the 60 issues of The Spinechiller Collection, a number of artists worked the covers, contents and free gifts. I would say that all the illustrations are stunning and often very creepy throughout. Here is a complete list of those artists:

Simoni Boni
Kev Walker
G.Coppola
Darren Pattenden
Lee Gibbons
Will Simpson
John Higgins
Tony Smith
Paul Johnson
Una Fricker
David Millgate
Leo Hartas
Jerry Paris
David Burtchum
Steve White
Ian Atchinson
David Wyatt
Christyan Fox
Kev Hopgood
Carol Kemp
Robin Smith
Baz Rowell
Christine Hock
Justin Wyatt
Garry Leach
Harvey Parker
John Lupton
Luis Rey
Douglas Carrel
Ken Stott
Luigi Galante
Julian Gibson
Andrew Wheatcroft
Barry Jones
Alwyn Talbot
Al Davison
Stephen Player
Bob Harvey

The last issue contained an index covering all issues, there were no puzzles or 'The Unexplained' in this issue. A subscription would include a free Spinechiller Collection T-Shirt.

41 comments:

Unknown said...

oh my goodness! I'm 19 now but I remember this magazine so well when it came out all those years ago, it was really good haha, but I seem to remember it finishing abruptly? Anyway I stumbled across your post and it gave me major nostalgia so thank you :)! x

Caoimhe said...

I STILL have some of these magazines. They're in a box at my moms haha.

Unknown said...

Please can anyone tell me where I can get the Spine Chiller issues again.I used to have them when i was younger and i would love to see them again.can anyone tell me where i can get them please send me an email stephenhickey09@gmail.com

Paul said...

Hi Laura
Nice to hear that you remember the magazine, can't remember if it did end abruptly, I suppose it probally did. Mind you I thought it ended sooner than I thought because there were a few times I couldn't seem to find it in the shop. Glad the post bought some fond nostalgia to you.

Paul said...

Hi Caoimhe
Great that you still have some still, how many issues do you have?

Paul said...

Hi Stephen
I wish I knew where to get some too, I have a few issues I need still. Have you tried ebay? I did see some on there once.
Hope someone emails you regarding getting some issues.
All the best

clairegiggidy said...

hey i have been searching and searching for years to find the spine chillers collections but to no avail,when i was young i used to buy them every week from this guy at a market stall...until one day he vanished! please can someone let me know is thee anywhere to buy them!? heres my email
clairegiggidy@gmail.com

Paul said...

Hi Claire, its a common and frustrating problem with these part works as not every newspaper type shop used to get them in every week unless you got them ordered. I missed several issues because one week they had them in then the week after I couldn't find them. You could try on ebay for them unless you get lucky at car boot sales/charity shops or you could maybe advertise in your local newspaper for them.
Good luck, hope you come across some. I'll let you know if I ever see any too.

Anonymous said...

Hi this might seem strange but I've been scowering the internet trying to find collectors of the ever hard to obtain Spine Chiller series. I have loads of them in two collectors edition binders and was wondering if any one would be interested. If you are my email address is ac_90@hotmail.co.uk. Sorry to clutter your blog with an advertisement so to speak
Regards

Andrew

Caitlyn said...

On a clear out I recently found a few issues of these and although they are not the best condition (some puzzles were filled in when I was a kid) and have no binders, if anyone would like to give the issues a good home then let me know on Twitter (@caitd5). Will be able to let you know the exact issues if interested.

Paul said...

Hi Andrew and Caitlyn

Could you both send me an email regarding the Spine Chiller magazines that you have please at:

monsterscud@yahoo.co.uk

Thank you

Raslin_David said...

wow, a little late to all this show lol. But I was doing some old research for some work, and was referring to my old Spine Chiller Collection and I could this.

If I remember correctly I have Issues 1 to 36 all in good condition, I can't remember why I lost out on the rest, I think it was because my local newsagents stopped selling them.

I found this an interested read though, so good blog. :)

carlomm116 said...

I have the entire Spinechiller collection all in folders and am looking to sell it, so if you are interested my email is carlomm116@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I was having a clear out and came across my collection, I also have the entire collection all in their original binders which im more then happy to sell to anyone interested.
london_gal2001@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

does anybody remember the name of a certain spine chiller story? it was about some kids that went into some kind of cave or chamber, they end up finding a huge stone statue of a winged creature (something like that) iv been trying to find it for years! if anyone knows of this please email me at:
niall91@blueyonder.co.uk

thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hi I have a collection of spinechiller magazines... I have the whole set of 60 with binders minus 2 which have inexplicably vanished!! They are 15 and 16... Though with hard work I'm sure these two issues could be replaced! 19 issues still have the pop ups attached and one issue has a bookmarked attached still. After much research the most I've seen a collection go for was for issues 1-16 only which sold for €300!!!!!!! I was shocked to say the least... I know these are rare and also so fantastic! Though my collection has been stored away for years it's about time I let them go and let someone else enjoy them! I have an auction on ebay going but if anyone wants to make me a sensible offer ill consider it. :-) mail me at serenaandmillie@hotmail.co.uk

Anonymous said...

I know this is an old post, I'm still searching for the complete collection of the spinechiller magazines. if anyone happens to have one, stumbles across this comment and is willing to sell, please email me!

whether it be in 1 month or 3 years..

Anonymous said...

Hi I have almost a full collection of the Spine Chiller magazines series in binders except for edition 50, in exceptional condition. Would like to sell to interested party as i'm sure the missing one could be found. email Imajazzbabe@aol.com if any more details are required.

Anonymous said...

I have a set of Spinechiller magazines in very good condition in 3 binders (Magazines 1 - 54). If anyone is interested, if they could let me know. val.day@blueyonder.co.uk

Anonymous said...

Hi, I have publications 1-54 in 3 Folders in very good condition. Willing to sell on first-come-first-served basis. Live in Birmingham. val.day@blueyonder.co.uk please e-mail if interested

Anonymous said...

I found the full collection in my cupboard 1-60 all in excellent condition and in the binders. Am looking to sell complete but am unsure of the true value of a whole set. Any help would be appreciated or if your interested in buying them my email is rabdajedi@live.co.uk

Unknown said...

Hello, I have the whole collection (1-60), complete with binders in very good condition. Email me at Cabbaschnitz@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing.

SirRackley said...

I still have the whole collection for sale

Jen clift said...

Do you still have these

Jen clift said...

Do you still have these

Unknown said...

I do yes @Jen Clift

Anonymous said...

I have a collection of spine chillers for sale missing 21.31.32 was full collection from childhood must of been lost in the years somewhere folders there a few pop ups are there. good condition of anybody's interested just send me an email jasonwaters4@hotmail.co.UK awe zoebrown44@hotmail.co.uk

Unknown said...

Do you still have the full collection for sale?

Unknown said...

I have folder with issues 1-23 inside for sale if anyone interested. Email me at angelrocksmyworld@hotmail.com happy to post and email pictures

Time to make a change said...

I know this is an old thread but I used to have these but they were misplaced over the years of moving I would like to have them again to share with my daughter and son dose anyone have any still I've been searching for awhile but can only find the odd one or 2

Unknown said...

Complete collection available for sale in folder. Email liannegregory@live.co.uk

Unknown said...

If anyone has a binder or 2 for sale can you please email me on stephenhallsw@gmail.com?

Thanks,
Steve

Anonymous said...

Hello, I have the whole collection (1-60), complete with binders in very good condition. Email me at carlomm116@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing.

Nadia said...

hey, I've just been given a copy of spine chillers and am hoping to display it in a frame or similar. had anyone done this before? if so what did you use?
thanks

Nadia said...

did anyone get the glow in the dark t shirt? I had one but must have thrown it away 😬 would love to find one 😂

Nadia said...

hey if you are still looking I have all 60 issues and 1 binder?
was so much fun reading them again but I think its time to pass them on

Nadia said...

Hey Claire,
I've got all 60 issues that I'm considering selling on if you're still looking?

Amber said...

Hi Nadia. Do you still have the Full collection for sale please?

Anonymous said...

Do you still have these?

Anonymous said...

Would be interested to buy if you have them x

Anonymous said...

I hav the whole collection 1-60 in 3 original black folder with spine chiller collection written on the front of each folder I am only missing 1 witch is no 40 would like to sell if anyone is interested in buying??