Black Magic
An American horror anthology comic-book title originally published by Prize Comics and later reprinted by DC Comics.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Black Magic was an American horror anthology comic-book series associated with the creative team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. The original series was published by Prize Comics from 1950 through 1961, during a period when horror comics were an important part of the American comic-book market. Rather than relying primarily on graphic violence, the title emphasized atmospheric, supernatural, psychological, and morality-oriented stories. Its material was generally presented as non-gory horror, making the series distinct from more sensational examples of the genre. Simon and Kirby packaged the series, shaping its editorial and visual identity, while individual stories were produced within the broader creative and production system of postwar American comics. The anthology format allowed Black Magic to move among different kinds of horror premises, including supernatural events, death, social prejudice, and the mistreatment of people perceived as unusual or different. This thematic range gave the title a broader tone than a narrowly defined monster or crime comic. The original Prize Comics run reached 50 issues under the Black Magic title. After that sequence ended, the numbering continued for three additional issues under the title Cool Cat, a humor comic, before the publication was canceled. The continuation therefore represents a change in genre and title identity rather than a sustained extension of the Black Magic horror concept. Black Magic was later revived in a different form by DC Comics. From 1973 to 1975, DC published a nine-issue reprint series using stories from the earlier Simon–Kirby material. The DC edition retained the logo associated with the original Prize Comics series but used newly created covers. Its editorial approach grouped stories thematically; for example, one issue focused on intolerance toward human oddities, while another collected stories dealing with death. This edition functioned as a reprint program rather than a new ongoing series of original Black Magic stories. The Black Magic name is therefore best understood as a historical comics title rather than a contemporary consumer brand. Its significance rests on the combination of an influential creative partnership, an early-1950s American horror-anthology format, and later archival reuse by DC Comics. No current publisher, website, corporate owner, or active commercial product line is identified in the supplied reference material.
History
Black Magic originated as a horror anthology comic-book title published by the American company Prize Comics. The first issue appeared in 1950, when horror was a prominent genre in the United States comic-book industry. The series was packaged by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, a major creative partnership in American comics. Their involvement helped define the title's presentation and provided a recognizable editorial and visual framework, although the anthology format incorporated stories produced through the broader comics production system rather than functioning as a single-author work. The series focused on horror without depending on graphic gore. Its stories could draw on supernatural incidents, death, fear, social anxieties, and moral consequences. A notable characteristic was the use of horror premises to address intolerance toward people regarded as odd or abnormal. This helped distinguish Black Magic from titles built mainly around shock imagery or conventional monster action. The anthology structure also allowed the publication to vary its subjects and narrative approaches from issue to issue. The original Prize Comics publication continued for 50 issues under the Black Magic name between 1950 and 1961. Following those issues, the numbering continued for three more issues as Cool Cat, a humor title. The change from horror anthology to humor comic marked a substantial shift in editorial identity. Cool Cat was subsequently canceled, ending the original publication sequence associated with the title's numbering. The property returned in the 1970s through a DC Comics reprint series. DC published nine issues from 1973 to 1975, reusing stories from the earlier Prize Comics run and particularly drawing on Simon–Kirby material. The reprint edition used new cover art while retaining the recognizable Black Magic logo from the original series. Rather than simply reproducing the earlier issues in publication order, DC generally arranged the reprinted stories by theme. One issue, for example, grouped stories concerning intolerance toward human oddities, while another assembled stories focused on death. The DC edition did not establish a continuing modern series of new Black Magic stories. Its role was primarily archival and republishing: it brought selected earlier horror material to a later readership and reintroduced the title's visual identity. After the nine-issue DC run ended in 1975, no continuing publication, current corporate brand program, or active product line is identified in the supplied sources. Black Magic is consequently a defunct historical comics title whose principal legacy lies in its original Prize Comics run, its association with Simon and Kirby, and its later DC Comics reprints.
- 1975
DC reprint series ends
[1]The DC Comics reprint edition concluded after nine issues published between 1973 and 1975.
- 1973
DC Comics begins reprint series
[1]DC Comics launched a new nine-issue Black Magic series reprinting material from the earlier Prize Comics publication.
- 1961
Original run reaches its final Black Magic issue
[1]The Prize Comics series completed 50 issues under the Black Magic title during its original 1950–1961 publication period.
- 1961
Numbering continues as Cool Cat
[1]Three further issues used the continuing numbering but were published as the humor comic Cool Cat before cancellation.
- 1950
Original Black Magic series begins
[1]Prize Comics launched Black Magic as an American horror anthology comic-book series. The title was packaged by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and emphasized non-gory horror.
Products and positioning
Non-gory American horror anthology comics with supernatural and socially themed stories, later preserved through DC Comics reprints.
Original horror anthology comic series · 1950
Black Magic
The original Prize Comics series published from 1950 to 1961. It ran for 50 issues and presented non-gory horror stories involving supernatural themes, death, fear, moral consequences, and social intolerance. The series was packaged by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby and is the primary publication associated with the Black Magic title.
Comic-book reprint series · 1973
Black Magic
A nine-issue DC Comics reprint edition published from 1973 to 1975. It reused stories from the earlier Prize Comics series, featured new covers, retained the original logo, and generally organized the material around themes such as intolerance toward human oddities and death.
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