Where Monsters Dwell #12

Where Monsters Dwell #12, published in December 1971, emerged during a period when Marvel Comics was extensively repurposing its backlog of 1950s science fiction and creature features. This issue was part of a bimonthly anthology series that allowed a new generation of readers to experience the pre-hero era of Marvel, which was defined by surrealist, cautionary monster tales illustrated by stalwarts like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck.

The creative direction for this series leaned heavily into the aesthetics of mid-century pulp horror and atomic-age anxieties. Because the material was largely comprised of reprints, the primary editorial goal was to repackage these classic suspense stories with new covers, often provided by artists such as Gil Kane or Herb Trimpe, to capitalize on the enduring interest in giant creature features among young comic enthusiasts of the early 1970s.