| House of Secrets | |
|---|---|
 Cover ofHouse of Secrets #1 (November - December 1956), art byRuben Moreira. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Varied between monthly and bi-monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Horror Fantasy |
| Publication date | List
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| No. of issues | List
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| Creative team | |
| Written by | List
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| Penciller | List
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| Inker | List
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| Editor | List
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The House of Secrets amystery,fantasy, andhorrorcomics anthology published byDC Comics. It is the title that introduced the character theSwamp Thing. It had a companion series titledTheHouse of Mystery.
The originalSilver Age series ran 80 issues, from November/December 1956[1] to September/October 1966.[2][3] In addition to short "one-off" stories, several issues featured the adventures of modern-dress sorcererMark Merlin, who first appeared in issue #23 (August 1959). The dual-personality supervillainEclipso ("Hero and Villain in One Man!") was created byBob Haney andLee Elias, introduced in issue #61 (August 1963),[4][5] and continued to the series' end.Prince Ra-Man was introduced in #73 (July - August 1965) as aDoctor Strange-style "replacement" for Mark Merlin.[6][7] Ra-Man twice battled Eclipso.[6][8][9] The "Prince Ra-Man" feature ended inHouse of Secrets #80 (September - October 1966), the final issue of the series.[10] Other continuing features included "Peter Puptent, Explorer"; "Dolly and the Professor"; "Doctor Rocket"; and "Moolah the Mystic".
The series was revived three years later with a definite article asThe House of Secrets, beginning with issue #81 (August - Sept. 1969). Now its horror and suspense tales were introduced by a host namedAbel,[11] who would also host thesatirical comicPlop!. His brother,Cain, hostedThe House of Mystery.
The title had an early breakthrough for the mainstream part of the medium: issue #83 had a story, "The Stuff that Dreams are Made of", written byMarv Wolfman. As part of the framing story, Abel introduces the story by telling a tale told to him by a "wandering Wolfman". Upon examination, the censor bureau, theComics Code Authority refused to give the issue its seal of approval since it mentions a wolfman, which was specifically forbidden along with other classic monsters. EditorGerry Conway explained that the term referred to Marv Wolfman, and the CCA conceded on the condition that the distinction be made obvious with a writer's credit in the story. That directive was complied with and suddenly the editorship of DC was inundated with complaints from other writers because of Wolfman's special consideration of a printed credit. In response, the editorship made writers credits standard practice for future publications.[12]
Swamp Thing first appeared inThe House of Secrets #92 (July 1971) in a stand-alone story written byLen Wein and drawn byBernie Wrightson.[13] The woman appearing on the cover of this issue was modeled after future comics writerLouise Simonson.[14] The Patchwork Man, a character from theSwamp Thing ongoing series, was intended to be an ongoing feature, but only appeared in one issue.[15][16]
The revival ofThe House of Secrets, sporting many covers byNeal Adams, Bernie Wrightson andMichael Kaluta, ran through issue #154 (Nov. 1978), with six months passing between issues #140 (February - March 1976) and 141 (August - September 1976). Cancelled as a result of theDC Implosion, it was then "merged" intoThe Unexpected with issue #189 through issue #199.[17] The series was 68 ad-free pages, allowing all three portions to be full-length issues.
The House of Secrets also came to be the name of the actual edifice in which Abel lives. WriterMike Friedrich and artistJerry Grandenetti introduced the house and explained its origins. The building itself was constructed for a Senator Sanderson using only materials from Kentucky, and went under the enchantment that only pure-blood Kentuckians would be able to live there. Later, Sanderson's wife went insane in the upper floors, leading the Senator to sell the house. The next four owners, none of them pure Kentuckians, found themselves driven away for various reasons. The following owner attempted to move the home from its original location, but the house tore itself free from its trailer, ran its owner over a cliff to his death and settled less than 200 yards from the Kentucky state line in a graveyard.[18] Whether by fate or some mystical alignment, the companion House of Mystery stands at the other end of the graveyard. Shortly after this, Abel was driven to the house and entrusted as its caretaker by a man who revealed himself to be an aspect of the House's existence, but making vague references to an employer. Abel was showing living in the House of Mystery in the quarterlyDC Special #4, published one month earlier (July - Sept. 1969).
In the 1980s and 1990s,The Sandman series revealed that the House of Secrets edifice exists both in the real world of the DC Universe and in theDreaming, as a repository for secrets of all kinds. Abel would later become a recurring character inThe Sandman (vol. 2) and related series such asThe Dreaming.
DC'sVertigo imprint revived the nameHouse of Secrets as a new title and concept. Here the House of Secrets was a mobile manor, appearing in different places. The building itself is haunted by the Juris, a group of ghosts who summon those with secrets in order to judge them and pass sentence. To the Juris, all offenses carry the same weight, from rape and murder to simply lying at a crucial moment. A runaway named Rain Harper stumbled upon the House of Secrets and took up a position as an unwilling witness to the Juris trials, validating the judgments and either condemning the tried souls to imprisonment in the basement, or setting them free to live their life purged of their secret.
Starting fresh with a new #1 (October 1996), this series ran 25 issues, plus a two-part specialHouse of Secrets: Facade. ThisHouse of Secrets series was creator-owned, except for its title which was "licensed" by DC to the series' creators. The letters column in issue #6 indicates that, for legal reasons, they could not include Cain and Abel in the stories. This series was used for the framing story in the first VertigoWinter's Edge special, featuring Rain happening upon an art gallery in the House whose paintings allow her to see stories fromThe Sandman (vol. 2),The Dreaming,John Constantine, Hellblazer,The Invisibles,The Books of Magic,The Minx,Sandman Mystery Theatre andNevada.
In the mid-2000s, theSecret Six made their headquarters in the House of Secrets.Scandal Savage stated in issue #5 ofVillains United that the House would not show up on technological scans or mystical surveillance. She also said that Mockingbird claimed the House was a "house of victims".
The House of Secrets appears in theYoung Justice episode "Secrets". This version is a magic shop across the street from the house ofGreta andBilly Hayes.[19]
The mystery-suspense anthology seriesHouse of Secrets began the eighty-issue run of its first incarnation in December.
The character came to be when powers within the company apparently decided Mark Merlin...wasn't working. Superheroes were what was selling, so that's what Mark needed to be replaced with. But instead of simply not using Mark Merlin anymore, and introducing something new where he'd formerly been, they attempted to retain whatever fans he may or may not have had by linking him to the new guy.
When Swamp Thing debuted in this issue ofHouse of Secrets as a "one-shot", no one could have known it would lead to an enduring hit franchise, least of all its cover model, future comics writer Louise Simonson.
Despite the potential, the great artwork, the intriguing cast, and the interesting plot points,House of Secrets was suddenly 'canceled' after issue #140 – The Patchwork Man's first and only appearance in what was meant to be an ongoing run in the series.
Following its cancellation with #154,House of Secrets was merged withThe Witching Hour andDoorway to Nightmare inThe Unexpected, which was expanded to Dollar Comic size to accommodate the changes.
