We hosted another successful Comic Book Trivia night yesterday at Mission: Comics in San Francisco. Caught up in the spooky season, and on the cusp of Halloween, it only made sense to go with a horror comics theme…

Congratulations to Team Immortal for winning first place, besting Green Latrine on the tie-breaker question! They took home $60 in store merchandise, and the top four teams each left with a Halloween-appropriate trade ranging from Richard Sala’s latest to the first Locke & Key collection.

Now for a chance to test your knowledge. Partly for posterity, and partly to avoid doing a new comics post this week, here’s the quiz in its entirety. Lots of creepy questions.

Question #1 – Easy Opener
Which best-selling zombie series is celebrating its 15 year anniversary in 2018?

Question #2 – At the Movies
James Wan, the horror movie genius behind Saw, The Conjuring, and Insidious, is directing which upcoming superhero movie?

Question #3 – On TV
Netflix’s new spooky series, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, is based on comics from which publisher?

Question #4 – Matching
Match the comic book character to the demon or entity that has possessed, enchanted, or otherwise affected him.

1) John Constantine 2) Jason Blood 3) Johnny Blaze 4) Juggernaut

a) Cyttorak b) Nergal c) Etrigan d) Zarathos

Question #5 – First Appearances
In which comic series did Moon Knight make his first appearance?

Question #6 – Geography
According to both 1970’s Amazing World of DC Comics and 1990’s Atlas of the DC Universe, Superman’s adopted home of Metropolis is situated in which U.S. state?
[Hint: “Blue Hen state”]

Question #7 – Controversies
In 1971, protesters descended upon the East Hanover, NJ headquarters of this snack food company demanding that one of its subsidiaries cease production of Vampirella-themed torture dioramas.

Question #8 – Science
What color is Morbius, The Living Vampire’s pee?

(Assuming the rare blood disorder that afflicts him is porphyria, which derives its name from porphyra, the Greek word for the color in question.)

Question #9 – Writers
Joe Hill, author of horror comic series Locke & Key, is the son of what bestselling novelist?

Question #10 – Toys and Games
Amazon updates its best-selling items in any given category hourly. As of 8:00 AM this morning, 10/30, which superhero is the best-seller among kids’ Halloween costumes?

Question #11 – Résumé Includes Comics
She worked as a comic book scripter and editor during the industry’s Golden Age. She was a ghostwriter for, among other strips, Nedor Comics’ “The Ghost.” Once her career as a bestselling novelist took off, she often used real names from her comic book experience in her stories. In The Talented Mr, Ripley, for example, one of the first scam victims is named after an artist she had worked with. Who is..?

Question #12 – Classic Cartoonists
Charles Addams, the cartooning genius behind The Addams Family, chose what odd venue for his 1980 wedding to Marilyn Miller?
[Hint: Stephen King might approve]

Question #13 – Secret Identities
Felicia Hardy is the secret identity of which comic book character?

Question #14 – Manga
Japanese manga artist Gou Tanabe’s most well-received and most translated works include short story adaptations “The Hound,” “The Temple,” “The Color Out of Space,” and “At the Mountains of Madness,” all originally written by what master of horror?

Question #15 – Legal Battles
Harvey Comics sued Columbia Pictures in 1987, claiming that the Ghostbusters logo was too reminiscent of which Casper supporting character?

Question #16 – Business and Retail
In 1968, Gary Arlington opened what is widely regarded as America’s first comic book shop in what city?

Question #17 – History
Which of the following is not a horror title published by EC Comics during the 1950’s?
a) The Crypt of Terror
b) Creepy
c) The Vault of Horror
d) The Haunt of Fear

Question #18 – Around the World
Which well known superhero goes by the alter ego Bruno Diaz in Mexican translations of his comic books?

Question #19 – Marvel Cinematic Universe
In 2005, in order to finance their bold move to create Marvel Studios and finance their own movies, Marvel received a $525 million loan from which financial corporation (since purchased by Bank of America)?

Question #20
Unscramble the anagram (spooky comic):
PRETTY TORCH FLAMES

Questions #21 through 25 are artist identifications, one each from five different eras of comic book history.

Question #21
Golden Age (< 1956)

Question #22
Silver Age (1956 – 1972)

Question #23
Bronze Age (1972 – 1985)

Question #24
“Steel” Age (1986 – 2000)

Question #25
“Diamond” Age (2001 – Present)

Questions #26 through 30 are part of the Imagram. Identify the characters in the puzzle below, and then use the circled letters to solve the final clue.
And, finally, a tiebreaker question…

Released 20 years ago, New Line’s Blade helped pave the way for Marvel’s future cinematic success. The movie was a surprise hit, taking in $70 million at the box office. How much of that went back to Marvel?

Stay tuned for an announcement for our sixth Trivia Night, likely in the month of December.

October 24 | New Release Highlights | November 7