Bernie chatting with fans back in the ‘90s.

Bernie Wrightson—possibly the greatest horror artist of all time—was born on this date in 1948. I haven’t celebrated his birthday here at DMR Books nearly as often as I should have, considering that his birthday, his art and Halloween all go together so well. Let’s see about making amends for my past lapses, shall we?

I've been a Bernie fan clear back to the days when he went by 'Berni'.* Along with adventurous stuff by Frazetta or Barry Windsor-Smith, I always had a night-black little corner of my heart reserved for the macabre and darkly fantastic. Wrightson's incredible 1970s art scratched that eldritch itch. I grabbed all of the Swamp Thing reprints I could get my hands on and his Apparitions portfolio was possibly the very first such artistic showcase I ever purchased.

In the 1980s and beyond, Bernie worked steadily in comics, books and movies. He left an indelible imprint on the comics industry, but was also admired by the likes of Stephen King and Joss Whedon. He died, tragically, in 2017.

Below is a gallery of his work, a celebration of his genius spanning six decades. While Bernie could summon up sci-fi and heroic fantasy wonders when he saw fit, these are all in the spirit of the season.

For the frightful finale, here’s a rarity from Mr. Wrightson’s early days that sums up this seasonal celebration. Another DMR Books Blog Bonus.

Happy birthday, Bernie.

*As Bernie’s widow, Liz, once explained: “[He] began spelling his name ‘Berni’ in his professional work to distinguish himself from an Olympic diver named Bernie Wrightson, but later restored the final E to his name.”