Evil Ernie is heading back to comic shops this December. Dynamite Entertainment will mark the character’s 35th anniversary with a special facsimile edition of his first-ever story.
The release recreates the debut from writer and creator Brian Pulido and artist Steven Hughes. It also continues Dynamite’s partnership with Pulido’s Coffin Comics.
A Chaos! Comics Landmark Returns
First released in 1991, Evil Ernie #1 helped establish the horror-driven Chaos! Comics universe. The publisher built an interconnected mythology around vampires, demons, serial killers and other dangerous characters, often using storytelling structures associated with superhero comics.
The new facsimile edition gives longtime fans another chance to own the issue while introducing newer readers to the story that started it all.
The Origin of Evil Ernie
Evil Ernie #1, later known as “Youth Gone Wild,” introduces Ernest Fairchild. Ernest is a disaffected and abused teenager being held at Clearview Mental Institution under the care of Dr. Leonard Price.
Price subjects him to experimental treatments, including dream therapy. During those sessions, Ernest encounters the mysterious Lady Death.
The treatments fail to help him and instead deepen his destructive and homicidal impulses. Psychiatrist Mary Young later visits Clearview to study Ernest and witnesses his violence firsthand.
Doctors then try a radical neurotechnology treatment. It also fails, fully unleashing Ernest as the maniacal Evil Ernie.
Brian Pulido and Steven Hughes Launch the Mythology
Pulido wrote Evil Ernie #1 and created its original concepts and character designs. Hughes brought the story to the page, while Eric Mache provided the issue’s cover.
The series later expanded to include more stories featuring Evil Ernie and Lady Death, along with characters such as Purgatori, Chastity and Lady Demon. Those creations became central to the Chaos! Comics line throughout the 1990s and beyond.
“Evil Ernie #1 is my love letter to everything I love in horror: splatter punk ultra-violence, zombies, moody atmospheres, and a horror queen unrivaled to this day,” said writer and franchise creator Brian Pulido.
Facsimile Edition Recreates the Original Release
Dynamite’s edition will reproduce the original comic as it appeared, including advertisements and other period material. The goal is to preserve the full presentation of the 1991 issue.
Collectors will also have several alternate editions to choose from. Options include a glow-in-the-dark variant and a premium metal cover.
Pulido will sign and remarque a limited number of copies. A Blank Authentix edition will also be available for artists who want to create custom Evil Ernie covers.
The anniversary release brings one of Chaos! Comics’ foundational issues back into print. It also gives new readers a direct entry point into Evil Ernie’s origin.
