MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD

HOW DO I LOVE THEE? LET ME COUNT THE EYES . . .

2012-02-13T13:29:00.000-08:00

Heritage Auctions has sent out the catalog for its February 22-24 Signature Comic Book Auction to be held in New York. While they are offering an amazing amount of rare vintage comic books, monster magazines and memorabilia are very under-represented this time. One item of interest to MMW readers is the original art for a Topps Monster Greeting Card. Design and artwork are by legendary underground comic artist Robert Crumb. Two of these cards were featured last year in MMW’s Monster Card Monday. The obverse reads “I love your beautiful eyes” and the reverse reads “All four of them.” A lovely sentiment for Valentine’s Day!

MONSTER CARD MONDAY

2012-02-13T04:22:00.000-08:00

Today features a card for that special someone on Valentine's Day!

ZOMBIES AHEAD!

2012-02-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

They're coming! Time to lock 'n load -- find out how coming next week at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD!

SUNDAY MORNING MACABRE

2012-02-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

2012-02-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

[From CREEPY #5, October 1965. Art by Angelo Torres.]

GODZILLA IS ATTACKING THE CITY ... IN BLU-RAY!

2012-02-11T11:59:00.000-08:00

During the years of the classic monster movies, King Kong was the 8th Wonder of the World. In post-war modern times the legendary Gojira (Godzilla in English) can lay claim to the most spectacular giant monster. The japanese even coined a phrase for this and subsequently unleashed giant beasts from Tokyo -- "Kaiju".

The 1954 Toho Productions flick has enjoyed numerous releases throughout the years on home video. Now, The Criterion Collection may have gifted us Kaiju lovers with the definitive and best-ever version in Blu-ray.

The the disc contains these features:

•New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)

•New high-definition digital restoration of Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Terry Morse’s 1956 reworking of the original (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)

•Audio commentary for both movies by film historian David Kalat

•New interviews with actors Akira Takarada and Haruo Nakajima and special effects technicians Yoshio Irie and Eizo Kaimai

•Interview with legendary Godzilla score composer Akira Ifukube

•Featurette detailing Godzilla’s photographic effects, introduced by special effects director Koichi Kawakita and special effects photographer Motoyoshi Tomioka

•New interview with Japanese-film critic Tadao Sato

•The Unluckiest Dragon, an illustrated audio essay featuring historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the tragic fate of the fishing vessel Daigo Fukuryu Maru, a real-life event that inspired Godzilla

•Trailers for Godzilla and Godzilla, King of the Monsters

•New English subtitle translation

•PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic J. Hoberman

FROM THE CRITERION COLLECTION "PRESS NOTES":
Sympathy for a monster? For Time, critic Steven James Snyder writes, “As I became immersed in the new Criterion Collection release of Ishiro Honda’s original Godzilla this past weekend, I found myself moved to tears—mourning for a doomed dino.” Snyder, who finds some “serious intellectual heft behind all that monster stomping, and some searing things to say about human nature,” wasn’t the only one surprised when revisiting the monster-movie classic. For Home Theater Forum, Matt Hough reminds us that it’s “far more than a popcorn thriller. It’s in many ways a thoughtful and touching piece of popular entertainment with a serious theme at its core.” And San Francisco Weekly’s Casey Burchby exclaims, “Watching Godzilla for the godzillionth time was even more rewarding than I had anticipated. It’s one of those movies that is far better than its iconography and countless parodies might suggest.”

LIBROS CON MONSTRUOS!

2012-02-10T04:04:00.000-08:00

Mr. David Horne, author of the seven-pound book of Warren Publishing history, GATHERING HORROR, has offered MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD information where he concludes his investigation with a solution of solving a hitherto ongoing question as to whether or not there was a Mexican version of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. Students of Monsterology may know (especially if they've read Horne's book) that there were international versions of Warren's FM, such as the Spanish FAMOSOS MONSTERS DEL CINE. There was knowledge of a Mexican monster 'zine (MONSTRUOS DEL CINE) with a presumably swiped cover image from FM #119 (September, 1975). The Ken Kelly-painted monster montage was also used as the cover for the 2nd Annual Famous Monsters Convention official program. The Mexican magazine had a subtitle that proclaimed "Photos and Interviews" within its pages.

Could MONSTRUOS DEL CINE have indeed been the south of the border version of FM?

Mr. Horne goes on to explain:

"I hadn't actually seen the magazine, just the image, but as you can see from the text [page 447 of GATHERING HORROR], it sparked my imagination, making me wonder whether there had been perhaps a Mexican version of Famous Monsters (to go along with the British and Spanish ones, the only foreign versions of FM that I'm aware of). I showed the cover image to Jim Warren, but he wasn't familiar with it, so if there WAS a Mexican version, it would have been unauthorized.

Well, I recently was lucky enough to find a couple of these rare things, and once I was able to see them in person, it became immediately evident that this series was in fact a reprint of Curtis's Monsters of the Movies magazine from the mid-1970s, not Famous Monsters (Curtis was an imprint/distributor of Marvel). The publisher was Macc Ediciones, and they produced a series called "Ciencia Ficcion" that included these plus other Marvel/Curtis reprints such as Planet of the Apes and Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction. I think the numbering on the issues was for the entire Ciencia Ficcion series, which is why you see the numbers 10 and 14 on these issues, although there were only eight or nine of the Monstruos Del Cine issues (to match the nine produced by Curtis). Most of these reused the Curtis cover art, but for some unknown reason they substituted Warren art on these two issues (note that one of them even has some Warren comic art on it, along with the Gogos image that first appeared on FM 16). But there's no Warren material in the interiors.

So, if anyone out there is dreaming about some lost Mexican version of Famous Monsters, like I was, they can give it up. If they're just interested in any monster magazines from any country, though, this is one to look out for to add to the collection."

As you can see, this conclusion appears to exhaust the research into this obscure corner of FM's history, and the history of monster magazines in general. Many thanks to David Horne, who continues to periodically supply MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD with these gems.

MONSTER MAN DAN GOES TO THE MOVIES

2012-02-09T05:04:00.000-08:00

Another regular visitor here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD is a fellow who goes by the name of "Monster Man Dan". Dan is a devoted Monsterologist and there's not another person out there who is more enthusiastic about the hobby than this grown-up Monster Kid. Monster Man Dan was featured in a MMW post not long ago that celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Aurora monster model kit -- Frankenstein!

Below he is shown attending a screening of METROPOLIS in his home town of Kansas City.

RELAUNCHED GRAVEYARD EXAMINER BREAKING GROUND

2012-02-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

The weekly FAMOUS MONSTERS e-newletter GRAVEYARD EXAMINER has been relaunced. Gone is the cartoony masthead -- it is replaced by a faux tombstone logo (shown above). The content looks mostly the same with news and reviews of current horror happenings. Here's the spiel from the FM newsletter:

"Bigger and better than before, it's the GRAVEYARD EXAMINER! Your online noosepaper for all things horror, sci-fi, and fantasy-now with 40% more Monsters! Coming to you every two weeks, GE will feature all the best in movies, comics, video games, books, TV and more, while also featuring exclusive articles, interviews, and even contests where we'll be giving away some of the most envied prizes in the Monsterverse. But you can't win if you don't read! With further ado, here is - THE GRAVEYARD EXAMINER!"

ROOM LEFT IN THE MAD HOUSE

2012-02-08T06:14:00.000-08:00

I have been informed by regular MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD reader Jose Cruz that he is seeking manuscripts for his "for the love" ezine-in-development entitled MAD HOUSE. Below is the howl for submissions. Or, you can visit his blogspot by clicking HERE.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO SINISTER SCRIBES AND OTHER VARIOUS FIENDS:

Do you crave classic horror stories? Do you love the musty smell of a paperback anthology containing vintage horror? Stories about creepy old houses, aristocratic vampires, Lovecraftian creatures, and tales of psychological spooks?

We wanted to send a shout out to all interested parties who would want to submit pieces in this vein to MAD HOUSE, a new digital mag that’s eager to hear the terrifying tales that all you storytellers have to share. In addition to fiction, we're open for nonfiction, poetry, and artwork alike. If you pine after the Universal and Hammer horror films and worship authors like Poe, M.R. James, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, and many others, than MAD HOUSE is the monster mag for you!

We’re looking for roughly three more fiction and/or poetry submissions and can use four to five nonfiction articles. Stories can reach up to a 7,000 word maximum. Maximum word count for articles is 5,000 words.

SPECIAL NOTICE: We are getting close to our quota for fiction and at this time are in need of NONFICTION PIECES. These can include but are not limited to: reviews, retrospectives, essays (both academic and formal), and opinion pieces.

The official deadline for any and all submissions for our premiere issue is MAY 5TH, 2012. We are planning on releasing the anthology in time for the Halloween season and need to have all materials at the ready by the above timeline. Don’t miss out on your chance!

At this time we cannot offer payment to our contributors. We're putting this rag together for the pure fun of it and out of our love for all that is classic horror. We hope to someday offer monetary compensation for the great work that we’re provided with. In the meantime it is our desire to simply put together a loving publication that we can all share with other terror-loving friends.

We prefer that your submission is in Word document format, 12 point Times New Roman, single-spaced. Attach it to your email and make sure you include the piece's title and your name in the subject line. We will request short bios upon acceptance of your piece(s).

Address all submissions to madhousemag [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Check out our blog for more information and how to contact us. Be careful as you traverse through MAD HOUSE and always keep your hand at the level of your eyes! You never know who you may run into.

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW & RECENTLY RELEASED

2012-02-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

WOMAN IN BLACK IN THE RED?

2012-02-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

The new HAMMER FILMS co-production WOMAN IN BLACK opened in U.S. theaters this past weekend. It came in second only to action flick CHRONICLE. Ex-Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is all growed up and gettin' scared by little girls in the ghost story that's long on atmosphere and jump scares, but apparently (I haven't seen it yet) short on originality. Time will tell if it ends up being profitable. Being from the House of Hammer, I certainly hope so!

According to the WALL STREET JOURNAL (sourced by Hollywood.com), WOMAN IN BLACK opened in 2,855 theaters across the country and took in $21 million. Spooky survival flim THE GREY starring Liam Neeson played in 3, 207 theaters and has accumulated $34.8 million in its first two weeks, coming in third. Coming fifth is Kate Beckensale's vampire fest UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING, which played in 2. 636 theaters and is running out of either steam or ammo at $54.4 million.

All-in-all, a good week for genre films, I'd say.

MONSTER CARD MONDAY -- SPOOK STORIES "RARE" HIGH NUMBER 133

2012-02-06T04:11:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY MORNING MACABRE

2012-02-05T04:07:00.000-08:00

TCM UNVEILS LIST OF 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL SILENT FILMS

2012-02-04T06:22:00.000-08:00

While the currently-running film THE ARTIST may not exactly revive the silent film as a viable market, it has nevertheless stimulated an interest in looking back at movies from the silent era and discussing the origins of one of the most significant creations in modern history.

TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES has released a "10 Most Influential" list of silent films. One is a historical drama/horror film, the other science-fiction.

As with most lists, there is ample room for disagreement. For instance, although Chaney's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME came first, I would consider replacing it with PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Hunchback may have been a better film, but who can forget the Paris Opera House and the legendary unmasking scene?

I would also consider THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, for its expressionistic sets that echoed for many years in a number of film productions, not excluding the early Universal Pictures classic horror film cycle.

Here is an article from the Los Angeles Times that discusses the TCM Channel's list:

"With the nearly wordless black-and-white melodrama "The Artist" collecting trophies like it's 1927, a new generation of moviegoer is being exposed to the format of silent films. (Some audiences--according to London's Daily Telegraph -- have even complained to movie houses that they didn't know "The Artist" lacked spoken dialogue.)

For newbies seeking a little knowledge--or die-hards up for a debate--Turner Classic Movies has unveiled a list of the 10 most influential silent films.

Compiled by a committee of TCM's in-house film historians, TCM host Robert Osborne and "The Artist's" French director, Michel Hazanavicius, the list covers the years 1915 to 1928. Highlights include D.W. Griffith's controversial Civil War epic "The Birth of a Nation," Charlie Chaplin's sight-gag-rich comedy "The Gold Rush" and Fritz Lang's science-fiction and visual effects groundbreaker "Metropolis."

"People don’t really know how a silent movie works," Hazanavicius said in an interview about the list. "Usually they are amazed by the experience of watching a silent movie, which is another form of expression. It works with another part of the brain. They come expecting to be bored, and they’re amazed by the fact that it’s easy to watch and it’s a story."

TCM's full list is below, in chronological order. For TCM's detailed explanations of its choices, see TCM.com:

TCM List of 10 Most Influential Silent Films

"The Birth of a Nation" (1915) Griffith's Civil War spectacle is technically innovative and notoriously racist. "You really have to put this movie in the context," Hazanavicius said. "The movie is important because Griffith is inventing a lot of things. It’s more interesting for the history. But it is not so easy to watch."

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" (1921) Rudolph Valentino tangoed his way to stardom as an Argentine soldier fighting for France in director Rex Ingram's World War I drama.

"Nanook of the North" (1922) For this forerunner to the modern documentary, director Robert Flaherty spent a year following Inuit Eskimos in the North Pole.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) Lon Chaney's reign as the "Man of 1,000 Faces" began with director Wallace Worsley's adaptation of Victor Hugo's tale of the deformed bell ringer. "Lon Chaney was known for disguising himself, for making very big, very expressive characters," Hazanavicius said. "It’s impressive."

"The Ten Commandments" (1923) Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 Biblical epic starring Charlton Heston as Moses is the one most familiar to modern audiences, but the director's silent version is equally grand, with 36-foot tall statues of the pharaohs, 110-foot-tall Egyptian gates and a Red Sea made of Jell-O.

"The Gold Rush" (1925) Often hailed as Charlie Chaplin's greatest comedy, "The Gold Rush" contains one of cinema's most iconic sight gags--Chaplin's dancing bread rolls. "Charlie Chaplin was a great clown, a great stuntman, a great acrobat, a great dancer," Hazanavicius said. "The sequence with the bread-- it’s like the Mona Lisa. Everybody knows it."

"Battleship Potemkin" (1925) Sergei Eisenstein's account of a Russian naval mutiny was among the first and most effective films to use the technique of montage to move the story forward, and included one of cinema's classic images, that of a baby carriage rolling down a flight of stairs.

"Metropolis" (1927) Long before "Terminator" or "Blade Runner," director Fritz Lang originated the stylized industrial dystopia. "This movie is a metaphor about society," Hazanavicius said. "It's not really about people."

"Sunrise -- A Song of Two Humans" (1927) Hazanavcius said he had his leading man, Jean Dujardin, watch German director F.W. Murnau's drama about a married farmer who falls in love with a dangerous woman from the city as an example of naturalistic acting in the silent era. "When people think of silent movies, they think of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton," Hazanavicius said. "These actors were beautiful clowns, but they were clowns and their movies were slapstick. But there's another kind of silent movie, a simple, moving story."

"The Passion of Joan of Arc" (1928) Danish director Carl Theodore Dreyer forced Renee Maria Falconetti to work under extreme duress while filming her role as the French saint, yielding work that critic Pauline Kael once called "the finest performance ever recorded on film."

--Rebecca Keegan"

CINEMA 57: THE FIRST MONSTER MAGAZINE?

2012-02-03T00:46:00.000-08:00

Legend has it that this little French film magazine was the inspiration behind Warren's FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. Furthermore, some go so far as to assert that CINEMA 57 is to be considered the very first monster film magazine. Others argue that since CINEMA 57 was an annual publication, it was merely a magazine -- and at over 150 pages some even qualilfy it as a book -- that spotlights monster movies in one of its issues. And, while Warren and Ackerman may have copied the idea of featuring film monsters in a magazine, this Monsterologist tends to agree with the latter statement, that FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND was the first monster magazine -- and certainly more accurately, the first periodical featuring monster films as its exclusive content.

The resulting controversy, as well as the effect of passing years, has made CINEMA 57 a desirable catch for horror film historians and monster magazine fans alike. A recent listing on eBay shows an advertised "very good" copy with the Buy It Now price of $489.

IN MEMORIAM -- BORIS KARLOFF

2012-02-02T07:27:00.000-08:00

-= November 23, 1887 - February 2, 1969 =-

[Image from FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #19]

GATHERING HORROR ALMOST SOLD OUT

2012-02-02T04:47:00.000-08:00

David Horne's incomparable catalogue and guide to Warren Publishing, GATHERING HORROR, is almost sold out. The listing on eBay expires in 6 days and, depending on sales, may disappear forever.

If I've said it once, I've said it tons -- if you are a fan of Warren 'zines, Captain Company, and related memorabilia, this book is definitive. It was the first item on this blog to earn the "MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD'S HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION". You'll see why once you get your paws on this huge tome.

To order, click HERE.

DIE FILME VON JACK ARNOLD IST SEHR GUT!

2012-02-01T04:52:00.000-08:00

Guten Morgen, meine Freunde!

Close on the heels of the recent reissue of the 1954 Vargo Statten-penned novelization of the CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON from Dreamhaven Books, comes a lavishly-illustrated retrospective of the director of the film. Written by Peter Osteried, DIE FILME VON JACK ARNOLD: KÖNIG DES PHANTASTISCHEN FILMS (The Films of Jack Arnold: The King of Fantastic Films), has been published and released in Germany by MPW Book. A "Sachbuch" (non-fiction book), it covers Jack Arnold's ouevre and is immediately noticable as a result of its generous and striking visual content.

I only wish now that I had kept up with my German! I acquired a working knowledge of the language years ago, and, after years of disuse, have unfortunately retained only the basics.

Author Osteried has provided MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD with samples and I have to say that the design is perfect for the subject matter. To those visitors to this blog who read German, the book comes with two covers and may be purchased by clicking HERE.

In order to see just how beautiful a book this is, following are a few pages from the section of the Universal Pictures' 1958 science-gone-wild film, MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS.

And, if all this hasn't fired up your ancient Devonian blood yet, then start looking for an exclusive interview with Peter Osteried, author of THE FILMS OF JACK ARNOLD, coming soon right here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD!

CALENDAR GHOULS - FEBRUARY, 2012

2012-01-31T15:07:00.000-08:00

LATEST NOOSE: GRAVEYARD EXAMINER BURIED . . . THEN EXHUMED

2012-01-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

According to the FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND newsletter, the online weekly newsletter, THE GRAVEYARD EXAMINER has been remastered and is now ready for relaunch. Here is the notice:

"Last year's launch of our all-digital magazine THE GRAVEYARD EXAMINER was more successful than we could have imagined. Due to the demand we decided to go in and make some changes to make it even better. The entire thing has been rebuilt from the ground up. And now it is time to release our noosepaper upon the world, new and improved. GE returns February 7th bigger and better than before. Featuring more reviews, more original content, and more-well-everything! Stay tuned as we'll be giving some amazing prizes away in this issue. You can't win if you don't read!"

FAMOUS MONSTERS NO. 260 AVAILABLE TODAY!

2012-01-31T07:38:00.000-08:00

FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #260 is releasing today! Click on the FM widget on the sidebar of this blogroll to order.

VINTAGE MONSTERS CALENDAR - FEBRUARY, 2012

2012-01-30T14:11:00.000-08:00

MONSTER CARD MONDAY - SPOOK STORIES "RARE" HIGH NUMBER 135

2012-01-30T03:48:00.000-08:00

MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT NO. 31 SNEAK PEEK!

2012-01-29T13:53:00.000-08:00

Coming in July is MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #31 sporting another beaut of a cover painting by Daniel Horne. There's an interesting story behind this image. To read about it, as well as the contents planned for the issue, click HERE.

SUNDAY MORNING MACABRE

2012-01-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

NOW PLAYING: DEAD MEN WALK

2012-01-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

FRANKIE'S FUNNY BONES

2012-01-27T04:36:00.000-08:00

FAMOUS MONSTERS NO. 260 SNEAK PEEK

2012-01-26T03:20:00.000-08:00

FAMOUS MONSTERS #260 is only a couple of weeks away. That's good news because generally speaking, one sign of a magazine's health is its regularity of publishing schedule. FM has been coming out steadily here of late. Last issue was a goodie and I'm looking forward to the contents of this one, too.

Clck HERE to preview more of the issue.

A FRANKENSTEIN "LON"STER

2012-01-25T06:54:00.000-08:00

Playing "What If?" seems to be an international pasttime and stems partly, I believe, from man's unquenchible desire for knowledge. On a much smaller stage, artist/illustrator George Barr proposed what might have happened if Lon Chaney Sr. had lived to play the role of the Frankenstein Monster. The source of the drawing is a Jack Pierce test makeup that was never used in the final cut.

Now, my question would be, what would Chaney have done, assuming he accepted the role he, to create his own, custom make-up. We'll never know. In the meantime we have this quaint piece from FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #27 (March, 1964) -- a "movie mirage" -- to keep us wondering.

A TIMELESS ICON

2012-01-24T09:45:00.000-08:00

The 1969 Jack Davis drawing for the "Giant Frankenstein Poster" is one of those icons that represents the imagery of the classic monster craze era as well as any other. Mr. Davis' mastery of the brush and pen can be examined more closely in a retrospective of his work in a Fantagraphics Books publication released just last month.

BILL NELSON: STAKE VICTIM & AXE VICTIM

2012-01-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

Bill Nelson art from THE MONSTER TIMES #8 (May 1972).

Artist/Illustrator Bill Nelson's work could be seen in monster 'zines regularly in the early-mid 1970's. I remember his great cover drawings for the legendary PHOTON magazine and others. He has since gone on to become a a fine artist, specializing in portraits. Never forgetting his roots, a new book, The Man of a Thousand Faces, has been recently published that includes many of his pieces from his days as a monster artist. The book is available through CREATURE FEATURES.

Another man that shares the name Bill Nelson is on the short list of the Best Guitar Players You've Probably Never Heard. His group, Be Bop Deluxe, shredded listeners in the 70's with energetic pop/rock tunes accompanied by his blistering sonic guitar attack. Often compared to David Bowie, he eschewed the comparison, even though the group maintained it's glam and art rock persona throughout most of their career. Of interest to MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD readers is that Nelson often used science-fiction imagery in both his song lyrics and the group's album cover art.

MONSTER CARD MONDAY

2012-01-23T04:17:00.000-08:00

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW & RECENTLY RELEASED

2012-01-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY MORNING MACABRE

2012-01-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

NOW PLAYING: ATOM AGE VAMPIRE

2012-01-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

FRANKIE'S FUNNY BONES

2012-01-20T17:53:00.000-08:00

GREAT MOMENTS IN HORROR HISTORY: "KEEP DRIVING, HONEY -- I'M NOT HUNGRY YET!"

2012-01-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've been in a weird mood, but I am today.

[Photo submitted by L. Navroth.]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COLIN CLIVE!

2012-01-20T06:57:00.000-08:00

[January 20, 1900]

"POE TOASTER" IS TOAST

2012-01-19T12:01:00.000-08:00

Poe Fans Call an End to 'Toaster' Tradition
By SARAH BRUMFIELD
[Associated Press]

Edgar Allan Poe fans waited long past a midnight dreary, but it appears annual visits to the writer's grave in Baltimore by a mysterious figure called the "Poe Toaster" shall occur nevermore.

Poe House and Museum Curator Jeff Jerome said early Thursday that die-hard fans waited hours past when the tribute bearer normally arrives. But the "Poe Toaster" was a no-show for a third year in a row, leaving another unanswered question in a mystery worthy of the writer's legacy. Poe fans had said they would hold one last vigil this year before calling an end to the tradition.

"It's over with," Jerome said wearily. "It will probably hit me later, but I'm too tired now to feel anything else."

It is thought that the tributes of an anonymous man wearing black clothes with a white scarf and a wide-brimmed hat, who leaves three roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac at Poe's original grave on the writer's birthday, date to at least the 1940s. Late Wednesday, a crowd gathered outside the gates of the burial ground surrounding Westminster Hall to watch for the mysterious visitor, yet only three impersonators appeared, Jerome said.

The gothic master's tales of the macabre still connect with readers more than 200 years after his birth, including his most famous poem, "The Raven," and short stories such as "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Pit and the Pendulum." Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is considered the first modern detective story.

Jerome, who was first exposed to Poe through Vincent Price's movies, believes people still identify with Poe's suffering and his lifelong dream to be a poet. He has kept a vigil for the "Poe Toaster" each year since 1978 and built up a team of other dedicated Poe fans who stay awake all night to scan the shadows of the burial ground for the visitor.

"I've been part of a ritual that people around the world read about," he said. "I'll miss it."

One Poe tradition may have ended, but Jerome said a reading of tributes by Poe fans at the gravesite planned for Thursday night may develop into a new ritual to mark the writer's birthday.

Jerome says that wherever he travels, he's asked whether the "Poe Toaster" is real. He believes the mystery of the "Poe Toaster" tradition will remain in the public consciousness despite the end of the visits.

That mystery is what has kept Jessica Marxen, 33, a programmer from Randallstown, Md., coming back to watch for the "Poe Toaster" for years. She and her sister Jeannette, 31, an administrative assistant, got involved after Jerome visited their high school and recruited them as volunteers at the Poe House. Though she has watched for the "Poe Toaster" for years, Jessica Marxen said she wouldn't want to know who he is.

"There are so few mysteries," she said. "It's a throwback to a more romantic time when people could have secrets."

Poe, who was born in Boston, lived in Baltimore, London, New York, Philadelphia and Richmond, Va. During a visit to Baltimore in 1849, he died under mysterious circumstances at age 40. The cause of his death has been the subject of much speculation over the years, with theories ranging from murder to rabies.

Poe was buried in his grandfather's lot in Westminster Burial Ground, in what is now downtown Baltimore. In 1875, his body and that of his aunt and mother-in-law Maria Clemm were moved to a prominent spot by the entrance with a memorial marker. The body of his young wife and cousin, Virginia, was exhumed and reburied with him 10 years later.

Baltimore recently cut funding for the museum at the rowhouse where Poe lived with relatives from 1832 to 1835, before he found fame as a writer. It must close if it does not become self-sustaining by June.

The annual graveside tribute was first mentioned in print in 1950 as an aside in an article that appeared in The Evening Sun of Baltimore about an effort to restore the cemetery, Jerome said. When Jerome spoke to older members of the congregation that once worshiped at the church, they recalled hearing about a visitor in the 1930s.

The visitor has occasionally left notes with his tributes, but they haven't offered much insight into the identity of the "Poe Toaster." A few indicated the tradition passed to a new generation before the original visitor's death in the 1990s, and some even mentioned the Iraq War and Baltimore Ravens football team, which was named for Poe's poem.

The vigil inside the former church is closed to the public, but over the years, a crowd has gathered outside the gates to watch. After the "Poe Toaster" failed to show in 2010, last year's vigil attracted impersonators, including a man who arrived in a limo and a few women.

The crowd outside the gates of the burial ground into Thursday morning was more respectful than last year. Even the impersonators were more solemn, perhaps because of the sense that this could be the last vigil, according to Sherri Weaver, 40, of Randallstown, who works in finance. Weaver and a few dozen others — some from as far away as California and Chicago — braved a windy night with temperatures around 30 degrees, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mystery visitor.

"Some people held out some optimism, but this may be the end," she said as dawn approached and it was becoming clear that the "Poe Toaster" was not showing up for a third time. "People know this is not a fluke, it's a quiet end."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EDGAR ALLAN POE!

2012-01-19T09:35:00.000-08:00

SINISTER SIMULACRA NO. 1

2012-01-19T04:11:00.000-08:00

The term "simulacrum", a noun, can be defined as, 1. a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance, or, 2. an effigy, image, or representation: a simulacrum of Aphrodite.

Here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD, I will be using it mostly to describe objects, illustrations and other visual media that have been recycled, reused, hijacked, lifted, and otherwise swiped from one source and used in another. This "artistic license" has been used for years in the comics industry, where an illustrator may have file drawers stuffed full of "reference material" that is more commonly known in the trade as a "swipe file".

To be honest, this occasional feature which I dub SINISTER SIMULACRA could even itself be called a sort of swipe, because, when I thought about it I believe I unconsciously got the idea from the UK's magazine of the occult and paranormal, FORTEAN TIMES. Regularly featured is a page where readers send in photos of rocks 'n stuff that take on the appearance, a simulacrum, if you will, of another, more familiar or recognizable object -- you know, like when somebody finds the image of Jesus on an Egg McMuffin or something of the sort. Here I'll be doing the monster version of that. Spooky, huh?

An example of the "simulacra corner" feature in
FORTEAN TIMES magazine. This page is from
the November, 2011 issue.

To kick off the series, I am offering up an observation that I made when I recently posted a preview of the upcoming issue of the Dark Horse Comics resuscitation of CREEPY. The Sanjulian cover is beautifully rendered as usual, but there was something about the depiction of one of the ghoulish critters that stayed with me for some reason.

Cover preview of Dark Horse's CREEPY #7.
Art by Sanjulian.

It didn't take too long for me to realize that the skeletal countenance staring back at me from the bottom foreground of the cover image was a face that I had seen before. After tracking down a photo for reference (there's that word again!), I determined that I had been correct in my assumption.

The simulacrum was none other than that of Vincent Price as the unmasked serial murderer Dr. Anton Phibes from the film THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES.

So there you have it -- the gist of this new MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD feature. Have YOU made any discoveries like this? If so, why not send it to me for a look. You never know, I just might include it in a future posting of SINISTER SIMULACRA!

As an extra bonus, I include below the "Filmbook" of THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES written by a 13-year-old Paul Clemens, as it appeared in FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #87 (Nov. 1971) and concluded in issue #89 (March 1972), not issue #88 as mentioned at the end of Part I.

Good night, Doctor. . .

HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY, ERNEST THESIGER!

2012-01-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

[January 15, 1879]

HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY, CAROLINE MUNROE!

2012-01-18T10:28:00.000-08:00

[January 16]

HAMMER GLAMOUR X 12

2012-01-18T03:35:00.000-08:00

It's not too late for another calendar this year, is it? Not to be outdone is Titan Publishing, the group that has given us so many great titles on Hammer Horror, with a pin-up calendar worthy to be on any red-blooded monster fan's wall.

Here's the synopsis from the Titan website: "Spinning off from Titan’s best selling celebration of Hammer’s Scream Queens, Hammer Glamour, comes this stunning calendar, fully licensed by Hammer Films. It features many of the actresses to have graced the films of the legendary British production company, including Ingrid Pitt, Madeline Smith and Caroline Munro!"

HEAVY METAL MONSTER DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER

2012-01-17T04:40:00.000-08:00

I think I've made mention that, along with being a dyed-in-the-fur Monster Kid, I'm also a bit of a musician. A rock guitarist to be exact, with enough keyboard knowledge to work out a tune on the black keys. Being a Monster Kid you probably also have an idea of what type of music I like, too. Well, you'd be right if you said Classic Rock --although I'm also an avid jazz and classical listener as well.

But Rock is where my heart and soul is. That's why I was saddened to hear that one of my guitar heroes, Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath fame, has just recently been diagnosed with early onset lymphoma. Now, no cancer is a cakewalk to shake, and lymphoma can be pretty tough. Nevertheless, Mr. Iommi has been reported as "upbeat".

There is more than a touch of irony here, because he has finally joined his bandmates for the first Black Sabbath studio album featuring the original line-up in 33 years. Ironic as well, that he was featured on the cover of RUE MORGUE #118.

I consider myself fortunate to have purchased the first Black Sabbath album (that's right, vinyl!) from the Tower Records store in Westwood the week it was released, and to have seen the original Black Sabbath tear the lid off the sky at the California Jam held at the Ontario Motor Speedway on April 6, 1974. And, while Ozzy pranced around in his purple fringe -- later shirtless -- my gaze was fixed mainly on Tony Iommi, pounding out the heavy metal madness on his tricked-out Gibson SG.

Get better and rock on, Tony Iommi!

DOUG'S HALL OF FLAME SHEDS LIGHT ON FAMOUS MONSTERS NO. 259

2012-01-16T09:51:00.000-08:00

2011 was an excellent year for monster magazines, both in quantity and quality. My favorite issue of the year was one of the last to hit the stands: FAMOUS MONSTERS 259. The newsstand edition features a fantastic WOLFMAN painting by Rick Baker, one of the best cover depictions of a werewolf I’ve ever seen. The magazine contains two main themes, werewolves and THE TWILIGHT ZONE. I like “themed” issues, as they allow the editor and writers to develop topics more fully and provide more perspectives than normal. It does take some intestinal fortitude on the part of the editor, however, as an unpopular theme could lead to a poor selling issue. That said, I love the two topics in FM 259.

Mark Miller kicks off the were-creature section with an article surveying werewolves in cinema. From the silent movie era to the upcoming sequel to Del Toro’s WOLFMAN, Miller mentions them all. Quite a feat! I was a bit humbled when I realized how many of the films I hadn’t seen. More entries on the DVD wish list, I suppose.

Richard Schellbach provides a personal reminiscence of discovering and watching werewolf movies growing up. His story of studying the TV Guide each week for monster movie listings and then getting up (or staying up) to watch them at 4:00 a.m. brought back memories of own experiences crawling out of bed before dawn to watch WRESTLING WOMEN VS. THE AZTEC MUMMY and other such cinematic gems. A true monster kid experience!

The highlights of the werewolf section are the first-person article by make-up genius Rick Baker and the fantastic “Monster Master Class” make-up demonstration by Dave Elsey. Twenty years from now, the make-up artists on “WOLFMAN 2032” will say they were inspired by Elsey’s detailed “how to” instructions in FM 259.

Fans of THE TWILIGHT ZONE will enjoy the interviews with Carol Serling, Richard Matheson, Earl Hamner Jr., and George Clayton Johnson. Their comments and memories of working with Rod Serling add new life and warmth to the show and its creator. Mrs. Serling relates some details of her husband’s pre-television life, which may be new to many readers. Peter Martin contributes an excellent article about the late Charles Beaumont, a fantastic writer who died way too young. Justin Beahm discusses the making of TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE’s “It’s A Good Life” with director Joe Dante. The entire set of TZ articles is outstanding and a great tribute to a great show.

I am enjoying Kevin Burns’ comic art adaptation of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, part three of which appears in this issue.

The depth and quality of writing and illustration in this issue make FAMOUS MONSTERS 259 one of the best monster magazines of 2011.

MONSTER CARD MONDAY

2012-01-16T06:11:00.000-08:00

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW & RECENTLY RELEASED

2012-01-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY MORNING MACABRE

2012-01-15T07:11:00.000-08:00

NOW PLAYING: THE AMAZING MR. X (1948)

2012-01-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

KEN KELLY'S VAMPIRELLA 2012 CALENDAR

2012-01-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Ken Kelly is no stranger to fans of fantasy and genre art. He has been creating images of lost worlds, outer realms, and barbarian warriors for a long time. Now, as a partner in C2K2 Productions, he has created his first calendar in 20 years, the 2012 VAMPIRELLA calendar.

Here's the skinny from the Dynamite Entertainment web page:

"On sale now! Fantasy art legend Ken Kelly and Vampirella have teamed up for a year long event which kicks off now! Dynamite Entertainment and C2K2 Productions present an all new calendar of our favorite femme fatale. Featuring the art of Ken Kelly depicting the heroine in never before seen art in 12 exquisite oil paintings. This is Ken Kelly's first calendar in more than 20 years and he chose Vampirella as his muse for his revival. This wall calendar measures 12"X12" and features incredible reproductions of Ken's art.C2K2 Productions is also offering autographed copies of the calendar courtesy of Ken Kelly. Follow the link to their website for more info! About Ken:Born in 1946 in New London, Connecticut, Ken Kelly practically came into our world with a pencil in his hand. He started drawing at the fragile age of two and has not stopped since. Under the guidance of Frazetta, Ken was able to fine-tune his skill even further. Frazetta stressed how important it was to put feeling into creating a painting and to let the action on the canvas come from the imagination. Ken took those words to heart and has lived by them ever since."

HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

[Imgage size suitable for wallpaper]

FANGORIA NO. 310 SNEAK PEEK

2012-01-12T03:24:00.000-08:00

The new FANGO's coming! Here's what's in store -- the usual gore 'n more!

-= GUTS =-
INTERVIEW: BARBARA CRAMPTON Stuart Gordon’s favorite actress has kept her head through crazy movies and a real-life illness.
PREVIEW: “THE DIVIDE” Trapped in Michael Biehn’s fallout shelter, formerly civilized folks go feral. Plus: the Biehn-directed “The Victim.”
PREVIEW: “KILL LIST” Don’t let the guns fool you; Ben Wheatley’s movie is hardcore horror—we just can’t tell you why.
INTERVIEW: CHRISTOPHER PENNOCK You could kill one of this actor’s “Dark Shadows” villains, and he’d just come back as another. Plus: More “Shadows” on the comics page.
PREVIEW: “THE WOMAN IN BLACK” Daniel Radcliffe leaves boyhood and magic behind for a mature supernatural saga. Plus: director James Watkins.
PREVIEW: “SLEEP TIGHT” The psychopathic menace hides in plain sight in the latest from “[REC]” co-creator Jaume Balagueró.
PREVIEW: “SOUTH TEXAS BLUES” An exclusive advance peek at Christopher P. Garetano’s “Chainsaw” origins comic.
INTERVIEW: NICOLAS CAGE From wannabe bloodsucker to avengers beyond the grave, he’s had a unique career in genre cinema.
INTERVIEWS: BARBIE WILDE & SIMON BAMFORD They had such sights to show you as two of the original screen Cenobites.
ON SET: “UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING” Kate Beckinsale returns for more vampire ass-kicking. Plus: looking back at the “Ginger Snaps” films.
PREVIEW: “THE GREY” Director Joe Carnahan and actor Dermot Mulroney on a film that will chill you and nearly froze them.
RETROSPECTIVE: “THE DEADLY SPAWN” On a microbudget, director Douglas McKeown and co. made memorable monsters.
PREVIEW: “DON’T GO IN THE WOODS” It’s the night the music died for young rockers in Vincent D’Onofrio’s directorial debut.
MINIFEATURE: KAREN LAM This up-and-coming auteur is a woman of many “Parts.”
FEATURE: “AMERICAN GHOST HUNTER” This time it was personal for a pair of professional paranormal pursuers.

-= GRAVY =-
FIRST RITES Editor unCaged
POSTAL ZONE Famous folks love Fango; seeking “Mandy Lane”
MONSTER INVASION Previews of “Jacob,” “Father’s Day,” “Sick” and more
THE TRASH COMPACTOR Michael Biehn on “The Fan”
THE PIT AND THE PEN OF BERT I. GORDON Oh, rats—animal troubles on “The Food of the Gods”
THE VIDEO EYE OF DR. CYCLOPS Reviews of Criterion’s “Godzilla,” “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil,” “Apollo 18” and others
FURIOUS FEMMES How the fairer sex will scare us in 2012
NIGHTMARE LIBRARY Reviews of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s “Harbor,” the anthology “Necro Files” and more
HORROR CON-FIDENTIAL Seattle, Washington’s ZomBcon
CLASSIFIED AD VAULT
DEAD FORMAT “Jaws of Satan”: the fall of cobra

RUE MORGUE NO. 119 SNEAK PEEK

2012-01-11T04:28:00.000-08:00

Coming your way very soon is the latest issue of RUE MORGUE (#119). Here is a partial list of the contents:

FORLORN MANOR
The cast and crew of The Woman in Black tell us why Susan Hill's haunted house tale may just be "the perfect ghost story." PLUS: The scoop on London's long-running stage production of The Woman in Black from its stars, a look back at the original novel, and more by Monica S. Kuebler, Cleaver Patterson, Sean Plummer and Dave Alexander

FANGS TO FLESH
Before Jean Rollin died in 2010, one of his biggest fans travelled to his Paris apartment to talk about a career forged in naked vampires and Gothic surrealism. PLUS: The author of Fascination: The Jean Rollin Experience blog weighs in on Redemption's five new Jean Rollin Blu-ray reissues by Eric S. Eichelberger and Jeremy Richey.

R.I.P. 2011: THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Nod in agreement, shake your fists in rage or send us a strongly worded letter - whatever you do, read what yanked our cranks this past year in horror by Phil Brown, with Dave Alexander.

2012 HORROR CONVENTION AND FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Ready to scar that new calendar with a fresh batch of horror appointments? by Staff

GHOST OF GOGOS

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

The upcoming issue of FANGORIA (#310) features a spotlight on Nicolas Cage and the new GHOST RIDER movie. Perhaps of greater interest is the full-page back cover painting of Mr. Cage as Johnny Blaze by the inimitable Basil Gogos.

The painting was commissioned by Cage for his private collection. It has not been "ouside his house" until he authorized the reproduction that appears here.

Stay tuned later this week for a sneak peak of FANGORIA #310 right here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD.

CREEPY NO. 7 SNEAK PEEK

2012-01-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

DARK HORSE COMICS has released a cover image for their upcoming issue of CREEPY, and it's another beaut by Sanjulian. Below is the promo from their website.

"Hope your New Year's resolution was to be terrified, because Creepy is back to start 2012 with a scream! Featuring the latest from bone-chilling scribes Joe and Keith Lansdale, Christopher Taylor, and Dan Braun, this installment of the abominable anthology is sure to leave you shivering in the corner until next year!"

* 48 pages of the finest in illustrated horror!

* Featuring a classic reprint from the original Creepy!

MONSTER CARD MONDAY

2012-01-09T04:57:00.000-08:00

READER'S CHOICE -- MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR POSTS #1

2012-01-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

Amassing over 20,000 page views since its appearance on Saturday, February 19, 2011, PIRANHA PARTY remains the most popular post at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD. Featuring lots of sun-bronzed spring break skin, an exhilarating pace with snappy dialogue, and more blood gallon-to-gallon than any other film before or since, it's little wonder that this hugely-successful film garnered so much interest on the web.

CLICK HERE or on this post's title header to read.

SUNDAY MORNING MACABRE

2012-01-08T05:09:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHAS ADDAMS!

2012-01-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Chas Addams with wife Morticia -- er, Barbara (1955).

READER'S CHOICE -- MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR POSTS #2

2012-01-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

It's no surprise that the tried and true formula of blood, beasts, and babes made PIRANHA PARTY GIRLS the 2nd most popular post of all time here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD. Hungry, flesh-eating piranhas and far-from-starved Kelly Brook -- need I say more?

CLICK HERE or on this post's title header to read.

READER'S CHOICE -- MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR POSTS #3

2012-01-06T05:09:00.000-08:00

Jill Haworth was an elusive beauty with a considerable impact on the more esoteric side of horror films. She appeared in just a few, but her screen presence was always unforgettable. When she died, it seemed like a lot of people either wanted to find out who she was or more about her. As a result, her obituary on Sunday, January 9, 2011 is the 3rd most-read post at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD.

CLICK HERE on on this post's title header to read.

READER'S CHOICE -- MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR POSTS #4

2012-01-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

A relative newcomer to the horror scene, but nevertheless making quite a splash in the film JENGLOT PANTAI SELATAN (BEACH CREATURE) is Indonesian Horror Hottie Debby Ayu. With her exotic good looks and killer body, she appears to be ready to take on any monster that comes her way. This might explain why her photo special has been the 4th most popular post here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD.

CLICK HERE or on this post's title header to read.

READER'S CHOICE -- MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR POSTS #5

2012-01-04T03:52:00.000-08:00

Meeting up with the creature known as a "Jenglot" is no fun -- especially for a group of young, good-looking students who are planning a relaxing vacation at Pantai Selatan ("South Beach"). What they get instead is a heavy dose of high-octane horror from the ancient, diminutive but devilish vampire-demon in the Indonesian-lensed JENGLOT PANTAI SELATAN, or BEACH CREATURE, or CREATURE OF SOUTH BEACH . . .

The combination of exotic locale, little-known but intriguing indigenous monster, and to say nothing about the bikini-clad beach scenery, especially a Horror Hottie by the name of Debby Ayu, makes this Saturday, March 12, 2011 entry the 5th most read post on MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD.

CLICK HERE or on this post's title header to read.

VINTAGE MONSTERS CALENDAR -- JANUARY 2012

2012-01-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, call me crazy, but if yesterday's CALENDAR GHOULS wasn't your cup of tea (although I don't know how a pic of Babs Steele in her early days couldn't possibly be) and movie monsters are more your meat, then you may like the MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD VINTAGE MONSTERS 2012 calendar -- like I have plenty of time for not only one, but two calendars on top of blogging!

The VINTAGE MONSTERS calendar page is standard 8 1/5" x 11" and can be downloaded, printed, and pinned up on your wall to your tell-tale heart's content -- for free!

READER'S CHOICE -- MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR POSTS #6

2012-01-03T04:56:00.000-08:00

Yvette Vickers, the blonde bombshell who torched the screen in numerous bargain-basement B-movies, met with the most ignominious of ends -- her decayed and mummified corpse was found in her home after being discovered by a neighbor who hadn't seen her for ... well, let's just say for a very long time.

The fact that she was remembered as gorgeous -- combined with her morbid end -- made for a delectable story . . . if you're a ghoul. And, apparently, many of you are, since the MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD post dated Tuesday, May 3, 2011, entitled "R.I.P. Yvette Vickers (August 26, 1928 - ?)" is this blog's 6th most-read post since its beginning in April, 2010.

CLICK HERE or this post's title header to read.

More Yvette here.

NEWSFLASH! CREATURE NOVEL NOW AVAILABLE!

2012-01-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

The highly anticipated CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON novel by sci-fi author Vargo Statten is now available for order. There's a trade paperback, a hardback, and a special, Ltd. edition hardcover signed by both Ricou Browning and Julie Adams! KREEEGAHHHHH!!!

Order yours HERE from DREAMHAVEN BOOKS.

Click HERE for the MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD post that covers the story of this rare book.

READER'S CHOICE -- MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR POSTS #7

2012-01-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

Beginning today is a full week of what I'm calling MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD'S READER'S CHOICE -- in other words, the posts most often visited by MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD'S readers since its inception back in April, 2010.

Today, in the #7 spot, is an entry from August 3, 2010, entitled simply, "Make-Up Artist No. 85". But, what an issue it was, covering Greg Nicotero's unbelievable work on the short film UNITED MONSTER TALENT AGENCY.

CLICK HERE or on this blog posting's title header to read.

CALENDAR GHOULS -- JANUARY 2012

2012-01-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I can't keep the Warren Calendar going for another year because I don't have the 1978 edition. Nonetheless, I hope you liked the fabulous art that was offered once-a-month from the 1977 calendar throughout 2011 here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD.

Since a number of you liked the idea of a calendar, I decided to give it a shot myself. So, without further ado, I present the MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD PRESENTS: CALENDAR GHOULS 2012, "12-Months of Voluptuous Vamps, Killer Zombettes, & Other Fiendish Females"!

Each month I'll post a full, 8 1/5" x 11"-size "Calendar Ghoul", free for you to download, print, and pin up on the wall of your dungeon, sanctum, or castle wall. Enjoy!

MONSTER CARD MONDAY

2012-01-02T03:38:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR -- TO SEX, BLOOD, AND ROCK 'N ROLL!

2012-01-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Depending on your point of view, the year 2012 will be a year, a) like any other, b) whatever you can make of it, or, c) the year the world ends. While little has been discussed by the media about the first two points, much has been bantered about by the third. And if you are to believe what the so-called “experts” think, then you will also know what the ancient Mayan long-count calendar suggests by its running out – December 21, 2012 will be doomsday.

In the January/February 2011 issue of ATLANTIS RISING magazine, publisher J. Douglas Kenyon encapsulates the collective consciousness of “end-times angst” by explaining:

“The persistence of the [doomsday prediction] phenomenon seems itself to be symptomatic of a deep-seated, society-wide anxiety mechanism, and there are those that argue that such fear of cataclysmic destruction is itself the product of a materialistic culture which has lost contact with its source and, thus, in the guilty fear of having offended its parent, now, tragically – albeit subconsciously – seeks it own destruction.”

Ironically, this seems to me to sound not unlike the apologists who are springing up like weeds, with the notion that the United States should not only minimize, but abandon altogether its power and influence in the greater civilized world.

At the expense at coming across as bellicose, it appears like more and more people (don’t hyperventilate here – I'm saying more, not all) are walking around, dosed up on irrational and obtuse ideas as a result of having formed their overall (albeit quotidian) opinions regarding morals, culture, government, money and other elements of the fabric that makes up civilized society, by the seductively sweet artifice of pop culture. Nurturing a mindset and a philosophy by feeding mainly from the plentiful mother’s milk supplied by Ellison’s Glass Teat and other popular media leads the way to an absurd equivalency that is tenuous at best and carries with it the pervasive taint of ignorance.

Examples of this “phenomenon of guilt” are omnipresent: Just watch any of the multitude of reality TV shows (which have become so numerous that parentheses are no longer needed around the term “reality”) to learn your social graces, or just take a look at any of the music videos for the latest in dress codes and de rigueur fashion, or take a look at any video game for a heaping measure of sex, blood, and rock ‘n roll. These info streams, pipelined straight to the brain via wireless remote and hypodermic HDMI have already become the roadmap of the new reality. So, here’s a message to all you conspiracy theorists: the real New Order is not the World Bank, it’s not the Illuminati, and it’s not Sarah Palin – pleased to meet you -- it has been going by the name of Pop Culture for a long time.

From a historical perspective, this type of collective behavior always seems to coincide with mankind’s great advances. We are in the midst of a digital revolution – the last example that comes to mind was the industrialization of Europe and the United States, and it drove a good many people literally into the arms of Morpheus (in one form or another) so that they could escape the impending doom of the mechanized monster called “Progress”.

I grew up in Southern California, not far from some of the most well-known beaches, tourist spots, and destinations in the world. As a result, I can’t say I had it all bad. My Christmas list was most always filled, and I had plenty of comics to read and TV to watch. I remember saying the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in Elementary School, I remember the occasional “drop drill”, just in case the Commies bombed us with nukes, and I remember when my teacher told our class that President Kennedy had been assassinated – we had to put our heads down on our desk in mourning.

Now, I’m no stranger to end-time angst. In my teens (which would have put the date in the mid-to-late-1960’s) I can’t tell you how many times that an eschatologist (usually self-professed, or promoted by a small group of glaze-eyed acolytes with looks not unlike those that were about to be released in a movie called NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD) found themselves in the news, proclaiming that the “end is near”. This boy-who-cried-wolf hue and cry became so pedantic that you began to see many magazine and newspaper cartoons lampooning the phony pop culture phrase. There even appeared a poster of a map showing exactly how the San Andreas Fault was going to split and send half of California plunging into the Pacific Ocean.

Well, the last time I looked, California is still whole, land-wise anyway. One thing is for certain – the end will come sometime. And if we listen closely enough, it’s still coming soon, just like it was 40-plus years ago. I’ve had to rotate my dehydrated survival food several times now, but I know I’ll be ready when the time comes.

Come to think of it, though, we monster lovers have seen the world end – as a matter of fact, many times over, haven’t we? We’ve seen Godzilla tear up Tokyo and a giant octopus rip up bridges, and aliens land on earth and immediately lay waste to the countryside, haven’t we? In my book, that gives us a distinct advantage over the rest of the population. And that might be just enough of an edge to keep us alive and watching our favorite monster movies on Ellison’s Glass Teat, right? Let’s see . . . let’s start off with Vincent Price in THE LAST MAN ON EARTH – or, how about Charlton Heston in PLANET OF THE APES, or . . .

SUNDAY MORNING MACABRE

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

THIS WAS THE FEAR THAT WAS . . . THE MASK

2011-12-31T06:56:00.000-08:00

This is a movie about addiction, obsession, and murder -- and it’s pretty good. That it’s also 50-years old this year makes it pretty good, too. With a theme that’s a distant relative of W.W. Jacobs’ The Monkey’s Paw, it is not only the first Canadian film to be widely released in the United States, but it’s also the first Canadian horror film to be widely released as well. Even considering that Canadian horror films were few and far between at the time, it’s still an accomplishment.

Cranking up the cool factor were several sequences shot in 3D. When the voice over exclaimed in a booming, ominous voice to “PUT THE MASK ON NOW!”, he not only meant for the lead to do it in the picture, but for the audience to put on their supplied 3D glasses as well!

In FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FIMLAND #16 (March, 1962), THE MASK was featured in a photo story.

A PACKAGE FOR DR. BARNES

MASK DISPLAY AT TIFF BELL LIGHTHOUSE, TORONTO

THIS WAS THE FEAR THAT WAS . . . AURORA FRANKENSTEIN PLASTIC MODEL KIT

2011-12-30T12:00:00.001-08:00

In 1961 Aurora Plastics blew the coffin lid off the monster craze that started with TV's Shock Theater and Warren's FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND by releasing the first in their line of Universal monster kits, the Frankenstein monster. The craze quickly caught on and soon the company was cranking out models 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Now, a half century later, Aurora monster models have not lost their mystique as several companies have re-issued the line over the years, re-introducing the magic to youngsters today of "making your own monsters" just like us Monster Kids did!

A now grown-up Monster Kid who goes by the name of Monster Man Dan is selling a 50-year Anniversary Frankenstein model tribute T-shirt at Cafe Press. Click HERE to take a look.

SPOOK STORIES -- 2ND SERIES "RARITIES"

2011-12-30T03:03:00.000-08:00

SPOOK STORIES Card #141, depicting a scene with
Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren from Alfred Hitchcock's
THE BIRDS, a Universal Pictures release.

THIS WAS THE FEAR THAT WAS . . . FRANKENSTEIN 1931

2011-12-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

This year, MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD celebrated the 80th Anniversary of the release of Boris Karloff's immortal classic, FRANKENSTEIN. Directed by James Whale and with make up by the legendary Jack Pierce, Karloff became an instant star. People crammed into dark movie houses to watch and riots broke out in the lines outside, even to the point of crushing the box office at one theater!

SPOOK STORIES -- 2ND SERIES "RARITIES"

2011-12-29T04:56:00.000-08:00

SPOOK STORIES Card #138, depicting a scene from
Hammer Films' 1962 NIGHT CREATURES (USA title).

THIS WAS THE FEAR THAT WAS . . . DRACULA 1931

2011-12-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

Celebrating its 80th year, the 1931 Universal Picture, DRACULA, starring the incomparable Bela Lugosi, has become a true icon of the horror film. Sometimes panned today for its static camera work, the film still chills with its stark silence as the immortal vampire and his minions strike fear and terror in the hearts of their victims. It was selected for the National Film Archives and will be preserved for years to come.

SPOOK STORIES -- 2ND SERIES "RARITIES"

2011-12-28T04:46:00.000-08:00

Leaf SPOOK STORIES Card #136

THIS WAS THE FEAR THAT WAS . . . SPOOK STORIES TRADING CARDS

2011-12-27T03:31:00.000-08:00

The year 2011 marked another five-decade milestone in monster history -- the Leaf Brand SPOOK STORIES monster trading cards! Although copyrighted in 1961, the first series was not officially released until 1962. That means here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD, I will be recognizing both the year the cards were designed and the next year, when they were distributed to a mass market. That means the SPOOK STORIES celebration will go on into 2012!

I do need to tell you, though, about one Monster Kid memory I have about these cards: I had the absolute pleasure of saving up enough to buy a whole box of 'em! Considering that single pack purchases yielded copious double, triples, and more with some ubiqitous card numbers, I was hoping to fill out a complete run by buying an entire 36-pack box. At the time, the highest number that my pals and I thought the series ran to was around Card 70 or so -- if memory serves me right, the highest number card we ever got out of a pack had the image of Lon Chaney, Jr. from FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN.

Although it pains me to say that the lion's share of my duplicate cards and stickers ended up being used in my homemade monster magazine (see the MONSTERS MAGAZINE post from a few months ago), it sure didn't seem like a problem at the time. I was more than happy to cut off the white borders and the silly jokes and stick 'em in my own, very serious publication!

A page from my homemade monster 'zine
MONSTERS MAGAZINE vintage 1963,

Well, it turns out that there were not one, but two series of SPOOK THEATRE cards. The first, in an orange wax pack with gum and a sticker, ran from Card #1 to #72. The second series, SON OF SPOOK THEATRE, came in a purple wax pack with gum and a sticker, and ran from Card #73 to #144.

I don't recall ever seeing or having the opportunity to buy any of the second series cards, which would explain why we never saw cards with higher numbers than we did. Turns out today that these higher number cards are a little more scarce (some dealers label them as "rare", but, outside of maybe a few single cards, I don't see much truth in that) than numbers from the first series.

I had the recent fortune of picking up a few of these so-called "rare" cards numbered over 100. In celebration of their 50th (well, maybe 49th if you're being picky) anniversary, I thought I'd share a few of them with you throughout the rest of this week. The captions are pretty much the same as in the first series, so I'll give you fair warning on that.

Oh, and you may be wondering if I ever filled out my run of the first series of SPOOK STORIES. As Ripley would have it, believe it or not, after opening up every single pack, I still didn't have the entire set!

Leaf SPOOK STORIES Card #91

THIS WAS THE FEAR THAT WAS . . . VINCENT PRICE

2011-12-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

This year (2011) marked the 100 Anniversary of Vincent Price's birth. The people of St. Louis, Missouri, the birthplace of Vincent Price, honored their favorite son's memory with a "Vincentennial" celebration.

A large size of the photo shown above (Vincent Price at Edgar Allan Poe's Grave) can be purchased from the newly-launched MONSTERPALOOZA magazine. Just click on the magazine cover on the sidebar to the right of this blogroll to order.

MONSTER CARD MONDAY

2011-12-26T03:54:00.000-08:00

VAMPI SAYS: "AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!"

2011-12-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

[Image of Julie Strain from the 2001 VAMPIRELLA CALENDAR]

2011-12-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY MORNING MACABRE

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING . . . (PART 2)

2011-12-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

And now, we continue with our story. This being Christmas Eve 'n all, I figured it fits right in with the festivities . . .

“G’night, Gram,” he managed to say, and spied the Santa treats on the mantle. At least if he got hungry later, he wouldn’t have far to go, he thought. After the soup, could Grandma’s cookies and milk be any worse?

He reached down, unzipped his book bag and pulled out his penlight and a dog-eared copy of Fangoria. He clicked on the slim flashlight and began flipping through the pages of the magazine. “Santy Claws,” he said out loud, and snickered. He stopped at a picture of a zombie, covered in gore and stalking a young, obviously frightened female victim, probably as its next meal.

Fango was great. He loved all the newer horror flicks and didn’t care at all for the old stuff. The more blood and guts, the better. The issue he was reading was quite a few months old, as he had to be careful not have too many of them laying around. Mom and Dad thought they were “awful”, even “pornographic”. Jeez, you would have thought they were Playboys or something the way they carried on. They missed the whole point that it was fun to get scared. Anyway, in the middle of reading a DVD review his eyes began to feel heavy and he drifted off to sleep.

The sensation of something scurrying across his blanket woke him up. What the hell was that? he thought, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He wondered if one of the stray cats that Grandma was always feeding had snuck in and camped down on his warm covers. It didn’t feel as heavy as a cat, though. It felt smaller.

He thought he heard a noise, and sure enough, Grandma’s shadow once again showed itself at the fireplace. He couldn’t exactly tell what she was doing this time as the logs had burned down to faint embers and cast little light. He figured she probably had come down to eat the milk and cookies and hang up the stockings. Maybe there was still a part of Grams that was a little normal after all. He conceded the fact that she did try to do what she could to make him feel a little like a grandson. Besides, it was more than Mom and Dad had done for him recently.

She disappeared back up the stairway and what was left of the light stretched a distorted shadow along the wall of the staircase. That is Gram, he thought. Had to be. Nothing moved that slow.

The room soon returned again to near darkness. He focused on the ever-faintly glowing embers in the fireplace. They were making a crackling sound as they slowly burned themselves out.

After a few minutes passed, he thought he heard the crackling sound joined by another, fainter, but no less distinct noise. He listened closer for a second or two as the sound continued, and his very creative imagination decided it was similar to crabs scuttling across rocks, like he’d seen at a recent trip to the tide pools.

Okay, it definitely wasn’t a cat. But what was it?

Soon, the scuttling was combined with a skittering -- yes, just like a bunch of scarab beetles would sound like crawling along a brick wall. This is getting kind of creepy, he thought, and let himself succumb to the shiver that had been pent-up inside him for the last few minutes. With that, he was acutely aware of another noise -- growing louder and more distinguishable now -- that sounded like a chittering, like these things were ... communicating with each other.

This is frigging insane, he thought. Could it just be that the radio was still on? Could it only be that the volume had been turned down and not off, so what he was hearing was just static? He suddenly felt scared, and this time it wasn’t so fun. Still, he was dying to find out what the hell was making all this noise.

“G-Gram?” he called out weakly. “Is that y-you?” His ears were met with more of the noise, now growing in volume and sounding like it was emptying into the room from some vast, gaping hole in the wall, traveling restless, determined.

Okay, Bill, he thought. Time to buck up and grow some cajones. Maybe a couple of squirrels have crawled down the chimney and invaded the living room. But then, squirrels didn’t come out at night. What was it that sounded like this, but comes out at night?

He mustered what there was of his bravery and groped around for his penlight. Probably was Santa Claus. After all these years, he’d finally find out Santa was real. Ah, c’mon, ya moron, that’s ridiculous. Can’t be Santa. Has’ta be Grandma ... or maybe Gramps finally got up and was traipsing around.

“Gramps?” he called again. “Are you there?”

His answer came unexpectedly in the form of still another noise, that of rasping, tiny teeth gnashing away at something hard and brittle. Suddenly there followed a crash of glass and porcelain. This sound he knew was coming from the area of the fireplace.

His blood began pounding at his temples. Beads of sweat erupted into rivulets down his forehead. His fever was now long forgotten. A new sickness was upon him, and it felt frost-cold and ice-numbing ... this was pure, unadulterated, high-octane fear.

“Oh, God, I think I know what you are!” His voice trembled with the realization.

He rose up from the sofa, frantically searching in the dark. “Where’s my goddamn flashlight?” he whined.

He found it, clicked it on, and stabbed it in the direction of the fireplace.

In the quavering light he finally saw them ... and knew he’d been right.

Rats. Dozens of them. Maybe a hundred or so. Everywhere. All over the floor, the furniture, even the fireplace hearth and mantle. The living room had been invaded.

Transfixed by the sudden light, they all seemed to stop and stare back at him, reflecting tiny, blood-red eyes. They seemed impudent and irritated like he’d interrupted them in the middle of something. Then he saw what they had been doing.

If ever he had felt true horror in his life, it was then. He felt his ears uncontrollably rise up the side of his head and he could feel every hair on his body stand on end.

The rats continued staring at him for another moment, then returned to their task ...

... and the scream that had been stuck in his throat finally found its way out.

It wasn’t really the sight of the rats themselves that had sent him bolt upright from the sofa and running headlong for the front door, then howling and shrieking out into the night in nothing more than his shorts. It wasn’t even the fact that they looked scarier in real-life than in any horror magazine. It was what they were feeding on ... and it wasn’t the cookies and milk.

Grandma had come down to hang up the Christmas stockings, except they weren’t the usual, red and white striped cotton stockings, and they weren’t even the homemade, felt stockings with all the glued-on glitter and sparkling sequins ...

... these stockings were tanned, wrinkled, and parchment-dry, almost like a dog’s chew toy -- and there, on one of them that was swinging back and forth from the mantle like the pendulum on an old clock -- was the unmistakable image of a mermaid -- smiling and waving.

THE END

SCARY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
AND TO ALL
A GOOD FRIGHT!

CHRISTMAS "SCARE-OLS" HOLIDAY SING-A-"LON"

2011-12-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

AURORA MONSTERS: THE MODEL CRAZE THAT GRIPPED THE WORLD!

2011-12-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's post talked about a DVD that featured the history of the original Aurora Plastics monster model kits. This homage to "The Model Craze That Gripped the World" is not to be missed if you're at all interested in model making or this particular line of kits. Introduced and "moderated" by none other than Zacherly, The Cool Ghoul, the film contains historical commentary and tons of interviews with both past and present scultptors, artists, and fans.

Perhaps the highlight of the documentary is a rare interview with James Bama, the artist responsible for painting the box art on the original Aurora kits. It's an amazing walk down memory lane for us Monster Kids, but it is also of value to new fans who seek the origins of one of the most enduring hobbies ever.

ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING . . . (PART 1)

2011-12-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

For a little something different I decided to unearth a short story that I wrote a few years back to share with you. Call it a sort of Scary Christmas present to all of you. It was originally a submission to the H.P. Lovecraft Amateur Press Association. Tonight is the first part. The second and concluding part of the story will be posted right here at MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD tomorrow on Christmas Eve. I hope you enjoy it.

ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING . . .
A Christmas Story by John Navroth

Christmas always scared the hell out of him. This one wasn’t any different. After all, what could be more frightening than spending the holiday with Grandma and Grandpa?

Mom and Dad had been arguing again, this time over how to put up the Christmas lights. Well, one thing led to another and he’d wound up here, sprawled on his Grandparent’s smelly old sofa, flat out with a hundred-degree temperature and feeling like crap. No telling where Mom and Dad ended up, but he was sure wherever it was, they weren’t together.

He seemed to always be sick at Christmastime. At first, he thought he was just some wuss who caught everything that came around this time of year. But as he got older he realized he wasn’t getting sick because of any flu bug. It was his parents that were the cause. They were the bugs.

Now he lay here, wrapped up like Im-ho-tep the mummy, in one of Grandma’s ancient and musty quilts. Gramps was nowhere to be seen and he was too tired to get up and go looking for him. Besides, Gram had said “Grandpa isn’t feeling too well, either,” in the apathetic voice she usually reserved just for him. “He hasn’t been well for some time, you know.”

He looked over to the fireplace. The vaguely cheerful flames were tempered by the blackened, soot-stained hearth, looking something like the witch’s oven in Hansel and Gretel, he thought. In one corner of the tiny living room, by the front window, stood a Christmas tree ... or something that pretended to be one. There were a scant few antiquated, flaking spheres of indeterminate color hung haphazardly on its scrawny branches and some equally ancient, gun-metal gray tinsel had been thrown on for effect. Christmas, he thought. Big deal. It might have just as well been any other day so far as he was concerned.

His eyes wandered from the tree to Gramps’ enormous, easy chair, with its time-lacerated arms oozing out its own stuffing -- to the rickety endtable were countless, still-burning cigarette butts had missed the ash tray and created small, black craters. On the wall hung a few paintings (from some dead person’s garage sale, no doubt), including a few yellowed family pictures that looked old enough to have been taken during the Civil War. In fact, everything in here was old -- and disgusting -- to him.

There wasn’t even a damn TV. Gram and Gramps wouldn’t have one in the house. Nothing but “smutty” sitcoms and bad news, they said. Instead, there was a radio -- pockmarked with age and looking like a miniature cathedral -- with the name “Philco” stamped in tarnished brass on the front of it. There had been some kind of noise coming out of it ever since he got here, sounding like a cross between Christmas carols and religious talk shows. He ultimately didn’t care. This sucked.

Grandma came out of the kitchen, shuffling along in her worn-through slippers and moth-eaten nightdress. She gingerly held a bowl in her hands like it was the Holy Grail.

She started to say something, then phlegm caught in her throat -- then, “Here, William. I’ve got some nice hot soup for you.” He hated being called that. My name’s Bill, he thought -- Bill.”

She finally made it to the sofa and set the bowl down on his chest. It smelled like something dead and he couldn’t tell if it was the soup or Grandma. “You need your nourishment, William,” she said, spooning some of it up and thrusting it towards his mouth. “Especially on Christmas Eve”.

The spoon clanged against his teeth and he couldn’t help but to swallow some of the greasy stuff. His taste buds immediately rejected it and he coughed the soup back out into the bowl. He felt a slick dribble down his chin.

“There, there,” Grandma said, and took the bowl away. She shuffled back toward the kitchen, mumbling to herself.

This was just great. He’d always known Gram wasn’t -- “quite right” -- he thought the term was. Ever since he could remember, when she’d say something to him, it was always as if she were speaking to him from some far away place ... like another planet, for instance.

As for Gramps, he was just as weird. He knew he’d had a career with the merchant marine but had been retired for some years. Gramps would hold him down by the shoulder at the foot of his easy chair and tell him about his seafaring adventures, all the while smoking one Chesterfield after another and taking constant pulls from his bottle of “medicine”. He’d go on and on about life on the seas, then he’d pull off his shirt and show off his tattoos. He had an anchor on his chest and a heart with “Mom” written in the middle of it on one bicep. Then, with great aplomb, he’d pull up a pants cuff and proudly display his favorite: a mermaid, smiling and waving on the calf of his leg. “Lady of the Sea!” he’d loudly declare, then would -- more often times than not -- pass out.

Well, he thought. They were both nuts.

He just lay there for awhile. Pretty soon, the kitchen light went out and he saw Grandma’s silhouette pass by, first to the fireplace, then to make its way up the stairs. She stopped for a moment, resting herself on the banister, and looked down to him.

“Christmas is coming soon, William,” she croaked. “I’ve left cookies and milk for Santy Claus.”

Her eyes looked empty in the half-light.

[Copyright (C) John Navroth. All rights reserved. Do not copy or distribute without permission.]

[Continued tomorrow.]

THINGS MADE BY TINY HANDS

2011-12-23T04:03:00.000-08:00

In RUE MORGUE's 13th Anniversary issue (#105, October 2010), they discussed a then-recently released DVD that covered the history of the Aurora monster models. Produced by Cortlandt Hull, it soon became evident that this was to be the historical document preserving the memory of the Aurora monster model phenonmenon.

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! FANGORIA NO. 309 NOW ON SALE!

2011-12-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

POLAR LIGHTS: KEEPING THE AURORA LEGEND ALIVE

2011-12-22T06:11:00.000-08:00

Model kits have nearly always been a niche market, but with the advent of high-tech entertainment such as computer games and toys, the industry found itself in lean times. Aurora figure kits, including our beloved monsters, slowed down to a halt, then disappeared -- including the well-recognized Aurora logo -- for good.

Attempts were few and far between in the ensuing years to keep the monster model kit hobby alive, but it wasn't until a company that went by the name of Polar Lights (an obvious take on the Aurora brand name) that things started really rolling along in Wolfman's Wagon again. To the delight of Monster Kids old and new alike, Polar Lights not only manufactured and marketed monster models, they re-issued some of the original Aurora monster kits!

This article, from the now-defunct MODELER'S RESOURCE (#27, April/May 1999) magazine, describes how it all happened.

DON'T FORGET -- DONATE!

2011-12-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

I don't usually put my hand out for money, but please click HERE and donate to The Salvation Army this holiday season. I did. Just a little bit from you will do a monstrous amount of good.

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! RUE MORGUE NO. 118 NOW ON SALE!

2011-12-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

HORRA FROM AURORA: A BRIEF HISTORY

2011-12-21T03:15:00.000-08:00

Tom Graham wrote a piece in AMAZING FIGURE MODELER #10 that perfectly encapsulates the exciting history of Aurora Plastics. The model kit industry was -- and still is -- extremely competitive. One less popular kit than a competitor's and a company might be hanging on their sprue for dear life.

Legend has it that the execs at Aurora laughed out loud when they heard the proposal for a line of figure kits showcasing the Universal monsters. Market testing made a laughing stock of them, however, and they decided to take the plunge. It was a gamble that paid off in spades. Before long, they were cranking out kits of Frankenstein's monster, The Wolf Man, The Mummy and others 24/7 just to keep up with the demand.

UNDYING MONSTERS NO. 3 ON SALE TODAY!

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

The third issue of UNDYING MONSTERS is scheduled to go on sale today. To order, click on the cover image to the right of this blogroll.

'TWAS THE KNIGHT BEFORE MONSTERS

2011-12-20T02:36:00.000-08:00

It's hard to describe to someone the exact feeling that I had -- and I'm sure it's a similar feeling that a lot of other Monster Kids had --when I put together my first Aurora monster model. I have shared with you the experience racing to beat the clock to get my first-ever attempt at building a monster model (The Mummy) completed and down to Gilbert's Hobby Shop in Torrance, CA in time to enter the Aurora Monster Model Customizing Contest. Well, I got the model finished, but missed the entry date!

A full-page ad from FAMOUS MONSTERS OF
FILMLAND magazine promoting the
1965 monster model customizing contest.

A more vivid monster model-making memory of mine is not of this adventure, however -- it is during the making of my second model, The Wolf Man. In this recollection I can remember quite clearly the colors I used (light brown for his fur, gray for the rocks on the base, white for the teeth and a little red for blood on them!), how it went together (pretty easily for a 9-year old), and how it looked when it was finished (not bad, as I recall). The models are long gone but the fond memories remain.

A store promotional banner commonly seen in hobby shops across America.

The first model I ever put together on my own was not a monster model, though -- it was another type of Aurora figure kit -- The Red Knight. The knights were Aurora Plastics' first entry into the figure kit model market. As legend has it, Aurora execs weren't at all thrilled about gambling on the extent of the success of the figure kits, and when mention was made of putting famous movie monsters sprue on parts trees into the now-famous James Bama-painted Aurora long boxes, they shuddered. It took a miraculous bit of showmanship and wizardry, but a market test of prototypes shown at model sales conventions revealed that kids were fanatical with the prospect of seeing their favorite Shock Theater TV creatures come to life under their skillful little hands.

And the rest they say, is history. Advertised heavily in FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND magazine, monster models were a huge hit. They have even enjoyed a revival by Polar Lights, Revell, and other model makers within the last dozen or so years as well.

A typical ad in FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND magazine
selling the Aurora Plastic's line of monster models.

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the first Aurora monster model -- Frankenstein -- and the resulting onslaught of kits to follow, MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD is devoting this week to AURORA MONSTER MODELS WEEK. Today's post takes a look at the period just before the monster models were unleashed, when heroic knights in Testor's-painted shining armor walked the landscape of our fevered imagination. The pages are from AMAZING FIGURE MODELER #14.

CULT MOVIE MANIA: NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH

2011-12-19T07:39:00.000-08:00

From the land of the Gore-Gore Guy, Herschell Gordon Lewis, comes a newly-launched website, specializing in blood, guts, and the other raunchy things that we come to expect from cult movies. Here's the press release just received this morning:

Website Launch Announcement: CultMovieMania.com
All-new themed website devoted to the wild world of cult movies and related media

"CLEARWATER, FL (December 19th, 2011) – Introducing the newest creative venture from the producers of the horror films H.G. Lewis’s The Uh-Oh! Show, Brainjacked, and Filthy: Cult Movie Mania - the website! (http://www.cultmoviemania.com/)

Officially launched December 6th, Cult Movie Mania celebrates the wild world of cult movie culture. From the timeless cult classics (Night of the Living Dead, Eraserhead) - to new blood: (Troma/Astron-6’s Father’s Day, Dear God, No!) - Cult Movie Mania covers it all!

What horrors lurk within the pages of Cult Movie Mania? Some tasteless teasers:
○ The WILDEST REVIEWS on the weird wide web!

○ Sign up for the SHOCK SHEET, Cult Movie Mania's official e-NEWSLETTER!

○ Seeking sultry succubi? Turn-on to Cult Movie Mania's SLAYMATE OF THE MONTH!

○ Want to know your future frights? Check in for your weekly HORRORSCOPE!

○ In-depth and outrageous INTERVIEWS with your favorite cult movie personalities!

○ Looking for a new haunt? Check out our exclusive FAN EVENT CALENDAR for cult/horror happenings in your part of the severed neck of the woods!

○ Got a LUST for GUTS? Then check out our weekly GORIEST MINUTE feature and lose your cookies! Coming soon!

○ Late-breaking horror news in THE DEAD BEAT!

○ Our eerie opinions and Oddservations in the FEARSOME FEATURE!

○ EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE + ENDLESS OTHER SURPRISES!

In coming months, Cult Movie Mania will continue to bring you interviews with cult filmdom’s most noted and notorious filmmakers and artists: William Grefé (Stanley, Impulse, The Hooked Generation), Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Bad Biology) and more! And don’t miss the web’s nutso movie reviewer Bart Boyle (psychotically portrayed by Joel D. Wynkoop)!

Horror, sci-fi, fantasy, art-house, exploitation, midnight movies, biker films, experimental, animation...you’ll find it in the digital crypts of Cult Movie Mania. Fans are encouraged to get involved by posting their thoughts and opinions on Cult Movie Mania’s interactive Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/CultMovieMania.

Cult Movie Mania is your cure-all antidote to big budget blockbusters, endless sequels/remakes, and CGI spectacles. Our mission is clear: we inform and educate about the world of cult cinema in an outrageous, entertaining way and strive to bring cult and exploitation culture back in the forefront of modern day cinema. As lifelong students of the fantastic genres and as filmmakers, we bring a wealth of real-life experiences and knowledge to the table, which bleeds into every word and image you will discover when you visit Cult Movie Mania."

MONSTER CARD MONDAY

2011-12-19T03:40:00.000-08:00