When it comes to the lesser known and scarcer monster magazine titles, too often our association with them is only with their cover image. Once in a while one of the more uncommon, even rare 'zines surfaces. That the entire issue, interiors and all, gets shared by the fortunate owner for the rest of us monster magazine lovers is a huge bonus!Harry Lee Green over at the The Hairy Green Eyeball BlogSpot does just that by offering us a rare glimpse of MONSTERS AND THINGS NO. 2 (Magnum Publications; April 1959). The first issue of MONSTERS AND THINGS was published in January 1959 only about a year after the "first" monster movie magazine, FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND (Warren Publications; February 1958). Another Magnum Publications title distributed by the American News Company was the equally scarce MONSTER PARADE, whose first issue in September, 1958 predated the other early FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND competitor, WORLD FAMOUS CREATURES by only one month (October, 1958).
Put in perspective, what we have here is a great opportunity to take a look at an example of monster movie magazines from their earliest beginnings. A bit of horror history, if you will. Follow the link over to The Hairy Green Eyeball and feast your own eyes on a rare treat. If you leave a comment, let Hairy ... er, Harry know that MONSTER MAGAZINE WORLD sent you. Following are a few preview images.
Dennis Druktenis has published repros of both "Monster Parade" and "Monsters and Things". Check the Scary Monsters, or Creepy Classics websites.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. As a monsterologist, though, repro copies are suitable for research, but as a historical artifact, nothing beats the original. In any case, there are too few originals to go around, I think everyone would agree. Thanks for your participation on the blog, Mike!
ReplyDeleteSince they are so scarce (and expensive), I thought somebody might like to have the next best thing.
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