Wednesday, September 30, 2015

MAE CLARKE: PRETTY AS A PICTURE


Born Violet Mary Klotz, Mae Clarke starred in James Whale's WATERLOO BRIDGE, but she is most famous for her role as Elizabeth in Whale's FRANKENSTEIN, and for having a grapefruit smashed into her mug by James Cagney in THE PUBLIC ENEMY, all released in 1931.

This flattering portrait of Miss Clarke appeared in PICTURE PLAY, May 1932. The caption reads that her next film will be NIGHT CLUB, which was released as NIGHT WORLD. In it, she starred again with Boris Karloff. The photo is by Jack Freulich, the stills photographer for FRANKENSTEIN.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

TOPSTONE TUESDAY


The lingering popularity and scarcity of the originals have inspired a new generation of monster mask makers to create re-issues of their most favorite monster head wear. Here are a few examples.

[IMAGE: Crypt of Wrestling TUMBLR]


Friday, September 25, 2015

A NEW MONSTER 'ZINE FROM THE UK


Yet another monster magazine has sprung from the fertile publishing ground of the UK. On the heels of WE BELONG DEAD and SPACE MONSTERS comes CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES.

Promoted as a "grown up" version of the monster magazines that we used to love, CMOTM looks like a promising newcomer to the rank and file of indie horror 'zines.

Here is a description from their website:

"CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES – JUST LIKE HORROR MAGAZINES USED TO BE!

The world of horror movie magazines has never been more exciting! Classic Monsters of the Movies is the ultimate quarterly publication for all fans of horror movies, peering deep into the dark and cobwebbed archives of all your favourite films to unearth stacks of rare stills and information on all your favourite films and their casts and crew. Penned by leading horror film historians, edited by horror movie maestro Nige Burton, and featuring unique cover artwork by acclaimed artist Ron Whittaker, Classic Monsters of the Movies brings the classic horror films of yesteryear back to reanimation in all their glory.

From the timeless silent masterpieces; through the Universal age of Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Invisible Man and the Wolf Man; spanning the 50s sci-fi years of the Creature from the Black Lagoon and the Metaluna Mutant; into the age of colour with Hammer’s grisly blood-soaked classics; and into the modern era of slasher suburbia with Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger – Classic Monsters of the Movies is packed with all the monstery goodness we’ve loved through the decades."




Saturday, September 19, 2015

MOON MONSTER MASK NOW ON SALE!


Hey Monster Kids! The "Moon Monster" made famous in countless comic book ads of yesteryear has just been immortalized as a vacuformed heavy-duty styrene mask from THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP. Master Mask Maker Pete Infelise's previous comic ad-inspired works have been the Gayle House Ghoul and the Monster Ghost.

The Moon Monster comes painted with blacklite-reflective paint (c'mon, you know you've got one stashed in the closet along with your fog machine!) and it's boxed up with a screened T-shirt and a Devil's Workshop Fang Club card and membership.

What's next from the fevered mind of Mr. Infelise? A Sea Monkey mask? Only time will tell.

So, whaddaya waitin' for? I ordered mine. Now, get on over there and get yours!


Friday, September 18, 2015

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE HALLOWEEN


The local Michael's craft and hobby shop is well-stocked with Halloween goodies, including paint-your-own ceramic Frankenstein monsters, pumpkins and skulls, foam heads (in Monster Kid parlance, mask-hangers), and the Halloween version of the classic toy, Wooly Willy, with names like Thurston Blood, I. Sockets, and Ben Toomd.