SHRIEK!
Vol. 1 No. 1
May 1965
Acme News Co., Inc.
Editor: Frank N. Stein
Pages: 68
A bit of an anomalous entry into the monster magazine scene was SHRIEK! Subtitled, "The Monster Horror Magazine", it appeared to have "dual citizenship" with its editorial office in the U.K. (designed and produced by The House of Horror, London) and printing done by the generic-sounding Acme News Co. in the States. The editor was anonymously listed as, "Frank N. Stein". The only supposed true name used on the title page was a person by the name of Robin Bean, who performed photograph research.
The content is of generally high quality and it is difficult to ascertain exactly which demographic the magazine was trying to reach. The sophisticated selection and nature of the articles are juxtaposed between the usual ads for masks and toys seen in other monster magazines of the era that were purposely aimed at the Monster Kid with a few weeks' allowance saved up. Admittedly, many of the articles in this, the first issue, were little more than plot summaries, but the style of writing has a sharper editorial edge than FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND or other monster 'zines rarely achieved. Indeed, without the ads, could SHRIEK! be called the first monster magazine for adults?
First Article we have ever seen on the film "Flesh Eaters". We remember this one from early childhood. On Late night Horror Theater. We enjoyed Robbinson's ("Dr. Shrinker") performance as the Mad Scientist.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Good Doctor. "The Flesh Eaters" is one strange movie and a shocker for a young Monster Kid in the day. I was in L.A., so I had The Creeper, Seymour, Elvira, etc., for horror hosts.
ReplyDeleteWe had Dr.Paul Bearer (before he moved to Fla.)...
ReplyDeleteThat is where I first saw it...