PHOTON NO. 24 (PART 1)

PHOTON
Vol. 1 No. 24
1974
Publisher: Mark Frank
Editors: Mark Frank, Ronald V. Borst, Jim Wnoroski
Cover design: Dave Ludwig
Cover artists: Dave Carson, Chris Farrill, Bill Nelson, Dave Ludwig, Marsh Rader, Maurice Squidd
Pages: 48

Issue #24 was a 10th anniversary special that included both new material and reprints. As with every other issue before it, the content is outstanding. This was a gang that took their monsters seriously and the end product is proof positive.

In his "Frankly Speaking" editorial, Mark Frank lists a paragraph's worth of ink of all the people that had so far supported the magazine since its first issue in 1963. At the top of the list is Forrest J Ackerman (who contributes a Lon Chaney, Jr. tribute in this issue).

Of particular note here is the coverage of the elusive, and, especially at the time, not often seen werewolf film, THE UNDYING MONSTER. There is a lengthy and prescient article on Italian director, Dario Argento, who up until then had completed only three films. Also of note is the lively article by Mark Thomas McGee, "Why Are Monster Movies So Awful?", citing such stinkers as KONGA and VOODOO WOMAN. I do have to disagree with his assessment of CURSE OF THE FACELESS MAN, which I thought was a rollicking little indie monster flick with an interesting premise -- despite the obvious creases seen in the titular character's rubber suit in a couple of scenes!