MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES NO. 5 (PART 1)

MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES
Vol. 1 No. 5
February 1975
Magazine Management Co. (Marvel Comics)
Editor Emeritus: Roy Thomas
Editor: Jim Harmon
Executive Editor: Marv Wolfman
Associate Editor: Ron Haydock; Don Glut
Consulting Editors: Len Wein
Art Director: John Romita
Cover: Bob Larkin
Pages: 84
Cover price: $1.00

Roy Thomas vacates the Editor-in-Chief position with this issue and is credited instead as "Editor Emeritus", while Jim Harmon takes over and his love for the subject continues to show through.

Make no mistake, MoM was a solid entry in the monster 'zine canon of the 1970's. The staff writers ply their wares with an enthusiastic flourish throughout, even while covering the already well-covered FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL, a Hammer film heavily promoted at the time. Solid coverage of Tod Slaughter's films is by Marv Wolfman, and its one of the most in-depth of the disciple of Sweeny Todd-style horror up until that point. Don Glut provides coverage of the esoteric 1967 stage play musical spoof of 1930's horror movies, I'M SORRY, THE BRIDGE IS OUT. . . YOU'LL HAVE TO SPEND THE NIGHT, which was co-scripted by Bobby "Boris" Pickett (!). Here is a synopsis of the story from dramaticpublishing.com, who holds the rights to it:

John David Wellgood and Mary Helen Merriman, both painfully naive, find themselves stranded near a medieval castle on the outskirts of Steubenville, Ohio. They ask to use the phone to call the auto club, but then the bridge washes out and they're stuck for the night. Soon they meet Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Igor, The Monster, Count Dracula and his wife Natasha, Renfield, assorted female vampires, The Wolfman and his mother Mom Talbot, The Mummy and his factotum Dr. Abdul Nasser and, of course, assorted villagers. The arrival of John and Mary precipitates a crisis as each of the characters wants John and Mary (or both!) for his or her own purposes. Dr. Frankenstein wants John's brain for his creation and tells why in the song, "A Well-Trained Brain." Igor feels he won't be using his brain so, in "Play Your Hunch," he says it might as well be transferred into John's body. Then, in "All Eternity Blues," Dracula reveals his plan to add Mary to his harem--while feasting on John. Mom Talbot bemoans her fate as the mother of a wolfman in "The Things a Mother Goes Through." Written by the creators of such hits as "The Monster Mash," this musical romp offers great opportunity for inventive set design, costumes and makeup while providing your cast and audience with just plain fun!

Oh, and there's plenty of kaiju and other giant monsters here, too. Godzilla films are the lead story by Don Glut and there's a discussion of Dinosaurs in the movies, too, by Harmon and Ron Haydock. Topping it off in fine style is a lively interview with Elsa "Bride of Frankenstein" Lancaster. Almost makes you want to howl, "Make Mine Marvel!" doesn't it?