It's A Tie !

I just wanted to tie the previous record number of posts in one month (20 in June), so here's the 3 issues of Creepy that reuse FM covers.

Creepy no. 20

Creepy no. 26

Creepy no. 47

Ride "The Ghoul's Eye"

Issue no. 4 of Famous Monsters of Filmland had it's rare "Ghoul's Eye" sticker, only available on copies distributed in the greater Philadelphia area, promoting the new ride at the Willow Grove Amusement Park.

FM no. 4

The Willow Grove park went through a major renovation in 1959 and the old "Laff in the Dark" ride was refitted to become "The Ghoul's Eye" and so was born an FM rarity. And now, here it is, "The Ghoul's Eye"!

Monster Mags Theater "Castle Films"

Other than the Don Post masks, the 8mm digests (from Castle Films and others) is what I wanted most from the Captain Co. Unlike the masks, I was able to afford one of these, once in a while, though only the silent prints, as I didn't have a sound projector. The Castle editors (especially) did a great job of cutting 90% of the feature and still having it work as a story.

Even in these days of DVDs, it's fun to look back at this primitive form of home video and if you no longer have any, or a projector to watch them on, YouTube will provide. Check this link for more Castle Films.

What You Should Be Reading Instead Of This.

Well, if you don't read this you won't know . . . but anyway . .

Check out Monster Magazine World where they are running a multi-part interview with Gary Svehla, publisher of the long running fanzine Gore Creatures/Midnight Marquee.

Check out Dez Skinn Dot Com for an overview of his career in publishing. My favorite part (naturally), is the one covering the Monster Mag and House of Hammer days, where you can see interesting stuff like this early cover dummy for HoH.

Cover Art Reference #5

Famous Monsters #18

The mystery was solved many years ago, but I thought you'd like to look at the pictures anyway.

Because the subject of Gogos' painting (with added pointy ears) was misidentified (in this issue, as well as previously in issue #1), it was believed by many to be Frye for some years after.

FM no. 18

Oops!








The man behind the painting was, in fact, Bernard Jukes (1900-1940), who had played "Renfield" in the Hamilton Deane (and John L. Balderston) stage adaption of Dracula, in both the London cast (with Raymond Huntley as "Dracula") and New York cast (with Bela Lugosi).

Jukes on stage as Renfield, with Lugosi. (1927)






When the Universal film adaption was announced (with Lugosi and Edward Van Sloan repeating their roles as "Dracula" and "Van Helsing"), Jukes lobbied hard for the role of "Renfield" and had several photos taken of himself in character (see below), but the part went to Dwight Frye. Jukes continued playing "Renfield" in stage productions of Dracula (some produced by him) until his death in 1940.

The FM cover shot.

More Shock!

Here's an article on some of the earliest "horror hosts" from the March 29, 1958 issue of TV Guide.

Shoutbox

I thought I'd try this out and see if it gets much use. Use it for any questions or comments you have that aren't related to a particular post. Located in the sidebar. 150 character limit. Spammers will be executed!

Another Title Swipe?

You tell me! Did For Monsters Only swipe it's title from this men's adventure pulp?

For Men Only
Published by Martin Goodman's
Magazine Management Company
1954?-1972?

For Monsters Only
1965-1972

Yet Another New Forry Book

Cinemassacres: A Tribute to Forrest J. Ackerman
Edited by David Byron
BearManor Media 2010


Introduction by Ingrid Pitt
Afterword by Iron Dave

Interviews:
Modern Mythmakers author Michael McCarty
Artist Frank Dietz
Multi-Media artist and Forry's ‘'best pal'' Joe Moe
Michael Mallory - author of ‘'Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy Of Horror''
John Dimes- actor/artist/author of The Rites of Pretending Tribe
Brian Walker - creator of Brian's Drive-In Theatre
Robert Leininger - producer of The Undying Monsters
Dick Dyszel { Count Gore Devol} host of Creature Feature
Artist Jim McDermott
Lucy Hell of Mystery Island Publications
Rue Morgue Magazine art director ‘'Ghoulish'' Gary Pullin

Special Guest Photos Section
Courtlandt Hull - creator of ‘'The Witch's Dungeon'' Museum in Bristol, CT.
Kevin Sean Michaels - director of Vampira: The Movie
Moebius Models creator Frank Winspur
Dr. Mangor - Antimator, photographer, creator of Suicidal Suzi comic
Scifi-Womanthology editor Pam Keesey

Special Guest Interviews:
East Texas Gothic: Joe R. Lansdale
Gandhi At The Bat author Chet Williamson
Don Calfa - star of Return of the Living Dead
Scalps director Fred Olen Ray
NCIS star Muse Watson

100 Most Valuable Magazines

According to the website Nostomania, these are the 100 most valuable mags. They should call it the most valuable monster mags, because nearly 80% of them are! Another reason that monster mags rule!

100 Most Valuable Magazines

Captain Co. pt. 10

Well, here it is, my favorite CC ad! Ooo! Ahh! Ain't it purdy! I know it's just a rip-off of the Aurora box art and it's really an SPP ad, but it's really nicely done with all the monsters in color and with all the wallet art and all the plaques. This ad only ran on the back cover of issue #29, with a slightly altered b/w version on the back of #30.

Closeups of wallet art and plaques.

Captain Co. pt. 9

Down to the last two CC ads posts. I think most people's favorite CC ads were the Don Post mask ads, because it was the coolest monster product and few of us could afford them (or one), making them even more desirable.

This was the first color ad of the "calendar" masks, from the back cover of FM #33 (and #34). The later color ads used the calendar photos.

This, however, was my favorite DP ad. I think this ad only ever appeared in b/w. The masks just looked more "real" in b/w.

Captain Co. pt. 8

Two related ads and a bit of a mystery.

Thanks to the Universal Monster Army for the color binder scans.

This is a great looking ad for one of the rarest '60s monster collectibles. The Hasbro paint-by-numbers set had some of the best box art of the decade. Hasbro later added sets of The Mummy, The Phantom and The Creature.

And now the mystery! Who made these monster binders? It's long been assumed that Standard Plastic Products made them, probably because they made a lot of binders (Beatles, MAD, etc.), but why are they using the Hasbro art? Were they actually made by Hasbro (who isn't known for making binders)? No markings on the binders identify the mfg. Here's the ad.























No, you can't "paint me just like this"! At least I couldn't.

Captain Co. pt. 7

This ad ran in FM forever and is my favorite records ad. I loved that Wally Wood cover art (top six LPs) and imagined the records had great audio adaptions of those Verne and Wells tales! I never did get them (and don't know what I'd do with them now), but I have some color photos of the covers.

This notice is from the April 16, 1966 issue of Billboard. The LPs were rereleased on Wonderland Records in 1974.

 

Captain Co. pt. 6

This was the first Monster Make-Up Hand Book ad. A very nicely layed out 2 pager from FM #36. (OK, you got me! I like the full page and two page ads!)

Captain Co. pt. 5

Full page ads for two of the 6' poster. I believe Warren published both of these posters. The Zach (a photo) for sure.

The Zacherley ad first appeared in issue #7 following a Zach article. (Zach was also on the cover.)

This classic Jack Davis Frankenstein ad was from issue #19, but it appeared in previous issues.

Captain Co. pt. 4

There were, of course, many Aurora monster kit ads, in FM, over the years. This one is a nice looking 2 pg. combo of the previous ad featuring the first 3 kits, plus the 2 latest kits. I suppose if I could only pick one Aurora ad, this would be it.

FM #252 Covers

Looks like the multi covers continue. I'm going to buy a lottery ticket tonight!

I like the art, but the Stout, again, seems more like a Creepy or Eerie.

FM #252A 
Cover by Guy Davis

FM #252B

Cover by Bill Selby

FM #252C
Cover by Wm. Stout

More on FM #70-79

Here's the cover for #70 (taken from a video). Sorry to say, it just doesn't look retro at all. It looks like one of the new FMs. I'm guessing the insides will be the same. What's the point of doing FM #70-79 if they're not going to look like they're from the period (pulp paper and all)?

Cover Art by Jeff Preston

Captain Co. pt. 3

The Famous Films series. Each one of these mags had a full page ad of it's own, but I like this 3fer for all the neat hand drawn text.