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.

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.

Captain Co. pt. 2

Famous Monsters, on a few occasions, lent it's name to some monster products. I'm not sure how much input Warren's company had in the creation of these items, other than the endorsement?

Issue #28 (1964) had the first appearance of the FM Speaks LP. The ad was obviously generated by AA Records.

Another great looking ad (from the mfg) for the ultra rare Famous Monsters Photo Printing Set. Love the box graphics and the happy kid who got one of these! Later ads showed the box contents, but I like this one best. From FM #35 (1965).

Best of The Captain Co.

Let's look at some of the more memorable Captain Co. ads.

The first and best "Big Frankie" ad, from FM #31. This was the only issue in which this 2 page ad appeared.

James Bama's "Big Frankie" box art was used on the cover of the FM 1965 YB.

Moon Monster

Not strictly monster mag, or movie monster related, but the kind of thing that appeals to monster mag fans.

This classic ad was, no doubt, seen by every kid who read a comic book at the time. Commonly known as the Moon Monster ad, or more accurately, the Monster Fan Club ad. Another one of those ads that promised something amazing for only $1 (plus postage) and, once again, you didn't get a lifesize statue of a movie monster, or even some cheap Topstone masks. All you got was a pile of paper.

Thanks to prof. grewbeard for the scan of the badge!

Here's the ad, circa 1970.

And here's your "Life size reproduction of a Movie Monster!" A 74" x 27" two piece poster, that does look a little bit like the demon in "Curse of the Demon".

And your "12 4x5 glossy photos of your favorite monsters!" (And no, they're not glossy!)

Your "Monster (or is it "Horror"?) Fan Club membership card and (1¼") badge!"

Your "Official Club Bulletin" (featuring news of the 1968 Karloff film "The Crimson Cult").

And lastly, your "Extra Bonus! 3 Monster Masks"

OK, who wants to spend a buck on a Giant "Life-Like" Frankenstein or Dracula?

Before They Were FAMOUS

Ad found in the May '58 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. Don't know what happened?

FM ad

My Kinda Newsstand!

"Cliff Monster" Ad

Fantastic Monsters of the Films didn't exactly have there own version of the Captian Company. Practically the only interesting ad in all seven issues was this one (from no. 1) for this Paul Blaisdell and co. 16mm short monster film and Blaisdell's reel of clips from his AIP movies (The She Creature, Day The World Ended, It Conquered The World, etc.)

Spacemen Ad

Sorry for the long lag between posting, but "things happened"!

Let's kill two birds with one post and have a combo monster mag ad and cover art source. In the early days, Warren bought some army surplus stuff to sell in his mags. This "Astronaut Space Helmet" (i.e. ordinary military jet pilot helmet) was used by Basil Gogos for reference for his cover art for Spacemen no. 1.

Monster Mag Ads

If you're like me, you probably went to the ads section of a newly purchased monster mag first, before reading any of the articles. (Heck, I still do it!) So, let's look at some of those cool old ads, every now and then, and the products they were selling.

MONSTER S-I-Z-E MONSTERS

After the Don Post monster mask ads, this is quite possibly the best remembered vintage monster mag ad. (It, or a variation of it, was also to be found in comic books of the day.) Novelties seller Honor House sold these iconic posters and fooled many kids into thinking they were going to get something a bit more "3D" ("..so life-like you'll probably find yourself talking to them.") than the flat posters they got. Monster collectors today see them for the classic '60s monster art that they are and will gladly pay 100+ times their original cost, when they can find them.

And here are the full color images of the Frankenstein and Dracula 6 ft. door posters.

There were several other 6 ft. monster poster, including the equally famous Jack Davis Frankenstein caricature and Zacherley and Vampirella posters.