From Zombos Closet

JM Cozzoli

A horror genre fan with a blog. Scary.

Halloween 2015 Sighted:
Michaels Stores

Michaels is my first invigorating breath of Halloween because I know they have their displays up in August (bless you!). They always have a wickedly good assortment of home decor items and small collectibles. And how can you pass up their Lemax Spooky Town display? This time I spotted the cute little zombies in the first photo, just as I was leaving. Of course I took a few of them home with me. They even squeak!

Creatology zombies

Press Photo: Halloween Barber-B-Q

Wonder what the barber's got cooking? 

UPI Telephoto, October 26th, 1960, Pacific Palisades, California: "A steaming calderon painted on a barber shop window, part of a community Halloween window painting contest for children, has David Goldman seemingly simmering while "chef" with shears, Vince Mangio, prepares bill of fare. Artist was Cathy Toland. Cooking time was one haircut."

Halloween barber pacific palisades

 

Monster Laffs: Beauty or Brains?

Here's a great test of whether you're a true horror fan or not: which part of this picture did you focus on first? You'll need to add your own caption for this one. I'm stymied between soap on a rope and clean mind gags. (Kim Parker in a publicity still for Fiend Without a Face)

beauty and brains

 

Mexican Lobby Card:
Island of Lost Women (1959)

And here I am thinking it was guys who always got lost. Women always ask for directions. Here's the movie lowdown from IMDb: "A plane crash-lands on a jungle island inhabited by a scientist and his nubile young daughters. Complications ensue." I love a movie with a simple plot, don't you? Boys will be boys, and women in 1950s movies could always be found on tropical islands, lost lagoons, and rocket ships (to keep the coffee warm).

mexican lobby card island of lost women

Monster Times Issue 43
September 1975

Issue 43 of The Monster Times looks at demons and devils in movies and comics. The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, Night of the Demon, Haxan, and a lot of lesser demons and devils get face time. Those Lousy Lovecraft Films ponders why demons leave home, and Ban It Yourself Exorcism Products takes a page or two out of Cracked's For Monsters Only book of zany. Even Captain Kirk gets into the action (he always did, didn't he?) with a rundown on all the devils banished in Star Trek. A first rate TMT issue, entertaining and informative, all around. By 1975, the monsterkid craze was a fond memory, but it had mutated into something greater: now it was the time of the monsterteens, who gobbled up everything on comics and contemporary horror movies they could sink their teeth into.

Monster times 43_1

Monster Times Issue 19
February 1973

Some caustic comments direct towards Hercules in the comic books, mention of horror host The Creep's return to Creature Features on Channel 5 in NYC (I loved The Creep!), and another horror host, Doctor Shock, gets his due. By 1973, the monster kid era was waning, so it's great to see coverage of the horror hosts who still carried the burning torch for monsters. Interestingly enough, horror on television was exploding, and this issue of Monster Times covers Gargoyles (with wonderful creature makeup by Stan Winston and Ellis Burman). Closer to my own collecting passion, there's Is This Any Way to Sell a Movie!?! Being a collector of pressbooks and movie promotion material, I only wish the article was longer; but it's a fun read.

Monster times v1-19_1