June Haver Halloween Fun
Just in case you're feeling depressed because your allergies are coming on strong and the weather isn't behaving like it should, here's a little cheesecake Halloween fun to brighten your day. Is it Halloween yet?
The Monster Times Issue 11
June 14, 1972
Issue 11 of The Monster Times, dated June 14, 1972, monkeys around with Planet of the Apes, Marvel's Conan the Barbarian gets a spear tossed his way, and Fritz the Cat struts his stuff. By now, you get the feeling TMT is more at home with comic book related material than movies. Unless the movie is animated, that is. Phil Seuling gets a nod for doing the voice of a rookie cop in the Fritz the Cat animated feature. I knew Phil, often visiting him and his wife's comic book shop in Brooklyn, and attending his comic conventions in New York City. I was at the convention when he was handcuffed and arrested for peddling underground comics to a minor. It was a set up, so the charges didn't stick. When he started seeing a younger girl, a student in one of his English classes, his marriage didn't stick, either. I miss his comic book shop. I met a lot of notables there, even getting some autographs for my Warren magazines. In this issue you sense his English teacher influence starting to affect the "creative writing" styled articles. Already the bi-weekly publishing schedule appears to be wearing thin. But the coverage on the Blood series from Hemisphere helps, for now. Or was it Hemisphere? (Read The Monster Times issue 11)
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Castle of Frankenstein 1967 Fearbook
Boris Karloff, Frankenstein's Monster, CoF goes to a Super Hero Convention, and the TV Movieguide make this a steal at 50 cents. Check out the Frankenstein Society fan club ad, too. Boy, I wish I had joined it back then. ( Download CBZ formatted Castle of Frankenstein 1967 Fearbook for Your Comic Book Reader)
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The Monster Times Issue 10
May 31, 1972
Issue 10 of The Monster Times, May 31, 1972, is devoted to EC Comics. So, of course, the Gruesome Threesome EC horror hosts are "interviewed" by Mark Evanier, Don Thompson scrutinizes the spawn of Dr. Wertham, and Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein reveal how the horror comics started. Fright Night's Horror Host, Seymour, puts in an appearance, too. (Read issue 10.)
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Castle of Frankenstein No. 15, 1970
The first monster magazine to acknowledge the growing tastes of the genre fans sprouting from little monsterkid acorns was Castle of Frankenstein. CoF provided a more erudite approach to its movie coverage, showcased influential comic book artists, struck a good balance between the old and the new in horror, and realized its readers were–ummm–readers by including book and comic reviews. In this issue, Peter Jon Dyer's All Manner of Fantasies investigates the causes and effects of fantasy and horror films, and Dan Bates sets his sight on Boris Karloff's swan song, Targets.
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The Monster Times Issue 9
May 17, 1972
Science Fiction takes over the magazine for issue 9 of The Monster Times, leading off with This Island Earth. Disappointingly, the coverage for this memorable movie is not an insightful review or revealing production history; just a novelization-styled story article. TMT would do this too often. Perhaps it helped save time and money by being easier to do than researching material? Perhaps TMT felt newbies would be enthralled by a detailed literary take on the movie? Whatever the reason, its use was already worn thin by issue 9. Saving this issue from total annihilation is Science Fiction in the Comix, The Making of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the continuation of Mushroom Monsters or: The Day the World Ended & Ended, Part 5. The Monster Market also tests The Monster Fan Club, another one of those cheap items from the magazine ad pages monsterkids wish they still had. (Read issue 9.)
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The Monster Times Issue 8
May 10, 1972
Seems my copy of issue 7 crawled off somewhere. While I hunt it down here's issue 8. This issue is fangtastic, with coverage on Horror of Dracula and Hammer horror. Even the beautiful and bountiful ladies of Hammer are noted. This issue is also the first time the cover is not printed on better quality paper, so it provides a hint that the magazine is already running in the red (but not the red kind that Dracula would like). (Read TMT issue 8)
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The Monster Times Issue 6
April 12, 1972
This all-zombie issue is to die for. Excellent coverage on White Zombie and 1950s horror comics. Of special interest is the commentary on Night of the Living Dead. "Night of the Living Dead is a classic film…but nobody seems to realize it yet." And this issue is dated April, 1972. (Read issue 6.)
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The Monster Times Issue 5
March 29, 1972
The Creature from the Black Lagoon makes a splash in issue 5 of The Monster Times, dated March 29, 1972. This is the first issue that starts an odd but noteworthy article style that would devour the later issues: a first person narrative by the issue's featured-creature. In this one, The Memoirs of Gilbert "Gill" Gillman come right from his gills. It's a bit fishy, but still informative. More MPOVs (monster point of views) would be written, but this first one is perhaps the best. On the comics end, Joe Kubert is interviewed regarding DC's Tarzan of the Apes and Esquire magazine goes for the throat with monster comix. And for Humphrey Bogart fans (like me!) there's coverage on the only horror film he starred in, The Return of Doctor X.
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