Famous Monsters Back Cover:
Surprise Movie of the Year!
I didn't see this movie from James Warren. Did any of you see Screen Thrills? Was is ever released?
Courtesy of Professor Kinema.
Magazine Morgue
Famous Monsters Back Cover:
What Are They Afraid Of?
My guess is they're afraid of Harold Camping making another stupid Rapture prediction.
Courtesy of Professor Kinema
Famous Monsters Back Cover: Of “Curse”
Medieval Coneheads? People waiting for the Rapture in the Dark Ages? Cosplayers doing people waiting for the Rapture in the Dark Ages?
Of "Curse" not! It's another eye-catching back cover from Famous Monsters of Filmland.
Courtesy of Professor Kinema
Jack Davis Frankenstein Pin-up
I never really liked the Jack Davis Frankenstein pin-up, so I didn't get that promised "100 hours of laughs and thrills." Don't get me wrong, it's a great drawing, but maybe it's that fuzzy vest, annoying me deep down on some Pavlovian level. My mom bought me one of those Carnaby Street Mod vests on a whim. Seriously. She expected me to wear it to school, looking like some Michael Saracin wannabe in it. Maybe that's why I don't like this poster.
More Famous Monsters Back Covers
More promotional Famous Monsters of Filmland back covers from Professor Kinema. I seriously doubt any reader wound up with one million dollars, fantastic secret or not, but I'll bet lots of kids spent the money in their imagination while trying to win it. I met Robert Lansing (4D Man) and sold an accounting program to him way back in the 1980s, while I was working at B. Dalton's Software Etc. store on 5th Avenue in New York City. He was shorter than I imagined.
Famous Monsters Back Cover:
Don’t Be Fooled By Look-Alikes!
Professor Kinema sends along more nifty magazine promotion from the back covers of Famous Monsters of Filmland. These indicate Warren's attention to the FM imitators sprouting up. The quote from Ray Bradbury is priceless. And how can you not groan at the cheeky wordplay "If the answer to any of the fivegoing questions (that's one more than foregoing) is no…?"
Famous Monsters Back Cover:
What Will He Find?
Before Warren Publishing realized the importance of advertising merchandise on their back covers, early issues of Famous Monsters of Filmland promoted the magazine with simple yet striking black and white pictures and text instead. From Professor Kinema's FM collection comes this visually effective promo using big Tor Johnson and big letters to ask the question…
Famous Monsters Frankenstein
and Dracula Posters
I believe this is the first advertisement that appeared on the back cover of Famous Monsters of Filmland to promote the Frankenstein Monster and Dracula posters. I dare you to name one FM fan who doesn't regret not hanging on to these posters. Dracula was my favorite. I hung him on my bedroom door. Frankie hung around on the closet door. Both were awesome to behold. Would love to see these reissued, along with the Mummy and the Wolf Man and the Creature From the Black Lagoon. Be great they could keep the price to a dollar a piece, too. Just sayin'. (Scan courtesy of Professor Kinema)
Captain Company Battlestar Galactica
The 1980s were all about spaceships, alien races, and adventures among the stars. While I grew up with the television series, the recent reimagining of Battlestar Galactica worked for me, too. But the earlier ship designs are still memorable, and the toys more playable. Especially with a few "space" monsters tossed in.
Before the new Battlestar Galactica kicked in, Richard Hatch lambasted it for how his character, Captain Apollo, would be portrayed, especially since he had been working hard on a revival of the original series himself. His passion did, at least, earn him a meaty role in the new series as Tom Zarek. Shrewd.
Captain Company Star Wars
I started collecting toys in earnest by the time The Empire Strikes Back hit the theaters. Blame the Star Wars merchandising machine. I'd scour Toys "R" Us every weekend for figures and vehicles, and dreamed of finding more of those red markdown stickers on them.
Then I hit the jackpot. A comic book store I visited for the first time had all the playsets for 5 bucks apiece. Those micro playsets with their diecast figures were my favorites. The guy was happy to finally sell all those playsets gathering dust on his top shelf, I was happy to suddenly find all of them. Win-win all around.
I miss the exhilaration of those early days before collecting became a business, and you could leisurely walk around Toys "R" Us without some knucklehead grabbing an action figure right out of your hands if you hesitated for a moment, or rudely shoving you out of the way to be first at the racks to find those hard-to-find gems.
Yes, I miss those days. eBay doesn't muster the same thrill-of-the-hunt enjoyment you get tracking your collectible prey in person.
Captain Company Fun Reading
Captain Company not only offered wonderful toys for little ghouls and boys, but it also provided exciting reading for lovers of the fantastic. My introduction to Mandrake the Magician and Buck Rogers came from reading these wonderfully oversized books. Here's where the power of print trumps digital every time. You can still find these books on Amazon.
Captain Company Monster Mail Order
Decisions, decisions: skull mugs or the Horrible Melting Man mask? It's hard to decide. But that Werewolf Siren Ring is more practical, especially on full-moon lit nights. The Super Frankenstein Mask covers the entire head, though. Neato!