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Magazine Morgue

Monster Mania No. 2, 1967
Tribute to Hammer Issue

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Monster Mania was one of the more worthwhile reads in monsterkid horror magazines from the 1960s. Russ Jones, in his Editor's Desk entry for this issue, laments how tough it is to find fresh material and photos. "How many more times can the Frankenstein story be told? How many more times will the same stock shots of the immortal Bela Lugosi as Dracula be printed?" Indeed. And he didn't have the Internet to contend with, where pictures and the same material are shared (and ripped off) faster than a cold. I liked Monster Mania's simple but efficient layout and coverage, and this Tribute to Hammer issue is a keeper. Terrence Fisher talks horror, One Million Years B.C. gets reviewed, Chris Fellner explores The Intriguing World of Hammer Films, Christopher Lee is spotlighted, and Peter Cushing, too. And…the product ads are to die for. How many did you send away for? Take that, Amazon.

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Monster Mania No. 2, 1967
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Mad Monsters Issue 7, 1964

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This issue of Mad Monsters, No. 7, has lots of pics, not too much text, and good coverage, from The Preying Mantis and Corridors of Blood, to I Married a Monster From Outer Space and an article on Lionel Atwill. Not too shabby for 35 cents. Charlton did cut corners by printing the magazine as cheaply as possible, so the photos aren't crisp. But their covers were eye-catching.

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World of Horror No. 6

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The British World of Horror magazine came out in 1974 through 1975 and lasted 9 issues. Not very polished in layout, but overall, content-wise, it did include a good range of movie coverage, some fiction (if you’re into having short stories mixed in with your horror movie articles: I’m not), and black and white and color pictures (although the printing quality was poor). The Scream Scene section was similar to The Monster Times‘ own The Monster Scene. A few cartoons were also tossed into the mix. In this issue, a classic horror article on Lon Chaney Sr. rubs elbows with coverage of The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, and Young Frankenstein.

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Monster World Issue 5, 1965

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Lots of cool photos and, better yet, some killer advertisements, like the holy grail of monsterkid-dom: the Famous Monsters Photo Printing Kit. And if that weren't enough to get you drooling, there are ads for the Mad, Mad, Mad Scientist Laboratory, the Addams Family Haunted House by Aurora, and Wacky Action Kits. 

Comic reader version:  Download Monster World Issue 5

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The Monster Times No. 27, 1973

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For the children of the night, it doesn't get any better than issue 27 of The Monster Times. Vampires take flight, beginning with Gary J. Svehla's Forgotten Vampires of the Cinema. Of course, now we have the Internet and streaming movies and stuff we'd love to forget but can't because it keeps coming back like a vampire. But in 1973, an article like this one was pure gold to horror fans. Putting a nail in Blackula's coffin is Joe Kane with Scram, Blacula, Scram, who seems to really not like poor Mamuwalde much at all. Perhaps the most dispiriting read is Dave Stidworthy's the Decline and Fall of Bela Lugosi. On the one hand, while Lugosi suffered through a career that didn't shine as much as Boris Karloff's, to say that his many poverty row movies or his Ed Wood wonders are forgettable is rather shortsighted. You can call them many things, or critique them many ways, but you can never ever say they're forgettable. 

Comic reader version:  Download The Monster Times 27 (read more creepy magazines from Zombos' Closet)

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The Monster Times No. 25, 1973

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The Fly and Return of the Fly buzzes around issue 25 of The Monster Times as Jim Wnoroski takes a swat at the movies, and C.C. Beck is marveled for his artistic work on Captain Marvel. I recall seeing Mr. Beck at one of Phil Seuling's Comic Art Conventions. Beck's hobby was to create very realistic sword and sorcery weapons out of paper and cardboard. He auctioned off some of these at the convention. Seuling, a big fellow, let down his hair (he really did, as he let it grow long) and grabbed a mighty Beck-crafted axe, then posed a la Conan for photo ops. Hopefully, some of those pictures still exist. I also had picked up one of the weapons to check it out and was surprised to find it light as a feather, but very realistic in appearance. Also in this issue, horror heroines get some love, and the Kung Fu craze kicks up the action.

Comic reader version:  Download The Monster Times 25

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The Monster Times No. 18, 1972

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The Monster of Piedras Blancas gets some love in issue 18 of The Monster Times; at least from the article's author, David Stidworthy (yeah, like that's a real name): the rest of TMT awarded a Schlock Award Winner to it. Christopher Lee returns as Count Dracula in Dracula A.D. 1972 and talks about the Count that made him famous, Tony Isabella searches for Willis O'Brian's Missing Monster. For comic buffs, Art Miller discusses Nedor comic's infatuation with monsters When Monsters Ruled the Comics.

Comic reader version:  Download The Monster Times 18

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Monster Times No. 22, 1973

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A lot to enjoy in this 22nd issue of The Monster Times: WNEW's The Creep explains why the sunglasses; the centerfold by Bill Nelson is a monstrous Mount Rushmore for your monsterkid cave wall; The Green Slime gets slimed; Dr. Wertham (yes, that guy) responds to a critical put-down; the House That Dripped Blood is sopped up by Brian McFadden as he pays a visit to Shepperton Studios; Genesis II takes off; and TMT's Monster Poll reveals the results of who's the most monstrous  (I didn't vote: did you?)

Comic book reader version:  Download Monster Times 22 (and more monsters waiting in the magazine morgue!)

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Monster Madness No. 3, 1973

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While the humor doesn’t improve much for this last issue of Monster Madness, the inclusion of articles was a last gasp attempt at enticing the maturing monsterkids into spending their coinage. In this issue you will find cool reading on the Creature from the Black Lagoon (with a great pic of Milicent Patrick at work), reviews for Asylum, Blacula, and Dr. Phibes Rises Again, the redoubtable Robert Bloch, and a letters page. Special note: the Fright Gallery ad on page 61; who wouldn’t want all of these 24 x 36 inch posters to stare at in the middle of the night?

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Monster Madness No. 2, 1973

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Surprisingly enough, Monster Madness issue 2 landed on the magazine racks in 1973. Perhaps monsterkids just loved seeing those monster pictures ( I know I did), or perhaps they figured the attempt at humor couldn't get any worse (MM #1). Well, so much for figuring. Here's issue 2 to provide your daily allowance of "groan" factor for today. Just keep telling yourself it was 1973. 

Comic reader version:  Download Monster Madness 2 (and peruse the magazine morgue if you dare!)

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