From Zombos Closet

Pressbooks (Horror, Sci Fi, Fantasy)

King of the Congo (1952) Movie Pressbook

More jungle spectacle courtesy of Tony Rivers. He spotted these scans made by comic book fiend Bill Meugniot. This time, Buster Crabbe (Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon), takes a stab at it. Hold on to your loin cloth as the "Mighty Thunda" swings through the trees. Exciting poster art and lots of promotion can be found in the 12 pages of this pressbook, including a coloring page! 

King_of_the_Kongo_001

Circus of Horrors (1960) Pressbook

At 18 by 23 1/4 inches, this is one big pressbook. Add ten pages filled with photos, articles, a coloring promotion, a theater giveaway clown mask by Topstone, a comic herald, and a full color cover, it becomes a pressbook collector's dream. I'm sure the audience liked the movie, too.

ComicRack reader version: Download Circus of Horrors Pressbook

See more specatular pressbooks from Zombos' Closet.

Circus of Horrors001

Bomba on Panther Island (1949)
Movie Pressbook

I would watch the Bomba and Tarzan movies every Sunday on local television, along with Abbott and Costello. The movies aren't great, but always entertaining, and they give you an interesting perspective on how Hollywood (and America) viewed the Dark Continent (Sub-Saharan Africa according to Wikipedia), and its inhabitants through cinema. And boy, I wish I looked that good in a loincloth. I know the term "dark continent" has fallen out of favor, but it best encompasses the artistic leanings and dramatic on-film mindsets of the 1930s through 1950s.

Bomba cover

Bomba cover

Pressbook bomba panther island_0006

Pressbook bomba panther island_0007

Pressbook bomba panther island_0009

Pressbook bomba panther island_0008

Pressbook bomba panther island_0005

Master of the World (1961)
Movie Pressbook

This large 15 by 22 inches pressbook for Jules Verne's Master of the World, starring Vincent Price, has stiff covers, lots of promotional material, and a polished page layout. All of this presents quite a "selling" package to movie theaters, and indicative of American International's use of quality pressbooks for movies where Vincent Price is involved. (See The Tomb of Ligeia and The Haunted Palace.)

master of the world pressbook

Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary (1975)
Movie Pressbook

Horrorpedia notes that Quentin Tarantino is a big fan of this movie; critics, not so much. John Carradine appears in this one but not one of his best. Fantastic poster art helps sell this Mexican movie, but the pressbook is disappointing. It contains only newspaper ad mats; no articles on Carradine or the other actors. (see also History of Film with Quentin Tarantino)

 

Mary bloody mary pressbook