From Zombos' Closet

Fantastic Monsters of the Films Vol. 1 No.4

More horror movie coverage with lots of photos fills up Fantastic Monsters of the Films issue 4. The Raven from AIP gets nice coverage, James Bond's first outing with Dr. No gets a license to see, and George Pal is highlighted. A fantastic close-up of Lon Chaney Jr. as the Frankenstein Monster stands out among other great shots of him in various roles, and horror host Jeepers of Theatre 13 is spotlighted. A treat for Mexican horror fans is Thomas Bradley's article, Ship of Monsters. Another real treat is Vincent Price's In Defense of Horror Films. (This copy comes from Professor Kinema's archive.)

Comic book reader version:  Download Fantastic Monsters of the Films v1-4

Read more monster magazines from Zombos' Closet.

Ben Cooper Chuck Norris Halloween Costume

I have fond memories of going to a New York City Chinatown theater, with friends, to see Bruce Lee kick up his heels. For you martial arts fans, all I need say is The Way of the Dragon (1972). Chuck Norris fighting Bruce Lee. It was like watching Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire go head to toe, two styles, two bad-ass pros going at it. In a movie theater in Chinatown in 1972. It doesn't get any better than that.

Fantastic Monsters of the Films Vol. 1 No.3

Photos, photos, and more photos fill Fantastic Monsters of the Films magazine. Issue 3, courtesy of Professor Kinema, has The Devil's Workshop by Paul Blaisdell, Vincent Price in the Tower of London, an eye on Doctor Cyclops, and radio stories made into movies in Terror in the Air. Great shots from 3 Stooges Meet the Martians and for A Belfry of Bela make this another issue to treasure. But the piece de resistance is the photo on the inside back cover: it shows an early maquette of the Creature from the Black Lagoon!

Comic book reader version:   Download Fantastic Monsters of the Films v1-3

Read more monster magazines from Zombos' Closet.

Ben Cooper Chattermouth Robot Halloween Costume

I'm not sold on the chattermouth gimmick for the mask, but this costume design is way robotastique. It has that Republic serial robotic feel to it: cheap, oddly artistic, and fun to look at. 

Neutron Contra El Dr. Caronte (1963) Mexican Lobby Card

Neutron fights mad science and robotic monsters in Neutron Contra El Dr. Caronte.

Santo Contra Blue Demon En La Atlantida (1970) Mexican Lobby Card

Santo and Blue Demon brawling, rocket ship whizzing through space, volcano erupting, what more can you ask for in a Mexican lobby card?

El Hijo Del Santo: Frontera Sin Ley (1983) Mexican Lobby Card

The Son of the Santo (Santito) brawls in Frontera Sin Ley. Some singing and church services may also happen.

Blue Demon: Destructor of Spies (1968) Mexican Lobby Card

Mind-controlling machines and muscles figure prominently in  Destructor De Espias for Blue Demon.

Castle of Frankenstein No. 18

An eye-popping cover by Kelly gives the 18th issue of Castle of Frankenstein a graphic jolt, but once you get under the covers that jolt fizzles. Which is one constant lapse in judgement seen throughout CoF's run: poor layout and small text. In this issue, the text goes minuscule, and against a dark background, makes it difficult to read. Wasting space on useless graphic filler, the editorial ironically mentions some articles had to be left out of this issue, while H. P. Norton's assault on H. P. Lovecraft (fishy byline, right?) uses very small text to capture quite a big space of opinion. On the other hand, John Carradine's interview is a welcome portrait for a great classic horror actor, who, at age 14 and after seeing the Merchant of Venice, decided he wanted to act. The interview is too short, though. Night of the Living Dead gets a positive review, an amateur picture story for Tarzan centerfold, and a so-so review for Tales from the Crypt round out the issue.

Comic book reader version:  Download Castle of Frankenstein 18

Read more monster magazines from Zombos' Closet.

Ben Cooper Atom Ant Halloween Costume

Sure, you may like Marvel's Ant Man, but Atom Ant is the true hero.

Castle of Frankenstein No. 16

With issue 16 of Castle of Frankenstein, you start to notice a certain "attitude" to be found in some of the reviews and views. It's a bit haughty, a bit snobby. Joe Dante's Dark Shadows review avoids this, luckily, and he could be very snobby, so a pleasant surprise there. Reviews by the Comic Book Council (who?) cover Marvel, DC, Dell, and Gold Key titles off the stands, with a mention of "a new line called Skywald" and Archie Goodwin's move to the Warren camp. A striking Ken Kelly cover and John Stanley's interview with Robert Block are highlights, along with Peter John Dyer's final part of his History of Horror Films.

Comic book reader version:  Download Castle of Frankenstein 16

Read more monster magazines from Zombos' Closet.

Collegeville Disco Duck Halloween Costume

Not sure I'd be caught dead wearing this one, but hey, it's disco. And a colorful collectible to display ;) eBay'r goldenyearsinc listed this one. I don't recall a TV show related to this...?