From Zombos' Closet

Castle of Frankenstein No. 2, 1962

The second issue of Castle of Frankenstein kicks into gear with an improved layout, the dropping of the cartoons, and more substantial coverage of horror cinema with good use of photos. Larry Ivie provides an illustrated story and there are fun advertisements to bring back memories of sending cash in the mail and endlessly waiting for the goodies to arrive. Comic book reader version:  Download Castle of Frankenstein Issue 2. (This copy courtesy of Professor Kinema.)

More Magazines in the Closet:

• Journal of Frankenstein Issue 1
• Castle of Frankenstein issues: 1, 2, 3, 4, 15, 17, 1967 Fearbook

Castle of Frankenstein No.1, 1962

A few years after Journal of Frankenstein hit the magazine racks, Calvin Beck (with editing by Ken Beale) returned with Castle of Frankenstein in 1962. The magazine's hand-pasted layout had not improved (no digital publishing tools back then), and this first issue went for the pictures and humor approach. Still, Zacherley's Wife Contest and TeeVee Jeebies hint at the more varied coverage to come in later issues. This copy courtesy of Professor Kinema. Here's the comic book reader version:  Download Castle of Frankenstein Issue 1

More Magazines in the Closet:

• • Journal of Frankenstein Issue 1
  • Castle of Frankenstein issues: 1, 2, 3, 4, 15, 17, 1967 Fearbook

Journal of Frankenstein No.1, 1959

Rough layout start to a wonderful pro-zine would turn into a key monsterkid magazine for its time. In this issue, Boris Karloff and Zacherley get the love, and good articles discuss the horror and fantasy scene. I always confused the back cover for the front cover, but I keep wondering why go with the front cover when Zacherley was more of a draw. Perhaps to allow room for the titles? Still, seeing Zacherley on the cover would have made me buy this puppy back then. Just sayin'. Here's the comic book reader version:  Download Journal of Frankenstein Issue 1. (This copy of the magazine courtesy of Professor Kinema, long time contributor to FZC).

More Magazines in the Closet:

Journal of Frankenstein, Castle of Frankenstein: 1, 2, 3, 4, 15, 17, 1967 Fearbook

Monster Times Issue 39 March 1975

Issue 39 of The Monster Times provided fans with ample wall space (like me!) with 12 posters of monsters. And of course this issue helped pad the magazine as it neared its last few issues. Here's the comic book reader version (which makes taping these posters to your wall a bit harder, I know):  Download Monster Times 39

Monster Times Issue 29 December 1973

Lots of good reading in this 29th issue of The Monster Times. House of Frankenstein, From Hell It Came, TMT TV Cartoon Guide (anyone remember the glory days of Saturday morning animated shows?), and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, are covered. In Meet Ms Monster, author Ruth Martin shares her visit to Japan, and in Death is a Way of Life (part 2, I'll have part 1 in issue 28 up soon), a much needed look at death in horror movies is explored. And...David Stidworthy (an alias if I ever saw one!) gives us The Celluloid Snowman, a rundown on Yeti in movies.

Here's the comic book reader version:  Download Monster Times Issue 29

Chilling Tales of Horror Vol. 2, No. 4 June 1971

More Chilling Tales of Horror for you: more monsters, dead things, and wicked happenings, all in bold black and white. Color would just spoil the gorgeous line art that's neatly paneled across the pages. Of course, this issue's bondage and torture cover is a lot more, umm, spicy and naughty than the actual stories themselves, but hey, monsters and near-naked women sell, sell, sell. Unless you rather see a near naked man on the cover, of course. Hell, I say we put both a near naked man and a near naked woman on the cover, with leering monsters (better make them near naked, too), and cover all the bases. That's marketing, baby. I wonder how many monster kids got a whoopin' from their moms back in 1971 when they saw this issue in the drawer. 

Here's the comic book reader version: just don't let your mom see it.   Download Chilling Tales of Horror v2-4

Chilling Tales of Horror V2, Issue 4 August 1971

Okay, sure, the cover isn't all that inviting, but inside you'll find bats, cats, and beasts to thrill you. And wings, lots of wings and creepy things in glorious black and white (hmm, make that off-white, damn cheap paper). 

Here's the comic book reader version:  Download Chilling Tales of Horror v2-4

Fantastic Monsters of the Films Issue 2, 1962

From the archives of Professor Kinema comes this colorful copy of Fantastic Monsters of the Films, Issue 2. Bob Burns contributes an article on the Day the She Creature Invaded TV, Ron Haydock goes into The Third Dimension, and Robby the Robot writes his Diary of a Tin Can Terror. Dick Lupoff shows us Movies Mightiest Mortal (Captain Marvel of course), and the television show World of Giants (a new one on me!) is explored. There's also Part 2 of Horrors in Hollywood, which goes behind the scenes of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. And still more. Another fun issue to savor.

Shock Vol.1, Issue 6 March 1970

Stanley Publications was the more restrained cousin to Eerie Publications. Stanley's magazine covers were downright refined and tasteful compared to Eerie's, like this one for Shock, Chilling Tales of Horror and Suspense, Issue 6. While the stories were less gory and sensational, the art is to die for. Aside from one bloodless impalement in this issue, you will be terrorized by the usual werewolves, fiends, ghosts, oozing specters, and talkative victims. Enjoy. (Here's the comic reader version:  Download Shock v1-6)

Horror Tales Vol. 7, Issue 1 February, 1975

More horror as witches run a resort, dead and living mix into mayhem, and bad people get bad endings. And you think you've had bad days. This cover sums it up best. (Here's the comic reader version: Download Horror Tales v7-1)

Photon Issue 27, 1977

Another engrossing issue of Photon, number 27 provides extensive analysis of Horror of Dracula by Ronald V. Borst. More coverage on Dario Argento in More Flies on Grey Velvet, and Bernard Herrmann is remembered by Paul M. Sammon. Lane Roth also does a good comparison between Lugosi and Lee's Draculas in Some Thoughts About the Hammer and Universal Versions. Here's the comic reader version: Download Photon issue 27. 

Monster Madness Issue 1, 1972

Really bad humor but wonderful monster photographs made this worthwhile in the 1970s, a time when you couldn't download everything from the Internet or eBay. But, yes, really bad humor. Here's the Comic Reader version for you:  Download Monster Madness 1 (17MB).