From Zombos' Closet

Photon Issue 26, 1975

It's in the trees! This issue of Photon, number 26, is chock full of Curse of the Demon goodness, courtesy of Ron Borst and Scot Mac Queen. (Download the comic book reader file for Photon Issue 26 if you're so inclined--43MB.) This fantastique- movie fanzine of the 1970s went short on graphics and long on the written word. An impressive array of talent contributed informative articles every issue. Also in this issue, Bill Warren heaps praise on Phantom of the Paradise (and boy, he doesn't heap praise often), and Mario Bava's Illusion of Reality is explored by Alain Silver and Jame Ursini. Unlike many monster magazines of the day that would provide a quick read, Mark Franks' Photon required you set aside a week or so. So put the coffee on and enjoy.

Monsters of the Movies Annual No. 1, 1975

Highlights in this issue of Monsters of the Movies Super Annual Issue include an interview with Leonard Nimoy, Paul Blaisdell writes about The Last of the Martian Invasions (the ones he worked on, that is), and Eric L. Hoffman unleashes his Bombs from Outer Space. House of Frankenstein is discussed by Jim Harmon, providing the old school monster coverage, and Don Glut covers creatures in the cartoons in What's Up Doc Frankenstein Part II. Hammer Horror fans will enjoy the article on Freddie Francis, too.

(Comic reader version:  Download CBZ for Monsters of the Movies v1-9  .)

Shriek! Issue 1 May 1965

Like Castle of Frankenstein, Shriek! The Monster Horror Magazine, went for more sophisticated coverage of horror movies than most of the other monster magazines were striving for. With ample photographs not marred by humorous captions and it's three-column format, Shriek! was easy to read and didn't feel padded with unused space (like large text sizes used to fill a page in some magazines). One wonders why it didn't last: maybe its content coming from London proved too difficult to maintain; maybe, with Castle of Frankenstein already established, the need for another similar magazine never materialized; or maybe the logo and cover arrangements didn't stand out enough on the newstand racks? 

In this first issue, the Sovereign of the Sinister interview with Vincent Price begins, Isobel Black tells Shriek! about A Day in the Life of a Vampire, and Tallulah Bankhead is interviewed. ( Download Comic Reader Version of Shriek Issue 1)

Shriek! Issue 2 October 1965

Running to only four issues, Shriek! The Monster Horror Magazine, focused on the contemporary horror movies, and added interviews with the likes of Boris Karloff and Vincent Price. A little bland when it came to cover illustration, Shriek! nonetheless produced a quality publication in content and photographs (which appears to have come over from a British publisher as the address for translations is listed in London). In this Issue 2 you will find coverage on Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, The Skull, War-Gods of the Deep (aka City Under the Seas), Devil Doll, and an interview with Boris Karloff. This issue also has the second part to an interview with Vincent Price.

Hammer Horror Issue 1

Started around the mid-1990s, Hammer Horror, which ran for seven issues, was a serious magazine for the British horror fan edited by Marcus Hearn. Published in the UK through Marvel, the magazine was going well...

"Until restructuring within the bigger Marvel empire shoved the Arundel House operations under the auspices of another Marvel subsidiary: the recently acquired Panini sticker business. The Italians had no interest in Marvel UK's ambitions to expand outside kids comics and swiftly shuttered all of M-UK's "older readers" titles including the entire magazines department except DWM.  The roll-call of casualties included BLAKE'S SEVEN, PLAYBACK, BIZARRE and CLIVE BARKER's HELLBREED (all of which I've covered in previous posts).  Neary's plans to re-enter the US comics market were also nixed by the new management. Hearn did at least get to sign-off in the seventh (and final) issue.  He expressed the hope that another publisher would take over the magazine... but that never happened." (Starlogged Blog)

For a newbie to the world of Hammer Studios Horrors, this first issue is a great introduction. (Note: The easiest way to read each page is to right-click and select 'open link in new tab'. You can enlarge it from there.)

Castle of Frankenstein Issue 17 October 1971

Filmusic in the Fantasy Film kicks off this issue 17 of Castle of Frankenstein. A headitorial deriding President Nixon along with the political system points to a unique element that distances magazines like COF and The Monster Times from their more traditional competitors: political dissent. (My, how things never change.) While the monsterkids of the 1960s were content to just focus on creature features, the popculturekids of the 1970s were pretty noisy when it came to politics and authority. Luckily, more pertinent fare for horror lovers includes much needed recognition for Rondo Hatton, an interview with Robert Bloch, and the essential Frankenstein TV Movie Guide. The Noose Reel provides some tantalizing tidbits regarding Night Gallery and a section called Mad Ave and the Macabre (commercials on television that COF found interesting). I bet you didn't know that Wallace Wood storyboarded an Alka Seltzer commercial! As usual, this issue of COF is more erudition than humor and a rewarding read.

Read Castle of Frankenstein Issue 15

Read Castle of Frankenstein 1967 Fearbook

From the Tomb Issue 1 February 2000

Read my interview with Peter Normanton here.

From the Tomb magazine provided extensive coverage on the history of horror comics. Later issues would be large format, with excellent cover reproductions in full color. If you're into horror comics, especially the ones from the 1950s on up, you should pick up back issues of From the Tomb. The blog appears in limbo, but you can find back issues on eBay. For now, here is the first issue from 2000.

Quasimodo's Monster Magazine Vol. 2 Issue 8 Part Two

Go to Part One

A Star Trek Hall of Fame kicks off this second half of Quasimodo's Monster Magazine Issue 8 as the movie is "90% set," followed by a comic, Star Wrecked vs: Spaced-Out 19991/2 (a fan produced one, I'd say). Don Wigal explores Shark Fever with Jaws (a very informative article on the production, Steven Spielberg, and the movie's influence). Another good article by Ed Connor discusses silent serials, and a short look at 1931's The Spider with Edmund Lowe as a magician (he also played Chandu the Magician in the 1932 movie of the same name, being vexed by Bela Lugosi). Finishing off the issue is an interview with author Edward Edelson on his science fiction films book, Visions of Tomorrow. All told, this issue packs some punch with its articles.

Quasimodo's Monster Magazine Vol. 2 Issue 8 Part One

Once again it's time to travel back to a time when pulpy paper printing and monstrous humor were all the rage. Today, let's enjoy issue 8 of Quasimodo's Monster Magazine, a magazine that gave you a big 100 pages, if not much else. In this first half of the magazine, we are treated to The Mummy Through the Ages, The Invisible Man (a sight for sore eyes), and funny comics related to the lead articles. More funny, now that we look back at them, are the advertisements: from the imported lock blade stilletto knife (moms loved that one), the Are You Having Trouble Reading This Ad? hawking eye exercises (funny, but now I could use those exercises), no-real-selling-needed order taking for metal social security plates, and automobile upholstering and customizing--yes! you too can do it! Hopefully we'll see some monsterkid related ads in the second half.

More Quasimodo in the Closet:

Quasimodo's Monster Magazine Issue 3

Quasimodo's Monster Magazine Issue 5

Monster World Issue 2

Monster World Issue 1 Part Two

Go to Monster World Issue 1: Part One

Here's the second half of Monster World Issue 1 magazine (aka Quasimodo's Monster Magazine). A few funny-photo-captions, a Find a Monster Puzzle, and  nods to screen vampires and Avco Embassy's television series, Nightmare Theater, fill this second half. Oh, and I shouldn't forget to mention the 70,000 Year Old Teenager, Korg, and the ad for Sun-Flower, the Chinese Handmaiden Doll every horror fan would want to own. At least this second half of the magazine has more ads suitable for monsterkids, like the Night Gallery and monster-sized Quasimodo posters, as well as the fine craft books on dress design and basic knitting. I wonder how many cosplayers started this way?

Monster World Issue 1 Part One

After reading Cranston Macmillan's Quasimodo's Monster Magazine chapter in the recently released 70s Monster Memories (yup, shameless plug here!), I dug out my first issue of Quasi's, which was called Monster World. At least for the first three issues, then it changed title to Quasimodo's Monster Magazine. It's a lot of pages if little else, but there's a charm to its simplicity (okay, poor layout and cheap printing). The covers were always to die for. In this first half of the magazine you'll read about Kolchak, The Night Stalker, The Monster Comics World of Jose Delbo, and Frankenstein, Through the Years. But nevermind that. What's really killer here are the advertising pages: you can drown your plants with love by giving them Water Stiks, stay healthy with Arco books on fitness, buy $20.00 sport action watches, plug in the miracle TV antenna (I can tell you from personal experience it sucked), and grab a fine collectible Chinese Doll (but that's in the second half of the magazine, which I'll post shortly). While other horror and monster mags had copious ads for fan-favorite merchandise, this first issue went for the wrong target audience. How terrifying!.

The Monster Times Issue 20 March 1973

Star Trek stays alive in issue 20 of The Monster Times.  An episode guide, coverage of the book adaptations by James Blish, a fan clubs yellow pages, and a smashing Keep on Trekkin' pullout centerfold make this an all warp speed issue.  Toss in Karloff's The Mask of Fu Manchu and a look at the stage play, Warp, with costumes designed by Neal Adams, and you've got your typical TMT smattering of 1970s pop culture nirvana. Warp began in 1971 at the Illinois Organic Theatre Company before moving to Broadway in 1973. A science-fantasy trilogy and space opera, it circulated before Star Wars hit the big screens in 1977.