From Zombos' Closet

Monster Times No. 22, 1973

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!)

Monster Madness No. 2, 1973

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!)

The Monster Times No. 28, 1973.

I have a hunch you'll dig issue 28 of The Monster Times. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (the classic silent version) takes center stage, but The Black Scorpion pokes its tail into the magazine and Plastic Man gets his due. Hammer's television endeavors and movies get a nod and Long Island-based The Children of the Night rock 'em dead in The Monster Scene, while Wolfman Jack howls. For you morbidly inclined, death in horror movies is interred by Rob Comorosky in his Part 1: Death is a Way of Life. Broiled stake, anyone?

Comic book reader version:  Download The Monster Times 28 (and there's more in the magazine morgue)

The Monster Times No. 42, 1975

In issue 42 of The Monster Times, the Werewolf of Woodstock gets skinned, the wizard of gore himself dishes it up in an interview, and Mark Carducci's personal appearance at the Shepperton Studios auction, when they changed hands and bled away their monstrous history, will bring a tear to your eye. There's an odd True Scream Confessions attempt at humor taking us inside the private lives of the monsters, but I can leave it. You may like it, though. Here's something else: The Transylvanian Catalogue by Macmillan, offering 16mm prints for rental, by mail. An interesting early attempt at catering to the movie going fan of horror and science fiction movies. They must have gotten hammered by the VHS market when it sparked up in 1977.

Comic book reader version:  Download Monster Times 42

More magazines on the slab in the Magazine Morgue.

The Monster Times No. 47, 1976

Star Trek versus Space 1999 in issue 47 of The Monster Times. It figures just as things are aces for TMT content-wise the next issue would be its last. Bummer. One consolation is that there's a lot to read in this all science-fiction issue, from Flash Gordon to T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents to Chinese Chillers from Hong Kong (okay, so a little horror's thrown in here, too). Of special note, there's an interview with Gene Roddenberry beginning on page 10 you shouldn't miss: he talks about the ST movie, Space 1999, and his television projects. Those were the days, my friend.

Comic book reader version:  Download The Monster Times 47

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The Monster Times Issue 44, 1975

A quick, skimpy, issue of The Monster Times, issue 44 went huge to contain the giant behemoths within. Now that King Kong is the size of Godzilla, I'd say it's time to do a nice behemoth smash down movie. What do you think? It would be huge. On another note, Glenn in Tell It to the Editor, gives TMT hell for denigrating Star Trek, and "was wondering why you can't do TMT in a good magazine form like the other monster magazines. I really enjoy your articles, but the thin, yellowing paper and the coloring of the pictures are more grotesque than some monsters I know." 

Adventures of a Ghoul From Out West Cult Movies No. 10, 1994

Jan Alan Henderson goes beyond the horror and writes about Zacherley's musical adventure in Cult Movies No. 10.

Devilina No. 1, 1975

Here's Devilina issue 1 from Atlas. I'll refrain from any "hot" jokes. The cover for this issue was flipped to grace the cover of Vampirella issue 111, and the artist, Pulojar, also used the rather sexy pose for Lassiter issue 21. Lots of devilish illustrations, with an article by Gary Gerani titled Filmdom's Vampire Lovers, to help keep you from over-heating. Oh, shoot, I made a "hot" joke, didn't I?

Comic book reader version:  Download Devilina Issue 1

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The House of Hammer No. 1, 1976

An engaging read could be found in each issue of The House of Hammer (later changing titles to House of Horror then Halls of Horror) edited by Dez Skinn. With illustrated adaptations of Hammer movies such as Dracula and Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter, and the host-slanted Van Helsing's Terror Tales to round out the first issue, there was still room for well-written articles, usually themed around the main adaptation. While the original thought was to only cover Hammer's oeuvre, the studio's production mill ran too slow to fill out each issue, so horror movies beyond Hammer were covered. Eye-catching covers by Brian Lewis and other artists, and article writers including Tony Crawley, John Brosnan, and Denis Gifford, made each issue a satisfying reading experience.

Comic reader version:  Download House of Hammer Issue 1  (See all the issues at the Internet Archive)

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Monsters of the Movies No. 8, 1975

Here's my slightly waterlogged copy of Monsters of the Movies issue 8. Gives it a nice monsterkid patina, don't you think? Peter Cushing, Hammer, Amicus, Jonathan Frid, and the Seven Golden Vampires light up this issue. So jump in, the water is fine.

Comic book reader version:  Download Monsters of the Movies 8

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PictureGoer No. 333, 1937

Here's another issue of Picturegoer magazine, courtesy of Professor Kinema. In this issue, No. 333 from 1937, the standouts are: nifty period advertisements; an open letter to actor William Powell, from the editor, congratulating him on his lucrative film contract while condemning the increase in movie theater ticket prices; Max Breen lauds over Maureen O'Sullivan; women dare challenge the pants-wearing in Men Wear the Pants in Pictureland; and Leave It to Anne explains how to keep that slim Hollywood figure the starlets have.

Comic book reader version:  Download Picturegoer Issue 333

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Picture Show No. 176, 1922

From Professor Kinema's Archives comes this 1922 issue of Picture Show. Page 9's In the Early Days of Pictures provides interesting reading: "Today the production of a single picture is a costly item requiring an army of carpenters, scene painters, electricians, and others, who are frequently at work at the studios day and night." And in Ask the Picture Show on page 23, a reader writes in to complain about "vocals introduced into the programme of a picture theatre he recently visited."

Comic book reader version:  Download Picture Show 1922

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