From Zombos' Closet

Movie Pressbook: Jungle Jim in Voodoo Tiger

The movie pressbook for Voodoo Tiger (1952). This is a 6-page foldout. I've mixed up the order of the pages but they're all here. 

Movie Pressbook: Soylent Green

A very well constructed color noir, Soylent Green also warned us about global warming years before it started to take hold of our attention. Good science fiction always tells us what we don't want to hear.

Movie Herald: Rosemary's Baby

Movie Herald: The House That Dripped Blood

Movie Pressbook: Guess What Happened To Count Dracula

After reading the IMDb blurb for 1971's Guess What Happened to Count Dracula, I definitely know what happened to Dracula in this movie: "Dracula enslaves Dr. Irving Jekyll, turning him into the lycanthropic JackalMan, demanding that he lure female blood donors to his L.A. cabin retreat." Oh, my.

Student Guide Handout: The Andromeda Strain

It's interesting to note that science fiction movies usually receive a more sophisticated (and academic) promotion through their pressbooks and theater giveaways. Here's an example of a herald for the movie that's formatted as a study guide for students.

Movie Pressbook: Scream Blacula Scream (1973)

See the Blacula pressbook here (most of it, anyway). Here's the sequel, Scream Blacula Scream. I like both movies, and were they not saddled with the blaxploitation connotation (although they are good examples of blaxploitation, actually), the tortured character of Mamuwalde just might be appreciated more by horror fans.

Blacula (1972) Pressbook

According to Wikipedia, Blacula was the first horror film to receive a Saturn Award. It's also the first time an African-American actor (William Marshall) appeared on screen as a vampire. Marshall also was the King of Cartoons for Pee Wee Herman's Playhouse. Of note, too, is how his sympathetic but demonic character mirrored Dark Shadows' Barnabas Collin's similar predicament. Pressbooks from the 1970s often printed ads on one side, leaving a blank page. That's why some page numbers are missing. An insert flyer appears after the pressbook.

(See the Scream Blacula Scream pressbook)

Movie Pressbook: House of Dark Shadows

See my post on House of Dark Shadows here. Here's the 1970 movie pressbook for your perusal. And here's the pressbook for Night of Dark Shadows should you want to peruse even more.

The Monster Times Collector's Issue 2 1974 International Star Trek Convention

Thousands of fans showed up for the 1974 International  Star Trek Convention at the American Hotel. By 1976, three Star Trek conventions ran in New York within a two-month period (fancyclopedia). I attended the Al Schuster convention at the New York Hilton, which attracted tens of thousands of fans (upwards of 50,000!). I waited on line for hours but did manage to get in, although thousands didn't. It was disorganized and not planned well at all. The convention was investigated by the New York Attorney General because many ticket holders couldn't get in. Most memorable moment for me: William Shatner getting a cream pie tossed his way by a kid who was goaded into doing it as a joke. Shatner handled it all like a pro and the audience ate it up. 

This is the blue cover, newsstand, edition of the Star Trek Lives collector's issue. The Monster Times also published a grey cover edition that was available only at the convention.

(Read The Monster Times Star Trek Lives Collectors' Issue 2)

Movie Pressbook: Konga (1961)

At 17.5 x 22 inches, and 10 pages, this movie pressbook for Konga is almost as big as he is! I want the Konga bank and the coloring page looks like fun. (Read the pressbook)

The Return of Chandu Mask 1934

Go ahead. You know you want to wear it ;)

Other Curiosities in the Closet

Mexican Lobby Card: Vuelven Los Campeones Justicieros

Shock: Chilling Tales of Horror and Suspense Vol.1 No.1, May 1969

Mexican Lobby Card: Misterios De La Magia Negra