.

The Monster Times page 1

Polly want a creature?!

Sounds fishy to me

A grave state of affairs

Another Excuse me, lady, bat pun.

but I received your name through the Creature Computer-Date Service and

I hate to be forward but

it's been a rather dry period for

me of late and . . .

They've worked me to the bone

A pretty Poe choice,

if you ask me . . . page 2 • The Monster Times

The World’s Volume], No.5

Newspaper

of Horror, PAGE 19 Sci-R

PAGE 6

MAIL-ORDER VAMPIRES!

Pust this last week we received a letter of complaint from a fan, addressed to our Monster Market page. According to the letter, the fan sent in $12.00 for back issues of an occasionally published monster mag, over half a year ago. MEMOIRS OF A LAGOON-CREATURE The reminiscences of a star-fish-man. Since then, he says, he received no magazines. Will success spoil a seaweed hunter? He wrote a couple of letters to a mail order house (whose name bears a cryptic similarity to the monster-pub's title) and which purportedly sells TARZAN COMIX NEWS: About the new TARZAN , and an exclusive the magazine's back issues. He even sent a letter to interview with editor-artist -writer . - them toy registered mail, demanding an answer. The letter arrived, he said, but there was no MONSTERS — A REVIEW: answer. a book that lists shriek achievements Unfortunately, at press time we've been unable of the century! PAGE 11 to get in touch with this fan for verification. If we PAGE 9 are to actually "shed some lights on some of the STAR TREK CON REVISITED: vampires of our industry" as the Monster Market TMT looks back at the convention in history. oath states, we need solid proof, such as a copy of largest a returned registered mail ticket, for starters. GETS HIP: Although actual prosecution is the jurisdiction, ESQUIRE Finally “Fskie" mag learns where it’s really at legal and moral, of the Better Business Bureau, we COMIX by horror artists Wrightson. Jones, Weiss, Reese, Smith & Ploog. do think unscrupulous mail-order monster-product be the reportage domain of The swindles to MUSHROOM MONSTERS: World's Only Monster Newspaper . . . vulnerable to Part III of a series. Will Joe Kane , our fair comment. ' ever find a peaceful use for atomic energy “Bomb' films? MONSTER TIMES fans who've had bad experiences with mail order houses, and have MONSTER-SIZED COLOR POSTER BONUS: Palpitating pigments & horrifying hues embellish this documentation of same are encouraged to send it creepish Creature centerfold featured for your weird wall. in to us at THE MONSTER MARKET, P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea Station, , New York, “SLAY IT AGAIN, SAM!”: 1001 1 . And we'll see what we can do to dull those 's ONLY monster movie, vampires' fangs. There's more at (ahem) stake than THE RETURN OF DR. X. Was it ever bad medicine! just their reputations! We're trying something new again. When will ROGER CORMAN VS EDGAR ALLEN POE: we ever cease? Our filmbook-like feature article Part II of a series. The only fight this issue is about the career of the Creature From where a movie maker killed an already dead author. PAGE 14 The Black Lagoon—as told by his own self.

Your monster newspaper is always looking for A GNAWING OBSESSION: new methods of getting you the facts and fantasies Finish of Jeff Jones' comix vision of what 'twould be if E.A. Poe wrote “Blondie”; Dagwood sandwiches ain’t the same! of filmdom, even if we have to go straight to the sea-horse's mouth. You'll blush at his escapades with Vampy Esther Williams! MONSTER TIMES MARKET: _ A product test record review of TALES OF TERROR, We also dug up some interesting info on read by Nelson Olmstead. Poe ain’t the same since. Humphrey Bogart's ONLY monster/vampire film, THE RETURN OF DOCTOR X ... which we MONSTER TIMES TELETYPE: nostalgically dub, "Slay It Again, Sam!" Endless processions of inside news, clues, And we've got: reviews, and grues-flashes to keep you insidiously informed. The conclusion of Jeff Jones' comic strip. A review of Esquire Magazine's of the fellow who unheralded, has the Seventies. THIS ISSUE'S COVER is the skillful brush wizardry N. Ominous, contributed most of the enduring movie posters of the century. Called by the nickname "Anonyrnous by his . . . are you wasting time And more but what masterpieces like our cover, friends, business associates and admirers, quietly he goes right on, churning out reading an editorial for, when there's a contents which was taken from the pressbook of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. list on your right, and all the good stuff weeks by The Monster Times THE MONSTER TIMES No. 5, March 29, 1972, published every two Station, New York, N.Y. 10011. Subscriptions in — Publishing Company. P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea issues. Second class mail privileges authorized 1 issues, outside U.S.A. : $1 0.00 for 2 6 THE MONSTER TIMES IS PRODUCED AND CREATED BY LARRY BRILL & LES WALDSTEIN. U S A : $ 6 .00 for 3 Managing Copy Editor: JOE KANE. provided return postage is Editor: CHUCK McNAUGHTON. Editor: JOE BRANCATELLI. York, N.Y. and at additional mailing offices. Contributions are invited Associate Editors: ALLAN ASHERMAN, MARK FRANK, PHIL SEULING, STEVE VERTLIEB, JIM at New unsolicited material. Entire contents copyrighted WNOROSKI. Columnists: BILL FERET, DENNY O'NEIL, C.M. RICHARDS. Contributing Writers: enclosed; however, no responsibility can be accepted for GERRY GERANI, DAVID IZ20. O.A. LATIMER, ED NAHA. BUDDY WEISS. MARVIN WOLFMAN Publishing company. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part Contributirtg Photographer: BARRY GLUTSKY. West Coast Correspondent: LARRY WALDSTEIN. (c) 1972 by The Monster Times Contributing Artists: give 8 weeks notice. Send an European ComspandenV JESSICA CLERK. Advertising Manager: LARRY BRILL. without written permission from the publisher. Subscriber change of address; . , ERNIE COLON. CARLOS GARZON. DAN GREEN. STEVE label is addressed. Printed in US,A. HICIOMIAN, JEFF JONES, MIKE KALUTA, . PAUL NEARY. BILL NELSON, LARRY address imprint from recant issue or state exactly how TOOO. ALLAN WEISS. WENDY WENZEL. BERNI WRIGHTSON page The Monster Times

(XMFEiSIONS FROM M BLACK LAGOON

5omewhere along the upper reaches force of evil has driven it through of the Amazon, deep in the tropical millions of centuries. It is a being so miasma of a forgotten world, the horrible, so fantastic, that mortal river turns and enters into a small words cannot accurately describe lagoon. The natives seldom speak of its ancient fury. So it must be

this mysterious place, but when called upon to describe itself . . . they do their words tremble with Demon? Monstrous beast? EGAD!!! first fear. This is the dwelling place of a Eighteen years since my appearance demon, a monstrous beast whose and people still think I’m a louse! I really don’t give a darn about my public image, but when playful young teenagers start booby-trapping the local lagoon, where female fish swim, I believe the time has come for a rebuttal. So here, now, in the black and white panorama of the MONSTER TIMES, I shall reveal the ungarnished truth about one of Hollywood’s greatest movie monsters. Behold, the uncut, uncensored confessions of yours truly, the heart-stopping Gill Man, the malevolent man-fish, the scaly scalaway from South America, the famous and original CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON!

The Memoirs of Gibert Gi Gillman

on until he finally "Rolling on the River" of taste. Bill pressed spotted me sitting on a log, thumbing books. For the first 75 million years of my life through my Aquaman comic and things were really swell. I’d relax, clown “You’re a natural,” he squealed, around with the local natives (they then, after asking me whether or not my always gotta kick out of my Buster name was Rosebud, offered me a contract Crabbe impersonations) and would spend with Universal Pictures. To be perfectly the idea. the remainder of the day charming the honest, I was terribly excited at pointed out, prettiest schools of pirhana this side of After all, as he promptly did for Burt’s Aquarium! look what good ol’ “Universal U” Frankenstein Then, on a warm September afternoon Count Dracula and the or twenty years, in the fall of 1953, big-time movie pro- Monster. After only ten Holly- ducer William Alland came chugging they were able to meet famous Abbott and down the tranquil Black Lagoon, search- wood personalities, such as It was ing for a new face into which he could Costello and the Bowery Boys! opportunity, invest money. After starring in some truly a once in a lifetime so 1 Grade B disaster with Orson Welles one that I’d be foolish to ignore, and pals and gals, packed (“Citizen Kane,’’ I believe) back in ’41, said farewell to my wilds Mr. Alland had since decided to divert his my neutralizer and headed for the time and funds to the sophisticated of Southern California. prospect of monster movies. Along with him for the ride was Nestor Paiva, who shaved in over a year and muttered hadn’t "When in Southern California, something about, “You crazy Americano, why dunt you high-tail eet out of here Visit Universal City Studios" and make Ricardo Montalban movies?” What annoyed me most in the first film was Dick Carlson, Unhampered by Nestor’s obvious lack My reception in the Sunny State was who felt obliged to steal scenes with that damn speargun of his, lousing up my romantic appeal! .

page 4 The Monster Times

tJjeiiongtertlDte TERROR GRIPS CITY!( answer. Someday spaceships will be travel- ing from Earth to other planets — are human beings going to survive on those planets? The atmosphere will be different, MONSTER E the pressures will be different. By studying these, and other species, we add to our Ocean Harbor;- Police and knowledge of how life evolved, how it adapted itself to this world. With that Defense Units in thirteen States knowledge, perhaps we can teach man to today combined forces in a adapt himself to some new world of the future." search for the weird Gill Man Fortunately for us, most of Dick’s who, after slaying an other statements weren’t as long as this a.it, disappeared late last initial wind-baggery. But the final script did abound with a welcome under- Authorities have standing of science and fiction, and grave fear for the safety treated both aspects of thought respect- fully. There is even a touching bit of what lovely scientist I term, “humanity under pressure”, as Carlson orders his companions to cease

fire as I limp out of the grotto and to my aquatic death. The fact that the 3D process demanded scripts emphasizing visual thrills might have squashed lesser projects (and did), but the final result here was one that any monster-as-well-as-screenwriter would be proud of. The rest of the production crew also had a good idea of what makes a monster flick click. Makeup chief Buddy West- more was a competent craftsman — al- though his work with me didn’t extend far beyond the toenail clipping stage. Although dynamite explosions There were also a number of stuntmen who exercized my more dangerous activ- kad benumbed the beast—four strong ities. Among these noteworthy gents were men had trouble chaining him last week! Ed Parker, Ben Chapman and — what’s his name — oh, yeah! Ricou Browning, who went ape the final day of production

when I presented him with a going away gift: an adorable baby dolfin named Flipper. Wonder what ever happened to

them since . .

"'A Star (Fish) Is Born" 'Sit' FLASH FOTOS! Just omverf— these amazing With the film in the can and our hopes pictures of a woman in the Gill Man’s clutches in the air. Universal went about dis- ^ (above) and (left) some of the havoc wrought tributing the flick for both 3D and 2D engagements. The first response came * by the monstrous creature! from the critics, who were not very responsive. “Only if you’ve lost all your comic There wasn't a dry eye in the nation when my heart-rendering performance was publicized in huge newspaper ads like this one.

something less than bright. My first three up all my will power to keep from doing A rare promo still of Julie Adams and myself days were spent jitterbugging for Charles anything rash. shilling for an Arthur Murray tie-in ad. Welbourne’s underwater 3D camera set- 1 followed her from underneath the The campaign was never used. up, and the only time I got to see Alland water (can you blame me?) and found was when the returns to IT CAME FROM out sometime later that clowning Charlie OUTER SPACE came in from outer photographed the whole scene in 3D and boxoffices. submitted it to director Jack Arnold as a Finally I was introduced to the cast gag. Later Arnold included the scene in and crew when I threatened to form my the final print and was complimented for own movie studio under the name an “arousing and poetic dramatization of “American International”. (Later two unearthly love”. The bum! goofs called Nicholson and Arkoff won the copyright from me in a crap game.) Peri-Scopes Dick Carlson made an appropriate of Evolution on Trial “young, resourceful scientist”. After an Bill Alland later introduced me to enjoyable chat with the actor, 1 dis- covered he had co-starred with an old screenwriters Harry Essex and Artie Ross friend of mine. Froggy, who had tem- who discussed their scenario with me. It was, in a word, awful! After a few hours porarily left the Andy Devine complex to intense, concentrated star with Dick Carlson in Allied Artist’s of effort (with my valued supervision) a second script was THE MAZE. Later that week I encoun- tered my old pal who greeted me with an written, which, quite seriously, contained expected “Hiya, Gill! Hiya, Hiya, Hiya!” some of the best dialog ever written for a and explained the advantages and dis- sci-fi movie. The final effect, of course, advantages of 3D movie making. was due mostly to the vocal talents of Richard Carlson, whose cool, scientific this point I beginning to feel At was enthusiasm enhanced many a fantasy more at home in the alien environment. film. Here’s a typical example of his Julia Lovely Adams was perhaps most lingo; instrumental, since she apparently sensed

! hat I was — dare I say it? — a fish out of "More and more we're learning the vvater. She alone understood my plight, meaning and value of marine research. bridge between fish and I completely feU for her. This lungfish ... the and the land animal. How many thousands I’ll never forget the day she went for a of ways nature tried to bring life out of particularly exotic swim in the studio the sea and onto the land. This one failed. nanufactured lagoon. Well, and me a He hasn't changed in over a million years. have clue to an entleman! I mean I just had to summon But here . . . here we a \ r

The Monster Times page 5

books”, wailed a l imes reviewer who probably kept his under lock and key. The New York News at least termed it “an average thriller” and gave us a two and a half star rating. (Come to think of

it, that’s what they gave Kubrick’s 2001!

Oh, well . . .) But the mounting critical assaults fused into an all-encompassing zero when our modest little effort turned into Uni- versal’s biggest money-maker of 1954! Man, what a day that was! The lenses must have popped out of Jack Warner’s 3D glasses when he heard about us! HOUSE OF WAX - hah! My film wasn’t popular merely because of some tricky filter! Indeed, most movie producers of the time agreed that 3D flicks had flick- ered out of the public’s interest. One of our leading film competitors of the year, Warner Brother’s THEM! had been originally shot in 3D and color, but saw final release sans the various hues and dimentional effects. To my utter astonishment, I was an overnight sensation. Although 1 had strict contract commitments to Universal, the studio did permit me to appear (briefly) with luscious Marilyn Monroe in 20th Century Fox’s THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH. My appearance took the form of, first, a billboard on a theater marquee and second as the subject of some rather ill-chosen lines (delivered by MM) com- paring me to co-star Tom EweU. ^ ' Yeeech! Continued on page 29

ABOUT THIS ISSUE'S CENTERFOLD POSTER

THE MONSTER TIMES is always scouring about for new talent, as well as diligently striving to acquire the best of the established horror and sci-fi art superstars. This issue's awf-colored poster of the ever-popular Gill, THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, was rendered by Tim Johnson, who's just turning 18 this April. A MONSTER TIMES discovery, Tim is a senior student at the New York High School of Art & Design. A far-better than average new comic art talent, Tim intends to gainful employment in the fiercely competitively world of comic books, upon his graduation in June. We wish him luck, and trust that his poster for this issue will be a valuable portfolio piece when he goes looking for work in comix. Tim has been into Fandom for many years, collecting stills, comix, and fanzines (fan-produced magazines), and has put out some fanzines of his own, as well as contributing to many of the better ones. He prefers comic books and illustrations to the stuff that's called Fine Art these days, and admires the work of such great cartoonists and illustrators as Jack Davis, Wally Wood, and Frank Frazetta, hoping some day to achieve comparable greatness. THE MONSTER TIMES thinks that Tim Johnson is well on his way!

Me doing my immortal impersonation of Errol Flynn in CAPTIAN CLUB! People back then accused me of "Going Hollywood," but they just didn't appreciate my versitaiity. page 6 The Monster Times .

7 The Monster Times page

POO/hfP in TO lOSf

hy

-MEMCEHN) KaJNVAEN IMtZ/IN KEAUZS) (CWASPOOHe T31D5E.

i£xrmK> UKUIIClOliaOOH-MEIKKaTICJEAg ' ^ DEADLY WEinKMEAM^IjaN^IBIM 50WTHE lUff IIOlBCe 111(1 nOiTie BULLETS xm >DiwcHiOM&5iimietMigaME OlC(yilEni5UBl55WgT&>)(ri>KAiaEP)GErAaBH.9on

inking-brush at. Two of the greatest TARZAN, over the years, has been drawn by. more great illustrators than you can shake a No. 3 Winsor-Newton sable first novel, TARZAN OF THE APES, back in 1912. are here represented: CLINTON PETEE, who painted the cover of the first pulp serialization of the Allen St. John and Hal (PRINCE VALIANT) Foster. This was pretty fierce action painting, back then. Petee was followed by others, most notably J. the most recognition around the world, for his BORNE HOGARTH, whose November 11, 1941 Sunday TARZAN strip is excerpted above, achieved enthusiasts have had gallery exhibitions "old master" approach to action-adventure drawing; tense, dynamic, powerful. European art expert and comic art adapting the TARZAN series, for DC. Joe Kubert of Hogarth’s TARZAN strips. Now, in comic books, Joe Kubert takes a hand in drawing/writing/and himself in the jungle, naturally became "Lord of the Jungle." . . English lord, finding is doing TARZAN as Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote him . as an who,

TARZAirS WRITER/AimST JOE KUBERT TELIS ALL IN AN EXCUISIVE MONSTER TIMES INTERVIEW

EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS, in his long TARZAN: written, edited & drawn by direction the amiable Apeman, as well as adventures than drawing them. lifetime, populated the imaginations of Joe Kubert. comments from DC freelance editor, Introductions were exchanged, and prove interesting then millions, with strange worlds at the center JOHN CARTER OF MARS: Written Marvin Wolfman, should . . of the Earth’s core (PELLUCIDAR) by Marvin Wolfman, drawn by Murphy to THE MONSTER TIMES’ readers. exotic denizens of fabled Lost Cities of Apderson. The Interview Gold (TARZAN, KpRAK), strange alien KORAK — SON OF TARZAN: is the basic direction you monster races’ with four arms, others with Written by , drawn by Frank MT: What the book? dinosaur tails and multitudes of bulging Thorne. intend to keep with TARZAN realms bug eyes riding pterodactyl ptaxicabs PELLUCIDAR - Written by Len Wein, Will you go to the more fantastic (JOHN CARTER OF MARS, CARSON drawn by Allan Weiss. of lost cities, or will you keep it more to OF VENUS). The menagerie of strange CARSON OF VENUS: Written by Len Jungle adventure? beasts and creatures and monsters and Wein, drawn by Mike Kaluta. KUBERT: The life-blood of any mammoth, gigantic animals would sink an Astute MT readers may note that cartoon character is change, fantastic Ark. Messrs. Kaluta, Wein and Wolfman, are change and pacing so that the reader Now the burgeoning Burroughs’ zoo also contributors to THE MONSTER doesn’t know what to expect next. When going to comes marching into your merry little TIMES. THE MONSTER TIMES alumnus you ask me where he’s go, what mind, out of the pages of the National makes its mark! he’s going to do; “I don’t know’’ other Periodicals (DC) group. The new National Burroughs books are than that TARZAN will be as he himself This month, and in the next couple of the news event of comix this year. DC has was in TARZAN OF THE APES, fact, months, DC will be premiering a new line acquired permission to adapt anything Burroughs’ original conception. In of ERB comix: TARZAN, KORAK, and ERB ever wrote. Gold Key Comics used the first four issues will be pretty much TARZAN PRESENTS: EDGAR RICE to handle TARZAN and KORAK, but the taken verbatim from the original BURROUGHS’ WEIRD WORLDS.Of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Estate took them TARZAN OF THE APES. I’m just various books the WEIRD WORLDS away from Gold Key and handed the winding up that fourth book now. Where we’ll go next. I’m really not sure. It could book is the third, incorporating features rights over to DC, solely, it is rumored, A pre-baarded Joe Kubert of 1971 fantastic adventures, like originally to be in the first two (and the on the strength of the work of one DC be TARZAN & Or perhaps a arrangement is pretty complicated and so artist, Joe Kubert. We managed to Joe Kubert is a burly, bearded athletic THE LEOPARDMEN. original story; I don’t won’t be gone into here). We will be interview this man in comix news, this middle-aged man, who looks more like completely know. a lot of material to choose from. seeing therein all these various features: week, and his comments about the he’d be participating in Burroughs’ high We’ve page 8 The Monster Times

Corporation All artwork in this article 1972 The Edgar Rice Burroughs

Valiant), back in 1920, when the first WIT: To clarify for those who only TARZAN strip was sold. This was a basic, of TARZAN through the know crude kind of an illustration that always Weismuller & other movies, how do you lured me, enticed me into reading that see the original TARZAN? it strip. And I feel that had the same KUBERT: Not as the grunting kind of effect on almost everybody. The crudity a guy that Weissmuller portrayed him. — fit the character and setting so well Although, Weissmuller came closer to well, you call it looseness, I call it trying looking like TARZAN than any other to get down to the very basic, simple actor. Physically. But mentally. The Ape illustrative qualities that will not slow Man, as far as Burroughs’ description is down a story, so that someone who is not concerned, has learned to read English necessarily a comic book buff can enjoy before he can speak it, he's learned to the story, not obtruding, but enhancing. speak French, then speak English. He’s a MT: Still, there’s a powerful rather well-spoken, well-read kind of a draftsmanship involved, as say, the scenes character, not the grunty Weissmuller one — of TARZAN wrestling a bull-ape, or of “Me TARZAN, you Jane! Him staving off an attacking lion. Do you keep Boy!” commissioned just about the in mind the colorist as you do this? MT: There are other attributes to his For awhile, ACE BOOKS put out the TARZAN books, and color covers and cryptic KUBERT : Looking at these sketches in character that were skimped upon in the greatest living adventure artist, Frank Frazetta, to render spellbinding black & white is looking at only half the movies. A “moral tone” beyond the fronstpiece illos, such as this one, from THE BEASTS OF TARZAN. job. I definitely think of color. The simple filmed attitudes. How closely can colorist, Tatjana Wood, incidentally, has you keep to this in the comix format? done a terrific job. Well, I’m trying to adhere KUBERT: MT: From the way the ERB books as closely as possible, although I to this seem to take well to comix, do you feel a lot of the things that Burroughs suppose Burroughs was a frustrated comic in 1912, are outdated, as our mores did, book writer? and morals and ideas have changed rather KUBERT: Oh, no, I think that comic For instance, natives. drastically since. books were probably the furthest thing The black men. In the original book they from his mind. I think that he was an are shown as being forced to go into the adventure writer, and that basically comic interior of Africa because of the books are that kind of a media. His suppression and cruelty of the white pacing is a little slower in his books. You soldiers who just at that time (1912) were couldn’t get away with discussions, a beginning to invade the dark continent. series of balloons“talk-talk” in a comic However, in other parts of book he book or strip. described blacks as overly-subservient or MT: Yes, although his son, John overly-cruel themselves, or even bestial, Burroughs, did draw a comic strip version completely out of which I feel are SYNDICATE of JOHN CARTER OF MARS in the context with things as we know and feel 1930’s. And there was a time in his them today. So the moral character of SPLIT SEOJHO HE HELD THE PuiSING ENGINE OF DESTRJXTiON,—- THEN FDR A college days that ERB drew editorial Tarzan will stay rather closely to the early 30's for awhile, easing the chores of Hal cartoons, and reputedly made sketches of original character that Burroughs gave Rex Maxon drew the TARZAN dailies in the drawing the TARZAN daily comic strips after Hogarth (proceeding page) all the monster characters which appeared him, only I’m trying to make it as Foster. He continued his perhaps to give a better idea took over the thrill-dappled TARZAN Sunday color page. in books, “contemporary” as possible. By that I of them to the illustrator of his novels, J. dor«*t mean that he’s a “Now” character. Allen St. John. Of a hip kind of a guy, he’s still a rather KUBERT: I didn’t know that. naive kind of a guy who will kill if he’s WOLFMAN: The thing is though, that put on the spot but doesn’t kill for the Burroughs didn’t mean this to be the sake of killing. There is one episode in greatest literature in the world. He was which he learns how unfair, how greedy trying to do Pulp Writing. He was and cruel the outside world is, and he pulps of the time. He returns to his own African home, influenced by the of commenting how the white men outside had sold advertisements for some the then suddenly decided he are no better, and in many ways much magazines, and worse than the beasts of the jungle. That could write better stories than were then in magazines. the people outside kill because of greed those his greatest weight and cruelty, where animals will rarely kill KUBERT: I think did a terrific action for any other reason than to protect their was the fact that he imagination, which in own domain or for food. His few short story with much “turned on” anybody who forays into civilization only bring him turn, kind of your imagination back to the place where he was born. A read it.. It kind of gives into — oh — about seven million sort of touch-stone. a shove different directions. His effectiveness is MT: And so he prefers the jungle, not so much what he has written, but where he is lord. what he has instilled in others to write KUBERT: He is born into a nobility beyond. And that Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Here is 's version that is ingrained in him. Burroughs has set worlds were a step-off point. of TARZAN, Lord of the Jungle, him up as the kind of a guy who would MT: For instance? grappling with the King of Beasts. be a “lord” regardless of where he found KUBERT: Ninety-nine and 9/lOth’s himself. Simply because he was born of This was drawn a scant per cent of all science fiction writers are the royal lineage of English nobility. So generation after Clinton Petee's jumping off Burroughs’ wing. Pushed to to that extent he retains that kind of a original TARZAN pulp cover on delve into their own imaginations and character. He is “lord” of the jungle. He the preceeding page. Who says machinations, impelled by Burroughs. would be “lord” of the sewer, if he things don’t get better? Most science fiction writers wili admit happened to find himself there. That’s that they’re steeped in Burroughs’ what Burroughs built him up as, and writings. that’s how I’m going to handle him. WOLFMAN: Practically all the things MT: How is the relationship with Jane that have been written lateiy he did in his going to be handled? In the first book early books. He had a race of women who they weren’t married: living together in were using artificial methods to create the jungle. more children. KUBERT: At this point, I’d rather MT: Don’t mention that to Women’s have him a bachelor, his affair with Jane Lib! in the first book leads him to go to WOLFMAN: ... That was in the America to find her. They’d professed PELLUCIDAR series. JOHN CARTER love to each other in the jungle before influenced those after him. Science she’d left. The plot gets kind of fiction. Sword and Sorcery; Conan, in convoluted. She leaves without him. He particular. Everything stemmed from that follows her. When they meet in America approach. he learns she's already been promised to KUBERT: For instance, FLASH else, he, being the noble is somebody and GORDON, which I think one of the savage that he is (jerk that he is), says greatest comic strips of all time, must that he realizes she’s already sworn to have been based on one of the haif-dozen another, and for him to break this up kinds of characters Burroughs created. would be a “most ignoble” thing to do. WOLFMAN: And the BUCK ROGERS

He then steps away from the relationship, strip, I think, is related very closely to

rather than pulling her away from her BEYOND THE FURTHEST STAR . . . betrothed, and just steps aside and goes another ERB story which we may be back to his apes. soon adapting. He really set a pace for MT: That could be a pretty years to come. heartbreaking moment in comic books. MT: How would you sum up your

KUBERT : I cried for three days! efforts? (Laughter). KUBERT: Just to wind this whoie

KUBERT: Seriously, I’m going to try thing up: what Marvin and I are rid of to make it as dramatic as I possibly can. I attempting to do, is to go back, get think it works pretty good. ali the extraneous crud that’s been done and that has kind of dissipated the main MT : One of the first things that strikes thrust of the character that I think that me about your art is that although Edgar Rice Burroughs had in mind. We’li mentally you have a strong conception of go back to the original concept, and take figures and settings you’re drawing, you The Ape Man in his raw vitality, and keep it very, very loose and open. aiong the original thrust and line heavily influenced continue KUBERT: I am very that Burroughs himself meant for the by the first TARZAN sequence, which character. If we can do that, we’ll have was a combination of text and illustration accomplished what we set out to do. by (who later created Prince COMPARISON TIME: The preceeding examples display TARZAN grappling with giant cats, as drawn by other artists. Here, then Joe Kubert's interpretation of the same subject. The Monster Times page 9

it’s to set you up for the next issue of THE MONSTER TIMES... in ALL- ish. The best part of the Gifford book (in fact the most of its total 160 pages), is the picture selection. At quick count — 160 pictures!

Every one is well-selected and very well printed. Every category of monster is represented. From the first version of FRANKENSTEIN and DER GOLEM and NOSFERATU and DRACULA to pretty rare and seldom-printed gems like John Barrymore’s 1920 version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. Or THE FLY. Or one of the ALLIGATOR PEOPLE. Or the BLOOD BEAST TERROR. Or the animal-made men who constituted the LOST SOULS on THE ISLAND LARRY TODD

ZOMBIES. ‘Jayne Eyre in the West Indies’ was how Val Lewton described his production of , based on factual articles by Inez Wallace. Frances Dee nursed the sonambulistic wife of planter Tom Conway, and a tall black zombie called Carre Four (Darby Jones) chased James Ellison into the sea. The scientific creation of loses the charm of a voodoo ceremony, but substitutes the cinematic apparatus of a laboratory. John Carradine killed Veda Ann Borg, then revived her as a corpse in REVENGE OF THE ZOMBIES: only Monogram (Pictures) afficianados could tell the difference ...” And so on. This amounts to one whole fifth of the chapter on The Zombie. If you wonder why we quoted so much. The walking corpse who escaped from DOCTOR BLOOD'S COFFIN. - MOVIE MONSTERS By Dennis Gifford. OF. Or the famous censored scene Studio Vista/Dutton Pictureback. of the FRANKENSTEIN monster $2.25 hanging Dwight Frye. A really good picture book is a bargain at most (we won’t be so crass as to say ANY) price(s). But We shall write few words about $2.25 is a Pretty Fair deal. this paperback (Pictureback) book. There are few (albeit well-chosen)

words in it. What the author has to say about the dozens upon dozens of horror and monster films is always brief and to the point. Almost epigrammic. Almost as if he were writing commercials for TV. Or copy for THE MONSTER TIMES. Example: "Zombies make good soldiers: a platoon of Cambodian dead marched through shellfire to

Michael Landon was a TEENAGE WEREWOLF

A note of warning though: The publishers set out to produce a

terrific pix-book . . . and so used heavy glossy stock for EACH

. . paper that is heavier and PAGE . sturdier and more receptive of photogravure than most American magazine cover paper. Sadly, the book’s COVER is only pasted to the stitched page folds, and has a tendency to fall off upon the third opening of the book. But the book’s so good, you’ll open it a thousand times ... so it’s bound to Boris Karloff as THE MUMMY. fall apart. So, if you’re a serious freak, victory in REVOLT OF THE collector and horrorfilm best ZOMBIES, and John Drew buy two. One for you to Barrymore’s army of Roman dismantle . . . and one for your grandchildren to corpses was interestingly if children or in someday enjoy asunder. incompetently superimposed Contrary to popular belief. Al Hedison, NOT Vincent Price played THE FLY •C. M. Richards. slow motion in WAR OF THE Mr. Price is rumored to play the violin. — . page 10 The Monster Times

Spinach became a staple vegetable in the ‘20*8 when a simple seaman used it to Bpa turn on all his power! The Spinach Growers of America Dim the lights and close the even erected a statue to the American institution doors as those FETID FOLKTALES of the l9S0’s -AM that we all know as . E. C- SEGAR forth in FULL bubble * brought this character into the THIMBLE COLOR from the witch’s THEATRE well after it was established but the cauldron. A selection of the greatest scare stories from JW/QB strip was never the same. And diese episodes HAUNT OF FEAR. TALES V from the '30‘s will show you the magnificent sea* FROM THE CRYPT, and man at his best! VAULT OF HOROR ... including a rare unpub- lished TERROR TALE. CLOTHBOUND - 128 pages CLOTHBOUND-208 pages $19.95 S7 95

ALEX RAYMOND'S

Alex Raymond was an illustrator's illustrator. His FLASH / GORDON from the 1930’swere at last the companion volume to our hrst unforgettable Now unique examples of comic art FLASH GORDON edition is available! The full development of Alex that step beyond Camp and the realm of Fine Raymond*s illustrative genius is dramatically reproduced in this 9x12 Pop into Comic strips have never been the same Art. Flash. Dale hardcover volume. A complete two and a half years of FLASH I ee and and Dr. Zarkov battle since that day in 1934 when Terrv have been painstakingly reprinted from the original proofs GORDON the tyrant Ming in this Pat Ryan sailed into the Chin.* Sc.i' \ lew iha 9" 12” beginning with FLASH’S entrance into the Water World 1:377; handsome x as Orient as it was and nev 1 will be ag tin ^ hardcover collector’s at April 1 2, 1936 to his banishment to the Forest y edition. Extra - AND THE PIR\rfS ict s*il 1938. This surprise - TERRY Kingdom of Mongo on October 10, A biography of again in Nostalgia Press’ h.irJcciver volume package of 1971 is ready for immediate shipment. Alex Raymond by ’ Al Williamson. bringing you this strip from iis vei v firu d j> From Oct. 22, 1934 to Du. 13, 193^ CLOTHBOUND CLOTHBOUND -144 pages $ 12.95 $12.95 CLOTHBOUND-196 pag^

U.l, 1. // I 'J

The PICTURE HISTORY LEE FALK'S LEE FALK’S

An exciting bi-monthly publication dedi- cated to reprinting the classics of the comic strip from the I930's and I940's. Already

planned for the first issues are Alex Ray- ' mond’s RIP KIRBY, vintage POPEYE, the hats / The sign of the PHANTOM has When these two daily FLASH GORDON, MINUTE tossed into the ring, meant sxdtement for readers all over the get qV MOVIES, GASOLINE ALLEY, BRICK j anything can .happen \ S world ever since it first appeared! Now on The career of the in- BRADFORD, SECRET AGENT X-9, The j usually does! Lee imitable Charlie Chap- PHANTOM and many other classics! 80 thrill-packed pages follow THE GHOST and / lin is shown in hun- Falk has been mixing Single Copy $3.00 WHO WALKS through one of hb best ad- dreds of stills, old ads. fantastic for years cser

it all began . . McDonald, the leading SO pages excitement! See how authority on Chaplin. CLOTHBOUND-96 pages $5 95 PAPERBOUSD $3.00

64 pages $1 95 .

ORDER BLANK FANTASY FOTOS SETl: PLEASE SEND ME THE FOLLOWING BOOKS: MARVEL, MR. CAPT. M Quantity Catalog Number Title SPOCK, FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER The real thing! Actual Giant-Sized 8”xl0” photographs of the mosti popular heroes of the century. Capt. Marvel, who thrilled millions during the ’40’s; Mr. Spock, the futuristic folk hero and the immortal of today; Make Checks payable to: orders shipped promptly. creation; Frankenstein’s THE MONSTER TIMES All Dept. NB4 P.O. Box 595 Monster. ... $3.00 *lf not satisfied for any reason you may Old Chelsea Station return your books within two weeks for a New York, N.Y. 10011 refund

2001; A SPACE ODYSSEY’ POSTCARD SET Order Total 'Tffry jgggjr ^ 4 beautiful extra large greatest Handling Charge..... 3a -fe postcards from the SF Postage, add ' movie of our times. Send them Name 25c per item... to friends, relatives; they’ll N.Y. Residents know your ahead of your add Sales Tax

' i — for laB^y time. Buy 2 sets one Amount Enclosed (no cash plea 1

The Monster Times page 1

I

I

I

fans: Issac Asimov. illustrators Dan Green and Alan Weiss. Swamped by trentic

Joan Winston. l-hairwoman.

Our favorite STAR TREK costume

I

Haggard FM, Bill Dubay illustrator .

Gene Roddenberry enthralling young ST fans & his David Izzo (center) & Les Waldstein & Chuck McNaughton. wife Majel Barret . . . Enthralling!

quarters on the table briskly. He It made history, it really did, that first down annual STAR TREK Con. And “it” whizzed by so fast, we didn’t have time didn’t really expect to. The con’s to pump any top-drawer Company hear that his boss is promoters, that is, Al Shuster, Joan Secrets from him. We Winston, Allan Asherman, et al, expected paranoid about such matters. And we only a chummy little gathering of say, can’t really guess why. We’ll have to ask 300 to 400 avid ST afficiandos — 500, the rich-man’s Lenny Bruce that tops, and planned their convention sometime. accordingly, renting only three ballrooms Larry Ivie, editor of MONSTERS & in the top floor of the Statler Hilton in HEROES magazine, picked up a copy of , last Jan. 21, 22 & 23. TMT, also, saying he read the first issue, Over 3,500 persons showed up, more even though he dislikes our newspaper to standard than at any other science fiction STAR TREK illo and urged us to change mag convention in the history of this planet. by Gray Morrow format, the way he & everyone else does. Not counting, of course, guests of Well, ya can’t please every competitor. Numerous contributors to MT were honor Gene Roddenberry, the series’ BY DAVE IZZO producer/writer, and his lovely actress present, also; Mark Frank, Buddy Weiss, wife, Majel Barret, who played Nurse Berni Wrightson, Marvin Wolfman, Len Christine Chapel, on the show. Also, ST Wein, Stanley Simon, Gary Gerani, Ron scriptwriter and guiding light, Dorothy C. Borst, Jim Wnoroski, and Philadelphia’s Fontana, showed up too, and the three of own Steve Vertlieb, who flew in just to them gave a special guest-lecture to the pick up his advance copy of ish No.2. well-over 1000 fans who fought tooth & A gala STAR TREK costume ball was ear to get within earshot for the cherished one of the final festivities and one of the fan/pro question & answer session which most frequently-attended ones. Dozens of followed. STAR TREK fans paraded about the The most frequently-chirruped Grand Ballroom, dressed as the U.S.S. question was: “If the series ever could smtiM Enterprise crew, as well as some of the start up again, what could we do to help numerous and picturesque villains and the series in make it happen?” life-forms which appeared on ran Answer: Write to all 3 TV networks, its 3-season existence. The costumes folk! DEMAND ST! from humorous to grotesque. One lady The ST-Con brought from hiding that portrayed a tribble (a fuzz-ball critter), all-around Renaissance-man (lecturer, SF REVISrTH> various persons paraded about as Klingon author, humorist, scientist. Biblical and Romulan officers. Mr. Spock was interpreter, literary expert and impersonated by at least a dozen fans (more than half of whom were,strangely professional lecher), Issac Asimov. Dr. getting ST on the air; selling it to NBC, Sol Brodsky, for one, Editor-Publisher enough, women. Strange in that Vulcans Asimov abdicated his Mysterious back in 1966, when he was a creative of the Skywald "horror” comic-mags like Spock are supposed to be totally Hermitage (located somewhere between director at Desilu Studios. Mr. Katz is PSYCHO and NIGHTMARE, sauntered y''* the baneful Black Forest and Santa’s now a vice-president at CBS-TV. to our table to express his well-wishes, logical creatures). toyshop) to deliver a few sparkling But naturally, the most welcomed and to applaud MT’s bold new A convention art room held for"display sale works of one-liners about Mr. Spock's unique guests at The Con weren’t even listed on art-direction, half-seriously (?) asking for and many STAR character, as well as to plug some of Dr. TREK-oriented art, not the least the program . . . namely us; THE a loan of our art department. impressive of were a batch of A’s latest literary releases; “Issac MONSTER TIMES staff. We premiered Calvin B. Eck also dropped by to learn which Allan Asimov’s Joke Book,” “Issac Asimov’s our all-STAR TREK, 2nd great issue Just enough about us to try and gain some printed sketches by MT’s own Annotated Bible” & “The Sensuous Dirty there, a week ahead of scheduled release, publishing tips. Mr. Eck edits and Asherman. Most repros of this sketch, Old Man.” This last he gave credence to to the delight of the many thousands who occasionally publishes a semi-worthy A.A. sold for 25

page 12 The Monster Times

'“1

Jeff Jones' SUPER HUMAN's soul sifts from substance, sails, soars, slips-up. It sho' ain't easy being a super hero, competing with so many muscle-bound morons gleaned from the bargain basement of Vic Tanny's Gym. One needs a new shtick, like maybe mystical day-dreams and paranoiac fantasies and fear of the dark.

BYC.IVI.RICHARDS Esquire Ogles Mensterdem

Esquire Magazine finally got hip! sented the adventures of RED-NECK!

Ne knew it would happen sometime, . . . obviously Archie Bunker’s fon- josh knows Eskie has been trying dest dream; able to beat tall children lard enough to- be “with it” for so in a single bound. Armed with only Wrightson's REDNECK rollickingly rides, raids, rips-off and runs. REDNECK bears ong; ever since Playboy grabbed his fists and a “crime-stopper gre- out his own claims about how hard it is to tell the boys from the girls of this ;heir audience back in the ’50’s nade” (in the shape of a pop-top long-haired generation. He smacks in the face of a girl. We trust it was an accident

md Marvel Comix arrested the deve- beer can), extremist RED-NECK on redneck's part. You know how it is . . opment of the college market definitely belongs lumped into the isquire’d hoped to get in the ’60’s. “Counter-Culture” mob. so in what appears to be a last- Then there’s REDNECK’S counter- litch attempt to assure itself of part, COMRADE BROTHER, THE “Creature of the Ridiculous” wear- 31 years old. We’d like to know iome segment of the magazine buy- PEOPLE’S HERO, by Ralph Reese. ing the most garish super-hero cos- more of him, as his drawing style ng pubhc, Eskie (as it’s called) has COMRADE BROTHER is a tume ever, brandishing a button is very reminiscent of , Monster Comix fone mad. screeching revolutionary who takes labeled “VIVA DADA”, and screaming who created THE SPIRIT, Horror and fantasy comix as much pleasure in killing police- “WHAT HAS REALITY DONE FOR one of the eeriest and most action- filled detective characters artists Bemi Wrightson, Jeff Jones, men as REDNECK enjoys in brea- YOU LATELY?” (The Incre- comix Mike Ploog, Barry Smith, Ralph king laws and hippies’ noses. BUT! dible) PHIZGINK of all time. Reese and Alan Lee Weiss wrote and sans his two-day growth of beard & was created by artist Alan Lee Weiss. On the more poetic side of the drew their own Eskie-commissioned his beret & his tommygun, slogan- THE RAIDER is Mike “Counter-Culture” is the conceptions of Superheros of the spouting COMRADE BROTHER Ploog’s satirical spoof; SUPER-HUMAN by Jeff stands revealed as nothing more than Seventies. The visions wax from an Afro-American Ralph Super-Nader Jones (whose magnificent horror jharp satire (anti-establishment, a frustrated 3rd-class Madison RAIDER who loftily feast GNAWING OBSESSION and anti-disestablishment), to gro- Avenue copywriter. declares: “I’ve had it! I’m graces our pages this ish). Jeff, tesquely poetic and mystical. All But the fellow who really ope- going to fight injustice, cormption in a very straight (tho we suspect deal with the “Counter-Culture” rates the Pop Culture-Counter is and inflation, and the sewer t^l be tongue-in-cheek) fashion, depicted the newsmedia always talks to death. PHIZGINK who really works at being my headquarters!” Mr. Ploog was the adventures of a person who del- Bemi, the baneful Wrightson pre- “IN-ane, MUND-ane, INS-ane” a described by Esquire only as being ved in the hair-brained mysticism . .

The Monster Times page 13

Superhumanredneckedbrothersoldierheroraiderphizginx!

Ralph Reese's satire of COMRADE BROTHER, Mike Ploog's THE RAIDER has a dollar sign on his Alan Weiss' PHIZGINK is truly incredible. As his

who's like so many other "People's Heros" . . . that belt buckle ... a symbol of the cause he fights for! story sez, "He don't know the answers, but he sure is; semi-literate. They don't know there's a "c" in the The money we paupers shell out to those who gouge can make you forget the question!" PHIZGINK is alphabet and spell words like "America" with a us on food and rent and public transportation (which about the nobly costumed hero who really is aware

"k" ... no doubt COM. BROTHER'S related to the only kings can afford these days). THE RAIDER is he's wearing a costume. He calls himself a creature of same morons who first spelled "dan" with a "k". one hero we'd support. Maybe we already do! the Ridiculous. Aren't costumed heroes that anyway?

of the “Counter-Culture” . . . per- got only himself upon whom to take

forming that old chestnut of the oiit his agressions . . . and so he Black Magic shtick, Astral Project- swiftly does. This disqueting

ion; the soul leaves the body . . . thought was executed by Barry Smith, but before it can return, the body the superb sword & sorcery fantasy dies. Which is Marvel Comix’ illustrator of the CONAN DOCTOR STRANGE Plot Device comic book. Number Two. Only this time it’s sup- As avid MONSTER TIMES posedly for real. This is Jeff’s readers know, some of these horror subtly satiric comment on the mental artists are already contributors health state of the “Counter-Cul- to TMT. Others we’ll definitely be ture’s” fun-filled folk. displaying in future issues. And we Last, but by far not the least, don’t doubt that in no time at all,

is the SOLDIER HERO . . . we’ll have acquired work from the the last soldier on earth. Also, the rest of them. THE MONSTER last person on earth. But not for TIMES doesn’t consider any long. With nobody left to fight, he’s other monsterpub to be competition, cause none of them is in our league.

Excepting perhaps ESQUIRE . . and we’ll soon be out-monstering Exclusive! them. Just you wait and see. If The true story behind these pictures! Eskie ceases to do horror-monster articles in the future, it’s only because they couldn’t take OUR competition! And you know that’s true. If it weren’t true, we wouldn’t be allowed to say it in a newspaper! Kidding aside, the March ish of ESQUIRE is well-worth the dollar it costs, for the 6 full- color pages of horror-comix artists’ work. Or so this reviewer feels. Besides, you also get some great candid shots of Jackie Bouvier- Kennedy-Onassis-?-Whomever, and a great quiz on President Nixon. Monster-buff’s bonus! We highly The March '72 issue of "Eskie" . . . Jackie O, Tricky Dick, Jeff Jones, Bern! recommend it!

Wrightson . . . not bad for a buck! C.M. Richards

Barry Smith's SOLDIER HERO struggled since The Start. Slays slew. Ceases. Barry Smith, master of sword and sorcery comix demonstrates his versatility in portraying a stylized cinematic science fiction. Barry and the other horror illustrators did

something with’ printed form that no movie can hope to do . . . )

page 14 The Monster Times The Monster Times page 15

E=M(? isaseiiaas

baneful bestiary of atomic pretty impressive. Outsized ants hobbling their way behemoths bumbles thru our (THEM!), spiders (TARANTULA, into your heart . . . THE BLACK SCORPION, THE brilliant burgeoning pages this issue, Most of the Primal Beast films SPIDER); grasshoppers (BE- as Joe Kane Joekanely pokes fun of were cheap hack jobs and their GINNING OF THE END); a pray- the mushroom monsters who monsters vmbearably lame. Witness ing mantis (THE DEADLY showed up a few millenia too the paper-mache octopus Bela MANTIS); dinosaurs (THE GIANT Lugosi invited by that ghastly ghostly BEHEMOTH, THE BEAST FROM keeps caged in his mad doctor basement in his lamentably with the most, your friend and 20,000 FATHOMS); and spon- last, and worst, film role (dis- mine, the ever popular (and taneously-generated weirdos like counting his silent, stock footage present) Mr. Atomic Bomb. You the things who turn up in THE appearance in PLAN 9 FROM know, that fellow with the glowing COSMIC MONSTERS all found OUTER SPACE, a Grade-Z quickie their ways to the screen during the ( in-the-dark) personality . . . well, whose ineptitude reaches previously ’50 ’s. The Primal Beast films were here are some of his old-fashioned untapped depths of film depravity generally even less imaginative than ! friends . . in BRIDE OF THE MONSTER, the Human-Mutation types dis- which was alternately called BRIDE cussed last installment. In this genre OF ast time I talked about films THE ATOM. Or how about the I the monster or monsters are might hap- obviously superimposed back- that demonstrated what or re-awakened; they THE CRAB MONSTERS were the sort of misanthropes you'd only take to a nice place ... once! hatched projection spider pen (as seen through the Holly- who, by stepping stomp the local yokels; they are, in wood eye) when muddled man and on the local movie house (unfo- . The Primal Beast thing they do after getting them- hand takes an axe and does a Carrie Fog Horn” and scripted by Lou monstrous mushroom mixed — rtunately the wrong one), provides selves oriented is to crash a pajama Nation number on some confused Morheim and Fred FSiebarger (the usually with disastrous results (the a convenient outlet for adolescent party inhabited by a bunch of locals, and, to wind it all up, the producer who didn’t save STAR is, article.). j^ression in mixture, that not my AIP’s THE SPIDER. “alien intelligence ” transplants bubble-brained girls TREK), Lourie managed to estab- All too often the results were artis- beach and de- Or the shapeless mass of seaweed itself into the brain of a small vour the lot — film- lish a powerful mood in the film, tically disastrous as well. In this with whole one of the huge eye in its center who desert rodent who is promptly combining his models and special installment. I’d like to talk about dom’s greatest camp achievements. hassles the crew of THE ATOMIC swooped into the sky by an effects with a conventional script to another species of mushroom THE BEAST WITH 1,000,000 SUBMARINE. And if you think American eagle! Talk about a deus convey a feeling of stark fantasy. monster — the Prehistoric Me- EYES, a 1956 winner produced by some of those are bad, pick up on ex machinal Talk about fantasy! re-awakened nuclear nf^erie by Roger Corman and directed by an The American “Bald” Eagle has just some of the following titles when The Colossus Rhedosaurus energy in the 50’s and 60’s to unsung worthy named David about become extinct, due to pollu- they hit your screen: tasty embark on a mission of primal TV Kramarsky, saved money in the tion & insecticides, which keep its An archetypical (that critic-taDt items like THE revenge. ATTACK OF THE special effects department by for “classic”) film of this CRAB MONSTERS, BEACH egg shells from hardening. A true- genre, By JOE KANE having real animals go berserk and life horror story! BEAST, begins with an atomically- invoke a monster GIRLS AND THE MONSTERS, attack a group of actors who, ad- But, back at the bestiary, Holly- induced awakening of an ancient or your digestion THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS was an overbearing sort of This subgenre (which I will term a beast. The Bestial-Invocation Film — some fancy phrasing, that) proved to be very popular, not only in this country but in Japan as well. Rooted in the myth that nature’s will is ultimately stronger than man’s, and that the

or: The DayTheWorld Ended & Ended Part 3

Hollywood tradition, studio film- the Jekyll-Hyde idea that said makers found a basic fundamental energy is a force that could poten-

formula for this kind of film and tially be used for survival as well as Doutiess mistake for 15th Century foot-soldier, repeated it ad infinitum or ad for suicide) or through a return to THE HORROR OF PARTY- BEACH made waves when invited to the party by an undersea nauseum, whichever came first. If more traditional means, like fire atomic detonation. memory serves, it was the latter. (showing a reaction against tech- mittedly, deserved better fate. wood was turning out films of Rhedosaurus frozen in the Arctic REPTILICUS was something unique... a So the formula they developed nology — “See, with all the genius type monsters depended too THE GIANT LEECHES — not to no Scandinavian dinosaur. Although technically occasional quality, films like ice. After offing a few local folk, it usually entailed an atomic blast that went into the harnessing nu- heavily on sheer size and special forget THE HORROR OF PARTY outside the War- realm of the nuclear film (the ner Brothers’ THE BEAST stumbles back to its ancestral the twain can take place on a (more disturbing the lair (a mountain vol- clear energy all it did was bring Hell effects like those awkward back- BEACH — a real live number about FROM animals are influenced 20,000 FATHOMS — which ranks breeding grounds (which happen to or less) conscious level, these films cano, or shelter on the ocean floor) down upon our heads and in the projection techniques and the human remains lying on the ocean not by radio- activity but by an “alien intelli- as one of the better efforts in the lie right off the coast of New York involve a resurrection of the Primal of a long-sleeping prehistoric beast end it was a simple thing like fire obvious miniature models. Also floor coming to life in the form of gence”), this rarely-screened gem Primal Beast genre. French director City!), rumbles with the urban pop- Beast — the dinosaur and its (e.g., THE BEAST FROM 20,000 (or water or whatever) that saved these films posed the question, walking fish-monsters after chem- merits mention for its sheer weird- Eugene Lourie, a former art di- ulace, smiles at his pork dinner (he grotesque brethren — as an instru- or has the fallout con- us, dig?”). It a simplistic means will it FATHOMS), was “How be destroyed?” while ical waste material had been inad- ness. In it a rector for Jean Renoir and eats a meddling cop), steps on ment of Nature’s punishment for taminate and magnify and/or mul- of revoking the dangers of nuclear the Human-Mutation films only cow goes crazy and Rene vertently their “heads”. dumped on brutalizes its owner. Alsatian Clair and a collaborator with Sacha heads and infects attackers with our nuclear abuse, capable of cata- tiply a once-normal animal or insect misuse, and one which was re- asked, “What can happen to a man An But these beach monsters adapt to dog freaks out and stalks a middle- Guitry, was assigned the handling special germs, before being trapped pulting man all the way back into (aJa THEM!). The nuclear misbe- peated, as I’ve mentioned, over and once he has been touched and the California culture with re- class home in search of something of that particular film. Based on a in the Manhatt2m Beach Amuse- the iron chops of primitive struggle gotten are then usually destroyed over again. Anyway, the range of contaminated by the devil’s paw of markable ease. In fact, the first to kill. mentally Ray Br^bury story called and brutal daily survival. In the true either by nuclear energy (stressing revived and minified monsters was radioactivity?” A retarded farm- “The Continued on page 25 page

16

The

Monster

Times

nosnhop

.

..

^

_

P®fl®

17 .

page 18 The Monster Times

^ SPOOK-OF- THE*MC)NTH club gelecX^^

by M.G. BRUNAS

Humphrey Bogart was a vampire! At least

in the science-fiction , THE RETURN OF DR. X, his only monster

flick. And it was TERRIBLE! How he

came to play in it is a great mystery.

Perhaps his agent had a grudge against him. Perhaps he slugged Warner Brothers'

mogul. Jack L. Warner. Perhaps he wisp

drunk when he signed the contract.'.

Perhaps ... ah, but we shall never know. \

In any case, he had his face sloppily '

gunked up with greasepaint, and a weird

electric streak of white paint striped across his hairline so he resembled an undead skunk.

THE RETURN OF DR. X was a sequel to an earlier (and better) Warner Brothers WAYNE opus, DR. X. MORRIS WARNER BROS., with he couldn't Return ROSEMARY from whence he came Diructed by AWom*rBre».— First Notional Picturo In case your memory of DR. X is dim, LANE * Floy by Kotx From o Story by suffice to say that it dealt with a HUMPHREY Williom J. Mokin one-handed scientist (Preston Foster) of the sinister and slightly deranged variety BOGART A SP0

is done in by the last reel of the movie by

a reporter, Lee Tracy, who ignites him with a kerosene lamp.

The return opens with a bumbling

reporter, Walt Garrett, arriving at a swank

New York hotel to interview actress

Angela Morrova (Lya Lys) but instead finds her knifed body sprawled on the floor. He promptly rings up the

authorities telling them that there is no trace of the killer, but he found the

actress' pet monkey ("No one is here except the monkey and he couldn't have

dun-it"). But when the police arrive the body has disappeared, however, the next

day Merrova re-appears alive and disclaims Garrett's story.

a science-created vampire monster movie (and almost his career!). shrewdly commented that the part should leaves. And if you can't have fun Garrett now joins forces with his have gone to Boris Karloff or . watching horror movies, where can you? doctor friend, Mike Rhodes (Morgan), His make-up doesn't give the illusion of and they trace the case to the laboratory terror, but rather makes us think that we trust The Critics . of a noted hemotologist. Dr. Francis are watching Sam Spade at a grotesque "Patterned after FRANKENSTEIN, Flegg (played by John Liel) who Halloween party. The rest of the cast the daddy of horror films, THE RETURN confesses that he has almost succeeded in doesn't fare much better reading off OF DR. X deals in shocks rather than synthesizing human blood not to mention pages of witless dialogue, but they mystery, although there is enough of the that he has resurrected the corpse of a Dr. weren't as fortunate as Bogie who at least latter to provide abundant suspense until Maurice Xavier (Bogart) who was hid his face under all of that make-up. light is thrown on the weird experiments executed for murdering a child. But However, despite the many of an egomaniac. science-created Vampire Xavier can only shortcomings in the film, which by the The first part is extremely well-done, stay alive with a constant supply of a very Bogey's Boogey-Man! way, only runs a mere sixty-two minutes, and will have you jumping out of your rare type of blood which he obtains by it is a hard movie not to enjoy. After all it skin. But after the strange case of Dr. killing people known to have that blood "A stinkin' pitcher". . .Bogey was by Warner Brothers (those wonderful Quesne is cleared up the suspense falls type. Flegg to bring managed one of Humphrey Bogart, being a man of folks who brought you Bugs Bunny) and flat while you're waiting for the Xavier's victims life, back to Angela taste, once panned THE RETURN it bears the gloss and fervourous spirit of inevitable ending. THE RETURN OF DR. Merrova, but only for a limited period of OF DR. X in an interview as "a stinkin' movie-making that the studio skillfully X deserves another good word. The time. picture" and one for which he felt the conveyed in (even their most disasterous releiving bits of comedy are deftly done Before Rhodes and Garrett can get to urge to ask Jack Warner for more bread, stinkeroos!) which gave their products a and in very good taste for this sort of the police, Xavier murders Flegg. The probably because of the hardship he pulsating personality. It - isn't such a film. You'll get your thrills from the

police gun down Xavier as he tries to endured suffocating under a layer of terrible flick that it isn't fun to watch picture even if it is an anemic copy of the

make a pretty nurse (Rosemary Lane) dried greasepaint which looked ready to even if you take your horror thrillers as red-blooded FRANKENSTEIN. one of his victims. This ends Bogey's only fail off his face in the movie. Bogie also seriously as the Mummy takes his tanna **%-THE DAILY NEWS . —

The Monster Times

IS HIS COFFM WAS LAID TO REST, HIS

of torment on his face, as if he were more Last issue, our prolific pounder concerned about getting a head cold of the pulpy typewriters (our rather than being haunted by the typing machine keys are made from ROGER CORMAN shattering prospect of being buried alive. fingertips of dead children, you Also, since it is a surface film, it fails to know) Joe Kane covered HOUSE give any indication that there might be 01 USHER and PIT & THE something behind that smface. Gorman’s PENDULUM. Now he lovingly attempts to instill a few moody effects vivisects Poe-interpreter Roger into the fDm are as trite and transparent Gorman's next three films; as any trick ever pulled from his PREMATURE BURIAL, TALES well-worn sleeve. For all the frantic OF TERROR & THE RAVEN. pumping of the perennial AIP fog “Molly So we now witness witless machine, the whistling of Malone” by the scuzzy scavengers of the degeneration of the series before grave who lurk about the screen our very eyes, our claim supported throughout, and the cobwebbed descents by photographic evidence. We begin into the family crypt, the film is so with PREMATURE BURIAL, mechanical in its approach that all the which, as Poe-ish Joe once audience can do is nod their collective crypt-ically quipped; "Contrarily, head in acknowledgement as each pre-fab PREMATURE BURIAL couldn't piece of horror film cliche is meticulously be buried fast enough". Let us see fitted into place and to try to keep said head from falling into their collective lap why . . from sheer ennui (boredom). PREMATURE BURIAL had the fatal feel On the plus side (there’s usually of programmed horror to it; and something on the plus side in every programmed horror is something that Gorman film) is Floyd Grosby’s vivid color photography and one extended sequence- where MUland has a nightmare fantasy of being buried alive in his specially constructed tomb, one equipped with elaborate escape devices designed with that possibility in mind. Even this scene, however, as one by one Mdland’s means of escaple fail him and even the cup of poison entombed with him to shorten

his suffering is overrun with graveyard worms, does not exploit fully the terrifying potential of such a prospect. Only the cup of worms detail succeeds in adding a touch of genuine horror to the proceedings. RkRTTWO‘““ Continued on page 22

only works when it fails completely,

when it is so bad that it becomes funny, descends to the level of Gamp; a dubious kind of success at best. PREMATURE BURIAL is not even "THE PREMATURE BURIAL" (the story) funny. Instead it is usually painful to In the 1860’s in , in a neglected public graveyard, Dr. Gideon Gault watch and, worse than that, boring. (ALAN NAPIER) and medical students, Guy Carrell (RAY MILLAND) and Miles Archer (RICHARD NEY) are engrossed in the labors of two grave- feel of The slick programmed diggers, Sweeney (JOHN DIERKES) and Mole (RICHARD MILLER), who PREMATURE BURIAL serves as a are busy uncovering a coffin in the grave. Sweeney passes up the coffin lid and on the underside are seen a series of distancing effect, an effect that turns our long bloody trails, the frantic efforts of an imprisoned person to gain freedom. attention away from the film and towards The corpse itself offers complete evidence that the person had been buried God knows what — that’s up to the alive. The sight overcomes Guy and he shuts himself away from the world. Gault (HAZEL COURT), daughter of Dr. Gault, individual viewer (I, for one, lapsed into a His bride-to-be, Emily visits Guy to discover why he has called off the wedding plans and gone into depressing fantasy in which I was being seclusion. She is greeted at the door by his sister Kate Carrell (HEATHER buried alive in an old movie house where ANGEL). Guy explains the strange circumstances under which each of his an- This, the fear of being buried alive, is I was forced to watch PREMATURE cestors met their tmtimely demise. and reason for the wedding postponement. Emily dissuades him and, despite BURIAL through the endless hours of his the objections of Kate, Guy and Emily decide to marry. eternity). Miles soon visits the Carrell household and finds Guy is acting strangely. Since the marriage, Guy’s obsession about being buried alive has resulted in his With PREMATURE BURIAL, as with building a tomb. Within, he has built every possible escape device so that be mistaken for dead, he would be able to free himself. others of the Poe-Gorman efforts, you are should he ever Miles insists that Guy can never be free of his fears until he opens the family that are watching a all too aware you crypt and sees for himself that his father was not buried alive, but the corpse movie and with horror films particularly, is found as if it had been. It falls apinst Guy and he collapses as though dead. is declared dead and buried alive, unbeknownst to his family. it is essential to forget that fact, and He After the interment, Sweeney and Mole open the grave to steal Guy’s body. “willingly suspend disbelief.” The only When they lift off the lid, Guy is freed and destroys them. He goes to Dr. way you could possibly forget that fact in Gault who had intended using his body for scientific experimentation, kills Emily. He binds her and throws her alive into the ™ve. this case would be to walk out of the him and goes on to Miles discovers Dr. Gault’s body and the disappearance of Emily and heads theater, into a world far more interesting for the graveyard where he and Guy engage in a fierce battle. A shot rings out and terrifying than the one Gorman is and Guy slumps to the ground, kiUed by a bullet from Kate’s gun. She had devices to bring on showing you. known all along that it was Emily who was using various Guy’s attack through his fear of premature burial. Part of the failure of PREMATURE BURIAL can be attributed to some limp, uninspired performances, especi^ly the one turned in by star Ray Milland. Ray Milland sighs Throughout the seemingly interminable With big bland eyes duration of the film, Milland grimaces At his BURIAL'S with an expression of annoyance instead Coffin can-y-all . page 20 The Monster Times A GNAWIW6 0B5E5510N CHAPTER ^

THE AWFUL TRUTH

NORN\AN AVID F^OE £NTHU^SIAST, HAP HENRY , PRA&&EP HI5 NAG0/N6 WIFE DOWN INTO HIS CELLAR WHERE HE HAD RECONSTRfACTED ^AANY OF POE'S TORT(ARE VVACHINES. IN THE SCUFFLE THE KEY TO THE POOR HAD SLIPPEP INTO THE BOTTOMLESS PIT AND NOW THEY WERE BOTH LOCKED IN.

GLOWING. 1 MUST HEAT THIS GUILLOTINE BLADE TO ©J-70N&‘b I97Z AURie.HT5 RE-beRVEp

HENRY, NOW, NAY PEAR DON't NOi , FEAR - THE HEAT WILL CAUTERIZE THE CUT .

The Monster Times page 21

IF YOU PONT THINK HENRV NORMAN'S MINP WA5&ONE BEFORE, YOU MUST POE WAS RIONT. DEPRAVITY 13 EXHILARATING, APMiT THAT BY NOW IT WAS HOPEUE&S DON'T you THINK 50 DEAR , ?

/ IT WILL BE PIFFICOLT POVOU NOW BEGIN TO AND AGAIN FOR ME - NOW THERE SEE MV ENTHUSIASM THE TIME WILL BE NO ONE TO FOR him. MOVED ON. TALK TO.

IT’S BEEN ALMOST A MONTH NOW- AND YET IT SEEMS

LIKE ONLY YE'bTERDAY. • • The Monster Times ROGER CORMAN “Who let Soupy Sales MEETS on the set?” EDGAR ALLAN Continued from page 19

Tales of terror Roger’s next foray into the oft-trod turf of Edgar Allan Poe’s grave, fared a bit better. Comprised of three short episodes of roughly 30 minutes duration, the film had a unity and a much tighter construction (partially due to the brevity of the individual segments) than PREMATURE BURIAL. Of course, Poe’s material gets mangled again after being run through the A IP movie machine, but TALES OF TERROR manages to work

"TALES OF TERROR" (the story) “MORELLA”

Locke (VINCENT PRICE) has lived as a hermit for 26 years, mourning the death of his wife, Morelia (LEONA GAGE) soon after the birth of their only child. Blamed for her death, the child, Lenora (MAGGIE PIERCE) was sent away. Aged 26, she returns to her decay-ridden home hoping her father will explain her rejection. Dismayed at her reappearance, however, he refuses a reconciliation. Forced to stay overnight at the deserted house, Lenora explores the rooms and discovers her mother’s bedroom with Morelia’s body still on the bed, mummified. Locke enters and orders Lenora out, then reveals that he and her mother thought the girl responsible for her death. This revelation breaks the barrier between father and daughter. That night, Morelia’s tortured spirit rises from its corpse and possesses Lenora. Her screams rouse Locke who finds her dead. As he mourns her, the covered body shows signs of life. Under the sheet, however, lies Morelia—back from the dead. Locke rushes to his wife’s bedroom and sees to his horror that Lenora’s body is there, apparently dead for 26 years. When Morelia follows him and announces that she has returned to avenge herself, the terrified Locke drops his candle and as Morelia strangles him, flames consume the bodies, living and dead. ‘ THE BLACK CAT” Montresor (PETER LORRE), who drinks to excess and has a foul temper, prefers alcohol to his long-suffering wife, Annabel (JOYCE JAMESON), a woman of simple tastes and a simple mind. Given no love or attention by her spouse, she transfers her affections to her black cat, Pluto. On one of his drunken excursions, Montresor is beferiended by Fortunate (VINCENT PRICE), a wine-taster who carries him home when he falls into The horrible slimy "putrescence" a stupor. Fortunato and Annabel are mutually attracted Md enter into a love effrontery to his pride leads him to plot in the ad was only wax-drippy oi' affair. When Montresor finds out, the murder of the two lovers. Vincent Price, pie-in- the-face-eyed the He uses Fortunato’s love of Amontillado wine to drug him and entombs him and Annabel alive behind the cellar wall. Believing that he has conunitt^ pretty well on its own terms, if you are the perfect crime, Montresor lets the police inspect the cellar, only to be dis- willing to forgive Corman’s exercise of his covered when the black cat, accidentally trapped in the tomb starts wailing. only semi-poetic license. With a cast “THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR” headed by Basil Rathbone, Peter Lorre, An old man, M. Valdemar (VINCENT PRICE) is tom by the pain of a and Vincent Price, it would seem pretty fatal ailment. He asks M. Carmichael (BASIL RATHBONE), an unscrupu- tough NOT to make an entertaining lous mesmerist, to ease his pain, despite the opposition of Dr. Elliot James episode but was actually lifted from Cat this difficult period, Valdemar’s yoimg movie, although we all know only too (DAVID FRANKHAM). Through M. Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado.” But wife Helene (I3eBRA PAGET), sticks to her husband faithfully, though in well that such a feat has been Corman and screenwriter Richard love with the young doctor. Carmichael has designs upon Helene, however, accomplished time and again (witness and when Valdemar is dying, the mesmerist strikes a strange bargain with him. Matheson had performed similar juggling if mesmerism can fore- Rathbone in and He agrees to put him under his spell at the end to see feats before and this time they took stall death itself. Price in the Poe-Corman PIT AND THE elements from both ‘The Black Cat” and Over the protests of Dr. James, Carmichael succeeds in holding Valdemar PENDULUM). in a tortured nether-life. When this trance continues for months and the old ‘The Cask of Amontillado” blending Valdemar The three episodes were based on a trio man starts to speak in agony from nether-world, Carmichael exhorts them into a single story which, for all its to command Helene to give up Dr. James and marry him. To end her husband’s of Poe tales — “Morelia,” “The Black infidelity, was still entertaining. A tighter torture and give him the peace of death, Helene agrees. However, V^demar Cat” (previously butchered by Universal rises from his deathbed to envelop the evil Carmichael, who ^es from framework and a more generous stirs and of Valdemar is a liquid putre- in the Karloff-Lugosi vehicle of 1934 fright. The hypnotic spell lifted, all that remains allowance from AIP mini-moguls also sence enveloping the mesmerist’s body. which, beyond the purloined title, then contributed to the film’s success. bore no resemblance to Poe), and “The Most impressive of Corman’s Poe Strange Case of M. Valdemar.” Corman adaptations are the sets, designed by incorporated a feeling of circus-like Daniel Haller. In an interview appearing horror into the proceedings reminiscent in Canadian film magazine TAKE ONE reasonable, bring it out to here.’ And I of a tamer and less ambitious version of When I went to 20th Century Fox it was Corman spoke at length about Haller’s think was totally correct, because they Fellini. Juicy scenes of Price’s face really a surprise: all these draftsmen, and he uncanny talent for creating got themselves so wound up in the studio disintegrating before your very eyes, of these guys are drawing things out and the extravagant-looking sets on a miniscule in such needless detail on sets. You Price playing with Peter Lorre’s severed sketch artists and everything else. Dan budget: know: This wall is going to be 35 feet, head, and of Price being entombed used to walk out on the set and he’d.take 14 inches.’ It means nothing whatsoever behind a brick wall enlivened the film and “We would discuss the sets and Dan a piece of chalk, make a mark, and say, in a motion picture. The set will change added to the overall fun. The brick wall would kind of sketch them out on a ‘Start it about here.’ Then he’d walk out feet say, ‘Well that looks with every lens you use anyway.” scene was L eluded as part of the Black napkin at lunch, and that would be it. about 15 and

I The Monster Times page 23

offspring was a dull programmer called THE TERROR. Years later Gorman turned over several minutes of footage from that film over to Peter Bogdanovich (in his pre-LAST PICTURE SHOW days),

who incorporated it into his first film, TARGETS, starring Boris Karloff as elderly horror star Byron Orlock (like Gorman before him, Bogdonavich also had Boris only for a couple of days). Scenes from THE TERROR, a film fashioned from the remains of THE RAVEN remember, appears on a drive-in “grim, lastly, movie screen in TARGETS!

Editor's Note:

offlinoiis... The moral from all this which we can glean, horror hipsters and menacing BIRD or mites, is that we can always trust American International Pictures to turn a bad penny into a fast buck. When THE DEVIL! RAVEN was made, Boris Karloff was his last legs.

Boris Karloff preparing to grab director Roger Gorman.

Literally. His legs had just about given out on him, and he frequently collapsed in his wheelchair after every take. He was in very ill health, yet he was such a “pro”

... a trouper . . . that the film came in three days ahead of schedule. And he was such a “pro” (and a gentleman) that, even in his very fragile health, he consented to do THE TERROR in three days, respecting the contract with Gorman and the other AIP greedy-guts, obviously more than they respected Boris Karloff, or his ill-health. No doubt this incident probably prompted Karloff, the King of Horror, to say of Roger Gorman’s Poe-films; “Poor Poe; the things they did to him when he wasn’t around to defend himself!” Continued next issue

"THE RAVEN" (the story)

“The Raven” tells of three sorcerers in Fifteenth Century England—a primi- tive time ruled by magic, fear and superstition. One sorcerer. Dr. Erasmus Craven (VINCENT PRICE), has been inactive since the apparent death of his wife, Lenore (HAZEL COURT) and with his daughter Estelle (OLIVE like the Karloff-Lugosi quickie of THE RAVEN gives the trio free reign t STURGESS) still mourns her loss. One night he is startled by the appearance 1935, Cbrman’s of a talking raven THE RAVEN had camp it up and they do look like the at his window and learns that it is a fellow magician. Dr. Bedlo nothing at all to do with Poe’s (PETER LORRE) who has been made into the bird for daring to chal- poem of were having a fine old time of it all. lenge the power of Master Sorcerer, Dr. Scarabus (BORIS KARLOFF). the same name, outside of the Unfortunately, Gorman’s flair fc When Dr. Bedlo regains his human form, he tells of seeing a woman resem- ironically-intended incidental presence of obvious jokes, strained sight gags, an bling Lenore at Scarabus’ castle and enlists Craven’s aid in gaining revenge. a raven Bedlo and Craven, together with Estelle and Rexford, Bedlo’s son perched on Karloffs shoulders. tired low-key attempts at humor sho> (JACK NICHOLSON), journey to Scarabus’ castle and arrive safely despite mysteri- Teaming veteran horror superstars Boris through too often flaw and what migh ous interruptions which peril the entire party. Dr. Scarabus greets them as a Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Vincent Price as have been a much smoother film. Bu disarmingly charming host and at a lavish dinner banquet pays tribute to Craven's magic and allays suspicion about Lenore. However, a trio of black magicians locked in an there are just too many broad swipes o we soon learn that Scarabus is really scheming to learn the secrets of Craven’s special elaborate duel, trying to and outdo each other his heavy hand that prevent the film’ long inactive magical powers. (not only as wizards, but as actors as moving at a steadier pace. The mystery further unravels when Craven’s late wife Lenore appears on the scene—very much alive. She had tricked Craven into believing her well) and generally hamming it up in a A typical AIP history surrounds th dead so she could desert her husband and daughter for the comforts of Scarabus’ wealth spirit of pure fun, no seriousness making of this film. When Cormaj and power. It was Lenore who tried to prevent the party from coming to intended, the film works primarily managed to bring the film in ahead o Scarabus’ castle in an effort to protect her scheme. Now Scarabus admits his it evil designs and imprisons Craven, Bedlo, Estelle and Rexford, threatening because allows the three horror film schedule and discovered that he hac to torture the girl unless her father reveals the secrets of his magical powers. titans an opportunity to kid themselves, Karloff under contract for three mor( When Scarabus, in a rage, once more changes Berio into a bird, the Raven each other, and the type of film that days, he hastily rearranged the RAVE^ cuts Craven’s bonds, enabling him to engage Scarabus in a fantastic duel of made them magic, each pitting the full extent of his power against the other in fight famous. Refreshingly set, had a script knocked out literall] a to the finish. unpretentious, and sprinkled with several overnight, and another quickie ros< clever bits and imaginative special effects. from the ashes of THE RAVEN. Th( , . page 24 The Monster Times

With Godzilla, Rodan, Gammera, Mothra and the Green Slime. Memories, we will surely keep. And remember them well. Even when, the time will come When we’re all fast asleep the f^ONSTER And we all, will be thankful for this. That we cry, and we shake and we scream Box 595 And know, when the time has COME! Chel To dream, the most horrible DREAM! fev yorjc You know, Ron, that new lyric could

become a hit record . . . but we can’t think of anyone who’d have the courage

to hit it. Readers may find interesting the monster pasted onto Ron’s envelope, which, amazingly enough, arrived in good condition. What’s even more amazing, is that the stamp on Ron’s letter didn’t get cancelled. Somebody “down there” (in

the Postal Department) must like us . . enough to contribute stamps to our cause. Readers are encouraged to write monster song lyrics like Ron’s. If they are as good and we get enough of them, we may run a special pageful of them, some time. HE & WE LIKE EVERYTHING! A MODEL MISTAKE Dear Monsters: Dear Sirs, I am hoping that you will run a letter I was extremely impressed with issue column in future issues, so I wOl tell you No. 2 of THE MONSTER TIMES and > mWITHE a little about myself. would like to take this opportunity to In your ad in ERBdom you mentioned express thanks for the gracious mention all of the things that I collected; AMAZ- of my models and equipment. ING! Your publication is the first to There were a, couple of items that cmrpf cover all the fields that I am interested in. someone must have mis-informed Chuck Comics, Large-size , SF McNaughton about. The text gave the Books & Magazines, Pulps, Original and impression that I had built the ENTER- print art, EVERYTHING! YOU WILL BE LEFT REELINGr\Jforn/.^o.agazinc THANKX. PRISE that was pictured; I didn’t, that was the model actually used in THE Sincerely yours, CAGE’ and ‘REQUIEM FOR ME- Metromedia Producers Corporation presents An Amicus Production TbISS FrOfD th© CPypt Sean P. Kendall THUSALA’. Also, the craft I built pic- Starring Joan Collins Peter Cushing • Roy Dotrice • Richard Greene Ian Hendry San Jose, Ca. tured in the lower left hand corner of the • Ralph Patrick Magee Barbara Murray Nigel Patrick Robin Phillips and Sir Richardson FROM Screenplay by Milton Subotsky • Produced by Max J, Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky You’re welKong, Sean. article was the ROMULAN, not the by Freddie Francis CINERAMA Executive Producer Charles Fries Directed RELEASING KLINGON. Also, if you ever want a better picture of the shuttlecraft model, NEW r£NH 'OUSE MURRAY hill) R.F REALLY FRIGHTFUL take a picture of the second one, now in St. 757-5450 « 289-8332 ® 3rd A«.tt Allan Asherman’s collection. (A shot of it B'way a 47th I 3«h St. HU 5-765J Dear people at Monster Times, is enclosed.) The lines are more out- I’ve just bought the 1st & 2nd editions standing and it won’t require retouching. of your newspaper and loved them. My Thanks to Chuqk also for suggesting to name is Ronald Fleischer. My initials are the fans to write to AMT in hopes of R.F., so all my friends call me Rat Fink. I getting a shuttlecraft made. They refused couldn’t survive without monsters. I my repeated requests (that’s what got me made spook-shows & showed 8mm. films started on the models) but they at least on monsters. I buy every model that sent me enough decals to finish another comes out on monsters. All I think is shuttlecraft or two. I will try again, emphasizing how fast the ENTERPRISE ROTIENRECOfiDDEPT. models sold at the Con. Thanks, and BE SEEING YOU! EDGAR ALLEN POE TALES OF TER- thousands of American homes from Rich Van Treuren ROR, Read By Nelson Olmstead, Van- 1939-49. He was a pretty big celeb, but listening to his work guard Records, VRS 9007. Price about only with Poe, one Yes, Rich, someone misinformed $4.95 wonders why. But listening to a com- Chuck McNaughton about the ship; the panion album, SLEEP NO MORE! fellow who exhibited it at the STAR Vanguard hasn’t let loose a re-issue of this FAMOUS GHOST AND HORROR TREK-CON. But no matter. What’s a for STORIES (to be reviewed another issue), oldie but moldy a few years nqw, but letters page for, but to cop to goofs in it still one can understand why. Poe’s writings copies of are to be dregged from proceeding issues? Good look with AMT. the Spoken Word sections of most large don’t take well to the overly emotive metropolitan record stores. Generally for hamming of Olmstead. They are written Ron Fleischer about $4.95, this record can be yours, for in a subtle descriptive prose rich in WANTED; JAPANESE MONSTERS! what it's worth. language-quirks and rhythms, and able to monsters. I saw every Horror Movie, on cast glimmers of queasy horror and stage, in the movies, or on T.V. I used to It’s really grim, the way there’s little Dear Sirs: hidden spectral mysteries on the insweep buy junky magazines until your news- good horror and monster and science I think the Monster Times is the best

. paper came out. It’s fantastic! stuff available records, so of the palsy-shaken turn of phrase . . the fiction in and newspaper on monsters in New York, and words are in dramatic To show how much I love monsters I much stuff glutting the record stalls, now, themselves enough, 1 really like the article on the Sci-Fi mellowly so, and call more for a calm, wrote a song, all about monsters, to the that masquerades as music (I won’t name tune of (The Man of La Mancha’s) “The picture “Them”. But I wish you could mellifluous-to-sonorous reading voice . . . any particular type, for we all feel any a shell-shocked numbed voice laden with Impossible Dream”. (I’m only 12.) I want put some more Sci-Fi articles in the music but our own favorite stuff is a to ask you to do me the favor of printing Monster Times. Like some Japanese charade). Maybe with “American Pie” stunned foreknowledge of the terrifying this song in one of your papers. tricking everyone into hypnotically inevitable . . . but NOT the hysterical monsters. I have never seen Toho monster histrionics of Nelson Olmstead. Not on Your fiend, chanting that catchy tuneful lyric, articles in Monster Magazines. Like Poe! Ronald Fleischer “This’ll be the day that I die!” the mood Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Barugan, Yet, there are probably many who will P.S. Don’t forget to read the song. might be set for a mass-revival of interest Gamera and others. I hope I find Toho disagree with me, or say that Olmstead’s P.S.S. I’m also enclosing my picture. in that writer who died a thousand deaths monsters in one of your issues. Thank TERROR are Great Camp, or (even before Roger Corman came along), TALES OF something like that. Well, you can’t have “THE MOST HORRIBLE DREAM” in his writings and in tragic real life, the Yours Truly, your camp and read it, too. There are To The Tune of "The Impossible Dream” ever-popular (and ever dying) late, great Miguel Ramos many subtle mental horrors to Poe’s Edgar Allen Poe. dream, the most horrible dream New York City writing that are better read and not To Olmstead edited and read the six To see, the most horrible sight heard. I’ll take a book, any day. If it’s in a which, live, in a cave with Godzilla! Very soon, Miguel, we will be doing a stories on the record manner Poe. Olmstead reading Agnew or Martha To if Poe could hear them, would probably Where man, cannot live without fright super article on the life of GODZILLA Mitchell is a Horror record I might well make him die again. For editing the (as fold by himself). Watch for it in issue invest another $4.95 in . . . but not too 8-minute seg- air high stories down to listenable soon. Only when they’ve been gone from Rodan, in the flying No. 7! Here’s Toho your health! did very well, and flying right by his side ments, Olmstead the scene for about as long as old Edgar With Mothra,

should be commended . . . but as for his Monster X, getting ready to battle A. Poe has . . . and not until! reading of them? Well, some of you might getting ready to hide! letters, The stories read on the album are: The Gammera, Send us so many like it, but then, there’s no accounting for detractions, Pit and the Pendulum; a Cask of Amon- postcards, boosts, taste. Olmstead HAS a WAY of READing This is their quest: that the Post tillado; The Fall of the House of Usher; bomb threats, etc., Every OTHer SYLIaBLE in A verRY be our friends. our mail The Tell-Tale Heart; The Masque of the To Office will have to deliver dra-MAH-tic WAY! If YOU get WHAT i very sure. all Red Death; and The Strange Case of M. To make with a bulldozer. Address MEAN!!! on ends. Valdemar. And Corman almost did Our hair stands correspondence to: THE very cruel. Old Olmstead worked on radio, reading better. To be MONSTER TIMES, Box 595, all time. literature over the airwaves to lOO's of Chuck McNaughton And to fight the Chelsea Station. N.Y., 10011. The Mon^r Times page 25

through the carnival carnage and scale the giant coaster in hot pur- suit of the Beast. When the park THE catches fire, the Beast strikes out blindly at the flaming wreckage surrounding him, and is brought down by a radioactive lance. GIANm The fact that Lourie employs a night setting greatly enhances this scene. The highly atmosopheric ambience created by Lourie and Harryhausen (when we first espy the beast, for example, he is half- hidden by a raging Arctic blizzard) was soon abandoned by the studio MUStfOOM and Warner’s next Primal Beast production, THEM!, although a classic in its own right, was bereft MOySTEfIS of such moody details. The odd Lourie Continued from page 15 thing about the scrapping of and his counterparts’ moody, Euro- pean style was the fact that THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, ment Park perishing in a burning brought in at a cost of $250,000, roller coaster, destroyed by a radio- eventually grossed over $5 million. active isotope, shot into an open But, considering the nature of wound. Hollywood studios, I suppose it Despite its phony philosophizing isn’t really “odd” at all. They are (something Hollywood screenwriter the only enterprises (save for the hacks can’t seem to resist) and U.S. Government) that makes predictable romantic sub-plot, THE business of short-changing them- BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS selves. The Hollywood studios are works primarily because of the today dying. special effects concocted by Lourie Other worthwhile titles in this and veteran special effects ace Ray genre include THE DEADLY Harryhausen. The final scene brings MANTIS which, despite its inept it all together in an orgy of fright- special effects, managed to achieve ening images — the monster a great degree of tension thanks to writhing about among the ferris the taut and skillful direction of wheels and roller coasters, crazy Nathan Juran. Juran was also thrill machines that have a night- responsible for 20 MILLION mare quality of their own, while MILES TO EARTH in which a tiny men in white radiation suits sneak Tyrannossaurus Rex (another

"They told me KING KONG started this way, said darn cleverly imitative GODZILLA, doing the old trairvwreck schtick. 3EHEMG1H THE GIANT BEHEMOTH was no dime-a-dozen dinosaur. By the time he showed up, the price was down to a nickle.

Harryhausen creation) arrives in Japanese monsters attack Italy via a spaceship returning from world: World giggles to death! a space probe on Venus and grows up to terrorize the land of grapes Throughout the late 50 ’s and and gangsters. But not only were 60’s, Japan suffered (and continues America and Italy feeling the to suffer — as does anyone who has effects of the sudden and drastic to sit through these films) from the comeback of the Primal Beast and destructive advances of the hordes other gangsters, residents of of the strangest spawn of the Bomb England, Sweden, and especially ever to crowd the screen. Included Japan were hearing their thundering in Japan’s filmland zoo, were footsteps as well. bullies named RODAN, GOD- Eugene Lourie went to work in ZILLA, MOTHRA, GAMMERA, England where he was responsible GHIDRA, YOG (among many, for the birth of the GIANT BE- many others!), and even a playful HEMOTH in 1959. The following looking version of KING KONG. years saw the emergence of Many of them were created by GORGO and his mother who Ishiro Honda, who set the tone for slouched through London, wreak- Japanese horror films for years to ing innocent havoc wherever he come, beginning with Godzilla and went (Gorgo, in dinosaurian terms, with no end in sight. was only a little kid at the time and Not that they have fared any did his damage without malice better in terms of artistic success aforethought ) Sweden fell prey to than their American counterparts. REPTILICUS in 1962, who con- With washed-up American actors siderably altered the face of their like Brian Donlevy, Rhodes Reason, previously beautiful countryside. and Myron Healey (yes, Myron But it was Japan who couldn’t Healey, who starred in VARAN — escape the rampaging onslaught of THE UNBELIEVABLE), unsteady those prehistoric monsters who special effects, and execrable dub- loved nothing more than to take bing, they became little more than Tokyo apart in film after film. imitators of a previously established Their dedication to the destruction mediocrity. of Japan remained unparalleled, at It all depends oh what you think least until we undertook a similar is worse — the rotten egg or the sick crusade in Vietnam. chicken who hatched it. The Monster Times

... is our way of getting the latest hot-off-the-wire info to you; reviews, previews, scoops on horror films in production, newsworthy monster curiosities, bulletins, and other grues-flashes. There are several contributors to our hodge-podge Teletype page . . . BILL FERET, our man in Show Biz (he's a professional actor, singer, dancer with the impressive resume list of stage, film and TV credits to his name), makes use of his vast professional experiences and leads to Feret-out items of interest to monster fans, and duly report on them in his flashing Walter-Wind-chill manner.

RANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL" may have a highly oriental-sounding title, but it’s actually been announced as issuing forth from Hammer studios. Hammer also has on the books remakes of DANTE'S INFERNO" and "LORNA IX)ONE." (No, it's nofA about Cookie-monsters.) Fanfare Corp. is readying

Twr SIGHTS uro The Saucers have landed! CBS Everyone, male and female alike, has just bought 26 (hour-long!) wear see-thru fish nk tops as segments on a new British TV series uniforms! The miniatures look fair, entitled "UFO." It’ll be aired in special effects reasonable, and if New York, Philadelphia and LA they have pretty good scripts, they going nationwide if it’s a hit. might have a hit. Let’s hope "UFO" won’t The Series stars American-born mean Undeniable Failure Ed Bishop, George Sewell, Peter Overall. Gordon, and luscious Gabrielle As you can see, there seems to be Drake. It takes place in 1980 and a real boom in television concerns an organization called science-fiction as well as horror. All Headquarters "SHADO" (Supreme this stems from the incredible Alien Defense Organization.) (Only success of the made-for-TV movies. the Shado knows.) They have a moon base, space stations, There is a wealth of stories and super-submarines, rocket ships, and books by some of the finest authors computer wizardry programmed by of the horror circle available for girls the most glamorous of the filming. I certainiy hope they make "TOWER OF EVIL" starring space age. (Only the Shado knows.) use of them. Bryant Haliday and Jill Haworth, for release.

The Italians have a conclave of gruesome . . . "CREEPING Anthony Quale is set as host of a The films due on the scene shortly. DEATH," "PAID IN BLOOD," and half hour anthology teleseries titled Festival at Trieste, France and the "WHO KILLED THE "DOOMSDAY" starring Ty Hardin ‘‘Evil Touch". The 26 Science-Fiction Cultural Center of PROSECUTOR AND WHY?", and Rossano Brazzi, hey sound suspense-chiller episodes will star Venice, Italy are trying to organize starring Adolfo Cell (Thunderball) more like ‘How the West was Bled.’ name people each show. a world-wide sci-fi convention for is a thriller and "INFERNAL Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, The famous British sci-fi series the 3rd week in July. (Lotsa Luck!) NOOSE," is a psycho piece. (No ANNABELLE LEE" has been "DR. WHO." is planned as an Already registered for competition turned into a film version starring noose is good . . .) There’ll be some all-new color half hour series of 50 Is SOLARIA," written by ‘spaghetti’ Westerns too, but the Margaret O’Brien. Film was shot in episodes. You’ll remember "DR. Stanislaus Len and directed by titles are so enigmatically Peru and has a score by Les Baxter. WHO AND THE DALEKS." Soviet Andrei Tarkovski. The Monster Times POS® 27

Producer Blake Edwards (THE GREAT RACE, DARLING LILI) is currently lensing on British soil a CON-CALENDAR^ film-musicalization of "TRILBY AND SVENGALI." Julie Andrews DATE CONVENTION LOCATION PRICE FEATURES THE SECOND SUNDAY $1.00 COMIC PHILSEULING STATLER-HILTON BOOK (10 A.M. to DEALERS 8i COLLECTORS APRIL 9, 2883 W. 12 33rd ST & 7th AVE. 4 P.M.) No Special Guests MAY 14 B'KLYN, N.Y. 11224 NEW YORK CITY

May 26-29 E.C. FAN-ADDICT CONVENTION HOTEL McALPIN Various Prices THE GREATEST FRI.SAT, 2623 Silver Court Broadway 8i 34th Street Write Con For HORROR COMIX SUN & MON East Meadow, N.Y. 11554 New York City More Information OF ALL TIME

L.A. CON Info. Not Comic convention; MARCH 25-27 JERRY O'HARA L.A. HILTON, ^ Available comic books, strips. FRI.,SAT., SUN. 14722 LOS ANGELES. LEMOLI AVE. Write Con. Guest speakers. Cartoonists. GARDENIA, CALIF. 92249 O'

LUNA-CON New York's Biggest MARCH 31, STATLER-HILTON $5.00 DEVRA LANGSAM Sci-Fi Convention APRIL 1,2 33rd ST. 8i 7th AVE. Annual 250 CROWN ST. Per Person FRI., SAT., SUN. NEW YORK CITY Big-Time Writers Galore! BKLYN, N.Y. 11225

IThe CON-CALENDAR is a special exclusive Detractors of such events put them down by or if you wish to see classic horror and science feature of THE MONSTER TIMES. Across this saying that they're just a bunch of cartoonists fiction films, or meet the stars of old time of ours are quaint and curious and science fiction writers movie serials, or today's top great land and comic book John Barrymore as SVENGALI. gatherings of quaintly curious zealots. The publishers talking, and signing autographs for and writers—or if you just want to meet other gatherings called "conventions," and the fans who, like maniacs, spend sums on monster or comics science fiction freaks, like (Mrs. Edwards) is starred and zealots, called "fans," deserve the attention of out-of-date comics, science fiction pulps, and yourself, and learn you're not alone in the hopefully Jack will fans and non-fans alike, hence this trail-blazing monster movie stills. But that's just the reason world, OR 'if you want to meet the affable Lemmon be reader-service. for going. If you want a couple of glossy demented lunatics who bring out THE ‘Sven, Golly.’ (The Sound of To those readers who've never been to one of pictures of Dracula or King Kong, or a 1943 MONSTER TIMES, go ahead and visit one of Mesmer?) these hair-brained affairs, we recommend it. copy of Airboy Comics (God alone knows why) those conventions. We dare ya! If you’re interested in the H.P. Lovecraft stories, principally his A Texas based company, Chicos "CTHULHU MYTHOS," there just Productions, is lensing "DISCIPLES recently came out an excellent OF DEATH" in Houston. study about his work and related Warner Bros, is releasing "THE works by other authors. Lin Carter EXORCIST" dealing with a girl was the author of this dissertation who is possessed by the Devil and he handled it most admirably. himself. Mr. Carter himself had authored Also from Warners, by Michael several books of the same type, Crichton, author of -'THE notably the THONGOR" series. ANDROMEDA STRAIN," comes So if you aren’t into Lovecraft’s

"THE TERMINAL MAN.", It’s World of Monstrous Menace. . .get about a man with a for computer a into it, you won’t be sorry. I brain and murder on his mind. personally love (Aha) his craft. B.F.

Somewhere in the mileu, I found Let’s hear it for the OLYMPIA notes on a production of theater, here in New Yawk, New "LADY Yawk, the wunnerful town. Just FRANKENSTEIN." the other week they ran a complete FLASH GORDON serial at a midnite show, and Roman Polanski's immortal classic, THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS, one of the funniest and yet scarifying vampire classics ever. Fun

City is graced with lots of terror treats from hip theater owners, though there could be more. Readers across the country are encouraged to clue in their local theater owners about TMT . . . and have them submit schedules to TMT of any horror and Sci-Fi festivals, (at least a month in advance). We may become the TV & Movie Guide of Monsterdom! Frankenstein's Daughter 1958 —

The Monster Times

THE OLDABANIHINED WAREHOUSE! THE OLD ABANDONED WAREHOUSE is here! Now you can Some of the itemsafe for older fan enthusiasts/ and some order rare and hard-to-get books about monsters, comics, ask you to state age when purchasing. Don’t be put off by pulps, fantasy and assorted betwitching black sundries, the formality, the pulsating Post Office Isn’t. FULL COLOR tdrt'O" co\>ectors No y POSTERS POSTERS BY ^8 j(p awakens your sense of FRANK FRAZETTA. awe and fascination. The

'For mood and tone and colors and details are re- anatomy and stark por- produced magnificently.

traits of wonder, Frazetta Breathtaking to see and

is the master! Each poster

LUGOSI. A. WEREWOLF (cover Alan Barbour, ed. $4.00 Alan Barbour, ed. $4.00 painting for CREEPY 4). HISTORY OF THE C0MI(», Boris Karloff was the Silhouetted against an The world's favorite A JOB FOR SUPERMAN. . $3.00 Dracula is seen in a book- magniiicent master of dis- $5.00 orange moon is the raven- There is a series guise and menace. You in- of ful of photos of Bela The first actor ever to ing beast our night- volved here, and this Is Lugosi in his weirdest can see dozens and doz- play the part of Superman mares, about to pounce volume one. You can find ens of photographs of his on the victim who has un- roles. Softcover twin vol- has written this memoir. 52- few better descriptions of ume to the Karloff book. various roles in this It is filled with film-mak- fortunately discovered how comic books evolved Excellent stills from the page all-photograph soft- ing stories (how he caught him! $2.50 (from newspaper strips great Lugosi horror films, cover book. Each photo is fire while flying), good hu- End pulp adventure maga- B. SKIN DIVER (cover and plenty of them. full-page size (8% x 11) mor, and many, many zines), and there are hun- No. 2 STAR painting for 3). 52-pages. and is clear and vivid. A photographs. Fun reading, TREK Special dreds of photos and There is the treasure horror-film fan’s prize. even for non-film fans. illustrations. Nifty reading, chest, spilling its riches great art — poster-sized into the ocean depth in ABYSS 1. full-color cover by the which the awed skin-diver Jones et al., ed. $2.00 author. has discovered it. But This deadly magazine what is that fearful, mon- comic book was the coop- strous thing rearing up erative effort of Jeff Jones, behind if? $2.50 Mike Kaluta, Bruce Jones, C. BRE.4K THE BARBAR- and Bern! Wrightson. They IAN VS. THE SORCERESS experiment with stories of (cover painting for Paper- the odd and the macabre, back Library paperback). in spidery. Gothic style! and dramatic Brak, with sword and 1 .. Moody and high on horseback, looks up VIRGIl FINLAY quality. into murky skies to see Donald M. Grant . $12.00 is it a vision of a woman? Beautiful hardcover Is that evil she seems to book, limited memorial convey? Or menace . $2.50 edition, including a mag- FRAZETTA. sampling the D. CONAN OF CIMMERIA nificent of Vem Coriell, ed. $2.50 this science- (cover painting for Lancer art of great It’s Frazetta—need we paperback) fiction illustrator. Mostly say more? black-and-white Toe to toe, Conan fights and some A slim sketchbook which with brute savagery, death outstanding color plates. covers some of the finest Also contains a full listing in every axe-stroke, against black and white linework of Finlay's work and where two frost giants. The by this super-artist, Frank to find it, and his bio'. chedelic” comic strip att- Frazetta. scene is a blazingly white LITTLE NEMO IN SLUM- Edch figure shows mountain top under an Proves again and BERLAND. work of Winsor McCay. detail, mass, strength, and ice-blue sky! Thorough again, page after page Winsor McCay $3.00 Nemo appeared in the drama. For collectors of drama! $2.50 that Finlay did for horror early 1900’s, and is still the best You must Im & sci-fi what Norman This softcover, thin the best visual fantasy 18 to buy this volume. E. CONAN THE CON- Rockwell did for The Sat- book is an amazing look ever to appear on a comic State age when placing QUEROR (cover painting urday Evening Post. at the art nouveau "psy- page! order. for Lancer paperback) Bursting like a fire- storm into the midst of a hellish battle, Conan comes, astride his mad- dened charger, cleaving his bloody way! The back- ground is fire and death and savagery .... $ 2.50 No. 4 Bride FIVE of Frankensteir, ALL FRAZEnA POSTERS $10.00 (POSTERS ARE MAILED IN STRONG CARDBOARD TUBES) TARZAN ILLUSTRATED THE GREAT COMIC BOOK . DARK DOMAIN. TARZAN AND THE VIKINGS. HEROES. Gray Morrow $4.00 Hal Foster $7.00 BOOK ONE. Here is one of the Hal Foster $5.00 HERO PULP INDEX. Jules Feilfer . $5.00 A sketchbook of a comic TMTBACK . Weinberg & McKinstry, TKf A frank and nostalgic art master featuring fan- greatest adventure strips The first Tarzan ever to ed $3.50 backward look at a child- tasy, science-fiction illus- ever drawn, by the finest appear in comics form was Where did the Black HEUO hood of comic book read- trations and visual delights artist the comic art world a daily strip drawn by Hood appear before comic ing. And then adventure delights such as girls, has ever produced! Even Hal Foster with the text of books? When did the long PULP after (original) comic book monsters, swordsmen, and before beginning his 33- the book printed beneath ISSUEDEPT. each panel. Designed to and incredibly successful adventure showing us the girls! This volume is rec- year Prince Valiant career, So many of you have been Shadow series begin? How INDEX complete origin stories ommended for serious Hal Foster did the Sunday run for a few weeks, Tar- long did Doc Savage run? of Batman, Superman, students of a^ illustra- pages of Tarzan, and this zan has now been going writing in for 'em, we've The pulp magazines with and Green Lantern, and tion, science fiction, fan- book (softcover, Life- for forty years. But this decided to start a special continued adventure hero episodes in the careers of tasy, swordsmen monsters Magazine-sized) reprints book contains the first features are listed in this 'Sf the Spirit, Flash, Hawk- and of girls—but over 55 pages of Tarzan’s story. strips ever drawn, re- MONSTER TIMES BACK printed compact and efficient ref- man, and more! All in age 18. Where else can this “lost” in clear lines in a ISSUE SERVICE. Due to costs erence hook. beautiful color! Dynamite! work be seen? wrap-around softcover book. Good value. in postage and handling, ail back issues cost $1.00 apiece,

except for our rare collectors' P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea 5 prize. Issue No. 1 at $2. THE OLDABANDONED WAREHOUSE Station, New York. N.Y. 10011

The proverbial Old Abandoned Warehouse house Enterprises presents the most AWEful, NOTE: Add 20< postage and handling per Make Chacks payaUa to: ~ which you’ve heard about in so many comics, AWE-inspiring AWEsome AWEtifacts AWEvail- item for orders totalling less than $20.00. THE MONSTER TIMES movies and pulp adventure and detective able at AWE-striking AWE-right prices! Indi- Make checks and money orders payable to: P.O. Box 595 novels is open for business. Abandoned Ware- cate which items you want ABANDONED WAREHOUSE Old Choltaa Station Naw Yoik, N.Y. 10011 FRAZEm PAINTINGS LUGOSI, $4.00 NAME $2.50 each or all five for $10.00 A JOB FOR SUPERMAN $5.00 Enclosed is $_ >for the back issues. LITTLE NEMO IN SLUM8ERUND $3.00 (A) WEREWOLF HISTORY OF THE COMICS $3.00 ADDRESS- (B) SKIN DIVER ^TARZAN & THE VIKINGS $7.00 Name Age. (C) BRAK THE BARBARIAN TARZAN ILLUS BOOK 1 $5.00 cin (D) CONAN CIMMERIAN FRAZETTA FOLIO $2.50 (State age) Address (E) CONAN CONQUEROR VIRGIL FINLAY $12.00 STATE All five $10.00 City HERO PULP INDEX $3.50 ABYSS #1, $2.00 THE GREAT COMIC BOOK HERDS $5.00 AMOUNT ENCI.0SE0. AGL State Zip FANTASTIC (KARLOFF). $4.00 DARK DOMAIN, $4.00 (State age) page 29 TERRIFYING MONSTER OF THE AGES RAGING WITH PENT-UP PASSIONS! ...with every man

his mortai enemy There were some redeeming qualities, however. There is a particularly amusing woman^s segment that starts with my escape from ...and a the Ocean Harbor Seaquarium and con- cludes with yours truly furiously tossing a beauty his prey! car through the air with the greatest of ease. Another shattering episode in- volved two College kids who discover the unconscious Miss Nelson on a local beach,

and when they attempt to revive her, 1 literally knock their brains out. Although quite grisly for the time, the scene may take on a new meaning today, with me as sort of a “Super Spiro”, rescuing young women from do-gooder college student radicals. Or maybe we just should have hired Carroll O’Conner for the part and retitled the movie THE BUNKER EROM THE BLACK LAGOON. Archie, of course. What bugged me most about the film was that it destroyed me in the eyes of the American public. Sure, it did OK moneywise, but the people who came to

see it no longer identified with me. 1 had become, of all things, A MONSTER! Alas!

My Film Career WALKS To the Finish Line The following year held certain promise. With the completion of THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US, things were looking up. The stalwart scientists this time around included Jeff Morrow and Rex Reason (after just completing an orbit around Metaluna in Universal’s technicolor spectacular THIS ISLAND EARTH).

Starring wirt,RICHARD DENNING

third-picture, RICHARD CARLSON JUUA ADAMS ANTONIO MORENO Me, after I got my nosejob, in the WALKS AMONG etc. • Oieflrt ii JA[H AfiNllLO’StiiBfiilii IIAIIliy [SS()(i«

And the girl - WOW! Leigh Snowden certainly renewed my faith in the studio’s contract players. "A woman's beauty my prey," indeed! Just ONE? What did they take me for, a cold fish? reservoir. But that's Hollywood for you, according to the press agents, I was a small-pond fish in a big

To all my friends at THE MONSTER TIMES, a specially autographed photo,

from the Creature who remembers . . . Gill! change in their pockets prompted Uni- versal personnel to film a sequel to my (MTllRE first adventure. With the identical crew working on this flick, it was a siue bet that REVENGE OF THE CREATURE CONFESSIONS (yeah!) would retain that same sense of imagination Continued from page 5 and wonder that made the first epic a breadwinner. Now comes a Hollywood confession- Well, 1 must confess, we did kind of type bit of info, which the publicitx' bomb out on this one. departments of both MGM and Universal Although the production was the same, kept hushed up: the cast was different. Instead of the During that exasperating year, Dick, visionaiy Mr. Carlson, I was pitted against Julie and Richard Denning accompanied courageous John Agar, who turned actor me to MGM, where 1 met a personal after being laid off by the Armour Ham

favorite of mine . . . the lovely Miss Packing Co. In place of the sultry Miss Esther Williams. Man, could she swim! We -Adams, plopped tomboyish Lori Nelson got together one sinful evening, filled our (who never did learn HOW TO MARRY restless throats with cocktails and hit the A MILLIONAIRE), and to follow in the surf for a wild spree in the moonlite. It footsteps of the seasoned Richard Den- wasn’t long before Van Johnson heard of ning, Universal hired John Bromfield, our rendezvous and threatened Universal who paraded around the lot with gritted with a lawsuit and a song. Fearing the teeth and a sweatshirt labeled, “Kiss me. frustration of the former and the re- I’m Superman”. pulsion of the latter, I left the MGM lot Just about everything went wrong with and bid Miss Williams adieu. my REVENGE. Even with Nestor Paiva and his magic beard on hand, the film still The Second Creature Feature! looked as if smilin’ Jack Arnold had “lost jingling The mesmerising sound of all his comic books” while directing it. page 30 The Monster Times

Apart from the inspiring cast, this third thriller boasted an unusually atmospheric music score by Henry Mancini (this was long before Hank drifted down Moon River and nearly drowned himself), plus a truly imaginative script penned by Arthur

I just didn't make out too well with the dames, once I had my operation.

Some ambitious, clear-thinking scien- tists decide to capture the feared Gill-Man and transform him into an air-breathing creature, proving the laws of evolution and producing a totally unearthly, fu- turistic mutation. Wild! Of course. I’m still primitive enough to tear the entire place apart in the last reel as expected, but the bizarre connotations of the un- usual screenplay stick in the viewer’s mind long after the flick fades, and THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US emerges as an intringuing example of science fiction cinema. Too bad it sank at the box-office.

"A Creature for All Seasons" Well, that about wrapped up my movie career. John Q. Public was growing weary of me and my blaring “da-da-daaaaaaa!” theme song, and so I sadly left the studio late in 1956 and returned to my home on the river. Occasionally Universal would resiurect me for cameo appearances on their TV series, including one particularly ludicrous affair on THE MUNSTERS, Now that I look back on it, I not only got the short end of the stick, but I got the long end and the pointed end, too. in my Tinseltown Career. with the entire cast hailing me as “Uncle Yet, I still pine to again be the big shrimp of those salad days, even if it nieans groveling before the Hollywood big shots, as I once did. Gilbert”, as if I’d be caught dead being The bottom picture is of me groveling. any relation to those morons. Most recently, I appeared in the “Pick- man’s Model” episode of NIGHT GAL- LERY (slightly disguised, of course), and when I ran off with lovely Louise Sorel in my arms, it felt just like old times! So, that’s my earth-shaking life story. Even though my career spawned quite a few frightened clods with nothing better to do than to run around spreading false rumors, I still believe the large bulk of fantasy-oriented fanatics regard me and my films as entertaining symbols of a simpler age of science fiction movie making. Leading horror author has been known to call them “works of obvious crud”, but we must excuse dear Robert. He could never get over the fact that H.P. Lovecraft found me far more intriguing than the novel “Psycho”!

As I type out these last few words, I notice my pals on the river still haven’t forgotten my Buster Crabbe imper- sonations. Would you believe it — they actually sent away for Buster’s “muscle control body shirt”! I may not be the most popular monster in town, but at least I’m the only one with a reeeeeeeal corporation up front! And no body-shirt

. . . yet! Transcribed (with maddening results) by Gary Gerani , —

0. The Monster Times page 31

THE MONSTER TIMES FAN FAIR is another reader service of MT. Care to buy, sell or trade movie stills, old comics or tapes of old radio programs? Or maybe buy or advertise a fan-produced magazine? An ad costs only 10 cents per word (minimum, 25 words). Make all checks and money orders payable to THE MONSTER TIMES, and mail your clearly printed or typewritten ad on the 're instituting an TV commerctaU »ll products?" coupon below, to: THE MONSTER TIMES, Box 595, Old Chelsea right refuse ads Inquiring Flidto^apher column. Or "Do you know your hair is Station, New York, N.Y. 10011. We reserve the to deemed appropriate to our publication. Very Soon. We don't know suddenty growing whxh would not be

what to call it, probably longer?" . . . well, we're sure something like The Inquiring you can d.o better than what we e P o - 1 og r a p h e r The Just did. Selling Comic Books, Pulps, Big Little Talmlacht — New Occult Magazine, question Photographing inquirer, We’ll credit each Books, Playboys, Magazines, Movie Crowley, Golden Dawn, Witchcraft Monster in the Street. Fearful used at the head of the column, Merchandise, Radio Premiums, Toys, Drugs, Druidism, etc. 25 cents @ or 1900-1972. Catalogue 35 cents: 4/$1.00. Special Locevraft Issue Fotos, or something ridiculous and then ask that question of Etc. Rogofsky, Box 1102, Flushing, N.Y. Number 12 — 60 cents., Boruta, 11 and print like that. But we need your several people 11354. West Linden, Linden, New Jersey help. Send us questions you their replies and photos. 07036. would like to see asked of witty Send your questions to Star Trek scale detailed diagrams of Ship and more. For Sale: Thousands of Comics CDC by unwitting fans and PHOTOS COLUMN, THE Enterprise Klingon Send 15 cents for a list of diagrams. and Marvel Magazines, Sci-Fi, conventions and other ghoulish MONSTER TIMES, Box 595, Matthew Damico, 151 West 86th Paperbacks. Send 10 cents for list. gathering plots. Questions like Old Chelsea Station, New York, Street, New York, N. Y. 10024. Wanted: EC’S, Golden Age Comics. Lucas Dang, 914 Madison Street, "Which do you prefer, Japanese New York, 10011. Wanted: Timely and Fawcett comics Oakland, Calif. 95127. or American monster films?" We'll pay $1.00 for each from 1930’s and 40’s. Also Fanzines Or"Do you think monsters in question used. and pulp’s of any kind, particularly My Free Illustrated Catalogue includes Shadow, or any other item pertaining large selections of movie and serial to comics. Mike Morano, 6150 South publications, fanzines and prozines, Normandy, Chicago, Illinois 60638. posters, buttons, , and numerous hardbound books. Just The best daily strips in a weekly send me an 8 cents stamp or a SASE newspaper plus articles. Sample 35 for your free copy. All orders are filled cents. Menomonee Falls Gazette, N85 within 48 hours and carefully

W 165 05 Mary Court, Menomonee packaged. I carry the most complete Falls, Wisconsin 53051. selection of quality fan publications and underground comix around. Bud For Sale: 1,500 comics, fanzines, etc. Plant, 4160 Holly Drive, San Jose, Will Buy: Comics, fanzines — Calif. 95127. especially Bulk. Send sales, want lists Claiborne Smisson, 203 with SSAE. Wanted: Movie soundtrack LPs, stills Raleigh, N. C. 27605. Woodburn, and movie scripts. Send lists to: Michael R. Appel, 1103 Kinsella Have Huge Horror Collection of stills Avenue, Belleville, Illinois 62221. Will on Karloff-Lugosi-Charney-etc. — Will buy or trade. sell or trade for material on Horror, Serial, B-Western, and Major Movies — WE’LL THANK YOU IN PRINT! — (Stills — Lobby Cards — Posters — for allowing us to run some of your Inserts — Press Books — What have rare stills in THE MONSTER TIMES. you?) Eddie Brandt’s Saturday COLLECTORS, we are on the lookout Matinee — Box 3232, North for rare monster, horror, sci-fi and Hollywood, Calif. 91609. fantasy stills, pressbooks, lobby cards, posters, and other visual goodies with which to exotically embellish our CAPTAIN GEORGE would like to sell articles. We’ll credit your photos and his Memory Lane store your fanzine at you’ll BECOME FAMOUS! Send (in the heart of Toronto the good). He checklists of your collections to us, needs 25 of everything (including back P.O. Box 595 Old Chelsea Station, issues), needs (nay, demands) some New York City, N.Y. 10011 Include kind of a discount (so’s he can make a your Address and Phone Number . . . will pay buck out of the deal) and Thanx. promptly on receipt. Crudzines need Henderson, not apply. Captain George Harryhausen Films in 16 mm. & The Vast Whizzbang Organization, 594 35 mm.. Trailers, Animation Stills and Markham Street, Toronto, Ontario, related matter. Wanted Trades also. Canada. P.S. Ask for a free copy of Jim Harmin, 3270 Kennelworth Drive, Whizzbang 12 and find out what Number 19, East Point, Ga. 30344. copies of Captain George Presents are

sale. . . can get 10 still for Also . you Happy Birthday to my February issues of Whizzbang for only $3.00. Friends — Alanna Friedberg, Ric David Plus ... if you’re ever in Toronto, Friedberg, Janice Jacobs, Eddie Jacobs drop in and say hello. And and Mary Rizzo — from Robert.

furthermore . . . ask me what the Whizzbang Art Gallery is all about and Wanted: Anything dealing with Flash I’ll send you a little pamphlet on it. Gordon serials, and The Marx End of message. Brothers. Buy, or Trade horror magazines, Mark Schultz, 615 North Comic books, fanzines, stills, posters, 3rd Avenue, Maywood, Illinois 60153. Big-Little books, dealers, collectors: and The Monster Times folk! Every WANTED FOR REVIEW!!! TMT is J200- ITfT AJ|1|]iQI $200*“ “SECOND SUNDAY!’’ at the about to begin it Fan-Ad-Art-Zine Ave. . start in c/o V Statler-Hilton, 33rd St. & 7th reviews . . sending them N.Y.C. 10AM to 4PM. Admission, Zines, The Monster Times, Box 595, MG THIS TOTALLY $1.00 Old Chealsa Station, N.Y. 10011

(minimum classified ad. LOGICAL HANG-UP Enclosed is $. for my_ .word 25) NAME ADDRESS. STATE ZIP IN FULL COLOR! CITY ,

IcOULO DIG SUCH A HANGUP! Endostd ii 1 foe No of year GIANT SUPER FULL-COLOR STAR TREK POSTERS of Mr. Spook, mi Um orifiiul prop of tkt Stmhjp EotirpiiM! Rosh it to mo is that lunly ctrAoore

mailinf tske, tiflit wnyl I tsdow poitspi foe 1 Mck pouor os m sreor tsuNisi ha Am SZOlIM, fa pooUft mmI Inseiisp By tko «ay. isst is cao nwt* Milan no osn 1 ya pyt 4ss't aki tks tsM tt rasB tkt sNnaa 1 M At htlas yts piL' asAsi At Iset aM nnr tim .1 page 32 The Monster Times VOLUME 1,N0.5 WORLD'S FIRST NEWSPAPER OF HOB FANTASY! NEXT ISSUE! ZOMBIES Mibe

“FRIGHT ON! I think a subscription to THE MONSTER TIMES is just what has been missing in my life! Life didn’t seem to mean much to me, for a long, dreary time. Doldrums had been setting in. I felt sort of, well, you know, hollow. Meaningless. You know. And then I ran into THE MONSTER TIMES in my neighborhood newsstand (I was flying a little low — nearly broke my wings). Saw

THE MONSTER TIMES and I was suddenly transformed . . . became a new person. Well, the same old person, really, but a person. You know how it is, sometimes you haven’t even got the get up and go to change back into a human, We're covering just about every you know. Well, you know. You know. But now that I’ve found THE MONSTER film ever made, in our next TIMES, life is a wonderful new adventure. Like how to make it to the newsstand in that thin sandwich of time between sundown and the newsstand close-down. not- worthy issue. . . from Bela You know. It’s really a challenge. But as the days are getting longer, 1 won’t be Lugosi's WHITE ZOMBIE to able to do it anymore. Especially with that deathly Daylight Saving Time! So now toothy Charlton Heston's OMEGA I subscribe, to get TIMES delivered every two weeks, delivered in MAN. THE MONSTER a plain, brown envelope, right to my coffin.^ Bet you didn't know there was a film called ASTRO C . Drackuleski ZOMBIES. . . well, neither did we, , New York but film completists Joe Kane not With every of a year or the subscriber gets a free classified ad, only saw it, but actually remembers sub more, 25-word to be run our Fan-Fair can or stills etc. it! It remembers it so faithfully that on page. You advertise comics or pulps, or for it could win TMT, an award of anything else, provided it's in good taste! Enviable Achievement, from

NATIONAL LAMPOON & MAD. I think THE MONSTER TIMES We've also covered the is just what I've been looking for! zombie Subscription rates: hit of the century, NIGHT OF THE Enclosed is $ $ 6.00 for 13 issues (6 months) LIVING AD ... which yet $10.00 for 26 issues 11 year) makes the lengthy lines who stand Make check or money order payable to: $18.00 for 52 issues (2 years) before movie theatres this chill THE MONSTER TIMES, $12.00 for 26 issues CANADA spring into Frozen Living. P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea Station, $18.00 for 26 issues FOREIGN dervish And Dan Green, who New York City, N.Y. 10011 illustrated Empire of the Ants in Name_ issue +3, is back with a chilling As a new subscriber (for a sub of one zombie comic strip, called AND year or more), here is my 25-word ad, THE DEAD SHALL WALK. to appear FREE of charge in Fan-Fair Address as soon as possible. To compliment Dan's strip, and the zombie film survey, we've also City got a survey of ZOMBIES IN State Zip COMIX . . . zeroing in on the old swampy EC yarn, "Horror We? full to PS: I pledge by the light of the next moon How's Bayou?" bother my local newsdealer until he (a) shakes in Now, how's bayou subscribing his boots at the sight of me, and (b) regularly and to THE MONSTER TIMES? prominently displays THE MONSTER TIMES.

Please allow a few weeks for your subscription to be processed.