The Monsfer Times page 1

Say it ain’t so, Gray!

But no, 'tis all too true
. . . this high energy scene
from BRAIN OF BLOOD
was drawn by none other
than Gray Morrow, MT
contributor and comic art
superstar supreme. This
action-packed portrait also
raises a number of other
intriguing questions, like,
“How does a Blood-
Dripping Brain Transplant
turn a Maniac into a
Monster overnight?" and
“How does a leader of
millions turn into a
page 2 The Monster Times

Volumel,No.l3

Hey, do you realize what you’re holding in

your hand? Do you have any idea? Oh, sure, we
know you know it’s a copy of the latest issue of
THE MONSTER TIMES, but are you fully
cognizant of the long hours of monstrously hard
work that went into the making of this issue? Not
that we’re complaining, mind you, but we’ve got a
SPIDER-MAN’S FIENDS AND FOES:
great opportunity to feel sorry for ourselves in
print,
up,
and you don’t think we’re about to pass it
do you? Not on your life—and certainly not on
3A look at some of the far-out monsters, madmen,
and miscellaneous meanies who make life tough for comicdom’s favorite superhero
OURS. BEASTLY BLUNDERS:
Anyway, we’ve got what looks to us like a good
one lined up for ya this time. We’re devoting a
number of pages to comicdom’s beleaguered
6 Join
as
in a fun-packed game of “Spot the Goof.”
John Parnum tells of some
TV freaks’ favorite indoor
of Moviedom's most monstrous mistakes.

super-teen, Spider-'Man, including an exclusive MT

-

WATCH THE SKIES! :'

John
interview with Spider-Man’s sketcher,
Romita, conducted by Spider-Man’s scripter,
Gerry Conway. Together this formidable team of
8 From Britain
and here with
way comes
all
a new
the relevant info
sci-fi teleseries
is
called U.F.O. .

MT’s Man-About-Tube Gary Gerani.

.
.—

comic talents trace the long and glorious history of

COMICS ARE A KID'S BEST FRIEND:
their be-webbed creation. Also on hand is a look at
Comics ace M.C. Kichards gives the lowdown about com icons everywhere
some of that superhero’s superfoes: read all about in this generously-illustrated history of comic book conventions.
the lunatic Lizard, gleeful Green Goblin,
mystifying Mysterio, and many others in Gary
Brown’s info-filled account of the villains of
BAD PHIBES:
That ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES gets his revenge on the society
Spider-Man. that made him what he is today. What’s that? You should only find out!
And there’s more in store forcomics freaks! A
history of the comics conventions by M.C.
Richards, charting the evolution of the comic fan’s BEHIND THE WEB:
rise to Power and Influence. Plus the first
Spider-Man's creators, artist John Romita and writer Gerry Conway,
converse at length on the life and times of their web-footed friend.
installment of our new regular feature— the
Fanzine Review, a look at the best and latest
additions to the world of fanzines by Robert S. SPECIAL POSTER IN FOUL COLOR!:
Napier, himself the Captain of the famous fanzine, Something to make your spirits rise cheerfully
GEORGE. Another lively comic contained
strip is
(if not necessarily your lunch rise cheerfully).

herein as well, and, as is befitting our

time-honored MT tradition, it is nothing short of BAD BLOOD (Again!):
topnotch, in quality and content. It's back to Blood Island for the further adventures of Hemisphere Pictures’
tired Blood series-with BRIDES OF BLOOD and BRAIN OF BLOOD.
For film fanatics we’ve got the third and (we
promise!) final part of our series on those blood
‘n’ gore flicks we’ve been hearing so much about COMICS CAPERS:
lately. This time Buddy Weiss takes you into the The latest inour superlative strips and one to raise
darkest heart of Blood Island (where folks will as a hair on the warts of the most horror-hardened fan.
soon drink your blood and eat your skin as look at
you—which might strike you as being no mean TMT TELETYPE TICKS AGAIN!:
compliment but will strike you dead as well} for Movie maven Bill Feret with the latest scarifying scoops about the n

an encounter with not only the BRIDES OF

’
of sinister sadists who’ll be painting the silver screen blood red.

BLOOD, but the BRAIN OF BLOOD to boot.

And speaking of blood (and when are we not),we’ve
got another gruesome piece on that Fanzine commentator Robert S. Napier takes TMTers into the wonderful world of
ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES, who gives off the fanzines in this debut of a soon-to-be regular MT feature.
worst phibes in the world. For tube-viewers,
there’s an MT sneak preview of a new British SEYMOUR SEZ:
sci-fi series soon to be aired on American TV An inimitable claw-by-claw description of a forgettable fright flick,
entitled UFO. CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN, straight from the forked tongue of the L.A. horror host.
All the usual goodies will be found within, so
loosen your grip on your freshly purchased copy,
take care not to tear the pages with your claws,
and dig in—you know we would have wanted it
that way.

r
 !

The Monster Times page 3

"Get ready ta kiss da concrete. Chum!" barks this nameless monster,

one of the countless creatures who seem to never have anything better to do -

than to make life tough for our web-footed friend.

Spider-Man is a national hero,

almost a symbol of the mixed-up
times we live in. Spidey started
about ten years ago as a skinny,
introverted high school genius.
Now, a decade later, he's a skinny,
introverted college loser. He's got a
girl friend who thinks him a
coward, a batch of life-long friends
who don't understand him, an aunt
who has two heart attacks a year,
and as Peter Parker, struggling
photographer, a boss who hates
Spider-Man. In the modern day
jargon, Spider-Man is relevant.
Don't we all have the same
problems as Spidey? (We II some of
us. anyway).
. .

Anyway, as relevant as
Spider-Man is, he's had the dubious
distinction of fighting some of the
most gruesome, most horrifying,
and downright ugly villains the
comic book world has ever seen.
They come at him in droves:
vultures, lizards, goblins, you name
'em, Spidey's fought 'em. And since
no TMT feature is complete
without some simply terrifying
monsters, we commissioned comics
expert Gary Brown to give us a
little rundown on all of

Spidey's playmates.
And you thought
Hammer had great
villains!. . .(and
playmates)

Puppose you were standing in If your name was Peter Parker, super-hero named SPIDER-MAN!
your high school science class and however, you would probably As a young guy growing up,
all of a sudden this radioactive discover that the spider’s bite Peter Parker had enough troubles
spider dangles down and bites you! affected you in strange ways, ways just getting up for school every
What would you do? you wouldn’t have expected, let morning. Once turned into a
Well, you could jump around the alone believe. Besides giving you a web'-slinging super-spider though,
room yelling. or sit on the floor
. . good sized lump on your arm, the he found that, along with getting
MAGAZINE READER and kick. or .even grab
. a nip also transmitted the spider’s up for school and saving people, he
:e world knows by now.
IHICH SO AFFECTED THE newspaper (MT maybe) and go magnified strength to your frail, had to go up against some pretty
PETER PARKER'S BLOOD. after the spider for revenge. I know
I

<IM INTO THE AMAZING abused body. The result: a tough characters. Villains bent on
I could do all three. super-strong, super-sensitive both stealing the loot and getting

page 4
the best of Spider-Man.
Being a super-hero is not the
easiest job in the world— especially
when you get into it without the
benefit of prior experience. Just
when swinging from building to
building begins to feel like fun, in
flies the first of a long line of
powerful and
fantastically
unbelievably ugly villains — THE
VULTURE!
Now the Vulture wasn’t the
best-looking villain in the world. A
!
The Monster Times
skinny, bald-headed guy who wore in the sky.No matter how swift the
a fur collar and a green pair of Vulture was, he always wound up
wings, the Vulture glided through with a long jail sentence and a few
the skies of New York pulling off less feathers for his trouble.
daring daylight robberies. Spidey
originallywanted to make some LONG ARMS OF THE LAWLESS
spending money by getting a few
pictures of the old buzzard for J.
Another of the real weirdos
Spider-Man had to do battle with
Jonah Jameson (Publisher of “THE
BUGLE”’) but the two ended up was DR. OCTOPUS. As a scientist,
the good doctor invented a set of
tangling in several classic duels high
mechanical arms which he wore to
carry out radiation experiments.
Even though he was called “the
most brilliant atomic researcher,”
something went wrong with one of
his tests and a radiation blast
permanently fused the mechanical
arms to his body. His brain was also
BUGLE publisher damaged in the explosion and Dr.
Jonah Jameson
Octopus began entertaining
never misses a
chance, for some
thoughts of becoming “the
unknown reason, SUPREME human being on earth.”
to bad mouth poor Heck, with six arms he had a head
Spidey in print. start on everyone else anyway
But Jonah's Although his mechanical arms
adverse editorializ-
ing pales in
gave Doc Ock (as Spidey
comparison to the affectionately called him) a definite
devious aggres- advantage over Marvel’s web-headed
sions of the Green hero, they also proved to be his
Goblin, considered
continual downfall. If the extra
by many to be
Spider-Man's most arms were not getting tangled up
formidable foe. with each other, or getting trapped
under fallen debris, .then they
proved to be quite clumsy wher
The Monster Tfrties
page 5

fighting with the quick moving There also was the KANGAROO.
Spider-Man. Needless to say, It does not take much to realize
though, Doc Ock has never been that here was a guy who could
soundly defeated by Spidey and jump like he was the entire Los
keeps coming back for more hand Angeles Laker basketball team
to hand to hand to hand combat. rolled into one.When asked how he
The fact is, just like Dr. Octopus, obtained his unique ability to leap,
most of Spider-Man’s foes make a the Kangaroo replied, “I lived in
number of return visits each year. kangaroo country—eating what
Some of them come back for they ate— going where they
personal satisfaction, some return went— working, training!” He
for more thievery and others jumped all over New York, but
reappear because they are just plain finally tired and Spidey shipped
stupid! Take SANDMAN for him off to the stockade, where we
instance. Here is a guy who has the hear he’sstill keeping on his toes.

ability to change his body into The mad but brainy Doc Ode also has six arms to play around with,
movable sand at will, but has MORE MONSTERS, MADMEN but they never reach out in friendship when Spidey is around.

trouble just counting to ten. Each AND MISCELLANEOUS

time he comes up against Spidey MEANIES helmeted uniform which made him background and special talents.
they slug it out for a few pages,
MYSTERIO was another of appear to be something from outer Possibly the greatest villain
then Spider-Man tricks ol’ Sandy
Spider-Man’s unusual enemies and space. Spider-Man has ever faced,
into standing in front of a vacuum
he was just what his name Despite all his special effects and however, was the GREEN
cleaner or something and it is all
implied, a real mystery. As a former clouds of smoke, Mysterio could GOBLIN. The Goblin was just what
over.
special effects man for television not stand up to more than a few his name implied, a green, impish
Likewise, THE RHINO, an ugly
and motion pictures, he specialized Spider-Man punches. Their first goblin who flew around on what
dude dressed up in a rhinoceros suit battle scene is perhaps one of the
in monster and science fiction looked like a jet-propelled vacuum
and weighing in at what must have most spectacular in all of comics cleaner. Believe me, the Green
been a couple of tons. He did a costuming. One day he put his
talents to work imitating history. Spidey and Mysterio traded Goblin was a first-class
great job of crashing through walls
Spider-Man (costume, webbing and blows while hopping across an freak—always laughing and zooming
and stomping on the ground, but he outer space setting for a movie.
all) and going around committing around the sky. He possessed a sort
was no match for our favorite Jumping from planet to planet and
daring robberies. When that became of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
web-slinger. In fact, the Rhino was
too dangerous, running across a moon-like terrain complex, being a successful
a real dud as a villain. If he had any when
he designed was most effective, especially businessman part of the time
brains at all he would have latched consider Mysterio’s
his own you (whose son was Spidey ’s best
on with some football team as a
friend) and uncontrollably changing
fullback. He would have made a
into the Goblin during his off
fortune!
hours.
The pair have clashed many
times, but neither has ever actually
won a contest. Since the Goblin’s
problem was basically a
psychological one, in his impish
state he was reckless, carefree and
very cunning. His efforts were
directed at making a fool of
Spider-Man and totally defeating
him. Needless to say, Spidey had
his hands full. Certainly when the
time comes to choose the ten best
villains in all of comics, the Green
Goblin will be high in the running,
and might even zoom to the top of
the list.
LEAPIN' LIZARD!
Another of Spidey’s all-time
great villainswas the LIZARD. The
Lizard was well ... a lizard. He
. . .

lived in the depths of the Florida

Everglades and while not being
classified as one of the most
original of Spider-Man’s foes, he
certainly gave him some of his most
memorable battles. In reality, the
Lizard was Dr. Curtis Conners, a
one-armed chemist who was trying
to regain his lost arm by
experimenting with reptiles. Just as
a lizard regenerates his tail after it’s
been chopped off, Dr. Conners was
hoping to grow another arm by
drinking some special formula
prepared after a detailed study of a
lizard’s body chemistry.
Unfortunately (for Spider-Man),
Conners managed to grow another
arm, but, as the result of an
unforeseen side effect, he also
changed into a man-sized lizard.
The Lizard, complete with his
horde of alligators, was not going to
let anyone stand in his
way—including Spider-Man.
During their numerous meetings,
Spider-Man faced a definite
disadvantage. He did not want to
harm the poor, demented Dr.
Conners, even in his Lizard state,
yet staying out of the way of the

Continued on page 25
 .

page 6 The Monster Times

So
Sometimes even the most
ludicrous monster movie can
provide hours of mindless but
exciting entertainment if you and What's wrong with this picture?
your fellow popcorn munchers play Everyone remembers those
that thrilling game “Spot the drawings in the papers and comics
Goof.” The game is great fun, is that asked you to identify the
open to fans of all ages, and mistakes contained within them, to
involves no dice, spinners, or be sure, but how many of you can
loseable plastic parts. All it takes is play the same game of
a sharp, steady eye—one that rushes Spot-the-Goof in monster movies?
in to look where even professional There are plenty to be glimpsed by
film editors fear to tread. sharp-eyed fans, and you don't have
Just turn on the tube and go. to be the Man With the X-Ray Eyes
One eagle-eyed fan may be the first to catch them. Here's John Parnum
to spy the zipper on the to give you an introductory lesson
extraterrestrial dress worn by one . . . always this in how to spot. . .

of the FIRE MAIDENS FROM MYSTERIOUS ISLAND!

OUTER
Another might
SPACE, for example.
chance to notice
Couldn't v
someplace else this year? THE AMAZING
that beneath the straggly fur
coverings of the Neanderthal
in Monogram's
APE MAN a fine pair of
RETURN OF THE
20th
man
COLOSSAL
century “BVD’s” may be observed.
Still

easily
another will marvel at the
unashamed prominence of the
guide wires pulling the model
planes who are in pursuit of THE
GIANT CLAW, or the clear view of
the hills on the horizon that can be
seen
superimposed
through a badly
AMAZING
iM) BY JOHN E. PARNUM

COLOSSAL MAN. Of course, fluffs

like these can be spotted in any
Grade-Zilch flick; they are
born of cheap budgets, created
technicians who obviously don't
jU
care movies designed to appear
briefly at drive-ins and then to be
immediately exiled to local TV film
vaults. But how many of you have
gasped at monstrous- mistakes that
have tainted famous quality films?

BEASTLY BLUNDERS
For instance, anyone who has
watched JASON AND THE
ARGONAUTS, VALLEY OF
GWANGI, or SEVENTH VOYAGE
OF SINBAD knows that Ray
Harryhausen is a perfectionist when
it comes to trick photography. Can

you imagine how the Master of

Miniatures felt while viewing the
following scene from
MYSTERIOUS ISLAND: After the
balloon-downed group has landed
on the uncharted island, they
decide to climb a mountain, the
better" they might explore the other
side of same. Approaching the top.
Mistakes, in fact, continue to pop up all over the place . . . even in TMT. A case in point is the
caption describing the photo at left. What is the invisible "goof" referred to? Even don'tWE
know, ... but the Shadow, do!

the cameraman utilized a long shot be?? Yes, it is!! His ghostly figure is
to emphasize the loneliness of the clearly reflected in a large mirror!
‘ininhabited’ island, and what do And everyone knows that all the
you suppose can be seen on the Universal Dracula films stress the
large screen darting behind a rock? idea that vampires cast no
A giant bee? A giant chicken? reflection.
Captain Nemo? No! A studio Sometimes a scatterbrained
technician, probably left over from editor will splice together clips of
the early days of television! film from parts of the movie that
ABBOT AND COSTELLO may have been shot on different
MEET FRANKENSTEIN is days in different places. This can
considered one of the comedy spell real trouble at times. Take the
team’s better efforts and was case of THE LAST MAN ON
roundly praised for its exciting EARTH, for example, when horror
visual effects. There’s one moment veteran Vincent Price walks out the
in the unlikely proceedings, door of house, strolls into the
his
however, that could make a garage in a sweater, and drives off
werewolf’s hair fall out from shock. in his car wearing the jacket again.
As Bela Lugosi stands in the The Continuity Department had a
hallway of Castle Dracula, can it lot to answer for after that one.
The Me page 7

audience roared to see the same

group of people sitting in the same HORROR
store listening to the same radio
prior to the approach
separate impending disasters
different movies!
One
of two

of the most colossal goofs of

in two COMICS
all time took place, surprisingly
enough, in Universal’s INVISIBLE
MAN. This early 30’s film was a
technical triumph with its intricate
trick photography . . . that is until time comes a collector's edition you must
the end when Claude Rains is have!
trapped in the barn by pursuing Great comix artists like WALLY
police. It has just started to snow WOOD, JACK DAVIS, FRANK
and, being naked, the invisible man FRAZETTA, AL WILLIAMSON! Stories
realizes that the time has come reproduced in Full Color! 23 horrifying
epics from the original comics! All the
when he must make a break for it.
old ads and editorials plus artist
He runs out and the police spot his
Studio brains embarrassed the Invisible Man to biographies! The Comics that caused all
such a drastic degree with their footage foul-ups footprints in the snow and open
the excitement way back when! These are
that the transparent one vowed he would never fire. The gross mistake on the part
the comics they wouldn't let you read!
be seen in a horror film again.
of the technicians, however, is the
fact that the footprints are made by im the lights and close the doors as
SCHLOCK FOOTAGE shoes . not naked feet! Hard to
. .
those FETID FOLKTALES of the 1?50’s THE MONSTER TIMES
Stock scenes of erupting believe that a goof like that—one _ P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea Station
bubble forth in FULL COLOR from the
| New Yorit, N.Y. 10011
volcanoes and fighting dinosaurs that is obvious to any naked witch's cauldron. A selection of the
and brontos that made
battling eye— could escape the notice of the greatest scare stories from HAUNT OF

all the way

their initial appearance filmmakers, but there it is, in black FEAR, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, and
back United
in Artists' ONE and white, and sometimes even in VAULT OF HORROR including a
. . .

rare unpublished TERROR TALE.

MILLION B.C. have cropped up in technicolor.
These stories will terrify you like they
almost a dozen low grade Like to learn more about famous
terrified a whole generation of readers!
science-fiction films since and are and infamous flick fluffs? We invite
"EC HORROR COMICS OF THE
almost a welcome relief from the you, the reader, to send in the ADDRESS _
1950's" features a fantastic collection of
tedious troubles of the casts and movie mistakes and eerie errors that terror stories plus the original ads for CITY
plots of a KING DINOSAUR or a you’ve spotted—you can be sure MAD, artistbiographies and more! From
TWO LOST WORLDS. Even the we’ll show’em here. And also the comic book company that brought
highly original George Pal used remember to watch these pages for readers the finest horror stories of its

stock footage in his award-winning SON OF THE AMAZING

movies, WHEN WORLDS COLOSSAL GOOF (with a cast of
COLLIDE and WAR OF THE 1,000’s) soon to appear in a future
WORLDS. But when these two edition of THE MONSTER TIMES.
films were reissued together on a There’ll be no mistake about
double bill in the late ’50’s, the THAT, at least.

GIANT BGCOLOR
 .

page 8 Times

Good news is in the works for

ARRIVAL OF
grounded science-fiction fans! CBS THE ARRIVAL OF
will be hosting a brand-new sci-fi
TV series called UFO, scheduled to
be descending on your screens
sometime this Fall. Here to provide
all the intergalactic info on the
terror-oriented teleseries is Gary
Gerani, TMT’s ace tube reporter.
But first a special word of praise
goes, from the bottom of our
collective horrorific heart, to Abe
Mandell, President of ITC, whose BY
efforts have been largely
tireless
GARY
responsible for UFO's flight from
GERANI
Britain to the U.S. television screen.
And now, let's get on with the
show. . .

gpome this fall, the CBS syndication

market will be invaded by a friendly but

alien hour of fun. From the outer galaxies

and inner offices of ITC Productions
comes a startling new action-adventure
series about Unidentified Flying Objects
more titillating term,
"U.F.O.s". Yes,\TC, the British company
responsible fqr exposing SECRET
AGENT and freeing THE PRISONER for
our viewing pleaslre, has turned to the
skies for its tales lof tomorrow and has
also provided you lortunate readers witl Unidentified Flying Astronaut
an exclusive previ> swings through space on an important i
the sky-spy organization of the future.
with us if you will

not-so distant future!

and sensibility, that SHADO is a futuristic organization
It is 1980 and we\^y^standing dedicated to the study of strange flying world of the futtire is protected from
outside the internation^SieadquarterJ of phenomena. appears that in the late
It galactic perils by the dedicated men and
SHADO. Since mpix readers, 70's the presence of outer beings became women of SHADO, the spaced-out FBI of
seasoned 1972-tyfie folks, an accepted fact of life, and what's more, the 1 980's I
your obviou r befuddlement a constant danger to same. And so, our ONLY THE SHADO KNOWS
There is a lot, however, that the world
SHADO headquarters: fully equipped with
all the modern conveniences of the 1980's, does not know about our cosmic
including futuristic flying machines, invaders. Commander Edward Straker
way-out weaponry, intergalactic gadgets
(Ed Bishop), founder and leader of
galore, and even its very own MOONBASE.
Picture right here.
SHADO sees to that. Both he and his
right-hand man Alec Freeman (George
Sewell) have seen and experienced things
beyond imagining, things that might
agitate a world-wide panic if the good
citizens of this future earth were to learn
of them. With such terrifying visits from
the stars already underway, it's a darn
good thing we do have an organization
such as SHADO on our side! Why, its
complexities are enough to make James
Bond's headquarters resemble a candy
store! They even have their own
moonbase, commanded by lovely Gay
Ellis (Gabrielle Drake) who is always on
the alert for an alien attack ... or a
wolfish pass from man-about-planet Alec!

WORKING WITHIN THE SYSTEM

"Identified," the title of the first
episode filmed (and the only one this MT
reporter was fortunate to preview)
involves the kidnapping of several human
beings by aliens for dire purposes. What
 .

The Monster Times page 9

Under the ocean, along the sea, and into the far reaches of space,

SHAOO super-ship searches out undesirable UFO's wherever they happen to be.

these exact purposes are remains Judging from this first episode, it

somewhat of a mystery until, sometime seems logical to assume that UFO intends
later, a UFO is shot down and a body to explore some rather sophisticated
retrieved. Efforts to save the UFO pilot science fiction premises. Each chapter
are in vain, and almost as soon as the ends on a pondering note, and the exact
alien's helmet is removed, the nature of the aliens is never clearly
younger-looking features are transformed defined. But this does not slow down the
into those of an incredibly aged man. In pace of the stories one bit. They move
death, he gives up one of the secrets with a seemingly jet-propelled swiftness,
Commander Straker has been so anxious and the intricate headquarters of SHADO
to leam; that many of the alien's organs are more Ian Fleming in nature than Ray
are human. Bradbury. The music, too, adds to the going for it are its special effects. All the
miniatures are constructed and operated
What is the nature and origin of this cryptic craft? Only SHAOO knows for sure!
by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, who
formerly worked on TV's
THUNDERBIRDS and CAPTAIN
SCARLETT, as well as the recent British

film, JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE OF

THE SUN. The detailed construction of
the models is really something to marvel
at, and the optical effects are also well
above-average. The Andersons are usually
faced with the task of developing a flying
saucer of some sort, since the scripts
generally call for one to put in an
The commander surmises that a dying "spy-thriller" type of atmosphere, and,
appearance sometime during the hour,
race, in desperate need of replacement with all this coupled with intelligent sci-fi
and this gives them a chance to
organs from healthy people, have been concepts, the show's bound to be a
experiment with different way-out
finding their hopes of survival millions of winner.
techniques. There is one particularly
miles away on earth, by conducting raids
EFFECTIVE EFFECTS interesting sequence in the first episode,
in search of human organs to kidnap in
when a missile is launched from an
order to keep themselves alive. Wow! One thing the show definitely has
underwater installation and we see it

Flying sub pilot grips controls as strange

SHADO ship prepares to take off on a jolting
journey from sea to sky.

break through the surface and speed

toward space. This and many other scenes
demonstrate the breath-taking effects
work present in UFO.

SPECIALIZED FANTASY?

But if UFO has any real significance,

television-wise, it would hate to lie in its

basic premise. It appears that the age of

specialized fantasy on TV is upon us. Not
too long ago ABC and Universal got
together and produced THE SIXTH
SENSE, the world's first teleseries dealing
with ESP and psychic phenomena. Next
fall, NBC intends to look into the world
of spirits with GHOST STORY. And
now, at last, we are invited into the

mysterious universe of UFOs.' Just goes to

show ya what imaginative minds the
American TV watchers must have.
Hmmmmmm. . .

Well, it's just about that time again

folks, as another MT exclusive draws to

its close. We hope your little visit into the

future proved interesting, and if it proved

too interesting, well, the future's only
three-and-a-half months away! At that
time it'll be your job to keep this

space-opera way up there on the ratings,

so remember gang, UFO is there . . . but

only if you care!
page 10 The Monster Times

order rare and hard-to-get books about monsters, comics, ask you to state age when purchasing. Don t b(

pulps, fantasy and assorted betwitching black sundries, the formality, the pulsating Post Office isn’t.

ALTER EGO 10. A

professionally done fanzine
heavily oriented to articles.

Covered are such subjects as Gil

Kane, Joe Kubert (and Tor), and
Comic Conventions. Well chosen
art and photos accompany the
text. $1.50

SCREEN FACTS 23/24 (double

issue). This is a prize for horror
film fans. The entire issue (50 +
pages) consists of magnificent
full-page from Universal
stills

horror films. Look again at

Karloff, Dwight Frye, Rondo
Hatton, and many grisly others.

PORT OF PERIL by Otis

Adebert Kline. A hard-cover
re-issue of a famous
science-fiction novel located on
Venus. Of special interest are the
four illustrations by J. Allen St.
FUJITAKE. A thin 16-page Denis Fujitake, an artist of the John, one of the great masters of
KIRBY POSTERS. The gods of Baldiur, Honir) booklet (8% x 1 1 ) featuring the Jeff Jones-Bemi Wrightson fantasy art.
Jack Kirby's new pantheon, four Kirbycolor, on 11 gothic black-and-white style of I
school. -i $1.00

of them (Heimdall, Sigurd, Good stock.

DIG YOUR OWN GRAVE. Rob]

Macintyre is a Canadian artist

who is young and very talented.

His work is collected in a series

of 21 full-page drawings done in
a textured, dramatic, and
stylized manner. Startling BOGARTS FACE Hardcover 5" x
7" book containing nothing but
portraits of Patrick McGoohan
Bogie in his various moods. Photos of
(the Prisoner), Jimi Hendrix, Jim him as a convict, or trench-coated, or
Morrison, and fantasy themes. tough or dapper. Published at $3.00.
$2.50 Now at a bargain half-price
$1.50

THE OLD ABANDONED WAREHOUSE iKTS,

The proverbial Old Abandoned Warehouse house Enterprises presents the most AWEful. NOTE: Add 20< postage and handling per
which you've heard about in so many comics, AWE-inspiring AWEsome AWEtifacts AWEvail- item for orders totalling less than J20.00.

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COMIC BOOKS IN AMERICA. history of the field. Thoroughly —ALTER EGO 10 $1.50
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 The Monster Times

Summer fever is an occupational

risk run by comic fans everywhere
when the hot months give rise to
comics conventions all over these
united states, and the pleasurable
plague has taken its toll on TMT
staffers as well. Here to provide
some fascinating • info on the
backgrounds and history of
comicons is one of TMT's very own
comic mavens, M.C. Kichards, who
can always be found in the front
row of every comics event
sharpening his scores of pencils in
the vain hope that someone,
. somewhere, will one day ask for his
autograph.

Sa
I tacks and stacks of really old comic
books! Famous artists who created the
superheroes of yesterday’s Comic Book
Golden Age, chatting with young and
talented artists of today who continue
the colorful fables of costumed heroes!
Dealer after dealer selling (and showing
off) rare old 1930’s and 1940’s issues of
BATMAN, CAPTAIN MARVEL, and
CAPTAIN AMERICA!
What kind of pop paradise is this?
What hoarder’s heaven? What collector’s
cornucopia?
It might be in New York City, Miami,

Washington, D.C., or San Diego. It could

be Dallas or Houston or Atlanta or
Detroit. It was, in fact, all these cities,
spanning the nation coast to coast, North
to South. But in each case the event was
the same— a convention of comic book
collectors!
Since 1964, the phenomenon of comic
book fans’ conventions has mushroomed.
Early in that year, Bemie Bubnis, a Long
Island youngster with access to a
mimeograph machine, a germ of an idea,
and the use of a union meeting hall in
Manhattan (for a token payment), sent
out a notice to everyone whose address
he could find. In essence, the notice said
that there
meeting
comic
would be
place
art.
for
Bemie went so
the
a "COM ICON,"
aficionados of
far as to have
a A FAN’S TREK THROUGH
buttons made up and blue on

CONIC BOOK CONVENTIONS

(in red
white) which read New York Comicon
1964. Refreshments (a case of soda) were
donated by a New York mail order comic
book dealer. Guest star was Tom Gill, an by M.C. KICHARDS
who had for quite some time done
artist
the LONE RANGER strip. His chalk talk
and amusing anecdotes were the high spot Kaler, as a function of the Academy of
of the day, which lasted from noon to Comic Book Fans and Collectors, a sort
5:00 p.m. Altogether, some 50 or 60 fans of has-been and never-really-was
took part in this germinal venture in fan organization. Because of static
gatherings. It was the first of a series of somewhere along the lines of
New York gatherings that increased in communication, people believed
other
sizeand structure every year. Kaler would not hold a convention that
In 1965 a convention was held in the year. Therefore, with John Benson taking
flea-bag Broadway-Central hotel, on the chores, another convention was
complete with hot and cold running held the same year, this one at the
roaches. This sleazy affair opened things Park-Sheraton. Each convention drew
up a bitby adding space and about 250 people, and each had strong
pre-advertising. Maybe 150-200 met and claims to success.
mingled. This time there was organized In 1967, Kaler and the Academy held
selling, dealers having recognized a good their last convention, drawing nearly 300
thing when they tripped over it. One of people. In that year, comics fandom also

the dealers was young Jim Steranko, who got a taste of their first rip-off
tacked up on the wall a number of his convention. Held by a and
callous
original characters. Jim went to work for incompetent minor "publisher at a grimy
Marvel on the CAPT. AMERICA and YMCA, it was a grab the money and run
NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD hurting good people who had been
affair,

strips, as well as hitting the top of the faked out about the “honorable”
paperback book cover field with his intentions of the “host.”
paintings. The Broadway-Central was a In 1968, a newly organized corporate
rough beginning, but it began a new style group staged the convention that elevated
of convention: the glorious marketplace, comicons to a new level, the
a bazaar of high-temptation goodies INTERNATIONAL Convention of Comic
which were worth coming to see! Art. Held at the Statler-Hilton hotel, it
By 1966, the Comicon had moved to was a coming-of-age party for comics
the City Squire Motor Inn, (since sold to fandom. An astonishing 750 attended the
the Red Chinese Delegates at the U.N.).
The gala that year was held by Dave Continued on page 30
 HE CAME
BACK FROM
THE DEAD
FOR REVENGE!
. . . with Nine
Diabolical Curses . . .

BEES . . . BATS
BEASTS . . . BLOOD
FROGS HAIL . . .

LOCUSTS . . .

DARKNESS . . .

DEATH!
thing* »e 90

beneath his plastic face, and the Isaac Asimov is a good author of any of the greatest of the warlords, the Mule.
What famous said the following during a recent Cryonics
scientist eerie ballrooms. Aided by the loudspeakers which transmit his kind and in my opinion one of the The Mule is a mutant. A strange
voice to the world. Then, flinging greatest authors of science-fiction. A very creature, he derives his power from his
Convention: "It not such a wise policy. Doctor, to start giving the Dead
is mysteriously beautiful Vulnavie
(Virginia North), Phibes determines down his mask he reveals his true productive writer, he has turned out great intelligence and hismutant ability,
ideas!" Well, if you dpn't know the answer to that one, don't feel too bad. more than one hundred books on topics the power to read and control men’s
But if we should ask you who gives off the worst phibes in the world, you to send each doctor to his or her image, that of nothing more than
ranging from anthropology and biology minds telepathically. No one knows what
should be able to come up with the answer without a moment's hesitation: doom by implementing the ten the face of death itself ... a human to the study of words. However, know he really looks like, or what his true goals
I

curses of the Pharoah found in the skull! (In a film with few flaws, and ambitions are. His alien and
the ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES, of course. And, for his legions of fans, the him best as a science-fiction writer and
Old Testament. this last scene is a pinnacle of my favoritework or rather set of works is fascinating abilities enable him to find
case history of the doctor is given, right down to the last demented detail.
Phibes' rather demented scheme disappointment. The face of Phibes, his classic FOUNDATION TRILOGY. Foundation and bring it under his
created by. Trevor Crole-Rees is This a series of three novels, control. He soon finds, though, that Hari
isn't noticed by British police is

and initially. is not until Detective about as horrifying and as realistic FOUNDATION, FOUNDATION AND Seldon foresaw this and created a Second
R>r some odd reason, of late, most imaginative settings It
EMPIRE and SECOND FOUNDATION. Foundation in another part of the galaxy,
awful films whimsical plot twists seen in some Inspector Trout (Peter Jeffrey) and as those displayed in Woolworth's
mediocre or just plain These books are so smoothly and closely its location also a secret. The Mule
his assistant Sergeant Schenley during Halloween season.)
of horror/science fiction have been time on American screens. Briefly, linked that when they are discussed they realizes he must find it to insure his
hailed as minor masterpieces. A few the story traces the efforts of Dr. (Norman Jones) find Phibes’ second Vesalius finds his son strapped to
are always taken as a whole, and referred complete domination of the universe and
victim,Dr. Dunwoody, (Edward an operating table beneath a spiral to as the TRILOGY. Each of these novels
years back movies like NIGHT OF Anton Phibes (Vincent Price), a desperately attempts to do so. His efforts
Burnham) ripped apart by bats do tube of acid. Phibes tells the
THE LIVING DEAD, THE rich mechanical genius and former
similar case but a surgeon that the acid will drip
is a gem but taken together they are more

precious than the Hope Diamond to

and the efforts of others to find the
Second
ANDROMEDA STRAIN, and vaudevillian, in his bizaire vendetta they recall a Foundation, its location and
fortnight earlier wherein the victim down onto the boy’s face if he is someone who is a reader of science-fiction. eventual completion of Seldon’s plan and
NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS against the members ot a surgical
Basically the TRILOGY traces 1000 the true nature and appearance of the
been booed the team he believes to responsible for was literally stung to death by not unlocked from the table.
would have off years of future history dealing with the
the death of his wife, and in a swarms of bees. While police search Vesalius has six minutes to recover
screen by anyone with a working fall of the galactic Trantorian Empire, the
roundabout way, for the car for clues, Phibes stalks a new the key . which has been
. .

IQ in the plus column. Well, since rise of the Foundation and the eventual
accident which left him horribly victim. Meeting his target, Dr. implanted by Phibes next to the
either IQ's or films have gone establishment of a new galactic
Hargreaves (Alex Scott) at a boy’s heart.
downhill lately, a few quality works scarred. Hiding his face behind a civilization. What we see here is the SECOND
waxen image, Phibes plots the masquerade ball, Phibes presents the Operating quickly, Vesalius end-point in a scheme of history set up
have been allowed to slip into
unwary MD with a face mask removes the key barely time.
cinematic limbo, one of the latest
demise
Vesalius
of head
(Joseph
surgeon
Cotten)
Dr.
and shaped like the head of a giant frog. Inspector Trout and company burst
in by Asimov when he first started writing
sci-fi in the late 1930's. Most of Asimov’s
FOUNDATION
being American International's
When donned, a tiny mechanism in takes place somewhere
Isaac Asimov
into Phibes' house of horrors in time science-fiction
THE ABOMINABLE DOCTOR associates.
the head-dress causes the neck to to find Vulnavia partaking
an in along this imaginary stream of time he
PHIBES starring Vincent Price. Set in the early thirties, Dr.
contract, crushing the head inside unexpected acid shower and Phibes has created and are integral parts of
For one reason or another, Phibes’ abode is a Caligari-like Asimov’s universe of the future. Other of
to a pulp. diving into a coffin built for two.
PHIBES has escaped the attention structure brimming with early A PEBBLE IN THE
Several steps behind- Phibes are Lying next to his long dead wife,
his great novels like
of most. This Nicholson-Arkoff cinema house designs, mechanical now SKY, THECURRENTS OF SPACE and
the police, who have Phibes is automatically embalmed
collaboration boasts some of the dolls, over-sized music boxes, and
discovered that all those murdered THE CAVES OF STEEL show the
and a giant slab drops into place developments in this future culture which
above the couple entombing them lead to the creation of the Trantorian
were, at one time or another, Attempting to get at his victims forever. The curse of darkness has Empire, the fall of which is the start of
connected with Dr. Vesalius.
on a more personal level, Phibes been reserved for Phibes himself. this fantastic trilogy. These novels are not
Leaving the Inspector to ponder THE ABOMINABLE DOCTOR
kidnaps Lem Vesalius (Sean Bury) merely dusty history books of the future,
over theories, Phibes corners Dr. PHIBES, of
the son of the chief surgeon, in piece
a solid fantasy, they are exciting adventures as well.
Longstreet in his plush living room order to lure Vesalius Sr. to his lair. served as a vehicle marking the The central theme of the trilogy
and drains the aristocratic gent Once confident the doctor is in his return of Vincent Price to the realm concerns a great scientist, Hari Seldon
(Terry-Thomas) of his blood, power, Phibes reveals that he of the macabre after a sabbatical of who lived at about the time the
leaving behind a large clue to his Trantorian Empire is collapsing. He
indeed has escaped death in that nearly a year and a half. Price’s
plan in the form of a Hebrew discovers that with the fall 30,000 years
supposedly fatal car crash he happy homecoming has apparently
amulet. of barbarism, a new dark age, will occur
experienced while rushing to his launched a sequel to be filmed this
From the letters carved on the unless someone takes steps to preserve
dying wife’s side. He demonstrates year. All Phibes fans need not the worthwhile things of the human
jewelry, police unlock the key to the extent of his injuries by worry, the good doctor will be culture and prevent them from being
the murderous pattern found in the showing Vesalius the electric making house calls in his own swept up and forgotten in the confusion
biblical curses and surmise that as sockets attached to his vocal chords special fashion again soon. ' that must follow the disastrous
mutant Mule are deliciously exciting
yet unused are the curses of rats, elements of the TRILOGY which will
dissolution of imperial Trantor. He I

hail, locusts, beasts, first born and
darkness. But before the police can
act, Phibes, with the help of a small
piece of electronic wizardry, traps
Dr. Hadgepath (David Hutchinson)
in his car and exposes him to a
man-made hailstorm, transferring
the white haired gentleman into a
white skinned popsicle, of the
flavor homo sapiens.
The curse of the bite on
rats puts
Dr. Kitjag (Peter Gilmore)
in the
cockpit of his plane where he is
surprised by a few dozen rabied'
passengers. Helplessly strapped to
his pre-war air machine, Kitjag is
devoured in a scene that makes
WILLARD look like
MOUSE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY.
leave to the reader to discover for
After an absence of a year and a half. Crowned King of Horror Vincent Price develops a method of predicting the
himself.
showed up on screen-to the dismay of the pallid pretenders to his throne. future, called psycho-history and uses this
to create a planet of scientists and
The FOUNDATION TRILOGY is
loaded with strange, eerie and beautiful
teachers along with great computer
people and planets, spine-tingling
libraries of all of man's knowledge on the
adventure and suspenseful, imaginative
fringe of the galaxy called Foundation.
plot twists. What makes it a great series of
By establishing Foundation he hopes to
novels however is that Asimov has taken
cut short the dark age to only 1000 years.
these enjoyable ingredients and created
He periodically advises the Foundation
during times of crisis by appearing by
three books linked together to lead a
way of pre-taped messages to the people stjmluating, dramatic and somehow
when computers satisfying and fulfilling conclusion. The
of Foundation decide a
hand. This may sound pretty
crisis is at
great ending of SECOND FOUNDATION
boring but this is the framework of an
tops off the trilogy which was held
together by Hari Seldon's psycho-history
exciting set of adventures. The
and the attempt to preserve civilization in
Foundation becomes an important and
the galaxy. The Trilogy tops off
itself
powerful force, politically, militarily and
Asimov's works wljich are all part of the
economically in the galaxy after the fall.
Seldon’s advice and the gifts of events leading up to the collapse of the
MICKEY knowledge and technology he gave the Trantorian Empire and the development
Foundation soon make it a force to of the Foundation. The FOUNDATION

An apparent animal lover, Phibes contend with. The scientists, great TRILOGY is considered by all readers of
science-fiction to be a great classic
is not through yet. Dr. Whitcomb captains and merchant/pirate princes of
masterpiece. will go one step further.
(Maurice Kaufman) Foundation carve out a large sphere of I I

is literally believe it is the greatest series of novels

influence and indirectly spread and
stapeled to a wall through a ever written in science-fiction. heartily
maintain civilization in the shattered I

head-first encounter with a brass recommend the TRILOGY to anyone

galaxy. Their power and the jealously
unicorn catapulted through a guarded secret of the location of
interested in sci-fi or to anyone who
doorway and the bones of pretty wants to read a fascinating books
set of
Foundation arouse the envy of the other
Nurse Allen (Susan' Travers) are. with plenty of weird people, places and
warlords who have sprung up among the
things and lots of thrilling adventure.
found in her bed, picked clean by ruins of once mighty Trantor. The
ravenous locusts. Foundation eventually runs too far afoul Joseph Thomasino
 i

page 14 The Monster Tithes1

SPIDER MAN COPYRIGHT 1972 BY MARVEL COMICS GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Spider-Man is a legend. In the ten rather than the travails of a concerns of the young so well that have assumed the duty of keeping
or so years of his existence, he's fictional character. Spider-Man became synonymous Spider-Man part of the young
proven to people that But they weren't. The original with the youth of America. scene. Their ideas will determine
super-powered humans can have creators, Stan an ebullient,
Lee, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko have the future of America's most
problems, too. Spidey, as his fans quick-talking and Steve
writer, left Spider-Man, but the character troubled super-hero, Spider-Man.
affectionately call him, has become Ditko, a almost secretive
quiet, has not basically changed. Lee has In this special Monster Times
artist, were not young. Both were given way to Gerry Conway, a interview, Gerry Conway and John
a folk hero to the college-aged
people of this country. His comic veterans who felt the need to young man in his early twenties, Romita discuss the trials and
problems are their problems, his introduce an element of realism who's already a veteran comic tribulations of working for comics,
desires are their desires. One would into comic books. And while they scripter. Ditko left John Romita in and more specifically, the work
think that the writers and artists couldn't draw on their own his wake. Romita i» a balding, that goes into creating the
were writing of their own experiences, they simulated, th e average-looking man who is a wonderous wall-crawler himself,
experiences, their own anxieties. proven professional. Together they Spider-Man.

“Look, in the sky...

it s a bird ! . . it s a plane!
This here guy is friendly
neighborhood Spider-Man #47
He was photographed by staff
photographers as he casually
dimbed the sheer walls of
...NOL.rrs...
the MONSTER TIMES
building. Spidey's feats of
dgrring-do have been written
and drawn by many folks.
Stan Lee. Roy Thomas and
current scripter Gerry
Conway have supplied the
stories, while Steve Ditko,
GilKane and now Johnny
Romita (who drew this
Spidey) have handled the
artistic chores. Popular
man. that fellow! Conversation with Spider-Man artist, John Romita
by Gerry Conway, Spider-Man writer.

John Romita flashes the smile that caused other Marvel staffers to dub him Jazzy Johnny. The
shirtdoesn't hurt either. Here he takes time off 'to pose in his Long Island home. Behind him
are countless issues of Marvel comics, and one copy of THE NEW GODS published by the
competition. Hmmm . John had better watch out-Spidey's spying on his carefree creator
. .

and he's not going to like him reading the competition. . . .

MARVEL
COMICS

“When Stan started

to add reality to
super-heroes,
adding real things
to their lives,
I he office at Marvel Comics has a
he also brought in
warm look; it seems like the sort of place
the real world, and
where people can sit around talking,
started a chain
working, generally having a good time.
reaction which gets
And it is. Posters on the wall—
a little bit hairy
them of the many Marvel heroes, the
at times, because
most prominent being the great green
we don’t know
Hulk and a life-sized Spider-Man— where to stop.”
cartoons and character sketches, cover
proofs, deadline schedules, artwork,
chickens— the usual paraphernalia of a
busy office. And tucked off in a corner
next to a paper sheer, sandwiched
between his drawing board and a
pegboard wall covered with his favorite
Spidey illustrations, sits the man
responsible for the Web-Slinger’s current
direction— Jazzy John Romita himself.
Well, the Jazzy part's a nickname of
Stan Lee's, and like many of Stan's
nicknames, it’s meant more for its

affection than its appropriateness. John is

a man in his middle

middle age, a
pleasant-faced, draftsman who
stocky
always seems to be smiling— if he's not
 . —

The Monster Times page T5

looking guilty about a missed deadline. If from that conversation I worked out the t me, Gerry Conway, writer
you're new to Marvel comics, John sticks of Spider-Man and other assorted
idea of this article—which follows,
masterpieces to do an interview in
out like a sore thumb— usually, he and his without any further ado. this rag. You're crazy!" Perhaps!
inking assistant, Tony Mortellaro, are the . but after offering Gerry a
. .

only ones in the office wearing both a free sub, and a date with
shirt and tie. Sometimes people wear CONWAY: John, how long have you Vampirella ... he finally yielded
but no been working in comics, anyway? i our wishes and did the interview.
shirts, ties; other times . .

I met John two years ago, when

first
ROMITA: I've been in it since 1950, and
Stan asked me to work up a few Fantastic before that, in photography for about

Four plots to help the new FF artist get three years, advertising, commercial
into the book— which was like asking a work. I did recruiting posters in the Army
blind man to help a professional brain
while I was still doing comics, and since
surgeon. The plots were mostly 1950, I've been doing comics almost
a test of
exclusively.
my story ability, and as such, they must
have proved something, because shortly CONWAY: Do you prefer working in
comics? I know that many artists do
after I received my first full-book
more commercial work, because it pays
assignment. Daredevil, a book I've written
somuch more
to this day. As stories, however, they
ROMITA: was I probably typical— for
didn't work so well— neither of them was
the first five or six years I was in comics,
ever used— but they introduced me to the
was
it just a temporary thing, a stepping
quiet-spoken artist I now work with every
month. It was quite an introduction,
“I think we had
John picked my brain, and I picked his,
a turning point
and for the first time, I saw what it was
with the drug
like to work with a truly inventive
issues. We proved
story-teller; the man is, literally, a
something. That
comic-book genius. Working with him is
we can make a comic
like running behind a train— you keep
exciting, and sell books
trying to catch up, but it's always just a
..and serve a purpose.”
little bit beyond you-until suddenly it's
off in the distance, drawing further away
with each triumphant chug! stone— always envisioning going into money— more steady money, maybe not titles— Sub-Mariner, The Human Torch,
Shortly after was assigned the
I advertising, or magazine illustration, with as much big money, for in illustration and Captain America. So did a short I

scripting chores on Spider-Man, John and comics as only a stop-gap, a way to make you make a lot of big money for short Captain America feature in Young Men,
I got together for a chat about the money— and then suddenly realized
I I periods, and then for a time, no money at for about three or four issues, and then
characters, the story-line, the direction didn't need the other stuff. It was more all. I figured it would even out. Stan decided to go for a full book, and I

the book had taken, and the direction we trouble than it was worth— the dealings, CONWAY: During the fifties you drew did it— it didn't run very long— less than a
hoped we could make it go. John, who's the running around—talking to art Captain America for Timely, didn’t you? year.
been in comics since 1950, directors, which is all a waste of ROMITA: Right. Before that, did some I CONWAY: So until the sixties, you
told me some interesting time. And realized, that with war books, some westerns, a little
I
didn’t really have much contact with the
things about himself comics, I could get just as much romance work. And suddenly' they comic book super-hero.
and his relation to gratification, and steady revised a few of the super-hero
the Spider-Man
Continued on page 18
character, and
 Our marvelous shot of
Spidey and the Green Goblin page

was drawn by Gil Kane and

was originally done for an 16
issue of Spider Man a couple
of months ago The wall
crawling paraphernalia was
drawn by Spidey's original
artist. Steve Ditko

LOSING TOUR
GRIP,
SPIDER-MAN?.

The

it HAD
TO Monster

HAPPEN- Times

1 PLANNED
IT THIS WAY?

One of Spider-Man s most valuable assets is As any Spider-Man reader knows, 1. As a thirv Never fear,
his clinging ability! Like a giant human Spidey's web-shooter is worn at his wrist incredibly group, as bad
spider, his hands and feet support him and activated by the slightest touch strong line .

against the pull of gravity as as it looks for

though they of his finger upon the super-sensitive '

have thousands of tiny suction cups! the old Wall-

Crawler, with
No matter how smooth a surface may
all those marvelous
be . no matter how high, or how
. .

electrode located on life- saving devices

precarious it may be, any area that an
the palm of his hand! he'll live to crawl
actual spider can cling to can also support another day.
the amazing teenage adventurer! As for the
S. Green Goblin,
,
well . . .

Inasmuch as his 2. As a fine,

webbing is his most potent \ quick-spreading
weapon, the masked adventurer \ spray . .

always carries spare web-fluid

capsules clipped onto his ingeniously
designed utility belt!

3. Or as
a thick
tremendously
adhesive v/Nl
By adjusting liquid . . . !
the nozzle of his
web-shooter in one easy motion,
Spidey can eject his web fluid in any
one of three different ways. . .
page

17
 I I

page 18 rimes

SPIDER-MAN COPYRIGHT 1972 BY MARVEL COMICS GROUP. ,

ROMITA: Right. It was always my idea of what was happening with Stan’s
natural inclination, for in comic books I comics?
was a Kirby fan, and in syndication was I ROMITA: was completely uninformed.
I

a Caniff fan—so if I was working in No idea about the boom, about the new
comics, assumed
I I should work like trend, anything. didn't know what Stan
I

Kirby, and when I got a chance at was talking about when he started telling
Captain America, I became so excited I me.
tensed up— and it was really bad stuff. I CONWAY: How did you finally become
had dreams of getting loose and starting involved in the Marvel mythos? You seem
to do Kirby stuff, just pure, wild, to know as much about the characters as
Stan, or anyone. Possibly more.
out-of-the-panel Kirby action— and then
they dropped the book. And was back I
ROMITA: I remember the first time we
doing romance, and westerns— I was stuck had a long session— he really gave me
twenty-one guns, right in the face. He
in westerns for about two years. And I

threw everything at me— his whole

always had that urge, that desire to do
philosophy, his whole approach-1 took
super-heroes, but never got a chance.
my |ob through the Monster Times," bellows Johnny Romita as MT cameras caught him
I

all the Spider-Man books he could "I got

CONWAY: I know that at some point scrounge up, four-fifths of the in the act of pencilling another Spider-Man story. Notice the free standing light fixture John has
you shifted from the Timely-Atlas installed above his drawing board.
Spider-Man books he'd written-brought
Company (Marvel Comic’s old
them all home-and he said, "Hey, put in
publication name—Ed.) to National I didn't want to sweat. But somehow, he who the people are— but if you do, then
Periodicals. When was that, and why did a voucher— if you take three, four days,
lit a fire under me— against my own one reaction is going to be one way,
you make the move? read them all. Cover to cover. In case I

wishes. He started me enjoying telling a another reaction another way— and

ROMITA: In '57, when the bottom fell need you to do Spider-Man— want you I

story. Sohave mixed emotions about

I maybe you can build a story out of the
out— the Timely Books— they cut it to the to be prepared." I knew the handwriting
telling a story— dread it, but enjoy it.
I I I way everyone reacts. One little catalyst.
bone, to about three or four books, only was on the wall. I guess I got it from
find I'm
alive, where before was I He'd throw a villain at me, and by the
about one or two artists were kept those books, and from the discussions
dead— pretty lines, but no emotion, no time I'd leave his office, we'd have a
working, and was just told they didn't with Stan-those first four or five
I
life. That was one thing. The other was story. Like with Doc Ock. Once you get a
need me anymore— So went over to I
discussions were very impressive, to me.
the way he approached the books— he premise, everything into place-and
falls
National (I had done some romance job All those years, from '50 until 1965,
said, if a kid picked up the book, and is still with you and me.
falling into place,
pencils for them from time to time on the fifteen years, I was in comics— and except
few times that Stan and had gotten
flipped through it, and saw something he CONWAY: Speaking of that, what do
side), and at first inked a couple of for a I
I
liked— you've got him. Whatever it was, a you think will be Spidey’s direction jn
jobs— Mike Sekowsky, some Werner excited—with Captain America, and a
location, a picture that caught his the future, where we should go, what we
Roth— and the next thing knew was couple of western features— had never I

should try?
I I
eye— you've got him. So, okay, he'll buy
pencilling them, inking them, covers—
the book, and read it— maybe— or just
ROMITA: think we had a turning point
I

did the majority of the romance covers follow the pictures, whatever. He's going with the drug issues (two books featuring
for five or six years, I was the anchor man to enjoy the pictures. Other guys, who The Green Goblin, with a sub-plot about
in the romance line. I lasted there eight
get through the first three or four drug addiction, were published last

years, altogether.
pictures which may bother them— start to year.-Ed.). We proved something. That
CONWAY: When did you finally leave?
read the dialogue, and that grabs them.
we can make a comic exciting, and sell
ROMITA: Well, in '65, they had an
So it was a bi-level, or maybe even a books—and serve a purpose. don't like I

inventory back-up over at National in the to make ponderous points, but if the
multi-level book he was doing; it wasn't
romance department, so they told me done to appeal to just one age group, he opportunity appears to make some kind
they weren't going to be able to give me was writing dialogue which was much of parallel, or to point up some
work— and they wouldn't
steady even tell
deeper than a twelve year old could shortcoming in the world, or some
me how much they'd be able to give me,
understand, but he was doing stories shortcoming in people, we have a
at that. just walked out. couldn't take I responsibility to do so, just like a
I

which twelve-year olds could appreciate.

a chance— they said it might be as long as It was that multi-level story— and said, I
newspaper. When Stan started to add
six months. I called Stan, and he told me "Of course! Why hasn't anyone done this reality to super-heroes, adding real things

to come came over on a Friday

right up. I
before?" And just about that time, as it to their lives, he also brought in the real
afternoon, remember— and by the time
I I
really started to grab me, he put me on
world, and started a chain reaction which
left, he'd given me an Avenger's story to "Okay, Conway," says Spidey, "this is gets a little bit hairy at times, because
Spider-Man.
ali the things you've done
ink, and we were talking about my the payoff for
CONWAY: How would you and Stan you don't know where to stop. But we
to me. All my romance problems, my
pencilling Daredevil. work out plots for the Spider-Man book? can do more now-since the drug issue,
aunt with the 4000 heart-attacks, the
CONWAY: Wow. Quite a bit of public's hatred of me. Worst of all, you ROMITA: Most of the time he'd just fill we can do more than present a reflection.
confidence in you. can't even write. That this ." Conway . .
me in on what the characters were, what Maybe even suggest an avenue— or a
ROMITA: was
completely floored, is now resting peacefully in Mount Sinai direction-out. At least we can try to add
I

reallymade them tick. We'd spend the

Hospital with a fractured face ....
because I wasn't sure I'd even be able to plotting time thinking, what would something. » » »
do it anymore, was out of practice for I
so-and-so do, how would she react, what
As for myself, I can only echo John's
so long. He said, "Of course you can." would she say, how does he feel, and so
really become interested, really words. Comic books are only
There were some bad moments— the first
on. The plots would grow out of that. If entertainment, but they're a particularly
three or four pages were awful, not interested. was just a job. Just a plain
It

illustration. But this new approach of

you threw a pack of cigarettes onto a popular form of entertainment with
Daredevil at all. But eventually it worked
table in a room filled with people, th§re's
Stan's grabbed me— it was interesting. Continued on page 29
out.
nothing happening if you don’t know
CONWAY: In other words, when you CONWAY: That seems to have been the
went over to Marvel in 1965, you had no problem for a lot of artists and writers
before Stan came along, developing this from the abortive Spider-Man newspaper strip. The only place it was ever printed
This is a panel
We could have picked any Spider-Man cover in new idea— was in MARVELMANIA, a defunct Marvel fan Mag edited by TMT contributor Mark Evanier.
the world to reproduce for your enjoyment, ROMITA: It was aimless! No
but the marvelous Monster Times staff couldn't approach—we even had conferences up at
resist redubbing the story behind this cover
National, all the artists and writers and
THE ICEMAN COMETH.
editors would get together and discuss. It

was a very wise idea— but we never arrived

at anything, it was all nebulous.
Donnenfeld (the former publisher of
National Periodicals) used to say, he
thought the audience was
twelve-year-olds—one of my editors
thought they were sixteen years old,
another said ten— there was no sense to it.
CONWAY: So Stan came along and
decided the readership was pretty much
young adult—and was intelligent enough
to understand realistic, humanistic
problems.
ROMITA: There were two facets to the
approach. First, he said— no script. At

that, laughed— to heck with that. I'm not

I

going to know where to begin. He said,

"You'll love it," and said, "You’re I

crazy." took it home, and sweated—

I I

killed myself on that first Daredevil story.

He loved it. I'd thought he'd hate it, and

let me get back to inking. But he loved it.

 .

page 19 The Monster Times

TMT BACK ISSUE DEPT.

No. 10, Exclusive E.C.

Comics, $1.50 The Witches
revisited in an exclusive
interview. California's Snide
No. 1, Collector's Edition Seymour. E.C. in the movies.
(Kong, Etc.), $2. Monsterous
The E.C. Horror comics book.
premiere containing No. BRIDE OF The Spawn of Dr. Wertham
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DER GOLEM. Also, THE FRANKENSTEIN, features on issue, complete with giant
wouldn't believel
GHOULS, art by Berni THE PULPS, comic book's
Wrightson and Grey Morrow, a GREEN LANTERN-GREEN centerfold. The King Kong
review of THINGS TO COME ARROW, and E.C. movie, Commercial for Volkswagon,
and a special treatment of TALES FROM THE CRYPT. King Kong comics, the Comic
Buck Rogers. Plus the ten crumbiest horror Art Awards, Mushroom
flicks 1971, DRACULA
of Monsters, Hot Prints, DARK
goes to court and Jeff Jones DOMAIN by Gray Morrow
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NO. 11 PLANET OF THE

APES, $1 PLANET OF THE
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$2. A special issue dedicated Hemisphere's Blood movies,
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The Star Trek Saga, The No. 5, CREATURE, Featured. No. 8. HAMMER Horrors. $2. MONSTERS. Conan the
ENTERPRISE’S greatest SI. Auto-biography and All Hammer, All Horrorl An Conqueror thru the ages/
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review of the STAR TREK Beauties of the Beast and
con, ESQUIRE's new hip much more. Horror galore!
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No. 3, Giant BUGS on the

Munch, $1. Our all bugs issue.
Review of the great bug No. 6. ZOMBIES on Parade.
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Time is running out! That's right— back for a buck apiece . . . and going fast!
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rapidly becoming as rare as some of the TMT office clamoring for back issues . .

blood types they stock in a vampires' and lately we've noticed a number of
gourmet shop. Already our first two them carrying ropes, buckets of tar, and
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no wonder why. They're rare collector's of back issues, or they run us out of
items, and they're disappearing faster town, you'd better fill in the coupon
than a werewolf's sanity under a bright on the right ... do it, do it, do it!

full moon. All other back issues are going RIGHT NOW!
 , .

page 20 ;s*er Times

TMT Bloodbrother Buddy Weiss . . . GOOD TO THE VERY LAST DROP!

scrapes the very bottom of
Hemisphere Pictures' barrel of
blood in this the final installment
of our blood'n'gore festival. This
time he takes a look at BRIDES OF
BLOOD and BRAIN OF BLOOD
and it is his solemn promise that
these will be the very last of the
blood epics to befoul the otherwise
impeccable dignity of the pages
this publication. Let's hope so.

by Buddy

It’s that time again, gang, time to

return to Blood Island to follow the
further adventures of former Grade-B
teen idol John Ashley and the whole
bloody crew for their anemic encounter
with the BRIDES OF BLOOD. In this this point, the severed head and arm of a
one (which, chronologically, is actually native girl tum up, just to add a little
the FIRST of the Blood series, but who preliminary blood and gore to this
really cares?), Ashley essays the role of already slow moving film, which has been
Jim Farrel, Peace Corps worker and in “progress” for at least five minutes
freelance idealist. Accompanied by Dr. now.
Paul Henderson, himself a U.S. Right about here, John Ashley decides
Government naturalist (whatever the to take the invisible tape off his mouth
heck that might happen to be), and his
and become friendly with the beautiful
beautiful, voluptuous wife Carla, Ashley
Alam, since Carla is already married to
arrives on Blood Island to see what kind
Dr. Henderson, and those are the only
of terrible troubles he can manage to
two girls he knows on the island.
involve himself in.
Anyway, he explains that he and Dr.
As the ship docks, Ashley and friends Henderson are there to help the people of
are greeted by the saddened faces of the
Blood Island—to help in the construction
natives of Blood Island, who look like of a school house, health center, and
they have not only been touched by some possibly even a recreation area for blood
undisclosed tragedy but literally smacked monsters to enable them to channel their
in the face with it. Whether the roots of natural drives into worthier and less
this sadness lie in on- or off-screen
destructive outlets.
mishaps is not made clear but, at any
rate, two of the natives, an old man
named Arcadio and Arcadio’s -THE PLOT SICKENS—
granddaughter Alam, have disturbing tales
New and secret ingredients are now
to tell. As soon as the trio of Americans
tossed into this static horror stew. The
disboard the boat, they are informed by
Americans are invited to stay at the home
the native pair of some strange
of one Stephen Powers, a large landowner
occurrences that have been happening on
who occupies a huge mansion on the
the island,
island. Upon their arrival they are greeted
if all this
by a servant named Goto who looks
beginning to
something like a cross between Jackie
sound
Gleason and an ape (as does Mr. Gleason
familiar
you can
himself at times). On the way to the
mansion, though, a funny thing happens.
pass the
A plant whom Nature, in her infinite
rest of
Wisdom deemed should lead a motionless
this piece
life rooted in the good earth, begins to
on by
move. Upon closer inspection, Dr.
and
Henderson deduces that the bark is
definitely of the genus musa sapientum
but he is unable to figure out the whys
and wherefores behind its strange and
unnatural growth.
To make an overlong story as short as
possible, Henderson * finds something
resembling a roach, only one with horns
and fangs; Carla tries to have an affair
with the wealthy landowner Powers; the
trees and vines on Blood Island thwart
the evolutionary scheme by developing
tentacles, the better to entwine their
victims; and native virgins are being used
go and ruin your mind with one of our Island to investigate rumors of the sudden up at nothing less than an alarming rate as
more relevant articles). mutation of plant and animal life on the sacrifices to the strange monsters who
At any rate, moving seems that
on, it isle resulting from atomic testing now rule the proceedings with a sharp
Dr. Henderson has been sent to Blood activities in the nearby Pacific Ocean. At and iron claw.
 The Monster Times
nage 21

The star of the sacrificial rite set for trying to say is that Ashley asked the

the eveningin question is none other than natives for aid— Ed.) Having themselves

Alam, the native girl whom John Ashley nothing more pressing to attend to, and
issupposed to be in love with. At least no doubt becoming understandably bored
that’s what it says in the script. John by the proceedings, the natives agree to
heroically rescues the helpless Alam (she’s aid and abet Ashley in his cause. Armed

called Alam in the movie script, and Alma with his flareguns and torches, they
in the pressbook synopsis—not, as they manage to trap the poor monster in a
say, that it matters) only to discover that bamboo hut and set the highly

Dr. Henderson and Carla are missing. For combustible home afire. And the final

some strange reason, the pair had nothing scenes are filled with terror and laughs as
Forging on ahead, or behind,
better to do and so decided
that evening John tries to save Alam from both the
depending upon how you wish to look at
to take a walk into the jungle—a walk raging fire and the equally raging
we now take a glimpse at Hemisphere’s
it,
leading straight into the jaws of the monster. Since, as has been mentioned
blood release, entitled BRAIN OF
latest
monster who, like any self-respecting before, this happened to be thefirst of

the Blood Island films, John would at

BLOOD. The film stars ex-incredible
member of the monsters’ union (Blood
Shrinking Man Grant Williams, whose
Island Chapter), devoured them on sight. least have to succeed in saving himself to
equally incredible shrinking career has
At this point, Ashley is the sole surviving come back as Dr. Bill Foster in MAD
dwindled down to this, as well as Reed
American left on Blood Island, and one DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND and to
Hadley (older readers will remember him
of the few remaining “actors.” For a repeat that role in BEAST OF BLOOD. If
as Captain Braddock on the RACKET
moment, he attempts to imitate a mien of you want to find out about these films,
check out MT #11. If you want to find
SQUAD TV series in the 50’s) and Kent
sadness, a sadness born of the death of his
Taylor, formerly the star of TV’s
friends. Unfortunately, his attempts at out if Alam was saved and the monster
killed, then forget about eating that day
BOSTON BLACKIE series. Directed by
emoting fail to work and, if anything,
A1 Adamson from a script by Joe Van
Ashley almost appears to be quite happy (the Blood movies perform a great service
and go see Rodgers, BRAIN OF BLOOD shared a
to be, through the process of elimination, for weight- watchers, at least),
double bill with VAMPIRE PEOPLE.
the cinematic center of attention. BRIDES OF BLOOD at the seediest
Hemisphere’s copywriters really racked
theater in your town, for it is there,
MONSTER MASHED their own blood brains to come up with
if anywhere, that the flick will most
catchlines for the flick, ones that turned
John now remembers out to be real classics of the genre. A
that there is a job to BLOOD-DRIPPING BRAIN
be done, a monster TURNS A MANIAC
to be destroyed, and A MONSTER! reads one, which
he appeals to the natives
for help. (Actually he
“appeals” to no one,
and hasn’t in years.
What Buddy is
smacks of nit-picking to us, a maniac into
a monster being kind of a six of one, half
dozen of the other type transformation.
HE WAS A LEADER TO MILLIONS,
BUT HE BECAME A BEAST OF THE
NIGHT! is a bit more of a grabber, and
like
taglines BLOOD AND BRAIN
SERUM MIX IN A SPECTACLE OF
oHOCKING HORROR! and A
THINKING BRAIN IN A CURSED
CREATURE TURNS THE DARKNESS
INTO DOOM! also get heart felt MT
kudos for scaling new heights in campy
campaign crudity.
Anyway, to get right into the story,
BRAIN OF BLOOD begins with a
monstrous apparition named Gor stalking
around on a mission engineered by his
master, a mad doctor named Dr. Trenton
(Kent Taylor), to find healthy bodies to
drag back to the lab to serve as the
subjects of some not so healthy
experiments. Gor has only one eye, and
that is set in a face that only a drunken
surgeon with a weird sense of humor or a
monster’s mother could love—and even
she wouldn’t foist it on people outside
the immediate family. Gor breaks into a
girl’sapartment and she, not finding him
to her liking, screams. This
is not the first

time Gor has experienced just such a

negative reaction—which goes a long way
in explaining his decidedly hostile way of
dealing with the world around him.
At the same time this is going on, four
men are riding in a station wagon on their
way to Trenton’s lab. Bob Nigserian
(Grant Williams), a handsome young
doctor, and Mohammed, a not so
handsome old political leader, are sitting
in the front seat of that car, while two
hoods crouch in the back protecting a
coffin that happens to be lying there.
When they reach the lab they are ushered
in by a typical average run-of-the-mill lab
assistant dwarf named Dorro, who helps
them open the coffin and place its
contents— the body of Amir, leader (or
former leader) of an obscure Middle
Eastern nation—on the operating table.
Dr. Trenton explains to the small
gathering that he can revive the dead
Amir (Reed Hadley) by removing his
brain and storing it in a special blood
cycle refrigerator unit which will, through

Continued on page 26
page 22 The Monster Times
The Monster Times page 23
 .

The Monster Times

. . . Prints news, reviews, previews,

grues-flashes ferreted out by BILL
FERET, Monsterdom's answer to There’s to be a new version of
Rona Barret. Bill is in show-biz; a TREASURE ISLAND, with the
singer, dancer, actor and has many impressive cast of Orson Welles, Herbert
contacts in the domain of Lorn and Walter Slezak starring, and
Entertainment; films, TV, live unlike wishy-washy Disney
the rather
stage, and all like that. Where other version, this
will one
be the
monsterpubs get news to you blood-and-guts scare-fest that Robert
months after a film's already been Louis Stevenson originally intended his
released, BiU Feret's TELETYPE book to be.
lives up to its name, and reveals to Michael Caine will produce as well as
you info of horror flix & cetera star in the film version of the London
when they 're still only in stage hit thriller, SUDDENLY AT HOME.
production. Impress friend and Busy Mr. Caine will also be co-starring
fiend alike with inside info on with Mickey Rooney in another chiller
monster movies that haven't even titled, PULP. (Is that as in "beaten to

been made yet! Gosharootie, gang! AlP’s “COUNT YORGA,” actor Vinny Price in
PHIBES RISES AGAIN. BLACK
the forthcoming DR. a. . . n
Robert Quarry, is set for the lead in a Lawrence Film Productions will
new fright film called THE DRACULA, starring William Marshall as continue to lens THE BLOODY
Atlas International will film CRYPT DE ATHMASTER. Ray Danton will direct the Dark Drac, is set for a mid-July SLAYING OF SARAH RIDELANDER,
OF THE BLIND DEAD in Spain, and in for A IP. Quarry will also appear opposite
even through the setback of a fire that
Germany they’ll shoot a sequel to the demolished the studio.
very successful MARK OF THE DEVIL,
called CURSE OF THE DEVIL with the
same director at the (may) helm.
Arthur Penn, director of BONNIE & THE BIG RED CHEESE IS BACK (MAYBE . .

CLYDE, set for the same chores on

Columbia’s THE MAN WHO INVENTED
A WIFE.
At last someone has come up with the
brilliant idea of bringing to the screen
Ayn Rand's fantastic, futuristic, fearsome
novel, ATLAS SHRUGGED. Taking on
the incredibly ambitious production will
be the capable director of the equally
fearsome, THE GODFATHER, which
might be viewed as sort of an ATLAS
MUGGED.
New title announced from Metro is

SLITHER. (Hmm, should play a double

engagement with STANLEY).
bill
Metropolitan Opera Star, Anna Moffo
is the beleaguered heroine in the
That throb of Manhattan you're always
"sex-horror-crime-comedy" (?) THE
is being produced by THE
hearing about
WEEKEND MURDERS, which is a
first-class production with
OTHER, HAMMERSMITH IS OUT, and
tongues-n-cheeks abounding. P.S. Miss
THE POSSESSION OF JOEL DELANEY
Moffo all being shown at the same time.
is some kind of voluptuous
They're all super. . . (natural that is)!
Valkyrie.

CON-CALENDAR DATE CONVENTION LOCATION PRICE FEATURES

This is the super-
1972 COMIC ART CONVENTION STATLER HILTON HOTEL $2.50 a day con, pros, panels,
July 1-5 621 Avenue Z New York City $7.50 for 5 comics, movies,
Brooklyn, New York 33rd St & 7th Ave
banquet and art contest.

Billed as a Nostalgia
CHICAGO COMIC CON PICK-CONGRESS HOTEL Con, with emphasis on
July 22-23 Nancy Warner Chicago, III.
$1.50 a
day comics, pulps, books
1726 North Broadway Congress & Michigan Ave. radio programs and
Crest Hill, III.

L.A. CON LOS ANGELES no data, This biggest s-f con

30th World SF Con contact con- of the year with most
Sept. 1-4 Inter. Hotel
PO Box 1
Los Angeles, vention of writers in attendance
Cal.
Santa Monica, Cal. and movies.

FANTASY FILM FANS CON 72 hours of fantasy ADOLPH HITLER ALIVE! WITH A
Nov. 24-26 PO Box 74866 AMBASSADOR HOTEL $15 at door Ray Bradbury,
films,
Los Angeles, Cal. Los Angeles, Cal. $8 til 9/4 DC Fontanai Bob Bloch SON YET! Both playe by PETER
SELLERS! Pitted against the famous
jungle hero THE PHANTOM! That's
he CON-CALENDAR is a special exclusive Detractors of such events put them down by or you wish to see classic horror and science
if right, in the new King Features flick,
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 THE PHANTOM VS. THE FOURTH
great land of ours are quaint and curious and science fiction writers and comic book movie serials, or today's top comic book artist
gatherings of quaintly curious zealots. The
REICH. Film rolls in July in London. All
publishers talking, and signing autographs for and writers- or if you just want to meet other
gatherings "conventions,"
called and the fans who, like maniacs, spend sums on monster or comics science fiction fraeks, like / can say is "Reich on!”
zealots, called "fans," deserve the attention of out-of-date comics, science fiction pulps, and yourself, and learn you're not alone in the Celia Dales' suspense novel, A DARK
fans and non-fans alike, hence this trail-blazing monster movie stills. But that's just the reason OR
world, if you want to meet the affable CORNER will find its way to the screen
reader-service. for going. If you want a couple of glossy demented lunatics who bring out .THE
by way of Atlantic productions.
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
these hair-brained affairs. copy of Airtooy Comics (God alone knows why) We dare ya!
those conventions.
 . .

The Monster Times page 25

attacked Spidey one evening and

FOES
Continued from page 5

and powerful
the pair fought one of the most
awe-inspiring battles ever drawn,
with Spider-Man valiantly trying to
save his own skin, and Morbius.
likewise attempting to go on living
by drinking the blood of the
Lizard’s slashing tail
costumed hero. Their first
jaws was sometimes more than the
Superbeast?.. teenage could
spider handle.
encounter left Morbius sinking to
the bottom of the local river, but as
Everytime they met it was a matter everyone knows, you cannot keep a
of Spidey keeping the Lizard good vampire down for long. He’s
occupied while attempting to find already returned to comics only
some cure to change him back to months after his watery plunge, and
human forgi and if you have
he’ll no doubt be with us for a long
. . .

ever tried to hold on to a slippery, time.

Broadway Bombshells Ethel Merman slimy lizard, you know it ain’t an
Mary Martin are being paged for the easy thing to do. BEWARE THE SPIDER'S BITE
of the murderous maiden-ladies in All through his adventures,
the stage musicalization of ARSENIC Spider-Man has tangled with many Being Spider-Man then involves a
AND OLD LACE. Hal Prince will different enemies. Most of them bit more than ironing out a few
produce and may even direct. (I sure were out to either discredit or personal problems and being
hope so.) defeat him, but rarely did they “relevant.” He has gone up against
A June release has been set for Phase actually try to kill him. When some of the toughest villains ever to
One Film's first feature production MORBIUS came along, however, all grace a comic book page. Villains
THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME
entitled. that changed. Morbius, you see, was out to do more than rob a few
OUT OF THE GRAVE. an honest-to-goodness, “died in the banks and throw a few punches.
Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon are wool” vampire! As a human, Deadly, grotesque-looking
co-starring in the action-thriller Morbius was slowly dying from an characters out to defeat a teen-ager
incurable blood disease. Trying to whose only asset is a spider bite and
SCORPIO.
develop an enzyme which would a colorful costume.
First came WILLARD, to be shortly
allow him to live accidentally So listen, if you happen to be in
proceeded by his sequel. BEN, and now
changed him into a blood-craving science class and this glowing spider
we may anticipate the antics edging toward you— RUN!
vampire in the meanest sense of the starts
of. . STANLEY. Ah, but wait, please There just may be a day when you
word.
don't judge STANLEY by his associates, will have to tackle Green Goblin,
Morbius donned a bat-like
Aubrey Schenck's DAUGHTERS OF for you see rather than rodent, OF Stan is Morbius and the Lizard and
costume and attacked, his victims . . .

a rat tlesnake. Sort of a case

SATAN will share the bill with none one by one in order to prolong his that, my friend, is no way to spend
other than SUPERBEAST. of misnaken identity.
. . (bet blood-lusty life. He mistakenly your free time.
GODZILLA could beat him)!
On Saturdays in New York, Radio
Station WRVR 106.7 is running reruns of
LET’S PRETEND at 9:00 AM and 6:00
PMand THE SHADOW at midnight. THE
SHADOW you will remember, but if you
don't recall LET’S PRETEND, / may be
dating myself, but / do remember it —

full of whimsy and fantasy, the cleverest

fairy taler, told with charm and wit.
Catch it if you're in the area.
On most double bills with THE
WEEKEND MURDERS, you will find
(ready?) THE BLACK BELLY OF THE
TARANTULA. (Is there another kind?)
The title deals with the method of killing
that a species of wasp uses to destroy
tarantulas. It's an Italian opus, so might
one call it (ugh!) a tarantella tarantula.
It's not a giant insect pic, but rather
Two panels from BADTIME STORIES, by Berni Wrightson.
psycho runs amuk.
Amicus Productions, who are just
putting finishing touches on
Robert (PSYCHO,/ Bloch's ASYLUM
have next scheduled horror film.
HAVE NO MOUTH AND
SCREAM. (I
I

have eyes and /

I

should
MUST
.

cry.)
Badtime Stories
Lionel Jeffries set to direct a British There seems to be an awful lot of
Baneful Berni Wrightson’s Wright, son! Monster-sized (8i4” x
ghost yarn called, AMAZING MR. secrecy regarding Hitchcock's latest brought out a bashingly brilliant 11”), and monster-oriented, with
BLUNDEN. Laurence Naismith effort, FRENZY, though the word from book; BADTIME STORIES. color paintings on the front and
(GWANGI ) is starred. the Cannes Film Festival is that it's one of Regular readers of THE MONSTER back covers, and spine-chilling
Alistair (Puppet On A String) his greatest (look foranAlfie interview in TIMES know wrenching Wrightson black and white artwork inside, it’s
MacLean's new thriller FEAR IS THE an upcoming MT issue). from hisimmortal color poster of a steal at the measly $5.00 per copy
KEY is currently shooting in Louisiana, So throw your shoulders back Boris Karloffs FRANKENSTEIN we’re asking. (Though we won’t tell
and then from there winds up location (wherever they came from), set up a firm of MT No. 1, and
in the centerfold you who’s stealing from whom!)
shots in London. Barry Newman and upper lip (in a jar) and hold your
your bottom dollar can be bet that So fill out the coupon below,
Suzy Ke..dall star. breath. . till next time.
.

you’ll be seeing more of his morbid and send it into THE MONSTER
phantasmagorically creepish, TIMES folk. Would we ever steer
circusful of ghouls and goblins, you wrong?
FANCON '72 TO BE GIANT FUNCON!
freaks and fiends, and doomish
They're holding a bash in Virginia, and $2 a day at the door).
demons in future issues of this writhingly
you're all invited. The bash is FANCON And you won't what they're
believe Wright-on! Wrightson's
"72, the first comic convention to be held offering for the pittance the group is wonderful monster newspaper. weird workmanship whets my
in Norfolk, Virginia in a long, long time. charging. There will be an art show which But in the meanest of whiles, I wish-craft for his woebegone worlds! I
It's gonna be a convention with loads of will knock your eyes out, art lover or Rush copies of BADTIME
though, you can have a 48 page,
stuff, enough for five days, but lo and not. Paintings by such greats as Kelly
permanently-bound slick-paper STORIES at $5.00 per copy plus I
behold, they're cramming it into two. July Freas, Virgil Finlay and of painter Jack I postage & handling ($5.50
50tf
29th and 30th. Gaughan will be on display. They'll be softcover creepish classic of six
total) to
showing movies around the clock, and the soul-annihilating solo stories of
FANCON '72 is the brain storm of Pat projection room will be buzzing with such THE MONSTER TIMES
Gabriele Jr. who's producing it in biggies as Flash Gordon and Batman. And
mystery and macabre, Berni’s BOX 595
conjunction with United Dixie Land dozens of the old cartoons for the weirdly-wrought, wright-on New York, N.Y. 10011
Fandom. With a group like that how can animation freaks amongst us. Planned BADTIME STORIES. We reviewed
you go wrong? The con is being held at attendees are Wally Wood, Kelly Freas,
them in MONSTER TIMES NO. 6,
NAME
the spacious Commodore Maury Hotel in Murray Leinster (who wrote LAND OF |
Norfolk, Virginia the last weekend in July. THE GIANTS), Steve Harper. Roy recieved so much mail, that we ADDRESS
The hotel rates are dirt cheap, $8 a night, Krenkel, Al Williamson, Sam Grainger and bought a stock of them for you to
and the convention admission is a similar' MT Contributors Jeff Jones. Mike Kaluta ^
bargain ($2.50 in advance for both days. and Frank Brunner.
order from us. I CITY STATE ZIP
BADTIME STORIES is all
page 26 The Monster Times

Bradford Dillman as Tony Stark? Jean

Shepherd as the Thing? How ’bout it huh?
mind (although a similar accusation might huh? huh? Oh! Jack Palance as the Skull
be leveled at anyone who would consent leader, yeah! Ah! Jack Lord as Nick

Gor finally finds

to appear in this movie).
Fury. Bon appetite!
hope to see an entire
1 issue devoted to
a body though, which he brings back to
space monsters and maybe some
the lab. The doctor examines the body
influential dialogue concerning new space
and discovers that it is no good,
films,which however seem to cash in on
unsuitable for his purpose. 2001 type story matter or ecology fiction
Still in need then of a brand-new body, and which are entirely void of unusual
Continued from page 21
Dr. Trenton, in a decidedly dumb move, new monsters! I don’t think people take
decides to use Gor. Dorro the dwarf is space monsters seriously enough. I want
disappointed by this decision, however, to point out one film that I thought was
a mysterious electrical process, keep the
since the giant Gor was the only friend pretty good which is “Robinson Crusoe
brain alive until a fresh body can be
can be he’d ever had. Finding himself in the grips
On Mars.” Before it’s release, Famous
found into which said brain
Monsters reported that Marcel Delgado,
inserted. It is the doctor’s plan to of a particularly evil mood, Dorro goes
who constructed the dinosaurs for King
perform plastic surgery on the new body down to the cellar to torture one of the
Kong, was to design a monster or
until it comes to resemble the late Amir, girls in a last ditch effort to brighten up monsters for Robinson Crusoe on Mars.
whose brain will be in its head. his dark day. Unfortunately he is as Well, I wanna say that I was quite
By the way, there are a couple of careless as he is sadistic, and one of the dissappointed that plans had changed to
pretty girls mixed-up in the gory action, ladies manages to escape, fighting her way do instead an “our man friday” type
just to keep you male chauvinists through the tangle of phony skeletons story along with chintzy cartoon
spaceships. In a review, the director said
hanging from the basement walls.
that he was interested in a more
Meanwhile, Gor’s brain is now in the
believable plot rather than to spotlight
body of Amir and, after a few fights and
monsters. Aw C’mon. Not every planet
killings, we find out that Dr. Trenton is in
you land on is there going to be poignant
complete control of the revived TYRANNOSAURUS ATOMICA human drama and cosmic revelation.
leadei—and that this is exactly what he’d SPEAKS AND SPEAKS There will be worlds out there where one
been trying to do all movie long. Trenton will be urged to use his trusty phaser in
Dear Monster Times order to zap many eyed, many headed
wants the forbidden fruits of every
I attended my first Sci-fi convention,
madman’s dreams: Power, Influence, giant monstrosities with cold blood and
Luna-Con ‘72, Wow! I must have done at mandibles, preferably mandibulated by
Dancing Giris, Lackeys, the usual kind of
least a hundred laps round the dealers
stuff. From this point on, however, the Ray Harryhausen from the planet
tables and managed to buy only a love a
Reezuniblefaksimily! I’d to see
film degenerates from confusion into fraction of all the beautiful stuff there.
remake of War of the Worlds or should I
complete senselessness, so why waste Right now. I’m severely depressed, for in say a film from the actual novel, utilizing
time trying to figure it out when the guy the remote abysmal city in which I reside,
machines exactly like that depicted in
who wrote it probably didn’t know what nothing quite as feverish or ecstatic as a
Classics Illustrated And please if you will
!

he was doing in the first place and has
doubtlessly imbibed enough alcohol since
to store his involvement in BRAIN OF
busy—or awake, at least. They are BLOOD into the deadletter files of his
chained to the walls of Dr. Trenton’s memory bank anyway.
amusement of Dorro the
cellar for the If you have nothing better to do, you
might as well go and catch this flick as it
demented dwarf who, every so often,
takes a hypo and extracts from their is the latest and probably the last of
vulnerable veins whatever blood might be Hemisphere’s Blood series. Some very
needed by his master. reliable rumors have it that the company
is going in for films like the not quite
science fiction convention ever feature some scenes from Classics
materializes. Instead a plague of remote
Illustrated’s War of the Worlds in the
control youths remain intoxicated with
Space monster issue that I have proposed.
bad rock music! I’m quite apprehensive
these days towards this new breed rock
How about a bright red cover featuring
that “bat-rat-spider-monster” from “the
oriented robots and J.C. SUPERSTAR
Angry Red Planet” and a poster of the
“zombies.” They’re all beginning to
same.
sound routine and dreadfully mechanical,
Tyrannosaurus Atomica
“Get-it-to-geth-er”- Right-on - Spfld. Mass. 01104
Freak-Out - No-Way. I see it only as a
repetitive reality ridden rigor. There’s no
Thanks, Tyrannosaurus, and if your
Renaissance here, nor is there any visible
ancestors could ramble half as well as you

-IS THERE A MAD DOCTOR X-rated THE SWINGIN’ links to that super outer world of fantasy,
magic and extra-terrestrial bliss.
could, their ensuing extinction seems like
STEWARDESSES now, so it appears a blessing in disguise. Seriously though,
IN THE HOUSE?- MONSTER TIMES is not distributed you’ve a ton of ideas, and we’ll consider
that, in the not too distant future, the
anywhere in town! But I’m not anywhere them all. Many already are being done,
Bob and Mohammed soon come to the creative blood of the Hemisphere mentors in town neither. I am the solitary being
watch us!
realization that Trenton is totally out his will be spreading pretty thin indeed. that haunts the suburban asteroid known
only as zone 4! Zone 4 is THE FIRST MONSTER TIMES!!!
somewhere. somewhere.
. . out there!
. .

Gentlemen:
And who might I be? Why, I’m You have a delightful magazine, and I
Tyrannosaurus Atomica. Remember me?
would suggest long articles (with pictures)
1 am formerly Tyrannosaurus Rex but of Gernsback and his early science-fiction
since I’ve come to know more worlds magazines: AMAZING STORIES,
than grains of sand in the Mojave desert, WONDER STORIES, THE SHADOW,
this constellation has found it necessary
to expand into newer dimensions, thus,
Tyrannosaurus Atomica!, filled with
more long whiles than a Dalinear mile on
a sun dial!
Your Star Trek issue was beautiful. It
had nice color and a superb poster.
Number 3, however was miserable as far
as cover artis concerned. Anyway I don’t

think “Them” was that great £ rftovie to

rate over half an issue. Whatever
happened to the great subterranean
This lugubrious logo graced the cover
scenes from the “Black Scorpion” or of the 1st MONSTER TIMES,
super terranean scenes from the a fanzine published way back in '61.
“Hellstrom Chronicle” or the Lunar
caterpillar from “First Men In the Moon” I’m also enclosing two issues of the
or Captain Nemo’s giant experiments “first” MONSTER TIMES which I

from “The Mysterious Island” or etc. etc. published back in 1961. Keep up the
etc. excellent work.
I’ve heard tell that everybody’s pal, James V. Taurasi, Sr.
George is embarking on the Doc Savage Flushing, NY 11354
Film series?WelI after seeing that tragic we
Thanks, James, it’s good to know that
cheapy “The Power,” George is no Pal of
have a long tradition dating back to the
mine!, come to think of it, all of George far away sixties. It’s also good to know
Pals films were quite nauseating along
that the time is right for a professional
with all that cornball humanitarian hinty TMT, and that monster fans are no longer
dialogue!
shunted into a little corner. Monsters are
Let me lay a little dream stuff on ya.
here to stay, and TMT
here to tell the
is
After seeing Ken Russell’s films, the world about them, and their fans who’ve
“Devils” and the “Music Lovers” which I stayed by them in the leaner years.
thought were superb, I would feel that a
talented director as he could most
magnificently do a trilogy of films of Send us so many letters,
“The Lord of the Rings” with perhaps postcards, boosts, detractions,
Michael Dunn portraying Bilbo Baggins bomb threats, etc., that the Post
huh? Well, I can dream can’t I? Let’s only Office will have to deliver our mail
hope Ken Russell can. with a bulldozer. Address all
Marvel’s heroes would make dynamite correspondence to: THE
film material! Could you see Robert MONSTER TIMES, Box 595, Old
Redford as Captain America? Nimoy as Chelsea Station. N.Y., 10011.
Namor? Mark Stevens as Reed Richards?
The Monster Times page 27

Fanzines are a release. Fans dive like the Elephant above, is so large
into comics or whatever and and diversified. Fandom is
produce these magazines in order to collectors feeling their way back
keep the collecting sub-culture into the tunnels of nostalgia or
alive. They entertain, they inform, artists paving the way into
they criticize, they analyze. They tomorrow. Fandom is Flash
are a world unto themselves, and Gordon groupies, comic book nuts,
THE MONSTER TIMES will be Frankenstein freaks, Zorro zealots,
keeping tabs on all the fanzines, be pulp lovers, Disney devotees and a
they c o m c - o r en t e d
i i ,
thousand other creatures who
movie-oriented, disoriented, or cherish everything from Ovaltine
anything else that falls within the mugs to original oil paintings.

reach of TMT turf. Jim Fandom is some crazy three-ring

Vadenboncoeur Jr. and Robert S. circus where children of all ages

Napier, TMT's reviewers, are gather for fun and/or serious

themselves producers of fanzines. discussion. Fandom is a ten-year

They formerly ran a fanzine called old boy in Iowa creating his own
GEORGE, whose sole reason for superhero with a broken crayon or
existence was to review fanzines for a man of forty from Maine who
fans. Now they will endeavour to remembers thrilling to THE
keep TMT readers up-to-date on SHADOW on radio during the
fanzines and related happenings. Great Depression. Fandom is

(We would also like to caution watching King Kong five straight
MT readers not to be intimidated times to make sure you don’t miss a
by Mr. Napier's lengthy Elephant single sequence. It’s that and much,
metaphor, which kicks off his much more.
article, and which is every bit as The people in fandom come
awesome and "heavy" as the animal from all over the USA and Canada.
it describes. The story about the These people want to find each
Elephant and the blind Hindus also, other to talk, trade, buy or sell.

we think, raises a larger question

that, in Mr. Napier's hands, remains
unanswered (indeed — unasked!)
Namely, why did the elephant
allow himself to be handled in so
intimate a manner by the blind
Hindus? But do not despair: This
and a host of other questions, both
pertinent and impertinent, will be
answered in due time, if not shortly
COMIC FANDOM or
THE ELEPHANT WALKS AMONG US
before or soon after, in these very BY ROBERT S. NAPIER
pages. Stay tuned. . . Ed.)

peven blindHindus were led
before an elephant one day and
told to describe him. The first
Hindu touched the elephant’s trunk
and said it was very much like a
snake but the second Hindu found
the tail and said no, it was more
like a rope. Still another Hindu
came upon the beast’s ear and £
concluded the others were wrong |
because an elephant was certainly “

like a large fan (comics fan? Ed.) — k

The remaining blind men each 5
found another fragment of the j"

elephant’s body and, naturally, i

each gave a different account of
Jim Jones is a competent artist who does
what he’d touched. interpretations of famous comic characters for
Comic Fandom — or simply fan magazines. This is The Spirit and was done

Fandom —
is very much like that
for GRAPHIC STORY WORLD.

elephant and any effort I might And that’s where fanzines come in.
make to define Fandom will fare A fanzine is simply a fan
me no better than one of the poor magazine. It’s a magazine produced
blind men. That’s because Fandom, by fans for other fans to enjoy. Some
are good and some are bad; some
More fine advertising art from ROCKETS expensive, some cheap. Fanzines
BLAST, this being a Bemi Wrightson drawing shapes and sizes and
come in all
from SCREAM DOOR #1 ($1. 9118 Hamilton
Dr.. Fairfax, Va. 22030). appeal to all kinds of fans, collectors
and just plain people. Fanzines have
a lot to offer, too. They are a perfect
place for the aspiring young artist or
writer to show off his talents and
receive serious feedback from an
interested audience. And. since they
are privately published and
distributed, fanzines let the creative
individual work completely
uncensored and unrestrained—his
good taste being his only guide.
Fanzines are a meeting place for
people with common interests;
there are fanzines specializing in
news of fan interest, fanzines which
serve as buy-and-sell marketplaces

Continued on page 31
 .

page 28 The Mohstef Times

FULL COLOR
POSTERS
POSTERS BY
FRANK FRAZETTA.
awakens
awe and
your sense
lascination.
ol

The
THE OLD ABANDONED WAREHOUSE!
For mood and tone and colors and details are re-
THE OLD ABANDONED WAREHOUSE is here! Now you can .
Some of the items are for older fan enthusiasts, and some
anatomy and stark por- produced magnificently, order rare and hard-to-get books about monsters, comics, ask you to state age when purchasing. Don’t be put off by
traits of wonder, Frazetta Breathtaking to see and pulps, fantasy and assorted betwitching black sundries, the formality, the pulsating Post Office isn’t.

A. WEREWOLF (cover
painting for CREEPY 4).
Silhouetted against an
orange moon is the raven-
ing beast of our night-
mares, about to pounce
on the victim who has un-
fortunately discovered
him! $2.50

The world's favorite Boris Karloff was the HISTORY OF THE COMICS.
* job FOR SUPERMAN,
magni.icent master of dis- Jim Steranko $3.0Q
Dracula is seen in a book- Kirk Alyn $5 00
CAPT. MIDNIGHT ful of photos of Bela guise and menace. You the fjrst aclor ever t0
' There is a series in-
RADIO PREMIUM . you Lugosi in his weirdest can see dozens and doz- volved here, and this is
p | ay the part of Superman
. .

SET. Now when get a Flight Comman- roles. Softcover twin vol- ens of photographs of his has written this memoir,
volume one. You can find
de-coder badges from der's certificate from few better descriptions of
C. BREAK THE BARBAR- ume to the Karloff book. various roles in this 52- |t is tilled with film-mak-
the 1930's are selling the Secret Squadron. Excellent stills from the page all-photograph soft- how comic books evolved
IAN VS. THE SORCERESS j ng stories (how he caught
for S25.00 each (and And finally a color great Lugosi horror films, cover book. Each photo is
while flying), good hu-
(from newspaper strips'
(cover painting for Paper- (jre
more!), we can offer reproduction in raised and plenty of them. full-page size <8%xH) and pulp adventure maga-r
back Library paperback). mor manyi many
and
this reproduction of cardboard of a Captain 52-pages. and » clear and vivid. A
,
zines), and there are hun-"
Brak, with sword and photographs. Fun reading,
authentic Capt. Midnight de-coder horror-film fan's prize.
even f or non-ILm fans.
dreds of photos and
on horseback, looks up Midnight radio program badge! All three items illustrations. Nifty reading/
into murky skies
is it a vision of a woman?
to see— giveaways! First, there great art — poster-sized
isa 45 rpm recording of 3.50 full-color cover by thd
Is that evil she seems to
author.
convey? Or menace $2.50

D. CONAN OF CIMMERIA
(cover painting for Lancer
paperback)
Toe to toe, Conan fights
with brute savagely, death nostalgia item today!
in every axe-stroke, against Here's a new, beautiful,
two frost giants. The full-color Flash Gordon
scene is a blazingty white watch in its own
mountain top under an decorated box! The VIRGIL FINLAY.
ice-blue sky! Thorough watch face and display Donald M. Grant $12.00
drama! $2.50 box illustration are by Beautiful hardcover
Gray Morrow! Are you book, limited memorial
sorry you didn't have edition, including a mag- FRAZETTA.
the chance to buy a nificent sampling of the Vem Coriell, ed. $2.50
IE 30’s Mickey Mouse
watch before they were
art of this great science-
fiction illustrator. Mostly
It's

say more?
Frazetta —need we
worth S300.00? Well, black-and-white and some A slim sketchbook which
what are you waiting outstanding color plates. covers some of the finest
Also contains a full listing black and white linework
of Finlay's work and where by this super-artist, Frank
to find it, and his bio
HAL FOSTER'S Foster's first four Frazetta. Each figure shows
Proves again and TARZAN (Vol. II). In Sunday page adventure detail, mass, strength, and
miniatures, this 278 again, page after page episodes, 60 pages in drama. For collectors of
was the same largeformat
page catalog that Finlay did for horror previ Available in very the best ... You must be
each the , ,
all.
printed, listing
&
item and carrying
sci-fi what Norman published TARZAN limited supply after 40 18 to buy this volume.
photographs of
Rockwell did for The Sat- AND THE VIKINGS, years. A collector's rich State age when placing
urday Evening Post. this book reprints Hal prize . $7,00 order.
hundreds. The catalog . .

cost $12.00 by mail

and was the official
admission to the
BLACKMARK. auction. See the props
Because of poor auctioned off from
distribution, this PRINCE VALIANT
brilliant experiment
was not available to a banner). Hush. Hush!
wide public. Now the SWEET CHARLOTTE
remaining stock has — CENTURY FOX (paintings), etc. A
been purchased and it is MEMORABILIA mostalgic trip of trips.
available here! Gil Kane CATOLOG. When one Dig item 470: "severed
has created more than a of the great Hollywood head from Sweet
comic book, because it Charlotte!" What am I

bid? . . . 3.50 THE GREAT COMIC BOOK ILLUSTRATED. When

novel. And it is more HEROES. your favorite radio
than a novel, becuase of HERO PULP INDEX. Jules Feiffer $5.00 adventure hero offered
d y a * e m ' Weinberg & McKinstry, A frank and nostalgic art master featuring fan- you rings, or de-coders,
Iwo" d £ ed. $3.50
artwork
panels
- hundreds
of graphic
of Where did the Black
Hood appear before comic
HERO backward look at a child-
hood of comic book read-
ing. And then adventure
tasy, science-fiction frus-
trations and visual delights
such
or
pedometers,
spy-scopes,

were
the same
or

drama!
published at 75c,
Originally
it is still low price of
........
and
„ djd the long
incredibly successful
PULP after (original) comic book
delights
monsters, swordsmen, and
as girls, offers
repeated in
usually
the Sunday
adventure showing us the This volume is rec- comic And
available now at the 1.00 Shadow series begin? How
long did Doc Savage run?
INDEX complete origin stories
girls!
ommended for this book
seriousreproduces
those big pictorial ads
sections.

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 . .

The Monster Times page 29

CAPTIVE WILD WOMEN!

Dorothy’s slim and svelte, she’ll get all refuses to assist Dr. Walters who says “I assistant in the act. Beth isn’t thrilled at
the dates you know, nobody likes to
. .
.
see you're not a scientist at heart." the idea of Paula and Fred working so
go out with a fat chick. Actually, Beth EXIT Miss Strand who is killed by the close together, so after one of the
doesn’t have to worry because she’s doctor, who then uses her brain in the performances she hugs and kisses Fred, all
already engaged to Fred Mason, the operation. while Paula is watching. I can see you’ve
animal trainer, who plays Clyde Beatty in A little moon music here please guessed it . . . Paula’s animal instincts
the film. Of course, you don’t know it’s denoting a passage of time ... oh that’s begin to take over. That night, she
From L.A., Car Culture Capital of Clyde Beatty when you see the picture just right . hum, hum, do, da, da,
. .
becomes jealous and tries to kill Beth in
the World and Playground of the because the film editor has cleverly dum after several hours of her bedroom, but is frightened off by her
Living Dead, comes the master of intercut actual circus scenes with staged operating, Cheela is transformed into a
screams. Unfortunately, Beth’s landlady
scenes of Fred Mason (Milbum Stone). does not scream and is strangled by Paula
slime, SEYMOUR, with another beautiful girl, whom Dr. Walters names
Doc, I mean Fred, is no dummy: to get in Paula Dupree. who then escapes to the sanatorium.
cavorting column of wisdom for his
a cage with twenty lions and tigers, your
Back at the circus’ winter quarters, Skinny Dorothy, who later goes on to
miniscule legion of East Coast fans. IQ has got to be registering in the minus fame in the WIZARD OF OZ,
Fred is rehearsing a dangerous animal
This time SEYMOUR sinks his column. As I understand it, the producer
the first to combine 20 tigers and
telephones Beth and says “get me out of
act . . .

fangs into the CAPTIVE WILD of the picture asked Milbum if he would
20 lions in one cage. Dr. Walters brings here.” Beth goes to the sanatorium,
do the actual scenes, and Milbum said
WOMAN, a 1943 thriller that “Hell, NO!!!!! I’m going to play Doc in
Paula to the circus grounds to observe her where weird Doc Walters shows her Paula,
now completely transformed into Cheela.
recently played on SEYMOUR'S GUNSMOKE some day ... I can 7 take
reactions. Paula is attracted to Freddie,
It seems that Doc wants to use Beth’s
popular TV show entitled, who looks around to see if Beth
chances tangling with big cats now” . .
What’s-her-name is watching. After all, he brain for another operation, but Beth is
unoriginally enough, SEYMOUR and that’s the real truth on how Clyde may be engaged, but he’s not married yet. too quick she releases Cheela from
. . .

PRESENTS.
suspense then, here's the master of
the macabre himself to tell you the
story straight from his own forked
tongue. . .
Without further weaseled his way into this picture. The big cats
Skinny Dorothy is now under the care
nurse, who is horrified to learn that the
of Dr. Walters. Beth is running around
sinister scientist plans to
town saying “My Fred looks like Clyde
disguise and are frightened
Beatty .... my Fred looks like Clyde
Fred gets hurt in the ring and Paula’s
Beatty!!!” And Fred has introduced
strange power over the animals saves him
Cheela, an ape he trained for Dr. Walters,
from death and she is hired on as an
who shows unusual interest in Cheela
see through Paula’s her cage who now kills Doc Wallers white
Beth and Dorothy escape.
You would think this is the end of the
change Cheela to
picture, butit’s not. Back at the circus, a
by her. Later,
thunder and lightning storm breaks the
tent’s main pole causing a stampede. Fred
trips and is about to be trampled when a
fiery horse with the speed of light, a

Hello Fringies . . . this is Seymour here (remember, I told you in front this is a Remember Acquanetta? Neither do we. but she cloud of dust and a hearty hi-yo Silver
and this time I’m going to call ‘em as I see
freaky picture!) played the part of Paula the Ape Woman in brings in Cheela to save Fred.

‘em. Several weeks ago on my television Dr. Walter bribes a handler to steal Universal's CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN Unfortunately, one of the handlers does
show, I presented to the Los Angeles Cheela. The animal kills the handler, and not realize that Fred and Cheela are the
audiences a film entitled CAPTIVE WILD Dr. Walters takes Cheela to his odd couple and he shoots and kills
underground laboratory for the greatest Cheela.
WOMAN. It was made in 1943 and
starred John Carradine, Evelyn Ankers, of his experiments, which have proven Well, there you have it fringies ... the
and Milbum Stone. that glands can transform physical matter true story of CAPTIVE WILD
Beth Colman (Evelyn Ankers) takes to any size, shape, or appearance. WOMAN. Before I close, will someone

Remember Dorothy and her glandular please have Fred bring over one of his
her sister, Dorothy, who is suffering from
a glandular disorder to Crestview disorder .
. heh! heh! heh! .... here’s
. cats .... I need to restring my guitar.
Sanatorium for treatment by Dr. where the monkey business really starts, SEYMOUR
This is saying . . .HAVE A
Sigmund Walters (John Carradine). uh, Doc Walters goes ape ... get it? BAD DAY!!
Dorothy has been losing weight all season Monkey business goes ape? I can see
. . .

you fringies have no taste for class ^Editor's Note! One of the best PR cats around is a
and- Beth is afraid . . . after all, if
material.
this blurb from The Hollywood Reporter "Seymour. . . .

ENTER Miss Strand, the doctor’s KTLA's King of Fright, will make his motion picture debut
human form by transfusion and glandular in "Dr. Death” in a cameo performance. Naturally he'll

extractions from Dorothy Colman. She play himself .."So what else is new and who cares?!;
.

feet tall— and since I'm now six two, and The Phantom Stranger at National, to they've always wanted to do. Whether
maybe that adds to a few years; four, in Ka-Zar, Iron Man. Doctor Doom. Captain they're John Romita, learning to be
fact. There have been quite a few books America, Dracula, Sub-Mariner, Hulk and interested after fifteen years of merely
Continued
in the past. The Inhumans at Marvel, and I've enjoyed doing a job, or Stan Lee, discovering that
from page look forward
them all, but perhaps I
good writing, and good stories do sell— or
more to the ones I'm working on now me, blundering into something that's
than I did to the ones I mentioned above. become more than just a profession.
tf'kids-lknow, because I'm still a kid, as The initial open joy is gone-a lot of Pickup a comic, any comic that interests
l far as can tell, and
I still enjoy them. I sleepless nights pounding at a typewriter you— and see if it isn't true. If you're
^)And if we can use that popularity to say to get a job in by deadline have seen to lucky, you'll be holding a comic that
something important about the world in that— but something much more lasting somebody has enjoyed doing— and it'll
which we live, if only to offer a certain has replaced it, think; a sense of worth
I shout that at you, loud and echoingly
point of view, an opinion, not a moral, in this crazy, cockeyed comics media. clear, and you'll find you can't help but
about the world we see—then John and I
Sure, it's fun— sure, it's just something to smile, just a little.
intend to do it. But we also intend to curl up with when you're sick, or tired, or And mister— if it's Spider-Man, it’s one of

have a great deal of fun in the doing. just plain lazy; but there's something those books. Speaking for John and
I've been writing comics since was six I
more here, too. People. Doing things myself— baby, you better believe it.
page 30

among the hucksters. The Continental

COMICBOOK Houston
activities
Motor Hotel was where the
took place, activities which
included a film showing of old horror and
CONVENTION fantasy favorites, an auction,
informal poolside party. Guest of honor
and an

Continued from page ll

was Kirk Alyn, the actor who portrayed
SUPERMAN in films. Kirk Alyn is the
Fourth of July extravaganza. The Society kind of man who can be listened to for
for Comic Art Research and Preservation hours, and his warmth and enthusiasm
(SCARP) had produced a winner. charmed the convention. But Houston
Guests of honor were Burne Hogarth, focused its energies on being a
whose work on TARZAN for the Sunday marketplace for old comic books, as cash
comic pages set the standards for and comics changed ownership with
adventure strips; Will Eisner, who dazzling speed.
originated, wrote and drew THE SPIRIT; As July arrived, comic book fans
and Stan Lee, editor of Marvel Comics looked toward the big city, New York,
and creator of the “new wave” of comic and the Comic Art Convention at the
books in the 1960’s. An awards luncheon Statler Hilton Hotel.
drew 125 people. There were 40 dealers’ The New York affair was the most
tables and the biggest assemblage of rare glamorous and the biggest. Since New
comics merchandise ever accomplished. York is the heart of the comic book
Fans came from all across the United industry, the Comic Art Convention each
States. Comic art conventions were here Fourth of July weekend is attended by
to stay! many professional writers, artists, editors,
In 1969, Phil Seuling began his and publishers. The most famous names
simply-and-appropriately named Comic in comic-book publishing take part in
Art Conventions. Immediately, comics talks, panel discussions and
fandom had an annual tradition it could demonstrations. And 1971 was no
count on. The idea was a good one, as exception!
attendance has proved. In 1969, 1970, There was an exhibit of the artwork of
Gil Kane, whose talent has been admired
in such strips as GREEN LANTERN,
THE ATOM, HIS NAME IS SAVAGE,
SPIDERMAN, and the Bantam
paperback, BLACK MARK! Jim Steranko
was guest of honor at the Awards
luncheon and his work was also on
exhibit in the art room. The display
included, in addition to his paperback
cover paintings, the layouts and paste ups
for his HISTORY OF THE COMICS.
From National Periodicals there were
Carmine infantino, Denny O’Neil, Dick
Giordano, Joe Orlando, Henry Scarpelli,
Neal Adams, and dozens mores. From
Marvel Comics came Roy Thomas, John
Verpoorten, Gil Kane, Johnny Romita,
and Stan Lee, the leader of the pack. And
Buns Hogarth's classic TARZAN fights
formidable lion knife & nail in long-running from Archie and Charlton and Harvey
day, to raise the spirits. And speaking of weekend. However, since they were
visual version of Edgar Rice Burroughs' jungle Comics and from the newspaper
adventures.
SPIRITS, the convention program separated by an across-the-continent
syndicates they came, artists and writers,
included a slide show by John Benson, travel expense, it was fairly likely that no
all adding to the sweep of this event.
and 1971 this event of events drew 1200,
Gray Morrow, whose brilliant EL
tracing the story and style of Will Eisner’s one resented the choice. You just selected
1900, and 2200 people! Cons have come SPIRIT. It was considered one of the the ocean you wanted to swim in and
DIABLO character has excited comic
quite a distance from the 1964 Comicon successes of the Convention. Still another made the con scene there.
book fans, was represented by an exhibit
and its 50 people crowding one room! exhibit was a panoramic spread of San Diego did an outstanding job of
of his work. Al Williamson supervised the
And the rest of the world was not premiums (company give-aways) and planning. Every detail was designed and
arrangement of a display of the work of
watching this phenomenon idly. One by games from the 1930’s and 1940’s. Were publicized well, so that minor disasters
international artists, demonstrating that
one, and on a small scale at first, panels your thing? Would you have been and disruptions were averted. Forrest
all the great talents are not necessarily
conventions began occurring on a local interested in a talk by Harvey Kurtzman, Ackerman, monster film fan number one,
American. Some stunning work from
level in several states. Oklahoma, Florida,
Europe, South America, England, and
originator of MAD and LITTLE ANNIE magazine publisher, and gentleman, was a
Atlanta, and Detroit achieved notable FANNY? Would you have liked to ask guest of honor. He brought and showed
Australia was included.
successes. And in 1971 the dam burst! questions of Bill Gaines, publisher of slides of his home, the astonishing
The awards banquet honored Jim
In the beginning of the year there was
Steranko and Gardner Fox. Fox handled
MAD Magazine? They were there too. museum-like place in which much of
the usual multitude of science-fiction There were more conventions to come. horror-film history is enshrined. Edmond
conventions. Because of its older
the praise for his ALL-STAR COMICS
Within a week, Dallas hosted a beautiful, Hamilton, top-ranking science-fiction
work in the 1940’s as easily and as
tradition, the field of science-fiction has spacious convention combining writer for decades was- another honored
graciously as he handles his stories. Both
featured conventions for decades, science-fiction (Robert Bloch, author of guest. Also honored was George Barr,
gentlemen received enthusiastic applause.
generations before the comic book PSYCHO, was guest of honor) and movies sparkling science-fiction artist who
And there were the auctions, one each
fraternity really got started. Until the (there were four days of all-night started out with top-ranked talent and
coming comicons, a CAPTAIN
of film-showings, including complete who gets better with each brush-stroke.
MARVEL freak would have to find his BATMAN's got his work cut out for him as 15-chapter serials, and enough filmic Jack Kirby was the comic book artist
soul mates among the throngs at S-F giant metalman causes trouble for Robin and baubles to titillate the mind of the most star, and who could ask for a brighter

cons. Among these, in 1971, were the the Batwoman in one of the most popular and demonic film-freak). The core of D-Con one? There was also an exhibit of his
durable comics ever created.
Lunacon (New York City, in the spring) was this film program, and it was good work.
and Noreascon (Boston) the World S-F enough to make the entire Convention a But size is not all a convention has to
Con (Labor Day Weekend). As always, winner. Four days of air-conditioned offer. Atlanta was more of a local affair,
the comic book subculture flourished at Texas hospitality convinced quite a few attracting between 200 and 300 area
people that an annual event here would comic fans. Smaller size had its
1971, however, was the year of the be something to return to. It was also a advantages, too. Dick Giordano was guest
comicon! Conventions which had comic welcome chance to see films that don’t of honor, and films played a great part- in
books as a major theme took place in play the TV Late Show circuit. A good Atlanta’s program. Because' conventions
Houston, New York City, Dallas, San part of the 1000 attendees made it their are what people make of them, Atlanta
Diego, Atlanta, Detroit, Washington, business to see COMMANDO CODY was friendly, warm, and loose.
D.C., Miami, and New York City again. (every chapter) and CAPTAIN AMERICA Washington, D.C., was the next place
Nine conventions for comic book fans! (the same) and good horror flicks ranging on the convention map. There had been a
Houston made the scene first, from BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN to small gathering the previous year, but
scheduling their festivals for June 17-20. Christopher Lee’s FU MANCHU. Sleep? now Washington too was going all out!
The attendance was approximately 300, Who had time? And if one was going to Comic art professionals who attended as
consisting mainly of fans from the collapse from exhaustion, what better guests were Berni Wrightson, Steve
immediate surrounding area. Dealers time or place to do it? Hickman, and Mike Kaluta. Films, art
traveled further than the average fan to The next date was a “ conflict” of exhibits, and a luncheon were other
get there, and there were representatives sorts, since both San Diego and Atlanta features and there were two spacious and
from both California and New York hosted Comicons on the same August 6-8 inviting dealers’ rooms. ' One of the
 . '

The Monster Times page 31

hucksters there was Bud Plant of San Auctions, dealers, door prizes, and films
Jose, California. He made every was Miamicon’s scene and what had been
convention in 1971 except Atlanta’s, and promised was delivered. The summer
what an endless summer he made for ended in a furnace blast of success.
himself! As a dealer. Bud found his Convention Summer, 1971, when
travels profitable, and as a fan, it was comicons came of age and became a
seventh heaven! phenomenon, was now history.
national THE MONSTER TIMES FAN FAIR is another reader service of MT.
The secret of conventions is the will of Still ahead lay the Labor Day weekend Care to buy, sell or trade movie stills, old comics or tapes of old
the people who attend to make the event at Noreascon (science-fiction) and radio programs? Or maybe buy or advertise a fan-produced
successful. Go in expecting to find a dull Thanksgiving weekends’ Creation Con magazine? An ad costs only 10 cents per word (minimum, 25 words).
and dragging time, and doubtlessly you’ll (Nov. 27 & 28). A new concept had also Make all checks and money orders payable to THE MONSTER
find it. But with good will and a bit of been put into operation in New York TIMES, and mail your clearly printed or typewritten ad on the
optimism, any gathering has a fine City. CalledSECOND SUNDAY, it was a coupon below, to: THE MONSTER TIMES, Box 595, Old Chelsea
chance. dealer’s area opened for a day without Station, New York, N.Y. 10011. We reserve the right to refuse ads
As an example of good feelings, let’s any convention trimmings on the second
which would not be deemed appropriate to our publication.
turn toMiamicon II. Actually held in the Sunday of each month. There was now a
locality known as Hialeah, this was guarantee in New York City that
intended as a local gathering only. But convention fever could take permanent
We Buy Collections of Monster Magazines Wanted: Pictures of and stories, essays &
advertising haddone its work. The larger hold!
and Comics. You can send us a list of what articles by Gardner R. Dozois and/or
comic book dealers had come down, and So far, the Second Sundays are still you have or send 15 cents for our 18 page "Piglet" Effinger. Write Susan Palermo, 391
here was little Hialeah Fireman’s Hall, going strong and have been keeping the Buying List. Passaic Book Center, Dept. Codiran PI. Valley Stream, N.Y. 11581
fires of the fans’ insatiable comic lust M-T, 594 Main Ave., Passaic, NJ. 07055
horribly non-air-conditioned in Florida’s
summer humidity, 200-250
hosting burning, in preparation for the big event,
I buy mint condition Marvel and National
people! The convention was promptly the gala con held over the July 4 FANDOM BAND WAGON is a tabloid size
Comics and Warren magazines. Send selling
christened InfernoCon, and the weekend. We’ll be there and hope to see adzi.Wfanzine containing ads, art. etc.
lists to: Greg Yost, 3931 Windermere Street,

you there, too. So, remember, keep an $2.50 per year (12 issues). FANDOM BAND Vancouver 12, British Columbia, Canada.
dehydration process began! By the
WAGON, Sub Post Office 55, Calgary 46.
second sweltering day, one dealer had eye out for your fiends from TMT. .
Alberta, Canada.
switched to selling cans of iced soda. Are you sure coin and stamp collectors
Trade: 1938-1945 Ace, Captain Marvel,
Nevertheless, good will won out. started this way??? King, Magic, Tip Top, Yankee. Send wants
WE'LL THANK YOU IN PRINT!-for
and trade lists. Jerry Sears, 716 East 20th
allowing us to run some of your rare stills in
Ave., Spokane, Wa. 99203.
THE MONSTER TIMES. COLLECTORS,
we on the lookout for rare monster,
are
horror, sci-fi and fantasy stills, pressbooks, 99,999 Collector comics. Pulps, Playboys,
lobby cards, posters, and other visual Monster, Mads, Movie, Geographies. Send
Continued from page 27 quality and a copy can be had for wants or 504 for latest list. Nostrand Books,
goddies with which to exotically embellish
50</ from Richard Kyle / PO Box our articles. We'll credit your photos and 276 Brighton Beach Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.

COMIC FANDOM 16168 / Long Beach, California you'll BECOME FAMOUS! Send checklists
of our collections to us, P.O. Box 595 Old
11235

90806. Chelsea Station, New York City, N.Y.

Wanted: Books on Monster make-up
for collectors, and fanzines ETCETERA/THE COMIC 10011 Include your Address and Phone
technique. Contact
Bedford Ave., S.I.,
first

N.Y. 10306
M.J. Pikowski, 121

displaying the creative and READER. A few months ago Number . . . Thanx.
experimental work of tomorrow’s ETCETERA joined forces with the Collectors: Get rare stills from classic films.
professional writers and artists. established but defunct COMIC Want to sell and/or show your art? No fees "Phantom," "Frankenstein," "Caligari,"etc.
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READER and the merger has Art Show Committee, 1669 Clarimont Rd.. 50^ (refunded) for checklist. T.E.
WHAT PRICE FANZINES Decatur, Ga. 30033. Richardson, 35 Green Ave., Madison, N.J.
07940
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Books, Pulps, Big Little
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PHOTON is the filmzine that fans find Etc. 1900-1972. Catalogue 35 cents:
THE BUYER’S GUIDE. The fabulous! Devoted to the serious study of Rogofsky, Box 1102, Flushing, N.Y.
Guide a tabloid newspaper which
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COMICOLLECTOR. The RB&CC is comic book companies, assorted 1960-67. Bill George, 5023 Frankford Ave.
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 Monster Times
VOLUME 1. N0 13 WORLD'S FIRST NR/VSFAPFR OF HORROR, SCI-FI AND FANTASY

MEET L
MARVEL’S
GO APE, YOUNG MAN!
MARVELOUS
Our next issue is so dynamite you “Say, watcha reactin' there, Paw?” TIMES, believe I'd go ape!”
I THE
should only hope it doesn't blow "Why, it's somethin’ called by the “Gee, didn't know that, Paw.”
I

up in your face. We've got a

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COLOSSAL
daw classic, THE WOLFMAN, "Gee, I didn’t know that, Paw.” “Gee, didn’t know that, Paw."
I

profusely illustrated and with a text “Feller says that this was the last “That’s on account of you’re just a
so terrifying that it will grow hair
copy on his stand, too! Says they sell dumb ape, Son."
in a manner more befitlin' hotcakes "Gee, didn't know ..."
on your chest... and your than newspapers. Says
I

Forgive us for interrupting, but we

was lucky I I

arms. and face

. . and even the
. . .
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I ape, young man, and make sure you MOVIE
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STRANGELY about his single issue of the THE MONSTER world.
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 Jhe Monster Times

It has been scanned by