Category: The Monster Times issue 2

HEY GANG! DIG THIS TOTALLY LOGICAL HANG-UP IN FULL COLOR!

I COULD DIG SUCH A HANGUP! Enclosed is $ ….. for No. ….. of your GIANT SUPER FULL-COLOR STAR TREK POSTERS of Mr. Spock, and the original prop of the Starship Enterprise! Rush it to me in that sturdy cardboard mailing tube, right away! I enclose 20¢ postage for each poster on an order totaling less than $20.00, for postage and handling. By the way, just in case you guys don’t take the time to read the address on the letters you get, I’m sending the loot and this coupon to:

THE OLD ABANDONED WAREHOUSE
P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea Station,
New York, N.Y. 10011

---

THE OLD ABANDONED WAREHOUSE is here! Now you can order rare and hard-to-get books about monsters, comics, pulps, fantasy and assorted betwitching black sundries. Some of the items are for older fan enthusiasts, and some ask you to state age when purchasing. Don’t be put off by the formality, the pulsating Post Office isn’t.

POSTERS BY FRANK FRAZETTA.

For mood and tone and anatomy and stark portraits of wonder, Frazetta is the master! Each poster awakens your sense of awe and fascination. The colors and details are reproduced magnificently. Breathtaking to see and own!

A. WEREWOLF (cover painting for CREEPY 4).

Silhouetted against an orange moon is the ravening beast of our nightmares, about to pounce on the victim who has unfortunately discovered him! ….. $2.50

B. SKIN DIVER (cover painting for EERIE 3).

There is the treasure chest, spilling its riches into the ocean depth in which the awed skin-diver has discovered it. But what is that fearful, monstrous thing rearing up behind it? ….. $2.50

C. BREAK THE BARBARIAN VS. THE SORCERESS (cover painting for Paperback Library paperback).

Brak, with sword and on horseback, looks up into murky skies to see is it a vision of a woman? Is that evil she seems to convey? Or menace $2.50

D. CONAN OF CIMMERIA (cover painting for Lancer paperback)

Toe to toe, Conan fights with brute savagery, death in every axe stroke, against two frost giants. The scene is a blazingly white mountain top under an ice-blue sky! Thorough drama! ….. $2.50

E. CONAN THE CONQUEROR (cover painting for Lancer paperback)

Bursting like a firestorm into the midst of a hellish battle, Conan comes, astride his maddened charger, cleaving his bloody way! The background is fire and death and savagery ….. $2.50

ALL FIVE FRAZETTA POSTERS ….. $10.00

(POSTERS ARE MAILED IN STRONG CARDBOARD TUBES)

HERO PULP INDEX.

Bob Weinberg, Robert McKinstry & Lohr McKinstry, ed. ….. $3.50

Where did the Black Hood appear before comic books? When did the long and incredibly successful Shadow series begin? How long did Doc Savage run? The pulp magazines with continued adventure hero features are listed in this compact and efficient reference book. Note: This book is mainly a listing of old pulp mag. characters and titles, of interest to completists and zealous fans, but not of much value to a person looking for samples of the actual surprises. We say this, hoping to avoid confusion or ill feelings.

LUGOSI.

Alan Barbour, ed. $4.00

The world’s favorite Dracula is seen in a bookful of photos of Bela Lugosi in his weirdest roles. Softcover twin volume to the Karloff book. Excellent stills from the great Lugosi horror films, and plenty of them. 52-pages.

VIRGIL FINLAY.

Donald M. Grant ….. $12.00

Beautiful hardcover book, limited memorial edition, including a magnificent sampling of the art of this great science-fiction illustrator. Mostly black-and-white and some outstanding color plates. Also contains a full listing of Finlay’s work and where to find it, and his bio.

Proves again and again, page after page that Finlay did for horror & sci-fi what Norman Rockwell did for The Saturday Evening Post.

THE GREAT COMIC BOOK HEROES.

Jules Feiffer ….. $5.00

A frank and nostalgic backward look at a childhood of comic book reading. And then adventure after (original) comic book adventure showing us the complete origin of stories of Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern, and episodes in the careers of the Spirit, Flash, Hawkman, and more! All in beautiful color! Dynamite!

FANTASTIC.

Alan Barbour, ed. $4.00

Boris Karloff was the magnificent master of disguise and menace. You can see dozens and dozens of photographs of his various roles in this 52page all-photograph softcover book. Each photo is full-page size (81/2 x 11) and is clear and vivid. A horror-film fan’s prize.

ABYSS 1.

Jones et al., ed. $2.00

This deadly magazine comic book was the cooperative effort of Jeff Jones, Mike Kaluta, Bruce Jones, and Bernie Wrightson. They experiment with stories of the odd and the macabre, in spidery, Gothic style! Moody and dramatic and high quality.

A JOB FOR SUPERMAN.

Kirk Alyn ….. $5.00

The first actor ever to play the part of Superman has written this memoir. It is filled with film-making stories (how he caught fire while flying), good humor, and many, many photographs. Fun reading, even for non-film fans.

LITTLE NEMO IN SLUMBERLAND.

Winsor McCay ….. $3.00

This softcover, thin book is an amazing look at the art nouveau “psychedelic” comic strip artwork of Winsor McCay. Nemo appeared in the early 1900s, and is still the best visual fantasy ever to appear on a comic page:

DARK DOMAIN.

Gray Morrow ….. $4.00

A sketchbook of a comic art master featuring fantasy, science-fiction illustrations and visual delights such as girls, monsters, swordsmen, and girls! This volume is recommended for serious students of art, illustration, science fiction, fantasy, swordsmen monsters and of girls–but over age 18.

TARZAN AND THE VIKINGS.

Hal Foster ….. $7.00

Here is one of the greatest adventure strips ever drawn, by the finest artist the comic art world has ever produced! Even before beginning his 33. year Prince Valiant career, Hal Foster did the Sunday pages of Tarzan, and this book (softcover, Life Magazine-sized) reprints 55 pages of Tarzan’s story. Where else can this “lost” work be seen?

HISTORY OF THE COMICS.

Jim Steranko ….. $3.00

There is a series involved here, and this is volume one. You can find few better descriptions of how comic books evolved (from newspaper strips and pulp adventure magazines), and there are hundreds of photos and illustrations. Nifty reading, great art – poster-sized full-color cover by the author.

FRAZETTA.

Vern Coriell, ed. ….. $2.50

It’s Frazetta-need we say more?

A slim sketchbook which covers some of the finest black and white linework by this super-artist, Frank Frazetta. Each figure shows detail, mass, strength, and drama. For collectors of the best. … You must be 18 to buy this volume. State age when placing order.

TARZAN ILLUSTRATED BOOK ONE.

Hal Foster ….. $5.00

The first Tarzan ever to appear in comics form was a daily strip drawn by Hal Foster with the text of the book printed beneath each panel. Designed to run for a few weeks, Tarzan has now been going for forty years. But this book contains the first strips ever drawn, reprinted in clear lines in a wrap-around softcover book. Good value.

THE OLD ABANDONED WAREHOUSE

P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea Station, New York, N.Y. 10011

The proverbial Old Abandoned Warehouse which you’ve heard about in so many comics, movies and pulp adventure and detective novels is open for business. Abandoned Warehouse Enterprises presents the most AWEful, AWE-inspiring AWEsome AWEtifacts AWEvailable at AWE-striking AWE-right prices! Indicate which items you want

NOTE: Add 20¢ postage and handling per item for orders totaling less than $20.00. Make checks and money orders payable to: ABANDONED WAREHOUSE

I think THE MONSTER TIMES is just what I’ve been looking for! Enclosed is $ …..

Make check or money order payable to:

THE MONSTER TIMES,
P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea Station,
New York City, N.Y. 10011

As a new subscriber (for a sub of one year or more), here is my 25-word ad, to appear FREE of charge in Fan-Fair as soon as possible.

Subscription Rates:

$6.00 for 13 issues (6 months)
$10.00 for 26 issues (1 year)
$18.00 for 52 issues (2 years)
$12.00 for 26 issues CANADA
$18.00 for 26 issues FOREIGN

PS: I pledge by the light of the next full moon to bother my local newsdealer until he (a) shakes in his boots at the sight of me, and (b) regularly and prominently displays THE MONSTER TIMES.

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

Oh, be kind to your 6-footed friends, for THE FLY may be somebody’s brother-department:

In our next incomparable issue of THE MONSTER TIMES, we astound you by presenting more bugs than Agnew has adverbs.

We’ve got THEM!–gobs and hordes of THEM!, the giant-ant pic that made James Arness cheerfully go back home to the range. Them there THEM valiantly tried to take over the world … but them THEM bugs just couldn’t quite succeed.

However, the producers of THE HELLSTROM CHRONICLE calmly ho-hum that bugs indeed will out-out-live, out-last, out-populate out-eat and outstandingly rule whatever becomes of we mere humans. And use our human carcasses like hamburger stands for a gigantic eat-out.

With that chilling prediction in mind, we’ve acquired a special approPoe-ish comic strip by top pro-comix writer, Marv Wolfman, illustrated by pencil and pen whiz, Rich Buckler. They’re a new comic art talent combo to be reckoned with. Their collaboration portrays life among the humanoid insect-men who will someday replace us. And this chillingly prophetic comic art vision is aptly dubbed, “COMES THE GRAY DAWN!”

Marv Wolfman (his name used to be Marvin Vampire, but he changed it) has also contributed a lighthearted survey of INSECTS IN COMIX, and to help round out the creepish-crawl-ish, we’re reprinting a long-forgotten masterprose, EMPIRE OF THE ANTS, by sci-fi’s granddaddy-longlegs, H.G. Wells. Illos specially commissioned for it from pulp illustrator par excellence Mike Kaluta.

AND there are continuations of MUSHROOM MONSTERS and KING KONG, and some surprises.

NOW! isn’t that an issue you don’t wanna miss? If so, doncha wanna be double-darn sure you get it delivered to your door by the postman-just by filling out ye olde subscription coupon on this page? Doncha, huh? Doncha huh? Doncha?

**** EXTRA MONSTER BONUS! –

Also with every subscription of one year or longer, you get a FREE 25-word classified ad to be run in our Fan-Fair classified page. You can advertise comics or stills or pulps, etc. for trade, or for anything else – provided it’s in good taste!

THE MONSTER TIMES FAN FAIR is another reader service of MT. Care to buy, sell or trade movie stills, old comics or tapes of old radio programs? Or maybe buy or advertise a fan-produced magazine? An ad costs only 10 cents per word (minimum, 25 words).

Make all checks and money orders payable to THE MONSTER TIMES, and mail your clearly printed or typewritten ad (or fill out coupon on back cover) to: THE MONSTER TIMES, Box 595, Old Chelsea Station, New York, N.Y. 10011. We reserve the right to refuse ads which would not be deemed appropriate to our publication.

All kinds of good comics for sale at ungodly low prices. Send for free list. Ron Kasman 254 Codsell Ave., Downsview, Ont., Canada

Pen-Pals Wanted: Comix, Science Fiction and Fantasy Fans Preferred. Write F.L. Watkins, Box 110, Mason City, Illinois, 62664

Wanted: First 10 Doc Savage pbs. Also movie stills, sf posters, comix posters. Write before you send. Larry Brnicky, Box 32, Owen Hall, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906

Wanted Detective Comics No. 64. Will pay $20.00 for complete mint near mint copy. Write Ronald Wilber, RFD, Clements Road, Liberty, N.Y. 12754 before sending.

Alter Ego – published by Marvel associate editor Roy Thomas. 4 issues $5. No. 10 (Kane, Kubert, Wood) $1.50. 305 E. 86th St., Apt. 18K-West, N.Y.C., N.Y. 10028

Send for free lists of thousands: pulps, comics, ’40-’71, mags: sale, or trade for my wants. Randolph M. Poling, 3813 Trilby Dr., Apt.B, Indianapolis, Ind. 46236

The Last Avenger Lives! A.A.D. 44 Palmer St., Medford, Mass. 02155

Wanted: Contact No. 3. any Gothic Blimp Works with MWK, Wrightson, Bode. Ken Strack, Cave Creek Stage, Box 153-B, Phoenix, Ar. 85020

Wanted: Original Art, Fantasy Stills, Superman Cartoons, Sale: Amazing, Gersbeck Autographed ish 1.-G.H.Orentlicher, 1782 Homestead Ave., Atlanta, Ba. 30306

Ray Harryhausen, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are interviewed in the new L’Incroyable Cinema. $.80 from Steve & Erwin Vertlieb – 1517 Benner St., Phila., Pa. 19140

Wanted: Books illustrated by Maxfield Parish, Arthur Rackham, N.C. Wyeth and Frank Godwin. Send Prices to Dave Pardee 3047 Whitney Ave., Hamden Ct. 06518

800 Horror Comics (1950-1954) – Good Condition – Top Bid over $350.00 takes all: inquire: James M-G Hurst, 1249 E. Osborn Apt. No. 20, Phoenix, Ariz. 85014

Many Comics for sale, all 15°@ PB’s, Pulps, Mags, etc., Send 15¢ to Greg Rice, 1571 E. Bates Pkwy, Englewood, Colo. 80110

Want tape recordings of: Peyton Place, Doomwatch, Doctor Who, Forsythe Sage, U.F.O., Survivors and Strange Paradise. Ken Wong, P.O, Box 636, Port Hardy, B.C.

Wanted: Marvels before 1967 in VG to Mint Only. Also want art. Send prices to: Joe Barney, 1127, W. Spruce, Chippewa Falls, Wisc. 54729

For sale: Daredevil No. 20-52. All in very good condition. 200 each. Ronald Sewy, P.O. Box 72, St. John’s, Nfld., Canada

We buy old comic books Send list of what you have to sell to Post Office Box 850, Bronx, N.Y. 10451

Howski buys, sells, trades books, mags, comix. Interested? Inquire for information and opportunities at: Howski Comix and Productions, 18 Hawk Rd., Levittown, Pa. 19056

Wanted: Sunday Newspaper strips by – Eisner, Foster, Manning, Hogarth, Raymond. E.C. Comics, Finlay and Bok Portfolios, comic strip reprint comics. Similar items to trade. Gary Fairfax, Dept. of Physics, M.S.U., E. Lansing, Mich. 48823

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF COMIX: Fan and pro entertainment by great writers and artists. Fifty cents from: Neal Pozner, 4028 Anne Dr., Seaford, N.Y. 11783

ON SALE NOW: THE SPECTRUM No. 3. 15€ each (20¢ each airmail) Vincent Marchesano, 19 Richwill Rd., Apt 313 Hamilton 40, Ontario, Canada

ROBERT KLINE PORTFOLIO Humor, Horror, Prehistoric lllos, 52 pages. $2.25 total from Gary Groth. 7263 Evanston Road, Springfield, Va. 22150

ERB-dom/THE FANTASY COLLECTOR: A double-barreled monthly magazine about Edgar Rice Burroughs, adzine for Science Fiction Book & pulp collectors. 3 sample copies, $1. CAZ, BOX 550, Evergreen, Colo. 80439.

CANAZINE, 50¢, 60 offset pages. Nostalgia! Canadian comics! Art; Romita, Spiegle, Metzger, Fritz, Costanza, etc. Text: Fagan, Isabella, etc. 5252 Borden, Montreal 265, Quebec, Canada.

L’INCROYABLE CINEMA, Britain’s finest fantasy film magazine is now available to American Subscribers at $.80 per copy, and $2.50 for three issues. Order now from Steve and Erwin Vertlieb, 1517 Benner Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19149.

Fandom’s Greatest Newsletter is Back! THE COMIC READER is now available from Paul Levitz, 393 East 58 Street, Bklyn, NY 11203. Offsetmonthly, 12-16 pages, 30¢ + an 8° stamp.

COMICS! Marvels (1964-1971) at DECENT PRICES! Most 200 or 404. Send S.A.S.E. for price list; Dan De Prez, 11015 N.E. Flanders, Portland, Ore. 97220

COLLAGE, Fandom’s only bi-weekly zine for film & comic fans, by Fandom’s oldest fanzine publisher. 5 Issue subscription, $2.50. COLLAGE, SW 212 St., Miami, Fla. 33157

“Hi. Remember the super-heroes of yesteryear? And how about the old E.C. science fiction & horror stories? Well, I got um’all on tape! If you’d like to trade your 25 year old comics for them, write to “Adventure Unlimited”, c/o Jimmy Thornton, Apt. 11-E, 225 East 99th St., N.Y., N.Y. 10029

by JOAN WINSTON

Long-time STAR TREK fan, and chopped-chicken-liver diplomat, Joan Winston was present on the set the week they shot the last show of the series, and saw and made friends with the whole Trek Crew, actors and producers alike. Luckily for us and you readers, who no doubt have wondered what it was like with Nimoy, Shatner, Roddenberry, et al during –

The director yelled,”Cut! Print it!” Captain Kirk kiddingly his lips and ambiguously blew kisses to Sulu and Chekov, effectively breaking up the cast on the Star Trek set. Shatner was always good for a few gags during the shooting day. Visitors to the set, knowing him only as the efficacious and efficient Captain, and one of the finest actors in the business, were constantly amazed at this other side of his personality. He seemed to take particular delight in breaking up his co-stars, Nimoy and Kelley.

STARDATE: TERMINUS

It was hard to believe that they were shooting the last episode of what might very well be their last season. Spirits were high, and jokes, practical and otherwise, were the order of the day. I was told that many of the technicians and crew had requested assignment to Star Trek because it was a “fun” set. “We may come in a day late, but we have a ball.”

Elaborate put-ons are thought out and planned as carefully as a program presentation. One had zany Shatner in a long black fright wig, two-inch false eye-lashes, falsies and a purple sequined ukelele doing Tiny Tim’s “Tip Toe Through The Tulips”. Sometimes the put-ons went a little too far from sanity, but they helped keep the set loose and easy. Carl Daniels, the veteran sound mixer, told me that Bill Shatner was that way all day. “Eight in the morning or nine at night … It has been so great working with Bill and the rest of the cast; shame it has to end …” He stopped, sighed, “Well, maybe a miracle will happen.” None did.

A STAR-SHIP DOCTOR IS A GIRL-PHOTOGRAPHER’S BEST FRIEND

DeForest Kelley, truly the southern gentleman, was my charming guide for most of the time on the set. Cameras are not allowed on the lot unless you have permission from the front office. I smuggled in my trusty instamatic and De took great delight in helping me grab shots when no one was looking. On the last day of production when I confessed this to the First Assistant Director, Gene Durelle, he told me he knew all about it, but appreciated the fact that I had never shot a flash during filming or absconded with one of the stars when they were needed and tried to keep out of everyone’s way.

CHICKEN LIVER’LL GET YOU OUT OF THIS WORLD

“If all visitors were like you, this would not be a closed set”. Closed set? Then how did I get on the set? Did you ever hear of Chopped Chicken Liver? I knew this VP at Paramount with a passion for CCL, and casually mentioned my impending trip to the coast. “You must let me show you around the lot,” he said. “Mission: Impossible”, “Mannix”…

“How about Star Trek?”

“I tell you what; you bring me some homemade CCL and I’ll get you a lunch date with William Shatner.”

LEAPIN’ LIZARDS! LUNCH WITH THE CAPTAIN

OF THE ENTERPRISE! The lunch date never materialized, by the time my friend got around to asking Mr. Shatner he was all tied up. Just as well, I had more fun on the set.

A WELL-KEPT THOUGHT

My first day on the set was Shatner Day, we had joked around and had a ball. In the script they were shooting he changes personalities with a woman and there were many jokes about this. The official title was “TURNABOUT INTRUDER” but the crew’s title was “CAPTAIN KIRK – SPACE QUEEN!” I told Bill I had never met anyone who reminded me less of a woman. He grinned and said, “Keep that thought!”

CHICKEN LIVER, AGAIN

My second day was Nimoy Day. Essentially a very serious actor, he would love to do something on Broadway – distinctly unSpockian. I got the feeling Mr. Nimoy has had it as Spock. He was extremely warm and friendly. Somehow we got on the subject of Chopped Chicken Liver. “Vulcans can’t eat that, you know. But skinny Jewish actors love it!” he laughed. Of course, I brought him some the next day.

CHICKEN LIVER & SCHNOODLES?

De Kelley was my real buddy. A real pro, always ready when you needed him, knowing his business and his lines. One night on the drive home we talked about his lovely wife, his schnoodle (1/2 schnauzer, 1/2 poodle) and how they loved their house but might have to move because the kids in the parochial school up the street had discovered that “Doctor McCoy” lived there and were knocking on his door all day hoping for a glimpse of their hero. “It really is something to get this kind of popularity after so many years in the business.” Nimoy had recently moved for the same reason. Shatner, in the process of his divorce, had moved in with friends, no one knew where, but if the constant calls on the set were any barometer, half the female population of Los Angeles County was trying to find out.

THE LAST CHOPPY DAY: COLDS AND COLD-“CUTS”

The last day of production rolled ’round. It was a difficult day. They were behind and should have finished the day before. Shatner came in with the flu and a fever of 103 deg.

When Len Nimoy finished his last line and the director called “Cut”, he very slowly and ceremoniously removed his ears for the very last time.

Shatner and Sandy Smith, his leading lady, kept on working till late in the afternoon. Except for the bright flush on his face which they kept trying to cover with make-up and the feverish look in his eyes, you would never have known it when he was on camera.

They finally finished and all the crew gathered around him, shaking his hand, some with tears in their eyes. Three long hard years coming to an end. To many of them this was their family. You spent 12 to 14 hours a day with these people – you saw them more than your real family.

THE LAST MOMENTS

After the show was wrapped up there was a cast party but no one’s heart was in it. I was invited but felt it would be an intrusion to accept. I did stay a little while and as I was leaving, Shatner came back on the set after having rested for about an hour. He looked quite ill and drawn but felt he had to make a showing

It was a quiet party, no one really felt like joking.

Small gifts were exchanged, Good-byes were said. Soon the set was cleared, the props put away and just the empty sound stage left.

Just so you don’t think we’re raving worshippers at the shrine of Saint STAR TREK, we’ve decided to have a little fun with a show where every planet has, coincidentally enough, the same percentage of breathable oxygen and the same gravity as does our own. We’ve been good enough sports to devote a whole issue of THE MONSTER TIMES to the show, perhaps rabid-eyed TREKKIES won’t be too terribly put off by our smug view of what the series could have been had some inept clods really gotten hold of it. Inept clods like us, for instance.

So we proudly present our special MONSTER TIMES FOTO COMIX – a special imaginary segment of a hypothetical series:

ENCYCLOPEDIA FILM-FANNICA
BIOGRAPHY SECTION
R: Roddenberry, Gene=Genius

THE COP WHO LAUNCHED THE ENTERPRISE

by Allan Asherman

Some years ago there was a wartime flier named Eugene W. Roddenberry, who became Gene Roddenberry; policeman. Flier Roddenberry loved excitement and freedom, and was a part of an immense organization working to win a war and preserve a way of life. He was, in a way, living out some of the excitement of his favorite fictional hero, Captain Horatio Hornblower.

A policeman, is an organization-man, but the flight is sociological instead of militaristic. Policeman Roddenberry learned to fight sans protective wings and propellers and still remain a “good cop.”

he gets itchy typewriter fingers

Most people would have been satisfied with the vocation’s excitement. The Creative Urge took hold of him. He made time to write for that most creative field, dramatic television. Roddenberry was successful, and soon his scripts (written under a pen name) were being seen on several series.

He started writing on a semi-regular basis for “Dragnet,” using his experiences on the police force as source material for his scripts. He was a concerned authority on narcotics, and so – many of his stories dealt with that special problem.

Successful sales and the lure of Hollywood beckoned Gene, and he quit the Force to become a full-time T.V. writer, at last using his own name on scripts.

he commands creative respect

Besides “Dragnet,” he wrote plays for Dick Powell’s prestigious “Four Star Playhouse.” His work was liked in the industry, and he quickly became head-writer for Richard Boone’s highly successful teleseries “Have Gun Will Travel.” The M.G.M. series “The Lieutenant” followed, with Roddenberry creatively behind the show.

The background for inspiration was set. The ingredients, true-life adventure, experience with fictional adventure and action, were about to combine.

In his post-air-force days, Roddenberry had been a civilian pilot for 3 years. He survived a wartime crash, and later narrowly escaped the crash of a civilian airliner (Only he and 7 others survived.) And yet with such experiences behind him, Roddenberry remained a fairly reserved type. Military, law enforcement and flying experiences began to gel into an idea; the idea formed slowly, painstakingly, at first as a kind of private dream.

a dreamin’ Gene

Roddenberry had read and seen science-fiction. Though there was no limit to what a person could write in this field, but budget limitations often gave way to unconvincing storylines and uninspired production. The reality and feeling were simply not there and science-fiction, especially on television, had come to be looked upon as being suitable only for children. Gloppy monsters and equally substantial plots. There were exceptions, but these were all anthologies (“The Twilight Zone,” “The Outer Limits,” “Science-fiction Theatre” and Ronald Dahl’s “Way Out”) and did not revolve around a set situation and cast of characters.

What if a man tried to do justice to science-fiction by treating it the same as he would adventure, action or combat stories? Suppose this was done on a running basis, within a given universe of places and people … provocative people in an intriguing age meeting fantastic situations, but meeting them realistically. You would have something that was never seen before. Something NEW and quite worthwhile.

hmm: “STAR-SMOKE”. “DRAGNET-TREK?”

You take “Dragnet,” and “Gunsmoke,” the U.S. Air Force and an implicit faith in man’s sincere thirst for knowledge and companionship, and you move them all 200 years or so into the future.

Get a cast of dramatic actors to tackle, create and mold the roles. Hire art directors and set designers who can give the thing body and spirit unique. Emphasize the things that really matter, and don’t get carried away with non-essentials. Take the deadlines of television budget and production time into realistic account. Get it all together in your mind. And call it “STAR TREK.”

And so that’s just what the cop who launched the Enterprise did!

EXTRA! MIDNITE EDITION

As we rushed toward press time, all info about the STAR TREK CONVENTION was not yet finalized. So we have only a sample. We present it all in the present tense for the benefit of those MONSTER TIMES purchasers at the convention, who may refer to yon list of festivities as a reminder, from time to time, should they misplace their program books, and wish to keep in heed the events.

You newsstand purchasers who missed the convention, please bear with this present-tense article on something past. With a bit of patient imagination, the thrill of the ST-CON (and time travel) can be yours!

Here Goes…

The STAR TREK CONVENTION takes place at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in New York City, January 21, 22 & 23. A never-ending abundant flow of persons, places, things and happenings indigestibly inundate the whole quality and imagination-glutted affair. Madness and chaos prevail, hero-worship and adulation radiate from the halls and waft from the rafters. Trekkie-eyed fans and fanatical-eyed Trekkies (girl STAR TREK groupies) partake in zealous idolatries and ecstacies. And then, of course, there’s the regularly scheduled program:

There Be…

Two of science fiction’s most reputable (albeit pleasantly talkative) authors, Isaac (Ike) Asimov and Hal Clement head the list of special guest speakers. Before thine very own bloodshot eyeballs and with thine own numbed eardrums behold Dr. Asimov speak on Mr. Spock to a Dr. Spock-reared generation. And Hal Clement doth expoundeth wittily on the STAR TREK Universe – which sort of resembles our own.

AND…

STAR TREK’S producer, Gene Roddenberry, formally stated that he will attend, along with his wife, Majel Barret, who played nurse Christine Chapel on STAR TREK.

AND…

D.C. Fontana, who co-authored the STAR TREK RULE BOOK of writing for the series, as well as contributing to many episodes, and writing “The Enterprise Incident” segment, as well as other scripts, gives a nifty talk on the show. She traces the history of the show, the development of the continual plot chain, and what the entire epic series leaves behind as a legacy.

AND…

The famous STAR TREK BLOOPER REEL of flubs and goofs which took place before the rolling cameras is featured at a special film showing, which also includes various great segments of the show.

AND…

An enterprisingly mammoth ART EXHIBIT contains not only STAR TREK artwork, but art and illustrations concerning science fiction, comic books, and all like that. Much of the art for sale.

AND…

There’s an exhibit of authentic STAR TREK props and costumes (including the items presented in this issue of THE MONSTER TIMES). Also brandished before your very eyes, the costume of Klattu (Michael Rennie), the extra-terrestrial visitor from THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL – which is relative to STAR TREK in that Klattu was portrayed very much like the Vulcan, Spock – a man of peace and logic. And was promptly killed by the U.S. Army.

AND…

Lo and behold! There be a huge Hucksters’ Trading Room, at which photos, mementos from the show, photostats, film clips and original photos of the stars are for sale, as well as copies of a myriad of fan zines pertaining to STAR TREK.

AND…

A tempestuous, terrific, authentic AUCTION verily doth be held. Droves of demented fiendish fans thereat shell out willing wads of daffy dollars and covivial coin for STAR TREK memorabilia, including photos, film clips, models, badges, buttons, books and other fantastic frivilosities.

AND…

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are presenting a photo-model montage of the space program up-to-date, and the effect that STAR TREK and 2001 had in getting NASA its crucial budget increase and enabled the U.S. to get the first men on the moon.

AND…

Bet you didn’t know STAR TREK was partly responsible for the real space program actually exploring space! But it’s true – interest was generated in science fiction, science, and real space travel by STAR TREK and 2001, A SPACE ODYSSEY right at a crucial time when Congress was to foolishly cut back on NASA’s budget. So much public interest was generated by STAR TREK and 2001 that the tide was turned, and NASA not only got its necessary budget, but an increase in expenditures, saving the space program, and getting us on the moon with relative (economic) ease. Now, how do you like that?

Product Tested: Star Trek Model Kits.
Available at: Various toy and model shops.
Price: $2.49 each

NOTE: of the models illustrated on this page, only one of them is a genuine store-bought model: the other two were handmade. We were originally to do a simple MONSTER TIMES product test, when we spotted this opportunity to demonstrate what the human eye and hand, sufficiently coordinated, can produce … equal to many a pre-fab model kit.

Not that we’re putting down pre-fab model kits, but seeing what one STAR TREK fan, Richard Van Treuren accomplished with just hunks of balsa wood and plastic on his own initiative, we do lament that as many of us (this reviewer himself included) have the initiative to make models by hand as used to be.

The model of the Klingon ship (see captions to photos for identification) is a professionally tooled model kit, commercially sold by AMT Model Corporation, available in toy shops. everywhere. It is comparatively easy to put together, but a bit hard to get. AMT made a limited pressing of them, but they can be found if you shop around a bit.

AMT also released a dubiously crafted model of the Starship Enterprise-which was recalled after a couple of months, when it was discovered no one could put it together. Parts didn’t fit, and if the ship had been a real starship, it would have leaked crew and fuel supply and whole compartments gushingly in space’s vacuum like a sieve.

However, AMT is an honest corporation, and commendably not only recalled the deficient model from stores, but replaced it with a new version of the craft, far superior to the previous one … every part worked, and what’s more the ship lit up from the inside as does the miniature used on the show.

The version of the starship Enterprise shown here, though, is even more noteworthy; handcrafted painstakingly by Richard Van Treuren and even more surprisingly-he did it strictly from imagination!

Richard Van Treuren had no still photographs from which to work, no charts or instructions-he only had impressed in his memory every curve and nook and cranny of the ship. We feel his version is so true to the actual Enterprise, and so indistinguishable from the AMT model (which he also never saw!), that it’s well worth displaying on this page, in the pre-fab model’s stead. (We still couldn’t put it together!-but this time that’s our fault!)

The shuttle-craft was also made from memory by him, and we reproduce it here, not only for the sake of our readers, who naturally would be curious, but also the sake of AMT, who never released a STAR TREK shuttle-craft… and who should.

There was some talk (especially in Great Britain-where the show is now phenomenally popular) that a shuttle-craft model would be released-speculation was that Corgi Toys would issue it in Great Britain. Nothing ever came of all that talk, and so there’s still no shuttle-craft, folk.

It might be worth a try if all of you loyal fans of STAR TREK out there would bombard the AMT Toy Company.

Encourage them to consider that if they were to re-issue their STAR TREK models, and a shuttle-craft (and other of the show’s space vehicles), that there would be an enormously expansive market for them. We can recommend at least one model-crafter to design the shuttle-craft, if such has not already been done. Heh heh.

Or simply write something like “I am very interested in collecting a whole set of the space vehicles of STAR TREK-how can I go about getting them?”-and mayhaps they’ll get the idea themselves, and expand their TREK-model line.

Only your enthusiasm can bring this about.

But until that grand and glorious day, we heartily advise you to scour ye friendly neighborhood model shops, and locate your own existent STAR TREK model kits. Or get yourself a couple hunks of balsa wood, some styrofoam plastic, a pen-knife and some paint (Richard Von Treuren actually painted his own “decals” on!) and go to it!

But don’t ask US how to do it, fergoshsakes!

Chuck McNaughton

MT’s what we want in a monster newspaper, and (we think!) that’s just what you want, too! AND we’ve got scads and scads of articles & photos & comix and posters AND practically everything to do with Horror, Sci-Fi, Comix and Nostalgia, all set to go to press – AND we’ve got new ways of presenting them: special issues, with Comix related to films to records to products to books, and all like that there. AND we’ve got more news than we can fit in print, AND MONSTER TIMES PHOTO-COMIX, AND columns and reviews AND product tests, AND all sorts of vital or curious miscellaneous features. Our presentation is new to monster publications, our format is new, ditto our editorial slant – and most especially our attitude – we’ve all this great stuff – but how do you want it dished up to you? On toast? On a grave-digger’s shovel?

DROP US A CARD OR A LETTER LETTING US KNOW HOW YOU RECEIVE MT’S CONTENTS. – Rate our articles and features from A to Z, and – tell us what YOU want to see more of.

Our format is more flexible than Plastic Man, and as all-encompassing as THE BLOB. One issue can be a grabbing grabbag, like a Cracker-Jack box with all prizes, no popcorn – another can cover every aspect of something special, like this spiffy STAR TREK issue. Can you dig it? Sound OK?

Your wish is our command, O-Reader! Because THIS IS YOUR NEWSPAPER! We want to entertain, inform, amuse and edify you – whatever edify means.

OR – Are you content with the way we’re doing things, and have no complaints? Let us know that, too. Are you satisfied, or will you never be, that is the question.

We await your replies with bated breath. Send all your corroding criticisms and earmarked encouragements to THE MONSTER TIMES, P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea Station, New York, N.Y. 10011. And expect to see them printed in a letter page, so keep ’em in good taste, gang!

THE EDITORS