Tag: Gray Morrow (1934 – 2001)

ISSUE 2: EDITORIAL, CREDITS, INDEX, AND INDICIA

OH BOY! STAR TREK! A whole issue dedicated to every aspect of the show! Just one question – Why?

That’s a pretty good question…

Well, this special ish of THE MONSTER TIMES serves a 2-fold purpose – to celebrate the first annual STAR TREK CONVENTION, January 21, 22, 23 at New York’s Statler-Hilton, and secondly, to commemorate the convention’s memory.

HUH?

You see, we figured the STAR TREK CON was such a nifty idea, that we put out this special issue in honor of it. However, as our distribution schedules go, some of you readers will be reading this in your (few) spare moments at the hectic bustling TREK-CON, as this ish is made specially available to you there, whereas the rest of you have purchased your copy after the convention, at your local newsstand.

So this issue is both a special supplement and a memento of the gala occasion, and we have made our coverage so thorough, that those who didn’t attend the con can get the spirit and crazy exuberance of the luna-module-tic affair. So it’ll seem to you you were there (poor souls!).

ANCIENT SECRETS REVEALED:

Doubtless there are many questions about the show you have long wanted answering. Just to be pesky, we’ll ask them again:

Q: Who was STAR TREK’s salt-thriving vampire? page 5.

Q: Who kept hiding Leonard Nimoy‘s bicycle in the studio rafters? page 14

Q: Did you know the first STAR TREK model kit was a real lemon? page 22

Q: What did chopped chicken liver get for one wise Trekkie? page 28

Q: What lunacies will we be presenting two weeks from now? See back cover.

So, for those of you who’ve bought this modestly superb effort at the STAR TREK CON, enjoy the festivities – and maybe drop over by THE MONSTER TIMES’ special table in Spaceway Hucksters’ room, and maybe perhaps subscribe (mercenary, ain’t we!). For those who (sadly) missed the convention (details of it are on page 23), we hope this issue makes up for it, and we hope to see you there next year.

Next issue (2 weeks from now), we return to our regular newspaper programming, with Giant Bugs on the Munch. See you and your napkins then!

“MT-Many Thanks! Chuck

CHUCK R. McNAUGHTON: Almighty Editor. JOE KANE: Managing Editor. ALLAN ASHERMAN, PHIL SEULING, STEVE VERTLIEB: Associate Editors. BRILL AND WALDSTEIN. Art Direction. BILL FERET, DENNY O’NEIL, C.M. RICHARDS: Columnists. ALLAN ASHERMAN, JESSICA CLERK, DAVE IZZO, DEAN ALPHEOUS LATIMER, ED NAHA, C.M. RICHARDS, STEVE VERTLIEB, JIM WNOROSKI: Contributing Writers. JACK JACKSON: Contributing Photographer, LARRY WALDSTEIN: West Coast Correspondent. JESSICA CLERK: European Correspondent. RICH BUCKLER, ERNIE COLON, CARLOS GARZON, DAN GREEN, STEVE HICKMAN, JIMMY JANES, JEFF JONES, MIKE KALUTA, GRAY MORROW, B.B. SAMS, LARRY TODD, BERNIE WRIGHTSON: Contributing Artists.

1 THE STAR TREK SAGA:
The show’s origins, exploits and fateful (shudder!) destiny.

4 STAR TREK… A GOURMET’S DREAM OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Some of the greatest missions.

7 BOOK REVIEW: THE MAKING OF STAR TREK:
A handy reference, if you write S.T. comics.

12 TV SPACEMEN:
A playful portfolio of early rabbit-eared star-raiders.

13 INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM SHATNER:
Capt. Kirk lets it all hang in outer space, Star-flight-on!

15 LEONARD NIMOY:
An informal, ear-perking portrait of one Vulcanized actor.

16 STAR TREK COLOR POSTER:
Worth the price of the whole dang Trekkified issue!

18 MONSTER TIMES TELETYPE:
Facts, flashes and fore-tollings of monster film news.

20 M.T. PRODUCT TEST:
Star Trek Model kits… and a couple of interesting facsimiles.

23 STAR TREK CONVENTION NOTES:
What’s happening at Ye olde whole sha-bang!

25 THE COP WHO LAUNCHED THE ENTERPRISE:
An Encyclopedia Film-Fannica portrait of Genius Gene Roddenberry.

26 STAR YECCH! – A PIX-PARODY:
A special photo-comix takeoff, so’s we don’t take this adulation business to seriously.

28 THE LAST DAYS OF THE ENTERPRISE:
The last laughs and last heartbreak of the last day of shooting.

THIS ISSUE’S COVER is excerpted from this issue’s super color centerfold poster which we especially commissioned Gray Morrow to concoct for this special all-STAR TREK issue. We trust you’ll find Gray’s fantastically designed poster even more exciting than our cover. We sincerely believe our poster and your wall will be very happy together.

THE MONSTER TIMES, No. 2, Feb. 16th, 1972 published every two weeks by The Monster Times Publishing Company. P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea Station, New York, N.Y. 10011. Subscriptions in U.S.A.: $ 6.00 for 13 issues, outside U.S.A.: $10.00 for 26 issues. Second-class mail privileges authorized at New York, N.Y. and at additional mailing offices. Contributions are invited provided return postage is enclosed; however, no responsibility can be accepted for unsolicited material. Entire contents copyrighted (c) 1972, by The Monster Times Publishing company. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Subscriber change of address; give 8 weeks notice. Send an address imprint from recent issue or state exactly how label is addressed.

Printed in U.S.A.

ISSUE 1: SUBSCRIPTION INFO

Do you realize that in the dark ages we would have been burned at the stake as wizards for this?

If you’re lucky enough to have a subscription to The Monster Times you will be treated to amazing upcoming attractions like: a two-part story on the old EC Comics (the ones that were so horrifying that they inspired the invention of the dreaded Comics Code!), a super-special feature on Bradbury in the comics, plus articles on the monsters of Prince Valiant, on Flash Gordon (not to mention an interview with Buster Crabbe), and an interview with George Pal.

PLUS: the further adventures of Mushroom Monsters; an in-depth look at Roger Corman and his Poe adaptations; original comic strips and fiction by the likes of Frank Frazetta, Gray Morrow, Denny O’Neil, and Kirk (Superman) Alyn; calendars of special sci-fi, horror, and comics conventions across the country; movie, record, and book reviews; product tests; original color centerfolds in each and every issue; rare poster art from films; and much, much more! And next time out we have a whole STAR TREK issue – about every aspect of TV’s greatest sci-fi show, including an original STAR TREK poster by Gray Morrow and an interview with none other than William “Capt. Kirk” Shatner himself!

Sound good?

We think so and we think you’ll think so too. No one who digs films or comix can afford to miss a single issue! ****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!

How does one get one’s claws on each and every issue of MT?

Read on and see!

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.

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.

ISSUE 1: THE OLD ABANDONED WAREHOUSE!

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

ISSUE 1: FAN CLUB INFO…

by LARRY TODD

THE MONSTER TIMES is for multi-media maniacs… for fans of monsters and science fiction, for fanatical enthusiasts of comic art, for old time radio buffs, movie serial freaks, and others like that. We cater to many tastes, and are a grab-bag of weird stuff.

In short order, we shall be establishing a MONSTER TIMES FAN CLUB, with sporadic special news releases, buttons, posters, T-shirts, and all sorts of other interesting paraphernalia. Not just the usual fan club, either. We’re pretty disappointed by most so-called monster products and gizmos currently being marketed, and so are pioneering whole new lines of our own nerve-numbing nick-knacks.

On page 29 we have a CONVENTION CALENDAR, listing a few upcoming fan conventions for next few months. You’ll find pertinent info about the STARTREK CON (Jan 21-23)-and we’d like to urge you here to attend, if you in any way like STAR TREK (it’s being re-run on local TV stations until 1975).

The theme of our entire next issue will be STAR TREK, incidentally, and will be released January 19th. We’re skipping our continuing articles begun this issue to our third ish, to make room enough for: an interview with William Shatner (Captain Kirk), a portrait of Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) stills of the show’s monsters, special effects, production secrets, little-known info and other spell-binding curiosities, not to mention dozens of their stunning scenes in great photos, a specially-commissioned Gray Morrow poster in color,-and a treat-a special spoof photo-comic made from stills of the show. And an article on writing the STAR TREK comics by the guy who writes em; Len Wein. And much, much more.

By the way, there are such things as fan-zines (fan-made-magazines) and we’ll be doing more reporting and reviewing of them, showing their nifty far-out comic art and illustration. They’ve got interesting articles as well as great un-seen comix, and are well worth your more-than casual attention.

ISSUE 1: EDITORIAL, CREDITS, INDEX, AND INDICIA

DESTINY DEMANDS:

Destiny has brought forth this first issue of The Monster Times, and the theme of the issue is Destiny at work. Hark work.

It takes a lot of back-hunching work to bring out a publishing sensation like The Monster Times – a tabloid monster newspaper of films, comics, fantasy and science fiction, news, reviews, previews and interviews – appearing every two weeks! But ol’ Destiny had a hand in it, and now we are the thankfully proud purveyors of the phenomenon.

The theme of Destiny is evident in our crypt-full of “firsts” as seen for instance in this first issue’s QUIZ:

Q: What did a fellow named “Max Terror” have to do with the first Vampire Film? (Page 4).

Q: Did you know that Dracula’s name was really “Irving?” (Page 5).

Q: Did you know the first Frankenstein monster had long hair? (Page 6).

Q: Who were the first blabbermouths to warn that people from the lost continent of Atlantis were secretly controlling us? (Page 11).

Q: What real-life 9-foot lizards inspired the first film appearance of King Kong? (Page 22).

Q: What 1936 film first accurately predicted World War Two, television and the atomic bomb? (Page 27).

Q: How often will The Monster Times be appearing on your newsstands? (see below).

…EVERY TWO WEEKS

Future issues of “MT” will theme themselves about Star Trek (next issue) Frankenstein, Flash Gordon, Werewolves, The War of the Worlds, Giant Bugs on the Munch, Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Ghastly and Great Horror Comics of the 1950’s, etc.

Plus a captivating cornucopia of creative creepish comix, pulsating posters, nerve-numbing news releases, freakish fan-happenings and wrenching reportage of general goings-on in the ever-expanding cantankerous cosmos of the 20th Century’s Popular Arts Renaissance.

INITIAL INSPIRATION:

“MT” – Monster Times! “MT” – Merely Terrific! “MT” – Morbidly Tasteful! “MT” – More Than Merely Timely, Mighty Topical, Modestly Trend-setting! For these are the best of times and the worst of times, these indeed quite are; THE MONSTER TIMES!

Destiny Demanded that The Monster Times came to be-And you, dear reader, have helped us fulfill our destiny by buying our premier issue. See you in two weeks!

“MT” – Many Thanks! Chuck

CHUCK A. McNAUGHTON: Almighty Editor. JOE KANE: Managing Editor. ALLAN ASHERMAN, PHIL SEULING, STEVE VERTLIEB: Associate Editors. BRILL AND WALDSTEIN: Art Direction. BILL FERET, DENNY O’NEIL, C.M. RICHARDS: Columnists. ALLAN ASHERMAN, JESSICA CLERK, DAVE IZZO, DEAN ALPHEOUS LATIMER, ED NAHA, C.M. RICHARDS, STEVE VERTLIEB, JIM WNOROSKI: Contributing Writers. JACK JACKSON: Contributing Photographer. LARRY WALDSTEIN: West Coast Correspondent. JESSICA CLERK: European Correspondent. RICH BUCKLER, ERNIE COLON, CARLOS GARZON, DAN GREEN, STEVE HICKMAN, JIMMY JANES, JEFF JONES, MIKE KALUTA, GRAY MORROW, B.B. SAMS, LARRY TODD, BERNIE WRIGHTSON: Contributing Artists

THE MEN WHO SAVED KING KONG from the cutting-room floor – page 1

NOSFERATU: the first Vampyr – but not the last! – page 3

DER GOLEM: Mud, sweat & tears that made Czechs bounce – page 6

BUCK ROGERS: His rockets roared thru a vacuum of space! – page 9

THE MONSTER MARKET: Is the Wolfman better than George Washington? – page 15

MONSTER TIMES POSTER BONUS! Frankenstein, by Berni Wrightson – page 16

THE GHOULS, A BOOK REVIEW: of Ghouls, by Ghouls and for $7.95 – page 18

MUSHROOM MONSTERS: An MT series on the ’50’s bomb Bomb movies – page 19

NOSFERATU, A GRAPHIC INTERPRETATION: Special comic strip treatment – page 20

THINGS TO COME: The most prophetic film ever made – page 22

MY TELETYPE & CON CALENDAR: Reviews, previews and news of fan conventions – page 18

MONSTER FAN FAIR: Where you can advertise for monsters and comix – page 31

Our premier cover has been specially rendered by ace science fiction illustrator and syndicated cartoonist (Big Ben Bolt), Gray Morrow. Gray found time away from his prolific chores to prepare this fantastic mini-poster of King Kong for our first issue.

THE MONSTER TIMES, No. 1 January 26, 1972, published every two weeks by The Monster Times Publishing Company. P.O. Box 595, Old Chelsea Station, New York, N.Y. 10011. Subscriptions in U.S.A.: $ 6.00 for 13 issues, outside U.S.A.: $10.00 for 26 issues. Second class mail privileges authorized at New York, N.Y. and at additional mailing offices. Contributions are invited provided return postage is enclosed; however, no responsibility can be accepted for unsolicited material. Entire contents copyrighted (c) 1972, by The Monster Times Publishing company. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Subscriber change of address; give 8 weeks notice. Send an address imprint from recent issue or state exactly how label is addressed.

Printed in U.S.A.

ISSUE 1 poster: Bernie Wrightson – Frankenstein’s monster

Destiny just keeps chugging along through this first issue of the MONSTER TIMES -a journal reporting duly upon “firsts.” Not wishing to alienate fans of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which first brought Boris Karloff to the imagination of the American public, we present this specially commissioned poster portrait visual allegory of FRANKENSTEIN, as conceived by master horror illustrator, BERNI WRIGHTSON.

This is the first of many centerfold spectaculars; visual treats designed just for you and your wall.

Yon gargantuan mini-sistine-chapel of horror and ghoulish draftsmanship before you is suitable for ye framing. All C-folds will be, in fact… just another example of how the unemployed elves and expatriate gnomes of the Black Forest busy here at THE MONSTER TIMES are always thinking of you.

Next issue’s poster: STAR TREK! – by Gray Morrow!

In future issues we’ll be presenting such goodies as a portfolio of production sketches and the lost ad campaign art of KING KONG! At other times we’ll feature our giant tabloid-sized comic art pages in color in this center spotlight.

As an extra bonus, we also present in this issue (on pages 20 & 21) NOSFERATU in comic book form, conceived brilliantly by Berni’s burgeoning baneful brush.