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: CON CALENDAR

The CON-CALENDAR is a special exclusive feature of THE MONSTER TIMES. Across this great land of ours are quaint and curious gatherings of quaintly curious zealots. The gatherings called “conventions,” and the zealots, called “fans,” deserve the attention of fans and non-fans alike, hence this trail-blazing reader service.

To those readers who’ve never been to one of these hair-brained affairs, we recommend it. Detractors of such events put them down by saying that they’re just a bunch of cartoonists and science fiction writers and comic book publishers talking, and signing autographs for fans who, like maniacs, spend sums on out-of-date comics, science fiction pulps, and monster movie stills. But that’s just the reason for going. If you want a couple of glossy pictures of Dracula or King Kong, or a 1943 copy of Airboy Comics (God alone knows why) or if you wish to see classic horror and science fiction films, or meet the stars of old-time movie serials, or today’s top comic book artist and writers-or if you just want to meet other monster or comics science fiction freaks, like yourself, and learn you’re not alone in the world, OR if you want to meet the affable demented lunatics who bring out THE MONSTER TIMES, go ahead and visit one of those conventions.

We dare ya!

Jan. 9, Feb. 13
THE SECOND SUNDAY – PHIL SEULING – 2833 W. 12 – B’KLYN, N.Y. 11224
STATLER-HILTON – 33rd ST & 7th AVE. – NEW YORK CITY
$1.00 (10 A.M. to 4 P.M.)
COMIC BOOK DEALERS & COLLECTORS – No Special Guests

JAN. 21, 22, 23, FRI., SAT., SUN.
STAR TREK CON – AL SCHUSTER – 31-78 CRESCENT ST. – LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. 11106
STATLER-HILTON – 33rd ST & 7th AVE. – NEW YORK CITY
$2.5 (in advance) $3.50 (At the door)
STAR TREK FILMS! SLIDES, EXHIBITS! COMIC BOOKS! ACTORS! ISAAC ASIMOV!

MARCH 3-5 – FRI., SAT., SUN.
CANADA CON – TOM ROBE – V.W.O. – 594 MARKHAM ST. – TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
INFO. NOT AVAILABLE – WRITE CONVENTION
Infor Not Available Write Con.
Comic Books, S.F. – Pulps, Nostalgia-oriented.

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

MARCH 31, APRIL 1, 2 FRI., SAT., SUN
LUNA-CON – DEVRA LANGSAM – 250 CROWN ST. – BKLYN, N.Y. 11225
STATLER-HILTON – 33rd ST & 7th AVE. – NEW YORK CITY
Infor Not Available Write Con.
New York’s Biggest Annual Sci-Fi Convention – Big-Time Writers Galore!

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.