CINEMA 57 MARKET UPDATE

Since I first posted information about the French monster book, CINEMA 57 about a dozen years ago, there are currently two listings on eBay selling copies: one is a very good copy with a $349.00 "or best offer" price tag and the other is an "acceptable" copy from a seller in Canada for $326.66 USD.

To read what CINEMA 57 has to do with monster magazine history, click HERE for the details.

THRILLER: THE VAMPIRE WAS A SUCKER!

All I've got to say is, despite the economy being in the shitter there doesn't seem to be a thing wrong with the collector's market. A visit to any auction website will prove my point, with the tens of thousands (and often millions) of dollars for sales of anything from art, to trading cards, to comics and musical instruments (think Mark Knophler's recent haul). A quick perusal on eBay will also show you that so-called "vintage" magazines carry high and often ridiculous price tags, as well.

Now, I don't know exactly how much of this merchandise actually sells, but I suppose that if someone wants something bad enough, they'll spring for it.

I found this unpublished post from 2014 that I never got around to uploading for some reason, so I thought I'd finally let it see the light of day.

The subject is Myron Fass' horror fiction magazine, THRILLER, published by Tempest Publications. I don't have any notes on the asking price at the time or if it was sold at all, but I included here part of the description by the seller:

"Up For Auction: Thriller Magazine, February, 1962, #1. This is Volume #1, and the First Issue of this magazine. A rather scarce magazine to come by. The man on the cover with the noose around his neck is actually Myron Fass, the publisher (looks like he was really involved with his publication). This appears to be a rather trashy magazine devoted to vampires, the occult, monsters, and other strange things. If you have been looking for this rather scarce magazine, this one deserves a second look. It is really nice, not without defects, but nothing glaring to take away from the really nice representation it has."

And then there's this:

"Publisher Myron Fass sat at the top of a pulp magazine publishing empire in the seventies that sometimes published as many as fifty titles a month! Fass favoured one shots, but this title (published in 1962, prior to the prolific publishing run of the ‘70s) lasted for three issues! It suffered from inferior production values (black & white pages on cheap newsprint) making them difficult to find in nice condition, a little crude, a little gaudy, and a lot of fun! Despite the almost total lack of horror film related content, this horror fiction magazine is, nevertheless, sought after by many monster magazine collectors. A few film stills were used as illustration for it's stories, but most of the photos (cover and interiors) were staged scenes of horror, possibly using members of the magazine's staff. The one being offered here (Thriller #2) is complete, but in well worn/read/heavily creased/fragile covers shape, but because of it’s historical significance, I cannot and will not toss it into the dumpster! Please enjoy the scans of some of the internal pages as they perhaps are your first glimpse into the interior of this issue. Here is a golden opportunity to obtain this magazine at a fraction of the price one in better shape (if you could find one at all) would undoubtedly command."

After doing a quick look-up on eBay, as of this writing I found two copies of THRILLER #1 for sale, one for $200 and one for $300. There were no issues of #2 or #3 listed, which gives me the impression they might be even harder to find than the first issue.

Don't mess with Myron!

Read another post about Myron Fass' THRILLER HERE.

KING KONG TRADING CARDS (DONRUSS 1965)

Topps wasn't the only trading card company who produced cards during the 1960's Monster Craze. Founded in 1954, in Irving, Texas, Donruss introduced a series of King Kong cards from the original 1933 RKO film in 1965. The cards were a standard 2.5" X 3.5" and were printed in black and white with each reverse a piece of a puzzle that when completed revealed the image of James Bama's box art cover for the Aurora King Kong model kit.

The cards came in a wax pack and included a stick of bubble gum that sold for 5 cents. Typical of most monster card series from this era, the card front was a scene from the movie with a speech balloon (aka dialogue bubble) that contained a typeset gag line and a few that were marked as "Write Your Own". The King Kong cards were no different from the others as the jokes were juvenile and would not stand up to a "LOL!" acronym in common use today.

One of the cards was a photo of the
Aurora monster model.

RARE FRENCH NOSFERATU MAGAZINE

Back in 2017, I posted an article that discussed the origins of the very first monster magazine and what qualified for it. One of these, a so-called "photo-novel", was a 16-page 7" x 10" publication by the French film magazine, LE FILM COMPLET featuring a special issue on F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent classic horror film, NOSFERATU, A SYMPHONY OF HORROR.

Interestingly, it seems there were multiple editions and version of this very rare magazine. The first two came out around the time the film was released. On 13 November 2012, the pair was sold at auction for $1,015.75. Here is the lot description:

Nosferatu (Film Arts Guild, 1922). Le Film Complet Magazines (2) (Multiple Pages, 7" X 10").

This amazing lot contains two very rare editions of the French film magazine Le Film Complet dedicated to F.W. Murnau's legendary silent classic Nosferatu. The first edition of 3 March 1922 has 9 photos and a complete 13 page synopsis, perhaps the most complete one ever done. There is also an absolutely terrific 6 December 1922 issue with the entire magazine devoted to the second part of Nosferatu. The magazine has 9 great photos from the film, and again, a 15 page synopsis of the movie. The magazines show toning, loose interior pages, and light corner creases. Fine/Very Fine.

Currently listed on ebay is another edition of the Film Arts Guild publication, LE FILM COMPLET, this one from 12 June 1925. Since I have found no complete viewable copy of any three of these magazines, I can't tell if it is a reprint of one of the earlier issues or not. It's being offered for $560.

Here's the Ebay listing.

THE PHANTOM MONSTER SHOW!

Shown today is a pressbook for The Phantom Monster Show, a double theater bill featuring SON OF FRANKENSTEIN and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. This was promotional copy for a reissue of the two movies in 1948. A listing on eBay carries a "Buy it Now" price tag of $199.50.

ED WOOD'S SEXY MONSTER MAGS

It is the ultimate irony when a man who has exploited cheap sex, violence and horror, is in the end is exploited himself to the point of becoming a cult star. By a strange melange of slavish devotion, fascination for the perverse, a couple of books and a movie, filmmaker and pornographer Ed Wood has managed to rise like a singed Phoenix from the garbage heap of Hollywood to become posthumously awarded the dubious distinction of "The Worst Director of All Time". While that may not be exactly true, Wood still could not (or would not) get past wallowing in the shallow end of the Hollywood talent pool. Outside of his penchant for cross-dressing, Wood is best known for using (i.e. exploiting) Bela Lugosi as a draw in his outre but lackluster horror films. Lugosi "pulling the string" apparently couldn't pull in audiences, because the once very recognizable horror actor was now barely recognizable as an emaciated drug addict with a taste for morphine that he had habituated since being treated with it for sciatica.

It wasn't enough, however, for Wood to make a living directing films, especially when they were mere sprockets away from total grindhouse fare. Wood supplemented his income by writing sleazy novels and short stories, mostly for a "select" audience. Because of the proliferation of his work in the bargain basement world of adult entertainment, Wood would adopt many pseudonyms in order to separate his slumming with his other life as a would-be cinematic artiste.

Among these tarnished gems was a quartet of horror/sci-fi magazines that were without question, aimed at adult readers. Wood had shown his hand before with lurid stories of monsters, murderers and sex-starved madmen in Stanley's horror fiction magazines, ADVENTURE INTO HORROR and HORROR STORIES (seen previously here at MMW). These Gallery Press editions all appeared in 1972 and were written with the more purply pen of Ed Wood under his many guises.

The stories are fairly graphic, and are dimmed by the haze of licentiousness, and the bawdy black and white photos are considerably more excessive than those seen in the Stanley magazines. It's quite surprising to see as a result that, despite their low caliber, these four magazines are demanding prices in the hundreds of dollars -- that is, if you can find them, as they are all considered "super" scarce and highly collectible.

Once in a while, copies will show up for sale on the internet, and with a little digging I found these examples. I also have to admit that I bought all four of them back in the year they were published and they still remain somewhere in the Mysterious Mansion, encased in backer-board and mylar sleeves, waiting for their "day in the sun" again. When I find them, dear readers, I will share with you the contents of these horrific examples of Ed Wood at his smutty best. Stay tuned... 

MONSTER SEX TALES (eBAY)
Publisher/Date: Gallery Press V1 #1 1972

Special Features:  This magazine has 2 stories that are definitely Edward D. Wood Jr. pseudonyms - Roy Hemp and Chester Winfield. Illustrated with photos and B&W art. Meant for mature audiences.

WEIRD SEX TALES (eBAY)
Publisher/Date: Gallery Press V1 #1 1972

Special Features:  This magazine has stories by Edward D. Wood Jr. using his pseudonyms. Authors in this issue include: Waldo Q. Vadis, Alvin Tostig, Milika Sualee, Rusty McWharf, Franklin Furter, Cornelius Castor, and Dudley McDonley!! Illustrated with photos and B&W art. Meant for mature audiences.

LEGENDARY SEX TALES (ALTA-GLAMOUR.COM)
Publisher/Date:  Gallery Press V1 #1 1972

Special Features:  This magazine is filled with stories by Edward D. Wood Jr. and his pseudonyms like Ann Gora, Dick Trent, and stories written under his own name. Every story in this issue, except one written by Kip Gebakken is by Edward D. Wood, Jr. Illustrated with photos and B&W art. Meant for mature audiences.

HORROR SEX TALES (ABE BOOKS)
Adults Only magazine with nude photos and art, articles and stories, some by Ed Wood, notorious director of such cult bombs like Plan 9 From Outer Space and Glen or Glenda. Some are credited to Edw. D. Wood Jr, and Ann Gora, Shirlee Lane and other pseudonyms. Very Scarce. (please note : cover has nudity; image has been altered but it does not appear on actual magazine). Fine; as new copy. $200

'MONSTROUS' 1971 BLACKLIGHT POSTER

Psychedelic and fantasy art weren't the only subjects that were used for blacklight posters in the 1960s and 1970s. This 23" x 35" example of a monster poster was discovered on eBay. The title is "Monstrous" and it is dated 1971 by "Scrutiny". The multi-colored image is printed on thick stock paper with a velvet/flocked texture finish. The "buy now" asking price is $85.85.

GOLD KEY'S 'THE LITTLE MONSTERS' COLORING BOOK

After learning that there was a coloring book tie-in to the THE LITTLE MONSTERS comic book series, I did a little digging. To my surprise, I found a single copy on eBay. Other than that, there is no mention of it on the web that I saw in my admittedly superficial search. Nevertheless, it seems that copies of this Whitman coloring book are rare, and advertised as "very rare", according to this eBay seller.


VERY RARE VINTAGE 1960s THE LITTLE MONSTERS COLORING BOOK,  HIGH GRADE, UNUSED, UNCOLORED,  MINT CONDITION.  NEW OLD STORE STOCK!   Fantastic RARE The Little Monsters Coloring Book is from the Whitman/ Western Publishing Library Archive.    Very unusual undated Coloring Book was released  1960s by Watkins Strathmore Publishing Company and is in absolute unused condition.  Great vintage graphics and bright vibrant coloring.  From my personal collection. $275.00 plus $5.00 shipping.