Vintage Magazine: Famous Monsters of Filmland #154 (Cover - Pg. 20)

 Browsing through archive.org, I was looking for a good October cooking magazine. Maybe something from the 1950-70s - - when in doubt, if you find the right recipe cards, any month in that era could be scary. The horrors wrought on this world by Jell-O are too numerous to count. Then I saw this, and I couldn't resist George Hamilton's grin. Love at First Bite is and always will be one of my favorite iterations of Dracula.

Vintage Magazine: Famous Monsters of Filmland, Vol. 1, No. 1 (50 - 63)

Not much to say this issue except - I wonder how that voodoo snake ring works? It's gotta be a good deal at only $1...unless they cut off right before '+ shipping and soul handling'.

Movie Monster Cocktails

As I just love a fun themed cocktail and I spend a lot of time promising myself I will eventually use that chemistry cocktail set my friends gave me three years ago, I couldn't help but wonder - - are there other horror fans out there who've already done the legwork for me so that when I pull out my Friday the 13th set or my Ash Vs. Evil dead collection I've already got a recipe?

That was a stupid question. Of course there are. Below are some videos I've found that seemed to fit the theme best, provided they didn't use Falernum. I hate Falernum, sorry gang. Also, please be sure to check out the other videos these guys have made if you enjoyed them. They've got some pretty cool stuff. Incidentally, a note of advice about flavored whipped creams if you're struggling to find them, use 1/2 - 1 tsp of a flavored extract and blend it with heavy whipping cream. It'll save you the legwork. If you want it sweeter, use a coffee syrup instead. Torani and Da Vinci are two of my preferred brands thanks to their sugar free options.

Vintage Magazine: Famous Monsters of Filmland, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Cover-Pg. 13)

This month I bring you something a little different. Instead of vintage comics, I'd like to visit a vintage magazine, 'Famous Monsters of Filmland'. This series ran from 1958-1983. This is the father of horror magazines, which inspired all sorts (including my personal favorite, Fangoria). Originally conceived as a one-off, the first issue was so popular that they had an unexpected 25 year run! In fact, the first issue had to have a second printing because it sold out so fast.

What this magazine did that was so special, is that it reminded audiences (especially of the younger variety at the time) of the horror icons who had come and gone before, the silent greats like Lon Chaney Sr. This is a gem of archiving in general, because it preserves stills and stories that would otherwise have been lost forever if someone hadn't come along to show why they were so wonderful. The history of this magazine is so rich, I can't just describe it in a few select paragraphs, and I encourage you to explore it for yourselves. In the meantime, here's the first part of the first issue which I will be sharing this October.

Book of the Week: Monster, by A. Lee Martinez

I have read so many of this man's books. For me, his humorous balance in his story is on par with another favorite author of mine, R. Chetwynd-Hayes. I've already recommended one book by A. Lee Martinez in the past, Gil's All Fright Diner, but honestly? I love this one even more. There was a period of time a few years ago where I was pretty much reading at least one of these books a week, and Monster is one of the best.

The story plays with a concept I rarely see done as well as it should be. There are monsters everywhere, and normal people don't know about them. This one adds your typical Martinez guts and gore along with a succubus here and maybe a yeti destroying a grocery store there. A gland in people's brains that lets them see monsters for what they are, and a sort of supernatural police force doing what they can to at least keep things somewhat normal.

What I love about A. Lee Martinez, is that his protagonists are both very normal and very special in so many creative ways. This book was no exception to the rule, and it is very easily a 3-day read if you put your mind to it. Or don't. Just grab a glass of wine (or coffee) and enjoy.

Monstrous Paper Dolls

I know what we're all thinking. Monster High dolls are cute, but they're not classic. Classic model dolls are awesome, but kids can't play with them without breaking something! If only there was some way for a child to enjoy classic horror monsters in a creative way...

if only...

Jill Bauman and Walter Velez have got you covered! The dolls below are only a few awesome highlights from the book, and there are many more (including, for some reason, the Easter bunny and Santa Clause to save them two more issues?) Now I would actually love to just share a scan of every page, but I highly encourage you to get the book if you have the chance. Below are just a few of the awesome selections just to get a bit of a taste...