School Days Memories & Monster Kids

When you’re an avid fan of monster movies and you’re eight years old…well, sometimes things can go wrong.

It was 1966 or 1967 and I was in Mrs. Shields third grade class. She was a no-nonsense teacher. She stood there in front of the classroom, all our metal and wood desks facing forward. She wielded her chalk like a pistol…ready to fire at classroom distractions. She scratched on the board, with a chalk dust cloud, a word. The word was “creature.”

“Can anyone tell me the definition of this word ‘creature?'”

Of course, this was my chance to go above and beyond. Please the teacher and enlighten the classroom to stuff I held dear. You see I had a Soakie Toy at home. Soakie Toys were plastic shampoo bottles in the shape of characters that kids liked. There were Soakies of Alvin of the Chipmunks, Bugs Bunny, Magilla Gorilla, Fred Flintstone, Huckleberry Hound…almost all cartoon characters you could think of. But, also there was the Frankenstein Monster, The Mummy, The Wolf Man….and the Creature From the Black Lagoon. I had all of those.

That Creature From the Black Lagoon Soakie was so cool. A metallic green fish man! My mom had bought it for me and my dad had told me…it’s “The Creature!”

So there I was in my third grade class. Ready to shed the light of day to the class. I raised my hand without a second’s delay. “Yes, Ronnie,” Mrs. Shields said.

“The Creature” is a fish monster from the Black Lagoon!,” I blurted out proudly. There was a pregnant pause in the classroom. Maybe the sound of a dropping pencil on the linoleum floor somewhere.

“No, that is NOT correct.” Mrs Shields, went on “Holly, maybe YOU can tell us what a ‘creature’ is?” Holly Snyder was the girl that sat next to me. A teacher’s pet. I was mortified. I thought I had a much more definitive answer. Shut down by the teacher.

The class went on, and I learned that day to curb my enthusiasm. The general public at large was not ready for this Monster Boom Generation….yet.

-Ron Adams, January 2020.

On with the show, now let’s check out the new cool stuff and classic monster news…

New! Massive Three Disc DVD Set of Interviews and documentary on 1950s Sci-Fi

It’s in stock now…

HORROR IN THE ATOMIC AGE (Interviews) – 3 DVD Set
Seven years in the making, HORROR IN THE ATOMIC AGE is the definitive oral history of science fiction and horror films of the Atomic Age, from 1950 through the early 60s as told by the actors, directors and others that made the films. Nearly 50 interviews with iconic actors like Julie Adams (Creature From The Black Lagoon), Joyce Meadows (The Brain From Planet Arous), Coleen Gray (The Leech Woman), Jimmy Hunt (Invaders From Mars), William Phipps (Cat Women On The Moon), and many more. A must for any fan of 1950s horror and sci-fi movies. It’s all here from the Red Scare to Mutant Monsters to Science Gone Mad.

Interviews include” Coleen Grey, Julie Adams, In Melchoir, James Karen, Robert Dix, Richard Anderson, William Schallert, Ann Robinson, Brett Halsey, David Hedison, Joyce Meadows, Jimmy Hunt, Kathleen Hughes, Phyllis Coates, Lisa Davis, Scott Morrow, William Phipps, Richard Erdman, Hugh O’Brien, Billy Gray, Pat Boone, Kenny Miller, Terry Moore, Laurie Mitchell, Caroline Munro, David Frankham, Peggy Webber, James Best, Paul Mantee, Paul Lukather, Victoria Price, Terry Castle, Diana Gemora, Laura Sobell, Bob Burns, Ariane Ulmer, Vincent Price, Roger Corman, Samual Z. Arkoff, Russell Johnson, John Agar, John Carradine, Pamela Lincoln, Boris Karloff, Jack Arnold, Bert I. Gordon, Ricou Browning…and Monster Bash’s Ron Adams.

Get it now in our New DVD Department…a must for your collection from Creepy Classics!

MONSTER FROM THE VAULT #31 Re-Shocked!

Plus, many other great issues of MONSTER FROM THE VAULT magazine are available too.

See the selection in our Monsters From the Vault Department, right here in the catacombs of Creepy Classics.

You’ll love this high quality, super informative monster mag!

New! Collectible ACKERMUSEUM Pin

A great collectible in honor and memory of Forrest J Ackerman and his stunning home museum that he opened to all fans who wanted to check out the amazing collection of film history:

ACKERMUSEUM (Forrest J Ackerman) – Pin
These pins were sold by Forrest J Ackerman (of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND fame). They were to help support his Ackermuseum of movie collectibles. They picture the METROPOLIS robot with the words “Friends of the ACKERMUSEUM.” Plastic, metallic paint, about 1 inch tall. Very rare now.

Get it in our Creepy Collectibles Department right now at Creepy Classics!

Elizabeth Shepherd Reads Poe

Actress Elizabeth Shepherd co-starred with Vincent Price in the film TOMB OF LIGEIA. She will appear at MONSTER BASH OCTOBERFEST this year and do a dramatic reading from the classic Edgar Allan Poe story on stage.

Don’t miss all the super-charged events at this years MONSTER BASH OCTOBERFEST (October 16-18, 2020): https://www.monsterbashnews.com/bash-October.html

Bela Lugosi Film Festival on the BIG Screen

Everything is now set and in place…for another wild adventure…a Bela Lugosi film marathon at the grand Palace Theatre in Canton, Ohio. It’s August 14 and 15, 2020. A Lugosi extravaganza with some of his best and most fun films ever, plus a bonus film to wrap-out Saturday night…Tim Burton’s ED WOOD. Get your advance VIP admission, CLICK HERE.

See the trailer preview by Kevin Slick, CLICK HERE.

View your Lugosi favorites in a real grand movie palace. We’ll also feature the popular prize-toss late Saturday night! Free Blu-Rays, DVDs, Monster Magazines and Monster Toys will be pitched into the audience.

If you haven’t been to one of our summer marathons at The Palace yet….you really need to do it. A gorgeous restored grand theatre from the 1920s. A real pipe organ with music between showings.

And author Frank Dello Stritto will give two power-point presentations on Bela Lugosi…on the giant screen. One of the biggest screens in the state of Ohio.

Complete details…CLICK HERE!

New! Ricou Browning – The Creature From the Black Lagoon Autographed Glossy Photos

We just added Ricou Browning autographs to our Creepy Autograph Department. Ricou is the last living actor to portray a classic Universal monster in the original films. He was the underwater Creature in CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954), REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) and THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US (1956).

Ricou signed these for us at the MONSTER BASH CONFERENCE that we run. If you missed seeing Ricou at any of the MONSTER BASH shows and wanted an autographed photo…here’s your opportunity!

Get the ones pictured above in our Creepy Autograph Department here at Creepy Classics while they last!

New! Classic Scholastic…Books

Some new classic Scholastic Books are now in our Scholastic Book Department here at Creepy Classics. Remember those exciting days of ordering books in school. Waiting for the order to come in. Then the stack of books on the teacher’s desk to be handed out. Of course, we monster fans were always looking for the spooky books, the cool science (sometimes sci-fi) books, ghost story collections, UFO encounter ones…

Check out the ones we have in stock and relive those great days. Check out our Scholastic Book Department, here at the school of Creepy Classics!

New! CDs In Shock Stock

Zowie! Two great CDs in stock for your headphone horror:

MUSIC FOR ZOMBIES (Verne Langdon) – Used CD
As advertised back in 1974 in the pages of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND magazine….MUSIC FOR ZOMBIES by keyboardist (and mask-maker) Verne Langdon. This is the official CD (released in 2003) on Langdon’s Electric Lemon label. Eerie keyboard music for monster lovers!

A TRIBUTE TO BELA LUGOSI (Michael Thomas, Dr. Skull) – New CD Single
This is the official CD single, shrink wrapped and new. The song “Bela Lugosi” by Dr. Skull, the late, great Michael Thomas (vocals) and The Creature From Quogue. If you loved MONSTER MASH, you’ll love BELA LUGOSI in that fun retro rock style. Thomas does a spot on Lugosi. Very rare collectible!

Get them in our Creepy CD Department…right here in these web pages of Creepy Classics!

Don’t Let It Slip (On A Banana Peel) By…It’s National Gorilla Suit Day

Thanks to our good friend, Ted McKosky, for reminding us that it’s almost upon us: It’s National Gorilla Suit Day.

Dust off your gorilla suit and let’s celebrate!

Pictured to the left: Ron Adams, Mighty Joey Vento and Dan Weber.

New! FILMFAX #156 is in Stock Now

Yep, it’s here and ready for our delivery bat-boy to head your way with a copy…just for you. Order your today and it’ll be on your doorstep in no time flat:

FILMFAX #156 – Magazine
Monsters, monsters, monsters everywhere in this issue of FILMFAX! Turn the pages to find: HOUSE OF LONG SHADOWS with Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and John Carradine! Plus, H.G. Wells and Willis O’Brien’s unmade FOOD OF THE GODS movie, behind-the-scenes stills, FLASH GORDON….more!

You’ll locate it in our on-line Creepy Newsstand…just look in the Filmfax Department here at Creepy Classics!

The Monster Movie Fan Family Reunion

We’re gearing up for a fun year with three shows all geared to us Monster Boom Generation Kids!

If you love old classic horror and science fiction films, these are the time and places that fans and professionals meet: The Monster Bash Shows.

Make your plans now as hotels sell out, and many admission memberships are discounted right now. Get an on-site hotel room while they last!

You can click on admission and hotel links on each respective web site for the 2020 shows:

MONSTER BASH CONFERENCE June 19-21, 2020
Double Tree Mars, PA (North Pittsburgh/Cranberry Township)

MONSTER BASH BELA LUGOSI FILM FESTIVAL August 14-15, 2020
Palace Theatre, Canton, OH

MONSTER BASH OCTOBERFEST October 16-18, 2020
Marriott Mars, PA (North Pittsburgh/Cranberry Township)

-Ron Adams, January 2020.

On with the show, now let’s check out the new cool stuff and classic monster news…

New! Classic Monster Magazine Added in Our On-Line Creepy Newsstand…Available Now

Get these classics:

FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #10 – Magazine
Note: One coupon clipped from back cover…otherwise in pretty good condition…tight spine, no pens marks. Slight wear. In this early, classic issue from James Warren and Forrest J Ackerman: FLASH GORDON, Claude Rains THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, CALTIKI – THE IMMORTAL MONSTER, Fright Films by Robert Bloch, Mad Labs in Movies and more!

FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #37 – Magazine
A classic issue from James Warren and Forrest J Ackerman: Ray Harryhausen’s 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH, Inside Bela Lugosi’s Haunted House, See the FIEND WITHOUT A FACE, Peter Cushing in THE SKULL, Frances Lederer in THE RETURN OF DRACULA, VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS and more. Note some cover wear but all pages intact! The number “2/6” on cover.

CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN #11 – Magazine
In this issue: THE HORROR CHAMBER OF DR. FAUSTUS, The Men Behind Marvel Comics, An Interview with Christopher Lee, THE BRIDES OF FU MANCHU, WEREWOLF OF LONDON, Frankenstein Movie Guide, Flying Saucer Do Exist – Real Photos!, The STAR TREK Story and more!

CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN #12 – Magazine
In this issue: A Farewell To Basil Rathbone, Christopher Lee Interview, The British Avengers TV Show, PLANET OF THE APES Make-Up Behind-the-Scenes, Interview with Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee and all your favorite movie monsters.

CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN #13 – Magazine
In this issue from 1969: BARBARELLA, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, Interview with Ray Bradbury, Jonathan Frid Make-Up Session for DARK SHADOWS, ONE MILLION YEARS B.C., Interview with Basil Rathbone, The Return to the PLANET OF THE APES, A Fan’s Frankenstein and much more!

Get the above new additions…and many, many more classic monster mags in our On-Line Creepy Newsstand here at Creepy Classics right now!

MONSTER BASH OCTOBERFEST 2020 Guests!

This year’s MONSTER BASH OCTOBERFEST will be at the Marriott Pittsburgh North.

Guests line-up has begun….Victoria Vetri (WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH), Elizabeth Shepherd (TOMB OF LIGEIA), Ann Robinson from THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, Pam Pierce from THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK, Son of Ghoul (Ohio TV Horror Host Legend), Bill Diamond (Monster Muppeteer)….and MANY more to come.

Get all the details…CLICK HERE!

Dark Shadows’ Willie Loomis, Actor John Karlen Passes

This in from Creepy Classics/Monster Bash reader Michael Joyner:

Hey Ron,

A silence has fallen over the hallowed halls of Collinwood. One of Dark Shadows best players has passed. John Karlen is gone at age 86. John joined the Dark Shadows cast in 1967 shortly before he arrival of Barnabas Collins and would be the Renfield like servant to his vampire master and played 4 other characters over the course of the series until 1971.

He reprised the character in House of Dark Shadows. Karlen , a favorite of Dan Curtis, also appeared in other Curtis productions such as the TV remakes of “Frankenstein ” and “Dorian Gray”. Karlen was in the Euro cult vampire film Daughters of Darkness.

He spent his career on what seems like over a hundred guest shots, everything from The Magician , Night Gallery, Murder She Wrote and won an Emmy as a regular on Cagney and Lacey. He was a great convention guest at many Dark Shadows festivals and was always great with his fans who loved him dearly.

I included a festival photo from around 2001 with Diane and I with him and Lara Parker. (see above).

Yours
Michael Joyner

Shadow of The Creature!

Check out the cool photo sent in by reader Nick Pocengal (St. Petersburg, FL) from his collection.

Our favorite Gill-Man creating an interesting shadow on the wall….as he reaches out for Nick….and, maybe, YOU!

New! More Books Arriving at Creepy Classics

Now in stock at Creepy Classics….these super cool books: HOLLYWOOD GOTHIC by David Skal, MOON OF THE WOLF (A rare Ace paperback), THE SHRIEKING SIXTIES (British Horror Films of the 1960s) and three volumes of the daily comic strips…the classic Batman from newspapers in the 1940s!

Get these and more new additions in our Book Department here in the dark stacks of Creepy Classics!

New! More Used VHS for Tape Collectors

Just added, more out-of-print VHS Tapes to the Used Video Graveyard here at Creepy Classics. You’ll find rarities like I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF to all the classics like THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, DARK SHADOWS TV Collections, DRACULA with Bela Lugosi and hundreds more!

Pick out the ones you want for your VHS Collection from our Used VHS Graveyard or our, still factory sealed New VHS Selections at Creepy Classics.

Hey! Get Your Copy of Our Winter Issue Right NOW…MONSTER BASH MAGAZINE #38

Get your copy of the new MONSTER BASH MAGAZINE right now! Don’t miss out on getting it right away from Creepy Classics…home of MONSTER BASH MAGAZINE.

Whaddah issue:

MONSTER BASH MAGAZINE #38 – Magazine
The horror-day issue for good monster boys and ghouls everywhere! THE MUMMY’S HAND lurks, Snow Monsters, Spooky Things in Haunted Houses, Agnes Moorehead’s Manor House, Fan Flashbacks and more, more more! Tales of The Moleman, Your Chance to Win a Blu-Ray, Monsters at Christmas, Rondo Hatton . Writers include Frank Dello Stritto, Tom Weaver, Leonard Hayhurst, Rich Scrivani, Ron Adams and Joseph Cole.

Order before midnight, so you don’t forget!, CLICK HERE, or call (724) 238-4317.

It’s in our “Monster Bash Magazine Department” now at Creepy Classics!

Awesome Wrap-Around Cover for SCARY MONSTERS #116

Coming very soon, it’s the latest jam-packed issue of SCARY MONSTERS MAGAZINE! Brains, brains, brains is the theme of this fearful rocking mag. Stay tuned here, or your brain will get mushy.

Get ready…it’s coming scary soon at Creepy Classics!

In the meantime, check out all the back issues HERE!

New! Every Issue of Retro Fan Magazine In Stock

While you can still get the early issues…they’re all here now at Creepy Classics! Retro Fan is the cosmic retro magazine for us kids that grew up in the 1960s-1980s!

Get the issues you need now before these early ones get scarce. All gloss, all retro fun with toys, collection and star interviews. Cool Chaney article in issue #1 too!

You’ll find them all in our Retro Fan Department right now….here at Creepy Classics in our On-Line Creepy Newsstand.

Back In Stock! Monster Model Kits

It’s those chilling winter days….what better to do on a weekend afternoon than build a monster model kit?! Create you’re very own monster on your dining room table, work bench or down, deep in that refuse…the basement!

These kits are re-stocked and ready to ship to fans….click on the titles to see the ordering details:

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Aurora Re-Issue) – Model Kit
The legendary classic Aurora designed model kit of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA! Re-issued by Atlantis models in the long box with original James Bama artwork. The Phantom shocks with prisoner in dungeon below. Assembly required. Glue and paint not included. About 11 inches tall.

THE MIGHTY KOGAR (Bob Burns, Monsters of the Movies) – Model Kit
An all plastic assembly model kit of The Mighty Kogar! Bob Burns, Hollywood Ape Man, model kit that features the awesome gorilla, plus extra attachable heads….one to make Kogar “Tracy The Gorilla” from GHOSTBUSTERS and one of Bob himself without his gorilla head on. Snap-together kit. Paint not included.

THE GHOST OF THE RED BARON – Model Kit
Mad Designer, Tom Daniels…dreamed up The Red Baron Show Rod in 1969 after He Began Having Midnight Visits From The Angry Baron’s Spirit. This injected model kit is one of the rarest plastic kits from the 1970’s and sought after by collectors worldwide. The model kit will include full graphic box art, instructions, chrome plated parts and snap rubber band action feature! Produced from the original Monogram molds!

EYE GONE WILD (Monster Hot Rod!) – Model Kit
Crazy monster hot rod re-pop from the 1960s…is back! This is the Moebius Eye Gone Wild by Von Franco in 1:20 scale. This model kit has easy to follow instructions to guide you through the build. Paint and glue not included.

Get these and many other selection from our Models, Toys & Action Figures Department here at Creepy Classics! We’ll send them right off to you.