Watch Horror Films... Keep America Strong!

Just in time and decidedly appropriate for Halloween viewing, here’s a new DVD celebrating the unique career of Northern California Horror Host Bob Wilkins.

Beginning in 1966 and appearing on three different stations over a span of 15 years, Wilkins logged over 1200 shows, screening some 1800 movies. No ghoul makeup here, no undertaker costumes, no Lugosi accent, Wilkins came on as himself, in a suit and tie, sitting in a rocking chair, wielding a cigar. Sometimes, with deadpan humor, he’d open with a list of what was playing on competing stations, urging viewers to switch over and spare themselves the grade-Z shocker he’d booked that evening. Ratings showed that fans stuck with Wilkins, abiding by the show’s motto: “Watch Horror Films… Keep America Strong!”

Strephon Taylor’s The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features is a scrapbook film, a rapid-fire smorgasbord of clips, intros and interviews from the shows, movie trailers and vintage commercials. The format makes for a very busy picture, split-screened throughout, clips competing for attention with a continuous supply of classic posters, and there’s even a crawl at the bottom listing every movie shown on Creature Features. The barrage of images can be a little overwhelming but, still, Wilkins’ personality, his easy charm and humor shine through.

For all the visual razzle-dazzle, clips of Wilkins’ guests will make you sit up and focus. There’s an encounter with John Belushi, a conversation with the irrepressible John Carradine, an interview with Blacula star William Marshall, and a fascinating exchange with Christopher Lee at a time when the actor had very publicly walked away from his Dracula and gothic horror parts and upgraded to a new Hollywood career. Best of all, there’s a wonderful 20-second clip of Boris Karloff doing a good-humored promotion for the show. The elderly Boris looks fit but, sadly, this may have been his last public appearance. He would pass away within a few short weeks.

The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Feature is a rare and welcome glimpse at early TV, live and off the cuff, and a revealing portrait of a truly unique and engaging Horror Host. It’s pretty much essential fare for Monster Kids. Nicely packaged, the DVD is available — and only $15 — from November Fire.

The Bob Wilkins Website

Counting Down to Halloween

Well, Autumn is here and in a few more days, the roads of October will take us to Halloween. Kicking off the season in great style, Rue Morgue — consistently the best mass-market genre magazine — celebrates Universal’s centennial with a fantastic lineup that includes historian David J. Skal. On the cover, a fabulous bust of Boris as Frankenstein’s Monster by Toronto-based artist Justin Erickson.

Rue Morgue No. 127 will be available on newsstands and digital download on October first.

Boris, and Universal’s 100th are further celebrated next month as Turner Classic Movies host a special double-bill showing of Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935) in selected theaters across America. This is a rare chance to see these classics on the big screen in sharp, remastered copies. The evening includes a recorded presentation by TCM stalwart Robert Osborne interviewing Sara Karloff, Bela Lugosi Jr. and makeup wizard Rick Baker.

The one-time TCM Frankenstein Event happens on October 24. Check the Fathom Events website for details, a list of theaters, and tickets.

And then, there’s Countdown to Halloween 2012 — hosted by the indefatigable team of John Rozum and Shawn Robare — where bloggers celebrate the spooky season every day, all month long. I’ll have a badge up on the menu that’ll take you to the Countdown site and, there, you can click through a long list of blogs and enjoy a boggling variety of Halloween-theme posts. There were over 250 participants last year! It’s great fun and a great way to discover new blogs.

I’ll be contributing to the Countdown with our companion blogs — Monster Crazy, Frankenstein Forever — and here on Frankensteinia, where I will be running another Frankenstein Book Month. I’ll be posting here every other day, reviewing Frankenstein-themed books and showcasing eye-popping Frankenstein graphic novels, including many NEW titles!

Join me, won’t you, for the Countdown to Halloween and Frankenstein Book Month, coming in ten days!

Lobster Johnson Meets Frankenstein

Mike Mignola’s lanky, bolt-studded Frankenstein Monster appears on an alternate cover for Lobster Johnson: Caput Mortuum. The illustration is one of the artist's “Year of Monsters” series matching Hellboy universe characters with classic monsters. 

Lobster Johnson is Mignola’s take on 30’s pulp heroes, a goggled, leather-jacketed vigilante battling mobsters and monsters, and branding their foreheads with his claw emblem. Though the character died in 1939, his ghost continues his crusade against supernatural evil.

Caput Mortuum, a one-shot comic book, is written by Mignola and John Arcudi — a team that consistently turns out some of the best horror comics published today — with art by Tonci Zonjic. Note that the Mignola covers for this are somewhat rare, as an alternate offering to the regular covers by Zonjic. The issue hits comic book shops this week.

A 3-page preview of Caput Mortuum.

The regular cover by Tonci Zonjic

The Art of Frankenstein : Brian Ewing

A literal icon, this aureoled Bride evokes the stylized painted images of historical religious culture. The stunning poster was created by New York-based artist Brian Ewing. The artist first visited with Frankenstein and Bride back in 1997 for Electric Frankenstein.

Best known for his band posters — this one for Swans —  Ewing’s work now spills into all aspects of packaging and merchandising, and fine arts. Check out Ewing’s terrific portfolio and a fascinating tutorial revealing the artist’s meticulous methods.

Brian Ewing’s website.

Found! Frankenstein inscribed by Mary Shelley to Lord Byron!

A true treasure has come to light: A rare, first edition copy of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus, inscribed “To Lord Byron from the author”.

The book was among the possessions of Baron Jay (1907-1996), a British politician and one time President of the Board of Trade. The discovery was made by the Baron’s grandson, bibliophile Sammy Jay. Although Mary Shelley did not sign her name, her writing has been verified by an expert of the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford, where Mary’s manuscript pages of Frankenstein are kept.

It was Lord Byron who, in the summer of 1816, invited the Shelleys to join him at Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva, and it was Byron who proposed a friendly competition, to come up with ghost stories. Mary’s idea grew into the novel, Frankenstein, and published on New Year’s Day, 1818. The copy at hand is one of only six copies given Mary by her publisher. Inscribed, it was mailed to Byron by Mary’s husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Lord Byron once recommended the book to a friend, saying, “Methinks it is a wonderful work of a girl of nineteen — not nineteen indeed — at the time”.

First edition copies of Frankenstein are rare and can fetch upwards of $100,000. Until now, only one other signed copy was known to exist, and although this new find is incomplete — originally published as three slim books, here, only the first volume has survived — it was inscribed to and once owned by Lord Byron who, as it were, attended the birth of Frankenstein. Given the remarkable provenance, this unique copy is estimated to be worth over £400,000 (roughly US$635,000).

The book will be displayed for one week, beginning September 26, at Peter Harrington’s of Chelsea, London, one of the world’s leading rare book dealers.

Read more about Lord Byron’s copy of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein on the Peter Harrington website.

Via PR Newswire Service

Mary Shelley, by Cailey Tervo

Cailey Tervo describes herself as “a young artist doing her best to do better”. Judging from this portrait of Mary Shelley, captured in a few lines and muted colors, Ms Tervo is well on her way to great things.

The image is one of a digital sketchbook series called Fearsome Ladies. It was originally posted last week, on August 30, Mary’s 215th birthday. 

Cailey Tervo’s portfolio and blog.