The Monster Times
Encyclopedia
The Monster Times was a horror film
fan magazine
created in 1972, published by The Monster Times Publishing Co. Intended as a competitor to Famous Monsters of Filmland
, it was edited at various times in its formative years by Chuck R. McNaughton, Allen Asherman, Joe Brancatelli and Tom Rogers. Joe Kane (who later became The Phantom of the Movies
) took over as editor with Issue # 11 (June 14, 1972), and remained in that capacity until the periodical's demise. Although the main editorial focus of the magazine was horror media, it also featured articles and reviews of modern and classic science fiction
/fantasy
movies and television series, as well as comic books. Each issue featured a fold out centerfold poster based on that particular issue's feature story. The publisher/designers were Larry Brill and Les Waldstein who were the original designers for Famous Monsters of Filmland and other Jim Warren
publications.
Printed on newspaper
-quality paper stock, with a more refined white paper for covers and other content in earlier issues, the magazine was published on a biweekly schedule for its first fourteen issues, then switched to monthly until 1975, at which point it became a bi-monthly publication. Its final few issues were published erratically, and the title ceased publication in late 1976 with issue # 48. Three special, non-numbered issues were also published: Star Trek Lives #1, subtitled "Sci-Fi Super TV Special Issue" (1972), Star Trek Lives #2 (1974) and an untitled all giant monster poster special.
Contributing writers included Edward Summer
, Michael Uslan
, Joe Kane, Doug Murray, Allan Asherman, Buddy Weiss, Frank Verzyl, Dean Latimer and Jason Thomas (aka Tom Rogers). Contributing artists included Gray Morrow
and Bernie Wrightson
.
A later companion magazine, published by the same group, was The Dinosaur Times
.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
fan magazine
Fan magazine
A fan magazine is a commercially written and published magazine intended for the amusement of fans of the popular culture subject matter which it covers. It is distinguished from a scholarly or literary magazine on the one hand, by the target audience of its contents, and from a fanzine on the...
created in 1972, published by The Monster Times Publishing Co. Intended as a competitor to Famous Monsters of Filmland
Famous Monsters of Filmland
Famous Monsters of Filmland is a genre-specific film magazine started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman.-Magazine history :...
, it was edited at various times in its formative years by Chuck R. McNaughton, Allen Asherman, Joe Brancatelli and Tom Rogers. Joe Kane (who later became The Phantom of the Movies
Phantom of the Movies' Videoscope
Phantom of the Movies' Videoscope is an American cult movie magazine that is released four times a year. The publication is edited by Joe Kane and has spawned a reference book entitled The Phantom of the Movies' Videoscope: The Ultimate Guide to the Latest, Greatest, and Weirdest Genre...
) took over as editor with Issue # 11 (June 14, 1972), and remained in that capacity until the periodical's demise. Although the main editorial focus of the magazine was horror media, it also featured articles and reviews of modern and classic science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
movies and television series, as well as comic books. Each issue featured a fold out centerfold poster based on that particular issue's feature story. The publisher/designers were Larry Brill and Les Waldstein who were the original designers for Famous Monsters of Filmland and other Jim Warren
James Warren (publisher)
James Warren is a magazine publisher and founder of Warren Publishing.Magazines published by Warren include Creepy, Vampirella and Famous Monsters of Filmland...
publications.
Printed on newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
-quality paper stock, with a more refined white paper for covers and other content in earlier issues, the magazine was published on a biweekly schedule for its first fourteen issues, then switched to monthly until 1975, at which point it became a bi-monthly publication. Its final few issues were published erratically, and the title ceased publication in late 1976 with issue # 48. Three special, non-numbered issues were also published: Star Trek Lives #1, subtitled "Sci-Fi Super TV Special Issue" (1972), Star Trek Lives #2 (1974) and an untitled all giant monster poster special.
Contributing writers included Edward Summer
Edward Summer
Edward Summer has been an award winning painter, motion picture director, screenwriter, internet publisher, magazine editor, journalist and science writer, comic book writer, novelist, book designer, actor, cinematographer, motion picture editor, documentary film maker, film festival founder, and...
, Michael Uslan
Michael Uslan
Michael E. Uslan is the originator of the Batman movies and was the first instructor to teach "Comic Book Folklore" at an accredited university...
, Joe Kane, Doug Murray, Allan Asherman, Buddy Weiss, Frank Verzyl, Dean Latimer and Jason Thomas (aka Tom Rogers). Contributing artists included Gray Morrow
Gray Morrow
Dwight Graydon "Gray" Morrow was an American illustrator of paperback books and comics.-Biography:Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Morrow is best known as art director of Spider-Man between 1967 and 1970 and as illustrator of the syndicated Tarzan, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and Prince Valiant comic...
and Bernie Wrightson
Bernie Wrightson
Bernie "Berni" Wrightson is an American artist known for his horror illustrations and comic books.-Biography:...
.
A later companion magazine, published by the same group, was The Dinosaur Times
The Dinosaur Times
The Dinosaur Times was a magazine published by the founders of The Monster Times. The magazine was published by Les Waldstein and Larry Brill, and the editor was Edward Summer. Although four issues were written and designed, only three were ever published...
.