Author Description

It's our first number of 2106, and we wanted to start the year off with a bang, so we've put together another close-to-120-pager loaded to the gills (or whatever else you happen to breathe through) with goodies. First off, our Grand Poobah Brian Harris gives us a New Year pep-talk that's bound to keep us stoked until at least 2020. Then we've got our cover artist and regular writing/art contributor Andy Ross' heartfelt take on Tobe Hooper's SALEM'S LOT (1979). Not only does Andy's stylin' "Mr. Barlow" cover art reflect his fondness for the movie adaptation of Stephen King's book, but he's also got a couple of cool B&W illos pertaining to SL elsewhere in the mag, too. In his lengthy essay "Tuckered Out!" the ever-studious-to-a-fault Steve Bissette goes into great depth and waxes affectionately about one of the 1960s' lowliest and most-maligned creepy cheapies: Phil Tucker's bitchy-zombies-from-outer-spacer THE CAPE CANAVERAL MONSTERS (1960), also taking in the same director's prime psychotronic trash classique ROBOT MONSTER (1953) in passing. From a uniquely Australian perspective, Daniel Best contributes a fascinating scholarly piece about Lon Chaney's much-sought-after lost film LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT (1927), and is of the optimistic opinion-despite what naysayers may believe-that a copy of said film might conceivably one day surface Down Under. Not only does Daniel's article alight on other aspects of Chaney's career, but he also discusses lost films in Australia in general (etc). In "Monsters, Vampires & The Erotic Undead: Remembering the '70s British Horror Hardcovers," the ever-knowledgeable and enthusiastic John Harrison takes a fond look back at some seminal books which influenced many a Monster Kid the world over, discussing some key works by English authors/pop culture scholars Denis Gifford, Alan Frank and David Pirie. Rounding out this jam-packed issue, Matthew E. Banks reviews Gary D. Rhodes' recently published book TOD BROWNING'S DRACULA (2014). Movie re