Book Review: HORROR COMICS IN BLACK AND WHITE: A HISTORY AND CATALOG, 1964-2004

HORROR COMICS IN BLACK AND WHITE:  A HISTORY AND CATALOG,  1964-2004
By Richard J. Arndt
Foreword by Stephen R. Bissette
Published by McFarland &Company, Inc.

I am a huge fan of horror comics, but I didn't really get into them until back in the early 2000's when a friend introduced me to Steve Niles great comic book, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT.  Ever since then I have been a huge fan of horror comics, especially zombie comics which there are tons of.   I've collected almost all of the horror related comics since then, but there is no telling how many great horror comics I missed out on before then. 

Along comes the great reference book, HORROR COMICS IN BLACK AND WHITE:  A HISTORY AND CATALOG,  1964- 2004 by Richard J. Arndt.   This is a very in-depth and informative book that has been a blast to look through.  Here is a description of the book from the McFarland website:

In 1954, the comic book industry instituted the Comics Code, a set of self-regulatory guidelines imposed to placate public concern over gory and horrific comic book content, effectively banning genuine horror comics. Because the Code applied only to color comics, many artists and writers turned to black and white to circumvent the Code’s narrow confines.

With the 1964 Creepy #1 from Warren Publishing, black-and-white horror comics experienced a revival continuing into the early 21st century, an important step in the maturation of the horror genre within the comics field as a whole.

This generously illustrated work offers a comprehensive history and retrospective of the black-and-white horror comics that flourished on the newsstands from 1964 to 2004. With a catalog of original magazines, complete credits and insightful analysis, it highlights an important but overlooked period in the history of comics.

The book starts off with in-depth descriptions of CREEPY and EERIE magazines, including info about the cover art and each story that is in each issue of the magazine.  From there it jumps to the VAMPIRELLA comic magazines of the 1970's and then all the rest of the horror comics up until 2004. Each entry about a comic contains great info including the titles of the stories contained in each book, the cover art info, and notes containing interesting facts and info about the comics.

If you are a fan of horror comics, you will definitely want to get your hands on a copy of this book.  This is a great reference to have.  You can use the book as a checklist to look for all these great old comics and magazines.  I highly recommend this to all my blog readers.

You can call McFarland's toll free order line at 1-800-253-2187 to purchase this book or order directly from McFarland's website by CLICKING HERE.

http://www.mcfarlandpub.com

Book Review: HORROR FILMS OF THE 1990s by John Kenneth Muir

  
   
HORROR FILMS OF THE 1990s
By John Kenneth Muir
Published by McFarland & Company, Inc.
 
McFarland has released some of the best horror related books over the years.  They go above and beyond with their horror related releases, and HORROR FILMS OF THE 1990s is no exception.  This book is like a huge college textbook, but one that I would actually read!  Here is a brief description of the book from the McFarland website (www.mcfarlandpub.com):
 
 This filmography covers more than 300 horror films released from 1990 through 1999. The horror genre’s trends and cliches are connected to social and cultural phenomena, such as Y2K fears and the Los Angeles riots. Popular films were about serial killers, aliens, conspiracies, and sinister "interlopers," new monsters who shambled their way into havoc.
  Each of the films is discussed at length with detailed credits and critical commentary. There are six appendices: 1990s cliches and conventions, 1990s hall of fame, memorable ad lines, movie references in Scream, 1990s horrors vs. The X-Files, and the decade’s ten best.
 
 I loved the introduction section of this book which was titled, 'It Depends on What the Meaning of the Words "IS" is'.    This is of course referencing the classic line given by President Clinton at his impeachment hearings.  The introduction talks about how horror films are influenced by what is happening in the word at the time and how the events of the 90's affected the films of that decade.
 
 The real meat of the book is the listing of every major horror film released in the 1990s by year of release.  Each film's entry starts with a "Critical Reception" section, which list a couple of quotes about the film from notable critics from the time of the film's release.   This is followed by a section listing each of the major Cast and Crew members and then a brief synopsis of the film.
 The author then goes into his commentary of the film which always seems to be the perfect length.  Muir's commentaries are always full of great info and insight, without ever being too long in length.
 
 One of the great things I like about these types of books is finding movies that I have never even heard of before.  With a book this big, I knew I was bound to find some, and I certainly did.  All the major films from the 90's are contained in the book, as well as some smaller films I had never heard of.  For instance, have you ever heard of the films, GRIM PRAIRIE TALES, THE RUNESTONE, or ROADFLOWER?   These are just a sampling of the smaller, lesser known films that I found in this great reference book.
 
  HORROR FILMS OF THE 1990s a 7x10 hardcover book containing 714 pages, including over 220 photos!  This book is a must have resource and is worth every penny of it's price tag.   Muir also penned the books HORROR FILMS OF THE 1970s and HORROR FILMS OF THE 1980s, which can both be purchased at the McFarland website as well!  Hopefully I can eventually get copies of those books as well and have one amazing reference series!  Get yours today!!


 You can call McFarland's toll free order line at 1-800-253-2187 to purchase this book or order directly from McFarland's website by CLICKING HERE.

Book Review: AYEAR OF FEAR by Bryan Senn

I recently finished the book, A YEAR OF FEAR: A DAY-BY-DAY GUIDE TO 366 HORROR FILMS by Bryan Senn. The book is published by McFarland Publishers (http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/).

This is by far one of the best Horror film related books I have ever read. The basic premise of the book is that the author has taken literally every day of the year, and listed a holiday, historical birthday, or other event that is associated with that day. As if that wasn't a hard enough task, he then picks 1 Horror movie for each day of the year that somehow coincides with that particular day.

For example, the film picked for October 20th is 1931 film, DRACULA. It was chosen to represent this day because October 20th is the birthday of the film's star, Bela Lugosi!
Each day's entry includes the film's title and production year, a brief plot synopsis, and then info on how or why that particular film was chosen to represent that specific date in history. The entries also include some behind the scenes type info and interesting anecdotes about the film's production. The book is also full of great photos, from production stills and behind the scenes shots, to pics of classic movie posters!

The book is a large, soft-cover book with clocking in at almost 550 pages! This book is definitely worth the cover price, as this is not just an entertaining film, but a good Horror movie reference book to have on hand as well. What better way to plan what movie to watch at your next friendly get together? Now you can watch a film that is actually somehow meaningful to that particular day!!

Some of my favorite entries are:

May 1st -- KING KONG -- Chosen because the Empire State Building was completed on this day in 1930.
Aug. 27th -- DERANGED -- Chosen because August 27th (1906) is the birthday of Ed Gein.
Nov. 28th -- DEATH RACE 2000 -- Chosen because the first automobile race was held on this day in 1895.
Dec. 8th -- RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD -- Chosen because Dec. 8th, 1792 was the date of the first cremation in the U.S.


You can call McFarland's toll free order line at 1-800-253-2187 to purchase this book or order directly from McFarland's website by CLICKING HERE.

Book Review: ED WOOD: MAD GENIUS [A Critical Study of the Films]

I just finished the great book, ED WOOD: MAD GENIUS [A Critical Study of the Films]. The book is by Rob Craig and published by McFarland Publishers (www.mcfarlandpub.com/). Here is a brief description of the film from McFarland website:

Filmmaker Ed Wood was controversial and critically maligned, even labeled "the worst director of all time," yet he achieved cult status and remains of great interest today. This book frames Wood’s work, such as the cross-dressing themed Glen or Glenda? and the haphazard Bride of the Monster, as reflections of the culture of their era. Wood invariably worked with infinitesimal budgets, shooting at breakneck speed, incorporating plot twists that defied all logic. Yet there was a tangible if unfocused thematic thrust to Wood’s films, which meditate fitfully on gender, religion and society, revealing a "holy trinity" of fixations--sex, death and resurrection. Wood’s infamous Plan 9 From Outer Space encapsulates the fixations and flaws that were his hallmarks, and with 22 other films, is explored here. A filmography and 47 photographs are included.

Most everyone with interest in the Horror genre knows about Ed Wood, or at least, knows the name. Dubbed "the worst director of all time", Ed Wood's films have obtained a cult following and are now considered cult classics. This book is a very comprehensive look at every film of Ed Wood's including not only the films he directed, but even a section about all the films that Ed Wood wrote, but didn't direct.

Each Chapter in the book discusses one of Ed Wood's main films, from his first film GLEN OR GLENDA, to his "masterpiece", PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, all the way to his final film...a film a lot of people might not be too familiar with called NECROMANIA--A TALE OF WEIRD LOVE from 1971, a film that mixed his usual Horror elements with a hardcore adult film! Crazy stuff! You can read all about this film and all the rest of his films in this great book. You will get in-depth descriptions of the films, as well as quotes, and behind the scenes info and trivia about each of Mr. Wood's films.

Once again, McFarland Publishers has put out a superb book pertaining to Horror films, and it is one you will definitely need to add to your Horror library.

You can call McFarland's toll free order line at 1-800-253-2187 to purchase this book or order directly from McFarland's website by CLICKING HERE.

Book Review: COMEDY-HORROR FILMS: A CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY 1914-2008

I have been reading a lot of Horror movie books lately, and the latest one I completed is the great book, COMEDY-HORROR FILMS: A CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY 1914-2008 by Bruce G. Hallenbeck from McFarland Publishers (www.mcfarlandpub.com/). This book is a great reference to have and covers every well known and not so well known film in the Horror/Comedy genre, up through 2008.

The book is broken up into chapters by decades, starting with the Silent films of the Teens and Twenties, up through the new millennium of Horror/Comedy films. Hallenbeck writes is a very easy to read style. Each film discussed has tons of entertaining facts about it. The basic plot for each film is discussed, of course, but then "highlights" of each film are pointed out and quotes and sample dialog from the films is given. Hallenbeck also discusses actors and actresses from each film, and gives you some background on them. You will also get some behind the scenes details from some films and some fun facts and trivia bits about the films. Each films gets about 2-3 pages of discussion therefore is a great book to pick up and read off and on when you just have a little time to kill. Some movies get a little more coverage but most stick to the 2-3 page format. Throughout the book, you will also find numerous photos, from production stills to pictures of classic movie posters.

This is a great book, and it was fun to read about some of my all time favorite films, like RE-ANIMATOR, CEMETERY MAN, and RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD. While one might not think about these as films that belong in the Horror/Comedy genre, Hallenbeck points out numerous instances of comedy (albeit, dark comedy) splattered throughout each film. You will, of course, also read about the more commonly thought of Horror/Comedy titles such as the classic Abbott and Costello films to the more modern Horror/Comedy films such as SHAUN OF THE DEAD, BUBBA HO-TEP, and the SCARY MOVIE films.

I highly recommend this book for any fan of Horror films, specifically of this variety.

You can call McFarland's toll free order line at 1-800-253-2187 to purchase this book or order directly from McFarland's website by CLICKING HERE.

Book Review: TELEVISION FRIGHT FILMS OF THE 1970s by David Deal

Remember all the great made for TV Horror films from back in the 70's? They just don't make TV horror films like that anymore. TELEVISION FRIGHT FILMS OF THE 1970s by David Deal takes the reader on a excellent in-depth journey through this golden age of made for TV Horror films. This hardcover book is published by McFarland Publishers and can be ordered through their website (http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/).
Deal's book covers close to 150 made for TV fright films from the 1970s. Each title is in alphabetical order and gives a basic plot synopsis about each film, along with lots of other in-depth info and trivia tidbits about each film. At the end of each movie section, there is a list of the Cast and Credits, along with the Running Time, the original Air Date, and the network the movie originally aired on.
With almost 150 films discussed in detail, you will find many well known films such as DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK, KILLER BEES, and SALEM'S LOT, just to name a few. You will also find some very obscure titles, such as DEATH CAR ON THE FREEWAY, SNOWBEAST, and SKI LIFT TO DEATH! If you are like me, and are too young to have seen these films when they first aired, it is a lot of fun to read about all these great films you missed. Some films I have seen, but didn't realize they were made for TV, such as TRILOGY OF TERROR with Karen Black, and Steven Spielberg's DUEL. The book is also full of photos and movie posters of the films. You will read about and recognize many movie and TV stars throughout the book such as Carl Weathers, Jack Palance, Ernest Bornine, Patty Duke, Anthony Perkins, Larry Hagman, Alan Alda, Linda Blair, James Earl Jones, and Barbara Eden just to name a few. It is pretty amazing the caliber of stars that participated in these movies back in the 70s. Nowadays, there are very few if any made for TV films on network TV. TELEVISION FRIGHT FILMS OF THE 1980s is a perfect way to relive, or learn about for the first time, these great made for TV films!

You can call McFarland's toll free order line at 1-800-253-2187 to purchase this book or order directly from McFarland's website by CLICKING HERE.