Review: Classic Monsters of the Movies Magazine

When I was a lad, there seemed to be literally hundreds of monster movie magazines. Titles like Famous Monsters, Monster Mag, House of Hammer, Starburst, and Shivers, not to mention the classic books by Denis Gifford and Alan Frank ... but these days the pickings are much slimmer. We still have Starburst of course, and The Dark Side, but one of the best, Fear, tried a comeback which didn't work ... and there's not much else.

Thank goodness for Nige Burton and his Classic Monsters of the Movies magazine! I first discovered this gem a few years back when Nige and myself both had trader stands at a HorrorCon (Sheffield I think it was), and I was immediately taken by the magazine.

First of all, the covers. Now magazines, like books, can survive or fail on their covers. Indeed one of the late lamented Fear's main selling points were the beautiful Oliver Frey covers which graced every issue. Now Classic Monsters has discovered the talented pen of Daniel Horne, and his simply jaw dropping portraits grace every issue. I am reminded of the great Basil Gogos and his portraits which graced covers of Famous Monsters, and Daniel's work has a class and a beauty which elevate this magazine.

Once past the cover though, and Nige assembles a fascinating collection of film analyses, character profiles, reviews and actor and director profiles covering everything from the early days of F W Murnau's Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr Caligari to more modern fare of Pet Sematary and Hammer's output.

That's what I love about the mag, that it's not afraid to mix the old with the new. In an edition which features Michael Myers from Halloween on the cover, Nige explains that some people complain if they cover anything after around 1950 ... well I would suggest that this is just short sighted on the part of the complainer! If you're going to cover Classic Monsters, then there are modern classics too ... and the beauty of covering them all is that it brings younger aficionados into the fold as well as those who love the classic black and white films.

It's a beautifully printed and presented magazine, chock full of photographs which have been cleaned up and which sparkle like new. Indeed, the picture content is second to none - gorgeous photographs from old black and white (and colour) films which really show off all the detail and care that went into the original make-ups and productions.

But it's not all films! There are features on collecting and nostalgia too, so if you ever owned a glow in the dark Aurora Monster model kit, or poured over a copy of Denis Gifford's A Pictorial History of Horror Movies, then the magazine is for you ...

I so strongly recommend it to you ... Nige is doing an amazing thing and it deserves supporting ... so go and buy a copy today - or better still get a subscription! You won't regret it!

For more information, visit http://www.classicmonstersofthemovies.com/