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School Days Memories & Monster Kids
When you’re an avid fan of monster movies and you’re eight years old…well, sometimes things can go wrong.
It was 1966 or 1967 and I was in Mrs. Shields third grade class. She was a no-nonsense teacher. She stood there in front of the classroom, all our metal and wood desks facing forward. She wielded her chalk like a pistol…ready to fire at classroom distractions. She scratched on the board, with a chalk dust cloud, a word. The word was “creature.”
“Can anyone tell me the definition of this word ‘creature?'”
Of course, this was my chance to go above and beyond. Please the teacher and enlighten the classroom to stuff I held dear. You see I had a Soakie Toy at home. Soakie Toys were plastic shampoo bottles in the shape of characters that kids liked. There were Soakies of Alvin of the Chipmunks, Bugs Bunny, Magilla Gorilla, Fred Flintstone, Huckleberry Hound…almost all cartoon characters you could think of. But, also there was the Frankenstein Monster, The Mummy, The Wolf Man….and the Creature From the Black Lagoon. I had all of those.
That Creature From the Black Lagoon Soakie was so cool. A metallic green fish man! My mom had bought it for me and my dad had told me…it’s “The Creature!”
So there I was in my third grade class. Ready to shed the light of day to the class. I raised my hand without a second’s delay. “Yes, Ronnie,” Mrs. Shields said.
“The Creature” is a fish monster from the Black Lagoon!,” I blurted out proudly. There was a pregnant pause in the classroom. Maybe the sound of a dropping pencil on the linoleum floor somewhere.
“No, that is NOT correct.” Mrs Shields, went on “Holly, maybe YOU can tell us what a ‘creature’ is?” Holly Snyder was the girl that sat next to me. A teacher’s pet. I was mortified. I thought I had a much more definitive answer. Shut down by the teacher.
The class went on, and I learned that day to curb my enthusiasm. The general public at large was not ready for this Monster Boom Generation….yet.
-Ron Adams, January 2020.
On with the show, now let’s check out the new cool stuff and classic monster news…
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New! Massive Three Disc DVD Set of Interviews and documentary on 1950s Sci-Fi
It’s in stock now…
HORROR IN THE ATOMIC AGE (Interviews) – 3 DVD Set
Seven years in the making, HORROR IN THE ATOMIC AGE is the definitive oral history of science fiction and horror films of the Atomic Age, from 1950 through the early 60s as told by the actors, directors and others that made the films. Nearly 50 interviews with iconic actors like Julie Adams (Creature From The Black Lagoon), Joyce Meadows (The Brain From Planet Arous), Coleen Gray (The Leech Woman), Jimmy Hunt (Invaders From Mars), William Phipps (Cat Women On The Moon), and many more. A must for any fan of 1950s horror and sci-fi movies. It’s all here from the Red Scare to Mutant Monsters to Science Gone Mad.
Interviews include” Coleen Grey, Julie Adams, In Melchoir, James Karen, Robert Dix, Richard Anderson, William Schallert, Ann Robinson, Brett Halsey, David Hedison, Joyce Meadows, Jimmy Hunt, Kathleen Hughes, Phyllis Coates, Lisa Davis, Scott Morrow, William Phipps, Richard Erdman, Hugh O’Brien, Billy Gray, Pat Boone, Kenny Miller, Terry Moore, Laurie Mitchell, Caroline Munro, David Frankham, Peggy Webber, James Best, Paul Mantee, Paul Lukather, Victoria Price, Terry Castle, Diana Gemora, Laura Sobell, Bob Burns, Ariane Ulmer, Vincent Price, Roger Corman, Samual Z. Arkoff, Russell Johnson, John Agar, John Carradine, Pamela Lincoln, Boris Karloff, Jack Arnold, Bert I. Gordon, Ricou Browning…and Monster Bash’s Ron Adams.
Get it now in our New DVD Department…a must for your collection from Creepy Classics!
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MONSTER FROM THE VAULT #31 Re-Shocked!
Plus, many other great issues of MONSTER FROM THE VAULT magazine are available too.
See the selection in our Monsters From the Vault Department, right here in the catacombs of Creepy Classics.
You’ll love this high quality, super informative monster mag!
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New! Collectible ACKERMUSEUM Pin
A great collectible in honor and memory of Forrest J Ackerman and his stunning home museum that he opened to all fans who wanted to check out the amazing collection of film history:
ACKERMUSEUM (Forrest J Ackerman) – Pin
These pins were sold by Forrest J Ackerman (of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND fame). They were to help support his Ackermuseum of movie collectibles. They picture the METROPOLIS robot with the words “Friends of the ACKERMUSEUM.” Plastic, metallic paint, about 1 inch tall. Very rare now.
Get it in our Creepy Collectibles Department right now at Creepy Classics!
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Elizabeth Shepherd Reads Poe
Actress Elizabeth Shepherd co-starred with Vincent Price in the film TOMB OF LIGEIA. She will appear at MONSTER BASH OCTOBERFEST this year and do a dramatic reading from the classic Edgar Allan Poe story on stage.
Don’t miss all the super-charged events at this years MONSTER BASH OCTOBERFEST (October 16-18, 2020): https://www.monsterbashnews.com/bash-October.html
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Bela Lugosi Film Festival on the BIG Screen
Everything is now set and in place…for another wild adventure…a Bela Lugosi film marathon at the grand Palace Theatre in Canton, Ohio. It’s August 14 and 15, 2020. A Lugosi extravaganza with some of his best and most fun films ever, plus a bonus film to wrap-out Saturday night…Tim Burton’s ED WOOD. Get your advance VIP admission, CLICK HERE.
See the trailer preview by Kevin Slick, CLICK HERE.
View your Lugosi favorites in a real grand movie palace. We’ll also feature the popular prize-toss late Saturday night! Free Blu-Rays, DVDs, Monster Magazines and Monster Toys will be pitched into the audience.
If you haven’t been to one of our summer marathons at The Palace yet….you really need to do it. A gorgeous restored grand theatre from the 1920s. A real pipe organ with music between showings.
And author Frank Dello Stritto will give two power-point presentations on Bela Lugosi…on the giant screen. One of the biggest screens in the state of Ohio.
Complete details…CLICK HERE!
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New! Ricou Browning – The Creature From the Black Lagoon Autographed Glossy Photos
We just added Ricou Browning autographs to our Creepy Autograph Department. Ricou is the last living actor to portray a classic Universal monster in the original films. He was the underwater Creature in CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954), REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) and THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US (1956).
Ricou signed these for us at the MONSTER BASH CONFERENCE that we run. If you missed seeing Ricou at any of the MONSTER BASH shows and wanted an autographed photo…here’s your opportunity!
Get the ones pictured above in our Creepy Autograph Department here at Creepy Classics while they last!
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New! Classic Scholastic…Books
Some new classic Scholastic Books are now in our Scholastic Book Department here at Creepy Classics. Remember those exciting days of ordering books in school. Waiting for the order to come in. Then the stack of books on the teacher’s desk to be handed out. Of course, we monster fans were always looking for the spooky books, the cool science (sometimes sci-fi) books, ghost story collections, UFO encounter ones…
Check out the ones we have in stock and relive those great days. Check out our Scholastic Book Department, here at the school of Creepy Classics!
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New! CDs In Shock Stock
Zowie! Two great CDs in stock for your headphone horror:
MUSIC FOR ZOMBIES (Verne Langdon) – Used CD
As advertised back in 1974 in the pages of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND magazine….MUSIC FOR ZOMBIES by keyboardist (and mask-maker) Verne Langdon. This is the official CD (released in 2003) on Langdon’s Electric Lemon label. Eerie keyboard music for monster lovers!
A TRIBUTE TO BELA LUGOSI (Michael Thomas, Dr. Skull) – New CD Single
This is the official CD single, shrink wrapped and new. The song “Bela Lugosi” by Dr. Skull, the late, great Michael Thomas (vocals) and The Creature From Quogue. If you loved MONSTER MASH, you’ll love BELA LUGOSI in that fun retro rock style. Thomas does a spot on Lugosi. Very rare collectible!
Get them in our Creepy CD Department…right here in these web pages of Creepy Classics!
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Don’t Let It Slip (On A Banana Peel) By…It’s National Gorilla Suit Day
Thanks to our good friend, Ted McKosky, for reminding us that it’s almost upon us: It’s National Gorilla Suit Day.
Dust off your gorilla suit and let’s celebrate!
Pictured to the left: Ron Adams, Mighty Joey Vento and Dan Weber.
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New! FILMFAX #156 is in Stock Now
Yep, it’s here and ready for our delivery bat-boy to head your way with a copy…just for you. Order your today and it’ll be on your doorstep in no time flat:
FILMFAX #156 – Magazine
Monsters, monsters, monsters everywhere in this issue of FILMFAX! Turn the pages to find: HOUSE OF LONG SHADOWS with Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and John Carradine! Plus, H.G. Wells and Willis O’Brien’s unmade FOOD OF THE GODS movie, behind-the-scenes stills, FLASH GORDON….more!
You’ll locate it in our on-line Creepy Newsstand…just look in the Filmfax Department here at Creepy Classics!
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….and now, photos of fun from past MONSTER BASH shows! Stay up-to-date with MONSTER BASH Shows:
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Of all the monsters in the pantheon of the ‘children of the night’, perhaps none have had such an impact on the sympathies of an audience as the Frankenstein Monster. Many films have been made where Shelly’s Gothic tale is told or at least appropriated. Yet none have ever been able to match Boris Karloff’s performance as Dr. Frankenstein’s near-immortal creation.
Monsters After Midnight 