Showcase your Warren mags here!

[dlhenderson]

Right! And the wet cuckoo clock. Even the title font was covered in water droplets. That got me drawing water droplets at an early age.

[Hepcat]

Without a doubt Freas did some striking, even iconic, SciFi covers. But there were quite a few that didn't quite do it for me. But his paintings for MAD were first class, and you can chart his experimenting with mediums and styles in them. 2 extreme examples - his Headless Horseman cover, which was rendered pretty loose. Compare that to his "Great moments in Medicine" spoof, "Presenting the Bill". Meticulously rendered!

Is this the headless horseman cover to which you're referring?

[Illoman]

Wow, Hep, never saw that one before! What a killer painting!!

[Hepcat]

Yes, that's another Kelly Freas' masterpiece!

[bluerosekiller]

You folks are awesome. As is this thread...

I was born in October 1961, which qualifies me to just sneak in as a member of the original generation of Monster Kids.
Both of my parents were genre movie fans & introduced me to "Spooky Movies" as they called them ( which covered everything from the Universal classics to Hammer films to KING KONG & GODZILLA to the Mexican chillers that were shown so often back then ) via our local channel 7's popular FRIGHT NIGHT THEATRE. Which was a institution here in the Buffalo area for many years throughout the '60s & into the early '70s. It was broadcast every Friday night at 11:30, often offering a double feature.
In fact, my very earliest memory of watching a film on television is of sitting up with my Mom & Dad while being transfixed by a showing of Bava's BLACK SUNDAY  when I was 5 years old.
And, when we weren't at home watching genre films, we were often out at the plethora of local drive ins with my two older sisters during the warm weather months. More often than not, watching some sort of monster, horror or sci fi double or triple bill.

Fortunately, not only did they encourage my interest in the films, but they also supported my hobbies that grew out of it. Buying me every new issue of FAMOUS MONSTERS that was published from about 1967 on & each & every one of the Aurora Monster model kits. Which my Mom would not only expertly assemble for me, but also painstakingly paint with great detail.
I was a VERY lucky boy.
And, in time I also began to collect monster & horror comics. Beginning with FM's sister mag CREEPY & eventually leading  to a wide array of other titles as well. Which led to me collecting not only genre comics, but plenty of superhero titles as well.
By the time I was 10, I was a serious collector. Not only buying new stuff each week, but also seeking out back issues.
I continued on like this non-stop, loving my hobbies & my collection for the next several years.
Until I was 18.
At that time in 1980, as I was preparing for college & preoccupied with an overwhelming interest in girls & a growing taste for beer, I lost my interest in comics. And got the brilliant idea to not only stop collecting them, but to sell off my entire collection of 3000 - 3500 books. Which included, among them, complete or near complete runs of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, THE AVENGERS, X-MEN, DAREDEVIL, INCREDIBLE HULK &  many more.
Originally, I had planned to keep all my monster magazines though. As I was still, very much a fan & enthusiast of genre films. Even though I'd since moved on to reading & collecting themore serious magazines like CINEFANTATIQUE & the then-new FANGORIA.
Somehow though, once the dealer came to purchase my comics I got convinced to sell off all my monster magazines as well ( aside from the aforementioned CFTQ & Fangos ). All for a fraction of what it was all  really worth back then ( much less NOW! ).
Even as I had the money placed in my hand & the boxes were carried out the door, I began to regret my decision. I should have put the breaks on it then, while I still had a chance. But, I didn't.
And that's how I was purged of my most prized possessions 32 years ago.

Jim

[zombiehorror]

Awesome MAD cover; Although I think it would be even cooler without Alfred's head in his arm!

[bluerosekiller]

You folks are awesome. As is this thread...

I was born in October 1961, which qualifies me to just sneak in as a member of the original generation of Monster Kids.
Both of my parents were genre movie fans & introduced me to "Spooky Movies" as they called them ( which covered everything from the Universal classics to Hammer films to KING KONG & GODZILLA to the Mexican chillers that were shown so often back then ) via our local channel 7's popular FRIGHT NIGHT THEATRE. Which was a institution here in the Buffalo area for many years throughout the '60s & into the early '70s. It was broadcast every Friday night at 11:30, often offering a double feature.
In fact, my very earliest memory of watching a film on television is of sitting up with my Mom & Dad while being transfixed by a showing of Bava's BLACK SUNDAY  when I was 5 years old.
And, when we weren't at home watching genre films, we were often out at the plethora of local drive ins with my two older sisters during the warm weather months. More often than not, watching some sort of monster, horror or sci fi double or triple bill.

Fortunately, not only did they encourage my interest in the films, but they also supported my hobbies that grew out of it. Buying me every new issue of FAMOUS MONSTERS that was published from about 1967 on & each & every one of the Aurora Monster model kits. Which my Mom would not only expertly assemble for me, but also painstakingly paint with great detail.
I was a VERY lucky boy.
And, in time I also began to collect monster & horror comics. Beginning with FM's sister mag CREEPY & eventually leading  to a wide array of other titles as well. Which led to me collecting not only genre comics, but plenty of superhero titles as well.
By the time I was 10, I was a serious collector. Not only buying new stuff each week, but also seeking out back issues.
I continued on like this non-stop, loving my hobbies & my collection for the next several years.
Until I was 18.
At that time in 1980, as I was preparing for college & preoccupied with an overwhelming interest in girls & a growing taste for beer, I lost my interest in comics. And got the brilliant idea to not only stop collecting them, but to sell off my entire collection of 3000 - 3500 books. Which included, among them, complete or near complete runs of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, THE AVENGERS, X-MEN, DAREDEVIL, INCREDIBLE HULK &  many more.
Originally, I had planned to keep all my monster magazines though. As I was still, very much a fan & enthusiast of genre films. Even though I'd since moved on to reading & collecting themore serious magazines like CINEFANTATIQUE & the then-new FANGORIA.
Somehow though, once the dealer came to purchase my comics I got convinced to sell off all my monster magazines as well ( aside from the aforementioned CFTQ & Fangos ). All for a fraction of what it was all  really worth back then ( much less NOW! ).
Even as I had the money placed in my hand & the boxes were carried out the door, I began to regret my decision. I should have put the breaks on it then, while I still had a chance. But, I didn't.
And that's how I was purged of my most prized possessions 32 years ago.

Jim

So, pretty sad, huh?
Well, it was. It was definitely one of the all time worst decisions of my life. Something that I regretted so much that I couldn't even bear to LOOK at a comic book for years.
And, as traumatic as it was, the damnedest thing is that I didn't quite learn my lesson from it, because just a couple of years later I sold off all my movie memorabilia. A collection that I'd begun in 1976 consisting of a large array of original one sheets, lobby cards, still sets & press books from genre films including THE EXORCIST, DAWN OF THE DEAD, HALLOWEEN, PHANTASM, ALIEN, STAR WARS & many others. I think if I just had all the STAR WARS stuff from that collection now that it would buy me a house. Seriously. What I had from that flick alone filled a full size dresser drawer! All of it original National Screen Service promo material.
And, again, like an idiot, I sold it for pennies on the dollar.
Bloody Brilliant, huh?

But, I never stopped collecting. I just changed my focus to my boxing memorabilia collection, my Stephen King first editions & other genre novels book collection & kept up with my CFTQ & FANGORIA ( which I've managed to maintain a complete collection of to this day ).

Fast forward to a couple of years ago in early 2010 when, out of the blue, I was overcome with a strong desire to acquire a complete set of Calvin Beck's CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN. I'd seen something about the magazine online & I just HAD to start collecting it right away. I think it may have been my mid-life crisis. LOL
I'd had a couple of issues as a kid, but that's all as opposed to well over a hundred issues of FM & dozens of other monster mags. It's notoriously quirky publication schedule & spotty distribution just prevented me from finding them.
So, I began my quest for CoF back issues & began to find some good deals online. Before too long I was well on my way to completing a collection. That is until I got a bit sidetracked by some excellent deals on vintage issues of FAMOUS MONSTERS. Which allowed me to put together a nice collection of that title. No where near complete, but still nice.
Then, one day I happened to see a story about Dark Horse publishing a new version of CREEPY in comic book format. Which compelled me to head down to my local comic shop.
Upon walking in, I'd just planned on buying that first issue of CREEPY. But, something strange occurred & I was just overwhelmed with a disire to reconnect with comics again after 30 years. So, I bought a stack of them & before I knew it, at 48 years old, three decades removed from my last collection, I was  a comic book collector again.
In the two years since, I've finished off my CoF collection, added to my FM collection & built up a collection of almost 1500 comics.
At 50, I'm enjoying my collecting more than at any time of my life.

Jim

[Hepcat]

It was definitely one of the all time worst decisions of my life. Something that I regretted so much that I couldn't even bear to LOOK at a comic book for years.

Understandable.

So, I bought a stack of them & before I knew it, at 48 years old, three decades removed from my last collection, I was  a comic book collector again. In the two years since, I've finished off my CoF collection, added to my FM collection & built up a collection of almost 1500 comics. At 50, I'm enjoying my collecting more than at any time of my life.

Good stuff!

[Illoman]

Jim, welcome to the UMA. I'm sure darn near *all* of us can relate to your post about seller's regret. There's been times in my life for various reasons I had to sell stuff off, rent, food, etc and years later felt the pangs of regret. I'm glad you're reconnecting with things that brought you happiness. That's what collecting and hobbies are all about.

[bluerosekiller]

Thanks Illoman. I appreciate the warm welcome.

Jim

[Hepcat]

So can anyone spare $6500+? The original artwork for the cover of Vampirella 17 by Enrich Torres is currently up for bidding at Robert Edwards Auctions:

[zombiehorror]

WOW!  Awesome piece....but my funds would be missing a few zeros!!  I might be able to gather together $6.50!

[Illoman]

That is a drop dead gorgeous piece of art!! Torres was a phenomenal painter. His pencil sketches were equally awe-inspiring.

[Hepcat]

The 2012 Vampirella calendar features artwork by Ken Kelly:

[Jim Bertges]

OK, this isn't Vampirella, but it showed up in my mailbox yesterday from a friend in England. I thought this would be a good place to share it.