Another fabulous Daniel Horne painting is featured on the cover of Monsters from the Vault #32 which will premiere at Monster Bash this summer. I had Daniel paint my favorite shot of Lon Chaney as the Wolf Man this time around. The shot of course is from House of Dracula. The cover design (which is what brings everything together), as always, is by the Mighty Sorko! Keep in mind this is a low-res version and the final product will look much better. Looking at the painting in person, I think it might be my favorite painting from Daniel yet. With the publication of MFTV #31 just around the corner I thought it was time to share our next cover with you. Look for more info on the issue's contents in the near future. Happy New Year!
Below are sneak peeks of the four articles appearing in Monsters from the Vault #31. Click on the link below the images to open a two-page PDF. I'm wrapping the issue up and it will be going to press on January 2nd and I hope to start shipping copies the week of January 14th. Keep checking back for updates.
Here's a peek at the Table of Contents of Monsters from the Vault #31. Unfortunately the issue won't be out in time for Halloween as planned. I hope to wrap up the issue and get it off to press by early January. The issue should be out around mid-January. Check back for more updates and sneak peeks.
Coming this November is Monsters from the Vault #31. The issue will feature first-time MFTV contributor, John McElwee's (Greenbriar Picture Shows Blog) look at the Ballyhoo that helped promote The Bride of Frankenstein during its original release as well as re-releases over the years. Greg Mank returns to our pages with a look at the James Whale film, One More River (1934). While the film is not horror, since it's directed by Whale and features Colin Clive and Lionel Atwill, I figured it would be a perfect fit for MFTV. The film has rarely been seen but recently aired on Turner Classic Movies. Rounding out the issue is Gary Rhodes' article on the 1947 Bela Lugosi Film, Scared to Death and an excerpt from Candace Hilligoss's upcoming memoir on the making of Carnival of Souls. All this plus DVD and book reviews.
Monsters from the Vault #30 is now available. All subscriber copies and single issue orders have shipped. Wholesale copies have shipped to Scary Monsters, Creepy Classics, Oldies.com, Creature Features, My Movie Monsters.com, and Hemlock Books and The Cinema Store in the UK. Diamond Comics received their copies and the issue is on their ship list for May 2nd (as is Little Shoppe of Horrors #28 and Bela Lugosi's Tales from the Grave #2). Sorry for the delay and I hope everyone enjoys the new issue!
Check out the trailer of the new documentary from Bob Tinnell on Monster Kids, That $#!% Will Rot Your Brain: How the Monster Kids Transformed Popular Culture. Also, access the film's Kickstarter to contribute to the film's production cost. Here's a description of the film from Kickstarter:
That $#!% Will Rot Your Brain! aims to tell the untold story of who the Monster Kids were, how they came into being, and how they transformed the world around them. It focuses on the history of the Shock Theater Package and why kids were so drawn to the Classic Monsters. It goes on to chronicle the creativity Monsters sparked amongst kids and how Classic Monsters, with the help of kids around the globe, invaded pop culture.
On Monday, April 2, 2012, the winners of the tenth annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards (for work done in 2011) were announced. I was truly excited to find out that Monsters from the Vault had won the award for Best Magazine-Fan Market for the second consecutive year! A HUGE thanks to everyone who voted for Monsters from the Vault this year (and in the previous years) for Best Magazine! It was extremely close this year as MFTV bested runner-up Little Shoppe of Horrors by only 4 votes. Again, Marian and I are deeply honored to receive the 2011 Rondo for Best Magazine-Fan Market, and I can't wait to put it on my award shelf next to our Rondo Hall of Fame Award, last year's Best Magazine-Fan Market Award, and my Monster Bash Award ("The Forry") from 2008! Also, congratulations to Gary Rhodes for his runner-up finish in the Best Article category for "The Curious Undead Life of Tod Browning's Dracula" and Daniel Horne for his win for Best Cover for HorrorHound #27 (and Honorable Mention for his cover for Monsters from the Vault #28). Finally, a big shout out to all of this year's winners and for the fans who took the time to vote! To check the complete list of winners at the Official Rondo Award Web site.
Now for the latest news on Monsters from the Vault #30. I signed off on the proof today and the issue will be printed on Friday, April 6th. Early next week it will go out for the UV coating on the cover then to the bindery. The issue should be ready on April 12th and will ship to Diamond Comic Distributors then and it should be at your local comic book store by the end of the month. Unfortunately, when the issue is ready I'll be in Hollywood and Burbank California for the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival and the Monsterplooza Convention and won't return home until the 18th. So subscriber issues, single issue orders, contributor copies, and smaller wholesale orders won't start shipping until April 18th with everything shipped out by Monday, the 23rd. Thanks for your patience in regards to this long overdue issue, and the additional shipping delay due to my much needed vacation. Enjoy the issue when it arrives and as always, I look forward to receiving some feedback.
Below are sneak peeks of the four articles appearing in Monsters from the Vault #30. Click on the link below the images to open a two-page PDF. I'm still trying to wrap the issue up and it now looks like it will be going to press on March 26th and I hope to get most copies in the mail before I leave for my week-long vacation in Los Angeles and Burbank for the Turner Classic Movies Film Festival and Monsterplooza on April 9th. Keep checking back for updates.
Did you miss out on one of our nominated articles? Here's your chance to read it online before submitting your ballot for the 2011 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. Below are the nominated covers and articles published by Monsters from the Vault in 2011. To read the articles, click on the link below each article's title page (it's in yellow) and you can download a low-res PDF of the article for your reading pleasure. Enjoy the articles, and don't forget to cast your vote before midnight on April 1, 2012. Congratulations and best of luck to all of the nominees!
BEST MAGAZINE COVER NOMINEE Monsters from the Vault #28
Painting by Daniel R. Horne
It's that time of the year again when the best of all things horror and sci-fi is celebrated by the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. Go to www.rondoaward.com to see this year's official ballot. The tenth annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards will be recognizing the best in monster research, creativity, and film preservation in 2011.
Since 2002, the Rondos have been fandom's only true classic horror award. They are decided by fans, for fans. For every Rondo nominee, just being recognized for a significant achievement in the genre during the year of 2011 is a great accomplishment.
So head on over to the official Rondo Web site and cast your vote today. Over the past nine years, Monsters from the Vault has been extremely fortunate to win several awards, including:
Best Article (2003): The Horror Film Crisis of 1932 Parts I & II by Gary D. Rhodes
Best Cover (2006):MFTV #21 by Joe "Sorko" Schovitz
Monster Kid Hall of Fame (2008): Jim & Marian Clatterbaugh
Best Cover (2009):MFTV #26 by Daniel R. Horne
Best Magazine Fan-Market (2010):Monsters from the Vault
We also were runner-up to Video Watchdog in the "Best Magazine" category in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. Plus, tons of our articles and covers have been nominated over the years, and two of our regular contributors, Greg Mank and Tom Weaver, have won "Writer of the Year." Finally, in 2010, Daniel R. Horne was selected as the "Artist of the Year."
This year, Monsters from the Vault is nominated for 6 Rondo Awards (Best Magazine, Best Cover (2 covers), and Best Article (3 articles), and I urge you to consider us when you cast you ballot. However, there are NO losers when it comes to the Rondo Awards, as just being nominated is quite an honor. So again, head over to www.rondoaward.com and cast your vote for your favorites of 2011 today!
HOW TO VOTE:
--All voting is by e-mail only. Simply copy the ballot (cut-and-pasting is easy), and send an e-mail with your picks to David Colton, at taraco@aol.com by Sunday night at midnight, April 1, 2012.
--One vote per person, please.
--Every e-mail must include your name to be counted. All votes are kept strictly confidential. No e-mail addresses or any personal information will ever be shared with anyone.
--Important: Feel free to spread the word about Rondo. But please remember that organized voting campaigns (duplicated ballots, mass e-mailing efforts, getting strangers to vote) are prohibited and can result in a warning and even disqualification. Let's keep this a fun vote of monster fans.
--And no, you do not have to vote in every category. Again, to vote simply copy the ballot and make your picks by highlighting your selection and putting an X by your selections or by typing out your picks separately---whatever is easiest. Then e-mail your selections to taraco@aol.com.
You'll receive an e-mail acknowledging your vote, and the nominees who work so hard to enrich the classic horror genre will appreciate your taking the time to say thanks for their efforts.
Here's a peek at the Table of Contents of Monsters from the Vault #30. I hope to wrap up the issue and get it off to press by the middle of March. The issue should start shipping by the end of the March. Check back for more updates and sneak peeks.
Another beautiful Daniel Horne painting is featured on the cover of Monsters from the Vault #31 which will be published in October 2012. The cover design (which is what brings everything together), as always, is by the Mighty Sorko! With the upcoming publication of MFTV #30, I’m trying to get Monsters from the Vaulton a regular schedule, so expect to see a new issue every spring and fall. As you know The Bride of Frankenstein is my favorite film so to continue on with the coverage of the film that started in issue #28 (which featured the Monsters's mate on the cover, and is a perfect companion to this cover), first-time MFTV contributor, John McElwee (Greenbriar Picture Shows Blog) looks at the Ballyhoo that helped promote the film during its original release as well as re-releases over the years. Greg Mank returns to our pages with a look at the James Whale film, One More River (1934). While the film is not horror, since it's directed by Whale and features Colin Clive and Lionel Atwill, I figured it would be a perfect fit for MFTV. The film has rarely been seen (it aired on TV for only second time in January on Turner Classic Movie's James Whale Tribute). Rounding out the issue is Gary Rhodes' article on the 1947 Bela Lugosi Film, Scared to Death, and excerpt from Candace Hilligoss's upcoming memoir on the making of Carnival of Souls, and Cleaver Patterson's article on the Boris Karloff film, The Sorcerers (1967). All this plus DVD and book reviews. One final note on the painting, when Daniel Horne decided to start painting monster portraits, this was the very first painting he ever did. Talk about hitting it out of the park on the first try! It's one of the only paintings he still owns and it hangs in his studio.
I hope to wrap up the new issue of Monsters from the Vault over the next two weeks then it's off to the printer. The issue should ship at the end of March. Keep checking back for more updates and some sneak peeks at the interior.
100th Anniversary Activities Include Major Film Restoration, New Logo Unveiling, Home Entertainment Offerings, Theme Park Celebrations, Signature Events and Sweeping Social Media Campaign Los Angeles, January 10, 2012--Universal will mark its 100th anniversary in 2012, and will commemorate its centennial with a yearlong celebration honoring the studio’s rich film history and cultural legacy. The campaign draws its inspiration from Universal’s extraordinary and diverse library of films, many of which will be highlighted throughout the year, and is designed to engage fans of all ages in the art of moviemaking.
A significant element of the centennial includes the extensive restoration of 13 of the studio's most beloved titles such as To Kill a Mockingbird, All Quiet on the Western Front, Jaws, The Sting, Out of Africa, Frankenstein, Dracula, and Schindler's List. Universal Studios Home Entertainment will kick off the celebration in January with a special 50th anniversary release of To Kill a Mockingbird, debuting on Blu-rayTM for the first time ever. Throughout the year, Universal will pay tribute to other influential films in the Universal library with special events and Blu-rayTM releases of such iconic classics as Jaws and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, which celebrates its 30th anniversary. Universal will reveal an updated animated logo tied to the centennial. The animated logo will make its first appearance in front of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax at its premiere in February, and for that film's U.S. theatrical release on March 2nd. (The new static version of this logo is unveiled today and is featured above.) Other activities surrounding the studio's 100th anniversary include a vibrant social media campaign, special events, theme park activities, promotions and many surprises to engage fans throughout the yearlong celebration. "This is a proud moment for all of us who've had the privilege of working at Universal Pictures," said Ron Meyer, Universal Studios President and COO. "Our centennial is designed to bring special memories back to longtime movie lovers and fans, and to engage new audiences with our extraordinary library of films for the first time. Our goal, 100 years later, is to preserve, restore and continue the iconic legacy of this studio for generations to come." Fans and film enthusiasts can start celebrating online today at the official Universal Centennial website, http://Universal100th.com, a one-stop destination dedicated to Universal's 100 years. The site, as well as a number of social media platforms, will bring the centennial to life online. Universal will be sharing archival content on its brand new Tumblr (http://universal100.tumblr.com/); fans of Universal classics on Facebook will find exclusives and special opportunities across their favorite pages; followers of @UniversalPics on Twitter can find the activities using the hashtag #Universal100; Foursquare users who check in at iconic Universal locations such as the studio and theme parks will be able to unlock special behind-the-scenes tips and content; and for those who are followers of fashion, Universal's Pinterest account (www.pinterest.com/universal) will be drawing inspiration from favorite films for everyone's Pinboards, starting with 10 inaugural titles of pop-culture classics such as The Breakfast Club, Scarface, Sixteen Candles, Bridget Jones’sDiary,and Bridesmaids. These online initiatives will roll out throughout various times of the year and will tie back to the Universal Centennial official site.
In the spring, select fans will have the opportunity to attend a special gala anniversary celebration on the lot featuring many of the filmmakers and artists who shaped the studios history. In addition, the studio will spotlight the 100th Anniversary throughout various worldwide film festivals and other featured events, panels and activities. On April 30, 1912, Universal Film Manufacturing Company filed its certificate of incorporation with the state of New York. In 1915, Carl Laemmle officially opened Universal City, the largest film production facility in the world. Throughout Universal's 100 years, the studio has served as a home for many of the most talented filmmakers of all time (such as Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Peter Jackson, Spike Lee, John Hughes, and Judd Apatow) and created films that have touched the hearts of millions and fueled culture's fascination with cinema. To share the profound legacy of its artists, the studio will highlight their careers with touching personal stories from filmmakers, talent, crews, employees and fans.
Universal’s key centennial activities included throughout the anniversary year are as follows:
•Major Film Restoration Commitment Universal will restore 13 films over the course of the centennial year. The restoration effort includes the following films: All Quiet on the Western Front, The Birds, Buck Privates, Dracula (1931), Dracula: Spanish Version (1931), Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Jaws, Schindler's List, Out of Africa, Pillow Talk, The Sting, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
• Unveiling of New Logo Universal will reveal an updated animated logo at the February premiere of the upcoming feature Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and at that film's U.S. theatrical debut on March 2, 2012. The updated logo will be used on all Universal Pictures films going forward, and will be integrated into all aspects of the company's business as well.
• Home Entertainment Universal Home Entertainment will be introducing a limited edition 100th Anniversary Collector's Series featuring some of the aforementioned film restorations on Blu-rayTM in collectible, book-style packaging showcasing rare movie memorabilia and brand new 10-minute video featurettes. In addition, special collections will be released throughout the year, culminating in the highly anticipated Blu-rayTM releases of Universal's Classic Monster and Alfred Hitchcock series. A selection of movies that have shaped Universal's legacy will also be released in commemorative packaging, many of them on Blu-rayTM for the first time ever.
• Theme Park Celebrations Universal's Parks and Resorts will help highlight the campaign with centennial specific content and merchandise throughout both the Orlando and Hollywood locations. The Orlando resort will soon announce a specially themed entertainment experience that will celebrate Universal's heritage. At the iconic Hollywood park, the world-famous Studio Tour features expert guides that will take guests on a tour through 100 years of moviemaking history on the Universal Studios production backlot. Tours are conducted daily, visiting TV and movie sets ranging from the early Universal Studios monster film classics to current productions.
• Website and Social Media Campaign Universal will be engaging fans across multiple social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and Pinterest. At the center of all online initiatives lies a rich, robust website dedicated to all things related to the yearlong celebration of Universal’s 100th Anniversary. Below is a brief clip that looks at the ongoing film restoration discussed above:
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS ON BLU-RAY IN 2012---I CAN'T WAIT!
