As a monster nut in the Sixties I adored the monster art around at the time, which in my mind was at the heart of the craze.
Two artists stand out and basically had the monster craze resting on their shoulders, one each; James Bama and Basil Gogos.
Bama was responsible for those wonderful and atmospheric box art illustrations on Aurora's iconic monster kits. I wonder which is your favourite readers? One of mine was and is the Phantom of the Opera. I was obsessed with the screaming man behind the bars as a kid! Just who was he?
Gogos, along with James Warren and Forry Ackerman, may have just kicked off the whole American monster thing with his fabulous covers for Famous Monsters of Filmland covers. I was chuffed to get hold of a the Curse of the Werewolf edition some years back from the estate sale of one Screaming Lord Sutch, erstwhile goth rocker and founder of the Monster Raving Loony Party.
Do you have a fave Famous Monsters of Filmland?
Both titans of monsterdom, I wonder if Bama and Gogos ever met?
Oh, that post hits the spot! I love these artists, i think my favouite Aurora monster painting was The Forgotten Prisoner of Castlemere.
ReplyDeleteI recently joined a Facebook group for Aurora Plasric Models and all the members there are right into this stuff!
Yes. The Forgotten Prisoner. I don't think I've ever seen that kit in the flesh. Just pictures Looey.
DeleteIssue #114.The Japanese Monsters special issue.I had never heard of the magazine, and my dad brought it home after a trip to the store for a newspaper. I Read it and my life was changed forever!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Brian. I adored monster comics and have a big collection of all that gruesomely good stuff now. Creepy Eerie Horror Tales Witches Tales and a few FMofFilmland.
DeleteThe last gasp of the golden age of commercial illustration! Monster art was as cool as model art and Science Fiction Art and oh my, what a lost world! I could look at these pictures hours on end...
ReplyDeleteMe too Zig me too. When I was ill as a kid I always lead in bed reading monster comics!
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