Monster! #27 Lovecraftian Horrors

Steve Fenton, Stephen Bissette, Daniel Best, Tim Paxton — 2016

Okay, just in time for April Fool's Day (not that we're foolin', mind you!), here comes MONSTER! #27... which just happens to be the first of our loose "H.P. Lovecraft" specials (we're doing another one next month, too). In this issue, it's about a 70/30% split, respectively, between HPL-themed material and other stuff. Steve Bissette (with an invaluable assist from Rick Lai) gives us Part 1 of his massive, laboriously-researched two-part analysis of the made-for-TV monster movie DARK INTRUDER (1965), which, while not "officially" derived from any particular HPL written work, is steeped in Lovecraftian lore and atmosphere nonetheless. Our review section reflects the issue's main theme, including coverage - by both long-time Lovecraft devotees and novices - of such cinematic adaptations of his works (both "legit" or only nominal) as CASTLE FREAK (1995), CHILEAN GOTHIC (a.k.a. PICKMAN'S MODEL, 2000), THE CURSE (1987), CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR (1968), THE DUNWICH HORROR (1970), THE HAUNTED PALACE (1963), ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN (1979), NECRONOMICON (1993), THE RESURRECTED (1991), and THE SHUTTERED ROOM (1967). Non-Lovecraft-related material this ish includes the first instalment of another epic historical overview from the scholarly Daniel Best on the subject of vintage horror entertainment Down Under, entitled "Australian Gothic"; this time Daniel covers the 1929 stage production of Bram Stoker's DRACULA which toured Australia's theatre circuit with considerable success in its day, but has since been as-good-as forgotten by history. All this and a bunch more goodies besides! Including: coverage of the PHANTASM movie quadrilogy, a piece about "apocalyptical dino-monsters" in modern popular culture, a review of the newest Karloff biography, Stephen Jacobs' BORIS KARLOFF: MORE THAN A MONSTER, plus, more, more, MORE! Other writing contributors this issue were C. Michael Hall, Christos Mouroukis, Eric Messina, Dennis Capicik, Allen A. Debus, Dawn Dabell, Sebastien Godin, Martín Núñez, Matthew E. Banks, Christopher J. Maurer, Daniel Best, Les Moore, Brian Harris, Steve Fenton, and Tim Paxton. And not only that, but we've also got some stark 'n' stylin' HPL-inspired artwork from Jolyon Yates, Andy Ross, Matt Bradshaw and C. Michael Hall, too! And last but not least, rounding out this super-stuffed 125-pager is our usual listing covering the video availability of titles discussed within.