Featured Comic: G.I. Joe - A Real American Hero #1

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was a major money maker in the '80s, consisting of a successful Marvel comic book, a massive toyline, and a hit cartoon. Marvel's comic series lasted from June 1982 to December 1994, giving way to 155 issues!

Advertising Wasteland: Aurora Glow-in-the-Dark Monster Model Kits

A mid '70s print advertisement for Aurora's glow-in-the-dark monster kit line, including the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Wolfman, Godzilla, and King Kong.

VHS OF THE WEEK: Star Trek - Animated Series

VHS RELEASE DATE: 1995

The mid '90s marked Paramount's Home Video release of the Star Trek animated series to VHS. Each tape contained two 24 minute episodes. After these went out-of-print the series wouldn't be available again for over a decade, until they were re-released as a complete DVD set in 2006.

Advertising Wasteland: Superhero Model Kits

A 1975 pint advertisement for Aurora's superhero plastic model kits, including Superman, Batman, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain America, and Tarzan.

American Filmmaking Stamps

Back in 2002 stamps were only 37 cents, but more importantly (to collectors' anyway) the United States Postal Service released their American Filmmaking: Behind the Scenes stamps. Horror, sci-fi & fantasy fans will find this of particular interest due to the inclusion of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein (representing makeup) and E.T. (featured for special effects).

1990 LucasFilm Fan Club

It's strange to look back at the LucasFilm Fan Club advertisement circa 1990, which was then celebrating the 10th anniversary of Empire Strikes Back (2010 marked the 30th anniversary)! It's also odd to think back to a time when there was so much speculation about a 'new' trilogy and that all Star Wars fans were wondering the same thing: "Will the Force return in the '90s?"

The Classic Horror Campaign Is Back!!!

Horror Hosts Cyberschizoid and Scare Sarah present the Classic Horror Campaign's most requested movie HORROR EXPRESS (1972) in a diabolical double bill with Bela Lugosi creepy classic WHITE ZOMBIE! (1932)

The Classic Horror Campaign was set up to persuade the BBC to bring back their iconic Saturday night classic horror double bills which were so popular in the 1970′s and early 1980′s. The campaign has grown from an online petition and now includes this website, a Facebook Page, Twitter account and a regular series of classic horror double bill screenings around the UK.

Now you can recapture those halcyon days of the old BBC2 Saturday night horror double bills in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere at one of London's premiere boutique cinema venues.

• Saturday 7th July 2012 @3pm
• Roxy Bar & Screen, Borough High Street, London
• Admission £ 6 per person
• FREE horror giveaways from SHOCK HORROR MAGAZINE
• Bar opens 1pm - food available
• WHITE ZOMBIE (1932)
• HORROR EXPRESS (1972)

For more information about this film screening and the Classic Horror Campaign please check out the links and details below:

• http://www.wegottickets.com/event/167396
• http://www.classichorrorcampaign.com/
• http://www.roxybarandscreen.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/ClassicHorrorCampaign
• https://twitter.com/#!/horrorcampaign

VCD OF THE WEEK: Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah - Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

VHS VCD RELEASE DATE: 2001

We decided to mix things up a little this week. Instead of the standard VHS, we've featured a VCD. VCD (first released in 1993) was, in many ways, a precursor to DVD. However, the format was most popular in most of Asia, excluding Japan and South Korea.

Here we have the VCD release of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monster All-Out Attack, otherwise known as GMK (for those who don't want to remember a title as lengthy as a short novella). 

This VCD features English and Chinese subtitles, both of which appear on the screen at the same time. That's not really a problem insomuch as both the Japanese and Cantonese audio are also going on at the same time! Why would a company feature dual non-removable soundtracks that play concurrently? Who knows (maybe The Shadow)? There's nothing quite like two languages being spoken at the same time to insure the viewer will be thrust upon the brink of madness.

Also, take note of the back of the VCD packaging, which states, "50 years after the first attack in 1954, Godzilla returns to Japan to take ravage." Ravage? From Transformers?

Featured Comic: Sting of the Green Hornet #4

Back in the '90s NOW Comics had an assortment of Green Hornet titles, one of which was Sting of the Green Hornet. Published in 1992 as a 4 issue mini-series, Sting found the masked hero up against the Nazis in a plotline that, in many ways, harkened back to the Green Hornet serials and radio dramas. 

Model Kit Mania: Spider Gremlin from Gremlins 2

A resin model kit of the 'spider gremlin' from Joe Dante's Gremlin's 2: The New Batch. 

VHS OF THE WEEK: The Lone Ranger's Triumph

VHS RELEASE DATE: 1985

1985: when you used to get a single episode per VHS! Such is the case with United American Video Corporation's release of The Lone Ranger TV series starring Clayton Moore. On the bright side, the episode here (The Lone Ranger's Triumph) is recorded in the best possible quality (SP mode).

Perhaps the most glaring question here is, was someone actually paid to design the VHS cover? If there's a more blatant example of a cut-and-paste effort on a Home Video cover, we don't want to see it.

Featured Comic: Batman vs. Predator

Published in 1991, Batman vs. Predator seems like the kind of premise that could either be extremely entertaining or go down in flames right from page one. It's a crossover that lacks any real middle ground - it works or it doesn't. In this case, the match-up between the Dark Knight and the universe's most deadly hunter is an exercise in sheer brilliance. Playing out better than any of the popular Alien vs. Predator comics ever have, this title could easily be one of the best Batman comics of the '90s. Imagining a live-action adaptation of this would be a dream come true, however unlikely it is.

Shadowland Magazine #4 Now Available!

Shadowland Magazine has the power!

Shadowland Magazine's 100 page 4th issue covers:

Masters of the Universe (cartoons, comics, toys, and the 1987 live-action film), Universal Monsters toys, Brian Lumley's Necroscope series, a tribute to Jonathan Frid - TV's original Barnabas Collins, the Hunger Games and Battle Royale, Colossus: The Forbin Project, Atlas Comics' Grim Ghost, the Avengers, horror movies on television, and more movie, book, anime, and video game reviews than you can shake a bloody stake at!

Get your copy now at 

www.ShadowlandMagazine.com

The Birth of Dick Tracy

Dick Tracy takes his first shot at crime-busting.

Behold, the first Dick Tracy comic ever! Created by Chester Gould, this very strip made its debut in the Detroit Mirror on October 4th 1931.

Model Kit Mania: Mini Godzilla

This miniature resin model kit presents a humorous take on the King of the Monsters, who just flattened an unfortunate pedestrian underfoot.

VHS OF THE WEEK: Dragon Ball Z

VHS RELEASE DATE: 1997

Love it or hate it, it's undeniable that Dragon Ball Z was a major success in the United States and is often credited with kick-starting the anime craze of the late '90s, early '00s. 

This was the first Dragon Ball Z VHS to be released in the North America via FUNimation and Pioneer. The first several episodes were compiled into an 80 minute feature. This release is really the bridge between the prior Dragon Ball series and what would come later in Z. 

The VHS itself came in an over-sized plastic clamshell case. Though these particular cases took up more room, they were far more pleasing to the eye. However, this release suffers from the greatest sin a VHS cover could ever have: the description on the back is way too informative! It kills any surprise the viewer might have had while watching the video! Talk about needing a spoiler tag!!

Advertising Wasteland: Transformers Armada

Originally released in 2002, the popular Transformers Armada toyline featured an assortment of Autobots and Decepticons along with a brand new concept: Mini-Cons, miniature robots that augmented the Transformers' already awesome power. This was the first print advertisement to reveal the initial Armada toyline.