Category Archives: Books

Oh The Horror in Mad Magazine’s Book Horrifyingly MAD

Books
Mad Magazine's Horrifyingly MAD

I loved MAD magazines as a kid. So you can imagine my splendor when I found this book called Horrifyingly MAD: More Than 50 Years of Classic Strips to Scare You Silly. I bought it at my local bookstore for around 9 bucks! I raced home (within the speed limit, of course) to open it and peer through the comic pages of horror movie spoofs and satires written as cleverly as only MAD magazine can write. Just listen to some of the titles: The Ecchorcist, Rosemia’s Boo-Boo, The Bland Witch Project and The Calamityville Horror. This book has a great collection of fun horror MAD magazine comics. I think I’ll save reading this for some cozy autumn nights as I snuggle in next to a fireplace while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate. Mmmmm…Autumn I’m waiting for you!

Book Review: Massacred By Mother Nature

Books
Massacred By Mother Nature

During the 1970’s, there were lots of movies about killer animals, insects and arachnoids. This genre included lower budget films like Squirm (killer worms), Kingdom of the Spiders, and Ben (killer rats) as well as high grossing, successful films such as Jaws (1975). With the emergence of the nature-gone-amok genre, it became evident that any of God’s creatures could potentially become monsters. Finally someone has taken this genre and has broken it down for us mere mortals. Lee Gambin (a regular Fangoria contributor) has written a book called Massacred by Mother Nature in which he explores the subject of the natural horror film. He discusses films of the 50’s (Them!, Tarantula, King Kong), the 60’s (The Birds), and then catapults into the 70’s of which there are many films to discuss! The book is not an encyclopedia of movies, but instead is written in an entertaining and informative style. There are horror celebrity interviews, lots of great illustrations and movie posters.

Halloween Poem To Get You In The Mood

Books,

When I was a kid, my mom used to recite a Halloween poem during October. It was short, but very effective in igniting the macabre and magic of Halloween in my imagination. I hope it does the same for you! Happy Halloween from The Ghoulie Guide.

“The time when bats fly through the rooms,
And witches ride about on brooms,
And people try the strangest dishes —
That’s the time for making wishes.
When pumpkin lights are everywhere,
And ghost that giggle on the stairs
Are waiting to jump out at you —
That’s when wishes all come true.”

~ Annette Wyne (from “For Days and Days” – 1919)

Gris Grimly Secret Book ‘Atrum Secretum’

Books

I don’t know a horror fan who has not heard of Gris Grimly and his wonderfully sinister collection of brilliantly illustrated children’s books such as “Wicked Nursery Rhymes”, “Monster Museum”, “Creature Carnival”, and “Sipping Spiders Through A Straw”. Now Grimly has a new sketchbook for sale called “Atrum Secretum” that contains his darkest most private sketches and scribbles he has collected over the past 13 years. If you aren’t familiar with Grimly’s work, take a tour through his site Mad Creator Productions.