The Frazetta You Didn't Know About: A Portfolio

Captain George's Comic World was published by Memory Lane Publications, which was run by 'Captain' George Henderson out of his comic store, Memory Lane, in Toronto. In the late 1960s and into the 70s, Henderson's "Vast Whizzbang Organization" produced this and several other nostalgia publications, including Penny Dreadful, The New Captain George's Whizzbang, and Captain George Presents--which was the second incarnation of Comic World.

This particular issue of Comic World, "The Frazetta You Didn't Know About," was published c. 1969 and features some of Frank Frazetta's early pin-up artwork. Ranging from sultry to sexy, this stunning art is far removed from the fantasy work he's most famous for.

CFP - Revolution in the Dead: The Cultural Evolution of the Zombie

Since its arrival on the silver screen in Victor Halperin’s White Zombie (1932), the concept of the zombie has captivated and terrorized mainstream audiences across generations. However, before such low-budget celluloid imaginings, and the legions of undead staggering across the old Deep South plantation landscapes of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead (2003-present), the zombie was already conjuring fear and repulsion. Originating from the mythology and rituals of voodoo practised in late seventeenth and early eighteenth century West Africa and subsequently the French slave-colony of Haiti, the zombie is much more than the brain-devouring bogeyman of early cinema representations but instead a cultural and social marker of the era in which its varied representations are produced.

Canadiana Obscura: Zosma fanzine

I've been casting a wide net while researching Canadian horror, supernatural, and dark fantasy work for inclusion in The Great Fright North. When it comes to fanzines, often I won't know if they're suitable for the book until I actually hunt them down and read through copies, since a title alone doesn't always indicate content.

Such is the case for Zosma, a fanzine published c. 1978-81 by Steve George in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Now that I've had a chance to read through several issues, it does warrant a mention since occasionally it included horror film reviews. But because this is a very rare fanzine, I wanted to write a bit more about it here.

CFP - Evil Children: Children and Evil (July 2019)

2018 was a very slow year for new blog posts at MBO. I wouldn't say that "life got in the way" but it certainly demanded more of my spare time. That, and I've been focused on finishing the first draft of The Great Fright North, which will finally be completed this year (hopefully by the spring). The book has become a monster in and of itself, and I guess I wouldn't have it any other way.

To kick off the new year, the first post of 2019 is about an upcoming conference on evil children! :)
Contact information is at the end of the post.