What's the time? SLIME TIME!

In the mid-late 1980s, Hasbro created two lines of absurdly large watches for kids. The first, called Watchimals, featured furry wristbands with animal heads that would open to reveal a digital watch inside. There were twelve characters to choose from: a bear, butterfly, elephant, peacock, mouse, toucan, dog, dragonfly, goldfish, moose, snail, and unicorn--which were primarily marketed for girls (a related line of products, Wearimals, were furry animals that could be clipped onto clothes, hair, etc). But the focus of this post is Hasbro's second line of cumbersome timepieces called Slime Time, which featured two colour variants of three characters--a snake, bat, and frog--that also opened up to reveal a digital watch inside (and were marketed for boys).

Gamut magazine

In the mid-1970s, Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, produced four (or possibly five) issues of a comic magazine called Gamut. At the time, the college ran a "Cartooning" course, which was geared towards comic strip and comic book creation. As such, the 'zine primarily featured student works spanning fantasy, superhero, and other more traditional genres--as well as a spattering of horror.

The cover artwork was illustrated by professional artists of the day, including Mike Ploog, Will Eisner, and Bernie Wrightson--all of whom were at one time guest lecturers at the college. I unearthed issue #1 at The Beguiling in Toronto, and have included some of the more interesting aspects below. And, being a huge Wrightson fan, I'm now madly searching for the remaining issues--since it appears as though some rare work of his was reproduced therein (and he contributed the covers for issues #3 & #4).

Sex and Horror: The Art of Emanuele Taglietti

Inspired by the art of Frank Frazetta and Averardo Ciriello, Emanuele Taglietti left an established career in Italian cinema to become a comic book cover artist. Throughout the 1970s-80s, he painted over 500 fumetti covers for the likes of Zora the Vampire, Vampirissimo, Playcolt, and Sukia.

This beautiful volume celebrates Taglietti's art, collecting some of his most brilliant, provocative, and erotic work. And it's definitely a must-have for fans of the era of pulp magazines, as well as for those interested in pop culture and illustration.

Toronto ComiCon 2015

Convention season in Toronto has begun! Members of the Ontario Chapter of the Horror Writers Association will be at this year's Toronto Comicon presented by Fan Expo Canada, March 20-22, 2015.

Be sure to stop by our table to chat about all things horror‬!

Dracula: The First Comic Book Adaptation

Dracula, Van Helsing and several other characters from Bram Stoker's novel first appeared in comics in the pre-Code series "Eerie" in August, 1953, published by Avon Periodicals (this is a different series from the more widely-known publication from Warren, which was published from 1966-83).

With art by Gene Fawcette, this is a rather faithful adaptation that begins with Jonathan Harker arriving at Dracula's castle--but ends in typical staking fashion.

CFP: Current Research in Speculative Fiction 2015

Returning for its fifth consecutive year, CRSF is a one day postgraduate conference designed to promote the research of speculative fictions, including Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror; showcasing some of the latest developments in these dynamic and evolving fields.

CRSF attracts an international selection of delegates and provides a platform for postgraduate students to present their current research, encourages discussion with scholars in related subjects and the construction of crucial networks with fellow researchers.