It Came From Amazon X

The Horror Crossover Encyclopedia by Robert E. Wronski Jr. looks like an amazing reference guide for the numerous crossovers and inside jokes in works of horror. It’s a shame he apparently also tries to argue they all take place in the same universe!

Jeff Rovin arguably had more success connecting various Universal monster movies in Return of the Wolf Man. I’ve heard the sequels by David Jacobs, The Devil’s Brood and The Devil’s Night, tried to carry over the references to other films and general atmosphere Rovin created. But then I’ve also heard the results were more “splatterpunk” than “classic horror.”

Wait, Larry Buchanan wrote an autobiography about the making of Curse of the Swamp Creature and other infamous low budget movies? Consider it added to my list of books I absolutely have to read one day.

The original cover for The Slime Beast ripped off the design of The She Creature. The first edition cover of Yellow Fog took things a step further using Germán Robles’ face as the model for its vampire!

The Werewolf vs. Vampire Woman is not a novelization of the famed Paul Naschy film. Yes, it was released to promote its US release and even uses a few aspects of the movie’s plot. But it’s mostly just an original comedic story! A gory novelization of X the Unknown was released a couple of years ago and I have no idea why. While we’re on the subject of British horror movie novelizations, Plasmid is a novelization for a film that never got made. Cameron’s Closet actually predates the cult 80’s horror movie of the same name. The same can also be said for The Monster Club. I remain convinced these plastic fang whistles would be marketed as “Shadmock Fangs” had that film been a smash successful.

I don’t know whether I love or hate the cover art on Flying Frog Productions games. It’s either awesomely low budget or painfully cheesy depending on when I look at it. I feel similarly about Funko’s line of horror figures with a He-Man and the Masters of the Universe twist.

Remember the “Silent Screamers” figure I discussed back in the first installment of “It Came From Amazon” back in 2010? I found another figure from the same toy line depicting “Graf Orlok” from Nosferatu, along with a comic book tie-in! The figure’s ability to turn purple when exposed to direct sunlight is an interesting touch. But given what happens to material that changes colors after a decade or so, they’ll all permanently turn purple at some point.

Who can forget those classic model kits from Aurora? Or their numerous reissues from Monogram, Polar Lights, Moebius and Dencomm and over the years? But how many of you knew of Polar Lights’ resculpted Godzilla model or completely original Headless Horseman kit? Did you know about Moebius’s Aurora-style Grim Reaper, Invisible Man, Martian, Creature from The Black Lagoon or “The Mighty Kogar” kits? Monarch also got into the Fauxrora game with a glowing Nosferatu kit. Sadly Amazon doesn’t have Dark Horse’s “Horrora” “Space Thing” available at this time.

1 comment

  1. Oh man. If my “too be read” shelf collapses, I am blaming you!

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