Godzilla (3/54) - Godzilla Coin Bank Itazura Money Box (2015)

I still have a wind-up bank from my youth where a skeletal hand grabs the coin placed on it, and as much as I will always love that, this is a more elaborate, contemporary version of the technology. Placing a coin (or your finger — check out the video below) results in one of several sonic experiences ranging from Godzilla's stomping approach, roar, classic Akira Ifukube theme music, or combination of the above — followed by Godzilla peeking from the surface of the water and dragging your coin (assuming you placed one) down into the bank with him.

There's a second version, featuring a burning Godzilla, that I'll eventually pick up if I find one at the right price. It's for all sakes and purposes the same — just the orange Godzilla inside, and a burning Godzilla on the label. 

Be sure to return next week for more goodies from my Godzilla collection!

I Am Legend (3/54) - Jim Thiesen's original TOR paperback cover painting (1995)

On June 9, 1995, for the first time in my life I was able to walk into a bookstore and pick up a brand new copy (well, two copies, as the receipt below shows) of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend (along with a selection of his short stories — the lack of any mention of that on the front cover leading to confusion with some readers new to the book, as a few who were lost when the story suddenly shifted gears into a different tale reached out to me through the Archive website for clarification!). 

I was immediately taken with Jim Thiesen's cover art. It doesn't attempt to depict a scene from the novel (which he had not even read!), but it manages to communicate the book's epic scope of a world filled with vampires. If it was available, I had to have it. 

Easier said than done. In the pre-internet age, it meant writing a letter to the artist, care of TOR, and putting that in the US mail. Much to my surprise, within a few weeks I received a phone call from the artist's agent, who communicated the price (while on the call I separately managed to coordinate a loan with my Dad that would cover the delta between the asking price and my meager budget) and agreed to the purchase.  

Less than two months later, I held the original painting in my hands. As you can see from the note Jim included with the artwork, he wrote that a month and two days after I had seen the art for the first time!  

From my years spent working in the bookstore, I was already familiar with Jim's work, if not his name, before he painted the I Am Legend cover. He is recognized today as a fan-favorite of 80s horror paperback (referred to these days as 'Paperbacks from Hell') artists.

Seeing the original painting was a revelation. So much detail was lost in the reproduction; there's personality to be found in every face, including those receding into the horizon. I apologize that the photos below cannot do the original artwork justice (it took many attempts to get decent shots without reflections!), but you can at least appreciate some of the finer details in the painting.

A few years later, when TOR/Orb reissued the collection as a trade paperback, they once again utilized Thiesen's art, however it was given a heavy-handed PhotoShop shellacking — tightly cropped, blurred, vampire baby painted out (I assumed due to the new cropping), and a skull-faced vampire's head relocated over the clutching vampire woman's face. To the untrained eye, it may still seem like an effective cover, but the revision was done without consultation of the artist (whose name was omitted, as the cover is solely credited to — I kid you not — The Chopping Block!). I brought this to Jim's attention, as this cover would go on to be used in different regions of the world, sometimes further cropped, recolored, and for better or worse, often solely crediting Thiesen.

Even though his credit is absent, I was pleased when TOR returned to the (almost) unmolested cover on their most recent mass-market paperback (a newer mass-market sized hardcover still uses the PhotoShopped effort, but solely crediting Thiesen). But my familiarity with the art made it obvious that in addition to the crowd receding into the horizon being cropped out, the vampire baby remained painted out. Seriously? Did they just miss the baby on the first go-round in 1995? Or are sensibilities so delicate that the thought of a vampire baby's depiction was just too much for gentle readers to bear? You'll notice they also blacked out the child vampire in the lower right. Now, if the reason for the removal of these was due to Matheson himself pointing out that it doesn't represent something seen in the book, maybe I could get behind that — but I'm pretty sure that's not the case here. Still, it's closer to the artists original intent, so given the PhotoShopped alternative, this is preferable.

Thankfully, it doesn't prevent me from appreciating the art in its original, unmolested state, whenever I'd like. I'm pleased to call Jim a friend, going on 30 years now. The cover remains a personal favorite of mine, second-only to Stanley Meltzoff's painting on the original Gold Medal paperback (we'll get back to him soon enough). And that's not faint praise when you consider that I own more than 200 different editions from around the world. As I slowly get those all online, you'll have a new appreciation for the phrase, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. 

Be sure to check back next Monday for more from the I Am Legend archive!

Creature from the Black Lagoon (2/54) - Novelization by Vargo Statten (2011)

Most people aren't aware that there was a novelization to the Creature from the Black Lagoon published in 1954. Both hardcover and paperback versions are extremely rare and very, very expensive when they do turn up. I had long since written off ever owning a copy, so I was quite excited when DreamHaven Books reprinted the novelization in 2011, alongside a number of rare photos and an introduction by my pal (and renowned Creature aficionado) David J. Schow. 

My treasured copy is not only signed by DJS, but also by the lovely Julie Adams (who portrayed the Creature's swimming partner, Kay Lawrence — which ironically is the name of a good high school friend of mine!), and the swimming Creature actor himself, Ricou Browning. Julie and Ricou are sadly no longer with us, so this is another treasured item in my Creature from the Black Lagoon collection!

 Be sure to check back next Friday for more Creature goodness!

Godzilla (2/54) - S.H. MonsterArts Biollante Special Color Version (2021)

Having already sung the praises of Godzilla vs Biollante it should come as no surprise that one of my cherished Godzilla possessions is a nicely articulated, rather large representation of Biollante in his epic, final form. 

I regretted not picking up the first release of this S.H. MonsterArts figure in 2013 (and as with many a Godzilla item, the after-market prices were insane!), so I was quite happy when it was reissued in 2021. This version lights up with red and orange color options. I was frankly amazed that they were able to craft such an amazing figural representation of the creature, given that he's not the standard man-in-suit monster that Godzilla had faced so many times before.

Don't be surprised if you see Biollante turn up again before this adventure is over.

 Be sure to check back next Wednesday for more Godzilla goodness!

I Am Legend (2/54) - Science Fiction Book Club Hardcover (1980)

The Science Fiction Book Club hardcover of I Am Legend was the first copy of the book I ever owned. The copy was the lone book in a sparse booth at a local Flea Market, and it cost me a whopping twenty-five cents. It was the start of my I Am Legend collection, and not long after finding it, I acquired a 1964 Bantam paperback at a Berkeley Bart station Flea Market — also for twenty-five cents! The collection has since grown to over 200 different editions from around the world.

When I was growing up, the Santa Clara Public Library had two copies of I Am Legend — the 1970 Walker hardcover (we'll get to that one soon enough), and this edition from 10 years later. To my young eyes, this version had the more appealing cover art (painted as part of a series of science-fiction classics for the SFBC by artist Tony Gleeson). As was common practice, book club editions don't clearly include printing information, leading a lot of folks to incorrectly assume that this edition was published decades earlier, since it only lists the original copyright date of 1954. As I came to possess multiple copies of this edition through the years, I observed that there were three distinct bindings used. As a public service, I posted my field guide to the SFBC hardcovers describing each on my I Am Legend Archive blog in 2012. 

As I now was able to determine which was the first SFBC hardcover edition, I took advantage of the opportunity to have artist Tony Gleeson sign and remarque my copy with an original illustration of protagonist Robert Neville, making it a one-of-a-kind piece in the collection. 

Come back next Monday for the next item from my I Am Legend collection!

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1/54) - AHI Bendy Creature (1974)

For my first Creature post, I have selected the oldest example in my collection for which I was the original owner — almost 50 years.  

AHI was a producer of inexpensive rack toys, and though they did a number of monster dolls (including a few incredibly rare — and incredibly expensive — Creatures), those that aligned with my age range were a series of Bendy figures (rubber figures with a wire armature that allow you to pose them). What I think is particularly amazing about this one is how well he withstood my love and affection over the years. I'm surprised at how most of his painted details are still present, considering how long he's traveled with me. When the day comes to thin my Creature herd, you can rest assured this little guy will be one of the absolute last to go.

 

Be sure to come back each Wednesday through 2024 to see more from my Creature from the Black Lagoon collection.

Godzilla (1/54) - Bandai Theater Exclusive Meltdown Godzilla (1995)

I can't tell you when I was first exposed to Godzilla, but it would have been during the early 70s, when it was common that a variety of Godzilla films might air of the course of a week in that television sweet-spot — the afternoon hours after school was out and before it was time for dinner. 

My fondness for all things Godzilla was rekindled when I started picking up the films on videocassette in the 80s, searching high and low to track down the official releases (when most could be had for about $9.99). This covered the films of the Showa era (spanning from 1954 through 1975), plus the 'reboot' which landed in the US as Godzilla 1985. Once I had collected them all, I was inspired to assemble a Godzilla viewing guide for the 8th issue of our magazine, The Scream Factory (our 'giant monster issue!'). Though limited by the source material I had available to me, I rated the films based on their content, and tracked and reported on Godzilla's actual screen time in each film. 

While working on the article, word got to me about the release of a new Godzilla film in Japan. And thanks to a Japanese model shop in San Francisco (that's amazingly still there, 30+ years later!), I was able to score a VHS copy of the film (sans subtitles or an English dub). Despite my not being able to follow all of the specific plot details, I fell in love with Godzilla vs Biollante. Not only was this the coolest Godzilla design to date, Biollante was the best original foe he faced since Gigan was introduced almost 15 years earlier. The Heisei era of films would continue on for the next few years, and it was during this period that I really became a devout Godzilla collector. 

For my first Godzilla post, I have selected one of my favorite pieces from my collection. I had been picking up the Bandai vinyl figures of Godzilla as the new films were released, and in 1995, I saw one of the coolest yet was being offered. Celebrating the end of an era, they released a theater exclusive Burning/Meltdown Godzilla figure, molded in orange vinyl with red highlights. I loved it for its unique take on the character, and also because it represents a pivotal moment in the film Godzilla vs Destoroyah. (which I won't spoil for you, but the tag on the figure is far less polite). 

It was the most expensive Godzilla figure I had purchased up to that point, but I don't regret it, as it's still my personal favorite almost 30 years later (I do kick myself for NOT picking up a three-foot tall version released with a similar color design — but one day I'll find one that's affordable!).

Check back on Wednesday for my next Godzilla post!

I Am Legend (1/54) - Gold Medal 417 (1954)

My selections for the blog, as will become evident over time, are not going to come at you in chronological order, or even in order of personal importance (you tell me which of your kids is your favorite). I'm planning to mix things up a bit, to showcase the variety of artifacts in my collection. Rest assured, favorites will be represented, and I will sing their praises, but be prepared for plenty of surprises...

Having said that, there's nowhere else to start my I Am Legend posts than with this. It all begins with Gold Medal #417 — the first science-fiction novel to be published by the line known for crime, mystery and western novels, in August of 1954.  

While this is not the first copy of I Am Legend that I owned, it is the first copy of the Gold Medal first edition that I owned (we have 8 in the I Am Legend Archive, as of this posting), and it remains significant for a couple of reasons. 

I had Richard Matheson sign this copy for me the first time I met him at the Horror Writers of America conference in Redondo Beach on Friday, June 21st, 1991. Matheson was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award that year, and I was carrying my copy of the book around with me just in case I ran into him. When I saw him in the audience following a panel we attended, I went up to him and asked him if he would sign my copy. I think I was able to get out enough words to communicate that it was my favorite book, but I also have the distinct memory of being completely star-struck. This surprised even me, as by 1991 I was fortunate enough to have met and communicated with a number of famous authors who I greatly admired (Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, Joe Lansdale, Robert McCammon, David J. Schow, Dan Simmons, Peter Straub, F. Paul Wilson), and none had a similar effect on me. Matheson was a towering figure, both literally and figuratively, and he graciously inscribed my copy. I think I was far more relaxed when I congratulated him on his lifetime achievement recognition after the award ceremony. 

This copy was also present when Vonna and I got married on November 2nd, 1997 (safely tucked away in my tuxedo jacket). Vonna and I are both sure there's a picture of it, but we couldn't find it in our wedding albums. And no, I didn't do a reading from the book as part of our ceremony (it's a great book, but even the greatest books have their limitations). I did, however, do a reading from Matheson's Bid Time Return (basis for the film Somewhere in Time) in the ceremony, which was much more fitting for the occasion. 

Check back Monday for the next I Am Legend post!

The Importance of 54

If you're reading this, you're likely aware that Vonna and I have come up with a variety of interesting ways to celebrate my birthday over the years. 

Back in 1991, for my 21st Birthday, my friend Joey, Vonna and I attended a Scientology mixer in Hollywood (they were promoting an L. Ron Hubbard book release [FEAR], and had invited booksellers from around the country to attend). Sadly, none of the A-List scientologists were in attendance, but I did see Jeffrey Tambor — AND got to hear a female scientologist (who was even younger than me) extoll the virtues of L. Ron Hubbard's early pulp stories (she was the last person one would expect to see shilling deluxe leatherbound editions of his creaky pulp fiction!). 

Not our screening, but you get the idea...

As my 30th Birthday approached in 2000, Vonna suggested that we should do something big to celebrate. We came up with renting a theater in downtown San Jose to host a screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark. That was a lot of fun – and a first for us. It was great getting to see the film (an actual 35mm film screening, not a digital presentation) with a large crowd of our friends and family on the big screen for the first time in 18 years (since it's 1982 re-release). 

We moved into our new house in 2007, and officially opened The Slaughtered Lamb Cinema the day after Thanksgiving that year. In early 2009, Vonna brought up my 40th Birthday, and I jokingly suggested a 40-hour marathon. While that seemed ridiculous, even to me, it got me thinking even bigger. What if we watched 40 of my favorite movies over the course of my Birthday month? As crazy as it sounded, I mapped out a plan, and in 2010 we screened 40 movies over the course of 30 days. An epic achievement that we haven't (yet) exceeded (though our pre-pandemic Year-End Wrap-Up marathons have tested the limits of how many movies we can squeeze into a few days). I blogged the 40/40 event, both leading up to and throughout the run. You can read all about it here. 

Before we knew it, 2020 was upon us (not to mention so much more that we definitely couldn't have predicted!). The idea of screening 50 movies for my 50th Birthday was dismissed fairly quickly, but as we had just published our first Cimarron Street Books' titles in the Fall of 2019, I had a (well, another) crazy idea. What if I published a book celebrating 50 years of my most significant movie memories that I could give to my friends as a party favor. I sat down and very quickly came up with a list of more than 50 film screenings that resonated with me, and decided to go for it. Keep in mind this was just before New Year's Day, 2020. In order to have the book in hand in time for my Birthday celebration on the 21st, I would need to order copies at least a week in advance. And that meant we'd need to review a physical proof about a week before that. Which basically gave me less than a week to write, design the layout, and submit the book for publication. Somehow, I managed to do it. While there was never any expectation that anyone would buy a copy, much to my amazement, people continue to find and purchase it on Amazon. Shortly before Vonna's Birthday that year, I thought it would be cool to have a copy in full color (as the book included movie posters and other artifacts to make it at least visually interesting), so I released a 'Technicolor' version. And a year later, after Amazon invited me to participate in their beta hardcover publishing program, I tested those waters with a hardcover version of the color edition.

Now, at this point you'd probably think we'd chill out for the next 10 years, but the pandemic that landed just after my Birthday celebration resulted in our closing the Slaughtered Lamb for the foreseeable future. As to me, it was always a communal place, I pretty much avoided screening films in the theater that first year. And while Vonna and I watched a few things in 2021, I decided that we needed to keep the spirit alive until we were available to re-open for guests, and with that, our 52 Pick-Up series was launched on my 52nd Birthday in 2022. For each of the 52 weeks of the year, we watched at least one film from The Slaughtered Lamb Library that I had never seen on the big screen. To make things more interesting, each film for each half of the series would be from a different letter of the alphabet, so we watched 26 films from A to Z, and then cycled through a second time. 

Which brings us to my plan for 54. What's so special about 54, you ask? Well, three seminal influences of mine came into the world in 1954. Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, Godzilla, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon are each celebrating their 70th anniversary this year. As you are probably already aware, I have extensive collections when it comes to these three things, and so for the next 52 weeks, I will be sharing photos of 54 items from my I Am Legend collection (on Mondays), 54 items from my Godzilla collection (on Wednesdays), and 54 items from my Creature from the Black Lagoon collection (on Fridays). To get to 54, I will drop the first 3 items later this evening on my Birthday (Sunday, 1/21), and then maintain the weekly schedule noted above. The 54th entry will drop on the specific 70th anniversary for each. 

Should you choose to join us on this journey, I hope it will be as much fun to follow as I expect it will be to curate!