This edition of ‘Cryptology’ begins with an article by Mark Voger looking at the host monsters of ceremonies with various people in America presenting and sending up horror movies some time ago. There were a lot of them across the USA. In the UK, until 24-hour TV, we had normal TV hosts on screen introducing shows and what was coming next. Having a regular face on the box does grow some attachment, so I can see how the same happened to the horror hosts. It doesn’t happen now because they are just voices on the box.
Writer Michael Bonesteel has a look at the horror book covers of artist Richard Powers. Really totally off the wall, but I wouldn’t call them abstract, just weird. He also illustrated some of the magazine covers with the horror hosts. What is interesting is his pointing out, with the likes of ‘Weird Tales’, how many SF authors, like Henry Kuttner, CL Moore, AE van Vogt and Theodore Sturgeon, also appeared in the contents.
Writer Don Vaughn has a look at the 1985 film ‘The Return Of The Living Dead’, with special attention to William Stout’s pre-production designs. I’m not exactly a fan of zombie films, but I do like to see how any special effects orientated film is put together.
Then it’s back to the continuing series by Michael Bonesteel looking at the pre-CCA horror comicbooks from 1951.
Of course, as highlighted by the front cover, the key point of this edition is the 1954 film ‘The Creature From The Black Lagoon’, with four articles on the subject. I did have a pause for thought on this and wondered why Hammer Films never did a remake, but thought the British water would be too chilly. In Steve Kronenberg’s opening article, we see the history of the film being made with lots of photos, a couple of which I haven’t seen before. The second looks at the career of creature designer Milicent Patrick. I wasn’t aware that she had also designed the Metaluna mutant from ‘This Island Earth’. Writer Phil Hore looks at the palaeontology of past hybrids to see whether the creature could have evolved. I would probably have said no. Even if it had, you would need a colony to sustain a species. The fourth, by Peter Normanton, looks at the Creature merchandise, of which there has been a lot over the years. Oddly, the models give the Creature a yellow belly, which it didn’t have in the original costume.
There were five films in the wake of ‘Black Lagoon’ using amphibious monsters. Writer Steve Kronenberg looks at them, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but some are truly terrible, although I might be looking one up.
Writer Peter Gallagher has a look at the original three ‘Golem’ films from German creator/actor Paul Wegener. The second, 1917’s ‘The Golem And The Dancing Girl’, was even a musical, although not strictly a true Golem. I suspect Wegener just wanted to make the most of his costume. He then has a look at the Marvel interpretation of the Golem, which wasn’t successful. I suspect that was mostly because Marvel had so many monster comicbooks out at the time and, well, he looked too ordinary or nondescript and lacked the gravitas to capture the readers’ imagination.
Writer Tim Leese looks at the last of Hammer Films’ ‘psychological horror’ films, ‘The Nanny’ (1965), starring Bette Davis, giving her career a needed reboot. Just don’t eat any of her meals.
Lastly, Peter Normanton looks at comicbook stories that used the Creature as their template.
Plenty of variety for all this time around. Just be careful where you swim.
GF Willmetts
October 2026
(pub: TwoMorrows Publishing. 82 page illustrated magazine. Price: $10.95 (US). ISSN: 2997-4-416X. Direct from them, you can get it for $10.95 (US))
check out websites: www.TwoMorrows.com and https://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98_194&products_id=1900
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