December 18 - 24

You have to admit, I've found one way to fill a blog! So:

SEVENTY-NINTH DAY (Dec. 18)

The Fantastic Four no. 5 (July 1962) – 1992 reprint. First appearance by Dr. Doom; the time machine and Blackbeard story explains things that were mentioned years later.

Unsolved Mysteries, “Bugsy Siegel;” “D. B. Cooper;” “Mona Lisa”

Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981 made-for-TV horror)

Gilligan, “Three Million Dollars, More or Less;” Scooby-Doo, “Scooby-Doo and a Mummy, Too”

Mazeppa, “Sherman Oaks’ School for the Dead;” Superman, “The Magnetic Telescope;” Zorro’s Fighting Legion, “Chapter Six: Zorro to the Rescue;” Dracula (1931 horror)


EIGHTY-SECOND DAY (Dec. 21)

“Find the Place Yourself,” “The Desrick on Yandro,” “The Stars Down There,” “Vandy, Vandy,” M. W. Wellman (Fantasy ss)

“A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens (fantasy novella) – plus glosses – a fun tale of the season, with ol’ Ebenezer Scrooge

Strange Creatures from Time and Space, John A. Keel (fortean) – a benchmark in “monster” reading; very early and basic, yet with advanced (read: weird) fortean theories

The Incredible Hulk no. 1 (May 1962) – 2004 reprint of the slightly bulky, slightly sulky man-monster

A Charlie Brown Christmas – animated classic. At least we’ve read one Peanuts book

How the Grinch Stole Christmas – animated version of the Seuss story, plus extras

Gilligan, “Water, Water, Everywhere;” Scooby-Doo, “Which Witch is Which?”


EIGHTY-FIFTH DAY (Dec. 24)

The News no. 1 (Nov. 1973) – the first issued of what became The Fortean Times. A miscellanea of odd news stories. The most interesting bit was probably the frog-fall of 1954. The funniest concerned a pair of “witches” who intended to fight a magic duel in England – which was to start by sacrificing a cat. One witch didn’t show, the other “was seen running away from Hampstead Heath pursued by hundreds of laughing children.”

Famous Monsters of Filmland no. 68 (Aug. 1970) – quite informative issue, with long articles on Lugosi/Dracula, the Phantom of the Opera, George Pal, and the amazing Mysterious Island of 1929, plus mini-reviews of Frankenstein, the Wolf-Man, the Creature, etc. If Cubby was still unfamiliar with the “basic” movie monsters and horror films, that’s been corrected.

Sting of the Green Hornet no. 1 (June 1992) – the Hornet is back – but who is the shadowy character who tells Walter Gibson what to do?

Marvel Tales no. 138 (Apr. 1982), reprinting Amazing Spider-Man no. 1 from 1962. Who is this newspaper guy writing bad things about Spidey? Plus the first appearance of astronaut John Jameson.

“Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook,” M. R. James – a ghost story for Christmas

Gilligan, “So Sorry, My Island Now;” Scooby-Doo, “Go Away Ghost Ship”

Star Trek, “Man-Trap” – a great new sf show for Cubby to watch

The Lone Ranger, “Six-Gun’s Legacy;” Jonny Quest, “Skull and Double-Crossbones”

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964 sf) – a true holiday classic! Not.

Frosty the Snowman (1969) – more of a classic

Mazeppa, “These Boots Were Made for Walkin’”; Superman, “The Electric Earthquake;” Zorro’s Fighting Legion, “Chapter Seven: The Fugitive”