Happy Easter - Be Excellent To Each Other

Just stopping by to wish everyone a Happy Easter. I don't really have anything to post, so enjoy my latest insomnia fueled piece of work. I don't know about you, but I've personally seen this ad around 400 times in my lifetime. Apparently this LaSalle Extension University used this one ad in various comics for like 20 years, same suspiciously happy guy and everything. So I thought a little Zombie action, plus some color on the lettering would liven it up a bit. I know, this seems like something that would show up on my Space Bastard site, but that site is on a bit of a moratorium until I figure out just what the hell I want to do with it.

Anyway, Happy Easter.

EERIE - Don't Pick Up These Magazines....

Okay, here is the latest set of EERIE. This set includes #100, 101, 102, 105, 106, 108, and 113. I have #110, but that was already posted in the very first EERIE post, so I didn't want to double up for those of you who already have that one. I've actually only got about 2 more posts worth of EERIE left in my collection, so this set and the next two will have a lot of missing issues. Sorry about that, but I'm on the lookout for any remaining issues that I haven't posted. I do have a good deal of CREEPY still left to post, so Warren Wednesdays will still around for a while.

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Jaime Mendoza-Nava - Orgy of the Dead

Here's the soundtrack from the Ed Wood scripted, Stephen C. Apostolof directed film Orgy of the Dead. I don't know if I'd personally even call this a film, it's really just a series of strip teases in a graveyard, while Criswell, his hot vampire accomplice, a werewolf and a mummy force a couple to watch. Despite the fact that there are like a dozen strippers in the movie, there is no orgy to speak of, and really, apart from the mummy - who is technically alive - there's no real "the dead" to speak of either.

1. i am criswell
2. let's turn back
3. the ghouls feast in all their radiance
4. she died in flames
5. one who prowls the lonely streets at night
6. some kind of college initiation
7. one who worships gold above all else
8. the night things are all about me
9. to love the cat, is to be the cat
10. a pussycat is born to be whipped
11. whatever you do, don't do that
12. she danced to their destruction
13. this one cast herself into the volcano's fire
14. now i will talk to the wolfman & the mummy
15. no one wishes to see a man dance
16. she lived as a zombie in life
17. this one would have died for feather's, furs & fluff
18. our fitting climax
19. there's nothing to forgive - it was all a dream

CREEPY - Monsters! Ghouls! Curses! Aliens! The Undead!

Six more issues of Creepy for everyone. This set includes #74, 75, 76, 77, 78, and 79. I've gotta be brief today, I just finished watching Batman & Robin, I've gotta go lie down.

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EERIE - All New Stories And Art!

Guest appearance by Chewie!

What the hell, I'm feeling generous so lets make today a Double Whammy Warren Wednesday. Here's a set of EERIE, it includes issues 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, and 98. If I'm not mistaken, I think those are the brothers from Mama Dracula on the cover of 93. Unfortunate looking couple of fellows... Moving over to issues 94 and 95, you're always in for a treat when Vampi, Rook and that nippular robot fellow team up to fight dinosaurs.

Sharebee is still being difficult, so more Rapidshare links here. Thanks to those of you who have already clicked the link to the text file in the last post, I salute you. You can't see it obviously, but I did it. Trust me.

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CREEPY - Aliens and Robots and Space Ships! Oh My!

Well, time for more Creepy. This set includes issues 69, 70, 71, 72, and 73. As you can see, there are only 5 issues in this set. I like to keep it down to 300MB, and these issues were some big sons of bitches, so I could only get 5 up. Hope that's not a problem.

Be sure to grab this set if you're a Edgar Allan Poe fan, the first two issues feature a bunch of re"Creepy"ations (Eghad, that didn't work) of some of his stories. Anyone else finding the Rue Morgue cover on #70 a bit disturbing? And why is that woman smiling? I gotta say, that wouldn't be my first choice of reactions to being slashed to ribbons by a large razorblade wielding ape. God forbid I should one day encounter a ravenous primate.

Sharebee is not working for me today, so I had to use Rapidshare.

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Speaking of Rapidshare, I wanted to ask people with Premium accounts if they wouldn't mind downloading this small file as a free user to help me try and reach 10,000 points. It's just a small text file that says nothing on it...I'm like this close to a free month.

He's not from around here.

The 1986 film The Wraith. Directed by Mike "Hamburger" Marvin and starring Carlos Sheen, and the evernude Sherilyn Fenn. There are also a couple supporting roles from some of America's favorite lesser siblings to look forward to; Clint Howard as Rughead and Randy Quaid as Sheriff Loomis.

The Wraith is another movie that probably would've done a little better if it had a better-known word in the title. Much like The Changeling, I don't think a lot of people know what the hell a Wraith is. It's a lesser known word and it doesn't really have an attention grabbing ring to it. But then, unlike The Changeling The Wraith isn't a great and terrifying film, so maybe it wouldn't have helped too much after all. Couldn't have hurt though.

The soundtrack features 10 tracks, but looking at the IMDB listing I found several more songs not featured on the soundtrack. So I've rounded those missing tracks up and I've included them.

1. Tim Freehan - Where's The Fire
2. Honeymoon Suite - Those Were The Days
3. Stan Bush - Hearts vs Heads
4. LaMarca - Hold On Blue Eyes
5. Jill Michaels - Young Love,Hot Love
6. Ozzy Osbourne - Secret Loser
7. Lion - Never Surrender
8. James House - Bad Mistake
9. Ian Hunter - Wake Up Call
10. Bonnie Tyler - Matter Of The Heart

Bonus Tracks

Motley Crue - Smokin' In The Boys Room
Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love
Nick Gilder - Scream Of Angels
Lion - Power Love
Billy Idol - Rebel Yell

EERIE - UFOs Bring Terror To Earth and Stuff

Okay, and we're back with some more EERIE. 8 more, this set includes #84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91 and 92. I don't currently have 87, but you know the drill, if it turns up you'll find it here later on. I just realized that I already posted #89 in the very first EERIE post I put up, so sorry for those of you who already got that one.

Looking at the cover for #85, I have one question...what purpose would nipples serve on a robot? You're already on thin ice trying to get away with painting a robot with a cowboy hat without it looking ridiculous, why add giant nipples? I mean really.

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Also, just wanted to mention that Anubis was kind enough to supply a scan of Creepy #65 in the comments of the last Creepy post. I've added the link to the post, so scroll down a few posts and grab that one if you didn't do so already. Thanks Anubis! Also, thanks to Maney7 for offering up his own scan of the issue as well.

MST3K Escape 2000 - Review

Episode 705, Escape 2000. Not to be confused with the Brian Trenchard-Smith film Turkey Shoot, which is also known as Escape 2000. This is the 1983 Italian film Fuga dal Bronx, which is Enzo G. Castellari's followup to the previous year's 1990:The Bronx Warriors.

Escape 2000 follows the misadventures of Trash (Mark Gregory reprising his Bronx Warriors 1 role), as he attempts to stop Henry Silva and his army of men wearing ineffective fireproof suits from disinfestating the Bronx in order to build a better, kind of futuristic looking Bronx. "Disinfestate" apparently just means "to set people on fire", so clearly native Bronxians like Trash want no part of it. Joining Trash on this epic anti-Silva crusade is the partially insane badass Flank (or Stroke, or something) and his androgynous, prepubescent offspring Junior. (There's also some weird Jerry Lewis/Nosferatu lady with them for a while as well, I didn't catch her name though. She mostly just yells.)

As a big fan of bad post-apocalyptic films of the 1980s, this is one of my favorite episodes. Partly because these types of movies are a blast on their own, but the hilarious onslaught of riffage just adds to it. The guys are just scatting and bebopping allover this one. It does start off a tiny bit slow, but by the end the jokes are just relentless. Escape 2000 also features one of the all-time great characters ever in a movie on the show in Toblerone. Played by Antonio Sabato of all people, Toblerone is so incredibly over the top that Mike, Tom and Crow cheer whenever he makes an appearance. I haven't them this happy about a character since Kline in The Sinister Urge. I recommend this one to any fans of Italian schlock and the music of Francesco De Masi.

Now seriously guys, leave the Bronx.

TMM - A Brief History (in Banner Form)

A while ago someone mentioned that I should do a post with all of the banners I've used on the site. While I think it's a great idea, at first I thought it might seem a tad masturbatory and self-indulgent - sort of like I was patting myself on the back or something. Not sure how exactly, it just felt a bit cocky. Perhaps, but I thought it would be fun, since I have changed the banner several times since I started (I'd even forgotten some of these), so here are the banners of yesteryear (and a half).

The very first banner of The Manchester Morgue. While I think the idea of Bub the Zombie listening to music on headphones works perfectly for the site, I gotta say it wasn't a particularly eye-catching design. Maybe if I had used Bub in a different way, with a better font, and gotten rid of that insipid little white dot about an inch under the logo, it would've been better off. But I was very new at the whole concept of designing things, so I guess I can't be too hard on it.

I don't really have anything to say on this one. I love the artwork I found for it (can't remember the movie it was from) but it's just sort of thrown up there, with a seemingly randomly located logo. It's so-so.

One of my favorite examples of a movie poster that is way better than the film it advertised, Astro Zombies. I think this one was a step in the right direction. I also changed the template for the site, which I think makes it look more professional. Unfortunately I had a weird line down the middle of the page that it took me a while to fix. Man, I hated that line. And here it is again. Haunting me.

Nothing much to say about this one, just experimenting with different brushes, kinda liked it, so I used it. At least I got rid of that line.

My attempt at mixing Frankenhooker art with the font used for The Godfather didn't quite work out. I still love that poster art though. I'll have framed versions of that poster and the Astro Zombies poster hanging up somewhere in my house once I move. Or I'll die trying. And that picture of Steve Martin on the Grand Canyon cover still cracks me up.

This one was barely on the site before I changed it. The art is from the New Zealand sheep-run-amok film Black Sheep. I liked the movie (sheep fart jokes aside) so I wanted to advertise it's brief US theatrical run on the site. This also marks the first appearance of the Shaun of the Dead font that I've used on other banners and several of my compilations since. Hell of a font, that.

Taking the Shaun of the Dead thing a step further on this one by using not only the font, but Shaun poster art as well. I thought this one was pretty fitting, British corpses, Manchester Morgue...

And that brings us up to the current banner. Sure, you could just hit Home and shoot back up to the top of the page and see it, but I'll save you the trouble. Using the top half of a Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell poster, my trusty SOTD font and some root brush I found online somewhere (whoever made that, thank you, I forgot where I found it) I whipped up what I think is my personal favorite. I'm probably sticking with this one for a while since I've actually gotten a few compliments on it. Also, changing them up is a major pain in the ass.

Well, I think that's it. I could've sworn I had a few more that I had used, but I don't see them saved in my archives anywhere, so I guess that's all. I hope you've all enjoyed this brief, occasionally bad design work filled visual history of the site. If all goes according to plan I should have something Michael J. Nelson-ey in store for you guys this weekend. I'll see you then. But not really.

CREEPY - Chillingly Illustrated Horror Classics!

Time for more Creepy, this latest set includes issue #62, 63, 64, 66, 67 and 68. Sorry, I don't have issue #65, but my staff is working overtime to track down that issue.

As you can see, yet another cover featuring a homicidal Saint Nick. At least this one is extra demented, what with the Elves of Doom decorating someone's home with entrails and all. Plus Santa seems to be a little otherworldly, perhaps an alien of some sort, I guess. A Killer Klaus From Outer Space, if you will. Anyway, enjoy:

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I've managed to get issue #65, so click here to grab that issue. Thanks to Anubis for leaving the link in the comments!

Pantera - I Am The Night

Pantera's 1985 album I Am The Night. This album features Terrence "Glaze" Lee on vocals, Phil Anselmo didn't join the band until 1988's Power Metal album. Most fans of Pantera's later sound detest their earlier albums, but if you enjoy "Glam" metal (whatever the hell that even means) this is actually quite good. Goofy "evil-disco" album cover aside, the vocals and guitar work are pretty good at the very least.

I do wonder how many fans of "Cowboys" and beyond Pantera have actually heard any of their earlier albums. I'm sure at least a few of the negative comments come from people who haven't bothered to listen to the music and just think their 80's look was ridiculous. Which it was, of course, but every band looked like that back then, not really their fault.

Anyway, I think if you like stuff like Dokken or Ratt you should enjoy this album. Don't quote me on that though.

1 Hot and Heavy 4:08
2 I Am the Night 4:29
3 Onward We Rock 3:58
4 D*G*T*T*M 1:45
5 Daughters of the Queen 4:20
6 Down Below 2:41
7 Come-On Eyes 4:15
8 Right on the Edge 4:08
9 Valhalla 4:07
10 Forever Tonight 4:09

Prepare to Rock Onward!

Kaiju Valentine's Day

I hope everyone is having (or ends up having) a nice Valentine's Day. To celebrate this completely made up holiday I thought I'd share some pictures of the best V-Day cards $0.14 can buy.

I found these ridiculous Godzilla themed Valentines at K-Mart a few years ago marked down like 90%, and I just couldn't leave the store without them. Nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day" like giant monsters and screaming Japanese women.

Of course, being a grown man I have absolutely no use for them, but come on, it was Godzilla. You would've done the same thing.

EERIE - Cringe in Fear! Scream in Terror!

Man, it feels like I just posted some Warren comics yesterday. As you've noticed, no posts for about a week. I had a friend visiting from out of state so I was actually pretty busy for a change. But, I am back and ready for action. So, 8 new issues of Eerie for you this dreadfully cold Warren Wednesday. Seriously, it's like 14° outside. What's that about?

So this set includes issues #74, 75, 76, 77, 80, 81, 82, and 83. I don't have 78 or 79, so I'll be on the lookout for those in the future.

You know what they say, the only thing better than a big ass monkey wreaking havoc atop a building is a big ass naked woman wreaking havoc atop a building.

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