Genre Interest: Where did it start?

[RCMerchant]

I started reading Famous Monsters with issue 81. In December 1970.

[RCMerchant]

Me on my birthday in 1973.

[RCMerchant]

Me on Christmas 1970.



I'm holding this book.


The artist was Tony Tallarico. One of the worst comic book artists I've ever seen.
I can draw better with my eyes closed. That guy is lazy.

[Allhallowsday]

And I thought you meant for the world ! 

 

[RCMerchant]

And I thought you meant for the world ! 

 

In your own life, ya know? First horror movie?

[Allhallowsday]

...
In your own life, ya know? First horror movie?

I get it. 

[Allhallowsday]

ISADORA DUNCAN, THE BIGGEST DANCER IN THE WORLD (1966) is possibly the earliest film from my youth that I remember scaring me.  A BBC production (KEN RUSSELL - not a Horror film) it was shown in USA TV broadcast sometime around 1969.  My oldest brother often had the 4 younger of us watch all sorts of strange broadcasts decades ago.  That is also how I saw CARNIVAL OF SOULS both of which started a deeper interest in "genre films".  A few years later, I also started buying EERIE or CREEPY magazines, and Famous Monsters.  I also always loved monster movies like the Universal monster cycle.  
This is the first CREEPY I remember seeing :  



In the '70s I was the only one watching late night broadcasts of movies like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE or DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT or DEAD OF NIGHT ...

I also watched reruns in the '70s of TV shows like The Twilight Zone, One Step Beyond, Outer Limits, and even the dopey Lost In Space (I watch one episode now each week in late night broadcast on ME-TV every Saturday.  

Though, I am a true 2nd wave "Monster Kid" and would run home after school with my sisters and brother to watch Dark Shadows in its original afternoon run, so that could be how my interest in "genre" films began. 

[VenomX73]

Me on Christmas 1970.



I'm holding this book.


The artist was Tony Tallarico. One of the worst comic book artists I've ever seen.
I can draw better with my eyes closed. That guy is lazy.

your drawings are awesome! 

looks like 70s horror comics mixed with rat fink dragster art, freaking sweet.

[RCMerchant]

^ If anyone wants copies of my art- I have a printer/ scanner now! It's free!

[bob]

I was really turned off of horror films as a kid I because I saw the really bad and nonsensical Jason Takes Manhattan on tv

that changed when in 2004 my dad took me to see Saw with him in the theater

[VenomX73]

^ If anyone wants copies of my art- I have a printer/ scanner now! It's free!

hell yea  do you have them on a website so I can see more?

I think you posted 1 back in the day, I thought was cool...
(Frankenstein by an ashtray) or something like that lol

[RCMerchant]

I do!

https://ronaldcmerchant.tumblr.com/search/I+drew+this/page/1

https://ronaldcmerchant.tumblr.com/search/I+drew+this/page/2

https://ronaldcmerchant.tumblr.com/search/I+drew+this/page/3

[VenomX73]

haha! that's it... damn its been a while...

[RCMerchant]

You want some? It's free. I just like to have people have it. I'm not a famous artist. I will give the s**t away just so people can look at it. As an artist-that's all I want.
I almost got a job at Heavy Metal, but Mattie Simmons thought I was too weird. It was Jean. Matties wife. She was a real b***h. They were scared of me. I don't know why. I'm a good artist.





That was in 1983. A long time ago I was an artist. I can still do it-I just don't.Nobody want's  it. I can do it with my eyes shut. National Lampoon thought I was too f**ked up. Bulls**t. I'm a good artist.

[RCMerchant]