There were plenty of things to be obsessed with for kids growing up in the 1960s: the dawn of the Marvel Age of Comics, James Bond, the Batman TV show, The Beatles, World War II TV shows and movies, and oh yeah, monsters … lots and lots of monsters! So many, in fact, it spawned a whole generation I am proud to proclaim I was a part of, for “I Was A 1960s Monster Kid!”
In this video, I recount the history of this phenomenon, starting with the release of 72 Universal Monster movies to local television in the late 1950s, which caused the creation of numerous programs like Shock Theater and Chiller Theater. The popularity of those films—including Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Wolf Man, to name just a few—and the horror hosts who introduced them, spawned a plethora of monster-oriented merchandise, including magazines like Famous Monsters of Filmland, model kits by Aurora, Halloween costumes by Ben Cooper, 8mm movies from Castle Films, and plastic figures by Marx Toys.
All of these items were part of my life, and in this video I tell you of my own battles to stay up late and watch those wonderful movies, plus my struggle to build my very own Aurora model kit, in this warm and nostalgic look back on some of my fondest childhood memories. I also delve into the history of Famous Monsters and the creation of Warren Publishing’s fondly remembered horror comic magazines, Creepy and Eerie.
If you’re a Monster Kid, too, this video is for you! Watch it here or click on it to view it on the official Tales From My Spinner Rack! channel on YouTube, where new videos appear a day before they’re posted here.
Tales From My Spinner Rack! Episode 24: I Was A 1960s Monster Kid!
Visit @TalesFromMySpinnerRack on YouTube to see our other videos! Watch all 24 numbered episodes of Tales From My Spinner Rack! in our special Playlist, from our latest episode all the way back to the very beginning in September 2023. Click on the Playlists link on our YouTube Channel home page to access this special feature.
Click here for more than 30 Tales From My Spinner Rack! posts featuring nostalgic essays loaded with art and info about the comics I loved growing up in the 1960s and ‘70s! Just scroll down to the beginning in January 2023.
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