Monsters & Memories: The Book Edition by Ed Davis

Greeting Groovy Ghoulies! While the old projector was out for repair, I was going through some old boxes here in the crypt. And I came across a little treasure trove. It was a box filled with all kinds of goodies from my childhood. Along with my love of movies, comics, writing, drawing and reading were some of my favorite pastimes. And what a treat to find some books that fueled my imagination way back then. Let’s take a look and see if there’s anything you remember…

There was this really cool comic adaption of “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.” It looks like it was published by something called Starbooks. It was adapted by Otto Binder and has beautiful illustrations by Nardo Cruz. Every picture makes you want to take in every detail before turning the page. It’s almost like you don’t want it to end. I thought it was interesting; the drawings of the monster very much resembled the make-up worn by Boris Karloff. The adaption itself stays very close to the story and I don’t remember much left out. If you can track it down, it’s well worth it. It had a 1973 copyright from Pendulum Press Inc. if that helps. This edition was from 1980 Starbooks.

The next book was “The Pumpkin Giant” by Mary E. Wilkins and retold by Ellin Green with illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman. I’m really not sure of the story behind the retelling, maybe someone else can help me understand that one. This is a fairy tale about a Pumpkin Giant that lives in a great big castle and what happens after he falls. What would you do with a giant pumpkin head that breeds more heads? Right! Get Eating! The artwork is great; it has a nice medieval feel to it and the Giant always looked very scary to me. This one might be for the slightly older kids with some bigger words in it, but a very cool book for the beginner sword and sorcery crowd.

One of my favorites in the pile was “How to Care For Your Monster” by Norman Bridwell. This was a gift from my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Stumpf. I remember

carrying this book all over the classroom, refusing to let it out of my sight to let some other kid read it. I needed to know how to care for one, not them! My teacher gave the book to me the last day of class that year and it has been in my collection since. It teaches you how to care forĀ  a werewolf, vampire, mummy, or even the Frankenstein monster as your pet. Some great late ’60s, early ’70s illustrations by the author really bring this book to life. And it has given me some great ideas on future pets!

My eyes got wide as I continued sifting through the box. Sitting at the bottom of it was “The Ghost of Windy Hill” by Clyde Robert Bulla with illustrations by Don Bolognese. The cover always scared me and there are some great (possibly) water color illustrations in the book. Mrs. Giddins sees a ghost go by her door. The Carver family move in to figure out what is going on. It’s a great story. The print is nice and big, and the words aren’t too tough to understand. I won’t give the ending away, but if you like twists, enjoy!

Well, there’s some of the treasures found here in the crypt. We should have a nice movie review for you next time around. But these books should keep you busy in the meantime. I would love to know what books you have hidden away somewhere!

Drop me a line at starwarzed@hotmail.com or leave some comments below.
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