TOMB OF THE TRUMPS #30 - Dracula Pack XVI

So then dear friends, we have reached the end! For here are the final two cards in the unhallowed vaults of the Tomb of the Trumps! But as a great man once said - no tears please: it's a waste of good suffering! So then, what are the last cards in our hand? 

Well, first off we have this hirsute chap! 

Now then, the last time we encountered a lycanthrope in these decks we did have a spot of bother identifying his origins. However in the case of these particular fellow, I'm sure his furry face is instantly recognisable to all fans of vintage horror flicks! For this is the titular transformer from AIP's I Was A Teenage Werewolf! 

Made in 1957, this fondly remembered flick was the first of four creature features made by AIP to star teenage monsters - the others being I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, Blood of Dracula and How To Make a Monster. And in I Was A Teenage Werewolf, troubled teen Tony Rivers (played by a young Michael Landon) is sent to a psychologist to sort out his Rebel Without A Cause tendencies. Unfortunately for Tone, the head shrinker in question turn out to be a budding mad scientist (played by Whit Bissel) who treats him with a serum with brings out his primitive traits... Which of course will result in poor Tony ending up having to comb his face before he goes out and eating his fellow students! 

Of all these AIP teen horrors, I Was A Teenage Werewolf has probably had the largest and most long-lasting legacy, for it launched Michael Landon's career, and inspired several imitators. Hanna Barbara clearly drew inspiration from it/ripped it off wholesale for their 1970s cartoon Fangface, and again to a lesser extent in the 1980s for The Drak Pack which featured the teenage children of famous monsters. Also in the '80s, we had Michael J Fox in Teen Wolf,  which in turn spawned a sequel and, in the last couple of years,  a TV series. Meanwhile the original Teenage Werewolf made a memorable cameo in Stephen King's epic novel It as one of the guises of the shape-shifting horror Pennywise.

So then, on to the very last card... And stop blubbing at the back! 

The Zetan factor strikes again! Presumably this fellow is an associate of the Zetan Priest we encountered in the Devil Priest pack! Now then, judging by the bestial teeth and simian snout many folks have pegged this mysterious chap as being none other than Boris Karloff as Mr Hyde in Abbott and Costello Meet Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde from 1953. And it does look to be a good fit! See for yourselves! 

But it is not quite an exact match. For where is the widows peak and beard? And the Zetan Warlord has an impressively furrowed brow! So then I have an alternative suggestion, as this card has always reminded me of something else, from an entirely different realm of fantastic fiction. For from first seeing these cards, the Zetan Warlord has always put me in mind of the Ogrons from Doctor Who! In particular, this publicity shot from the fabled Radio Times 10th Anniversary Special  - 

The Ogrons appeared in two stories in 1970s Who - Day of the Daleks in 1972 and returning the following year in Frontier in Space. Also they made a cameo appearance in another story that ran between the two - Carnival of Monsters in early 1973. And undoubtedly they made additional guest appearances in countless childrens' nightmares...

Now I reckon this famous publicity shot of them is a better fit for the Zetan Warlord - for we have a similar high domed forehead, and heavily shadowed faces as well as the simian features. And let's not forget too that our Unknown Artist had borrowed from the same era of Doctor Who several times before, nicking creatures and aliens for the Venusian Death Cell, Fire Demon, and of course, the Zetan Priest!

And so guys and ghouls, the time has come to seal up the heavy doors of the Tomb of the Trumps. However despite getting to the end of both packs of cards, some mysteries still remain, and a handful of cards are still lacking a definitive origin. So then, should new evidence be unearthed, rest assured the tat-haunted Tomb will open up once more... 

Beneath the Mask - Movie Make-up Techniques Revealed

The Genesis of Mr Hyde

For many genre fans, part of the fascination with the cinematic worlds of sci-fi, fantasy and horror is the magic of the special effects wizards. And so, very soon as well as knowing all the names of all monstrous screen creatures great and small, a young fan will learn the names of the talented folk who bring these illusions to the screen. Indeed many a fan has sought out obscure slashers like Eyes of A Stranger just see make-up effects courtesy of Tom Savini or endured the likes of Track of the Moonbeast just because Rick Baker did the creature work. And a point often misunderstood about the horror genre in particular is the joy in seeing a make-up master's works - it's not the graphicness of the gore and ugliness we are applauding, it's the expert execution of an illusion. Just as audiences are thrilled rather than repulsed by a magician sawing a woman in half, cinematic make up effects offer the delight of seeing the impossible made flesh. And it's this craft behind the grand guinol that we admire, not the alleged vicarious sadism or revelling in grotesqueness. 

Dick Smith at work

Now one of the great masters of this art is Dick Smith, a truly ground breaking talent whose work is the very foundation of modern day special make-up effects work. Besides the famous illusions he created for The Exorcist and The Godfather, and training many of today's masters of the craft like Rick Baker, Smith has always understood the fascination fans have had for his work. In the '60s, he published Dick Smith's Do-It-Yourself Monster Make-up Handbook in Famous Monster of Filmland, and later in the '70s created this hobby kit for the budding make-up artist...

... a veritable box of delights which had my teenage self slathering family and friends with his 'flex flesh' and staining countless garments with fake blood. And today, although now retired from movie work, Dick is still passing on the techniques of his craft via a correspondence course.

Now thankfully for those of use too cack-handed to master such arts but still entranced by the craft, there is an excellent blog being written by a talented soul who has enrolled. At britzombiegirlartblog, you can follow Zoe's progress as she gets to grips with the master's teachings. And absolutely fascinating it is too!

Now we've all seen assorted making up featurettes over the years, but this blog gives you far more detail than the usual DVD fillers. And Zoe (aka @Britzombiegirl on the Twitters) is an excellent guide to this secret world of movie magic, with a knack of being very entertaining while explaining very complex technicalities in a clear and interesting way. If you've ever wondered how they create all those pores in skin textures or how prosthetics are designed, then this is the site for for you. Packing with intriguing detail and lavishly illustrated of the work in progress, britzombiegirlartblog is a must for all effect lovers. I for one can't wait to see how her Mr Hyde design turns out...

Zoe's lovely conception of Edward Hyde

Big Ben At Midnight

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