IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

An announcement from Monster Magazine World:

Any serious fan of horror films knows that the worldwide monster movie phenomenon began with the birth of the first Universal Pictures Monsterverse in the 1930's. Now forever indelible in the iconography of Hollywood are the classic characters of Lugosi's Dracula, Karloff's Frankenstein Monster and Chaney, Jr.'s Wolf Man. These and many others, produced and released to the movie-going public as a result of Carl "Junior" Laemmle's prophetic vision, are destined to live on through the ages of cinema history.

But, while the monsters played by Lugosi, Karloff and Chaney are instantly recognizable, there was another person who worked quietly behind the scenes to bring all of these terrifying images to life.

Who was it, then, that created these horrifying, supernatural "Children of the Night"? Who is it that we should acknowledge for creating the world's most famous monsters?

The answer is: Jack P. Pierce. From his humble beginnings as a Greek immigrant beginning a new life in Chicago to his hiring as the head of the makeup for Universal Pictures, his career path lead him inexorably to the brief, but bright notoriety as "the man who made the monsters".

Now, on the 50th Anniversary of his passing, Monster Magazine World is proud to present a special, limited edition publication in tribute to Jack Pierce's life and art. Information on Pierce is easy to come by and much has been written about him, but it becomes quickly obvious that most of it is recycled over and over again, some of it even erroneous.

Currently in design and production, this fully-illustrated publication will provide readers with a thoughtful and sympathetic perspective of Pierce's contribution to the art of Hollywood makeup magic, as well as his iconic creations that have entertained countless fans of Universal's monster movie legacy.

Stay tuned to future posts here at Monster Magazine World for updates on the progress of this important publication.

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JACK PIERCE'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Released on 8 December 1962 by United Artists, this is a lesser-known version of the classic tale. Jake Pierce supplied the "Beast" makeup between his work on "The Devil's Hand" and "Creation of the Humanoids".

Owing somewhat to the design for Pierce's Teenage Monster in the 1958 film of the same title, he fashioned a wig and facial appliances for actor Mark Damon, who ended up looking like a poor-man's Larry Talbot.

The Robert E. Kent production was directed by Edward L. Cahn, who had previously directed B-movie classics such as "Invasion of the Saucermen", "It, The Terror From Beyond Space", and "The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake". It would be his last film. Cahn passed away the next year on 25 August.

Lobby card

U.S. One Sheet

Belgian movie poster

FRANKENSTEIN IN PHOTOPLAY

No mention of the man behind the monster, but a nice early shot of Karloff in his makeup nevertheless. The pic, shown in the November, 1931 issue of PHOTOPLAY just before FRANKENSTEIN's premiere on November 21, makes note of the "mechanical knob" on the side of the monster's neck.

JACK PIERCE'S "BRIDE" IN 'UNIVERSAL WEEKLY'

"The Universal Weekly" was "U's" promotional magazine. In the 9 February 1935 issue was a 2-page spread featuring BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, which would be released the following May.

Much praise was given to director James Whale, stating that his productions were, "perfect from every angle, story, cast, settings." It is also interesting to note that the studio avoided using the term "horror" or "thriller" to describe the film, instead calling it a "strange compelling drama".

Shown at the top is a very serious Jack Pierce pictured working on Boris Karloff's headpiece. The caption erroneously mentions that the look is similar to "last year's monster makeup."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACK!