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| Images copyright DC COMICS |
CASSANDRA PETERSON is her real name, but viewers back in 1981 knew her under the name by which she hosted a television show called ELVIRA'S MOVIE MACABRE, in which she introduced horror films. In 1985, DC COMICS revived their HOUSE Of MYSTERY mag with Elvira's name attached to it. It lasted for 11 issues and one Special - and I have them all, hence this latest entry in the Crivens Cover Gallery series.
Anyway, before we get to that, here's a story in which Elvira plays a small part - if such a description covers such an impressive 'chassis'. In the mid-'80s, I used to have a big glossy Elvira poster (which I've still got rolled up somewhere) on my wall, and one night a friend and myself were recording a 'cassette-a-letter' for another friend in Japan. I titled these tapes 'GROAN With GORDIE' and they consisted of music and audio clips, interspersed with either solitary monologues from myself, or conversation with any mutual pal who was visiting at the time.
As we conversed, our eyes drifted towards the Elvira poster, and we extolled her charms in a fairly non-gratuitous, non-lecherous way. It was a brief digression, but imagine my surprise when my pal in Japan said in his reply tape that his feminist girlfriend objected to our 'sexist' comments about Elvira in her bathing suit. I'd never met his girlfriend, and the tape had been produced for him, not her, so I told him that she could object all she liked, because, as far as I was concerned, she didn't have a say on the subject. I also suggested that perhaps he should exercise a little common sense and listen to future tapes on headphones or when she wasn't around.
In the end, it didn't matter, as she eventually told him she was going on holiday with a girlfriend for a week or two and simply never came back, leaving him in Japan by himself. Not a very nice thing to do, if you ask me, because they'd gone to Japan as a couple. So let that be a lesson to you all - never go to the Orient with a feminist. (Sounds like a catchphrase to live by if you ask me.)
Anyway, that's enough of my self-indulgent nonsense - on with the show. Remember though, you're ogling what could be described as 'good girl art', so if your wife or girlfriend is a feminist, perhaps you'd be better waiting 'til she's not around. You wouldn't want her suddenly going on holiday with a pal, would you? (Or who knows - maybe you would?)
These are great covers! I’ve got to get the Adam Strange one. And I’ve met her at cons. Alas she has stopped doing the Elvira character and now appears as herself Cassandra Peterson.
ReplyDeleteThey're a nice bunch of comics to have, PS. I'll have to re-read them some day - haven't looked at them since I first got them in the mid-'80s.
ReplyDeleteI'm completely OK with Cassandra Peterson appearing as herself. I saw her being interviewed on some talk show (and without the Elvira costume) last year during the Halloween season, and she still looks great.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Elvira character, I seem to remember reading a magazine interview years ago in which she implied that some other actress could someday take over the part. The interviewer said that if and when Cassandra retired, it would end the franchise. She replied something like, "Not necessarily. Boris Karloff only played Frankenstein's monster three times, but Universal continued the movie series with other actors playing the part."
She's right about the Frankenstein monster, TC, though no one was as good as Boris in the role. Originally, Cassandra was going to introduce the horror films as Vampira, but the original, Maila Nurmi (who was going to be credited as an executive producer), wanted Lola Falana to play the role, and quit the project when the TV station cast Cassandra without consulting her. The station then couldn't use the Vampira character, so Elvira was born. Vampira was partly based on Morticia Addams anyway, so wasn't a wholly original creation.
ReplyDeleteI have a few issues of this series that I re-read recently and I'm sorry to say that I find the covers much better than any of the stories inside!
ReplyDeleteThat probably explains why I don't remember any of the stories, DS, but it's still a good wee run to have - if only for the covers.
ReplyDeleteNow this lady is a real Babe of the Day
ReplyDeleteNow there's an idea, LH. Must dig up a photo.
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