Colouring Book Theatre: Monster Gallery

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Sean from creepsylvania.com sent me an awesome surprise this month, a colouring book I've actually been looking forward to seeing for years.

The Monster Gallery Colouring Book is an early seventies masterpiece illustrated by Mark Savee (with text by Leah Waskey) and each page is a stunning tribute to a famous monster of either screen or legend.

A lot like the Bernie Wrightson Monster Colouring Book we reviewed a while back, this is a real cut above the standard fair. It's beautifully put together and honestly if you owned this, I doubt you'd put crayons to it.

Frankenstein here is a great example of this great art in this book but 70s toy dorks like myself have even more interest in this book for a very specific reason:

Some of Savee's designs were swiped and used as packaging illustrations for Tomland/Combex (A UK division of Marx) "Famous Monsters of Legend" Toy Line. I borowed these images from Megolike.com where you can oodles of info on these fun Tomland figures.

Tomland Morlock has an ascot for some reason, like a cannibal Mr. Furley

The Yeti figure is a little off model to the artwork.

Cyclops, I doubt any royalties were paid to Harryhausen.

Unlike almost every other colouring book I've covered here, this one is too good and too much great artwork to cover here, so I've created a gallery page highlighting all the great artwork in this fun book, just click here to visit The Monster Gallery

Thanks again Sean! This made my week.

Previously reviewed Colouring Books
If you have a colouring book you'd like to guest review, I'd like to hear from you!

SPEAKING OF MONSTERS






Today is the last day to enter in my "Save Frightenstein" contest, I could really use some help here and you could win a cool prize, so click here for details...

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[mazinz]

well I hate to break your chops, but I own this and yes some of it is colored in (mainly Kong and Godzilla). I always wanted this as I used to see it in the back of Famous Monsters magazine. I eventually found it in 1983 or 84 at Disney World. It was in a gift shop that was within walking distance of the Haunted
mansion

I also have the similar one called "Science Fiction Anthology" with wonderful pics illustrated by Mark Savee. This one was written by Ken Savee.

[HardyGirl]

Cool Monsters!

[kryptosmaster]

I wonder if the Tomland figures were inspired by the pictures or if they just found a convenient pic to swipe for their packaging?
Rich

[yokaijohn]

Very,Very Cool!

[toys2cool]

Great book

[The Toyroom]

Neat stuff

[Meule]

Awesome stuff, no way I'd color those in

[Evel KMego]

Love the colouring book theatre! Very cool pics and the Tomland connection!

[Earth 2 Chris]

Wow, I was under the impression that Savee had also drawn the Tomland art. So swiping goes way back, not just to today's hottest comic artists!

Chris

[Orion]

A truly great coloring book. I put crayon to paper as a child and lovingly colored every page. My brother had a science fiction one by the same artist. That was relatively cool as well with Time Machine, Cyborg, and Journey to Center of the Earth pages among others. I also recall a Fantasy coloring book that was similar, had Conan and Lord of the Rings pages - I can't remember what else. My sister had that one as a kid. The artwork is still so great to look at. Thanks for sharing this, it brings back a flood of great memories.

[generic]

I think I might have to make some photocopies and do some coloring if I had that!

[digestor]

A truly great coloring book. I put crayon to paper as a child and lovingly colored every page. My brother had a science fiction one by the same artist. That was relatively cool as well with Time Machine, Cyborg, and Journey to Center of the Earth pages among others. I also recall a Fantasy coloring book that was similar, had Conan and Lord of the Rings pages - I can't remember what else. My sister had that one as a kid. The artwork is still so great to look at. Thanks for sharing this, it brings back a flood of great memories.

I think that fantasy one was called Tales of Fantasy.

[digestor]

I also have the similar one called "Science Fiction Anthology" with wonderful pics illustrated by Mark Savee. This one was written by Ken Savee.

You wouldn't want to scan that, would you? I'm the "Sean" who sent in Monster Gallery. I'd love to see any of the other sci-fi, horror, or fantasy Troubador Press books that anyone might have. They're pretty tough to find.

[digestor]

I've recently acquired "Science Fiction Anthology" and "Tales of Fantasy" coloring books, both from this same series. Pretty good quality on both, aside from a couple of lightly colored pages. Any interest in me scanning and sending them?