You probably didn’t know how badly you needed a set of trading cards devoted to The Monster Times.

The Monster Times was a much-loved horror film fan magazine/tabloid created in 1972, published by The Monster Times Publishing Co. Intended as a competitor to Famous Monsters of Filmland, it was edited by various and notable film experts until issue eleven when Joe Kane (who later assumed the nom de plume The Phantom of the Movies for newspaper columns and books) took over as editor and remained in that capacity until The Monster Times was cancelled.

As it says on the Wikipedia page, “Although the main editorial focus of the magazine was horror media, it also featured articles and reviews of modern and classic science fiction/fantasy movies and television series, as well as comic books. Each issue featured a fold out centerfold poster usually based on that particular issue’s feature story. The publishers were art directors Larry Brill and Les Waldstein who were the original designers for the pornographic weekly tabloid Screw and also for Famous Monsters of Filmland and other Jim Warren publications in the late 1960s.”

This cheap-newsprint tabloid ran until 1976, when market forces drove it out of business. For kids of the early 1970s, The Monster Times was a vital publication. It covered the movies we loved, but without the corny tone or condescending attitude of other monster movie magazines. Contributing writers and photographers included Michael Uslan, Joe Kane, Doug Murray, Allan Asherman, Phil Seuling, Buddy Weiss, Frank Verzyl, Dean Latimer, Edward Summer, Joe Brancatelli, Manny Maris, and Jason Thomas (aka Tom Rogers). Contributing artists included Gray Morrow, Jeff Jones and Bernie Wrightson.

Now RRParks Cards has released The Monster Times Official Boxed Trading Card Collection. You’ll get cards that depict all 51 covers of The Monster Times, plus a mini foldee poster, a checklist, promo cards, a slipcover and a bonus creepy rubber bug. It’s all available for $24, shipping included.

This is a great little set that will induce multiple “squeeee’s” from fans of the original Monster Times. You can order it directly from RRParks Cards (scroll down the page) Or check out this page for more details.