Product Description

Ships January 2025.

The Classic Monsters Annual 2025 Signed Hardback is the collector’s edition of this guide, in a strictly limited edition hardcover format – only 50 in the world – and signed and numbered by the editors, packed in a black foil presentation pouch with a FREE exclusive postcard set and certificate of authenticity.

From silents and the golden age, right through to modern embodiments of vintage favourites, the Classic Monsters Annual 2025 Signed Hardback is packed with all-new content, making it a must for every fan of horror cinema – and it’s only available from Classic Monsters!

Covering monster movies from across the genre, the Classic Monsters Annual 2025 Signed Hardback is another essential for your horror movie book collection, with 84 beautifully written, sumptuously illustrated pages of monstery goodness. As you explore the wealth of all-new content – unlike some other annuals, you won’t find recycled material here – you’ll find yourself back among your favourite movie monsters, with our unique approach bringing the classics back to life.

REMEMBER – THERE ARE ONLY 50 COPIES OF THIS TITLE IN THE WHOLE WORLD!

Our commitment to excellence is clear from the very first moment, with the signed hardcover Classic Monsters Annual 2025 being produced to the most exacting standards in line with our Rondo and Slaughter Award-winning approach. Printed to A4 size (210mm x 297mm) in perfect square-bound format, it features a gorgeous sturdy matt laminated cover, with the inner pages printed on finest quality silk stock to give every page a subtly elegant sheen. This is no fanzine – the signed hardback Classic Monsters Annual 2025 is a premium quality classic horror cinema hardcover book which will be right at home in your collection. Our use of full colour print processes means even black and white images are packed with detail – this is worlds away from cheaper newspaper-style printing, as every meticulously restored still looks its very best.

The beautiful cover art, showcasing the superlative work of revered horror artist Daniel Horne in his depictions of several beloved characters, leads you straight into the action. The first article in the signed hardback Classic Monsters Annual 2025 is an appraisal of Boris Karloff’s three performances as the Universal Frankenstein Monster, looking at how his portrayal evolved with the Monster’s changing fortunes. From the confused, aggressive creation of the 1931 original, to the calculating approach of Bride of Frankenstein, through to the intimidating ‘giant’ of Son of Frankenstein, Karloff’s three outings as the character are packed with detail and insight. Whichever you prefer, you’ll find a fresh perspective on Universal’s first three incarnations of the Monster here.

We head from one artificial monster to a whole lineage of them, as David Huckvale explores the many and varied creations in Hammer’s Frankenstein series. Horror fans really are spoilt for choice in Hammer’s franchise – from brutish stitched-together creations to the most perfect woman you could meet (aside from some inconvenient homicidal tendencies), no idea is too outlandish here. We examine the themes, designs and classic moments that have made the Hammer Frankenstein series so memorable – and you’ll only find it right here in the signed casebound edition of the Classic Monsters Annual 2025.

Monster cinema isn’t all about the big hitters though, so we take some time out to mingle amongst the lesser celebrated – not to mention lesser funded – monsters in Universal’s line-up. Those B-pictures have plenty to teach us about how to craft an effective monster moment, and as they were usually one-offs, the ideas they present are sometimes a little more special. The studio might not have lavished the same attention on these also-rans as it did on the better-known monsters, but that gives them a charm of their own. Who cares if the sets and scores were recycled? This part of the Classic Monsters Annual 2025 Signed Hardback shows that when your ghouls are mad and your monsters arrive nightly, there’s always plenty to enjoy.

From B-movies to Academy Award-winning glory and back again, one monster that’s never far away is Dr Jekyll… or maybe it’s Mr Hyde. Or perhaps it’s both, as we rendezvous with the good doctor and his nefarious alter ego in a tour of the many cinematic portrayals of the Jekyll and Hyde story. Power struggles, gender politics, social commentary and class wars – who knew that a little idealism and a strange potion would go such a long way? There have been plenty of star-studded Jekyll and Hyde movies, and in the signed casebound Classic Monsters Annual 2025 you’ll see just why this character is such an enduring part of the horror landscape.

Also staying the course are Messrs Lugosi and Karloff, whose adventures outside of mainstream big-budget cinema come to the fore in the conclusion of our two-part feature. Away from the high-profile machinations of the major studios and mass-market monsters, our beloved Bela and Boris made all manner of appearances in an equally diverse range of fare. From cynical imitations of their best-known roles, to the sorts of niche parts that you now can’t imagine anyone else playing, Jamie Jones shows that these two genre heroes lifted even the most questionable material, just by being there.

There are also plenty of surprises along the way, as the Classic Monsters Annual 2025 Signed Hardback shines a decidedly lunar light on Amicus werewolf feature The Beast Must Die. Screenwriter and playwright John Logan examines this star-studded movie from a number of angles, uncovering the details of its characterisations, its production, and of course the marvellously eccentric Werewolf Break gimmick. The Beast Must Die has always been an outlier in werewolf cinema; as entertaining as the movie itself, this absorbing feature will give you a new appreciation for its place in the development of the genre.

If the raw intensity of The Beast Must Die proves a little overwhelming, perhaps you could drop in on some friends and relax a little. We know a lovely family down on Mockingbird Lane who would love to see you… Yes, the signed casebound Classic Monsters Annual 2025 takes you into the endlessly endearing world of The Munsters, the evergreen TV series that has become as much of a cultural reference point as the films that inspired it. Mixing social satire, monster-kid savvy and easygoing sitcom format, it became a phenomenon that endures to this day. If you’re already a devotee you’ll relish this exploration of why The Munsters remains so fresh and relevant; if you’re unfamiliar with this absolutely ordinary all-American family, you have a treat in store.

Leaving the streets of Mockingbird Heights behind, we head out in search of adventure on the high seas, with a look at some of the best classic ghost ship movies. Being stuck in the middle of the ocean with ghosts – or worse – has plenty of potential for a horror story, but pirate ghosts are only half the story. Nautical elements have crept into a wealth of movies that aren’t necessarily based around the theme, with travel by boat synonymous with trips into the terrifying unknown; this informative article is one of the many reasons the Classic Monsters Annual 2025 Signed Hardback is absolutely irresistible.

The signed hardcover edition of the Classic Monsters Annual 2025 is only available on the Classic Monsters shop – you won’t find it on newsstands and it can’t be ordered from other retailers. Inside you’ll find:

• Karloff’s Monster – over the course of three movies, Boris Karloff made the Frankenstein Monster his own, establishing one of cinema’s most memorable creations. Is the original still the greatest, or did the character’s evolutions and experiences make it more interesting?
• Hammer’s Creature – variety really is the spice of artificial life, and Hammer weren’t shy about taking Frankenstein’s handiwork in a number of wild directions throughout the course of the series. Whatever kind of Creature you might prefer, you were certainly spoilt for choice.
• Universal B-pictures – it can be lonely at the top, so let’s celebrate the Universal monster pictures that didn’t get the big budgets but still made their mark. They were certainly no slouches when it came to narrative creativity and a special kind of charm.
• Jekyll and Hyde – the story of the ambitious scientist and his unfortunate dalliance with his darker side is powerful on many levels. As a cautionary tale it never loses its impact, while the sheer drama of the concept lends itself to all manner of macabre cinematic adaptations.
• Lugosi and Karloff beyond the mainstream: part 2 – we conclude our look at how the two Universal headliners cemented their reputations as horror legends outside of blockbuster motion pictures. Whether in roles creepy or kitschy, they always deserve our reverence.
• The Beast Must Die – vicious and challenging, with no clearly defined hero, this movie stands alone in the werewolf genre. Alongside a detailed and thought-provoking analysis, we examine the difficulties in making a werewolf film that will stand the test of time.
• The Munsters – the combination of monsters and mirth is always a delicious one. We revisit the laughs, the adventures, and the wholesome values that made this most unique family exactly the kind of people you’d want living next door to you.
• Ghost ships – there’s something undeniably sinister about the open ocean. Spooky secrets, inescapable danger and crazy crewmates are just the beginning – and as you’ll find, you don’t even need to leave port to feel the ocean’s eerie influence.

From its stunning cover, through to the clean and unfussy design, fact-packed articles and glorious stills, the signed hardcover Classic Monsters Annual 2025 is a must-have for your collection. Whether you’re already a collector, or have just discovered our award-winning approach to the horror genre, this is a horror movie hardback you won’t want to be without.

This title is also available in softback format – the first 250 copies are signed by the authors and include a FREE art print. Click here for the limited edition softback!

Prefer the unsigned softback version of this title without the art print? Click here for the regular edition.

• 88 pages
• Full colour throughout
• Packed with stills, posters, articles and info
• Printed and finished to the highest standard
• Luxury matt laminated cover
• Image wrap hardback cover
• Signed by authors and individually numbered
• Includes FREE exclusive postcard set
• Includes certificate of authenticity
• Packaged in black foil presentation pouch

All artwork is subject to change without notice.