Monster Fun

Monster Fun
Monster Fun #1 (14 June 1975)
Publication information
Publisher	IPC Magazines Ltd
Schedule	Weekly
Format	Ongoing series
Genre	humor, horror
Publication date	14 June 1975 – 30 October 1976
Number of issues	75
Editor(s)	"Frankie Stein"

Monster Fun was a weekly British comic strip magazine for children aged seven to twelve. Published by IPC Media, it ran for 73 issues in 1975–1976, when it merged with Buster. Focused on humorous monster strips and stories, the magazine was known for "The Bad Time Bedtime Books" minicomic inserts, created by Leo Baxendale.

The nominal editor was "Frankie Stein" (a play on Frankenstein), a character who had previously appeared in the magazines Wham!, Shiver and Shake and Whoopee!. Recurring artists included Robert Nixon, Tom Williams and Trevor Metcalfe.

The magazine was known for handing out free toys in its issues. The first issue, for instance, came with a free plate wobbler (a novelty item consisting of an inflatable rubber bladder and a hand-operated pump; the bladder is placed under a plate, and inflating it makes the plate wobble). The second issue had a "Freaky Spider Rong", the third a "Super Shaking Skeleton".

Monster Fun's debut issue was dated 14 June 1975. Monster Fun Specials were printed in 1975 and 1976.

The magazine merged with Buster to form Buster and Monster Fun after the 30 October 1976 issue. Due to its ongoing popularity, the Monster Fun logo was printed on Buster's cover until the summer of 1979.

Despite its short run, Monster Fun Annuals were printed every year, cover-dated from 1977 until 1985, though all contained some reprint material. They were all distributed in the UK from the autumn of the previous cover-dated year. Buster and Monster Fun Specials were printed (with much reprint material) every year from 1977 until 1996, making them one of the most long-lived of IPC / Fleetway titles. Almost all of the other original strips were reprinted in other titles in the 1980s and 1990s.