Hacktober #18 (Scanned On An Island Covered In Fungus )

I never saw Attack of the Mushroom People on television as a kid, it just never seemed to play locally. It must have, but unlike the American-ized monster and kaiju movies I devoured on channels 5, 9, 7 (Monster Week on the 4:30 Movie, baby!) and 11 I never got my eyeballs in front of it. I'd seen pictures of the mushroom monsters in the fan magazines and was dying to see the damned thing. Unlike most of the then-available Godzilla, Gamera, et al movies, this one eluded me for decades. I learned later on that the original version was called Matango, and then even later still, that it was based on "The Voice in the Night", a short story by William Hope Hodgson ("House on the Borderland", "Carnacki the Ghost-Finder", etc).

It's a lot better than I expected from the U.S. title. And it's creepier than expected from director Ishiro Honda, who I only knew for kaiju and spectacle. The Matango suits are pretty swell but they might be a bit too goofy for the serious tone of the movie. Not that I'm complaining. I desperately want to collect some of the vinyl figures made of them.  They've spawned a decent amount of releases considering the movie is fairly obscure and there are no Toho tie-ins, remakes or sequels. They're just cool-looking mushroom monsters. 

I've always wanted to try drawings one of these suckers. Now I have. It came out pretty good. I mean, no one will confuse them with the Human Vapor or The H-Man or the friggin' Manster. It's definitely a Matango. A mushroom monster! 

It's even fun to say it aloud. "Mushroom monster!". Try it. Go ahead, no one will hear you. If anyone does, you'll be brightening their day. I think I'll say it out loud. The cat might laugh. 

I hope not. That would be fucking terrifying!

Okay, here goes...

(Winky turned an ear but didn't open her eye. She didn't make a sound. I enjoyed saying it.)