FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND

FORREST J. ACKERMAN

From Wikipedia: Forrest James Ackerman (24 November 1916 - 4 December 2008) was an American magazine editor; science fiction writer and literary agent; a founder of science fiction fandom; a leading expert on science fiction, horror, and fantasy films; a prominent advocate of the Esperanto language; and one of the world's most avid collectors of genre books and film memorabilia. Famous Monsters of Filmland is an American genre-specific film magazine, started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman. Famous Monsters of Filmland directly inspired the creation of many other similar publications, including Castle of Frankenstein, Cinefantastique, Fangoria, The Monster Times, and Video Watchdog. In addition, hundreds, if not thousands, of FM-influenced horror, fantasy and science fiction film-related fanzines have been produced, some of which have continued to publish for decades, such as Midnight Marquee and Little Shoppe of Horrors. Reproduction of "Famous Monsters of Filmland" by Dave Dunlap.

Portrait of "Forrest J. Ackerman" by Bradley Beard.
"Forrest J. Ackerman" - biography (taken from Bradley Beard's Facebook page)

He was the first person to coin the term "sci-fi". Tonight I present Forrest J. Ackerman, editor and writer for the Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine and one of the best friends the horror hosting community ever had. He will always be remembered for his numerous accomplishments but first and foremost, he will be remembered as being possibly the #1 fan of the genre. Forry had amassed over the years one of the largest science fiction and horror collections which he housed in his 18 room home quaintly referred to as "Son of Ackernansion". In his collection, he hosted such treasures as original armatures from the 1933 RKO classic King Kong. Between 1951 to 2002, "Uncle" Forry hosted tours of his home to over 50,000 fans, including yours truly. Forry left us on December 4, 2008 and was interred at Glendale Forest Lawn Cemetary with a plaque that reads, "Sci-fi Was My High". In 2014, Forrest J. Ackerman for "Famous Monsters", was inducted into "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame" - Behind the Screams category. In 2017, "Famous Monsters of Filmland", was inducted into "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame" - Behind the Screams category. The following is a video of the "Famous Monsters of Filmland covers: Famous Monsters of Filmland - covers from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo.

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