the NEW Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine

[RCMerchant]

Famous Monsters of Filmland,the 1st horror and scifi movie mag (itbegan in 1958!) is BACK! Editor and founder Forrest J. Ackerman (RIP 2007) was head of the mag until 1983-in which he was swindled by some shmuck named Ray Ferry. Ferry ran it for some time,untill a court case returned the rights to Forry. New editor Phil Kim gained the rights from Forry before his death-and a new version of the mag came out in July of 2001.
Well-I couldnt resist checking it out-being since the age of 8 (1970) untill-oh-about the age of 15 (1977) I bought evry single issue I could get my greedy claws on. The new issue is number 251. It's got a great cover by the one and only original FM cover artist Basil Gogos-and of Bela as Dracula,no less!



Ok-great cover-right?
NOW For my review of the NEW FM...
The old FM was a pulp magazine. Beyond the colorful covers,all the inside was black and white. But most mags were back in the day. The NEW Fm is printed on glossy paper-and in color! The picture quaility is crisp and clear. It looks beautiful.
The contents-ok-the Best articales first-There is a wonderful interview with Ray Bradbury who remineses about  boyhood pals Forry Ackerman and Ray Harryhausen ,going to the FIRST sci fi convention in 1939 with them,going to movies,making fanzines...just a wonderful interview! As a plus-theres a as before unpublished Bradbury story!
Theres a fine articale on cameraman and director Karl Freund-the master behind the camera work for classics like the GOLEM,METROPOLIS,DRACULA<MARK OF THE VAMPIRE,the MUMMY,MAD LOVE and sooo many others! And the stills with the articale are fangtastic!
Best of all is a 25 page tribute to Forry Ackerman-the Ackermonster-4SJ-Dr.Akula himmself! Freinds and fans-such as Zacherle,Sara Karloff, Ray HarryhausenCarla Lammale-many more-(including a guy I worked breifly with on a comic book in Kalamazoo-Doug Waltz!)
Lastly-theirs an obit for comic book great Frank Frazzetta.
OK...thats the GOOD part.
There are too many articales on junk like PREDATOR,TRUE BLOOD,and (gak!) RESIDENT EVIL. I dunno....I dont get into the new monsters too much.
4 great articales of the old timers......8 ones on new big budget junk. Sigh.
Overall,though...a classy return. I just hope they bring back YOU AXED FOR IT!

It's not the FM I grew up with....but-well-you know what they say-you can't go home.

[Pilgermann]

Not too keen on them covering a bunch of modern stuff (well, I do like Predator), but the Bradbury interview alone is enough for me to pick that up.  Plus a previously unpublished story?!  JOY!  I rarely look at magazines when I'm out and about but I'm gonna have to pick this up.  Thanks for the heads-up!

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

So many memories of the old Famous Monsters magazine. 

I remember the endless toys, books, magazines and collectibles section where you could order whatever you wanted from The Captain Company. Around 1977 the section was satyrated with Star Wars toys!

And then there was the old "You Axed For It!" section where they would post a still from a different movies or TV series with the name of the reader who requested it.

I only met Forrest J. Ackerman once, and what a great man he was. And very privileged and lucky to have known the giants of the horror industry-Karloof, Lugosi, Christopher Lee, you name it.  And he had his "Ackermansion" where people scheduled regular tours to see his memorabilia.  Here'a a man who truly led a full and satisfied life loving what he did.

God bless ya', Mr. Ackerman! 

[Allhallowsday]

One of the great things about the old FM was they were always onto the films that were current, but with a focus on the classics (I learned of films first that I did not see for years thru FM).  So, we always are interested in our classics, but the new generation should be fostered, even if what we find tepid they find interesting.  It's about survival, for starters.  
Magazine?  What a quaint idea.  

[RCMerchant]

One of the great things about the old FM was they were always onto the films that were current, but with a focus on the classics (I learned of films first that I did not see for years thru FM).  So, we always are interested in our classics, but the new generation should be fostered, even if what we find tepid they find interesting.  It's about survival, for starters.  
Magazine?  What a quaint idea.  

Yeah-the old FM did kept up what was new-from big budget stuff like the EXORCIST to drek like WHATEVER HAPPENED TO COUNT DRACULA.
Forry's presence is felt in the mag...he was excited about the new FM-in the Editorial,Forry writes his own obituary-the man was fearless.

I just got #253 in the mail yesterday...it's got a great ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) cover-with Bela and the manimals! I'll post a review tonght after work.

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

One of the great things about the old FM was they were always onto the films that were current, but with a focus on the classics (I learned of films first that I did not see for years thru FM).  So, we always are interested in our classics, but the new generation should be fostered, even if what we find tepid they find interesting.  It's about survival, for starters.  
Magazine?  What a quaint idea.  

Couldn't a' said some of that better myself, AHD.  The new generation needs to know the history of the classics, and of the classic monsters that led the way for some of the stuff they know and enjoy today. Indeed also, survival of the classic begins with revival of the same.

And yes, FM of old did also pay attention to newer films as well as the old stuff, while never losing sight of the classics.   One of my fave issues of old was #66 with Frankenstein Conquers The World with Giant Frankenstein on the front. One of my favorite movies!

[JaseSF]

This sounds great to me. 

Honestly I find I do like many of the newer mags especially Canada's Rue Morgue but where oh where do I find the room to store them?