I am an unapologetic Monster fan. I’ve been one since I was a little kid. Monster movies and their spectacular images and fantastical stories, nested in old-fashioned myth and morality tales, are what sparked my interest in pursuing a creative life. In the 1960s, my Monster movie-watching went something like this: Midnight movie, The Bride of Frankenstein! Little bleary-eyed me, waiting impatiently in front of the TV set. Titles rolled. Music. A little adrenaline rush. Frankenstein’s Monster revealed himself in the flooded pit beneath the burning windmill…(ZZzzzz)…I woke up to a test pattern. I must have seen only the first 5-minutes of that movie three times. The Monsters I loved remained little more than concepts and snippets of images. The mystery stoked my burgeoning imagination even more!
Then came Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. A mag I was sure was made just for me. It was not just crammed full of photos of the creatures that haunted my sketch pad and dreams; it featured scene-by-scene descriptions of the movies I was too young (or sleepy) to watch. Beyond all that, it gave kids of the era our first look behind the scenes, where we learned who the artists were who made Monsters live! The Directors, Designers, Writers, Makeup Artists, and Special FX Wizards! Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, published by ambitious James Warren and edited by maven of Sci-Fi and Horror, Forrest J Ackerman. Forrest would become every Monster-fan’s “Uncle Forry.” He gave us a map to finding fellow fans and to participating in the genre and industry we loved at first sight.
The lot includes every issue from the first, in 1958, until the end of the publication, 2021. And being a part of the late, great producer Kevin Burns collection, these are the best quality copies available. Kevin was that Monster-kid who “traded up” until he got his hands on the mag in the best possible condition. Now you can possess the mystical oracles that kids of the era like Steven Spielberg, Guillermo Del Toro, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, Gene Simmons, Tim Burton, Stephen King, Rick Baker, and SO many other notable figures read and were inspired by. The magic of Famous Monsters or “FM,” as we disciples call it, never diminishes. The effect of peeking behind the scenes of the movies we love is ever-potent for new generations.
Now, little Joe Moe may not have grown up to be a household name like the behemoths I’ve mentioned above. Still, I believe this Monster magazine, meant to be a 1-off in 1958, but ending up with a 65-year run, with its glossy, colorful covers and newsprint pages, is the principal reason I have the privilege of talking with you today. It guided me to terrific adventures, led me to write for and edit issues of the contemporary version of FM, and, most importantly, created my friendship with the original editor, Forrest J Ackerman (1916-2008), that has vividly colored every corner of my life to this day. Famous Monsters of Filmland is a passport to a world of wonder. It is the secret handshake to a connection with fellow fans, big and small. This legendary gateway to the endless possibility of the imagination can be yours, or your children’s, for a bid.
I bid you good bidding,
Joe Moe
Consignment Specialist, Entertainment and Music
You are a household name in this house, Joe.
I have never been prouder to be housed with such an incredible family!
Joe: This Famous Monsters memories off the hook. Me and my pals used to devour the mag but no one captures the glories of the pub with the poetic verbiage and insider knowledge that you bring. You’re a “house hold name” in our crib (crypt!) for sure!
Eric! it’s remarkable how much we’ve accomplished in our lives, thanks to the inspiration of FM!
Sweet, deep, unforgettable memories… Thank you for being there, Joe!
And you were there for all of this too, my friend. Oh, the stories the times (and Uncle Forry) have given us…
FM and “Uncle” Forry are historic. The ENTIRE genre owes a debt to him … and you, Joe. THIS IS HISTORY and for you to share your vast acument on it (you were THERE!) is of great value. One might say we are lucky enough to connect with one of the apostles of FM and be able to read their gospels.
Yes, Jay! I feel we pay that debt by making more of the stuff we love and creating more fans who love it as we do!
Whether you’re a Joe Moe or a Steven Spielberg, I bet all Monster Kids have a pretty similar origin, thanks to Uncle Forry. What a cool chance to snag some of that legacy!
You’re right, Ernie! I’ve heard this same story of discovery and camaraderie through FM from fans big and small. From John Doe to Guillermo del Toro!
In my house, “JOE MOE” is a household name! Famous Monsters and Forry Ackerman were staples in my life. I got my first FM subscription after finding issue # 110 on the newsstand at our local 7-Eleven. That was truly a magical day for me! That first issue is now pretty beat up, as are many of my original issues. I do hope to make a few bids on these pristine issues at this auction, and maybe a few other items. Hopefully, this time that rock-star won’t out bid me!
Oh, for a 7-11 with my fave mag on the shelves. In Hawaii, I rode my bike with my best pal Sean all the way to Pali Drugstore where we’d fish an untouched copy from the back of the stack! Thanks for keeping me in your horror household, my friend!
Uncle Forry, Kevin Burns, and Joe Moe, thank you for all you have done and will do for all us Monster Kids. Know that this legacy will be passed down for generations. My generations at least. 🙂 🖤🎃
Thanks for raising a new gaggle of Monster-kids so well. I am thrilled to be a musty ol’ adopted grandpa to all of em’!
I’ve been a fan of Forry and FM most of my life! I even got to visit the Ackermansion and Forry in the late 70’s. And now I have met Joe at some horror conventions. Great stuff! (and ‘Bride’ with Boris is my favorite monster film too.)
Thanks, Gary! Can’t wait until we’re all able to be in the room together again at the conventions. And, may I say, you have the FINEST taste in monster movies. Boris! Bride!
Your article captures how special and exciting this magazine was to young fans like myself and many, many others. A complete run of issues would be a holy grail to lovers of these films.
Kevin Burns would be so happy to know that people who LOVE the stuff as much as he did will end up with it! Especially his FMs the “big bang” of his inspiration.
Joe, your tireless efforts to help preserve Monster/Horror/Sci-Fi film history and that of Uncle Forry and FM are wonderful, and greatly appreciated by this Monster Kid! This lot of FM magazines looks to be a once in a lifetime collection.
Penelope! Thanks for your kind words. I wish I was still looking after Forry, as he looked after all of us so well.
I was new to Joe Moe just a few years ago and he is the very reason I became more interested in all things horror. Thanks Joe for allowing us monsters to meet together and share the love of this genre!
Stacie! The horror fan-family is the most articulate, literate, creative, and talented group I’ve ever met. There can never be too many!
FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND is a cornerstone of mid-20th Century imagination. Without FM, we would not have popular culture as we know it today. An essential work!
So innovative in its time. Layered: driven by graphics, lifted by comic captions, but crammed with the detail and minutiae of the movies themselves, which we all so loved.
I can SO relate to your story, Joe, as I think most all Monster Kids can!
You’re right, Dwayne! So many of us misfit kids believed we were all alone until Famous Monsters and Uncle Forry introduced us to each other. Then the world opened up!
Well Famous Monsters inspired me to get into magazine and book publishing and Forry Ackerman was a pivotal force getting me started.,I was lucky enough to create a wonderful friendship with him and his wife Wendy ( even staying with my wife, Dee. as guests at the original Ackermansion in the seventies for a whole week as their guests). He helped me get my 1977 Collectors Guide to Monster Magazines to become a reality and the beginning of my career. I too, may not be a household name like many of the others, but will always credit FM for making my life more enjoyable.
Bob! Your work has contributed so much to the genre. Thank you for all you do! And thanks for invoking the name of Wendayne Ackerman. An often unsung hero in Forry’s happiness and success.
It’s all true, and more. While we were drawn in by the exciting photographs and artwork, Famous monsters was providing us with a secondary education. I first heard of HG Wells and Jules Verne in those pages. With their focus on and the behind-the-scenes craft of creating illusions, FM encouraged us to be not mere consumers, but makers as well.
Frank, how true. Through the influence of FM, so many of us took a step back to the literature that inspired the pictures. I first heard of Edgar Allan Poe through those newsprint pages too!
Joe, I count myself as a very lucky person to have not only been able to eagerly absorb the classic monster films on television as a child, but as a consequence of seeing these films, to be inspired to read the literature on which many were based. I also wanted to know the techniques of how these films were produced, not an easy feat in the 1960s and 1970s. Some books provided tantalizing glimpses, but it was Famous Monsters of Filmland, which I discovered when grown up, that helped me to better understand what went on behind (and in) the cameras. An added bonus was that the magazine was edited by (and written mostly by) Forrest J Ackerman, who lived right there in Hollywood, who had a large home stuffed with props and stills, and who knew almost everyone involved in horror and science fiction cinema and television production!! I began writing for his magazine. I still write about classic horror for magazines to this day. All this has added wonderful people to my life (like Forrest J Ackerman and Joe Moe).
D’bee (as Forry was apt to call you)! Your work as a movie historian is just one of the bi-products of your relationship to 4e and FM. Uncle Ack was very proud of you.
So glad I met Forry and you Joe! Famous Monsters has been a mainstay of my life since 1964! Monster kids rule!
Al, you are a true, old-school monster lover and friend. Your collection never ceases to impress me. Very grateful to know you.
When some people see a cover of Famous Monsters of Filmland (original run) they see monsters. Me? I see love! Love of the arts, love of humanity.
I can’t think of a publication that influenced me more than Famous Monsters. It’s hard to imagine today, but pre-internet information was hard to find. Local libraries only had a limited amount on more esoteric subjects like practical FX. Famous Monsters was a window into another world.
I agree, Mike. And in the true sense of magic, that window morphed into a door that many of us walked through on the way to a creative life!
I remember my Dad taking me to buy comics and magazines once a month at the local Newspaper /Tobacco shop. It was always a thrill to see a new Famous Monsters on the shelf. The cashier always seemed bemused. The thrill of opening a new issue was a sensation like no other. I would read and reread each issue countless times. It is heartening to know there are still those who appreciate and value FM and all it meant.
John! My dad also bought me my first issue of FM. In Hawaii, the magazine showed up on newsstands sporadically. Luckily, it also could sit on the shelf for a lo-o-o-o-ng time. I must have begged for that 1968 Fearbook for a year before dad decided to bring it home.
As a child of the 70’s, I discovered the world of Famous Monsters. Uncle Forry showed me there were other kids like me out there. I suddenly didn’t feel so alone with with my love of Horror. I also thank my parents for allowing me to read the magazine. I was never able to visit the Ackermansion, but every time I wrote him, he responded. He made this Monster Kid feel special! Little did I know that later in my life, I would meet several other Monster Kids, both famous and infamous. 🙂 Uncle Forry helped bring us all together! Monster Kids are the best!
Hi Brian! I’m glad you had the right parents! Can you believe there was ever a time when a magazine could actually publish the names and addresses of children so we could become penpals?! FM did in the 60s! Ha!
It is amazing how a “niche” magazine ran by mega fans could touch and influence so many lives and help propel an industry.
It is amazing, Ken. The ripples this little monster magazine made in the pop-cultural pond is immeasurable!
Joe: Wonderful post. Famous Monsters hugely impact me as a young ghoul but you describe it with poetic verbiage and an insiders’ knowledge. You’re a household name in Gaby and my crib (I mean crypt)!
Eric, the experience we share in encountering those mind-blowing images and even the distinct smell of ink on newsprint is in our shared childhood DNA!
What a great recollection and tribute! You’re a household name in this house, Joe! Long live FJA and FM!
Michael! Thanks for having me in your household! I promise to restock the fridge and not to get paint from my Aurora monster models on your carpet.
Hi Joe:
Thank you for all you did for and with Forry and for what you are continuing to do for the Monster Kids. the genre and the Legacy of FM. Give me a call so we can catch up please.
SARA KARLOFF
Dearest Sara! I treasure your friendship and can’t express how much your words mean to me. Thanks for sharing the legacy of your dad so generously with all of us who love him as if we really, truly knew him. And thanks for letting us really, truly know YOU! Can’t wait to see you again soon.
Joe: please contact me. Sara Karloff karloff@karloff.com
Your story brings back those Friday nights agonizing through the news with a bowl of cold water I’d splash on my face trying to stay awake for the Friday Night Frights! I love my monsters so much and FM was like a life line but also a torment… when, oh when, would I ever get to see classics like “Plan 9” or “13 Ghosts”? They never came to our local station!
Sean, I feel your (childhood) pain. As I grew up to celebrate revival houses and midnight screenings that finally let me see the movies I’d dreamed of for years, I wouldn’t suspect there’d soon be cassettes or discs that would allow me to access them in my own home!
Growing up in Southern California as a Monster Kid, I would ride my Stingray to the newsstand on a weekly basis to see if the new Famous Monsters of Filmland was available. Eventually, I saved up enough money for a subscription and would read every issue that arrived from cover to cover. One day I received a post card from Forrest J Ackerman, inviting me over to his house (the first Ackermansion on Sherbourne Drive).
I convinced my Mom to drop me off one Saturday, and this 12 year old had the day of his life going through almost every room of his house, enraptured by the incredible collection Forry had amassed.
One of my favorite places was his cellar, where he had stacks and stacks of FM back issues. I still have the copies I purchased and Forry signed to me.
David, I wish that experience was available to new generations of monster-kids. Your account does a good job of describing the experience. What a hallmark memory to covet and share.
Famous Monsters magazine was such an important part of my childhood (and beyond), that I simply cannot imagine life without it.
I’m looking forward to the Auction Preview so I can see Kevin Burn’s collected treasures up close.
PS: 4E=4Ever
Sean, I’m with you. I can’t imagine a life without Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. For all the gifts I’ve gotten related to that magazine’s influence, I wouldn’t want to imagine a life without it!
Always wonderful to here your insight on Forry and the genre. Thank you so much for keeping all things Monsters alive and relevant!
Thanks, William. If I do my part to keep the genre humming, it’s purely selfish. The more horror/monster lovers that roam the earth, the more the stuff they make for me to love!