Anyone else grow up on Famous Monsters?

[Khephra]

Just wondering.....

[Nicholas_J]

1. Yup

I always wanted to be just like Forest J Ackerman.

[Khephra]

5. I wish I understood his income situation.

I've seen films of his collection...

He had to come from a rich background--If not, then his story is even more incredible.

[Nicholas_J]

10. Dont think he was very rich,

Just grew up in Los Angeles, was a had a close teenage friend by the name of Ray Bradbury, was a longtime fan of movies in general, and had the habit of going to movie studies and collecting the junk that always got thrown away at end of every movie shoot. So much that the head of Univerasal Studios got to know the kid who was a rabid memorabilia collector at the studio, and gave him a note that said, "give this kid anything he wants" When he was 16 he put together a list of all the science fiction and horror films made to date, and published them in a fan magazine called Time Traveller which he edited. He enlisted in the service at the beginning of World War II, and because of his experience editing the schlocky fan magazine, became and editor of a magazine for the military, and after the war worked as a literary agent, and appeared in bit parts a several movies as a result (hung around the studio and when they needed someone more than an extra, he got pulled in). He has appeared in something like a hundred films in a 50 odd year film career as well, but has spent less than an hour on screen. Basically he was so likable that no one at the studios in the ealy days of film could say no to him, so he ended up collecting a lot of junk that would have been lost.

A lot of people did the kind of stuff Ackerman did back in the early days of film, and were not particlarly well off.

My girlfreid's grandfather used to travel back and forth from New York to California a lot in those days and got a part as an extra as a torch wielding villager chasing the monster in the original "Frankenstein",

Famous Monsters, Forrest J, and Zacherle were stables of my childhood. along with saturday afternoon's waiting for "Million Dollar Movies" to do a Rodan, and Godzilla fest.

[Kool Kitty]

2. Absolutely!

I still have a bunch of them somewhere in the attic. I loved that mag.

[Taverner]

3. Was that the show with Dracula, Frankenstien and the Mummy

All turned into good guys by this scientist? 70's era liveaction Saturday morning show that came on after HR Pufnsnuf?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

4. You better believe it...

Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella too.

Ackerman is all over the "Plan Nine Companion" section of the "Plan Nine From Outer Space" DVD...many shots of the "Ackermansion" and his tons of monster memorabilia.

[ikojo]

6. YES!!! I loved it!! nt

[Khephra]

7. I think that was my first exposure to "caption this" type humor

FM always loved to re-caption pictures, didn't they?

[lucidmadman]

8. Oh yeah!.....

...we had a FM club in the 5th grade. Just about the same time the MARS INVADES EARTH cards came out.
Nice memory...thanks.

[Catshrink]

9. Nevah hoid of it.... fill me in please?