Father Geek here... I was in 8th grade back in 1959 (I think) when I became aware of Forry Ackerman. In the band hall one rainy morning a friend pulled a rolled up copy of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND #1 from his tenor sax case, and I haven't been the same since. I rushed home from school that afternoon, mowed the yard next door to my house to earn 50 cents, hopped on my bike and hustled down to the 5 & 10 to buy my own copy, buuuuuut it was no longer there, I had to settle for issue #2. My mind blown, I sent off for a 3 year subscription and ol' Father Geek didn't miss another issue till sometime my junior year in college.
Harry and I got some sad news today from ol' Smilin Jack Ruby... the editor/writer of that phantastic mag, the man who wrote the 1st VAMPIRELLA story for Frazetta to draw, Uncle Forry is in the Hospital for a long stay, and can use all our well-wishes. Still don't know who I'm talking about? Well, he's a lifetime resident of Hollywood. His Grandfather built the Bradbury Building there. The one from THE DEMON WITH THE GLASS HAND, that leaking one from BLADE RUNNER. Forrey acted as the agent for a young Robert Heinlien and more old world-famous Science Fiction writers than you can probably name. He was the 1st to put Stephen King on the printed page. He was a close friend to Lugosi, Karloff, Lorre, Chaney Jr and scores of other classic Horror-SciFi-Fantasy actors and actresses and writers and Directors. He was very very COOL long before there was a word to describe it. He, and boyhood buddies Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen would put on Ray's homemade masks and scare the bejezus out of the other teenagers in the back of dark theaters in the early 30's. They formed the 1st LA Science Fiction club back in their teens.
Well, folks this old geek can use alittle good cheer... He's certainly given us enough of it throughout the years.
Back on Monday, Nov. 24, 1997 Harry posted the following story of our 3rd visit to Forry's Hollywood home/archives. I took loads of pictures as we wandered thru the 4 floors of film and SciFi history. Trip back to that day with us by using the below link and you'll see just who this man is...
Just Click Here For The First of The 6 Part Story With Tons Of Pics
Now here's the note Smilin Jack sent today...
Still don't know who I'm talking about? Well, he's a lifetime resident of Hollywood. His Grandfather built the Bradbury Building there. The one from THE DEMON WITH THE GLASS HAND, that leaking one from BLADE RUNNER. Forrey acted as the agent for a young Robert Heinlien and more old world-famous Science Fiction writers than you can probably name. He was the 1st to put Stephen King on the printed page. He was a close friend to Lugosi, Karloff, Lorre, Chaney Jr and scores of other classic Horror-SciFi-Fantasy actors and actresses and writers and Directors. He was very very COOL long before there was a word to describe it. He, and boyhood buddies Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen would put on Ray's homemade masks and scare the bejezus out of the other teenagers in the back of dark theaters in the early 30's. They formed the 1st LA Science Fiction club back in their teens.
Well, folks this old geek can use alittle good cheer... He's certainly given us enough of it throughout the years.
Back on Monday, Nov. 24, 1997 Harry posted the following story of our 3rd visit to Forry's Hollywood home/archives. I took loads of pictures as we wandered thru the 4 floors of film and SciFi history. Trip back to that day with us by using the below link and you'll see just who this man is...
Just Click Here For The First of The 6 Part Story With Tons Of Pics
Now here's the note Smilin Jack sent today...
Back on Monday, Nov. 24, 1997 Harry posted the following story of our 3rd visit to Forry's Hollywood home/archives. I took loads of pictures as we wandered thru the 4 floors of film and SciFi history. Trip back to that day with us by using the below link and you'll see just who this man is...
Just Click Here For The First of The 6 Part Story With Tons Of Pics
Now here's the note Smilin Jack sent today...
Tim Sullivan called me this morning to say that Forry was back in the hospital after his blood clot from two weeks ago with another one. He gave me the information on how he was doing and I called down there again this afternoon and actually talked to Forry (he's a fighter), who said he's a physical wreck, but that they're estimating he'll be out in three weeks.
If you or anybody wants to send Forry a card, flowers, whatever you think might cheer him up while he's cooped up in the hospital for the next three weeks, the address is:
Kaiser Permanente Hospital... 4867 Sunset Boulevard, Room 650... Los Angeles, CA 90027
They're running a bit on this on the CHUD, and I will update with anything else I hear on the boards.
Smilin Jack Ruby
Father Geek back... I just realized that I didn't mention any of the wonderful films Forry lent his talents to, like as the writer of the fantastic claymation epic horror fest, 1967's MAD MONSTER PARTY, or his effects expertise as the chief Space Ship String Puller on 1955's classic BEAST WITH A MILLION EYES, or as the Technical Advisor on 1971's SATAN'S BLOODY FREAKS. But Uncle Forry wasn't content to remain a faceless man behind the cameras, Noooooo, he was out in front in over 50 Horror/SciFi/Fantasy films. Movies like: THE TIME TRAVELERS, and THE QUEEN OF BLOOD, and SCHLOCK, and THE HOWLING, and BRAINDEAD, and RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 2, and INNOCENT BLOOD, and AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON. He even did non genre flicks like KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE and BEVERLY HILLS COP 3. Yeah his career in front of the camera stretched from the 1940's right to 2001's VAMPIRE HUNTERS CLUB and this year's ATTACK OF THE B-MOVIE MONSTER. He's made us smile along time, now its time for us to return the favor...
