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| photo credit: tgdaily.com |
I really enjoyed David Konow's article, "The Magic of Famous Monsters" at tgdaily.com.
Konow explores the first issue of Famous Monsters. This is a magazine that King has said qite a lot about, and seems to ahve influenced him deeply as a young man.
The article cites King's book On Writing, in which King recalls the "bright memories" associated with this magazine.
Konow quotes King:
King wrote the introduction to Mr. Monster's Movie Gold, one of the many books Forry had penned over the years, and in it he recalled the first time he ever picked up the magazine at a local newsstand. "I didn't just read my first issue of Famous Monsters," King wrote. "I inhaled it... I poured over it... I damn near memorized that magazine and it seemed eons until the next one."
It wasn't long after King discovered the wonderful world of Famous Monsters that he sent Forry a story he wrote in 1960. It was the very first time King ever sent anything out in the hopes of being published. Ackerman was also a literary agent, he represented Ray Bradbury, L. Ron Hubbard and Ed Wood, and he could have added King to his roster, but unfortunately he rejected the story.I guess King survived being rejected by Ed Wood's agent! -- Haha.
The article recalls a touching scene in which Ackerman met Kingat a book signing in L.A. and had him sign the original copy of a story King submitted in the early sities!
Go read the entire article. I've actually linked to the second part, but both are a great read.
I still have in my possession a copy of the short lived, ill fated 90s revival of Famous Monsters. Two of them to be precise. Both have invaluable backstage stories on the making on three Universal Monster flicks. One of about the making of a very loose Bela Lugosi adaptation of Poe's The Raven (thus beating though not necessarily outdoing Corman and Matheson's late sixties AIP take on the material).
ReplyDeleteThe other is an interview with Ben Chapman, one of two performers to portray the Creature from the Black Lagoon (of It fame, sorry,had to mention that).
The final and my favorite is a full summary and behind the scenes telling of Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein and it's making.
There, now see what you made me do? You done brought out the twelve year old in me and when that kid gets the floor he don't ever shut up.
ChrisC.