Deaditorial

From The Founder/Publisher and Deaditor-In Chief of Girls and Corpses Magazine

Fellow corpses... I knew Forry Ackerman... and I can tell you after dealing with the new owner of Famous Monsters Magazine... that Philip Kim is no Forry Ackerman.

As we celebrate our 25th issue of Girls and Corpses Magazine, I gaze back with awe at the granddaddy of all horror magazines, Famous Monsters of Filmland. Forry was a friend of mine who provided inspiration for Girls and Corpses magazine, along with my childhood favorites, MAD magazine and National Lampoon. 

Forry was always extremely complimentary of Girls and Corpses magazine, when we’d have lunch together, saying we had crafted something “truly original and unique.” So, I was extremely proud to have Forry’s last published interview in Girls and Corpses.  Forry was always full of fun, humor, unique vision and marketing sense. I’ll never forget Forry’s last words, which were filmed from his deathbed and screened at his touching memorial. He said simply and poignantly... “Sci-Fi.”

Famous Monsters of Filmland was recently “bought” back to life in a lawsuit by a self-professed “entrepreneur and private equity investor” named Philip Kim, looking to ride the past glory of FM while making a quick buck, in this ultra challenging publishing environment.

Don’t get me wrong, I was initially intrigued to learn that Famous Monsters of Filmland would be revived, until I dealt with the man who wrangled Famous Monsters (for just $25,000 in a bitter lawsuit) and now is selling FM logos on T-shirts and baseball hats, before he’s even put out one issue of the magazine.

The question is... do we really even need another horror movie magazine?  Rue Morgue and Fangoria have been doing a stellar job covering horror films for decades. I have had great relationships with those publications and consider them my friends. But I can tell you in my humble opinion that Philip Kim will never be in the league with those magazine creators... because he is not a magazine creator.

Kim may be using the Famous Monsters name to build up his own, a noble cause to be sure, but remember that he had absolutely nothing to do with making Famous Monsters what it was for over fifty years.

It took me six years of sweat and blood to build the brand for Girls and Corpses magazine.  But Philip Kim bought someone else’s vision for cash and lawsuits. Where’s the “passion” in that? (Though it was a steal for 25 grand, as reported).

But this is what happens when someone just buys a brand name which he did not create or start from scratch—as Forry Ackerman did for Famous Monsters, Rod Gudino did for Rue Morgue, Tony Timpone did for Fangoria, Jeremy Sheldon did for Horror Hound and Corpsy did for Girls and Corpses.

What Kim doesn’t realize is that it’s not the title of Famous Monsters that made FM great but rather Forrest J. Ackerman. Forry and James Warren could have called their magazine “Grilled Goat” and it still would have become successful because of their ‘original’ vision. And then, today, Philip Kim would own a magazine called “Grilled Goat.” Unfortunately, Famous Monsters will never be Forry Ackerman’s again.

So, next time you are at the newsstand and spot Famous Monsters of Filmland, don’t support this clone; instead grab a copy of Rue Morgue, Fangoria, Horror Hound or Virus Magazine. Or, if you want to wax nostalgic, go on eBay and get yourself original copies of Famous Monsters of Filmland, from when that title meant something special. 

And if you want to read a magazine that’s really different, dark and funny as hell...  just reach around and grab a true original... Girls and Corpses.

You’ll be glad you dead.

Corpsy—

Owt!