Do you remember the ''Famous Monsters of Filmland'' magazine?
The magazine had some great spinoffs, too!
In 1957, a studio maneuver sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry with reverberations that would still be felt decades later. Universal packaged together 52 of their pre-1948 horror movies. The resulting bundle was titled Shock Theater and was sold for television syndication by a Columbia subsidiary called Screen Gems. Fright flicks like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man were broadcast on TV for the first time, ever, and found new audiences with kids that weren't around to see them in theaters.
The most immediate ramification was one that would go on to shape us here at MeTV, as a new genre of television personality emerged. The "horror host" began springing up in different TV markets across the nation, as the likes of Zacherly and Vampirella were brought onscreen to introduce many of these movies to viewers new and old alike. Eventually, the wave would hit Chicago, and before you could say "Berwyn," our beloved coffin-dweller Svengoolie was popular nationwide.
While Sven might be our favorite consequence of the Shock Theater package release, there were plenty of other ways these movies shifted the culture. Namely, they fueled curiosity with a brand new audience, one that could only be satiated in print. In 1958, well before the internet, there was a demand for behind-the-scenes looks at these costumes and creatures that were suddenly on TV. How did Frankenstein look like that? Who did the Mummy's makeup?
Two enterprising publishers met the demand by releasing Famous Monsters in Filmland, a periodical chockful of film photos from all the spookiest horror movies of the day. When publisher James Warren envisioned a one-off publication to capitalize on the popularity of Famous Monsters of Filmland, he enlisted editor Forrest Ackerman to put punny captions under the shocking stills!
When the first issue was published in 1958, the magazine was so successful that a second printing was required to fulfill rabid public demand! In addition to the film photos, Famous Monsters included well-written articles, illustrations, and interviews with horror stars and filmmakers. Ackerman would become a beloved horror figure, as the magazine influenced such talents as Guillermo del Toro, Steven King, and Joe Dante.
So, what we want to know is, did you ever have a copy of Famous Monsters? Does the publication hold a special place in your heart? Would you subscribe to a magazine like this today? Let us know!
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