What's the first Famous Monster of Filmland you remember seeing?

[Jim Bertges]

This is the first issue I ever saw and purchased immediately (accompanied by my 1963 Aurora Frankenstein).

Unfortunately, my copy all but disintegrated over the years and this is a replacement copy. For years I was haunted by the photo of Mr. Sardonicus on the inside front cover. For me it was a truly frightening image.

[MDG]

I don't remember the first one I ever saw, though I know it was at my cousn's house It may have been the Monster World issue with the Santa cover.

But this is the first I remember owning.

[Mike Scott]

For years I was haunted by the photo of Mr. Sardonicus on the inside front cover.

BOO!

[UniversalTim]

#103 Creature cover for me too. Some kid had it on his music stand in band class. Funny how I remember that moment SO vividly! I searched every store I could after that and finally found #105 at the local grocery store. I think I spent about the next 8 or 9 years collecting them all.

Good times, good times.

[ChrisW]

BOO!

You're an evil, evil man!

[michblk]

I saw at school FM107, I couldn't find it at the store, but they did have FM108 which was my first purchased issue.

BK

[Bogey]

I saw at school FM107, I couldn't find it at the store, but they did have FM108 which was my first purchased issue.

BK

Ah, the original Terminator.  Nice!

[Mego73]

You're an evil, evil man!

That's the picture made into a cover painting that was on the first FM I saw in the 1970's. Yes, that face is creepy!

[BlackLagoon]

Wow, the more you guys post these covers, the more I cant get over how absolutely captivating the art work is! I guess due to my age, I literally have a handful of these and theyre from the early 90's..if memory serves me, theyre year in reviews, or something of the sort.

I asked about posters of the covers..but you know what would be great, and if it doesnt exist it should...a coffee table book, of all the cover art work, photo spreads and select interviews. I know in the early 90's Marvel comics did that and its really great. This really deserves such a make over.......because if I have to run back to ebay everytime you guys post a ridiculously cool cover, Im gonna be broke and need a shoe horn to get into my front door!

[Mike Scott]

but you know what would be great, and if it doesnt exist it should...a coffee table book, of all the cover art work

It doesn't have all the FM covers, but Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos has many of the best, mostly shot from the original paintings. It covers Basil's entire career, but is heavy on FM and monsters. Go to amazon and check it out.

[ChrisW]

I second Mike's recommendation - it is definitely required reading!
What's struck me reading the responses is that the first 2 covers I remember were atypical - one was a colored photograph, and the second was entirely covered by type. And yet I couldn't have been more than 5 or 6. Why would seeing these at that age have made such an indelible impression? Obviously the association with monsters... but there was nothing particularily monsteriffic about those covers - especially when you consider the full color cover portraits that were the norm!
Maybe we're pre-wired for monsterfandom - true monster kids, indeed!

[Mike Scott]

- one was a colored photograph, and the second was entirely covered by type.

Either 21 or 22 and 25.

[BlackLagoon]

I second Mike's recommendation - it is definitely required reading!
What's struck me reading the responses is that the first 2 covers I remember were atypical - one was a colored photograph, and the second was entirely covered by type. And yet I couldn't have been more than 5 or 6. Why would seeing these at that age have made such an indelible impression? Obviously the association with monsters... but there was nothing particularily monsteriffic about those covers - especially when you consider the full color cover portraits that were the norm!
Maybe we're pre-wired for monsterfandom - true monster kids, indeed!

I agree..for me I can remember seeing the old Aurora boxes stacked up in my uncles closet as a kid. The artwork on the boxes..not just the monster itself, the colors, the landscape..at such a young age I was just completely "sucked into" those covers. The classic stuff became more scarce as I grew up in the 80's and 90's and I caught the tail end of some FM's which Im happy about. Seeing this artwork, especially since I have never seen it before, the stuff thats been posted..its like seeing those Aurora boxes for the 1st time.

Now to figure out why we're pre-wired..why at 7 was I drooling over beat up Aurora boxes and at 30 something doing the same over old FM covers..that is a whole new topic and thread in itself!