Forrest J. Ackerman RIP

[Cinemacabre]

RIP 4SJ. Thank you for letting me know that I wasn't alone and that I'll never be alone.

Say "Howdy"  to Prince Sirki for me. He's in for a treat!

And thanks to my UMA "family", I won't have to grieve by myself.

[latex creep]

I was always in awe of the natural warmth and friendliness he conveyed. I couldn't understand how he always stayed positive and unaffected no matter what circumstances surrounded him. Jim Warren said he never saw Forry loose his cool or even raise his voice in all the years they worked on FM.

He gave us so much.

Thank you Forry Ackerman and Goodbye.

[Toy Ranch]

I found this posted on the web.  Something he wrote a few years ago with the intention that it be released upon his death.


IN CONTEMPLATION OF MY INEVITABLE DEMISE
Mothers Day 2003

AT MY AGE, 86 going on 87, it is crystal clear to me that I am nearer the end of my life than the beginning and the thought passes my mind more frequently than it used to before I nearly died twice in 2002 that I'm a mortal man.

Bob Bloch paved the way for the following ruminations with his remarkable revelatory article in the October 1994 issue of the now defunct prestigious slick paper science fiction oriented periodical, Omni. He stated bluntly: I'm going to die. Soon.—Thus absolving me of Harlan Ellison's bitter accusation, "Bob was a very private person and he and his wife Elly resented your blabbing about his impending death at the World Science Fiction Convention." Charles Brown reported that I broke the bad news "in unctuous tones." Gay Haldeman congratulated me on my "gracious handling of the sad news." So much for my exoneration.

Bloch said: "I think anyone who isn't afraid of dying is crazy." So in Bob's estimation I'm crazy.

I wouldn't be afraid of going to sleep one night, having no dreams and never waking up to know I was dead. On his death bed, Al Jolson breathed "I'm going!" I hope kind fate allows me long enough when I feel the end is near to record on tape "Science Fiction", to die with my lifetime passion on my lips, then close my eyes and wait for my last breath.

Let me turn back the clock a moment and explain something that most of you probably aren't aware of. When I was a helpless child, unable to protect myself, my well-meaning parents subjected me to 7 different Sunday Schools before I finally rebelled. When I reached the age of reason, at 15 I had an epiphany and became a born again secular humanist before we had an euphemistic term for atheist. I realized in intellectual clarity that "God" only existed in the immature beliefs of inculcated humans, that ALL religions were unworthy, unnecessary crutches, remnants from supernatural times. Time for childhood's end.

Two Star Gods Fought
With ax and mace.
A spark flew into
The womb of space.
Space nurtured it
And gave it birth.

Now men fight on planet Earth.
--Alan Moss

Peace on Earth.
We sing it.
We've paid a million priests
To bring it.
After 2000 years
Of Psalms
We've got as far as atom bombs.

Touched by the Holocaust, Wendy's two brothers and sister-in-law gave up on God because He either gave up on them and millions like them or else He wasn't the benevolent, all-loving, all-powerful Deity that priests and rabbis portrayed him to be. He either turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the suffering and extermination of impotent innocents or He didn't exist. Same for a Czech friend, whose entire family was slaughtered by Nazis before her very eyes, then she was abducted and forced to be a sex slave for 6 years for Hitler's henchmen. She bears the numbered tattoo of a concentration camp prisoner in case there are any Doubting Thomases that such things existed.

I'm convinced the colossal Cosmos couldn't care less about the little specks of life on Earth called humanbeings.
Nothing has ever occurred in the ensuing 14 lustrums (7 decades, 70 years) to contravene my conviction.

Here's the scenario. Quoting Bloch (I never knew this but suspected it) "The brain is technically alive for 3 or 4 minutes." By prearrangement, a significant other will kiss my cooling lips and whisper in my ear, "Mi amas vin Kvari'—"I love you, Forry." I will feel my eyelids being closed, I will hear a sobbing mixture of voices, "He's gone", We've lost him", "How can we live without him?", "Dear Forry, rest in peace", "I'll never forget you", etc. It will be frustrating not to make a movement, utter a sound, but I know this is what I expected.

When my brain ceases to function and my consciousness evanesces, I will never know there was an individual named Forry Ackerman who loved science fiction with all his heart and nonexistent soul, that he read it, wrote it, collected it, agented it, joined clubs, received awards, attended more World Science Fiction Conventions than anyone else. He will never know he learned Esperanto, traveled all over the globe, welcomed over 50,000 fans into his home. He will never know he was an inhabitant of a planet variously known as Earth, Erde, Terre, Tero and other names in a multitude of languages. He will universe out there with billions of bonfires in the skies called stars. NOTHING will he know.

And what comes afterward among the living? MR. SCIENCE FICTION DIES headline in Locus, various Appreciations. Mundane newspapers give him attention somewhat less than Heinlein's. Like Wendayne before him, a couple of weekends devoted to friends gathering and reminiscing about him. As time goes by, fans will occasionally visit his crypt and place red carnations in the vases there. He'll appredciate it while he's alive but will be unable to see or smell them. He'll suggest photos be taken and sent to Joe Moe at Forry's last address, and if his "Guardian Angel" receives enough of them he will print a page and distribute it to whoever may be interested.

Forry's inert body will gradually molder away until nothing is left but bones once clothed with his flesh. Barring an earthquake, bomb or some unforeseen catastrophe , his remains will remain in his coffin beside his wife. A thousand years from now no one will know or care who Forrest Ackerman was. Maybe one day in the far distant future the very cement surrounding the crypts will crumble and his bones will join those of the dinosaurs before him.

But more immediately. He can imagine some annual award in his memory. Inclusion in a panoply of postage stamps (probably 50c First Class by then) in a sheet of commemoratives remembering important individuals in the development of Science Fiction: Isaac Asimov, James Blish, Hannes Bok, Ray Bradbury, Charles Brown, Edgar Rice Burroughs, John Campbell Jr., Arthur C. Clarke, Groff Conklin, Ray Cummings, Gerry de la Ree, Phillip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, Virgil Finlay, Hugo Gernsback, H.L. Gold, Martin Greenberg, Robert Heinlein, David H. Keller, Damon Knight, Henry Kuttner, David Kyle, Fritz Lang, Ursula Le Guin, George Lucas, Robert Madle, P. Schuyler Miller, Catherine L. Moore, Sam Moskowitz, George Pal, Raymond Palmer, Frank R. Paul, Julius Schwart, Mary Shelley, Steven Spielberg, Olaf Stapledon, Harry Warner Jr., Stanley Weinbum, H.G. Wells, Donald Wollheim, S. Fowler Wright, Jules Verne and who have I overlooked? Shame on me. Descriptions on the back of each stamp by John L. Coker III.

A statue of me may be erected in the museum of the Science Fiction Experience, or better yet an animatronic robot in my form like the one of Abraham Lincoln in Disneyland. A play or movie may be made about me (think of all the roles for Gernsback, Wells, Heinlein, et al, and the challenge for two actors to portray Ellison and Ferry in reel life as mean-spirited toward me as they were in real life.

Well, that's about as far as my ego-orientated imagination can take me.

Soon ring down the imaginary curtain and all aboard for Final Blackout.

Sorry I won't be seeing you Bob Bloch, Hugo Gernsback, Sam Moskowitz, Boris Karloff, war-lost brother Alden, Wendy and scores more in Never Never Land, but you won't miss me.

My maternal grandfather died with a beatific smile on his face as though he were seeing angels or loved ones. Maybe I'll get lucky and imagine my mother calling, as she did when I was a child, "Forry boy, come and take your nap."

My blest wishes for anyone who may care to have them.

[Gary D Macabre]

I am truly comforted in knowing that this was something we all saw coming and that Forry got a chance to be at peace with the inevitable, and knew that we all will remember him and loved him dearly though we may have ever met  him.  Farewell Uncle Forry.

[Wolf Man]

His legacy to monster fans everywhere will not be topped.  Although I knew the end was near I had high hopes we would not hear this news for some time to come.   I hope his headstone is the most creepy, eerie, scary and famous in the graveyard.  He would love that. 

Farewell father of monster fans. 

[Penny Dreadful]

 I knew he was very ill, but it was still a big shock to hear the news.  I just sent him a package this Monday.  The legacy of Forry Ackerman lives on for all time.

[BARON TIMOTHEUS BGG]

Dearest UNIVERSAL MONSTER ARMY FAMILY,
... When a Man, of such Child-like Nature, as our UNCLE FORRY, passes, from this life, knowing the intoxicating taste, of the many real Loves, which he knew, for they enhanced his own shining charisma, what is left, save, to experience LOVE, Directly; the fullness, of his Person-hood, in the FULL-NESS OF LOVE'S PERSON. The "Last Call", of his Earthly Identity, has been, gently, answered.
... Contrary, to his convictions, revealed, above, I trust, that, he, now, knows, better...
... Until we make this Journey, no earthly words can fully describe The Transition; from Dream, to WAKING; from life, to LIFE...

... My DAD, who survived the fiercest battles, of Okinawa and Guam, in WWII, repeated, to me, several times, throughout his life:
                     "There are no atheists, on the battle-field."
... He confirmed, that, so close, to that Ultimate Moment, that uncertain breath, between Life & death, that, there is an Awareness, of THE LIFE BEYOND this one... and, of the Abiding PRESENCE, of THE-ONE-WHO-BE-LOVE.

... Following his own demise, shortly, after his 91st Birthday, DAD went "HOME"... and, returned, several times, AWAKENED, to mend our broken earthly 'Father & Son' bridges, of alienation.
... I met his Spirit, with the LOVE, which, during our corporeal distances, he could not hear, understand, or, in his conditioned finite state, believe.
... There was, in His new experience, of our Spirits' Union, the relief, that, there was no issue, to resolve, that, only Love and Prayers, for him, had filled the unspoken void, of our estranged Earth years. So, he, freely, went on, into "THE PEACE, THAT SURPASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING".

... I Pray and Believe this same Happy Fate, of FORRY. His innate guilelessness will allow him the freedom, to enjoyably measure the Glorious Vastness, and, the True Goodness, of LIFE ETERNAL; to give IT his entire, enthusiastic YES!

... A large portion, of our HEAVEN, upon Earth, the Passion & Spice, Purpose & Drive, of our lives, celebrating such things, as CLASSIC MONSTER MOVIES, and deriving Wisdom, via their contemplation, is a direct result, of who our UNCLE FORRY was... but, even, more, NOW, Who He Is!

... I, too, was honoured, to meet FORRY, at THE MONSTER BASH, two different years; that, he met me, as well as BARON Von WOLFSTEIN, FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER & COUNT DRACULA, that, "I shook the hand, of the man, who shook the" World, with FAMOUS MONSTERS! And, had the privilege, of joining MAX, ROBERT TAYLOR & UNCLE FORRY, in jubilant Song!
... He gave us such a wonderful and HUGE FAMILY, in each other!

... I have found a major niche, in our UMA Limerick celebrations. I've culled the ones pertinent, to FORRY, over the past month.
       BARON TIMOTHEUS BGG Trade Count: (0) Sergeant *****
                Re: WARNING: Irish Limericks Ahead
       « Reply #382 on: November 02, 2008, 08:36:45 AM »
Dear UMA FANG-MILY,
````````````````````````````````
Now, praise, we, FORRY ACKERMAN,
Beloved, for sharing his MONSTER PLAN,
We're, all, His Kids,
With curious Ids,
So, Thank GOD, for 4E's LONG LIFE-SPAN!
`````````````````````````````````
... My Prayers, too, are added, to all, of yours, for UNCLE FORRY'S continued Health & Well-Being, EVERNOW!
````````````````````````````````````````````````````
          « Reply #384 on: November 03, 2008, 04:46:41 PM »
Dear UMA FANG-MILY,
... Our FORRY is, soon, to be Bourne, away, from this infinitesimally finite life, into the Birth, of The Grander Scope, of PURE BEING!
... The Absolute Freedom, of True Identity, with Unparalleled Awareness, Beyond, what any one, of us, can corporeally conceive, of, or, imagine.
... May, all, of the Love, held, long, within his marvelous, wonder-filled, Child-like Heart, prove him, True, to the only BEING, Worthy, of the NAME, of LOVE DIVINE, to Welcome Him, "HOME"!
... An Aulde CHRISTMAS Carol sang, to mind, with slightly changed, yet, specifically Prayerful Lyric.
````````````````````````````````````````
    GOD Rest Ye, FORRY ACKERMAN,
    Let, nothing, you dismay,
    Remember, you are Loved, by us,
    For your Soul, now, we pray,
    That, you may know HEAVEN'S Delights,
    And, THERE, EVERNOW, STAY!
    In GOD'S Abiding Mercy & Joy,
    Mercy & Joy,
    In GOD'S Abiding Mercy & Joy!
`````````````````````````````````````````
               « Reply #386 on: November 07, 2008, 03:22:14 PM »
          THE BRIGHTER SIDE... IS MIRACLE.
      --------------------------------------
   Our Kith and Kin, UNCLE FORRY hath, long, brought us,
   About The CLASSIC MONSTERS, Beloved, he taught us,
   But, Life is, far, more,
   And, what's, in store,
   Past our finite world; LOVE'S LIFE, soon, will, BIRTH him; the Ultimate PLUS!
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
         « Reply #387 on: November 08, 2008, 09:22:11 AM »
Dear UMA FANG-MILY,
... Ah, November! Birth month, of BORIS, SARA, &, on November 24, 1916, our Beloved UNCLE FORRY! He is, still, with us, remaining, until the final note, of his Earthly Song. May he surpass this up-coming Birthday, with Flying Colours!
EXANIMO EVERNOW,
TIMMY & THE BARON & FRIENDS, GOO-O-OODD-D!, B.G.G.
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
             « Reply #388 on: November 08, 2008, 11:10:11 PM »
  HAPPY BELA-ted BIRTHDAY, UNIVERSAL MONSTER ARMY!!!   
---------------------------------------------------------------------
A BIRTHDAY TOAST, to our FANG-MILY, THE DEAR OLDE UMA,   
Where CLASSIC MONSTER KIDS know, that, they can, happily, play,   
Difficult, to believe, that, it's, now, NUMBER SIX,   
I know, though, that, we'll, never, "call it quits",   
For, our Love, of UNIVERSAL MONSTERS, will remain, as strong, as it is, today!   
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
EXANIMO EVERNOW,
TIMMY & THE BARON & FRIENDS, GOO-O-OODD-D!, B.G.G.
Page [26]

[martinpowell]

I was one of the lucky guys who grew up with Forrest J Ackerman and his Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. I began collecting the mag with issue # 34 and always sought it out to buy, cherishing it even higher than my comic books.

There's not the slightest doubt in my mind that I'd be a much different (i.e. miserable) person without the influence of Uncle Forry.

Fortunately, we finally got to meet in the early 90s where we both were guests of Dragon Con in Atlanta. It was a very great moment for me, and I made a point of telling Forry that.

We'll never know his like again. Long as the Universal monsters are watched, long as science fiction endures, Forrest J Ackerman--as he used to repeat regarding Lon Chaney--will never die.

R.I.P Uncle Forry

[packy120353]

Man, talk about making the world a better place. He turned his passion into a way of life for thousands. And what insight he had to his own head and heart. An inspiration in life and beyond. He was wrong about one thing, he does and will live on. Sorry to make this a picture post, I just want share in memory this picture which is the centerpiece of my Monster collection.


And I hope he wouldn't mind this one of Forry Zacherle and Gogos. - I promise that's all.



- and thanks to Dan Roebuck for breaking this hard news to the group. And now I wish Joe Moe could have been elected Monster Kid of the Year while 4E was alive, for  dedication to his caretaking. He would have liked that.

[raycastile]

Thanks Bobby for posting that essay by Forry.  It is "so Forry" that it feels like having him back for one last round before he throws his change on the table and says good night.  I think that's the effect he intended when he wrote it.

Like most of us, I've been expecting/dreading this every day since October.  In fact, every time I've logged onto the UMA or checked my email, I've expected to see a "Forry RIP" message.  And today it finally came.

There was fandom before Forry, but it was a gaseous cloud floating in a primordial vapor.  Forry gave it shape and substance.  He created a world for us to inhabit, a solid globe on which we can walk, and from which we can launch rockets to carry us where our imagination and ambition will take us.

As others have said, without Forry there would be no UMA, no CHFB, no HMA, no Monster Bash, Chiller, Wonderfest, etc.  I don't think there would be Aurora monsters, Don Post calendar masks, head speakers, soakies, AHI figures, Lincolns, Tomlands, Telcos, Sideshow toys, etc, etc, etc.  There would be no Alice Cooper or Rob Zombie albums.  Countless filmmakers and authors would have grown up to do something more sensible with their lives, like becoming accountants, lawyers or real estate developers.

Yes, the books and movies were there before Forry and Famous Monsters.  Shock Theater was already on TV.  Don Post and Topstone already had monster masks.  But Forry took these scattered light rays and focused them into a laser beam, a super death ray he used to carve out a new world of horror/sci fi fandom.

We, the children of Forry, took his vision into the 21st Century.  We used this newfangled invention called the "Internet" to take Forry's child through its adolescence to adulthood.  The world he created is now more active, more organized, more empowered than ever.  Forry built the launch pad and helped us build the rocket.  Now its up to us to take it from here.  We are his legacy.  He knew that.  I heard him say it with my own ears.  He considered us all his "children."

From what I've read, it sounds like Forry died on his own terms, just as he'd lived.  I'm glad our Uncle Forry exited this world with dignity and grace, knowing he was loved and appreciated.  If you have to go, and we all do, what a way to do it.

[depressedlarrytalbot]

Here's hoping Forry was wrong enough to find himself somewhere fantastic that complements and perfects his loves and strivings on this mortal plane. If he was right - well, no harm done, and good enough.

I will picture him forever asleep, glasses pushed back into his hair, beneath piles of correspondences on an Ackermansion couch.

I was too far away to ever see the Ackermansion, but he kindly sent me an autographed portrait of himself as Frankenstein, drawn by Bill Nelson I think. I'm sure a great many here at the UMA have one of these, not that that makes them less special. A friend once asserted that Forry probably had a secretary to sign that stuff, but there was no mistaking the distinctive handwriting on the bottom.

Thanks for sharing with a distant kid in the Antipodes, 4SJ.     RIP.

[ScaryCreature]

I never had the privilege of meeting Mr. Ackerman or corresponding with him as many of you have.  I envy you for that because I think that he was truly a great man and I certainly would have liked to have known him.  But, in my own little way I suppose I really DID get to know him through his magazines and the influence they had in my life.  I consider that influence very positive.

So Rest In Peace, Mr. Ackerman!  You deserve it!  See you on the other side........

[Gasport]

Terrible news that you could never "prepare" yourself for...we all knew it was coming and now Forry and the cherished piece from our collective childhood that connects us is gone. Only in the physical form though... His work is done. He brought all of us together almost as if that was his plan all along, so how could we ever forget him?  He'll always be here.

Terry, i request that the photo of Forry which now graces the UMA Home Page remain there permanently.  The embodiment of us all... His welcoming image should be the first thing anyone who visits the UMA sees upon entering. I also pray he's wrong about an afterlife, because the only comfort i can take is that he's now with all the people he loved and admired during life. Rest easy,
                                                                                                                               Mike G

[Tom Smith Monsternut]

A life well lived is a life where you touch  hearts and minds and also inspire the spirit of imagination in others !
Forry did that . He will be missed.
RIP FJA !

Tom

[The Spangler]

 This is sad, yet not at all unexpected news...but all the sadder to me after reading an earlier post.   So long Forry.