My Uncle Forry Memories

[Agent Nero]

Hey, people,

   I'm glad to be back on the UMA forum. I joined up about a year ago but I haven't posted here since before UMA graduated from Yahoo into its own forum. 

  What I want to say here is that I'm late in learning about the passing of Forrest J. Ackerman. I just found out about it today and I feel terrible for not knowing about it just after it happened. Uncle Forry's career is a cherished part of my childhood...I will never forget the contributions he made as editor of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND during its Warren years. His puns and quips brought many smiles to my face and I enjoyed his campy but loving take on the classic monsters that we all honor on this forum.  FM has gone on under new publishers since Warren's unfortunate demise but the mag has been a shadow of its former self without Uncle Forry (and Jim Warren) at the helm.

   As a huge fan of the dearly departed Warren Publishing (as you can see by my website The Warrenverse http://angelfire.com/zine2/warrenverse) I will never forget that Uncle Forry wrote the first two Vampirella stories, and though his campy interpretation of the character was cast aside in favor of Archie Goodwin's more serious iteration he still set the basic tone of the vampiric she-warrior.  And it can well be said that without Uncle Forry Warren Publishing may never have gotten off the ground.  His collaboration with Jim Warren that started in 1958 was priceless, and without FM we may never have had any of the other classic horror mags (including present day mags like Dennis Drukentis's SCARY MONSTERS MAGAZINE).

  I really regret never getting to meet Uncle Forry. My health hasn't been great enough for me to travel to the San Diego Comic Con where Uncle Forry has appeared a few times through the years but I would have loved to have shaken his hand and had him autograph one of my books.  So much of my inspiration as a writer came from Uncle Forry's work and I know he will be greatly missed by all monsterphiles.  I'm just glad he lived to a ripe old age...if he left the world  in his younger years monster fandom may never have taken off to the extent that it has.

Hail and farewell, Uncle Forry...I will never forget all that you did for monster fandom and your passing has left us poorer for the loss but nevertheless inspired to carry on in your name.

One question, though...does anyone know what year Uncle Forry was born? I ask this because I would like to provide a tribute to him on The Warrenverse and I would like to include the year he was born and the year that he passed away (2008).

Chris N

[Toy Ranch]

He was born November 24, 1916


Glad you made it over to the new forum. I like your site, it definitely fills a niche that hasn't been otherwise explored much.  Be sure to check out all the Forry tributes in our Cemetery  http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?board=23.0

[Agent Nero]

Thank you for the info, Toy Ranch, and thank you for checking out my site 

  Both were much appreciated. Though I am sad from Uncle Forry's passing I'm glad to be back here. I will definitely check out the other Uncle Forry tributes tonight.

Chris N