My father worked nights and usually got home very late at night. On friday evenings I would be up watching Nightmare Theatre when he got home. Watching Nightmare Theatre was everything to me, every week when we got the new TV guide the first thing I would do is turn to Friday evening at 11:30 and see what monsters would be scaring me on the double feature for that night. As a matter of fact, just recently at a swap meet I saw a box of old TV guides from the 70's, just like when I was a kid I picked some up and looked right at the magic time and there were those great horror classics I am sure I was up that night watching. Oh how I miss those times. One night while I was enjoying two horror greats, my father got home from work and tossed a bag in my direction. I picked up the bag and took out the contents. I couldn't believe my eyes, a magazine called Famous Monsters of Filmland issue #94
What a moment that was, I will never forget the incredible excitment I felt.
From that time on, until this very day, Famous Monsters has become a major part of my life.
I couldn't read these magazines enough, not just the movie stills, but the behind the scene stories and pictures were amazing and all the goodies you could send away for. What utter treasures. Now the Monster club my friends and I had got even more elaborate as we added our Famous Monster fan club cards and badges to the whole shibang. Forry Ackerman became my mentor in all things monsters and horror and I could never pay back to him all that he has given me. Now I have boxes of those great old magazines (thanks for the help Mike) and maybe someday I'll complete the whole set. I'm definetly up for the challenge.
