We'll Miss You, Uncle Forry!

Seems like you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a site or blog memorializing Forrest J. Ackerman. Good. His passing last week is a loss to the genres of horror and science fiction, and he represents the best elements of fandom. Unlike many modern fans who are star-obsessed, Ackerman found that the magic occurred behind the cameras, alternately admiring and inspiring the disparate likes of Ray Harryhausen and Tom Savini.

Ackerman blazed convention trails, too, almost single-handedly making them an acceptable form of interaction between fan and filmmaker. He was a writer, an entrepreneur, having bought Amazing Stories, named the character Vampirella, written dozens of short stories... the guy did it all. For those in the horror genre, Ackerman will be forever remembered as the creator and editor of the landmark fan magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland.
I was young when I first became aware of the magazine, and, throughout the years, have been impressed by the number of cinematic luminaries, including Spielberg, Carpenter, Peter Jackson, whose eyes light up at the mention of the magazine. The magazine may have deconstructed the hows of special effects, but it never questioned the whys. It was a reverent periodical, that never sought to scoop or bring low, but rather to celebrate an art form. The smiles you see on Uncle Forry's face in publicity stills were in the pages of Famous Monsters, too, creating a magic that exists until this day.

At our worst, we, as fans of the genre, spend time nitpicking details of film, deriding actors or directors for their choices, or mocking the hard work that goes into the more technical aspects of film. Forrest J. Ackerman represented what is best in fandom, true fandom. It was a celebration of creation, of the imagination of filmmakers who saw in Forrest Ackerman a film lover who was willing to go into any territory a film crew could realize. There will never be another like him, and the world is a little poorer for his passing.