The Four Faces Of Doctor Who

The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Tom Baker.

Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels in time and space in his TARDIS, frequently with companions. At the end of life, the Doctor can regenerate his body; as a result, his physical appearance and personality change. Baker portrays the fourth such incarnation, a whimsical and sometimes brooding individual whose enormous personal warmth is at times tempered by his capacity for righteous anger.

His initial companion was intrepid journalist Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), who had traveled alongside him in his previous incarnation, and she is later joined by surgeon Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter). His later companions included robotic dog K9, savage alien warrior Leela (Louise Jameson), Time Lady Romana (Mary Tamm and Lalla Ward), alien teenage aristocrat Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), teen genius Adric (Matthew Waterhouse), and Australian flight attendant Tegan (Janet Fielding).

Baker portrayed the character for seven consecutive seasons, which remains the longest tenure of any actor to portray the lead, counting both the classic and modern series. He is considered to be the most recognizable and iconic incarnation of the Doctor both in the United Kingdom and internationally.

Famous Monsters of Filmland #155 July 1979 Warren Publishing Grade VF - Shop Now

What Makes This Issue Cool

Classic Doctor Who Cover !

The Spaceways Film Smash In ... Starcrash!
The ultimate Italian ripoff of Star Wars starring the super sexy Caroline Monroe is profiled with never seen photos.

The Cat Creeps ... Again
A look back at the 1922 horror The Cat and the Canary plus remakes and films it inspired.

The Four Faces Of Doctor Who
The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) gets profiled in an wonderful article that traces the history of the famed BBC series back to it's roots.

Doctor Who vs The Big Wide Movie Screen
A look back at the two Dalek movies (Doctor Who and The Daleks / Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.) starring Peter Cushing.

25th Century Hero Buck Rogers
A look at the sexy seventies re-imagining of the classic Buck Rogers character starring Gil Gerard.

The Secret Of The Asteroid Is ... Alien
An in depth article about the sci-fi / horror classic Alien.

Those Blood Curdling Beepix
Sometimes film makers didn't have a lot of money so they had to make due with sub par monsters, actors and scripts. Yet we still remember their work even today!

More rare photos from the Forry Ackerman collection in this one!

Ken Hulsey - Monster Island News

A Visit To Monsterpalooza 2010

Above, Frankenstein's monster greets visitors to Monsterpalooza.

A Visit To Monsterpalooza 2010

by Armand Vaquer

The second annual Monsterpalooza show in Burbank appears to be as successful as last year's inaugural event.

Above, a vintage Godzilla toy on display.

No sooner than when I entered the show this morning at the Burbank Marriott Hotel and Convention center I was approached by the show's producer, Eliot Brodsky. We chatted for a little while about me possibly doing a discussion presentation on Japan monster movie locations next year. He said that kaiju historian August Ragone had to cancel his appearance and presentation at this weekend's show.

Above, Lon Chaney, Jr. as the Wolf Man in the Monsterpalooza Museum.

Like last year's show, Monsterpalooza had plenty of cool monster displays throughout the convention center. I was told by Godzilla model kit dealer John Tucky that Saturday's show "got pretty wild."

Above, William Schallert reunited with one of his co-stars.

It was great to see scream-queen actress Michelle Bauer and veteran actor William Schallert (The Man From Planet X, The Patty Duke Show). The highlight for me was meeting actor David Hedison (Live and Let Die, License To Kill, Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea, The Fly). I interviewed Hedison last year for G-FAN magazine.

We talked for a while and I picked up a copy of The Fly At Fifty (that David autographed).

Above, David Hedison and I in front of a life-sized figure of him as "The Fly."

Above, not even death could keep Forrest J. Ackerman away from Monsterpalooza. Actually, this isn't Ackerman's skull, but it was animated and spoke with Ackerman's recorded voice.

As I was leaving the show, I noticed that the convention center was really beginning to fill up. If you haven't gone to a Monsterpalooza, do yourself a favor and go to next year's show.

More photos from Monsterpalooza are here.

Famous Monsters Of Filmland Is Reborn On The World Wide Web

Sources: Famous Monsters of Filmland / Kristen Snyder (Press Release)

Famous Monsters of Filmland is back! Created in 1958 by sci-fi and horror aficionado Forrest J Ackerman, the magazine that captured the imaginations of legions of fans, including some of today's most iconic storytellers and entertainers launches its newly redesigned website, famousmonsters.com.

USA TODAY's David Colton reports that "[Ackerman] was affectionately known as ‘Uncle Forry' by a generation of Hollywood creators such as Steven Spielberg, John Landis, Peter Jackson, Tim Burton and Stephen King, who credited Ackerman's pun-filled Famous Monsters magazine with sparking their careers."

Harry Knowles of 'Ain't It Cool News' says, "Ackerman is one of the founders of my love of cinema . . . and I'm the geek I am because of his magazine."

Legendary sci-fi author Ray Bradbury once said of Forrest, "He changed my life . . . I'm a writer because of him."

Re-imagined on the web at famousmonsters.com, the site will pay tribute to the monsters of old while keeping up with all things current in the world of genre. Over the course of the following months, famousmonsters.com will continue to evolve and grow as we add new features and technology to bring the fans the most cutting edge web experience available today.

Stay tuned to Famous Monsters TV for original programming, Famous Monsters exclusive merchandise, and exclusive feature films available only through famousmonsters.com. As Ackerman said, "You axed for it!"

About Famousmonsters.com

Famousmonsters.com is a cutting edge online portal for all things relating to genre entertainment. Visitors to the site will experience a rich and multifaceted world comprised of videos, games, contests, shopping, social networking, and news.

See Also: "Famous Monsters" Trademark Injunction Won By Philip Kim / Forrest J. Ackerman, 1916 - 2008 / RIP Forrest J Ackerman (1916-2008) / Forrest Ackerman's Health Is Failing Now Is The Time For Fans To Contact Him / Mad Monster Party (1969) /

"Famous Monsters" Trademark Injunction Won By Philip Kim

Above, a vintage issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland.

"Famous Monsters" Trademark Injunction Won By Philip Kim

by Armand Vaquer

The matter over the trademark rights of Famous Monsters of Filmland has taken a sudden and dramatic turn.

David Colton at the Classic Horror Film Board is reporting today that Philip Kim has won a federal injunction against Ray Ferry and Connie Bean over the Famous Monsters of Filmland trademark.

Colton reported:

In a major turning point in the seven-year legal struggle over ownership of Famous Monsters, a federal court Wednesday issued a strongly-worded injunction against Ray Ferry and Connie Bean, ordering them to end all use of the "Famous Monsters" trademark and to stop operating their websites.

Granting a request from Philip Kim, a producer who purchased the Famous Monsters trademark for $25,000 at a bankruptcy sale in 2007, Judge Gary Allen Feess of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, concluded:

"Defendants are hereby ENJOINED from operating the famousmonsters.com, famousmonsters.biz, and filmlandclassics.com websites, and from marketing, selling, or offering to sell any goods or services that contain, or are confusingly similar to, the 'Famous Monsters of Filmland' trademark, or any derivatives thereof, including 'Famous Monsters,' until the present litigation has been fully resolved.

"Defendants failure to comply with this Order may be grounds for contempt sanctions, including possible imprisonment. In addition, Defendants are cautioned that they are not to impose upon this Court any further baseless or frivolous arguments that are directly contradicted or undermined by the evidence in the record, including those that the Court has expressly rejected in this Order.''

This Famous Monsters battle has been an ongoing and sad state of affairs ever since Ferry revived Famous Monsters magazine that later led to a falling out with former Famous Monsters editor, the late Forrest J. Ackerman over tradmark issues. Ackerman won his trademark lawsuits.

Will this prevent future issues of Famous Monsters from seeing print? Right now the matter is in a state of flux. Ray Ferry and Connie Bean, don't plan to roll over without a fight.

I checked the Filmland Classics message board and found no comments from either Ray Ferry or Connie Bean. However, Colton quotes Connie Bean as saying:

"Right now we have no comment until we read it. Also, I caution you all to realize that we will have our day in court. We don't have to react to anything until we are served with it, so that is what we will do. I am assuming according to what I do know, that we move ahead with Shock and Freaky and go from there."

Apparently, neither Ferry or Bean have been served with the injunction at this writing.

It appears that this litigation will ultimately lead to a final resolution of the whole Famous Monsters trademark issue. The federal court seems to think that Kim has a strong case and will prevail.

To read the CHFB forum thread, go here.

Forrest J. Ackerman, 1916 - 2008

by Armand Vaquer

Forrest J. Ackerman, known to many fans of science-fiction and horror, died Thursday night of heart failure. He was 92.

Ackerman, who knew Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr, Vincent Price and Bela Lugosi, was the former editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland and was the one who coined the term, "sci-fi." He was also a literary agent and he discovered his lifelong friend, Ray Bradbury.

He is considered to be the "Godfather" of science-fiction and horror fandom. Although slowed due to the effects of a stroke, Ackerman was still sharp and just as enthusiastic over the sci-fi and horror genres as a twelve-year-old. It was simply a case of a willing mind betrayed by a aging body.

"Uncle Forry" may be gone, but whenever you watch a science-fiction or horror movie, he will be there.

Whenever you attend a sci-fi or horror convention, he will be there.

Whenever you read a science-fiction or horror novel, he will be there.

Whenever you read a sci-fi or horror magazine, he will be there.

RIP Forrest J Ackerman (1916-2008)

Source: Associated Press

I'm so sad, that I can't write about this. Here is the story from the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Forrest J Ackerman, the sometime actor, literary agent, magazine editor and full-time bon vivant who discovered author Ray Bradbury and was widely credited with coining the term "sci-fi," has died. He was 92.

Ackerman died Thursday of heart failure at his Los Angeles home, said Kevin Burns, head of Prometheus Entertainment and a trustee of Ackerman's estate.

Although only marginally known to readers of mainstream literature, Ackerman was legendary in science-fiction circles as the founding editor of the pulp magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. He was also the owner of a huge private collection of science-fiction movie and literary memorabilia that for years filled every nook and cranny of a hillside mansion overlooking Los Angeles.

"He became the Pied Piper, the spiritual leader, of everything science fiction, fantasy and horror," Burns said Friday.

Every Saturday morning that he was home, Ackerman would open up the house to anyone who wanted to view his treasures. He sold some pieces and gave others away when he moved to a smaller house in 2002, but he continued to let people visit him every Saturday for as long as his health permitted.

"My wife used to say, 'How can you let strangers into our home?' But what's the point of having a collection like this if you can't let people enjoy it?" an exuberant Ackerman told The Associated Press as he conducted a spirited tour of the mansion on his 85th birthday.

His collection once included more than 50,000 books, thousands of science-fiction magazines and such items as Bela Lugosi's cape from the 1931 film "Dracula."

His greatest achievement, however, was likely discovering Bradbury, author of the literary classics "Fahrenheit 451" and "The Martian Chronicles." Ackerman had placed a flyer in a Los Angeles bookstore for a science-fiction club he was founding and a teenage Bradbury showed up.

Later, Ackerman gave Bradbury the money to start his own science-fiction magazine, Futuria Fantasia, and paid the author's way to New York for an authors meeting that Bradbury said helped launch his career.

"I hadn't published yet, and I met a lot of these people who encouraged me and helped me get my career started, and that was all because of Forry Ackerman," the author told the AP in 2005.

Later, as a literary agent, Ackerman represented Bradbury, Isaac Asimov and numerous other science-fiction writers.

He said the term "sci-fi" came to him in 1954 when he was listening to a car radio and heard an announcer mention the word "hi-fi."

"My dear wife said, 'Forget it, Forry, it will never catch on,'" he recalled.

Soon he was using it in Famous Monsters of Filmland, the magazine he helped found in 1958 and edited for 25 years.

Ackerman himself appeared in numerous films over the years, usually in bit parts. His credits include "Queen of Blood," "Dracula vs. Frankenstein," "Amazon Women on the Moon," "Vampirella," "Transylvania Twist," "The Howling" and the Michael Jackson "Thriller" video. More recently, he appeared in 2007's "The Dead Undead" and 2006's "The Boneyard Collection."

Ackerman returned briefly to Famous Monsters of Filmland in the 1990s, but he quickly fell out with the publisher over creative differences. He sued and was awarded a judgment of more than $375,000.

Forrest James Ackerman was born in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 1916. He fell in love with science-fiction, he once said, when he was 9 years old and saw a magazine called Amazing Stories. He would hold onto that publication for the rest of his life.

Ackerman, who had no children, was preceded in death by his wife, Wendayne.

See Also: The Witch's Dungeon 40 Years Of Chills An Amazing Tribute To The Golden Age Of Horror / Forrest Ackerman's Health Is Failing Now Is The Time For Fans To Contact Him / Mad Monster Party (1969) / Creature From The Black Lagoon /

Forrest Ackerman's Health Is Failing Now Is The Time For Fans To Contact Him

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Joe Moe via Avery Guerra and David Nelson

I was sent a very sad e-mail this morning from Avery Guerra stating that the great Forrest J Ackerman's health was beginning to go south and he wanted to let all his fans know that his time on this Earth may be short.

This news put me into a bit of a depression honestly. I have been a huge, life-long, fan of Forry and his magazines, "Famous Monsters of Filmland" and "Vampirella". Ackerman has been a huge influence on my career as a writer. I also credit Forry for nurturing may obsession with sci fi and monster films.

"Famous Monsters" was by far the greatest genre magazine ever produced!

Now is the time for monster fans around the globe to tell Forry exactly just how much we loved his work.

Here is a copy of the letter that was forwarded to me from Avery. This letter was originally sent from David Nelson:

I received a call from Forrest J Ackerman's assistant, Joe Moe, yesterday. Forry is not doing well. Forry sends his wishes to all the Monster Bash Brood....he realizes time is short now and is letting the fans know. Our very best to Forry, if you wanted to send a card...now is the time. One time, back in the 1970s, Forry called on us to write cards to Lon Chaney Jr. when he wasn't well...now is the time to send them to Forry:

FORREST J ACKERMAN

4511 Russell Avenue

Los Angeles, CA90027

Joe Moe will keep us updated on the situation.
Our thoughts are with our dear Uncle Forry.

Indeed our thoughts and prayers go out to Forrest at this time.