Vintage Magazine: Famous Monsters of Filmland, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Cover-Pg. 13)

This month I bring you something a little different. Instead of vintage comics, I'd like to visit a vintage magazine, 'Famous Monsters of Filmland'. This series ran from 1958-1983. This is the father of horror magazines, which inspired all sorts (including my personal favorite, Fangoria). Originally conceived as a one-off, the first issue was so popular that they had an unexpected 25 year run! In fact, the first issue had to have a second printing because it sold out so fast.

What this magazine did that was so special, is that it reminded audiences (especially of the younger variety at the time) of the horror icons who had come and gone before, the silent greats like Lon Chaney Sr. This is a gem of archiving in general, because it preserves stills and stories that would otherwise have been lost forever if someone hadn't come along to show why they were so wonderful. The history of this magazine is so rich, I can't just describe it in a few select paragraphs, and I encourage you to explore it for yourselves. In the meantime, here's the first part of the first issue which I will be sharing this October.