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Forrest J Ackerman

 
Actor: Forrest J. Ackerman
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Nov 24, 1916
  • Died: Dec 04, 2008
  • Occupation: Actor, Writer
  • Active: '60s, '80s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Horror, Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Mad Monster Party, Curse of the Queerwolf, Vampirella
  • First Major Screen Credit: Horrors of the Red Planet (1964)

Biography

If there is any actor in history who can claim the largest number of roles for the shortest total time onscreen, it's Forrest J. Ackerman. "My film career has lasted over 50 years and my total time on film is probably less than an hour," he mused in an interview in 2002. Starting with a role as an extra in Hey, Rookie (1944), Forry Ackerman had bit parts in nearly a hundred films, never really playing anyone other than himself. He never really had to, because directors who liked him and respected his long campaigns to promote fantastic films and to save film props and memorabilia put him in their films as a mark of their respect. Directors slathered him with makeup and put him in small parts, and you knew you were watching a really low-budget horror movie when you recognized Forrest J. Ackerman beneath the zombie costume. Long before he got in front of a camera, Forry Ackerman was a fan of the movies, and in 1932 he created the first known listing of science fiction and horror films, which was published in the Time Traveler, a fanzine that he edited. Ackerman wrote and published some of the earliest articles about science fiction and fantasy films as a genre, and he and a teenage friend by the name of Ray Bradbury became experts on the subject. More importantly, inveterate collector Ackerman started to accumulate film memorabilia, which at the time was simply thrown away at the end of every film. Universal Studios chief Carl Laemmle became acquainted with the teenager who was a rabid movie memorabilia collector, and in 1932 he wrote a note which read only, "Give this kid anything he wants." Armed with this scrap of paper, Ackerman saved what are now priceless items, including the only known recordings of the soundtracks of The Mummy, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Frankenstein, and other films. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Ackerman enlisted, and thanks to his experience writing for movie fanzines, he spent his war years editing a military newspaper that was published at Fort MacArthur. In 1944 Columbia Pictures decided to shoot the patriotic musical Hey, Rookie at that very base, and Ackerman is seen in a pan shot reading the newspaper that in real life he edited. His first speaking role in a film didn't come until 1947, when he played a heckler in The Farmer's Daughter. By then he had returned to Hollywood, where he continued his memorabilia collecting and worked as a literary agent. Among his clients was Edward D. Wood Jr., who pressed Ackerman to market a science fiction novel he had written. By all reports the dialogue and plot in this tome were as bad if not worse than his screenplays for such gems as Plan 9 From Outer Space, and the book remained both unpublished and unpublishable. (Ackerman, unfortunately, didn't keep the manuscript, which would now be quite a collector's item.) In 1957 Ackerman issued his first professional magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland. Originally planned as a one-shot item, the response was so enthusiastic that Ackerman continued publishing it for over 20 years. Among the many people who claimed inspiration from the magazine were John Landis, Fred Olen Ray, Joe Dante, and John Carpenter. Though Famous Monsters focused on horror films past, present, and in production, they also printed some fiction, including the first story by a teenage fan by the name of Stephen King. The magazine included illustrations of items in Ackerman's collection, and in response to numerous requests he opened his home on a regular schedule and gave guided tours, showing off items like Bela Lugosi's cape and ring, the female robot from Metropolis, and the Martian lander from War of the Worlds. His fame as a publisher and film historian grew as the magazine attracted legions of young fans, and Ackerman had bit parts in an increasing number of low-budget films. Oddly, Forry Ackerman almost had one genuine feature role in 1968, when his friend Boris Karloff convinced director Alex Gordon to audition Ackerman for the part of Ernest Thesiger in a planned remake of The Ghoul. Ackerman got the part, but Karloff died before the first scene was shot. One minor part that Ackerman played was to become a famous in-joke. In Schlock, directed by John Landis in 1973, Ackerman is repeatedly seen in close-up at a movie theater, eating popcorn by the handful while completely absorbed in a terrible monster movie. Thirteen years later, Landis directed Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video and set a scene in the same theater -- with Ackerman sitting right behind Jackson, 13 years older but wearing the same suit, in the same seat, and still eating popcorn. Film buffs who remembered the first movie fell out of their chairs when they saw the video. Landis later gave Ackerman what is to date his longest speaking part as an actor -- his two-minute speech as President of the United States in the film Amazon Women on the Moon. In 1992 Ackerman and his collection were themselves the subject of a movie, Forrest J. Ackerman's Amazing Worlds of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Along with views of material from his collection and interviews with luminaries like Ray Bradbury and Gene Roddenberry, Ackerman is onscreen for most of the film as genial host and all-knowing guide. He had been accumulating the material in that collection for all of 60 years, and though the film shows only a tiny portion of his holdings, it's still mind-boggling. As a new century dawned, Forrest J. Ackerman was still a beloved figure in the film, magazine publishing, and science fiction communities, still acting in the occasional film and television show. Injuries from a fall in front of a shopping center in April of 2002 put a number of projects on the back burner, but he planned to continue work in films and publishing and to reopen his museum of film memorabilia. ~ All Movie Guide
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Forrest J Ackerman

Ackerman at the Ackermansion
Born November 24, 1916(1916-11-24)
Los Angeles, California
Died December 4, 2008 (aged 92)
Los Angeles, California
Pen name Incomplete list: Weaver Wright, Spencer Strong, Walter Chinwell, Allis Villette, Alus Kerlay, Laurajean Ermayne, Alden Lorraine, J. Forrester Eckman, Fisher Trentworth, SF Balboa, Hubert G. Wells, Jacues De Forest Erman, Jone Lee Heard, Sgt. Ack-Ack, and Dr. Acula.
In collaboration with others: Jacques de Forrest Erman (with Wilfred Owen Morley), Geoffrey Giles (with Walter Gillings)[1]

Forrest J Ackerman or Mr. Science Fiction,[2] was for over seven decades one of science fiction's staunchest spokesmen and promoters.

Ackerman was a Los Angeles, California-based magazine editor, science fiction writer and literary agent, a founder of science fiction fandom and possibly the world's most avid collector of genre books and movie memorabilia.[3] He was the editor and principal writer of the American magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland, as well as an actor and producer (Vampirella).

Also called "Forry," "The Ackermonster," "4e" and "4SJ,"[4] Ackerman was central to the formation, organization, and spread of science fiction fandom, and a key figure in the wider cultural perception of science fiction as a literary, art and film genre. Famous for his word play and neologisms, he coined the genre nickname "sci-fi".[5][6] In 1953, he was voted "#1 Fan Personality" by the members of the World Science Fiction Society, a unique Hugo Award never granted to anyone else.[7]

He was also among the first and most outspoken advocates of Esperanto in the science fiction community.[3][8]

Contents

Biography

Born Forrest James Ackerman (though he would refer to himself from the early 1930s on as "Forrest J Ackerman" with no period after the middle initial) on November 24, 1916 in Los Angeles, to Carroll Cridland Wyman (1883–1977) and William Schilling Ackerman (1892–1951).[9][10] His father was from New York and his mother was from Ohio, and she was nine years older than William.[11] He attended the University of California at Berkeley for a year (1934–1935), worked as a movie projectionist, and spent three years in the U.S. Army after enlisting on August 15, 1942.[10][12]

He was married to teacher and translator Wendayne (Wendy) Wahrman (1912–1990) until her death.[3]

Ackerman was fluent in the international language Esperanto, and claimed to have walked down Hollywood Boulevard arm-in-arm with Leo G. Carroll singing La Espero, the hymn of Esperanto.[8]

Career and fandom

Ackerman saw his first "imagi-movie" in 1922 (One Glorious Day[13]), purchased his first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories, in 1926, created The Boys' Scientifiction Club in 1930 ("girl-fans were as rare as unicorn's horns in those days"). He contributed to both of the first science fiction fanzines, The Time Traveller, and the Science Fiction Magazine, published and edited by Shuster & Siegel of Superman fame, in 1932, and by 1933 had 127 correspondents around the world. He was one of the early members of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, and remained active in it for many decades.

He attended the 1st World Science Fiction Convention in 1939, where he wore the first "futuristicostume"[14][15] (designed and created by Myrtle R. Douglas) and sparked fan costuming, the latest incarnation of which is cosplay. He attended every Worldcon but two thereafter during his lifetime. Ackerman invited Ray Bradbury to attend the now legendary Clifton’s Cafeteria Science Fiction Club, where Ray met the writers Robert A. Heinlein, Emil Petaja, Fredric Brown, Henry Kuttner, Leigh Brackett, and Jack Williamson. With $90 from Ackerman, Bradbury launched a fanzine, Futuria Fantasia, in 1939.

Ackerman helped to found the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, a prominent regional organization, as well as the National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F).

Ackerman amassed an extremely large and complete collection of science fiction, fantasy and horror film memorabilia, which, until 2002, he maintained in a remarkable 18-room home and museum known as the "Ackermansion." The house, in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles, contained some 300,000 books and pieces of movie and science-fiction memorabilia. From 1951 to 2002, Ackerman entertained some 50,000 fans at open houses, on one night a group of 186 fans and professionals including astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Ackerman was a board member of the Seattle Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, where many items of his collection are now displayed.

He knew most of the writers of science fiction in the first half of the twentieth-century. As a literary agent, he represented some 200 writers, and he served as agent of record for many long lost authors, thereby allowing their work to be reprinted in anthologies. He was Ed Wood's "illiterary" agent.[16] Ackerman was credited with nurturing and even inspiring the careers of several early contemporaries[17] like Ray Bradbury, Ray Harryhausen, Charles Beaumont, Marion Zimmer Bradley and L. Ron Hubbard.[3]

Ackerman had 50 stories published, including collaborations with A. E. van Vogt, Francis Flagg, Robert A. W. Lowndes, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Donald Wollheim and Catherine Moore and the world's shortest – one letter of the alphabet. His stories have been translated into six languages. Ackerman named the sexy comic-book character Vampirella and wrote the origin story for the comic.

He also authored several lesbian stories under the name "Laurajean Ermayne" for Vice Versa and provided publishing assistance in the early days of the Daughters of Bilitis.[18]) He was dubbed an "honorary lesbian" at a DOB party.[19]

Through his magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland (1958–1983), Ackerman introduced the history of the science fiction, fantasy and horror film genres to a generation of young readers.[20] At a time when most movie-related publications glorified the stars in front of the camera, "Uncle Forry", as he was referred to by many of his fans, promoted the behind-the-scenes artists involved in the magic of movies. In this way, Ackerman provided inspiration to many who would later become successful artists, including Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, Stephen King, Penn & Teller, Billy Bob Thornton, Gene Simmons (of the band Kiss), Rick Baker, George Lucas, Danny Elfman, Frank Darabont, John Landis and countless other writers, directors, artists and craftsmen.

He also contributed to film magazines from all around the world, including Spanish speaking La Cosa: Cine Fantástico magazine, from Argentina, where he had a monthly column for over four years.

In the 1960s, Ackerman organized the publication of an English translation in the U.S. of the German science fiction series Perry Rhodan, the longest science fiction series in history. These were published by Ace Books from 1969 through 1977. Ackerman's German-speaking wife Wendayne ("Wendy") did most of the translation. The American books were issued with varying frequency from one to as many as four per month. Ackerman also used the paperback series to promote science fiction short stories, including his own on occasion. These "magabooks" or "bookazines" also included a film review section, known as "Scientifilm World", and letters from readers. The American series came to an end when the management of Ace changed, and the new management decided that the series was too juvenile for their taste. The last Ace issue was #118, which corresponded to German issue #126 as some of the Ace editions contained two of the German issues, and three of the German issues had been skipped. Forry later published translations of German issues #127 through #145 on his own under the Master Publications imprint. (The original German series continues today and passed issue #2400 in 2007.)

Appearances in film, TV and music

A life-long fan of science fiction "B-movies", Ackerman had cameos in over 210 films, including bit parts in many monster movies and science fiction films (The Howling, Innocent Blood, Return of the Living Dead Part II), more traditional "imagi-movies" The Time Travelers, Future War), spoofs and comedies (Amazon Women on the Moon, Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold, The Wizard of Speed and Time), and at least one major music video (Michael Jackson's Thriller. His Bacon number is 2.

In 1961, Ackerman narrated the record "Music for Robots" created by Frank Allison Coe. The cover featured Forrest Ackerman's face superimposed on the movie robot Tobor the Great. The record was reissued on CD in 2005.

Ackerman himself appeared as a character in The Vampire Affair by David McDaniel (a novel in the Man from U.N.C.L.E. series), and Philip José Farmer's novel Blown. A character based on Ackerman, and his "Ackermansion", appears in the Niven/Pournelle collaboration Fallen Angels.

He appeared on the intro track of Ohio horrorpunk music group Manimals' 1999 album Horrorcore.[21]

Ackerman appeared extensively on-screen discussing his life and the history of science fiction fandom in the 2006 documentary film Finding the Future.[22]

In 2007, Roadhouse Films of Canada released a documentary, Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman. The documentary, available on DVD only in the UK, airs regularly on the BRAVO channel.

Death

Ackerman said, "I aim at hitting 100 and becoming the George Burns of science fiction". His health, however, had been failing, and he last logged in to his Myspace page on March 19, 2008. Friends and fans were encouraged to send messages of farewell by mail.[23] There were several premature reports of his death beginning November 6, 2008.[24]

He died on December 4, 2008,[3][20][25][26] at the age of 92. From his "Acker-mini-mansion" in Hollywood, he had entertained and inspired fans weekly with his collection of memorabilia and his stories.

Writing

Non-fiction

  • A Reference Guide to American Science Fiction Films
  • The Frankenscience Monster, 1969, paperback, Ace Books #25130
  • Forrest J Ackerman's Worlds of Science Fiction
  • Famous Forrie Fotos: Over 70 Years of Ackermemories, 117pp, trade paperback, 2001, Sense of Wonder Press, James A. Rock & Co., Publishers
  • Mr. Monster's Movie Gold, A Treasure-Trove Of Imagi-Movies
  • Worlds of Tomorrow: the Amazing Universe of Science Fiction Art w/Brad Linaweaver. ISBN 188805493X. 178pp. 2004 Collectors Press
  • Lon of 1000 Faces
  • Famous Monster of Filmland #1: An encyclopedia of the first 50 issues
  • Famous Monster of Filmland #2: An encyclopedia of issue 50-100
  • Metropolis by Thea von Harbou - intro and "stillustration" by FJ Ackerman

Anthologies

  • Rainbow Fantasia: 35 Spectrumatic Tales of Wonder, 559pp., 2001, hardbound and trade paperback, Sense of Wonder Press, James A. Rock & Co., Publishers
  • Science Fiction Worlds of Forrest J. Ackerman
  • Best Science Fiction for 1973
  • The Gernsback Awards Vol. 1, 1926
  • Gosh! Wow! (Sense of Wonder) Science Fiction'"
  • Reel futures
  • I, Vampire: Interviews with the Undead
  • Ackermanthology: Millennium Edition: 65 Astonishing Rediscovered Sci-Fi Shorts, Sense of Wonder Press, James A. Rock & Co., Publishers)
  • Womanthology, (w/Pam Keesey) 352pp, hardbound and trade paperback, 2003, Sense of Wonder Press, James A. Rock & Co., Publishers
  • Martianthology (ed.by Anne Hardin), 266pp, hardbound and trade paperback, 2003, Sense of Wonder Press, James A. Rock & Co., Publishers
  • Film Futures
  • Expanded Science Fiction Worlds of Forrest J Ackerman and Friends, PLUS, 205pp, hardbound and trade paperback, 2002, Sense of Wonder Press, James A. Rock & Co., Publishers
  • Dr. Acula's Thrilling Tales of the Uncanny, xiv+267pp. Trade Paper, Sense of Woder Press, James A. Rock & Co., Publishers.

Short stories

  • “Nyusa, Nymph of Darkness “
  • “The Shortest Story Ever Told “
  • “A Martian Oddity”
  • “Earth's Lucky Day “
  • “The Record “
  • “Micro Man “
  • “Tarzan and the Golden Loin “
  • “Dhactwhu!-Remember? “
  • “Kiki”
  • “The Mute Question”
  • “Atoms and Stars”
  • “The Lady Takes a Powder”
  • “Sabina of the White Cylinder”
  • “What an Idea!”
  • “Death Rides the Spaceways”
  • “Dwellers in the Dust”
  • “Burn Witch, Burn”
  • “Yvala”
  • “The Girl Who Wasn't There”
  • “Count Down to Doom “
  • “Time to Change “
  • “And Then the Cover Was Bare”
  • “The Atomic Monument”
  • “Letter to an Angel”
  • “The Man Who Was Thirsty “
  • “The Radclyffe Effect”
  • “Cosmic Report Card: Earth”
  • “Great Gog's Grave”
  • “The Naughty Venuzian”

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ Rock, James A. Who Goes There: Pseudonym Dictionary/Bibliography 1979
  2. ^ Clute & Nicholls, Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (Orbit, London 1993) pp3–4
  3. ^ a b c d e "Sci-Fi's No. 1 Fanboy, Forrest J Ackerman, Dies at 92". Time. December 6, 2008. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1864854,00.html?imw=Y. Retrieved 2008-12-09. "Forrest J Ackerman, who died Thursday at 92 of a heart attack in Los Angeles, was all these things and many more: literary agent for such science fiction authors as Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, A.E. van Vogt, Curt Siodmak and L. Ron Hubbard; actor and talisman in more than 50 films (The Howling, Beverly Hills Cop III, Amazon Women on the Moon); editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine and creator of the Vampirella comic book franchise." 
  4. ^ "Forrest Ackerman Biography on Internet Movie Database". http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0009969/bio. 
  5. ^ "Forrest Ackerman Obituary at Mania.com". http://www.mania.com/scifi-legend-forrest-j-ackerman-passes-away_article_111612.html. 
  6. ^ "This Week In Words: Coining "Sci-Fi" at File:770". http://file770.com/?p=710. 
  7. ^ Official Hugo Awards website
  8. ^ a b Ackerman's personal page about Esperanto.
  9. ^ California Death Index
  10. ^ a b "Forrest James Ackerman (1916–present)". Everythingvampire. http://www.everythingvampire.zoomshare.com/. Retrieved 2008-12-09. "Forrest James Ackerman, science fiction and horror fiction writer and editor, was born on November 24, 1916, in Los Angeles, the son of Carroll Cridland Wyman and William Schilling Ackerman. After attending the University of California at Berkeley for a year (1934–35), Ackerman held a variety of jobs and spent three years in the U.S. Army before founding the Ackerman Science Fiction Agency in 1947." 
  11. ^ 1920 US Census
  12. ^ U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946
  13. ^ "One Glorious Day (1922) at Internet Movie Database". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013459. 
  14. ^ Kyle, David. "Caravan to the Stars," Mimosa #29 [1]
  15. ^ The FANAC Fan History Project, WorldCon Photo Album. "Forrest J Ackerman attended the first World Science Fiction Convention dressed in futuristic garb." [2]
  16. ^ Dragon*Con biography
  17. ^ Robinson, Peter (2006). "Interview with Forrest J Ackerman". Geekson.com. http://www.geekson.com/archives/archivedepisodes/2006/episode081808.htm.  Retrieved August 18, 2006.
  18. ^ McLellan, Dennis (2008-12-06), "Forrest J Ackerman, writer-editor who coined 'sci-fi,' dies at 92", Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-ackerman6-2008dec06,0,6853867,full.story 
  19. ^ Matthesen, Elise. "Vampires and Aliens." Lavender Lifestyles, Nov. 24, 1995. Online copy
  20. ^ a b "Sci-fi superfan Ackerman dies at 92". United Press International. December 6, 2008. http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2008/12/06/Sci-fi_superfan_Ackerman_dies_at_92/UPI-38661228584032/. Retrieved 2008-12-09. "Science fiction superfan Forrest Ackerman, founder of the influential U.S. magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland, has died at 92, a friend says." 
  21. ^ Manimals' home page
  22. ^ http://www.findingthefuture.com
  23. ^ Ain't it Cool News article
  24. ^ These reports originated from a news article on the British Fantasy Society website; a correction was subsequently made. British Fantasy Society website
  25. ^ "Sci-fi's grand old man, Forrest J. Ackerman, dies". Associated Press. December 5, 2008. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/06/entertainment/main4651832.shtml?source=RSSattr=Entertainment_4651832. Retrieved 2008-12-09. "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," had died. He was 92." 
  26. ^ "Forrest J Ackerman". The Guardian. December 7, 2008. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/dec/07/forrest-ackerman-science-fiction-obituary. Retrieved 2008-12-09. "His name also played a small, if oblique, role in popular culture: his middle initial J always appeared without a full-stop, which inspired Homer Simpson's creators; Homer's middle initial J stands for nothing. ... Forrest J Ackerman, writer, editor and literary agent, born November 24, 1916; died December 4, 2008" 

References

External links


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