Sunday Spotlight: Forrest J Ackerman - The Greatest Sci Fi Fan

   Of all the science fiction fan personalities, none gained as much influence over the genre than Forrest J (no period after the “J,” for James) Ackerman (1916 – 2008). While most fans paid good money to enjoy sci-fi, “Forry,” managed to make money doing it, simultaneously amassing one of the greatest collections of sci-fi, fantasy and horror movie memorabilia ever gathered under one roof. (And sometimes two roofs!)

  Ackerman, or Forry, or The Ackermonster, 4E, 4SJ, Dr. Ackula, or a host of any other nicknames (he had so many), got his start in sci-fi at an early age. While other kids had parents and grandparents who read books to them, Forrest’s grandmother read to him out of the pulp magazines. He would never look back. He was also greatly blessed in the area he lived and grew up in. Los Angeles was central to so many who wrote science fiction, and Forrest took full advantage of having so many great writers living in such close proximity. A precocious young kid, he would bike or bus to the home of some famous writer, knock on the door, and then boldly say, “Hi, I’m Forry Ackerman. I’m a really big fan of yours.” He nearly always got invited in as a result.

  With such connections cemented early on, he became engrossed in every science fiction club Los Angeles had to offer right from the beginning, often starting them himself. The first of these was the Boys’ Scientifiction Club in 1930. He joined the Los Angeles Chapter of the Science Fiction League very early on, and practically ran it. Among those who were regular attendees of that club were Robert A. Heinlein, Leigh Brackett, Henry Kuttner, Jack Williamson, E.E. “Doc” Smith, Ray Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury. With such an all-star ensemble, Forry Ackerman found himself the gatekeeper to the world of science fiction in the city of Los Angeles, and from there, Hollywood itself.

  The summer of 1939 saw the first ever World Science Fiction Convention in New York, and Forry naturally went there, along with a few others from the Los Angeles science fiction clubs, including Harry Harrison and Ray Bradbury. Hosting the event was Donald Wollheim of the Futurians, which was New York’s own notable science fiction club. Forry was delighted to meet Wollhaim, but perhaps not so much the others who were with him. One of the people there with him was a pudgy kid who promptly punched Forry in the stomach when he learned that he was the one who wrote the fanzines so many letters. The pugilist was none other than Cyril Kornbluth. Still, the rest of the convention went well. Forrest got to meet L. Sprague DeCamp, rocketry expert Willy Ley, and some young up-and-comer named Isaac Asimov. Forry and Myrtle Douglas (nicknamed “Morojo,” who was Forry’s girlfriend at the time) made a huge splash when they showed up to the convention in costume! They were dressed in futuristic outfits, put together thanks to Morojo’s skillful needlework, which resembled a cross between a Buck Rodgers outfit and the Wings Over The World uniforms from the H.G. Wells film, Things To Come. Kids pointed at them and shouted, conventioneers looked on in awe, and everyone thought it was a blast. They were the only ones in costume, however. He recalled later that he thought everyone was supposed to be in costume, and was surprised that nobody else was! In subsequent conventions, costumes have been worn by all kinds of attendees everywhere, but Forry and Morojo had been the first to do it. Ironically, Forrest hardly ever wore a costume to a convention again after that. He also ceased being Morojo’s boyfriend. He instead married a Polish Jew named Mathilde Wahrman whom he nicknamed Wendayne (or “Wendy”).

  He did his time in the military during World War II, keeping his interests in film and fiction alive even during that time. The science fiction conventions wouldn’t resume until after the war had ended, but even so, he kept at his favorite hobby, reading up as many science fiction magazines as he could get his hands on. He did some writing for army publications and even some editing for civilian ones. However, after his discharge, he found that his writing experience didn’t quite translate into him becoming an author of science fiction like so many of his friends and acquaintances. He was more of a connoisseur, and he knew it. However, he had lots of contacts, knew many other writers, and had befriended all the major publishers. This helped him eventually build a career as an agent. He edited manuscripts, sold the rights for short stories and novels and brokered film deals. The Ackerman Science Fiction Agency operated at a net loss its first year in 1949, but quickly grew thanks to Forry’s relentless glad-handing. He would eventually have clients as big as A.E. Van Vogt, Jerome Bixby, L. Ron Hubbard, Isaac Asimov, and of course, his old friend, Ray Bradbury. He was making money doing what he did best: shaking hands with fellow science fiction people.

  In 1953, he attended Philcon II in Philadelphia, where the first-ever Achievement Awards were to be handed out. The awards were to be named “Hugos” after Hugo Gernsback. Forry was shocked when the first ever such award, the one for #1 Fan Personality, was given to him! He didn’t know what to say, except that he didn’t think he was the most deserving candidate for the honor. Taking the podium, he bluntly stated, “I appreciate the gesture, I really do, but I really believe that Ken Slater should have it.” 

Then he simply walked off the stage, leaving the award there! Fans were perplexed, his wife Wendy was furious, and Forry himself grew rather embarrassed about the entire thing. Yet the gesture only added to his fame, as many people saw the act of humility as one that could only have been done by a truly great soul. Many years later, Ken Slater graciously returned the award to Forry amidst nagging questions from fans. Today, the official history of the Hugo Awards shows that the first ever such award was indeed given to Forrest J Ackerman.

  Forrest always continued to be a huge fan. He loved hearing about up-and-comers as well as established greats. He was a respected critic as well as an editor and agent, and this gave him a powerful voice. Throughout the 1950’s one of the best ways to get a film or a book noticed was to get it into the hands of Forrest J Ackerman. If he liked what was sent to him, then on it would go to the movers and shakers of publishing and filmmaking. If he didn’t like it, you were stuck on the outside looking in! The decade was awash in the golden age of science fiction books and moviemaking, and Forry was one of its primary conduits.

  In 1957, Forry caught sight of a French cinema magazine which featured a head-shot Werewolf of London on the cover. Impressed, he sent it to Jim Warren, the publisher of a men’s leisure magazine called After Hours, wondering if they could possibly do a magazine like that. The French magazine was only a one-issue specialty edition, but if a similar magazine were made that focused all its attention on silver screen monsters, it could be a big hit among teenagers who had a few coins to spend. Warren agreed, admitting that he’d already suspended publication of After Hours because competition with other magazines such as Playboy had made it a financial failure. But where could they get the material, images and contributors to make such a magazine work?

  Forry immediately knew the answer. He’d amassed one of the largest collections of science fiction movie film photos and memorabilia for nearly 30 years, and had more than enough pictures to supply several magazines for decades! He was also an expert on sci-fi and horror movie history, having been one of the major shapers of the genre from its very beginning. He offered not only to contribute his stills, but also to edit the magazine and use his contacts to supply it with interviews from Hollywood’s biggest horror-genre actors. Skeptical, Warren went to Ackerman’s home to see for himself, and was agog at the amount of material there was to work with! By this time, Forry had pack-ratted so much sci-fi and horror film memorabilia into his home that he and Wendy had to live in a nearby apartment!

  The result of all this was Famous Monsters of Filmland, a magazine which lasted for a quarter of a century. It featured eye-popping images, interviews with film greats, and, of course, monsters. Lots of monsters! It also had articles about special effects, the art of filmmaking, and interesting ways to bring dark creatures of the imagination to life. A regular theme was homage and tribute paid to the great films of classic cinema. Warren wanted more focus on modern films, but Forry was adamant about never forgetting the greats of the past. According to him, the names of Lon Chaney, Sr., Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff must never be forgotten.

  Other copycat magazines quickly sprouted up, but they simply couldn’t compete with Forry’s endless pictographic material and networking contacts. In addition, Famous Monsters provided Forry with new exposure to fans of speculative fiction. The ‘Letters’ section was among the most popular among readers, and fans of the genre quickly grew to love him. He was now a well-known figure to both insiders and outsiders of sci-fi and fantasy. 

  His ever-growing collection of memorabilia also continued to gain attention. He and Wendy had to move to a new and larger home, taking the impressive collection with them. This new location, known as "Son of Ackermansion" (or sometimes, “Ackermansion II”) began to garner talks of sprouting into a public museum in the city of Los Angeles. Such plans fell through, however. As the years went by, he was occasionally forced to auction some items off, sometimes due to lack of space, other times due to simply needing the money. Today, much of Forry’s collection is on display at the Seattle Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.

  With his popularity came occasional film roles, mostly in the form of bit parts and cameos. Among these were The Howling, Night of the Living Dead Part II, and even Michael Jackson’s famous music video, Thriller. Like Stan Lee in later movies based on the Marvel universe, fans delighted in spotting Forry in various scenes and pointing him out. In the end, he would star in over 210 films and documentaries.

  Eventually, Famous Monsters lost its magic. Jim Warren, who was in declining health, became more insistent on featuring modern films, while Forry insisted on continuing to lionize the classics. They bitterly parted their business arrangement in 1983. Without the star-power of Forrest J Ackerman, the magazine soon folded. Years later, it would come back, albeit briefly. But the fame of its star editor would live on.

  In later years, even in declining health, Forry continued to promote the genres of science fiction, fantasy and horror. He did numerous documentaries and edited countless anthologies, many of them covering the history of “sci-fi” (a term he probably invented!). Eventually the time came when he was no longer able to sustain his usual routine. "The Son of Ackermansion" was sold, and much of his collection was either given away or sold to collectors. Peter Jackson (director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy), was the one who bought Forry’s entire collection of King Kong memorabilia. Doctors advised Forry that he oughtn’t travel, which was a big disappointment for a man who had attended nearly every single Worldcon since the very beginning. Finally, on December 4, 2008, “Mr. Science Fiction” passed away at the age of 92, surrounded by friends. All over the science fiction world, people mourned his loss. His longtime friend, Ray Bradbury, would often recount the many times when Forrest would assist him financially or help him to get published, and tears would come to his eyes. It seemed so strange that the man who made such a good living as a science fiction fan, and gave so much of his money away to aspiring artists, should pass away nearly broke.

  But in terms of impact upon science fiction, Forry died a very rich man indeed!

Eric

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