Wanting to make it a century...

This particular sketch is the first one I did in one of my new sketchbooks. For some reason, it just kind of came to my head. Nothing spectacular, but it was fun...

2008 saw some cultural icons pass away--Bettie Page, Vampira, etc. One in particular was Forrest J. Ackerman...The magazine he edited, Famous Monsters of Filmland, is one of my fondest memories from childhood. He gave us a new vantage point on the Hollywood monsters of the past and insight on those on the horizon. And we got to know, vicariously, those men behind the make-up. Here's a pic of Lugosi, Ackerman, and his wife, Wendayne...

I got involved with the Mo-Kan Comics Festival as it was known in the mid-80's, and in 1986 was in charge of guests...
We were thrilled he was coming, and here are copies of some of the ads we ran in the Comics Buyers' Guide...


He would only travel with his wife. And we were also wanting to get him on tv. At that time, we had our own "ghostess with the mostest" on our local "Creature Feature," "Crematia Mortem!" Forry and Wendy were whisked from the airport by me and a couple of others mid week so as to get him on the show. He brought the Dracula ring and cape, and a few other props from his collection. Here he is hamming it up on the set...

He's been a regular at Comic-Con International, and in 2008 was one of their guests of honor. Here he is with Elvira...I hadn't realized how gaunt and fragile he'd become. He once told me he wanted to make it to his 100th birthday. He got close, as I think he was 94 when he passed.

Always the punster, he had several monikers he went by in his FM days--Dr. Acula, the Frankenscience Monster, Sgt. Ack-Ack, the poor man's Vincent Price, Uncle Forry, and 4E, to name a few, claiming his residence, the "Ackermansion," was located in "Horrorwood, Karloffornia." Supposedly he coined the phrase, "Sci-Fi." He was a lot of fun...

Still working on the "Mark Mangino" drawing, and doing some clutter-reduction. Be Good!