When Harry met Forry

Harry Knowles will put the "Famous" back in Monsters!

There will never be another Forry. There is only one Harry.

When Harry Knowles was a little boy dreaming of his future, it was through those visionary goggles that many of us genre fans shared back in those innocent but impressionable times. But Harry was uniquely fortunate to be born to a dad who was already immersed in fandom. See, pop Jay was a memorabilia dealer and sophisticated "insider" to the genre already. Consequently, Harry's journey of discovery began for him a little bit ahead of yours and mine.

Just as some show-biz bios start with our hero being born to "hoofing" parents and spending their first moments in a crib, onstage under a piano - Harry was delivered, mint-in-box, onto a heap of mags, props, posters and collectibles. And like a true advocate, he's never stopped adding to that heap. This familiar love of movies and the-mavens-who-make-them has driven Harry to become ultimately successful with his industry-shaking Ain't It Cool News! website which receives infinite hits per day.

Now Harry has taken on the title of "Editor in chief of Famous Monsters of Filmland.com". Another big-bang in the legacy of our classic horror genre. Bigger and bangier than many of us old-timers can imagine at the moment. The implications for our classic horror stories gaining relevance and a real context for a younger generation of fans cannot be underestimated. You see, Harry Knowles is not just "a" presence in the most modern of mediums like the Internet. He is "the" principle presence.

I could talk all day about why I love Harry or the fact that I believe Forrest J Ackerman would have been thrilled at Harry's involvement in FM (Harry was one of a few individuals Forry asked to speak to at the end of his life). When it comes to Forry, I continue to honor his wishes. As a card carrying atheist from the age of 14, Forry said many times, "Pal, when I die I won't even be aware that I ever lived to collect a single thing or to edit Famous Monsters." So, I don't intend to keep Forry "the man" alive after his well-earned rest. But I will never let the flame of his spirit of inspiration blink out.

The sad reality is, there can never be another Forrest J Ackerman. The happy reality is that Harry Knowles is a completely unique individual who doesn't have to try to be Forry. By simply being Harry he's been able to inspire creativity in our community. By being Harry he has helped ensure that the genre we love still rules the entertainment media. He has fixed it so that we genre fans have an inordinate amount of power over the content of the mainstream, pop-cultural bandwagon. Today, one of my proudest accomplishments, other than standing by Forry's side to the end, has been introducing FM publisher Phil Kim and Harry.

So, get ready fellow fans. There's a new monster-champion in town. One who comes from us old-time classic horror fans but is made up of the fresh new vanguard as well. Thanks to Harry, we may never have to experience a lack of Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Horror material in our lifetimes!

Please support Harry Knowles, Phil Kim, magazine editor Michael Heisler, Jessie, Dominie, Mark, the whole hard working staff - and ME - a contributer and self-appointed ambassador and cheerleader for the new Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine! Help make this the best monster mag ever - then watch what happens!