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FANS OF FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND
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100 posts in this topic

I've just started a new "yahoo.group" devoted to Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. Anyone who is interested in checking it out and/or joining can get to the list by clicking on the following link:

 

http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/Fans_of_Famous_Monsters_of_Filmland/

 

See you in FANS OF FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND!

 

Mike

 

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Edited by Batko
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Questions

What are the keys and rarest issues?

What is the value for 1 now?

and does anybody know if the King Kong(1933) spider pit sequence photo found by Forrest J Ackerman was ever confirmed real?

I love Universal Monster stuff, and I remember these mags were great. :cloud9:

Edited by ComicConnoisseur
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There are a few threads that discuss the FM keys in the past few years that should be pretty easy to find. Lots of keys but mostly due to being hard to find in higher grade or variants. Basically anything before issue 40 are pretty awesome to own. some are certainly worth more than others.

 

Value of issue 1 these days? You can snag real low grade copies for as low as $300 if you look and I have seen NM copies in the 10 grand range, I am sure they go much higher.

 

The spider pit sequence was filmed but from my knowledge after it was cut eventually the negative was lost or scrapped. But check out this video... You'll love it and it'l answer a few questions as well...

 

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Questions

What are the keys and rarest issues?

What is the value for 1 now?

and does anybody know if the King Kong(1933) spider pit sequence photo found by Forrest J Ackerman was ever confirmed real?

I love Universal Monster stuff, and I remember these mags were great. :cloud9:

 

One of the mysteries of the culture of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine is the number of the iconic, classic issues actually printed. From my reading, it would appear that Jim Warren doesn't even know.

In David Horne's massive work on the Warren empire of comics and magazines, "Gathering Horror," he just touches on the number of FM magazines issued. It is mentioned that between the two United States printings of FM #1 there were somewhere between 200,000-275,000 issues printed.

Ironically, Jim Warren told Horne that despite the fact each printing was done by a different publishing house, he knows of no way to distinguish between the first and second printings! Equally ironic is the fact that, although FM #1 is one of the most sought after issues of the magazine, it is also the issue with the highest number of copies printed!

Horne also mentions that in FM #12 the editor states that the average number of issues of Famous Monsters of Filmland printed for each issue up to that point was 116,000.

The rarest issue of FM is the #6 variant with the "MT Graves" sticker. These were only distributed in the Miamia area. There are probably only 5 or 6 known legitimate copies out there and they rarely, if ever, come out on the market.

 

Of all FMs the FM #4 variant with "Ghoul's Eye Sticker" would be second in rarity followed by the regular FM #4 issue.

However, the Holy Grail of all Famous Monsters of Filmland magazines is FM #7 with the "Lucky 7" printed on one of the pages.

 

FM #7 was printed with three variant covers - "Tomorrow's Monsters" (the most common, distributed nation wide); "Roland is Back" (distributed around the Philadelphia area); and "WOR-TV CHANNEL 9" (distributed in the NYC metropolitan area).

 

100 to 200 copies of FM #7 had a "Luck 7" printed on one of the pages of the magazine. The reader would remove the page and send it to FM for a free lifetime subscription to the magazine. THERE ARE NO KNOWN COPIES OF FM #7 WITH THE "LUCKY 7!!!"

The fact that the page had to be removed and sent in to FM to receive the free subscription all but insured that no copies survived. However, anyone with a copy of FM #7 should check it out thoroughly. If a "Lucky 7" copy turns up it will be worth a fortune and "Christie's" auction material! It would be rarer than Action Comics #1!!!

No one seems to know how many issues were printed of British FM ##1 & 2 (the only issues of FM that were printed in the United Kingdom). But, it would seem that the number is miniscule. The CGC census would appear to back that up with only 6 graded/slabbed copies of British FM #1 compared to 63 CGC graded/slabbed copies of the American FM #1. There are 35 CGC graded/slabbed copies of the American FM #2, but only 2 graded/slabbed copies of its British countepart.

Adding to the mystery is the lack of numbers of FMs printed in the U.S. and then shipped to the U.K. for sale. (These were then stamped in the U.K. with a the British price 2'6 within a small circle on the cover of the magazine.) These are not considered a variation by CGC or collectors in general, so there isn't anything to even base a guess on!

 

Suffice it to say that all the early, classic issues of FM up to #20 go from very scarce to rare, especially in high grade condition (7.5 and up). If you've got 'em, keep 'em safe, and store 'em properly! These are genuine collector's items and pieces of history!

 

Mike

 

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129074.jpg.3f0fb56003e07008d2576ef6474b6316.jpg

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Mike-- Thanks for the laying down all the wonderful details about the early FM issues.

 

Any thoughts on the later issues? 38,40? others? 114? It seems different issues that used to be thought scarce or rare are not any longer yet others seem to be coming out as harder to get. (In high grade of coarse) It still seems fairly easy to gather a mid to low grad run of FM's from 20 up to 193 with ease.

 

Thanks again Mike for adding to the mag board.

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Suffice it to say that all the early, classic issues of FM up to #20 go from very scarce to rare, especially in high grade condition (7.5 and up).

 

To be absolutely precise, I think issues 2 - 22 are the toughest ones to find. The #1 had a higher print run and like most first issues, was also more likely to be hoarded and thus preserved. The reason the issues from #23 and upward are more common is that they were still available as back issues when Warren's Creepy hit the newstands and Creepy created many new fans of the monster magazine genre hungry for even more monster reading!

 

Here are scans of five more of my Famous Monsters magazines:

 

15-10-201145800PM.jpg

 

15-10-201145804PM.jpg

 

15-10-201145808PM.jpg

 

 

23-10-201174802PM.jpg

 

23-10-201174805PM.jpg

 

:headbang:

Edited by Hepcat
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I have the British variants of #1 and #2. Are they more sought after or is it the same like the British Comic Variants, maybe 25 to 50% of the US value?

Both issues have the 2'6 price on the cover and were printed in London (says the imprint). The funny thing is, that issue 2 also has "No. 1" written on the cover and on the inside in the directory.

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The irony is that the British variants of FM ##1 & 2 are scarcer than their US counterparts, but are not in as much demand. The result being that they don't sellf for a premium, and in some cases are priced slightly less. (Nostomania lists the British versions at a slightly higher price than the US versions.)

 

If you check out the CGC census of graded/slabbed FM mags you will find 60+ issues of the US FM #1 and only 5 or 6 British FM #1s. There are about 35+ graded/slabbed US FM #2s, but only 2 copies of the British FM #2.

 

The British FM #2 also does not have the plug about the Famous Monsters Club on the front cover as does the US version. In its place it says, "The Monster Who Made a Man." There are some other variations between the mags, but I can't get to my collection to have a look right now. I'm going by memory, so I apologize if I'm off on my numbers or something else.

 

If anyone has a British version of FM #1 for sale feel free to contact me at:

 

Minnesotaguy2001@yahoo.com

 

Thanks!

 

Mike

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The 1966 Famous Monsters Fearbook contained some great ads alongside the great stories:

 

26-10-201162512PM.jpg

 

First one for my holy grail monster item:

 

26-10-201162528PM.jpg

 

Then these as well:

 

26-10-201162531PM.jpg

 

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26-10-201162541PM.jpg

 

Plus the back cover of course:

 

26-10-201162519PM.jpg

 

:headbang:

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The rarest post #25 FMs seem to be #38 and #114, which command premiums on eBay and other sites that offer FM. I think #135 is also a bit rare.

 

Mike-- Thanks for the laying down all the wonderful details about the early FM issues.

 

Any thoughts on the later issues? 38,40? others? 114? It seems different issues that used to be thought scarce or rare are not any longer yet others seem to be coming out as harder to get. (In high grade of coarse) It still seems fairly easy to gather a mid to low grad run of FM's from 20 up to 193 with ease.

 

Thanks again Mike for adding to the mag board.

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Back in the early part of 2008 when my midlife crisis just began to kick into effect a bit, is when I began to seriously consider putting forth an effort to reacquire some of those many beloved lost things that I sold back before I began college in 1980 when I was 18 & sold off my comic book collection & the majority of my monster magazine collection ( keeping only my FANGORIA & CINEFANTASTIQUE collections as I continued on with the latter until it's demise & enjoy my complete run of Fango right up to it's current issue ).

At that point in time, when the idea of ever beginning to collect comics again still seemed absurd to me, I decided to purchase a couple/few issues of Calvin Beck's CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN. With the idea that if I enjoyed it as much as I thought I might, I'd try to put together a full run of all 25 issues plus it's lone annual issue.

And, I did enjoy it. VERY much so. So, I set out to put together said complete run, figuring it would take me about a year or so to do so. But, a funny thing happened on my way to that full Beck run... While spending time searching for issues of CoF on ebay, I began REALLY attracted to all those old issues of FM that I used to own as well. As well as to those that had escaped my clutches in my youth. So, I began to purchase some of those as well.

Then, by about the midway point of 2010 is when my midlife crisis REALLY hit me full force.

So, there I was at 48, sitting there on my laptop when I spotted a story about Dark Horse's release of a new version of another old Warren fav of mine in CREEPY. And, I just dropped everything & headed to the nearest comic shop, one just a mile or so down the road from my place to seek out a copy of CREEPY #1. And my intentions were to do JUST that.

But, once I got inside said LCS I wound up buying a stack of comics. And have been doing so every week since then as well as making online back issue purchases.

All this while continuing with my CoF collection ( which I completed in 2010 ) & still getting the occasional issue of FM too as well.

 

Jim

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BTW, does anyone know of a reputable and accurate price guide for FMs? They are not listed in Overstreet, even though the other comic magazine warren issues are, e.g., Eerie, Vampirella, Creepy. Can someone tell me why this is the case and point me toward a price guide for FM?

 

http://www.nostomania.com/servlets/com.nostomania.HomeServlet

Then click on "MAGAZINES," and then on "PRICING." Click on "F" or write in "Famous Monsters of Filmland." It's self-explanatory.

 

Click on the above link and join NOSTOMANIA for free. With the free membership you will be able to get to the FM price list which has prices for all issues of FM in every grade (both CGC graded/slabbed and ungraded/non-slabbed mags).

 

Mike

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Thanks a million for this.

 

BTW, does anyone know of a reputable and accurate price guide for FMs? They are not listed in Overstreet, even though the other comic magazine warren issues are, e.g., Eerie, Vampirella, Creepy. Can someone tell me why this is the case and point me toward a price guide for FM?

 

http://www.nostomania.com/servlets/com.nostomania.HomeServlet

Then click on "MAGAZINES," and then on "PRICING." Click on "F" or write in "Famous Monsters of Filmland." It's self-explanatory.

 

Click on the above link and join NOSTOMANIA for free. With the free membership you will be able to get to the FM price list which has prices for all issues of FM in every grade (both CGC graded/slabbed and ungraded/non-slabbed mags).

 

Mike

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BTW, does anyone know of a reputable and accurate price guide for FMs? They are not listed in Overstreet, even though the other comic magazine warren issues are, e.g., Eerie, Vampirella, Creepy. Can someone tell me why this is the case and point me toward a price guide for FM?

 

http://www.nostomania.com/servlets/com.nostomania.HomeServlet

Then click on "MAGAZINES," and then on "PRICING." Click on "F" or write in "Famous Monsters of Filmland." It's self-explanatory.

 

Click on the above link and join NOSTOMANIA for free. With the free membership you will be able to get to the FM price list which has prices for all issues of FM in every grade (both CGC graded/slabbed and ungraded/non-slabbed mags).

 

Mike

I like this site as well! (thumbs u

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