VOTE FOR ME: IT'S RONDO AWARDS TIME AGAIN! Well, You Don't Have to. But, It Would Be Nice.

第13回「ロンド • ハットン クラシックホラー賞」始まる！


Yes, it's true. Love means never having to say you're ugly.

Actually, I'm a bit late to the party on announcing this, since the Nominees and Ballot went online at the beginning of the month; I've been nominated in two categories Best Article (Category 13: ‘The Complete Godzilla Chronology, 1954-2004,’ "Famous Monsters" #274) and Best Blog (Category 19: "The Good, the Bad and the Godzilla"). I'm flattered once again for my blog, which has received it's 6th nomination, and garnering five welcomed "Honorable Mentions"; especially, when it's just something I goof with (maybe I should take it more seriously?).

With that being said, I can't assume full credit in the nomination for ‘The Complete Godzilla Chronology, 1954-2004' (FM #274), because while I did put together and edit each of the annual "Kaiju Issues," I didn't author every entry in this issue (and all the writers are credited on their respective pieces). If, for some bizarre, irrational reason we win this particular award, it will be accepted in the name of all the writers who worked hard on this issue and the champion FM staff: David Chapple, David Eric Dopko, Bob Eggleton, Matt Frank, Mark Jaramillo, David McRobie, Jason Varney, Ed Blair, Holly Interlandi, Dominie Lee, Jennifer Gerritsen, and publisher Philip Kim.

As an optimist, I don't think we're going to win because of the ton of amazing colleagues on the ballot, but its heartwarming and humbling to be nominated amongst so many deserving writers, artists, thinkers, producers and creative folk — truly a monstrous list of superstars. I just like Japanese movies and television shows featuring monsters, mutants and superheroes, and to have whatever work I out there, mostly done for the love of it (because you're not going to make much money from it), well, it's a nice to be recognized for it — and just that simple recognition by your peers is reward enough.

But, if you're family, a friend, or a fan (or fiend) who'd like to see me win a second statue from The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards (never did I believe that I'd win even one), please follow the link below for the official rules and ballot. Now, if you're unfamiliar with any of the categories, you are not required to vote for everyone and everything. You can simply vote in the categories you wish you, and copy and paste them into an e-mail and send them off to the address included in the instructions — and thank you!

(Tim Lucas already has enough of them, already.)

All ballots must be submitted by Midnight, Sunday, April 17, 2015! Fill out your ballot, here:

THE 13TH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS BALLOT

DO I KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE? WHY, YES! August Ragone (hey, that's me) at Big Wow 2014

著者獣ラゴニは「BIG WOW!」で5月17-18日にゲストになります！


Big Wow is heaping on the Famous Monsters and Kaiju this year!

Adding to the great line-up of horror, sci-fi and fantasy guests this year at Big Wow! ComicFest, Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine will host the "Famous Monsters Pavilion," a special area inside the event on May 17th & 18th at the San Jose Convention Center. I will be participating this year to promote the release of the new and updated paperback edition of my book, "Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters" (Chronicle Books), as well as joining in with my fellow FM Grue Crew co-horts to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Big G, himself, Godzilla!


New and improved paperback edition drops May 6th: Click here!

Our special guests from Japan include Heisei Godzilla suit actor, Kenpachiro Satsuma, Original Ultraman suit actor, Satoshi Furuya, and the star of KIKAIDA, Daisuke Ban! Over the weekend, I will also be moderating their panels and presentations, to celebrate their contributions to the genre during this big celebratory year at this monstrous event in San Jose! Joining me will be multi-Hugo Award winning artist (and pal), Bob Eggelton, who has contributed all of the fantastic covers for our annual "Kaiju Issues" of FM, including four (!) amazing covers for this year's issue!


One of four Eggleton covers for FM #274 available at Big Wow 2014!

FM #274 continues our annual tradition of the wildly popular and best-selling "All Kaiju Issue" restarted in 2011 (featuring my Rondo Award-winning interview with Haruo "Godzilla" Nakajima), and each year, the response and demand has gotten bigger, and now it goes critical mass with this year's 60th Anniversary celebration! I can't say more at the moment, Mr. Eggleton's above-featured cover is the Newsstand Edition, while another of the three covers will be a Big Wow! Exclusive — and we'll unveil them all very soon!

There will be more — much more — at this year's Big Wow! x Famous Monsters event at the San Jose Convention Center... Including an all-new "Creatures Con" tribute to the legendary "Creature Features" and horror host, Bob Wilkins! Stay tuned for breaking news as it develops!

KIKAIDA KNOWS THE WAY TO SAN JOSE! Actor Daisuke Ban at Big Wow!: May 17 & 18

キカイダー＝伴大介がサンノゼに登場！5月17・18日 !


Beloved KIKAIDA star Daisuke "Jiro" Ban returns to California!

This spring, Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine brings Kikaida to San Jose's Big Wow! Comic Fest on May 17th & 18th! Actor DAISUKE BAN will be joining Godzilla suit actor Kenpachiro Satsuma and Ultraman suit actor Satoshi Furuya at this year's Famous Monsters Pavilion! Mr. Ban, who played the lead role of "Jiro" in Toei's benchmark 1972 superhero series, KIKAIDA: THE ANDROID OF JUSTICE, will be meeting with fans and signing autographs all weekend! Back in 1975, KIKAIDA captured the imaginations of San Francisco Bay Area kids every Sunday night on KEMO-20 (now KOFY-20) — and we never forgot it!


Medicom backing card art for their Toei Retro Sofubi Collection!

Daisuke Ban also played the lead characters in other Henshin Hero television series for Toei Studios, such as INAZUMAN (1973), NINJA CAPTOR (1976), and BATTLE FEVER J (1979). He also had a recurring role in the RING films and is appearing in the upcoming feature film KIKAIDER: REBOOT (2014)! I will be moderating and hosting the presentations of our Japanese guests (to be announced), as well as signing the new paperback edition of my book, "Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters" (Chronicle Books) at the San Jose Convention Center! Please come down and welcome Mr. Ban back to the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time in over ten years — don't miss this event or it will be the Denji End!

Read more about Mr. Ban's career, here!

Stay tuned for more details on the show, guests, and more by checking out their website: Big Wow! Comics Fest!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 17 Famous Monsters of Filmland #9, 1960

A portrait of Vincent Price was the first cover painted by Basil Gogos!

On the seventeenth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, seventeen Famous Monsters, sixteen Spiders Spinning, fifteen Witches Brewing, fourteen Voodoo Dollies, thirteen Ghosts a-Haunting, twelve Ghouls a-Grumbling, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 19 Uncle Creepy Was Really Creepy Back in '64!

Creepy #1 Cover Art by Jack Davis (1964)!

"On the nineteenth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, nineteen Creepy Uncles, eighteen Eerie Cousins, seventeen Famous Monsters, sixteen Spiders Spinning, fifteen Witches Brewing, fourteen Voodoo Dollies, thirteen Ghosts a-Haunting, twelve Ghouls a-Grumbling, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!"

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 18 Cousin Eerie Creeps Up On Eerie #51 (1973)

Cover Art by Sanjulián (aka Manuel Pérez Clemente)!

"On the eighteenth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, eighteen Eerie Cousins, seventeen Famous Monsters, sixteen Spiders Spinning, fifteen Witches Brewing, fourteen Voodoo Dollies, thirteen Ghosts a-Haunting, twelve Ghouls a-Grumbling, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!"

HARPY BIRTHDAY, FORREST J. ACKERMAN! November 24, 1916 – December 4, 2008

HARPY SHOCKTOBER! It's time for SHOCK IT TO ME!

One of the things that made Monster Kids happy, back in the day.

It's October. My favorite month of the year—the entire 31 days are Halloween, as far as I'm concerned. I guess you know that something is wrong with you when you become visibly excited when your local variety stores have busted out the Halloween decorations... I guess that I've loved Halloween all of my life. Back when I was a wee little monster, there was a much bigger deal made about Halloween But, it seemed to lose something into adulthood. Or was it just me?

When I was growing up, kids went to school in costumes and hundreds of us went Trick-or-Treating; there were horror films and monster movies on all of the local stations and movie theaters (even more than usual in those days), and boy, did I love monster movies. I still do. Monsters were anti-social malcontents that I could live through—because they could express themselves with careless abandon and blatant disregard for societal order—it's no wonder children naturally gravitate towards them—we loved them!

During October, I would put on my own Halloween Parties in our garage, decking it out with dummies adorned with monster masks. I was also very lucky that my mother allowed me to decorate the spare room in our flat with all of the monster stuff I owned—including my collection of Famous Monsters of Filmland and The Monster Times and Aurora model kits—which also doubled as my own private screening room, where I ran those Super 8mm digests of feature films, such as THE VAMPIRE AND THE BALLERINA, all year round.

By the late 1980s, our local horror hosts vanished from the airwaves; and by the 1990s, even local movie theaters stopped booking horror movie marathons at Halloween. I guess that I lost the Halloween Spirit during that decade, and moved on to other interests—becoming a music and events producer (and also concentrated on writing about Japanese Fantasy Films). But, the spectre of "Creature Features" was always creeping in the dark recesses of my mind.

After programming "Godzillafest" in 2004—a big 50th Anniversary celebration of Japanese Monsters—I knocked around the idea of staging an all-day classic horror movie marathon in San Francisco with fellow kook, Michael Monahan (aka "Doktor Goulfinger"). While there were others doing Halloween-themed events across the Bay (most notably, Will "The Thrill" Vaharo's "Thrillville" at the Parkway Theatre in Oakland), San Francisco had nothing.

Armed with our proposal, we approached another lifelong monster kid, Bill Longen, Events Producer at the Castro Theatre. A former film editor at KTVU-2, Bill (who worked on "Creature Features" and ran "Trailers on Tape"), thought that we were nuts—and thus the SHOCK IT TO ME! Classic Horror Film Festival was born. Now, running 8mm reels for the neighborhood kids, has mutated into screening 35mm prints for everyone who loves monster movies! Four years later, Halloween seems much blighter.

So, we hope that you'll join us for SHOCK IT TO ME! on October 17th and 18th... We'll be lurking for you!