Famous Monsters of Filmland 2 2

[Batko-migration]

Speaking of Mr Gogos, here's a copy of FM # 20 that Fed Ex just dropped off at my door.

 

To me for some unknown reason this is one of the very hardest issues to find a decent copy of, and when they pop up, they can be quite expensive.

 

I've been looking for a nice copy for years now and had a pretty decent one from Atlanta except that the cover was completely split and separated from the book.

 

Then Mike (Batko) snagged a nice one at a very attractive price a few months back after seeing a surprisingly lovely copy top $2K on ebay.

 

For some reason I didn't see this in my usual search but stumbled across it by accident. It far exceeds what I expected to be able to find and was amazingly cheap.

 

It looks like there could be some color touch below the letter S in the LLC although there is no bleedthrough on the inside of the FC.

 

Also the spine was split in spots and has been repaired in some fashion but given the overall attractiveness of this book, I don't care...

 

 

 

That's a pretty good copy of #20! Usually, they look like fesces (I dare not disguise and use the "s" word for fear of being exiled again!) and have tape and creases.

 

The hardest part is finding one with a good spine. #20 is the only issue of FM in the Nostomania catalogue with a notation saying, "This magazine rarely found with unsplit spine."

 

If you don't mind me asking, what did this copy set you back?

 

Speaking of covers, get a look at the heartbreaker FM #15 that I picked up while being banned and unable to report on it ("I'M BACK FROM A MONTH IN EXILE" post). A gorgeous copy with a major spine split! Tell me, is life fair?

 

Mike

 

 

Edited May 11, 2013 by Batko

[nickwire]

i havent seen all the covers so im not sure but do more of the not say "of filmland" or have the numbers on the cover? it looks strange to see it without those things

[Batko-migration]

i havent seen all the covers so im not sure but do more of the not say "of filmland" or have the numbers on the cover? it looks strange to see it without those things

 

Good observation, Nick! All the early covers are not quite the same in this regards as follows:

 

#1: This was supposed to be a ONE-SHOT, so there is no date or issue number on the cover. Just the price.

[/img]

 

#3: This is the first issue that starts the standard type cover with month, year, issue number, price.

 

ALL ISSUES FROM #1-17 HAVE "OF FILMLAND." ISSUES ##18-20 DROP THE "OF FILMLAND" FOR SOME REASON.

 

I CHECKED WITH DAVID HORNE'S "GATHERING HORROR" AND HE CONFIRMS THAT THESE THREE ISSUES DROPPED "OF FILMLAND" ON THE COVER. APPARENTLY, THERE WAS NO PARTICULAR REASON GIVEN.

 

[/img]

YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE THAT ON ##14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 THE YEAR WAS DROPPED. JUST THE MONTH WAS ON THE COVER. ON #19 THE YEAR REMAINED ON THE COVER!

[/img]

Edited May 11, 2013 by Batko

[nickwire]

thats very strange. why drop part of the name from the cover? does it list it in in indica(?)| possibly the name actually changed to that for 3 issues.

[Batko-migration]

thats very strange. why drop part of the name from the cover? does it list it in in indica(?)| possibly the name actually changed to that for 3 issues.

 

Well, if you consider that there were some very "strange" people who created the magazine that might explain it! (No offense to Forry, Jim Warren, or all the others who worked on FM. That was meant in a positive way!)

 

Actually, things like this make any type of collecting interesting whether it's stamps, coins, comics or Famous Monsters (of Filmland).

 

I don't know if it means anything or not, but the cover layout that was set up for FM #3 and continued unchanged tthrough FM #17 was initiated by Jim Warren. He is the one who created and drew the FM #3 cover (which happens to be my all time favorite FM cover).

 

- Mike

 

Edited May 12, 2013 by Batko

[burntboy]

It was $100 for that # 20. Considering what some sellers ask for for Gd copies, I feel it's a bargain.

 

This is the nicest copy I've seen in years after the one you snagged and the $2000 copy.

 

It's funny but after collecting these since I bought Issue #3 off the stand, I never noticed the lack of "Of Filmland" from those few Titles...

[Hepcat]

thats very strange. why drop part of the name from the cover?

 

The "of Filmland" part always made the magazine seem like one of all the other Hollywood movie fan magazines to me as a kid. As a result the magazine always struck me as being for older kids when I was growing up!

 

[Batko-migration]

I just picked up a really clean copy of FM #15 which is a real pain in the butt to get in nice shape. (You all remember my heartbreaker copy that would have been high grade if not for the spine split!)

 

Well, nothing is ever perfect, especially where FM #15 is concerned. Either you have a spine split, clipped coupon, or, in this case, John Zacherley's autograph!

 

"WOW," you say! "OH, NO!," I say!! I prefer mags that were not autographed by anyone, even the celebrity whose picture is on the cover. I can send this in to PSA/DNA, but as was pointed out in a recent thread, even PSA/DNA cannot 100% guarantee the authenticity of a signature. They can only give their expert opinion. (Yes, to whomever I was arguing with in that thread, I concede that you are correct.)

 

Luckily, I don't get my FMs graded and slabbed at CGC. This autograph would knock down the grade.

 

Well, the mag was reasonably priced and is a very nice, sharp looking copy with no spine splits or other defects. The signature looks like Zacherley's based on some that I found on the internet. So, "WHAT, ME WORRY?" (Of course, I will. That's my nature!)

 

- MIKE

 

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2013 by Batko

[Hepcat]

#1: This was supposed to be a ONE-SHOT, so there is no date or issue number on the cover. Just the price.

[/img]

 

#3: This is the first issue that starts the standard type cover with month, year, issue number, price.

 

ALL ISSUES FROM #1-17 HAVE "OF FILMLAND." ISSUES ##18-20 DROP THE "OF FILMLAND" FOR SOME REASON.

 

I CHECKED WITH DAVID HORNE'S "GATHERING HORROR" AND HE CONFIRMS THAT THESE THREE ISSUES DROPPED "OF FILMLAND" ON THE COVER. APPARENTLY, THERE WAS NO PARTICULAR REASON GIVEN.

 

[/img]

YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE THAT ON ##14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 THE YEAR WAS DROPPED. JUST THE MONTH WAS ON THE COVER. ON #19 THE YEAR REMAINED ON THE COVER!

[/img]

 

What happened here?

 

 

I just picked up a really clean copy of FM #15 which is a real pain in the butt to get in nice shape.

 

 

Hey, nice magazine! Pity about the handwriting on the cover though....

 

Edited May 30, 2013 by Hepcat

[Batko-migration]

[quote=Hepcat

 

I just picked up a really clean copy of FM #15 which is a real pain in the butt to get in nice shape.

 

 

Hey, nice magazine! Pity about the handwriting on the cover though....

 

 

Yeah, but it is John Zacherle's writing. I compared it to about a dozen examples that I found and it matches up. He even signed his name with the real spelling - ZACHARLE. They added the "Y" at the end of his name when he started the TV show back when I was about 10.

 

I would have preferred a non-autographed copy, but FM 15 is really hard to find without some sort of issue (spine split, clipped coupon, creases, etc.)

[burntboy]

[quote=Hepcat

 

I just picked up a really clean copy of FM #15 which is a real pain in the butt to get in nice shape.

 

 

Hey, nice magazine! Pity about the handwriting on the cover though....

 

 

Yeah, but it is John Zacherle's writing. I compared it to about a dozen examples that I found and it matches up. He even signed his name with the real spelling - ZACHARLE. They added the "Y" at the end of his name when he started the TV show back when I was about 10.

 

I would have preferred a non-autographed copy, but FM 15 is really hard to find without some sort of issue (spine split, clipped coupon, creases, etc.)

 

I would kill for Zacherly's signature. Shock theater was a huge part of my youth.

 

Those Universal Horror movies were routinely awesome.

 

Next year I'm going to go to Parsippany NJ and get his sig!!!

[427Impaler]

Hello, long time lurker here. I am an avid collector of FM mags and have been filling in my collection on Ebay as of late. I wondered if some of the other FM afficianados could look at this ad: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200930381807&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123#ht_315wt_1399 a close look atr the cover suggested to me that this was one of the reprint copies. My reasons are that the reprint copies were slightly larger books and had more space below the "collectors edition" type on the bottom of the page. This required some photoshop work and both the cover subjects hands to lengthen the original picture. I did send a note to the seller inquiring about this, the response was that the interior paper is old style newsprint and the reprint note on the bottom of page 66 was not there, which would indicate original interior at least..

 

Could someone here compare the ad pic with their copy and confirm or refute this for me? Thanks in advance!

[burntboy]

Here's my take on the subject..

 

1. I was never aware of there being an exact reprint so thanks for that info.

 

2. My first instinct was that this is just a different "cut" of the cover.

 

3. So I pulled out my copy of FM #1 and found that it conformed to your understanding of what the cover routinely looked like. (Less space below COLLECTOR'S EDITION and more space at the top over FAMOUS). BUT that could still be just the cover cutting process.

 

4. I then checked my undercopy of FM #1 and found that it matched the one up for sale almost exactly (more of both Frankie's and the girl's hands) and that particular book became mine over 50 years ago when I traded 50 comics for it to an upperclassman in High School.

 

SO, IMHO I'd agree with the seller that it's the real McCoy...

 

Harry

[Batko-migration]

Here's my take on the subject..

 

1. I was never aware of there being an exact reprint so thanks for that info.

 

2. My first instinct was that this is just a different "cut" of the cover.

 

3. So I pulled out my copy of FM #1 and found that it conformed to your understanding of what the cover routinely looked like. (Less space below COLLECTOR'S EDITION and more space at the top over FAMOUS). BUT that could still be just the cover cutting process.

 

4. I then checked my undercopy of FM #1 and found that it matched the one up for sale almost exactly (more of both Frankie's and the girl's hands) and that particular book became mine over 50 years ago when I traded 50 comics for it to an upperclassman in High School.

 

SO, IMHO I'd agree with the seller that it's the real McCoy...

 

Harry

 

I'm not sure what the original poster means by "reprint." If he is refering to the "reissue" celebrating the 50th Anniversary of FM then this is definitely not that. The paper appears to be the old, crummy paper used by Warren back in the 1950s and 1960s.

 

As I've mentioned before, there were two printings of FM #1 back in 1958. However, Jim Warren admitted in an interview a long time back that even he could not distinguish between the two even though they were printed by two different publishing houses.

 

I concur with Harry and am of the opinion that the magazine for sale is a very nice copy of the original FM #1. But, it has numerous dings and scrapes that are not readily visible. The seller does point some of these out in his photos and description. He doesn't appear to be trying to hide anything.

 

However, I have been following this mag since the auction started and the seller is a bit of a dingbat. He (or she) has changed the price of the opening bid and Buy it Now price at least three or four times. If my memory hasn't failed me, the opening bid was originally $595 and the Buy it Now price was like $1,500.

 

It makes me wonder if they know what they are doing or anything about FM???

 

- Mike

 

 

Edited June 4, 2013 by Batko

[Batko-migration]

BTW, I just checked my reissue copy of FM #1 and it has alot more space under the "Collector's Edition" type than the mag in question.

 

- Mike

[427Impaler]

Thanks for taking the time to compare with some original issues. I am looking for a #1 and would hate to end up witrh something that was not what iwas sup[posed to be. I noticed from the pictures that the interior appeared correct and the seller confirmed there was no commemoritive notation inside. I guess my biggest concern was that someone had "recovered" a book with the re-issue cover. Sounds like that is not the case if there are others out there with the same cut.

 

On another note, FM hunting has been good with several nice copies arriving lately!

 

Cheers!

[burntboy]

Thanks for taking the time to compare with some original issues. I am looking for a #1 and would hate to end up witrh something that was not what iwas sup[posed to be. I noticed from the pictures that the interior appeared correct and the seller confirmed there was no commemoritive notation inside. I guess my biggest concern was that someone had "recovered" a book with the re-issue cover. Sounds like that is not the case if there are others out there with the same cut.

 

On another note, FM hunting has been good with several nice copies arriving lately!

 

Cheers!

 

Best of luck and let us know how it all turns out...

 

harry

[chevalmeow]

I don't collect FM myself but I thought that someone might be interested in this ebay listing I came across Famous Monsters of Filmland #4.

 

Listed as FN? and with a high $28 shipping cost.

[Batko-migration]

I've been following that one and the seller's FM #1. The high shipping cost is because the seller is located in Germany.

 

FM #4 with Ghoul's Eye sticker is the second rarest FM next to FM #6 with the MT Graves sticker. On the surface $390 looks really cheap, but I'm wondering about the condition. The covers don't look too bad at first glance, but the spine is pretty rough and there is a coupon clipped out of the bottom back cover. In addition, this copy look wavy, not flat when laying on the table in the photo. The pages appear very yellow and brittle. Also, the cover has a good deal of foxing, especially on the back cover.

 

Despite its rarity, condition is very important. I am not a professional grader, and grading is very subjective. However, there is no way that I would give this mag a Fine / 6.0. I know it's a moot point, but just looking at the pics to me it looks more like a VG- / 3.5. The highest that I would give it is a VG / 4.0. Both grades are listed with a value of $544 in the Nostomania on-line catalogue.

 

Be that as it may, I, personally, prefer issues in better condition. I couldn't live with this one in its present condition.

 

- Mike

Edited June 5, 2013 by Batko

[Batko-migration]

I sent you a PM. If you're looking for some issues in really nice condition check out my FM ##14 (newstand fresh), 7 (WOR-TV variant), and 2.

 

- Mike