My Very First Issue Of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND!!

This is the very first issue of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND that I ever got when I was only 7 years old. I was with my Dad when he was shopping at the HARDING WAY NEWSSTAND in Stockton, when this cover literally begged me to get this magazine. It said to me, "Little Boy, Get Me, Read Me!". And Dad bought it for me. Even though I watched Horror Movies at home, it would still be more than 4 years before I would see Bob Wilkins, even though I had heard of him. 1973 would be the year I first saw Bob Wilkins. In fact, It was about 35 years ago this year that I first saw Bob on KTXL TV 40 on Saturday Nights.

Happy 50TH Anniversary FAMOUS MONSTERS!!!

It was 50 years ago on this day (February 27, 1958), that FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND was born to publisher, Jim Warren and Editor In Chief, Forrest J. Ackerman. I first became acquainted with FM in 1968 with Issue #54 (The Alien From INVASION OF THE SAUCERMAN on the cover) when I was 6 years old. While I didn't get every issue when growing up, I got most of them until the 1970's until the Star Wars Issues kind of burned me out and I graduated to FANGORIA. I did every once in awhile during the 1970's checked out other monster magazines like CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE MONSTER TIMES (a cool monster newspaper) and HAMMER'S HOUSE OF HORRORS as well as those CRACKED MONSTER MAGAZINES.(Parodies like MAD MAGAZINE) Though the original FM died in 1983 and a new one was revived by Ray Ferry, it just wasn't the same. In fact he is folding it up this year after 50 issues as well as lawsuits back and forth against 4E. I actually prefered Dennis J. Druktenis's SCARY MONSTERS MAGAZINE anyway. On December 31, 1995, I finally met FJA for the first time at his legendary ACKERMUSEUM. I will never forget that day. If you want to order a replica of FM#1, Ray Ferry is selling it at http://www.filmlandclassics.com/zencart/

February 24, 1968 Schedule: "The Demon Planet" 11:30PM

Bob Wilkins showed a very good Mario Bava Film called THE DEMON PLANET which is actually the TV Title. The original title was PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES which is the title used on both video and DVD. In the 1980's, due to musical rights problems, Orion Pictures (AIP's Successor) replaced the original score on both video and subsequent TV airings by one done by Kendall Schmidt. MGM (the current rights holder) restored the original score for its MIDNITE MOVIES DVD edition.

February 17, 1968 Schedule: "The Spider" 11:30PM

Bob showed this AIP/Bert I. Gordon 1958 Classic again. (The last time, Bob showed this movie on November 12, 1966) This movie was also known as EARTH VS THE SPIDER. I actually prefer this to Universal's better known TARANTULA (1955).

It is available on DVD from LIONSGATE as part of a double feature with WAR OF THE COLLOSAL BEAST.

Sacramento TV Personality, HARRY MARTIN passes away!

Former KCRA TV personality as well as Bob Wilkins Best Friend, HARRY MARTIN passed away today of cancer at the age of 81. Harry Martin graduated from The College Of The Pacific (now UOP) in Stockton in 1951, then he worked at new Sacramento TV Station KCCC Channel 40 as a announcer. When KCCC went off the air in 1957, Harry moved over to KCRA Channel 3 to become Captain Sacto, a children's TV Host with such shows as CRUSADER RABBIT for 6 years. Harry also hosted movies in the 1960's and early 1970's (THE EARLY SHOW and MARTIN AT THE MOVIES). In 1973, Harry went to host the groundbreaking evening entertainment talk show, THE 7:30 SHOW. In 1976, it was renamed WEEKNIGHT and moved to 7:PM, where he cohosted with Bette Vasquez. After leaving WEEKNIGHT in the mid 80's, Harry became KCRA's Fulltime Entertainment Reporter. Harry retired from KCRA in 1988. He made a special appearance on KCRA's 50TH Anniversary in 1997 reprising Captain Sacto. But Harry Martin was Bob Wilkins BEST FRIEND as well as BEST MAN for Bob's wedding to his beautiful wife, Sally. Harry also made appearances on Bob Wilkins Show on KCRA as well as Bob's Final KTXL Show on February 14, 1981. Harry also appeared at the Bob Wilkins Tribute Show at The Crest Theatre last March in Sacramento. Harry's wife, Polly passed away last August of Cancer. Born as HARRY MARTIN UHLENBERG on February 4, 1927, Harry Martin is survived by his daughter, DAYNA, his son, Steven and Five Grandchildren. You can check out his obit at http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/719926.html

February 10, 1968 Schedule: "The Woman Eater" 12:30AM

On this evening, Bob shows a very interesting movie about a mad scientist capturing women to feed his flesh eating plant and somehow creating a serum to bring back the dead.

February 3, 1968 schedule: "The Revenge Of Frankenstein" 12:15AM

Bob Wilkins shows a Hammer Films classic, THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN from 1958 on this particular evening. Peter Cushing again plays Dr. Frankenstein who survived the gallows from the previous movie, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN from help from a dwarf. It is available on DVD via SONY HOME ENTERTAINMENT.