‘Zine Review: Rue Morgue #83
Johnny Butane
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Issue #83
October 2008
Seems like just the other day my former editor contacted me about this new horror magazine from Canada who really wanted to start getting U.S. exposure called Rue Morgue. I agreed to check it out, even interviewed the editor-in-chief at the time, Rodrigo Gudino, and thus began a love affair with one of the coolest horror magazines ever produced.
Now Rue Morgue is turning 11 and to celebrate they’ve produced yet another massively amazing issue that’s about twice the size of their normal monthly output, but doesn’t compromise a single ounce of their usual badassness.
The focus for this issue is the 50th anniversary of Famous Monsters of Filmland, the horror magazine that started it all, and as usual the Rue crew threw their all into making sure every aspect of the magazine’s history is covered. To this end there’s a huge interview with the mag’s founder, Forrest J. Ackerman, sidebars about FM’s influence on horror celebs from Joe Dante to Gene Simmons, a walking tour of the Ackermansion in its heyday by Tim Sullivan, an interview with FM artist Basil Gogos and a loving and personal look at Ackerman by his primary caregiver, “>Red Velvet (review) producer Joe Moe.
It’s hard to not get excited by Famous Monsters celebrating its 50th anniversary after reading this, even if it is tainted by the fact that Ackerman is no long running things and had to sell a huge portion of his collection to pay legal fees. If nothing else this issue of Rue Morgue will serve as a heartfelt footnote to a man and a publication whose influence is still felt in our genre to this day and will be for years to come.
But really, that’s only the tip of proverbial iceberg for this issue; you still have the Gore-met’s list of the 50 Essential Gore Films (in chronological order, of course), a look at the twisted art of reclusive artist Michael Hussar (the man responsible for the Army of Darkness poster, among others), mini-reviews of all the Treehouse of Horror episodes of “The Simpsons”, a fantastic article about horror-themed radio programs, a look at Dead Space, Doug Bradley’s “Spine Chillers” and a lot more even before the reviews section kicks in!
There are also some great one-and-two pagers about “>Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, the excellent documentary “>Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (review), the recent release of “>Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 (review) which goes through a great history of the show, the Gore-met’s review of Faces of Death on Blu-ray that rivals “>my own, and more music, comic and DVD reviews than you can shake a stick at.
Essentially, this is an absolutely must-have issue so don’t delay in getting yours now. Hit the official Rue Morgue site to learn even more!
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