When I began contributing to Dread Central, I was eager to reminisce about the never to be forgotten, Forrest J Ackerman and his astounding legacy. But who has time to look backwards when Ack keeps going “forry-ward” in the here and now? Case in point? In a matter of weeks Profiles In History will hold the greatest genre auction in history, offering prized objects from the collection of the Grand-daddy of all collectors. Gosh! Wow! (Dang)! It’s the Forrest J Ackerman Estate Auction!
Over the years, hardcore collectors have snatched up every existing morsel, crumb and Blob of memorabilia associated with our classic genre heritage. Sure, there’s no shortage of Terrorific collectibles in the form of model kits, prop-copies and photos. But just try and find anything “original” from the golden, silver or, hell – even aluminum-foil era of Imagi-movies? Try finding it for less than a Kong’s ransom! It would be easier to dig up a Pterodactyl Ptooth! But all that is about to change with the coming Acker-auction. Well-known relics from the Ackermuseum of Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror will be up on the block. Obscure ones too! Something for every fan and collector – mogul or minor. Just think! Anyone will have a chance to possess a piece from Dr. Acula’s “Werehouse!”
I’ve previously spoken of Forry’s last wishes here. Now I’ll interview the players charged with making this auction a success. We’ll also take a covetous (OK, downright drooling) look at key pieces being auctioned as we discuss, with other collectors, friends and fans, the historical significance and provenance of Forry’s life’s work.
First I spoke to the Executor of the FJA estate, Kevin Burns about the auction:
Kevin Burns: When I became the trustee of Forry’s estate, it was clear from the written trust and my conversations with Forry that he had given up on the idea of a permanent home for his collection. He’d decided instead that his collection was best left to his friends and fans to purchase items they wanted with the proceeds going to his beneficiaries. Over the years, Forry had many trusts. I’d talked to him previously when he had a much bigger collection and at one point his trust named upwards of 150 friends! But at the end of his life, he had narrowed the list down to 17 people, each of whom he had a very personal connection to. These people had been very good to him, particularly toward the end of his life. These were also people he felt needed his support, encouragement or charity; as opposed to friends of his who were already well off.
JM: Why did you choose Profiles In History to conduct the Acker-auction?
Kevin Burns: Forry’s first consideration was that we offer his collection to the Museum of Science Fiction in Seattle (who had purchased a significant number of pieces earlier). I did call them, but they intimated that Forry’s collection was too big and expensive for them to make an offer on the entire collection. So, I decided rather than trying to sell the collection to one buyer for one price, we should hold an auction. This way the Sci-Fi Museum would still have an opportunity to buy the items they wanted and the fans would have a shot at items too. I was familiar with Joe Maddalena and his people at Profiles In History. Our appraiser for the estate, Brian Anthony had worked with Profiles before in selling key pieces from the original Ackermansion. I also knew Profiles had the best connection to motion picture memorabilia, could authenticate it more accurately and were located locally in Los Angeles. Profiles also honored our wish to make lots affordable to all fans.
JM: Forry would have loved that all of his fans could participate in his auction.
Joe Maddalena of Profiles In History had this to say about the auction:
Joe Maddalena: I have never held a great horror auction before, as the material is just so rare. When Forry’s legendary Lugosi vampire cape, Dracula ring and The Raven robe became available, it opened up a world of possibilities. In addition, I acquired an original Frankenstein one-sheet poster (1931), an original Dracula poster insert (1931) then all the costumes from the new Friday the 13th (2009) movie and this sale snowballed into THE best horror auction to have EVER taken place. People will be blown away to see what’s in this auction. I’m laying out the catalog as I write this – and I’M blown away!
JM: How many items or “lots” do you plan to offer and could the average fan afford anything?
Joe Maddalena: There are over 1200 lots in this auction (100 lots from Forry’s collection) and I would say that 75% of these lots are estimated at just a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. There is something for everyone in this sale and hobby! That’s why this is the fastest growing hobby in the world. All of this great material is still way under valued. Anyway, all interested fans should attend. The fun of an auction is bidding for stuff you really love. Plus, you never know when the killer deal is going to come!
JM: Can you give us a general primer on how this auction will work? A sort of “how to” for the less experienced fan who might like to participate?
Joe Maddalena: The catalog goes “live” on our website April 2nd. You can download the whole thing at: ProfilesInHistory.com. The auction takes place April 30th and May 1st. That’s right! There are so many treasures we need two days to auction them all! You can buy a hard copy of our deluxe catalog for $30.00 by calling us at 1 (800) 942-8856 (a few lucky readers can take Joe Moe’s coming Acker-Quiz and WIN a free copy)! This is a live auction. You can attend in person, bid over the phone, leave absentee bids, or bid on-line LIVE during the sale at: LiveAuctioneers.com.
JM: If Forry was still with us, he’d be in the front row cheering all the action!
Here’s a list of some of the featured items up for auction and commentary on the importance of Forry’s collection by premiere collectors, hobbyists, historians and fans.
Bob Burns is one of Forry’s oldest and dearest friends and has amassed a collection of his own that was inspired by Forry’s and which has grown to rival it. But there was never a rivalry in spirit. Bob was an inspirational and talented FX man himself and always a proud descendent of Forry’s legacy. Visit him at his official site.
2) Lon Chaney, Sr. prosthetic teeth appliances from his make-up kit attributed to London After Midnight. These prosthetic teeth were originally created by Chaney as part of his arsenal of disguise. Created out of an early form of resin, the front of the teeth have been painted white over the natural burnt orange color of the resin. When examining high quality stills from London After Midnight it is evident Chaney had used black paint between the teeth to accentuate the effect. In our opinion, the sharp points of the teeth have been filed down. To the best of our knowledge, Chaney did not utilize such a set of teeth with these distinctions for any other film. These prosthetic teeth were displayed at the Ackermuseum next to the London After Midnight beaver top hat.
Kevin Burns is an Emmy Award winning producer, artist, close Forry-friend and executor of the Forrest J Ackerman estate. He is also the foremost collector of “The Munsters” memorabilia as well as other genre treasures (six Famous Monsters of Filmland cover paintings). Visit him online at PrometheusEntertainment.com.
(Note: In the 90’s, Forry thought his famous ring was lost. He retraced his steps. The last place he remembered wearing it was at a parade. He imagined it must have flown off his finger while waving to crowds. Months later, I decided to give the house one more search. Just before giving up for good, I did the old, “If I were a huge-ass Dracula ring, where would I hide?” Instinctively I went to Forry’s sock drawer and rooted around. Before I pulled my hand out, I knew I’d found it! If you’ve ever left loose change on a dresser then absentmindedly swept it into a drawer that’s ajar, well – mystery solved! The ring was never lost. Just misplaced – Joe Moe).
“Forry was the first major sf collector, acknowledged as such by his peers going back to the 30’s, and his home housed the greatest collection I had ever seen. His Ackermansion was beyond belief and always amazing. You could explore closets, drawers and cubbyholes throughout the house and discover the most astounding items stashed away. I remember on one early visit I opened a kitchen drawer full of pots and pans and there among the utensils were two original 1936 FLASH GORDON pressbooks! I always likened it to going into Aladdin’s Cave and seeing endless mountains of treasure. His collection was indeed both magical and one-of-a-kind, but even moreso, was Forry himself.” – Ronald V. Borst
Pam Keesey is a horror writer, anthologist and historian. She enjoyed a close relationship with Forry and was one of his most treasured friends and houseguests on the occasions she came to “Lugosiangeles” to visit. Pam on Facebook.
Robert J. Taylor has been a teacher, librarian, fan and collector for over 30 years. He is also a good friend of Forry’s (affectionately called “Bobbo”). Aside from gems from the original Ackermansion, Robert owns nearly 2000 pieces of sheet music and regrettably, “more books than I’ll ever be able to read!.” Visit Robert’s Facebook page.
Phil Kim is the LEGAL owner of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. New to the genre, it didn’t take long for Phil to realize that in FM he had more than just a nostalgic title. He had a responsibility to a great legacy that needed to be protected and perpetuated. Forry called Phil, “Kim Kong” and knew FM would be safe in his hands. Visit Famous Monsters of Filmland online!
“Forry Ackerman redefined what it means to be a collector. He reminded us that owning what we love wasn’t as important as sharing what we love with others. I have often said, ” I don’t collect monsters, I collect friends who love monsters!” I know in my heart that it was through Forry’s gracious example that my hobby became the foundation for the strongest friendships of my life. For that, I will always be grateful.” – Daniel Roebuck – Dr. Shocker’s House of Horror
Other auction items include: Bela Lugosi’s signature “Dr. Richard Vollin” robe worn in The Raven, Boris Karloff “Im-Ho-Tep” mummy cloth from The Mummy, Forry’s Mummy ring, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis monocle, other Lugosi items, Chaney garments, paintings, books, paper, autographs, stills, posters and props.
Let’s hope the auctioned pieces will be the seeds for many new collections. Think of it? All those gems spread to the four corners of the globe, taking root as centerpieces in an explosion of genre interest. It is to the benefit of fandom everywhere to treat these relics with the value and respect that Forry instilled in them. It is doubly important that the pieces continue to be shared with fans that love them. As long as new generations are inspired to listen to and tell classic Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror stories, the genre will grow and thrive for us all.
And with that, Mr. Renfield, “I bid you – bid vell!”
– Joe Moe