RIP: Forrest Ackerman

I probably shouldn't admit this, but Forrest Ackerman and William Gaines had an enormous impact on my life. As a kid, Famous Monsters of Filmland and Mad Magazine were the first periodicals that I read on a regular basis. I frankly couldn't be bothered with the antics of bat, super or spider men. I even got my dad to pay for subscriptions (no small feat).

From Wired.com:

Forrest J Ackerman, the Man Who Coined Term 'Sci-Fi,' Dies at 92

...Ackerman said he thought up the term "sci-fi" in 1954 after he heard a radio announcer say "hi-fi."

"My dear wife said, 'Forget it, Forry, it will never catch on,'" he later said, according AP.

FMoF came out years before People or Entertainment Weekly and catered narrowly to science fiction and horror fans. It really didn't offer any serious cinematic analysis and often lumped pure crap in with film classics. However, I'd argue that FMoF generated an appreciation for movies in youngsters just as the "Dick and Jane" series taught them to read. That certainly was the case with me.

I, for one, am glad his wife was wrong.