Famous MonstersForryeverDying to keep the memory of Famous Monsters of Filmland alive!
Famous MonstersForryeverDying to keep the memory of Famous Monsters of Filmland alive!
Variant Issue
U.K. Price Variant · United Kingdom Market
FM #1 U.K. Price Variant
United Kingdom Market · Feb-58Printed in London for the British market with a 2/6 cover price instead of the American 35¢, this is one of Warren Publishing's earliest international editions. The interior is identical to the U.S. original — only the price and London imprint differ. While the domestic edition saw estimated print runs of 200,000–275,000 copies across two printings, the UK version is dramatically scarcer, with only a handful of CGC-graded examples known to exist. An early testament to Jim Warren and Uncle Forry's ambitious export strategy, adapting the magazine for international horror fandom at a time when monster movies were just crossing the Atlantic.
Inside This Issue
The one that started it all. February 1958: editor Forrest J Ackerman and publisher James Warren launched Famous Monsters of Filmland #1 — and put themselves right on the cover, Warren mugging in a Frankenstein mask beside Marion Moore, the whole thing cheekily stamped “Collector’s Edition” before the monster-kid craze even had a name. Inside, the formula lands fully formed: the first “Welcome, Monster Lovers” editorial, the Frankenstein story, Paul Blaisdell’s Saucer Men Martians — and Boris Karloff lurking on the back cover as Mr. Hyde. The Big Bang of the monster magazine.
Cover Spotlight
The same historic debut cover — Warren in the Frankenstein mask with Marion Moore — bearing a UK price stamp that makes this among the rarest prizes in early FM collecting.
☠ Collector's Notes
The cornerstone of the entire hobby: Famous Monsters of Filmland #1, February 1958 — the issue that launched the monster-magazine genre. Its “Collector’s Edition” banner proved prophetic; it remains the single most sought-after issue of the run, and the “Welcome, Monster Lovers” editorial set the template every issue would follow.
☠ Don’t just lurk in the crypt
Join the Monster Kids
Talk covers, show off your slabs, and swap finds with fellow fiends. Free to join — the crypt’s always taking new members.
