Fangoria was my Bible back in the mid-eighties. I lived for each issue and when one came out the rest of the world faded away. I was starving, desperate for information about horror.
Time passed and horror grew in popularity. Decades raced by and I now know as much about the genre’s past as I need to know. There are exceptions, of course. For instance, Daniel Kraus’s upcoming book about Night of the Living Dead is a masterpiece that every fan should read.
Fangoria shut down for a number of years, and no one was happier than me when they announced the resurrection of the magazine. I immediately signed up for a subscription.
It just wasn’t the same. The magazine changed, the world changed, the genre changed, and I changed.
Why would I read articles by people who know less than me about horror?
The kill shot for me was a worthless piece extolling sluts in horror movies. A sexually active woman is a slut? I guess I just don’t get it. If that’s the kind of journalism the magazine now practices, Fangoria is obviously no longer the resource for me.
I still think back to the days when I was first reading Fangoria. My heart feels a deep pang of nostalgia. I have the old magazines, but I didn’t care for them as well as I should have. They are brittle, tearing, deteriorating. Like me.
Fangoria recently made another announcement. A crowdfunding drive for a big hardcover compendium celebrating the history of the magazine, as well as a digital archive of every single issue.
I went back and forth about it. Yes, I needed it. No, I don’t need to look back any further. The past is done. I say that, but it always seems like the past isn’t done with me.
Like an addictive drug, the rush, the exhilaration I felt for horror was strongest back in the eighties. I try to hold on to the feelings I once had, but it’s impossible. So, I go back and re-read the books and watch the movies.
I relented and pledged toward the Kickstarter drive. Now I wish I hadn’t.
I’m hearing a lot of complaints from the original writers of Fangoria. They claim they are not getting paid for their work to be reprinted. This is obviously a matter of concern.
The real issue here is the original contracts. Does Fangoria still hold the rights for the material? Ownership changed hands. Does that affect it?
The Fangoria Kickstarter drive was successful to the tune of over eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars. That’s a lot of money. Isn’t it?
It isn’t cheap to make nice hardcovers. Publishing isn’t a venture that makes many people rich. Especially a relatively small magazine like Fangoria. There’s rarely much to go around after the bills are paid and all is said and done.
If the writers choose to take legal action against Fangoria, it’s up to the lawyers to decide who owns what and how much, if any, financial compensation will be paid.
Regardless of that, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. My allegiance will always go to the writers. I reiterate that I wish I had never pledged to support the drive. Now the book and digital archives will feel tainted.
If the book even happens. Kickstarter drives aren’t guaranteed. If the writers do pursue legal action, and win, will the backers end up losing their investment?
Is there a satisfying outcome? Maybe the book and archive will be released, but horror journalism pioneers like Tim Lucas and Stanley Wiater get nothing. Perhaps the writers win, but the book never comes out, and the fans get boned. Or best scenario, the writers get paid, a beautiful book is released, but we know Fangoria tried to screw them.
Sluts in horror indeed.
Once upon a time I naively believed horror was one big happy family who loved and were fair to each other. Now I sadly know better. I’ve seen terrible behavior in book publishing, in the words and actions of genre professionals, and from vitriolic fans.
I’ve also had the privilege of knowing some of the best people in the world through the horror genre.
More often than not, these days I’d rather just keep to myself and skip all the drama. Just like back when I started, a simple, happy, horror lover.
Written by Mark Sieber
Time passed and horror grew in popularity. Decades raced by and I now know as much about the genre’s past as I need to know. There are exceptions, of course. For instance, Daniel Kraus’s upcoming book about Night of the Living Dead is a masterpiece that every fan should read.
Fangoria shut down for a number of years, and no one was happier than me when they announced the resurrection of the magazine. I immediately signed up for a subscription.
It just wasn’t the same. The magazine changed, the world changed, the genre changed, and I changed.
Why would I read articles by people who know less than me about horror?
The kill shot for me was a worthless piece extolling sluts in horror movies. A sexually active woman is a slut? I guess I just don’t get it. If that’s the kind of journalism the magazine now practices, Fangoria is obviously no longer the resource for me.
I still think back to the days when I was first reading Fangoria. My heart feels a deep pang of nostalgia. I have the old magazines, but I didn’t care for them as well as I should have. They are brittle, tearing, deteriorating. Like me.
Fangoria recently made another announcement. A crowdfunding drive for a big hardcover compendium celebrating the history of the magazine, as well as a digital archive of every single issue.
I went back and forth about it. Yes, I needed it. No, I don’t need to look back any further. The past is done. I say that, but it always seems like the past isn’t done with me.
Like an addictive drug, the rush, the exhilaration I felt for horror was strongest back in the eighties. I try to hold on to the feelings I once had, but it’s impossible. So, I go back and re-read the books and watch the movies.
I relented and pledged toward the Kickstarter drive. Now I wish I hadn’t.
I’m hearing a lot of complaints from the original writers of Fangoria. They claim they are not getting paid for their work to be reprinted. This is obviously a matter of concern.
The real issue here is the original contracts. Does Fangoria still hold the rights for the material? Ownership changed hands. Does that affect it?
The Fangoria Kickstarter drive was successful to the tune of over eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars. That’s a lot of money. Isn’t it?
It isn’t cheap to make nice hardcovers. Publishing isn’t a venture that makes many people rich. Especially a relatively small magazine like Fangoria. There’s rarely much to go around after the bills are paid and all is said and done.
If the writers choose to take legal action against Fangoria, it’s up to the lawyers to decide who owns what and how much, if any, financial compensation will be paid.
Regardless of that, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. My allegiance will always go to the writers. I reiterate that I wish I had never pledged to support the drive. Now the book and digital archives will feel tainted.
If the book even happens. Kickstarter drives aren’t guaranteed. If the writers do pursue legal action, and win, will the backers end up losing their investment?
Is there a satisfying outcome? Maybe the book and archive will be released, but horror journalism pioneers like Tim Lucas and Stanley Wiater get nothing. Perhaps the writers win, but the book never comes out, and the fans get boned. Or best scenario, the writers get paid, a beautiful book is released, but we know Fangoria tried to screw them.
Sluts in horror indeed.
Once upon a time I naively believed horror was one big happy family who loved and were fair to each other. Now I sadly know better. I’ve seen terrible behavior in book publishing, in the words and actions of genre professionals, and from vitriolic fans.
I’ve also had the privilege of knowing some of the best people in the world through the horror genre.
More often than not, these days I’d rather just keep to myself and skip all the drama. Just like back when I started, a simple, happy, horror lover.
Written by Mark Sieber
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