Vertlieb’s Ackerman Tribute

Vertlieb brothers and Ackerman

Steve Vertlieb has penned an exceptionally fine tribute to his friend and mentor, Forrest J Ackerman. It contains many good anecdotes and, above all, memories of a life-changing day in 1964:

It was as though the “Book People” in Ray Bradbury’s visionary tale of Fahrenheit 451 had discovered others like themselves and had settled into a new reality in which “monsters” were not only okay, but loving and respectable. Frankenstein and Dracula were, in sweet actuality, soft spoken actors bringing culture and artistry to their profession, while The Wolfman and The Mummy brought simplicity to the screen in their portrayal of very normal human insecurity and fear.

We learned that day that being “different” was being special. It was a healthy education, presided over by the gentle writer and film fan seated at the head of the class. We grew to know him as Uncle Forry for he was, indeed, the kindly uncle we had never known; generous, giving, and able to visualize hitherto unknown worlds that sparkled radiantly within our young imaginations.

[Thanks to Bjo Trimble and Steve Vertlieb for the link.]