Frontman of the masked, monstrous rock band Slipknot, Corey Taylor, will soon be giving new life to old monsters.
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Earlier this year, Taylor bought the rights to Famous Monsters, the vintage horror fanzine brand. The musician announced its acquisition and his plans for the brand on Friday (Oct. 14) at the Son of Monsterpalooza convention in Burbank, California.
Along with business partner, Mad Monsters magazine’s Eben McGarr, Taylor will be relaunching the zine, as well as releasing toys, producing films, and hosting festivals in the Famous Monsters name.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the frontman discussed the brand, one close to his heart and his childhood, and his plans further. “Our job is to build a foundation to bring Famous Monsters into the modern age, while also honoring the legacy that came before,” he told the outlet, saying the goal is to reconnect the brand with horror fans. “It’s the whole reason that we were fans to begin with.”
The first move consists of a plan to digitize archived copies from the first issue, released in 1958, to the final issue from 1983. “It was the first real place where we, as horror nerds, could feel safe and feel connected feel like we weren’t alone,” he explained. “The internet has made it easy for us to connect, so I want to kind of make this another viable place for them to come.”
Fans will be able to read the issues online for free. The first issue has already been made available, HERE. A plan to also relaunch the magazine officially in an annual or biannual edition is reportedly in the works, but still to be determined.
Taylor explained he also wants to re-establish a Famous Monsters convention, paying homage to the zine’s creator, Forrest Ackerman, and the original publisher Jim Warren. He explained, “We do that by celebrating them at the conventions with special Famous Monsters setups, almost like a moving museum of sorts…”
A dive into the realm of film is also on the table. “I’ve been writing my own scripts now for the last five, six years. And I’m trying to get some of my stuff into production right now,” he said. “There’s a handful that are very, very close. So anything that I put out is instantly going to get the Famous Monsters logo on it.”
Taylor said of his new business venture, “I’m terrified, but I’m also fucking excited because anything worth doing is worth going to the limit for it.”
