Fangoria

Fangoria
source
Name	Fangoria
Type	Monthly magazine
Format	Print and digital
Foundation	1979
Founder	Garry W. Marshall Norman Lear
Owner	Various
Headquarters	New York City
Language	English

Fangoria Fangoria is an American horror film fan magazine known for covering horror film production, special effects makeup, and genre culture. Founded in 1979, it became a central publication for fans of John Carpenter and George A. Romero while chronicling developments tied to studios such as New Line Cinema, Universal Pictures, and A24 (company). The magazine bridged communities around filmmakers like Dario Argento, Tobe Hooper, and Guillermo del Toro while tracking award seasons including the Academy Awards, Saturn Awards, and Scream Awards.

History

The periodical emerged amid late 1970s fandom that followed releases like Star Wars and Alien (film), launching during an era shaped by independent producers such as Roger Corman and distributors like New World Pictures. Early editorial leadership cultivated relationships with effects artists including Rick Baker, Tom Savini, and Stan Winston, positioning the magazine alongside institutions like The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival. Through the 1980s the title documented the slasher cycle linked to films like Halloween (1978 film), Friday the 13th (franchise), and A Nightmare on Elm Street while reporting on studios and creators navigating the MPAA and home video expansion involving VHS distributors and retailers like Blockbuster LLC. Corporate changes saw ownership transactions with entities related to Bonnier AB and later groups tied to publishing houses and private investors. Editorial shifts paralleled broader media transitions as web outlets and platforms including YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook altered fan engagement. The magazine weathered print industry contractions that affected peers such as Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly and adapted through digital editions, licensing, and partnerships with production companies.

Content and Features

Coverage emphasized practical effects and makeup techniques with step-by-step profiles of practitioners such as Kevin Yagher, Greg Nicotero, and Paul A. Woods, often alongside behind-the-scenes access to productions from Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and independent outfits like IFC Films. Regular departments featured interviews with directors including David Cronenberg, Wes Craven, and Sam Raimi; retrospectives on franchises like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (franchise), Hellraiser, and The Exorcist; and columns examining novelists such as Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Anne Rice. The magazine ran photo spreads, poster galleries, and product reviews for home media releases from distributors like Shout! Factory and Criterion Collection, while also covering genre television series airing on networks such as AMC (TV channel), Syfy, and HBO. Features intersected with music acts tied to horror aesthetics including Bauhaus (band), The Misfits, and composers like John Carpenter and Bernard Herrmann when discussing soundtrack releases. Special interviews explored crossover artists from comics and graphic novels issued by Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Dark Horse Comics.

Editions and Special Publications

The magazine produced themed issues, special editions, and crossmedia projects spotlighting anniversaries of films such as The Shining (film), Blade Runner, and Psycho (1960 film). Collector’s editions compiled retrospectives on effects houses such as KNB EFX Group and Amalgamated Dynamics and featured illustrators and photographers who worked with studios including Universal Studios and Warner Bros.. Fangoria-branded books and monographs collected interviews and essays from editors who had collaborated with periodicals like Cinefantastique and Rue Morgue (magazine). Limited-run prints and variant covers commissioned artists associated with publishers like Dark Horse Books and design firms that serviced entertainment properties. International licensing produced translated editions for markets tied to distributors like Toho (company) and film festivals including Sitges Film Festival.

Events and Conventions

The brand supported and organized fan gatherings, panel series, and conventions that mirrored larger events such as San Diego Comic-Con International, New York Comic Con, and film-centric gatherings like FrighFest and Toronto International Film Festival sidebar programming. Programming commonly featured Q&A sessions with actors such as Bruce Campbell, Robert Englund, and Jamie Lee Curtis; screenings of restored prints from archives like the British Film Institute; and live demonstrations from effects teams linked to productions by Lucasfilm and DreamWorks Pictures. Partnerships with exhibitors, streaming platforms, and distributors enabled special screenings of restorations and premieres akin to those mounted by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and specialty labels such as Arrow Video.

Influence and Legacy

The publication influenced generations of filmmakers, makeup artists, and critics who later worked on projects for studios and series including Netflix, Amazon Studios, and HBO Max. Alumni contributed to films by auteurs such as Peter Jackson, James Wan, and Neill Blomkamp, and to television productions like The Walking Dead (TV series), American Horror Story, and Stranger Things. The magazine’s archives serve as reference material for scholars and restorers collaborating with institutions like the Academy Film Archive and academic programs at companies and universities that offer courses in production and design. Its brand remains cited in oral histories, documentaries, and retrospectives produced by networks and companies such as BBC and Criterion Collection.

Category:American magazines Category:Film magazines