First Issue of Horror Publication Fangoria Magazine is Published (1979)

Fangoria is an American magazine centered on the horror film genre, originally launched in August of 1979. Originally a monthly, as of 2023 it is published quarterly and edited by Phil Nobile Jr. after decades of being under the direction of Anthony Timpone.

The first issue of Fangoria, originally published by the Starlog Group, was designed around a “fantasy film” concept and proved to be a notable publishing failure, as were the next five issues, which continued with the same approach. It wasn’t until issue number 7 that the magazine focused exclusively on the horror genre.

Fangoria Magazine was released at a time when the horror genre fandom was still a burgeoning subculture. Most horror publications of the era were concerned with classic cinema, while those that focused on contemporary horror were largely fanzines. Fangoria rose to prominence by running exclusive interviews with horror filmmakers and offering behind-the-scenes photos and stories that were otherwise unavailable to fans in the era before the internet.

The magazine would eventually rise to become a force itself in the horror world, hosting its own awards show, sponsoring numerous horror conventions, producing films, and printing its own line of comics, before running into financial issues during the mid 2000’s. As of 2023, Fangoria lives on through its website and quarterly publication.

Fangoria covers primarily commercial studio releases, along with independent and low budget film projects.