Corey Taylor Buys Famous Monsters Brand, Announces Big Plans
Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor and his business partner, Mad Monster owner Eben McGarr, have taken over the Famous Monsters brand. The two plan to relaunch the famed horror magazine Famous Monsters, plus produce festivals, create toys, produce movies and more.
Taylor broke the news last Friday (Oct. 14) at the Son of Monsterpalooza convention in Burbank, California. “Our job is to build a foundation to bring Famous Monsters into the modern age, while also honoring the legacy that came before,” he said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “It’s the whole reason that we were fans to begin with.”
Taylor says he first got into the Famous Monsters of Filmland fanzine when he started collecting horror zines as a child. Famous Monsters was a pioneer in the horror publication field and influenced many horror magazines that popped up years later.
On top of acquiring the Famous Monsters brand, Taylor and McGarr also snagged the rights to Captain Company. Captain Company was the Famous Monsters “store.” They also got the rights to the life story of Famous Monsters founding editor Forrest Ackerman.
Taylor and McGarr plan to digitize every issue of Famous Monsters, launch a traveling festival and horror convention, make movies and start a horror cruise. “I would perform,” Taylor said. “I would get some of my friends who lean into that side of it. And really put something cool together.”
He continued, “There’s something cool about a scary movie; there’s something cool about a monster. There’s something cool about the underlying metaphor of, ‘It doesn’t matter sometimes if you aren’t the strongest one, you can win and conquer your fears.'”
5 Corey Taylor Quotes to Live By
Corey Taylor is one of the most prominent figures in rock today and for good reason: He always has something interesting to say, and it seems like that trait isn’t something that’s waning with age.
One of the funniest things Taylor said in 2023 was his rant against a certain Beatles song. That song? The 1967 stand-alone single “All You Need Is Love.” In fact, his hatred led to him writing “All I Want Is Hate” for his second solo album CMF2.
In an August appearance on the Zach Sang Show, Taylor said, “‘All You Need Is Love’ is one of the biggest pieces of sh-t that I’ve ever heard in my life. And every time I hear it, I feel like I’m getting shot at.”
Taylor’s forthcomingness is truly part of his charm and what makes him so appealing. This year marks his 50th birthday. While some might shy away from the subject of such a milestone birthday, Taylor doesn’t. Speaking with WRIF’s Meltdown back in May, Taylor said about turning 50, “I think about it constantly. I think about it when I get up out of bed. I think about it when I step on stage, and I break my back. I’m like, ‘What am I doing?!'”
He continued, referencing his solo shows, “But, then I have to remember: I’m a mental person, so this is all I want to do. Obviously, it’s a different kind of set I used to do when I was younger, when I was a kid. At the same time, I still love to play. I still love performing, and I love to get out there and try to do it as hard as I can. Until I break my neck again, I think I’ll just keep going.”
Obviously, Taylor is no stranger to the interview pull quote. After all, he is also an accomplished author. In honor of Taylor’s birthday today (December 8), here are five quotes from his books everyone should live by.
Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.
