After having a bit of a troubled year, Fangoria is set to be resurrected under new leadership along with Gorezone and Starlog.
Producer and CEO of Wanderwell Entertainment Tara Ansley and entrepreneur Abhi Goel announced that they have acquired the Fangoria, Starlog, and Gorezone brands. The brands all live under the Fangoria umbrella and develop projects based on the legacy publication's 40+-year-old body of work and history. The goal is to put a focus on inclusivity and championing forward-thinking creators.
The duo negotiated the deal with movie producer Dallas Sonnier who acquired and resurrected Fangoria was a print publication back in 2018. Sonnier then built the brand into a robust horror movie studio, book publisher, and podcast network through his Texas-based Cinestate. The current editorial team under Editor-in-Chief Phil Nobile Jr. and Managing Editor Meredith Borders will continue to publish as print quarterly. Fangoria Studios, Fangoria Podcast Network, Fangoria Digital, and Gorezone Digital will launch in 2021 with Fangoria Studios producing and distributing both narrative and non-fiction projects in television, film, and digital content across all platforms. Taras Ansley had this to say about the new deal:
"These brands have been a foundational force in genre entertainment for decades, and have inspired, influenced, and shaped generations of filmmakers, writers, actors, and fans – ourselves included. We will continue to honor Fangoria's unparalleled legacy as we propel a future wave of talent and storytellers with an invigorating production and editorial slate that showcases the array of talent representative of our expansive community."
This is some much needed good news for the band which took a hit back in June when a Cinestate sexual misconduct scandal went public. Cinestate producer Adam Donaghey was arrested in 2017 for the rape of a 16-year old girl and the lead to more tales of alleged sexual misconduct behind the scenes coming into the light. Because of this, many prominent names like Joe Bob Briggs, Barbara Crampton, and a slew of podcasts pulled from Cinestate which in turn meant they pulled away from Fangoria. Soon the brand with up for sale as everyone began to jump ship but it's great to see that it's back in capable hands to make sure that it rises again.
Fangoria has lived in print and on-screen since 1979 as one of the most influential horror brands in the industry, along with its companion sci-fi brand Starlog, and niche horror brand Gorezone. At the height of is popularity in the 1980s and early 90s, it was the most prominent horror publication in the world. The magazine began to struggle in the early 2010s due to various issues, including generating enough ad revenue and the continued rise of the internet. In 2017 the magazine ceased production after running through a succession of editors between 2015-2016. Back in 2018, much to the excitement of horror fans all over the world, Cinestate revived Fangoria and the reboot proved to be quite successful. Now that they are all under the Fangoria umbrella, Fangoria, Starlog, and Gorezone have been brought into a digitally-dominated world so that they may thrive as prominent genre media destinations.
Are YOU happy to see the Fangoria brand be saved and resurrected?