R.I.P. Robert “Uncle Bob” Martin, editor of Fangoria from 1979 to 1986

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Fangoria magazine has had a rough time in recent years, and now what appeared to be a triumphant comeback has run into some trouble due to issues at the company that purchased the brand. But back in the day, Fangoria was a glorious thing, an amazing resource for horror fans. Flipping through the pages of that magazine certainly helped me build up my horror fandom when I was a kid.

Sadly, word has come out that Robert "Uncle Bob" Martin, the editor of Fangoria from 1979 to 1986, has passed away at the age of 71. 

Fangoria began as an off-shoot of Starlog, with the original concept being that it would cover fantasy films. Early issues covered things that might as well have been kept to the pages of Starlog, like STAR TREK and STAR WARS… and they didn't sell very well. With the magazine losing large amounts of money, the decision was made to focus on the subject that had received the most positive response when featured in previous issues – horror. Listed as associate editor in the first issue, Bob Martin became editor with issue #2, and under his guidance Fangoria became completely dedicated to horror as of issue #7. (Right after #6 had C3PO and R2D2 on the cover.) It's "Uncle Bob" we have to thank for turning Fangoria into what it was during that mind-blowing era.

According to Craig Edwards at Daily Grindhouse, Martin left Fangoria in '86 because he 

had grown tired of the sequelitis infecting Hollywood and tired of reporting on every Jason or Freddy outing (because those guys did sell magazines) and not getting to cover the smaller and (to him) more interesting horror movies being made independently and on the outskirts of the Hollywood machine. He finally left Fangoria and moved first to another Starlog company magazine covering hard rock music, but after it folded, he left magazines and moved into writing with filmmaker Frank Henenlotter (BASKET CASE). 

He adapted Henenlotter’s screenplay for his film BRAIN DAMAGE into a novel, then collaborated with Henenlotter on the screenplays for his movies FRANKENHOOKER and BASKET CASE 3. He also went back to publishing, editing the Sci-Fi Channel’s magazine Sci-Fi Entertainment under the name “Ed Flixman” from 1994-1996. After he left that magazine, he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a tech support rep for internet issues while also working on the fringes of the film industry, eventually even writing press materials for THE PEOPLE VS LARRY FLYNT that drew the ire of Gloria Steinem among others.

Martin's next step was to move to Las Vegas and become a blackjack dealer, but a stroke in 2006 brought an end to his dealing career. He spent his last years working as a tech support rep and writing online. His longtime partner Lily Kwan confirmed on his Facebook page that he passed away on July 20th. 

Our sincere condolences go out to Martin's family, friends, and fans. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to Martin himself, for turning Fangoria into such an incredible magazine.