Rest In Peace, Basil Gogos

I came home from a long weekend trip to the unfortunate news that iconic horror illustrator Basil Gogos had died. While the news wasn't completely shocking (his health had been declining for some time), it was still saddening.

I had tried to meet Gogos at two previous horror conventions, only to have him cancel both due to his poor health.

Last night, I had set up a quick photo shoot to honor Gogos, only to have my computer crash and delete all of the photos. This was getting worse by the minute!

So, I only have the original scan of my prized Basil Gogos autographed "The Mummy" Topps trading card that I had won in a contest back in 2010...

And had I had the chance to meet Gogos at either of those two cons, I would have had him sign my well-read copy of his book, Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos. This book showcases his iconic, richly illustrated portraits of classic movie monsters, most of which graced the covers of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine during the 1960s and 70s.