Forrest "Forrey" Ackerman, the nearly 92 year old coiner of the term "sci-fi" and honorary lesbian (for his work as "Laurajean Ermayne") is said to be ailing. "He wasn't sounding very strong," Harry Knowles said in an entry on Ain't It Cool News, "It hurt to hear his voice." Ackerman helped to bolster the burgeoning sci-fi community by publishing the inspirational journal, Famous Monsters of Filmland. He is a publisher, author and literary agent (to......

It should come as no surprise that we here at LAist are huge fans of French DJ duo Justice. When they weren’t rocking the jam-packed Shrine for this year’s inaugural Hard Haunted Mansion, Gaspard and Xavier happened to be hanging out in Hollywood this past week promoting their latest documentary “A Cross the Universe” with help from their pals at Flux.net. Fellow Ed Banger Records artist Busy P was also on hand, celebrating a limited......

As always, people enjoyed their Halloween night in West Hollywood. LAist had a photo essay on Saturday showing off your excellent photos from our LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. Below are some more from LAist photographer Tom Andrews. Looking for more weekend holiday photos? Check out the rager at the Farmer's Market, a Feed the Model benefit at LA's "green" club, Ecco, and Dia de los Muertos events around the city.......

The slow realization that not a single Halloween party provided refreshments on Friday led to a stop at The Gumbo Pot, which in turn led to the serendipitous discovery of a total rager at the Farmer's Market at Third and Fairfax. Who knew? It was family-friendly, and the booths served food until at least 10pm. The bar also served into the night, which made for some serious partying. "Mr. Rogers" won the extremely close costume......

On Halloween night, the model/artists of Feed A Model hosted an eco-friendly evening of art, fashion, and charity. Feed a Model benefits Global Green USA. All of the artwork uses Low & Zero VOC paints, and natural and recycled materials. The models who created the art were dressed by eco-friendly designer Deborah Lindquist as different themed princesses Some of the larger artworks were auctioned off live. According to the press release, "The lucky winners of......

There were all sorts of costumes on display last night at the annual West Hollywood Halloween event, from the inventive to the obscene and from the politically charged to the politically incorrect. Of course, there's always room for the traditional, and often lots of naughtiness. Here are a few pics from the festivities as found on Flickr and in our inbox.......

A 21-year-old Hispanic male died today from his injuries after a 3 a.m. attack on Hollywood Blvd. near Cherokee Ave. The motive of the attack is unknown but the suspects are described as two male blacks in their 20s wearing black shirts and blue jeans, according to LAPD Officer Julianne Sohn. Approximately 300 officers were on patrol in the Hollywood Division last night. NOTE: Although both CBS and ABC (they updated their story, but not......

Improvised bongo square dancing amidst the crowds | Photo by tomsaint11 via Flickr Were you one of the many, many, many people in the crowds on Santa Monica Boulevard last night taking part of the annual Halloween Parade and festivities? If you made it there like these revelers and took some photos, drop them in our LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr--we'd love to see and share them. Make sure to include a description......

Recent tweets on Twitter about Hollywood traffic... hardlynormal: This is one night in Hollywood where traffic is more insane than the freaks. Hope I can make it home before I have to shave. derekhouck: Trapped in traffic in Hollywood and the cars are honking out melodies with their horns. launderground: 101 total mess. Avoid at all costs. ActOut: Cyclists in Hollywood. Smart! You're screwd in a car right now! Happy scarry Halloween breathing all that......

As parents take their children trick-or-treating tonight, savvy proponents of Prop 8 will be handing them a little election postcard reminding them to Vote "yes" on the initiative. And because the campaign is focusing on children and said nuggets are present at the moment of tonight's message, it's time to look at this summer's court case about the legal wording of the proposition ballot arguments. Proponents wanted to say that gay marriage teachings would be......

This jack o' lantern was carved and photographed by Eddie North-Hager of Leimert Park Beat, who, along with blogger Jasmyne Cannick, was featured on KCRW last night (KCRW Link). For the Barack o'lantern I used a stencil from YesWeCarve.com to make this pumpkin and show a little patriotic/Halloween spirit. The pumpkin is sitting on Martin Luther King Boulevard as it enters the African American arts and culture district, the Leimert Park neighborhood just southwest......

The Rainbow Bar and Grill on the Sunset Strip kicked off the Halloween festivities early Wednesday night. Manager Tony kept the vibe cool, the drinks were flowing and the costumes were interesting. Late-night munchies, especially pizza, are always popular at The rainbow. Of course, there was plenty of hard partying and skimpily-dressed hot chicks. It is the Rainbow, after all. Rock stars may not be getting blown under the table these days, but there was......

Too busy fretting about the election to make solid Halloween plans? Or do you just want to avoid spending three hours trying to force your way to Santa Monica Boulevard in WeHo while tripping over your Sarah Palin wig? Well, you could spend your Halloween night watching the improv heroes of the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater raise a demon from hell whilst committing lots and lots of murders! Killgore, a horror/comedy with lots of gruesome......

This minimalist costume might be found at the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval tonight. LAist reader BRATmix explains on his blog: "I had a few ideas for a costume, but in the end, I decided to get political. Photoshop + Printer + Wilton t shirt iron-on paper = political message." Awesome.......

The city of West Hollywood began their planned street closure of Santa Monica Blvd. between La Cienega and Doheny at 1:00 p.m. this afternoon. As of 6:00 p.m., a small portion of La Cienega will be closed between Santa Monica Blvd. and Holloway Drive. If you commute through that area, prepare for an onslaught of traffic. More parking and traffic regarding the Halloween event can be found here.......

Light rain will continue through the morning. Bright side: we need rain. LA is headed into 2009 facing the most severe drought conditions in 15 years, according to the Metropolitan Water District: Expecting another dry winter, state water officials warned Thursday they can deliver just 15 percent of what local water agencies have requested for 2009, raising the possibility of water rationing in the Los Angeles area. "Hope for the best and prepare for the......

When we got tired of orange, sugary, pumpkin-related party foods, somehow spiciness became a popular Halloween party theme. Maybe it has something to do with the fires of hell. Why question it? Just enjoy! This drink is made with Cachaça (ka-SHA-sa), which is a Brazilian spirit classified as rum, but distilled with pure cane juice rather than molasses. It is the main ingredient in the mojito-of-the-future, the Caipirinha (kai-pur-EEN-ya). The Cucumber Jalapeno Caipirinha 2 oz.......

Found on Hollywood Blvd, East of Highland Ave. | Photo by Julie Wolfson/LAist Signed into law in 2004, the Silly String law is meant to curb the amount of silly string that used to trash Hollywood streets during Halloween. The city reasoned that the cans were a safety hazard, causing people, horses (for police) and motorcycles to potentially slip and fall in additional to being used as a drunkenly weapon projectile. The string itself,......

After a "heart-to-heart" talk with West Hollywood Mayor Jeffry Prang as a "huge mob scene" protested outside, Chad Michael Morrisette took down the controversial Sarah Palin effigy, which he said he saw as a Halloween display mixed with some election politics, two days earlier than he had planned. During the 5 o'clock hour yesterday evening, a man parked a black truck with a noose wearing male dummy that wore a T-shirt saying "Chad, how does......

Neighbors of the home owner who has mixed Halloween decor and free speech together for Sarah Palin effigy in his West Hollywood front hard took their First Amendment right this afternoon by peacefully covering the display with sheets for a half hour. "Chad Michael Morrisette, a professional window display designer who set up the life-size mannequin of Palin in front of his house, said the protesters were mostly concerned that the Palin display cast a......

The historic election and upcoming Halloween festivities come together in the amazing Yes We Carve website. The site feature pumpkins carved with Obama images and logos. Their motto "Change Your Pumpkin, Change Your World" reminds us of the inspiration and creative spirit many people feel in the days leading up to the election. On the site, many of the carvers share their pumpkin creations along with their own happy faces. Now that we see the......

... as long as it's just a goofy doll in a Neiman Marcus coat dress and it's Halloween in WeHo. "We're not treating it as a threat," said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Wayne Williams on Tuesday. "Halloween presents some interesting challenges for us with the masks and costumes." The effigy was up "for weeks" before being called out on LAist (and elsewhere) earlier this week, according to LAT.......

On Monday night, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann named Chad Michael Morrisette, the West Hollywood resident that took front lawn Halloween decor to new levels with a Sarah Palin effigy and a burning John McCain, as the Worst Person in the World. He beats out Bill O'Reilly and Joe Lieberman.......

Neccessity is the mother of invention. Camping in Mexico is a great time to discover that the only thing left in the cooler - mango nectar, is delicious with tequila. It is also conveniently bright orange, making it a perfect Halloween drink. It's a little sweet, so the blood orange cuts the sweetness (and adds the fun!) If you don't have Centenario, substitute another white tequila like Don Julio Blanco. The Vampira 1 ounce Centenario......

For an interactive version of this map, it's below the jump Hundreds of thousands of people will descend upon West Hollywood this weekend to party it up on the streets. But with all those people means a high demand on streets already ill-fit for daily traffic. So here's some logistical info to help you if you're going. And if you have any tips, make sure to write them in the comments section below. Street......

This 1967 Cadillac Hearse was tooling down the 5 near Los Feliz a few weekends ago. If you want to trick out your own and don't mind picking it up in Arkansas, there is one for sale. Be prepared to shell out for a lot of gas at the pump. In high school I dated a guy who owned a '66 Cadillac hearse and it only got 5 miles to the gallon. Oh, and......

There are a few Halloween-themed events happening in LA this week. For those who are classically inclined, the G2 Gallery is hosting a series called "Echoes Above At the Beach". The event is today at 4 PM, and features director/baritone James Koenig, pianist Steven Vanhauwaert, and cellist Laszlo Mezo. The show also includes tricks, treats, "witches brew" and cost 15 dollars for student tickets, or a 20 dollar donation.The NEW LATC is celebrating Dias......

If you love Halloween as much as we do -- candy corn isn't a treat it's a condiment -- you'll most definitely appreciate this list of cocktails where you can actually drink in the spooky holiday around Los Angeles (includes some Halloween night ideas, too). The Edison downtown is going all out for Halloween with a kuh-ray-zee shindig ($40 advance, $45 at door, $50 without costume) showcasing an absinthe bar, live music, costume contests......

What better way to celebrate Halloween than to talk about Harry Houdini, the greatest magician who ever lived. He died on Halloween in 1926 and on that day for 10 years thereafter, his wife tried to contact him by holding seances. He starred in a few early movies even -- mostly silent pics and serials. And he lived here for a time, though he was based mostly out of New York. These days, magicians......

One of Hollywood's most offensively funny and wickedly hot (sorry boys, she only likes silver foxes) comedians, Chelsea Handler of E!'s Chelsea Lately will be named "Queen of the Carnival" at West Hollywood's annual Halloween party next week Friday night. And not to leave her little nugget of an assistant out of it, Chuy will be crowned “Little King of the Carnival.” The event, which draws around 250,000 people, will have three stages of entertainment......