SON OF More Classic TV Horror Hosts

A big ole' coffin full of clips of various shows around the country from a 1985 'Bloopers & Practical Jokes' on NBC. Featuring Zacherley, Dr. Paul Bearer, Son of Svengoolie, Count Scary, Chilly Billy, Big Chuck & Little John and (of course) Elvira & Her Breasts.

Oooh Scary. More Classic TV Horror Hosts...

VAMPIRA (Los Angeles, CA)

ZACHERLEY (New York, NY)

GHOULARDI (Cleveland, OH)\

M.T. GRAVES (Miami, FL)

DR. PAUL BEARER (St. Petersberg, FL)

I know there are a million more, but I could spend all day. Hoist a skull-full of your favorite brew tonight in their honor!

BERWYN?! (Son of Svengoolie)

'Calling all stations, clear the air lanes, clear all air lanes for the big broadcast.'

Bringing things back to the month-long Halloween fun-fest, I have to take a moment to pay some respect to the man that made it possible for me to post up w/ such retro-horror/sci-fi goodies...Rich Koz AKA The Son of Svengoolie! Kind of like Dr. Frankenstein before him, he created a monster in me built from b-movie creatures and horrible skits only a goofy grade school kid could truly appreciate.

Son of Svengoolie debuted on WFLD 32 in June of 1979 and while I wasn't actually raised in Chicago...I watched the show religiously every Saturday night in Central Illinois, where we (luckily) picked it up on cable. It followed the standard 'creature feature' format, where every week a classic (or classically bad) horror/sci-fi flick is shown by a host w/ skits peppered within. Just about every city had one, but Svengoolie was (and still is) mine.

The song parodies w/ musical co-conspirator Doug Graves...'Svensurround' with added sound-effects and dubbed in dialogue ala MST3K...'BERWYN!'...the rubber chickens...and most of all, the movies. It was the coolest thing on TV as far as I was concerned. Not as many people agreed as a result of an early 80's 3D broadcast of 'Revenge of the Creature' (the sequel to 'Creature from the Black Lagoon'), that resulted in a civil action lawsuit by people who felt they didn't get 'enough 3D' for the 89 cents they laid out for the cardboard glasses.

I tuned in some capacity until WFLD was sold to FOX in 1986. After 334 shows, the new management canceled the show after deciding it didn't fit in new programming direction. Luckily, the series returned to TV in 1994 on WCIU and has aired ever since (9PM CST). I don't get a chance to watch as much as I used to, but I rest easier at night just knowing he's still out there.

Enjoy a fun retrospective they did in celebration of their 300th show back in 1985...

PART I

PART II

Wilco Bonus Video Party Cut w/ Bonus Party Cut?

Performing Dylan's 'I Shall Be Released' w/ openers Fleet Foxes in Spokane, WA.

Plus, if you dig what you see/hear, you can get a free audio version of the same collaboration from Bend, OR at wilcoworld.net just by pledging you'll vote on November 4th. The band is working with Headcount.org, 'a nonpartisan, non-profit organization dedicated to voter registration and inspiring participation in democracy through the power of music.'

While you're there, if you're feeling generous, they are also suggesting you make a donation to Second Harvest/Feed America. Get some, give some!

BTW (A Unified Theory of Everything)...

For those that aren't familiar, the title of the last post is cribbed from lyrics in a great 'unreleased' demo from Wilco's 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot':

'Laminated Cat (a.k.a. Not for the Season)'

Springtime comes and the leaves are back on the trees again

Snipers are harder to see my friends

Weeding out the weekends

Summer comes and gravity undoes you

You're happy because of the lovely way the sunshine bends

Hiding from your close friends

Weeding out the weekends

Candy left over from Halloween

A unified theory of everything

Love left over from lovers leaving

Books, they all know they're not worth reading

It's not for the season

When autumn comes you sit in your chair and you stare

At the TV square

Hiding in the deep end

Weeding out the weekends

Winter comes and the days all start late

There's motion on the boughs where the dark shapes prowl

Feeling out the feelings

Feeling out the feeling

Candy left over from Halloween

A unified theory of everything

Love left over from lovers leaving

Books, they all know they're not worth reading

They're not worth reading

Great song. I was listening to said 'YHF' demos yesterday in the car and that tune always reminds me of Autumn...really, the whole album does. Anyhow, enjoy it for yourself in the sample area and don't let the Indian Summerish weather fool you...FALL IS HERE.

Weeding Out the Weekends...

'America's Favorite Hockey Mom'? I know they've gone as far as booing Santa Claus in Philly, but that is some good stuff.

Looks like my weekend went a little better than hers. Weather was fantastic, so the boys and I hit the park on Saturday morning...yard work, Fat Tire and Mats Re-mastered on the iPod in the afternoon...then the Mrs. and I actually got a babysitting offer to take a night out! Dinner, drinks and then we went and saw 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'. Cute flick w/ some funny moments...but not quite targeted to old folks like us.

Yesterday, I went to a small comic book/collectible show in Gurnee and picked up a mint hardcover 'Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men Vol. 1 (Issues 1-10)' for 1/2 off, plus some other various Batman TPB's. Then, when I went in to Half Price Books to unload some of our stuff that afternoon, some guy had just sold them a bunch of the 'Complete E.C. Library' collections. So, I snagged...

...the 'MAD (4 Volume Boxed Set)' in color!

It's in great condition and I got it for $50! These are out of print and going for anywhere from $100-200 online, so i'm completely stoked. They had the 'Tales From The Crypt', 'Shock Suspenstories', 'Vault of Horror', 'Weird Science' and 'Weird Fantasy' sets as well, but i'll have to hope they're still there when I go back.

No Tricks, No Treats...

...i'm on Daddy-duty today. More goofy stuff so sweet it'll rot your teeth later. Have a great weekend!

A Very Special Halloween Special...

Quite possibly one of the greatest holiday variety specials EVER. Paul Lynde, Witchiepoo, The Wicked Witch of the West and Billy Barty introduce (in their first prime time appearance on prime-time TV) KISS, performing 'Detroit Rock City' on 1976 The Paul Lynde Halloween Special.

Plus, i'd be remiss if I didn't throw down w/ the amazing star-studded finale w/ Pinky Tuscadero, Tim Conway and Florence Henderson bugging out to a gender-neutral version of 'Disco Lady'...

FAMOUS MONSTERS

'In the Night!!!'

A perfect musical segue and an even more perfect soundtrack to your Halloween BBQ and Dance Party. Famous Monsters (the band, not the magazine) consists of Devil Doll (a post-White Zombie Sean Yseult), Vampire Girl (a post-NY Loose Brijitte West) and Shezilla (Carol Cutshall)...serve up utterly silly, spooky garage-surf mayhem for the whole family (if you're the Adams Family that is).

Nothing at all revolutionary here, but certainly a whole mess of fun. Think of a female version of Man or Astroman, except w/ sound a little more garage than surf (ala The 5,6,7,8's) and a shtick more vintage horror/saturday morning cartoons than sci-fi. Some tunes stand out more than others...the title track, 'Outerspace Deathrace No. 13', 'Hairy Eyeball' and 'Satan Sends a Rat!' Throw in two great covers from Cheap Trick and The Groovie Ghoulies...more fun than a shrunken head!

Kind of hard to find, as it's both out of print and not on iTunes...but worth nabbing a used copy or obtaining by whatever other means suits you best. I've put the rocking lead-off track in the sample area, crank it up and wake the dead!

EVEN MORE (EL) FAMOUS MONSTERS!

(EL) FAMOUS MONSTERS!

THE 'ACKERMANSION'!

A cool interview/tour of the infamous 'Ackermansion' of the illustrious Forrest J. Ackerman from a 1986 cable access show. Ackerman is the editor/co-creator of the legendary horror film magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland and could almost be considered the original FANBOY.

If not the original, then surely one of the most prolific...check out the 18-room 'Ackermansion', filled with 300,000 books and pieces of sci-fi, fantasy and horror film memorabilia, and see if you disagree. Makes me feel a lot better about my own menagerie, paltry in comparison.

From Politics and Comics...

...back into the oncoming holiday, what says Halloween more than a 'VAMPIRE IN THE WHITE HOUSE!'? Personally, I don't know if that's any more frightening than a 'TEEN PRESIDENT' in the White House. Have you watched MTV lately?

CAPTAIN OBAMAMERICA!

Granted, McCain could be considered more of a 'Fleshy Pink Skull' than Red...but B is still the man.

Another 'Debate Night in America'...

...and much like the last one, it really didn't move the needle that much either way. As predicted, w/ the town hall was McCain's forum of choice (kind of like Dusty Rhodes and Texas Bullrope match), he came off okay at best. From my vantage point, it was interesting to see how he seemed more comfortable in speaking to the economy than foreign policy versus the first debate, where it was the opposite. Outside of that, his occasional stabs at being funny came off more creepy than anything else.

That said, for me, 'That One' (AKA Obama) still came off the more 'presidential' of the two...hands down. Why? Because he presented a more tangible case for why his financial and foreign policies will at least help to right the dim path we seem to be traveling upon today. Less laying back in 'I know how to' do something and actually illustrating HOW he is going to do something. He continued to illustrate the differences between the two as well versus spending too much time w/ personal attacks.

In the CBS poll, 40% of uncommitted voters said Obama won. 26% gave it to McCain, while 34% said it was a tie. Over at CNN, B fared even better w/ 54% saying he did a better job and 30% giving it to McCain. That said, these polls never seem to be an iron clad way of determining a winner so, my friends, I still see it being a crazy race. Choose or Lose...Vote or Die...Rock the Vote...Say your Prayers...Eat your Vitamins...whatever, just stay informed.

One Last Jab...

...before 'next year' is now. Too funny and yet, too sad.

New Era + Marvel = Super Fresh!

THOR

CAPTAIN AMERICA/IRON MAN

FANTASTIC FOUR

Missed the announcement back in May, but hat giant New Era has teamed up w/ Marvel comics for a line of character-themed caps. The above are some sweet limited-edition lids available at Rock'n'Jocks...a tad bit more b-boy than I think I could pull off, but they were cool looking enough for me to dig the fact they're out there.

Speaking of SCARY...

Dow fell below 10,000 for the first time since 2004. *GULP*

FEEL LIKE MAKIN'...

LOVE? Mmmmm, not quite...but equally as awesome as the 'I Was a Teenage Frankenstein/Werewolf' was 'How to Make a Monster'. A movie w/in movie w/in a movie...or something like that. Whatever the case, it's afternoon creature-feature fun at it's finest.

A chief make-up artist for 25 years at American International Studios, is pink-slipped by the new management, who plan to make musicals and comedies instead of the horror pictures for which he has created his remarkable monster make-up and made the studio famous. In retaliation, he vows to use the very monsters these men have rejected to destroy them.

By mixing a numbing ingredient into his foundation cream and persuading the young actors that their careers are through unless they place themselves in his power, he hypnotizes both dudes playing THE TEENAGE WEREWOLF and TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN in the picture (fittingly enough) 'WEREWOLF MEETS FRANKENSTEIN' currently shooting on the lot.

Hilarity follows...

Smells Like Teen Horror...

FYI kids, some things can be much worse than acne...