Last year at Thanksgiving we decided to feature a post dedicated to showing our appreciation to those who helped us out in ways that went above and beyond the call of duty (as seen HERE).  This past year has been even more amazing as we saw our young blog break 100,000 hits with over 20,000 last month alone. That’s not too bad for a private blog that scarcely advertises outside of Facebook. It’s been a humbling experience for two guys who, after spending most of our lives standing in the shadows, finally found our own voices. The feedback and growing readership has been incredible and, above all, we thank YOU the readers. There are a LOT of blogs and websites out there and for you to not only take time out of your busy lives to visit, but come back and see us again is appreciated more than mere words can convey. Some of the folks from our last list will be back on this one, but we are really happy to feature the ones we just met this past year and who generously showed their support! So, without further adieu…

Svengoolie (Rich Koz) – This was a big year for Svengoolie fans – including those outside the Chicagoland area! The host which the Daves had both grown up with (and was indirectly responsible for bringing us together as friends through his YAHOO group) has gone National on commercial TV! Just before this extraordinary event took place, one “out-of-state” fan had the opportunity to finally him – that is our own David Albaugh! As a Chicago fan, I carried a bit of Catholic-style guilt fraternizing with and showcasing the work of other Horror Hosts. We in The Windy City are famous for our Svengoolie-centric ways after all – something you can’t totally blame us for as our commercial host has the distinction of still being on the air today, and for us now adult fans to share with our own children. His evolution from nostalgia to “tradition” has given him an even greater devotion from his local fans and a love that doesn’t always illicit tolerance of other hosts.  This, however, is a FAN phenomena and has NEVER been encouraged by their patron host. Svengoolie has not only enjoyed seeing what the other hosts are up to via this site, but has been actively contributing to our weekend Host reports by sending his own previews (for us to convert to YouTube clips). Svengoolie has been very good to us and we have never fooled ourselves into thinking that we are worthy of it. Without resorting to ego trips and petty rivalry, he shows why he is successful in every sense of the word and we are pleased that his years of hard work have paid off! Running a host-friendly site while having the country’s foremost operating, commercial TV host in your own backyard is worth a lot – having him treat you like a friendly neighbor is priceless. Thanks, Rich, for all the great work you do and support! Dave Fuentes~

Richard Braden – What can we say about Richard? Let me start by talking about the Daves! One of our biggest challenges in doing this website was learning how to put one together. Neither of us had done it before and we went into this project pretty much blind. I actually met Richard on Facebook through a mutual friend’s recommendation and it didn’t take long to realize that this teenager was someone who could be very helpful to us. He has worked with us on the site since day one, not only helping us whenever a technical glitch comes up but he is also the mastermind behind our amazing banners! Richard has a great eye and when we go to him with an idea, he is usually able to knock it out in a short period of time! Richard is one of the reasons that TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES looks as slick as it does and both Daves are SO appreciative of not only his work, but of his friendship. David Albaugh~

Jamie Lee Cortese – One of the highlights for David and I during this past Horrorhound Weekend in Indianapolis was meeting  fellow Svengoolie fan (easy to distinguish by her familiar attire), Jamie Lee Cortese. Jamie honored us by saying she’d been a fan of our site and that she was working on a Horror Host report of her own as a school project. She delighted us by sharing her unique perspective on many of these hosts right here on TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES as well as covering Svengoolie encounters we were unable to. Her pleasant demeanor and clever prose leaves little doubt in our minds that she is destined to go on to great things. I was pleased to see her once again at JJ Blinkers for the now legendary appearance of Svengoolie (seen HERE). One has only to meet her supportive and wonderful family to know exactly where she gets her charisma from. We look forward to seeing her again and hope that you will too right here! Thank you Jamie for your wonderful support and showing that future of horror hosting and its fans are bright ones!  Dave Fuentes~

Brian Maze – Even though Brian was on our list last year he deserves to be on it again this year. Not only has he continued to provide awesome artwork for the site, but he has also become a great friend. Hanging out with him at HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis this past March was a lot of fun and we definitely look forward to seeing him at future conventions. Brian has also been kind enough to cover things on our site that we have not been able to attend and his presence on TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES is always welcome! David Albaugh~

Richard Church – When you post a blog you press “publish” and have no idea who (if anyone) will be interested in what you have to say. Shortly after we posted a tribute to the original Jerry G. Bishop Svengoolie (seen HERE), we received a letter  from a guy named Richard Church. It turned out that the autograph we used in our piece, actually belonged to him and I held my breath waiting for him to chastise me for doing so without permission. Instead he told us that he was honored we used it and that he had been a fan following our blog. He went even further by offering us access to the other autographs he had amassed during his fandom and this eventually led to him writing for us a popular post giving tips for autograph collectors unable to attend fan conventions (you can see that post HERE). Richard also took time out of his busy schedule to share his experience meeting Ormon Grimsby (seen with Richard above) who is one of those hosts that David and I are geographically unable to do ourselves – though no less fans of. Thank you Richard for sharing your enthusiasm and invaluable fan perspectives with us!  Dave Fuentes~

Jason Hignite – Jason Hignite, from HorrorHound Magazine, shocked both of us this past year when he offered us all access passes to HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis, IN in March, after he saw us promoting the event on our own. To us HorrorHound has always been THE event to attend, especially with so many horror hosts that also appear. It was a dream-come-true for both of us. Thanks to Jason we met so many great celebrities and hung out with all of the horror hosts making the weekend of March 25-27, 2011, one of the best weekend’s of both Daves’ lives. It was an honor to be a part of HorrorHound Weekend in 2011 and look forward to being an even bigger part in 2012! We couldn’t have done it without you Jason and for that we both thank you! The Daves~

Jim Roche – Svengoolie’s faithful associate not only treats fans who are meeting the host like gold, he brings with him an infectious energy that enhances the entire experience! Recently, I’ve been video-taping my Sven meetings and was having trouble being the lone Dave trying to work both a motion camera along with a stationary one. Jim has generously given us permission to use his own photos (which is fantastic because he also happens to be a stellar photographer) in our posts! As a result, we can share the “Svengoolie meeting experience” in a much broader form than before and, Jim, we can’t thank you enough!  Dave Fuentes~

Gina Migliozzi – The 2010 Rock & Shock Convention in Worcester, MA was not only the first convention that both Daves attended together, it was also the first time we met in person. Because of which, this yearly event has a special meaning. With this convention we realized what a force we had become and it was actually the first convention that we covered to the degree that we did, thanks to two separate perspectives. This year we were able to go even further, thanks to Gina Migliozzi, who provided us with full access to the whole show. With this access, we were able to cover Rock & Shock in a whole new way, making our blogs more in-depth and entertaining. From celebrities to incredible artists, we took it all in and shared it with all of our readers. We would not have been able to do it to the degree that we did without Gina and for this we are very thankful and appreciative of everything she has done. David Albaugh~

JD Feigelson – One has only to read my many DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW posts to know exactly what a Class Act the film’s writer, J.D. Feigelson, truly is! Both Daves have been humbled by his kindness when he sees us at fan events and this was never more apparent than at this past year’s March Horrorhound Weekend and Fright Night Film Fest in July. He is kind and giving and one of the nicest people you could ever meet. Thanks, J.D., for your unsurpassed generosity and for writing one of our all time FAVORITE films! The Daves~

Adolfo Dorta – I wasn’t sure what to expect when I attended the first ever DAYS OF THE DEAD convention in Indianapolis this past July. Thanks to the work of the events organizer, Adolfo Dorta, my good time was all but assured. Adolfo gave The Daves (with the help of Count Gregula) total access to the event while tirelessly running around to see to it that it went without a hitch. Adolfo not only succeeded in this endeavor but also in creating a horror convention that really put their fans FIRST. The overwhelming feedback from those who attended as well as my own experiences in the horror world left little doubt that what was his first convention will be far from his last. Thanks, Adolfo, for not only bringing us great celebrities but making us fans feel like we were too! Dave Fuentes~

James Lurgio – I have known James for as long as I can remember and he is truly a great friend. In the early days of our friendship James would help me with my annual Halloween yard haunt and I am happy to say that he has taken the yard haunt to a whole new level with his very own monster museum in Salem, MA, Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery. For the past two years James has been such a gracious host to both Daves in our annual trek to Salem, not only giving us VIP treatment to his museum, but also going out of his way to make our visit to Salem so much better. His kindness and generosity is so appreciated and I cannot thank him enough! David Albaugh~

Count Gregula – This summer was a rough for me trying to cover as many events as possible for this blog. It’s the mixed blessing of being the “Midwest” Dave – the perfect centralized locale for many fan conventions. It’s great having access to so many amazing experiences – but scarcely leaves enough time/resources to do them all. July was the busiest of months (even rivaling Halloween so far as Horror activities are concerned) and, looking back, I’m not sure what I would have done without the assistance of Count Gregula. Not only did we share gas expenses by car-pooling together, Gregula was kind enough to invite me as his guest to THE DAYS OF THE DEAD V.I.P. party (which you can read about HERE). I wasn’t always the most appreciative or patient person while in the thick of things (us having two very different horror agendas after all) but, looking back, I learned much from him. Gregula taught me some bold, yet sly, maneuvers for getting celebrity interviews as well as giving me the confidence to test my own mettle in front of the camera as an interviewer. I’m certainly not suggesting that I’m Barbara Walters, but I did discover that I rather enjoyed doing it. For someone who used to be painfully shy like myself and stand in the shadows of more aggressive personalities, it was a nice surprise. So aside from having a monster friend to join me on my gruesome misadventures, Gregula generously allowed a Terror Dave to report via his “Crypt” and I really appreciated that. Gregula also taught me that, when it comes to getting the most out of it an event, it is important to be PATIENT. This was counter to my previous belief that, to maximize your convention accomplishments, one must run around like a madman! Even if you do end up getting a lot done, this is a good way to “not” have a good time. And,when all is said and done, isn’t that the whole point? Thanks Gregula for putting up with the impatient Dave this past summer!  Dave Fuentes~

Mary Tolian a.k.a. Blue Cat – I’ve told this story before but I’ll do so again….Mary Tolian (known on the Svengoolie YAHOO forum as its moderator “Blue Cat”) played a key role in The Daves meeting each other – and thus the eventual creation of this site. Svengoolie had already been back on Chicago TV for 7 years prior to my knowledge. The emotional discovery that my childhood host had returned to commercial television proved overwhelming and I was determined to immerse myself in my Svengoolie fandom (gee, I wonder if I succeeded?). In 2003 (the year I learned he was back) I quickly joined the Svengoolie YAHOO group. Feeling a bit like an outsider due to my arriving so late in the game, I would sit back and read the daily comments & interactions from fellow fans like “Blue Cat,” Jeff Carlson, David Westfall, Greg Valent, Dan Iacovelli, and Doug Long (to name but a few). Almost every week someone from outside Chicago city limits would write the group asking if they could tape Svengoolie shows for them. I don’t know what percentage of these messages ever got replies from the other members, but I can tell you that I ignored each and every one of then for 6 years. That was until September of 2009 when Blue Cat made an announcement that caught my attention. She stated that the message she was about to “approve” (requesting Sven shows) would be the LAST she’d ever permit. This request was from a Rhode Island fan named David Albaugh and (for reasons I’ll never know), I felt compelled to respond. The rest is Terror Dave History. This past year, she agreed to cover “Dinner with Svengoolie” – a promotional event sponsored by White Castle. Having the moderator of the Svengoolie YAHOO forum take the time to cover an event for our site was a true honor! I should also mention that this post (which you can see HERE) also ended up being a huge draw throughout the entire year, prompting me to suggest to Sven that he immediately start scheduling a breakfast, lunch, and “after dinner cocktail” event ASAP. Thank you Blue Cat for this, as well as maintaining one of the most active forums (even in a post Facebook world) around! We also applaud you for accomplishing something that very few other online fan groups/forums are able to do….keeping things POSITIVE. Dave Fuentes~

Shaun Kangas – Covering a Svengoolie event is never something anyone has ever had to twist my arm to do. When Sven was slated to do an appearance revolving around a wrestling event back in June, however, I was in a quandary. Let’s just say that one of the Daves is a big wrestling fan and it is NOT this one. At the same time, I had to concede that this was a unique and interesting venue to feature Svengoolie and I hated the prospect of TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES not covering it. Thankfully Shaun Kangas, the driving force behind my beloved “Crappy Action Dude Comics” (an online comic that has brightened many a droll day at work and was covered HERE) was more than qualified. Not only was Shaun a big Svengoolie fan like The Daves, he had been a wrestling promoter himself years back. I was delighted when Shaun agreed to go – especially since this was not a free locale. Shaun’s a clever guy and turned it into a “date night” with his wonderful girlfriend, Idella, whom I had the pleasure of meeting last March. Instead of simply submitting a generalized summary of events (as would surely have been the case had I ended up going), Shaun sent lots of great pictures, did a wrestling themed Sven interview, gave a detailed account of all that transpired, along with a little “Wrestling 101” for unschooled folks like myself in regards to some of the sport’s common maneuvers (see it HERE). Shaun was an early supporter of our site and we sure appreciate it. I should also mention that he’s pretty good at matching my sarcasm too which, I can tell you, is no easy feat. Thanks Shaun for all your great work regarding “Crappy Action Dude Comics” as well as your support and friendship this past year. Dave Fuentes~

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE DAVES!