The upcoming Horrorhound Weekend in Indianapolis is really a quadruple threat. You have celebrity guests, an immense dealer room, the horror hosts, and Maskfest! This is not to suggest, however, that any of these need be exclusive. While Maskfest could easily be a convention in its own right, horror hosts can be quite crafty themselves.
This weekend, the city of Chicago was buzzing with the opening of their annual Auto Show taking place Feb 11-20th at The McCormick Place. This is the nation’s largest show of its kind and always attracts a loyal group of gearheads & those interested in checking out the latest models. One year I recall sitting inside a replica of the tour jeep used in 1993’s Jurassic Park. Regardless of past participation, I must confess that I’m not much of a car person; if the damned thing runs I honestly don’t care what it looks like. However, there are some vehicles on the Silver Screen that I can’t help but admire.
TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES is pleased to introduce our very FIRST guest writer to the site, Brian Maze! While this may be his first appearance as a “writer” on the blog, he is far from a stranger. Mr. Maze is the talented artist whose “Horror Hosts pogs” have not only been a regular feature of our weekly reports, they’ve completely enhanced them. His generosity and support can not be overstated and we are VERY fortunate to count him as not only an amazing contributor but good friend as well. Brian, like both Daves, is a big fan not only of the genre but the world of horror hosting too! His Virginia locale places him in an area rich in horror host history, both past & present. Dr. Sarcofiguy, Count Gore de Vol, and Karlos Borloff’s Monster Madhouse all herald from this region. We look forward to future field report from Brian regarding those characters, as well as meeting him in person this March at Horrorhound. Today, however, it is not Horror Hosts but Zombies who prompt Brian’s contribution. So, without further adieu….
Last week our President spoke to the Nation via his annual State of the Union Address. Like all such speeches, the tone was hopeful as the country was informed that its economic malaise was starting to improve. I certainly hope this is the case though, currently, there seems to be a clear divide between rhetoric and reality. One has only to drive down the main street of my own town of Homewood, Illinois and stare at the empty buildings that once housed various stores and small businesses to see this contrast.
Getting an interview with Chicago’s classic (and modern) horror host, Svengoolie, isn’t easy. Aside from his numerous responsibilities to his station, WCIU, he is also a local celebrity and active in his city. Worse, I had the nerve to make this request amid one of his busiest months of public appearances (last October) that I had seen to date. I was, therefore, surprised when he agreed and answered my questions within a few short weeks. Rather than ask the usual biographical questions I, as a lifelong fan, already knew the answers to, I decided to go a different route. I asked myself, “If I was ever locked in an elevator with Rich Koz for an hour, what would I ask him?” Below are the questions I, as a devoted Svengoolie fan, really wanted to know. For anyone less familiar and interested in some you can check out his site HERE and my memories of Svengoolie HERE.
Recently, I felt the urge to revisit The X-Files which I hadn’t watched since back in the ’90s when I was in my roaring twenties and an avid X-Phile (sort of the of The X-Files equivalent of a “Trekkie” if you’re a STAR TREK fan).
Terror from Beyond the Dave 