Whenever national Horror Host, Svengoolie, makes a public appearance, I try to not only attend the event but also linger whenever possible (remember, “linger” sounds better than “stalking”). Though his average guest turn out is so large that it affords me little time to actually interact with the host, there are definite benefits to just “hanging around.”
Anyone who really knows me understands that, interest-wise, I’m driven by two major things; zoos (animals) and genre films (horror, sci-fi, fantasy). I’ve been affiliated with my local Brookfield Zoo for the better part of 13 years and, as it was the zoo I grew up with and inspired my love of animals, consider it a sacred place. These past few years have been like a dream come true as my two worlds have finally begun to merge with regular guest appearances from my beloved horror host, Svengoolie. These happen each spring for our annual AAZK (American Association of Zoo Keepers) Spaghetti dinner as well as the zoo’s night time Halloween event, “Creatures of the Night.”
It had been two years since I’d last visited Kenosha’s Jerry Smith Pumpkin Farm but seemed like a lifetime. This was the site where Wisconsin Horror Host, Dr. Destruction, and I sat down and talked for the very first time. The occasion was shared here on this blog (click HERE if you’re feeling nostalgic) as well as an issue of Scary Monsters Magazine. We sat in back of his hand crafted “Gypsy Wagon” and talked about horror hosting. I believe I left out the part where he and I went out afterwards to a local pizza place and drank too much whiskey and that the last hour of our conversation was slurred, but really what did that have to do with the story anyway? Let’s just say it helped facilitate a rather unusual friendship that still exists today.
Our blog was scarcely a month old when we had the honor of featuring the work of Jeff Carlson. I knew who he was years before having been a member of the Svengoolie YAHOO group. Jeff had generously shared his talents to the group by showcasing some of his original art featuring the now National Horror Host. I am happy to say that we will be showing some of them in an upcoming post. For now, we’d like to once again point your attention to some of his amazing shirt designs for sale on his RobotMonkeyPirate site! Check them out…
Celebrity encounters, while usually pleasant, are rarely as enjoyable when one meets the legendary Tom Atkins! The 2011 Indianapolis Horrorhound Weekend along with Mask-Fest was the perfect venue for featuring Atkins along with some alumni from one of his films. HALLOWEEN III. The film’s director, Tommy Lee Wallace, Atkins, along with his co-star, Stacey Nelkin were all on hand at this event – sitting side by side.
Last month we reported the Halloween activities at the two zoos in which The Daves are volunteer docents; Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo and Rhode Island’s Roger Williams Park (in a story you can revisit HERE)! Both zoo’s served up a fantastic seasonal event that is something ALL local readers should plan on attending next year. Brookfield Zoo gets a special nod from horror fans for delving into the darker side of Halloween and proving (by its huge turn out) that us adult horror fans are a financial force to be reckoned with. “Creatures of the Night” proved a devilishly good time with lots of great activities such as this “Pumpkin Execution” – courtesy of a device created by the zoo’s exhibits department and utilizing materials laying around the zoo. While orange and black are most commonly associated with the holiday’s colors, Brookfield Zoo made it even more spectacular by going “Green.”
Terror from Beyond the Dave 