The silence of a crisp October night is rattled by the sounds of marching soldiers as military personnel survey the bedlam. The town’s once idyllic streets are now strewn with wrecked vehicles, scattered debris, and even rotting corpses. As you move further down the road (your brain trying to process what your eyes can’t possibly be witnessing) you observe terrified locals scurrying in panic followed by yet another group of terrestrials; this second wave decisively less agile than the first. Moments later, as they amble their way into view, you realize that these really aren’t people at all…
At least not anymore.
It isn’t long before you notice the visible wafts of mist (created by your own erratic breathing in the cold night air) has increased; your heart pumping in tandem. This is a natural physical response when one discovers that they are in a decidedly unnatural situation. By then, of course, it’s too late.
On Friday, October 19th, I was joined by my friend and Terror Dave Girl Friday (the 13th), Elizabeth Ocon, along with my son, Alex, to get our first glimpse at Brookfield Zoo’s 2012 “Creatures of the night!”
Horror Host, Svengoolie, was slated to arrive at 7pm but, by 6:30, there was already a long line winding around the zoo’s Discovery Center to see him. Svengoolie never disappoints when it comes to drawing large crowds at Brookfield Zoo! I remember at last year’s event (covered HERE) the line wrapped around the bison yard and eventually had to get cut off. In an effort to accomodate all of the eager fans, no pictures were permitted, just autographs. It didn’t seem to damper anyones mood and many found clever ways to snap pictures with him anyway while Sven added his own humorous touches.
While I was enjoying clear skies and all the wonderful pumpkins at the other Dave’s “Roger Williams Park Zoo” in Rhode Island (covered a few posts back), my poor Brookfield Zoo in Chicago was getting nailed with heavy rains and tornado alerts! Its the dilemma of any Midwest zoo….dealing with the unpredictable weather! Fortunately, the tempest had cleared by the time I returned to my Windy City and the following weekend proved perfect for enjoying BZ’s “Creatures of the Night!”
I should confess right now that I am not a car person. I remember in my married life that all the men in my wife’s family were definite “gear-heads” making me the odd man out during the holidays. Needless to say, I was happy when our friend, Joan Yingst (who shared my view of cars), covered the George Barris Charity Car Show during our brutal Chicago heat wave last July (see story HERE). Despite the obvious allure of the actual vehicles driven by “The Munsters,” I was still in no hurry to head up north to The Volo Auto Museum. That is until National Horror Host, Svengoolie, made a recent appearance there!
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.
Terror from Beyond the Dave 