HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY: Son of Ghoul!

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Photo courtesy of Steve Sherman

On June 13th, 1986 Keven Scarpino a.k.a. The Son of Ghoul hit the Ohio airwaves and the world of horror hosting hasn’t been the same since. Having been a fan of the legendary Ghoulardi and christened “The Son of Ghoul” by his successor ( The Ghoul) three years earlier – perhaps it was simply a case of destiny.

After working behind the scenes (and occasionally on camera) with The Cool Ghoul (George Cavender) he would later take over the reigns as host of “Thriller Theater” before it would simply become “The Son of Ghoul Show.”

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Who, Me? Part 4: Out Of The Black Void Of Sacramento, It’s Mr. Lobo! (And Dixie Dellamorto!)

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By: Jamie Lee Cortese

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After I met Count Gore De Vol, next up was Mr. Lobo.  It was time to put a face behind the name of the random person who had sent that e-mail to him.

He and Dixie Dellamorto had finished setting up their table right next to the Count’s, so I stopped over there to check out the merchandise and introduce myself.  After I told them my name, I could see the instant recognition so clearly in their faces, which really threw me for a loop, as I was not expecting them to recognize by my name along and remember me so quickly.

Who, me?

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The World of the Weird Monster Show gets Weirder!

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As you may or may not know, the World Of The Weird Monster Show, starring Undead Johnny, is starting its 7th season (almost 75 episodes). For fans of horror hosts, this is quite the accomplishment as many of these types of shows do not last this long!

What is interesting here, is that after 6 seasons, Undead Johnny and World Of The Weird Monster Show are making some drastic changes and is sounds like a  great decision. We have watched so many hosts showing so many movies over the years. One of the problems though has been the movie selection. Since public domain titles are the norm now, we are seeing the same movies over and over again. For a show to mix it up is a pleasant change of pace.

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Who, Me? Part 3: Horror Hosts Galore, Including Count Gore (De Vol)!

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By: Jamie Lee Cortese

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I entered “Horror Host Alley” on Saturday morning ready to meet some horror hosts, and overflowing with pure enthusiasm and excitement at the prospect.  What I wasn’t prepared for was for my energy to be more than matched by the hosts themselves, starting from the moment I stepped into the room.

When I first walked in, I couldn’t help but gaze around in complete awe of my surroundings.  Before I could take it all in, however, I heard someone suddenly greet me.

Who, me?

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The Real Horror Hosts of Southern California!

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We’ve mentioned the documentary, AMERICAN SCARY, many times on this site and for good reason. It has not only served as a road-map to those interested in learning their horror host history, but also provided introductions to some of its most notable examples. If left to cover ALL of the greats, however, the movie would have probably had a running time of approximately 72 hours!

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Who me/Jamie Lee Part 2: Preparing to meet the hosts at Horrorhound

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By Jamie Lee Cortese:
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Yes, faster than you can say, “Svengoolie”, I’ve found myself hopelessly entangled in the horror host web, and I couldn’t be happier! While I was doing exhaustive research on Svengoolie and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, I found out about a documentary entitled American Scary that was all about horror hosts.  I found it online, and began to watch it.  From the very beginning, I was captivated.  I think my first clue that it was going to be amazing was when I saw none other than Neil Gaiman sitting in front of the camera.  Thanks to Mr. John Aranza of the Horrorbles store in––– you guessed it––– Berrrwyyyn, I was able to obtain a copy of it on DVD.  As I watched it again on my television, I remember making mental notes about the various hosts I saw that particularly impressed me and whom I might look into more, including Count Gore De Vol, Mr. Lobo, Dr. Sarcofiguy, and Professor Anton Griffin.