Be at the Height of Halloween Fashion with MANI-YAK MONSTERS!

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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…

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“Bad-Off Boris & the Cupcake Cave-in”: Monster Inspired Book with “Universal” Concepts!

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With Chicago suffering yet another heat-wave, I guess I failed to realize that the end of summer is finally upon us. It didn’t actually hit me until I left for work one morning and kept getting held up by stopping school buses. Their sudden reappearance reminds me of big yellow whales invading neighborhood waters during a Fall migration. My kids are all back as well which means when I come home each evening I’m sure to see a stack of permission slips and teacher memos along with the usual barrage of ordering sheets courtesy of the various Scholastic Book Clubs.

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I did the MONSTERBASH!

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Usually when I attend a fan convention, it’s after weeks of planning and preparation leading up to the big weekend itself. MONSTERBASH (summer 2012) was a last minute decision that threw my convention(al) wisdom straight out the window! I’ve always wanted to do one of these but there were two main issues; 1) Its about a 7 hour drive from my native Chicago to Butler, Pennsylvania and certainly not a journey I relish doing alone. 2) Its slated right before July which is always the busiest convention month here in the Midwest. This requires me having to use up vacation days and resources at a time when I need to be stockpiling them in order to get through the next month. So what changed my mind?

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“Inside the Half-wit’s Studio”…Rich Koz Svengoolie gives DePaul University Horror Host 101!

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It was a beautiful sunny day in Chicago when I arrived at DePaul University to see a Q&A session with national horror host and broadcaster, Rich Koz/Svengoolie! While I’ve seen him at various appearances this would mark the first time I would catch him without his familiar make-up and, rather than greet fans, get to see him discuss his vast career.

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Freddy Krueger’s “Nightmare Gloves” are a cut above the rest!

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One of the highlights of this year’s ROCK & SHOCK convention in Worcester, MA was meeting and getting to know the artist couple Asia and Anders Eriksen. Asia was covered not too long ago with her amazing creations known as WerePups (you can read all about it HERE). Anders, her husband and an amazing artist in his own right, is the creator of NIGHTMARE GLOVES, the VERY BEST Freddy Krueger gloves available on the market today! Being a collector of masks and props it takes a lot to impress me these days and I will say with all honesty that when it comes to these two, impressive is a perfect adjective! Not only are they amazing artists but they are also very friendly and personable and if you get the opportunity to meet them at a convention, please do not hesitate. You will not be disappointed!

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Dr. Destruction’s Dorian Gray Art Show: Horror Hosts and Horror Creations!

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Back in 1984, the rural town of Kenosha, Wisconsin became the unlikely venue for a unique type of art show.  Local resident, Dale Wamboldt, was determined to create a venue where artists such as himself  (who delve in the more ominous side of creativity) could showcase their work for a public audience.  A fan of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Dale was fascinated by the concept of using art to express his own darker side. Years later, he would adopt his own alter ego as a horror host, Dr. Destruction, while continuing the annual tradition of the “The Dorian Gray Art Show.”

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