Shock Theatre, Chicago Style: WBKB-TV’s Late Night Horror Showcase!

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Chicago Horror Hosting has been receiving a lot of attention this days with the recent re-release of “Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows: From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie” (covered last week HERE) as well as a new book focusing on the “Shock Theatre” years specifically, “Shock Theatre, Chicago Style!”  This book was written by Don Glut, a film-maker, writer, as well as a super fan of Chicago’s Marvin. Glut had assisted us years ago when we featured our own tribute to this host which you can check out HERE!

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From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie: Chicago TV Horror Host Book Returns!

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TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES is pleased to announce the re-release of the quintessential guide to Chicago horror hosts and horror programming – “Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows: From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie!” I remember buying this book at “Horrorbles” in Berrrr-wyn, Illinois  during its first release. As a die-hard Rich Koz/Svengoolie fan, I was elated to see his visage on the cover of a book. It seems so odd now but, when I look back, I actually used to feel isolated in my fandom of him. Thanks to the Internet and the Svengoolie YAHOO forum I soon discovered that I was far from alone. And, thanks to THIS book, it filled in a lot of Svengoolie-gaps in information that I had been unaware of…

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“Haunting Tales of Horrorbles” and Svengoolie!

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I hadn’t seen Horror Host, Svengoolie, descend upon Berwyn (a town he’s helped make famous) since he Grand Marshalled their “Houby Parade” last October (story HERE). I can’t recall the last time I’d seen him at their local treasure, “Horrorbles,” but I DO know that it was some time before I became a “Terror Dave.”  It couldn’t happen too much for me, as the two seem made for each other. Not only because the Horror themed store is the official supplier of Sven’s rubber chickens but because they are both hallowed horror institutions of Chicagoland.

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Horrorbles: The Best Little Horror House in Berwyn!

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On the outskirts of the Windy City, with the Sears…I mean Willis Tower looming in the distance, lies the suburb of Berwyn. Its a town that made a name for itself for once having a giant garbage sculpture and spindle of cars as prominent local art. They even hold an annual parade dedicated to, of all things, mushrooms (courtesy of its Houby Parade which we covered HERE). Despite these wonderful things that give the town so much character, it would be  a horror host that would REALLY put them on the map, both here in Chicagoland as well as a national audience…

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Finally getting to meet Svengoolie!

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It’s been awhile since I have had fun…I mean fun like a kid. As adults we become pre-occupied with things such as working, paying bills, raising a family, etc. Not that these are bad things but in the process, we forget how to have fun like we did when we were kids. I think that is why I like being a monster fan so much…you can do all of the important and responsible things in life and yet still be a kid! Who can forget the excitement as a child on Christmas Eve. Family get-togethers that then led to a sleepless night, in anticipation of Santa’s annual visit. This followed by the nervous excitement of walking down the stairs to see if the big guy brought us everything that we had asked for. These times were magical and that is the first thing to go in adults…the magic.

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Growing up (and Growing Older) with Rich Koz’s Svengoolie!

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It’s hard to imagine what my life would have been like had I not had the honor of growing up with Svengoolie. The “1970’s world” I was raised in was devoid of  VCR/DVD’s and DVR cable. Consequently, watching monster movies at your own convenience was simply not the option that it is today. I suppose this is the “you kids don’t know how good you have it” story that my generation gets to tell in place of “having to walk six miles to school in the freezing cold.” All kidding aside, however, you really did have to be home at the right time to catch a rare showing of what interested you. During this era, many of us “scary movie” kids depended on our local horror hosts to reliably deliver those goods.

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