Horror Host Graveyard

Masks have always been a popular collectible, especially in the horror world. Back during Zacherley's height of popularity, Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine ran an ad for a Zacherley mask, seen above. A few years ago, mask maker David Lady made the mask/bust of Zacherley below:

The band Deathbed Bride made a song about Shilling Shocker's Garou. It is called The Garou Twist . You can download it on Deathbed Bride's MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/deathbedbride

Count Gore De Vol's Creature Feature The Legacy Series DVDs are a great overview of his many years of being a horror host. Each volume is full of just clips from his old shows and commercials, all with new linking material by the Count. During the course of the clips, you will see some interviews with celebrities and parodies of then current TV shows and movies. Count Gore gives background information of what was going on in the show and the world at the time the segments aired, to help the viewer understand the skits better. His stories are very enjoyable and make the discs even more entertaining, They also provide a little peek inside the making of his show. We are fortunate that the Count has saved so many hours of his shows, when some hosts do not have even one example of their work remaining. The four DVDs show the changes and the progress of Gore's hosting career and makes a good primer for his current Weekly Web Program. You can order them from his website store here: ht...

The theme song for Monster Creature Feature with Ormon Grimsby is called The Ghastly Stomp by The Ghastly Ones. It is from their CD A-Haunting We Will Go-Go. Click below listen to The Ghastly Stomp or right-click to download: The Ghastly Stomp To find out more about The Ghastly Ones and their music visit their site: http://www.ghastlyones.com/

Some horror hosts are not born of the television set, they emerge from the internet. One of these is Miko Macabre who hosts Cryptique . The show features an extremely shortened version of a horror movie with Miko breaking in to offer her comments and comedy skits. Although very low budget, it has just the right blend of corniness and self-awareness. Miko is a host with definite echoes of Elvira in her humor and realization of how ridiculous the plots of these movies can be. This is offset with her vast knowledge of horror movies and an intelligence in the jokes, many of which are double entendres. The summaries that she gives during the movies are accurate in pointing out the obvious weaknesses in the films. All of this makes a very funny show which pulls from many different influences and makes it fun on repeat viewings. Although she doesn't have many episodes made, she is currently working on new ones. All of the episodes so far can be seen on her YouTube channel: http://www.yout...

The book Ghoulardi Inside Cleveland TV's Wildest Ride by Tom Feran and R. D. Heldenfels delves into the life of Ernie Anderson, better known as Cleveland, Ohio's most famous horror host Ghoulardi. Anderson's life examined from his childhood until his death with the bulk of the text revolving around his years developing and becoming Ghoulardi. The authors give a rounded history of what was going on in Cleveland at the time and puts Ghoulardi's rise to fame and infamy in perspective. Filled with anecdotes of what went on behind the scenes, as well as in front of the camera, you feel as though you were there during that period and makes the Papa Oom Mow Mow song play in your head as you read. Reminisces by Anderson's friends and contemporaries such as 'Big Chuck' Schodowski and Tim Conway paint a full picture of a man whose antics on TV paled in comparison to what went on in his life. We also hear from the man himself in excerpt from interviews, which at time...

Around 1980, Rochester, New York's channel 31, WUHF, showed a horror movie program called Creature Feature, which did not feature an on-air host. Click below to download an MP3 of the opening: WUHF Creature Feature Here is the opening from 1980:

Monster Madhouse is the wackiest horror host show currently on the air. This Virgina based show is hosted by Karlos Borloff, who is joined by a rotating, and ever increasing, group of co-hosts. Together they are the Monsterminators, whose job is to rid the world of monsters. Every episode the group try to deal with some danger to the world, usually related to the movie being played. Chaos is the norm for the show, where anything and everything can, and will, happen. Borloff and his regulars, who include Pumpkin Punk, Countess Contessa Vanessa, Spooky Demenseia, and some of the monsters they have captured, like Zillagod, run around the studio wildy, like the demons they are. Borloff desperately tries to keep the peace and reign in the group, while making the proceedings fun for everyone, especially the audience. The show has a crazy energy that is nothing like anything else out there. It is as if a little kid was playing with a mixed toybox full of cool action figures and filmed it. The...

Early 1970's Cincinnati, Ohio horror host The Cool Ghoul made a record album in 1971 called The Cool Ghoul's Phantasmagorical Funky Fonograf Record. You can download the entire album by clicking here: The Cool Ghoul's Phantasmagorical Funky Fonograf Record courtesy of Mostly Ghostly Music Sharing Blaaahhhggg!!!

Here is a picture of Creighton from Ghoul A-Go-Go at the I-CON 26 convention on March 24, 2007.

Some shows didn't feature an on-air host, some were just voices over pictures of monsters or footage from horror movies. One of these was Haunted Hollywood in which the voice-over work was done by the veteran actor John Carradine. It was a syndicated package of horror movies in the 1980s to the early 1990s. Each episode started the same but over the beginning of the movie John would give a quick summary of the movie that was about to be shown. Here are the opening words of the program: "They're coming...they're coming back--There's no escape! The horrors from Hollywood's past have returned. Forgotten skeletons from long-locked closets and dusty film vaults... Delightful tales of the macabre... unsettling visions ...Ghost of Hollywood's past walk once again! It's not a dream...it's not a nightmare...It's HAUNTED HOLLYWOOD!" This is the opening to some of the movies :

In 1963, Syracuse, New York horror host Baron Daemon recorded a 45 rpm record. Released as Baron Daemon and The Vampires the record was called The Transylvania Twist with Ghost Guitars on the flipside . Click below to hear The Transylvania Twist or right-click to download The Transylvania Twist Click below listen to a one minute sample of Ghost Guitars or right-click to download: Ghost Guitars Listen to the full version of Ghost Guitars here:

Ohio's Dr. Lady & Laura Lady released a DVD of the best parts of their show The Late Dr. Lady Show . Called The Late Dr. Lady Show Volume 1: The Presequel , it is filled with great sketches with all sorts of monsters and sci- fi & horror jokes. The sketches come and go quickly, like a macabre version of Laugh-In or MADtv . Different characters join Dr. Lady in various rooms in the Horror Hotel and sometimes help him with his experiments. They have included a couple of things just for DVD that are just as funny as the rest of the disc. The best part of the DVD is that lots of Dr. Lady's collection of masks, props, and sets are on display in every scene. If you want to sit back and enjoy a live action version of a 1001 Monster Jokes book, then this is the DVD for you. If you are looking for full episodes of The Late Dr. Lady Show on DVD, they are occasionally offered for sale on Dr. Lady's eBay store at: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/maskwizard_W0QQ_in_kwZ1 You can ...

Dr. Gangrene and Nurse Moan-Eek from Nashville's Creature Feature in conjunction with New Valiant Productions have produced several Earth friendly Public Service Announcements for the "Go Green With Dr. Gangrene" campaign. The shorts are to help promote environmental and safety tips. This is how we should deal with littering zombies: To see more go to: http://www.gogreencrusade.com/

With the summer still warming up the day dwellers, Vlad & Creighton give some tips on how to avoid becoming like the Hideous Sun Demon in this PSA for Kate's Foundation. For more information go to: http://katesfoundation.com/

Here is a picture of Elvira signing autographs at the Chiller Theatre convention October 6, 2007.

Scary Monsters Magazine is a very horror host friendly magazine. Almost every issue has an article about or by a horror host. This is the original artwork to issue # 8, which shows most of the classic horror hosts. Order an issue or subscribe today at: http://www.scarymonstersmag.com/

In 1962, New Orleans horror host Dr. Momus Alexander Morgus starred in the movie The Wacky World of Dr. Morgus . In it, Dr. Morgus invents an Instant People Machine that can transform people into sand and back to their original form. Morgus and his assistant, Chopsley, have to stop a plot by Microvanian spies to take over America. Here is the trailer, courtesy of Meet Cleaver Theatre: Though hard to come by, the movie was released on VHS on November 6, 1996 by Ivy Classics Video. So far it has not been released on DVD. Here is a scene from the movie:

Tennessee horror host Sivad was extremely popular in his area in the late 60s to the early 70s and he, like a few other hosts, recorded a record. He came out with the 45 RPM Sivad Buries Rock and Roll , which had the title song along with Dickey Drakeller on the flipside . Click below to hear the songs or right-click to download: Sivad Buries Rock and Roll Dickey Drakeller

Vampira is the queen of horror hosts. Predating Zacherley , she hosted horror movies with a sensuality and dark humor that was shocking for the time. Know for her incredibly small waist and sense of the macabre, she had a big following during the show's run. Although her show didn't last that long, she is well remembered. Her fame was brought about by many modeling assignments in the Vampira guise. Although having similar careers on opposite coasts of the United States, Vampira and Zacherley never met in person, though they are linked in many people's minds . Another important reason for her fame and infamy was her appearance as a ghoul in Edward D. Wood's notoriously bad movie Plan 9 from Outer Space. She was cast as a silent zombie and did not utter a single line, a major contrast to her sharp tongued puns she was known for on TV. Although it was thought that Plan 9 was all the world could see of Vampira , in the 1990s a promotional reel was found at Vampri...

Penny Dreadful's Shilling Shockers is fast becoming one of the most popular horror hosts shows currently being made. Based out of Massachusetts, witch Penny and her werewolf husband, Garou, have been making their show for a few years and have gathered a huge following, even winning the 2007 Rondo award for Favorite Active Horror Host. Set most of the time in an attic, Penny & Garou are joined by Dr. Manfred Von Bulow, a monster hunter. The first few seasons were made in black & white, in homage to the classic hosts, but soon Penny found a spell to make her show in color. Every six months a new season of seven episodes is released and is soon followed by a full season boxed DVD set. Shilling Shockers is full of humor and fun, but the background information of the films that are shown is HEXellent. Penny is very knowledgeable about all areas of horror and imparts her audience with interesting facts. Also peppered in the show are interviews with celebrities, other horror hosts...