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Welcome
the official website for The Horror Host Underground,
the only website devoted to the goings on of current Horror
Hosts. Since all updates will be posted here, always check
this page first, and try to remember to read all the way
through to see if you have missed any earlier updates.
If
you have come here with the notion that this is a dead genre,
or that this site is simply a tribute site to hosts of the
golden age of television, we hope you will be pleasantly
surprised. On this site you will find updates on current
hosts around the country (and the world!), resources for
hosts looking to network, news and advice about working
on public access television, the location of the host(s)
closest to you, information on how you can be involved with
The Horror Host Underground Network and much, much more.
Updated!
April 2006
(NEW) MAKE ME FEEL GOOD...
Just a quick note to say this is one of my all-time favorite websites! I'm a long-time fan of all things horror host (though there's a terrible lack of same in my area these days), and I keep coming back to this site again and again to fill in the gaps of my knowledge on the subject. Thanks so much for giving me many hours of enjoyment; I really appreciate it!
Troy H.
(NEW) CINEMA WASTELAND THIS WEEKEND -
3 Days of Films & Fun Celebrating the Drive-In Era of Horror & Sci-fi Movies - Horror Hosts will once again be on parade this weekend in Cleveland, Ohio. Come on out and be one of the beautiful people, as you hang with the likes of Bonejangler and Nocturna, Gravedigger Grimm, Ghastlee Ghoul and Suspira, Baron Von Wolfstein, Dr. Mor B.S., Dr. Creep, Count Gore de Vol Dr. Freak, Commodant Gore, I. Zombi, Tarr and Feather, Blood E. Murderer, Uncle Roy Higgins and oodles of their Horror Host friends as they pay tribute to the legend, Son of Ghoul, at Cleveland's Cinema Wasteland's April Show - always the center of the Horror Host universe.
(NEW) HORROR HOSTS INVADING "MYSPACE"!
To quote Vlad from Ghoul A Go Go..."GREAT GOOGLY MOO!"
In the last obtuse amount of months since our last big update an obnoxious number of television Horror Hosts have set up camp on myspace.com. It's turning inito a great way for hosts to stay in touch with their fans, and network one on one with each other, viewers, indie filmmakers, bands and people in their communities. Here's a primer list of the hosts on MySpace, and their accounts...join...become their friends!
- http://www.myspace.com/thebonejangler
- http://www.myspace.com/drgangrene
- http://www.myspace.com/smokula
- http://www.myspace.com/Henrique
- http://www.myspace.com/freakforum
- http://www.myspace.com/mr_lobo
- http://www.myspace.com/shillingshockers
- http://www.myspace.com/meetcleaver
- http://www.myspace.com/doczombie
- http://www.myspace.com/professor_griffin
- http://www.myspace.com/doctormorbius
- http://www.myspace.com/nightmaretheatre
- http://www.myspace.com/mrgrimly
- http://www.myspace.com/horrorshowhost
- http://www.myspace.com/dr_destruction
- http://www.myspace.com/ghoulagogo
- http://www.myspace.com/creighton1313
- http://www.myspace.com/2macabre - official Elvira page!
More to come, we're all sure!
(NEW) Halloween Jack
Between now and Halloween 2006, one of the HHU's "founding fathers," and historian for countgore.com, "Halloween Jack," will once again be seen on a weekly basis! Beginning April 6, class-sick episodes of "The Haunted Theatre" will lead off a regular evening HHU double feature called: "Thursday Night with the Horror Host Underground" exclusively on Falls Church Cable Channel 12 - home of your Dr. Sarcofiguy.
This now makes FOUR nights a week that the good folks of Fairfax County Virginia will be able to watch marathons of the greatest current horror hosts from around the country.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the evening marathon "Night Fright: Six Hours with the Horror Host Underground" will continue, as it has, since 2002. Anchored by "The Spooky Movie with Dr. Sarcofiguy," the remaining hours are devoted to a rotating cast of ghouls, witches and zombies, all with their own unique twists of hosting horror.
And now two of the most prolific contribuators to the Northern Virginia HHU branch, Halloween Jack and The Bone Janger, will be getting the weekend started one day early with "Thursday Night with the Horror Host Underground."
9:00 pm - The Haunted Theatre with Halloween Jack (New Jersey)
11:00 pm - The Bone Jangler
(Illinois)
Are other nights safe on the schedule? You can bet NOT! The infection has only begun, my friends. We will keep you updated on this, and on the rumored talk of streaming Channel 12's programming, including the now 22 hours of Horror Hosty goodness!
(NEW) Son of Ghoul
Hey Group, check out my new site www.sonofghoul.net please make address changes in your systems. I'll see ya at wasteland for the big 20. stay cool!
(NEW) Doc Gangrene
Doc Gangrene and everyone at the WB58 Creature Feature won a Rondo Award for Best Website! HUGE thanks to all of you who voted in the Rondo Awards and showed your support - you ghouls are the reason we won, and we appreciate it!
Dark Realms magazine just ran an article on America's top horror hosts in their Winter 2006 issue, and Dr Gangrene was listed as one of the top hosts!
I just got the overnights on our show and we did gangbuster ratings
again, this time with a real stinker of a show, Space Mutiny. Man that
movie is BAD!! But we had a 3 share for the whole night - 3% of people
in our viewing area were watching Creature Feature - proves we're
starting to get a real following, and this fall they are talking about
moving us to Saturday afternoons! Definitely better than 1am Sat
night/sun morning.
(NEW) Dr. Freak
Podcast hosted by Henrique Couto with Various guests and dozens of topics. Weekly shows are uploaded to iTunes and here on myspace. Feel free to message with topics you would like to hear us discuss, such as "are you gay" "why are you so gay" "noone cares that you are gay" or some such thing. Click on our blogs for different episodes of the podcast streaming!
Visit: http://freakforum.therealcharles.com to subscribe via iTunes!
(NEW) Elvira
Cassandra had an "Elvira Estate Sale" earlier in the year. It was a very big success! Thanks go out to everyone who came by to grab a little piece of The Mistress.
Meanwhile, look out for a return of Elvira's classic show! The independent DVD supplier has licensed the entire archive of Elvira-hosted movies, including "Elvira's Movie Macabre," the nationally syndicated television series that ran from 1981-86.
Peterson is screening her wraparounds to pick her favorites, and then Shout! Factory will begin the clearance process for the hosted movies not in the public domain. The first releases likely will be out in time for Halloween 2006, said Eric Gardner, CEO of Panacea Entertainment, who brokered the deal.
Among the more than 300 films in the Elvira archive are such cult classics as "Crucible of Horror"; Roger Corman's "Fall of the House of Usher," with Vincent Price; "The House That Dripped Blood"; and the quasi-comedic "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!"
"It's amazing how many people have asked me over the years, 'When are these movies going to be out again,' or 'where can we find them,"' Peterson said. "Now, I finally can give them an answer."
"Elvira's Movie Macabre" began airing in 1981 on KHJ-TV in Los Angeles. Within two years, the show could be seen in more than 80 markets. The series remained a ratings winner until production ceased in late 1985.
There are also rumors of Elvira returning to a regular television gig, and she is currently soliciting auditions of an army of Elvira Minions to be put to use during the Halloween season.
(NEW) Dr. Destruction
As the years past the Doctor began reinventing himself along the lines of a traditional horror host. Diving in to such subjects as art and politics. He ran for mayor but was elected by the Art association. His character traveled time in search of a lost queen, only to battle with Chthulu to a bitter end. Continuing the entire coarse of his years the best in late night horror entrtainment, a homage to artistry, literature and actors of the great horror classics. Now with his Dorian Gray Art Show in its 21st year, he is unifying a coven of artists to raise money for kindred kittties.
(NEWPenny Dreadful
WOW! One of the newest members of the HHU gang, and (like her buddy Jebodiah Buzzard) has been hitting the ground RUNNING! A whole bunch of information on these prolific duo in the next update, which should be after Cinema Wasteland.
(NEW) The Bone Jangler
As mentioned earlier, The Bone Jangler finally has a regular slot on Falls Church Cable Channel 12 - Thursday nights at 11pm.
ALL-NEW "Daytime Dungeon", featuring TBJ's Earth nephew Greggy! Yes, it's
another 60 minutes of unadulterated children's programming, featuring Diver Dan, The Funny Company, Prince Planet, The Beatles, and even Peter Cottontail! The e-mails poured in, yesterday, during the premiere airing of this one, and, it was unanimous that Greggy is clearly made for TV!
(NEW) Baron Mondo Von Doren
Baron Von Doren has new gig contributing to the local paper's Pop Culture blog, The Watercooler. You can check it out here:
http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/blogs/cooler/
(NEW The Doctor
Soon to be on the HHU:
DOCTOR MORBIUS' MOVIE MAUSOLEUM! - Pasadena, Californa
Although I'm still assembling shows at my laboriously slow rate, I got a show, dad blast it! I'm Doctor Morbius, my show is Doctor Morbius' Movie Mausoleum, my sidekick is Goth Girl Number Six, we'll ostensibly be shown in Pasadena/Los Angeles, CA, and until my idiot assistant Urnie gets my real website up and running, I'm in a flop space at www.myspace.com/doctormorbius!
Stay fermented,
Doctor Morbius
As dictated (drunkenly) to Urnie, Mortician-of-All-Work
Doctor Morbius' Movie Mausoleum
(NEW)Butch R. Cleaver
Direct from Thrills-ville (okay...Cincinnati), Ohio, the Cleavers & friends bring you deliciously rotten TV Dinner entertainment! From Sci-fi to Horror...Beatnik to Kung-fu...Modern Masterpieces to Cult Classics...The Swank to the Stank, you're sure to find a flavor you'll come to savor...no matter how bad your taste is!
I'd best describe our show as the by-product of a frightening (yet strangely erotic) copulation between Barbara Billingsley and Tim Burton... while Donna Reed watches." It's a dash of rockabilly, a smatter of the sublime and heaping scoop of hep all folded into some of your favorite b-movies from the 40s-90s.
So don't be a square! Pull up a bean bag, mix up an eyeball martini and curl up with some of those familiar drive-in favorites you love to loathe!
If you are a band or an indie artist that would like to showcase your way-gone works on our humble program, stop by our website, check out our FAQ, promo kit and friends section (you'll find a list of others who participate in this three ring circus) and drop us a line.
(NEWProfessor Griffin
In latest Griffin news, we are working steadily with Fangoria TV to
finally shoot the pilot for the national version of the Midnight
Shadow Show. They have selected a location (In NYC) and were
putting together the set and props etc...but now there is a chance
that they'll just let us do it ourselves here in Austin. (We have
to produce a pilot again....how fun!)
We recently upgraded all our equipment to HD for the film we just
shot (The Magnificant Dead) so we have all the capabilities to shoot
whatever they need in the format they prefer. Also, (and most
importantly) we know the show...it's our show...and we love our
director and cameraman.
The major success we've had with Prof. Griffin's Midnight Shadow
Show was made possible through a hard-working group effort and they
are part of that group. I really don't want to do this without them
and luckily Fangoria agrees.
(The last three episodes of Prof. Griffin's Midnight Shadow Show are
shot in HD and it's funny to see the set and us in High Definition
and letterboxed! )
Fango is still flying us up to NYC to shoot trivia and horror
history bumps that will be used throughout the channel and quite
possibly as podcast/downloadable video. That is tenatively
scheduled to happen in early May.
And in June, we're scheduled to be guests at the Burbank Fangoria
Weekend of Horrors in full Shadow Show mode...
More good local horror news, our good friend Greg Nicotero...(KNB
FX) will be using the cast of the Midnight Shadow Show as featured
zombies in the upcoming film, GRINDHOUSE (currently filming in
Austin).
In case you didn't know, Grindhouse is a recreation of a Grindhouse
double feature, with two hour -long mini horror films sandwiching
trailers (fake trailers for exploitation films that don't exist) and
snack bar come-ons...essentially the whole Grindhouse experience.
This brilliant and fun project was conceived, and written by Robert
Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. Rodriguez and Tarantino each are
directing the two mini-horror films within the Grindhouse.
Our featured zombie appearance will be in Robert Rodriguez's film,
Project Terror.
That's really all I know about it at this time. But I'll keep you
all up to date and will hopefully provide photos from the set and of
us in all our grizzly make-up as well.
We're excited and looking forward to the fun. The LATE LATE night
fun.
(NEWPatient Creatures/ Creatures East
The world famous Patient Creatures are now officially
a bicoastal thang - Carpathian on the West Coast and a collective on the East Coast called - Creatures East - Grim, Kuzibah, Scarlet among others. Check them out at PatientCreatures.com and
CreaturesEast.com.
(NEW)Doc Zombie
K.D.O.A. Horror Radio Update
RECENT ADDS to the Playlist,
Music for Zombies,
A fetid array of malodorous melodies. Gory grand piano, putrid pipe organ, plus a full orchestra of Zombies! GRAVE music for BRAVE people!
This is CD is By Verne Langdon famous Monster Mask maker and musician.
also from Verne's demented mind
2 more Classics :
Halloween Spooktaular/Poe with Pipes featuring John Carradine reading Edgar Allen Poe to spooky Organ music.
also tracks from:
GOBLIN Contamination ,
SPOOKHAUS ,
The Howling ,
EVIL DEAD 2,
ALIENS
ELVIRA ,
Hollow Man,
Nightmare on Elm Street (Original)
AND MORE! Horror,Halloween,Sci-Fi,Cult, Weird! TURN OUT THE LIGHTS.........
http://www.live365.com/stations/duggraves
ADD KDOA RADIO
http://www.myspace.com/kdoa
(NEW) NEXT UPDATE:
Morgus returns to New Orleans...Scarabus is loving the graveyard shift... we quoth the Raven...Dr. Sarcofiguy tries out for VH1...we catch up with Mr. Lobo and Ghoul A Go Go...new info on Zomboo... more on Dr. Destruction... and updates on all the new hosts lurking about out there!
(UPDATE) COUNT GORE DEVOL
Creature Feature the Weekly Web Program is proud to announce that it has again broken new ground for the hosted horror film showcase. Regular weekly movie, hosted by Washington, DC, TV legend, Count Gore De Vol, is now available free of charge to iPod Video users. This supplements its on going audio Podcasts of interviews with various film and book celebrities, that began in the last quarter of 2005. You can also catch much of Gore's movies and clips on Google Video!
The i-pod of Gore
Important Stuff
THE HORROR HOST UNDERGROUND YEAR END REPORT
About once a year I like to take a moment to take account of how things are going, what we are doing, where we are going, and remind people why we started doing this from the beginning:
HOW THINGS ARE GOING - In a word "fantastic." This last October saw more traffic to the website than we've ever had. Because of the nature of the month, October is strong, but between the Spike TV promotions, the frequent updates, the cornucopia of new hosts we've really benefited from the sudden interest in Horror Hosts and people's reawakening appreciation for Halloween. Thank you!
WHAT WE ARE DOING - Things aren't stopping. More hosts are contacting us to join the list. Everyone is already thinking of 2006 and the exciting prospects. A number of hosts are busy working on holiday specials in December. And we're making every attempt to keep things updated in a timelier manner.
WHERE WE ARE GOING - 2006 will bring several, several new changes to HorrorHosts.com. There's going to be a brand new look, which will make navigation easier. We are going to take advantage of the newest technologies to completely redo how we present the Horror Host biographies. We are going to begin having a file library of clips of all many of the current horror host shows out there that we hope will be updated frequently. And, we will have a major announcement coming soon involving a year-long project that will solidify 2006 as the greatest year ever to be a television Horror Host! It's all coming together for this event! Trust us!
WHY WE STARTED DOING THIS - When we began doing the Horror Host Underground, and HorrorHosts.com, there was no place out there that advocated and promoted current Horror Hosts exclusively. As people who were currently doing this, we found it tough to constantly live in the shadow of something many had believed died in 70s or 80s. Much like it was for the Hosts who found accepting homes on public access, we realized that if no one were going to do THIS for us, we would have to step it up and do it ourselves.
I am going to be flat out honest, and remove the veil of unbridled cheerleader for a moment, and admit that this has not been at all easy. Not only do we have to sometimes battle unsympathetic access (or network or cable) stations, or deal with unflattering public perceptions, or egos that have forgotten that this has been about elevating yourself by elevating others, or financial and time and manpower constraints, but we've also had to deal with out and out mud slung at us, even by people we've tried to support.
To put a fine point on it, The Horror Host Underground mission is to promote current horror hosts. In doing so we never run down any show or host ever, nor linked to websites that choose to attack, to overtly disparage or slander any current host. We are not arbitrators in personal disagreements, but if things cross a line (and for us that line is what I just said above), then we are left with no choice but to not link to that host.
Because the biography section is used by hundreds of people all the time, and a source of information and inspiration to some, we have never removed someone's biography, or withheld a biography on the website, because of these petty differences, and we still don't. This is a service that we are committed to doing, and improving, as you will see when we help relaunch the new biography encyclopedia in 2006.
If there is a current television Horror Host out there and that individual is not listed on our website, one of three things has happened: (1) we don't know about them yet (this happens all the time, us finding out about a host that has been on for a year or two before we find out they exist); (2) we know about them and are waiting for more information or the next update (also a frequent reason); or (3) they have asked to be removed from the listings (and this has unfortunately happened twice in the 4 years, and both stemmed from personal disagreements with other Hosts). So, to just reiterate: we do not arbitrarily remove or "ban" Horror Hosts. That's just silly.
So, since we don't hold over people's heads the threat of removing them, the only real recourse we do have is the linking within their biography pages.
We made a policy change last year to only make the links to Horror Host websites "hot linked" if they were, in turn, linking back to us. It was a way to try and encourage Hosts we were helping to help us back. And, as mentioned before, we also do not hotlink to any host that uses their website as a means to attack other hosts - just not going to happen. We're not talking about tit-for-tat on message boards, emails or even the shows, but the websites, which this website has to respect as their Official word of the Hosts.
From a practical reason - we cannot be put in a position of encouraging visitors to visit places that is (in turn) discouraging what we are attempting to do. It makes no sense, running counter to our mission. It is tough enough to get people to take this seriously without giving off conflicting messages. Like I said, I can respect discourse and discussion on message boards or groups as being just that, but we cannot advocate websites that publicly undermine the core point of what we do.
So...there is that.
Thankfully quibbling has been the exception and not the rule. In the years that I have been doing this, I have found that Horror Hosts are, pretty much to a person, the most generous and supportive performers I have ever met. They see other's successes as successes for all and are usually too busy working on their own shows to be jealous. They inspire, encourage and lift each other up, creating a united network of late night ghoulish delight! They have helped reawaken this genre.
To recap...we're great, thanks for asking...we're doing some really cool stuff...we plan on doing some even cooler stuff in 2006...and while we love all Horror Hosts and will continue to promote them, we reserve the right to be annoyed...
HORROR HOSTS M.I.A.
Sadly, in the midst of updating our website, we have had to move several hosts into the "Off Air" section, mostly because we don't have confirmation that they currently on. So, while we are in the processing of adding plenty of new Hosts, we are removing just as many. However, if you know of the current status of any of these host, especially if we got the info wrong, pleae drop us a line.
That list of current Horror Hosts who do not have a teleivison show is pretty impressive, actually. From The Ghoul, to Elvira, to the Patient Creatures, to the legion of growing online hosts, the impact and advocacy of all Horror Hosts helps everyone.
This may be the last update of the HHU biography section for the remaineder of the year. We are starting a reorganization of the website, and hopefully will be able to reveal something very cool for all fans of Horror Hosts and local television pretty soon. Stay patient, creatures! (errrr...that isn't trademarked is it?)
AUTOGRAPH HOUNDS GONE WILD!
Horror Hosts from California, to Ohio, to Florida and everywhere in between have been receiving a slew of request for autographs lately. Most of the request letters have phrases like "I have been your biggest fan for years!" or "MY GRANDFATHERR TURNS 95 AND IS A BIG FAN OF YOURS!" or "God Bless You and your family" and on and on. Really flattering compliments.
Problem is, most of these folks have no idea who the Hosts are - they are simply responding to tips left on internet forums and message boards about which Hosts will send out free autographs. And these forums and message boards aren't even genre related ones, but simply boards devoted to autograph hounds.
The way it works is - once a kind hearted host agrees to send out an autograph picture to one of these collectors, they report to their fellow hunters what they got and the address they sent it to, and then the flood gates are opened.
Now...your friendly neighborhood webmonster is an admitted autograph geek. However, most of these Hosts do not have the funds to mail out signed picture after signed picture to people who are only after the volume of signed photos, without any consideration to the printing and mailing and time it takes to do this. In fact, when the Hosts email back with a polite request for anything from $1 to $3 to cover the picture and postage, they are always turned down.
So, feel free to email the hosts, via their websites, and if you are someone who is a fan, or someone who is a collector of free Host autographs, just be aware that not everyone will be as accomidating as they might have been just a couple of months ago.
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The Horror Host Underground
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