Clive Barker and his “Nightbreed” visit Chicago’s Days of the Dead.

It’s been a while since I’ve attended a Days of the Dead horror con but after hearing Clive Barker was headlining their March 2024 Chicago show, I knew it was time to return. The legendary Horror/Fantasy author has been plagued with poor health and recently announced that he will no longer be attending conventions (I believe an upcoming appearance in New Jersey will be his last) with plans to focus on writing. I love Barker’s books, particularly his more fantasy-based stories such as Weaveworld and Imajica and look forward to adding more favorites to that list. Barker also wrote and directed one of my favorite weird, horror movies – Nightbreed (1990). Several other cast members from Nightbreed were also in attendance: Craig Sheffer, Doug Bradley, Simon Bamford, and Nicholas Vince. It was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up.

What it’s like being Svengoolie’s “Hand at the Door!”

I’ve held off on this story as long as I could but wanted to share a fantastic experience I had late last year. It started back in October after I’d finished assisting the Svengoolie crew at their annual Volo Auto Museum appearance. Svengoolie’s alter ego, Rich Koz, thanked me for my assistance (as if I hadn’t enjoyed every minute of it) before asking if there was anything he could do for me in return. On several occasions, his producer, Jim Roche, has offered to pay me for my services but I’ve always refused on the grounds of it being a labor of love. I told Sven it wasn’t necessary but did put out there that if the station had lifted its tight COVID restrictions, I’d love to attend another taping – casually throwing in my desire to be his “hand at the door.” Seasoned Svengoolie fans know this refers to the show’s final skit which finds our frustrated host trying to share information about next week’s show only to be interrupted by his doorbell. After begrudgingly leaving his coffin to answer the door, he is then greeted by an expressive hand/arm that comes into view before telling a bad joke or two. I’m told this type of gag originated from an old comedian named “Soupy Sales” but he was before my time and I’ve only ever seen it performed by Svengoolie and the horror host, Zomboo, in Nevada. Sven told me he’d make it happen and, before the year was out, made good on his promise.

Celebrating “ROM Spaceknight: The Original MARVEL Years” Omnibus!

Back in 2010, I talked about my favorite comic book back when I was a kid, ROM: Spaceknight. MARVEL’s Love Letter to ‘50s Science Fiction movies was solidly in my wheelhouse with nods to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), and even I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958). If you’re unfamiliar with ROM you can go back and read my aforementioned blog or the article I wrote for the September 2016 issue of Scary Monsters Magazine. The seventy-five issue (plus four Annuals) series ran from 1979 to 1986 before falling into obscurity a.k.a. Licensing issues. Although IDW had their own ROM series for a while, it bore little resemblance to the one I’d grown up with and didn’t resonate with me as MARVEL’s had. At the same time, MARVEL couldn’t legally mention his name and while most of their titles got collected in trade paperback or hardcover Omnibus editions, ROM was never given the honor. That is, until now. 

Mike Bogue’s “Watching the World Die: Nuclear Threat Films of 1980s!”

The book is set up by year. After a brief introduction, each year from 1980 through 1990 gets a full chapter; with the qualifying films from each year listed. Every film gets a detailed synopsis along with some insightful background information. Bogue’s witty banter and astonishing facts act like the Bonus Features from a Criterion Collection Blu-ray. I can honestly say, I’ve never learned such interesting things about movies I’d never even heard of. I was also shocked to read that The Day After garnered ABC-TV 100 million viewers during its single airing. If ABC earned those kinds of numbers today, they’d quickly get to work on its sequel The Day After the Day After while planning the trilogy’s wrap-up – A Few Days After That. 

I hope you’ll pick up a copy of this book and see how cool it is for yourself. While the subject matter may seem dated, it has become oddly relevant again in today’s world. It’s an engaging book that brings awareness to movies in desperate need of a spotlight. And on that note, I’m gonna go and try hunting down some of those right now…

“Godzilla Minus One” is a Big Plus for 2023 Cinema!

Last night I attended an early screening of Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One. Despite Godzilla’s recent American films and Monarch series on Apple Plus, TOHO Studios has returned to its signature IP for the first time since the acclaimed Shin Godzilla in 2016. Although I’d heard positive feedback from its Japanese debut nearly a month ago, I was ill-prepared for just how good it actually was.

Svengoolie Fans Gear Towards the Volo Auto Museum!

Unlike last year, I was physically and mentally prepared for Svengoolie’s annual October appearance at the Volo Auto Museum. This involved getting plenty of exercise during the week leading up to it, adequate sleep the night before, and a big bowl of Wheaties the morning of. For those unfamiliar, this is the only Svengoolie appearance that consistently puts him into overtime and I knew I’d be on my feet selling Svengoolie t-shirts, hats, and buttons for the better part of four hours. When I met up with MeTV’s national horror host and his executive producer, Jim Roche, they were as well-rested and ready to go as I was. Svengoolie even danced a sort of jig for Volo’s Marketing Director, Jim Wojdyla, for a video he was working on. It was soon time for him to take on the crowd…