Horror host

Horror hosts are a particular type of television presenter, often tasked with presenting low-grade films to television audiences.

In the early days of television, stations needed programming, and local stations frequently produced their own shows in-house, covering the gamut from children's fare to serious drama. Due to the expense of preproducing to film, many early television shows were live, and stations needed personalities to introduce shows as well as read commercials and station IDs. Most stations used booth announcers, but a number of shows—in particular those using cartoons or movies—instead used an on-camera host or hostess to perform those functions.

The first television horror host was Vampira. cite book
last =Watson
first =Elena M.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Television Horror Movie Hosts: 68 Vampires, Mad Scientists, and Other Denizens of the Late Night Airwaves Examined and Interviewed
publisher =McFarland & Company
date =2000
location =Jefferson, North Carolina, United States
pages =
url =http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-0940-2
doi =
id =
isbn =0786409401] "The Vampira Show" featured mostly low budget suspense films because few horror films had been released for television broadcast. Despite its short 1954-1955 run "The Vampira Show" set the standard format for horror host shows to follow.

After the initial airing of "King Kong" on nationwide television, many horror films were released to television, and it was natural for local stations to show them on a regular, weekly program—often with a host.

The "Shock!" package, a collection of older science-fiction and horror movies packaged for syndicated television, was released to stations in October of 1957. To promote the films, the distributor supplied stations with a promotional kit which encouraged all kinds of antics. The use of a host was encouraged, and a number of stations elected to use them. Viewers loved the package, as well as the concept, and ratings soared. A "Son of Shock!" package was released in 1958.

Hosts were often plucked from the ranks of the studio staff. In the days of live television, it wasn't uncommon for the weather man or booth announcer to finish a nightly news broadcast and race madly to another part of the soundstage for a quick costume change to present the evening's monster tale.

While a few early hosts like Zacherley and Vampira became the icons of this nationwide movement, most hosts were locals. The impact of these friendly ghouls on their young fans cannot be underestimated. The earliest hosts are still remembered with great affection today.Citation
last=
first=
author-link=
title=Filmfax
newspaper=
volume=
issue=13
pages=
year=1988
date=December 1988
url=http://www.filmfax.com/ ]

ee also

1950s

* Vampira
* Zacherley
* Selwin
* Gregory Grave

1960s

* Bob Wilkins
* Bill "Chilly Billy" Cardille
* Deadly Earnest (Australia)
* Dr. Shock
* Ghoulardi
* Jeepers Creepers (horror host) - 1962-1963 on KCOP [http://myweb.wvnet.edu/e-gor/tvhorrorhosts//hostsj.html#Jeepers]
* Lou Steele
* Morgus
* Sammy Terry
* Selwin
* Sir Graves Ghastly
* Superhost
* Vegas Vampire --through 1970s

1970s

* Al "Grampa" Lewis
* Big Chuck & Little John
* The Bowman Body- through the 1980s
* The Cool Ghoul (Dick VonHoene)
* Count Baltes
* Count Gore de Vol through the 1980s; returned 1999; internet
* Count Scary
* Count Zappula
* The Ghoul
* Crematia Mortem
* Dr. Acula
* Dr. Creep - through the 2000s
* Doctor Madblood - through the 2000s
* Doctor Paul Bearer
* Dr. San Guinary
* Dr. Shock
* Dr. Speculo
* Frank and Drac
* GraveMaster
* John Stanley (took over "Creature Features" on KTVU from Bob Wilkins)
* The Shroud
* Sinister Seymour
* Sir Cecil Creape
* Spooky Spectre
* Stella
* Svengoolie
* Sammy Terry

1980s

* A. Ghastlee Ghoul - through the 2000s
* Commander USA - 1985-1989 USA Network
* Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark, (KHJ, Los Angeles, California)
* Stella, The Man-eater From Manayunk (KYW-TV, Philadelphia)
* Mystery Science Theatre 3000 - into the 1990s
* Crematia Mortem
* Friday Fright Night-Disembodied skull host, with voice of Hubert Bowen. KCTV 5, Kansas City
* Fritz the Nite Owl (WBNS, Columbus, Ohio)
* Count Scary (Detroit, MI)
* Count Norlock (KSPR, Springfield, Missouri)
* Joe Bob Briggs - through the 1990's Joe Bobs Drive-In - The Movie Channel
* Sammy Terry
* Son of Ghoul, northeast Ohio
* Svengoolie/Rich Koz - through the 2000s
* Conway Soulemonde- for ever

1990s

* Crypt Keeper
* Count Cool Rider (KFBT, Las Vegas, Nevada)
* Dr. Sarcofiguy - through the 2000s
* Dr. Gangrene - through the 2000s
* Dr. Zombie - through the 2000s
* Joe Bob Briggs - 1993-1999 Monstervision - TNT network
* The Nightshadow - through the 2000s

2000s

* Baron Mondo Van Doren
* Baron von Wolfstein
* Baron Wolfbane
* Blood E. Murder
* The Bone Jangler
* Butch R. Cleaver
* Carpathian and the Patient Creatures
* Castle Blood's Midnight Monster Hop
* Creepy Clyde
* The Creepy Reaper
* Dr. Destruction
* Dr. Ghoulfinger
* DR. MOR B. S.
* Dr. Pureblood
* Dr. Sarcofiguy
* Dr. Tarr
* Ghoul A Go-Go
* Ghoul, The (Broadcast since the 1970's, off and on. Web broadcasts only in the late 2000's.)
* Gunther Dedmund (Lawrence, Kansas)
* Halloween Jack
* Hybrid-Tales from The Other Side
* I. Zombi
* I.M. Balm
* Ivonna Cadaver
* Jebediah Buzzard•Fright Time FunHouse
* Karlos Borloff
* Laslo
* Madame Mortem
* Mark Cutimup, MD
* The Mortician
* Mr. Lobo
* Ms. Monster
* The Mysterious Lab of Dr. Fear
* Night Shadow
* Nocturna
* Nonek the Barber
* Penny Dreadful
* The Pimp
* Professor Emcee Square host of The It's Alive Show [http://www.theitsaliveshow.com]
* Professor Fether
* Professor Griffin
* Remo D.
* Rob Zombie
* Scarewolf host of Saturday Fright Special [http://www.saturdayfrightspecial.com] (2006-present)
* Scuffy The Creature Clown
* Seth Lazarus-The Keep Out Lounge
* The Mortician
* The Zombie Cheerleader
* Uncle Roy Hoggins
* Undead Johnny and Dementia
* Von Zip-Wild Thingdom
* Wolfman Mac and Boney Bob Host of Nightmare Sinema [http:http://www.nightmaresinema.com/]
* Zomboo

ee also

* "Creature Features"

References

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-10-29-horror-hosts_N.htm

External links

* [http://www.the-mortician.com/ The Mortician] - Brunswick, OH horrorist
* [http://www.americanscary.com/ American Scary] - Documentary: A look at the nation's tradition of horror hosting, from Zacherley to A. Ghastlee Ghoul.
* [http://www.horrorhosts.com/ Horror Host Underground] - comprehensive host site (content no longer present, simply a frontpage redirecting to myspace)
* [http://myweb.wvnet.edu/e-gor/tvhorrorhosts// E-Gor's Chamber of TV Horror Hosts Site - Biggest on the web!]
* [http://www.milwaukee-horror-hosts.com/ Milwaukee Horror Hosts]
* [http://www.zomboo.com// Zomboo's Own Website. Features what is currently playing on an upcoming episode!]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pImDLR3Ru5Q Clip of "The Late Night Horror Show with Count Norlock" at YouTube.com]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m0kE7AWsyw Clip of "The Basement Sublet of Horror with Gunther Dedmond" at YouTube.com]
* [http://www.nightmaresinema.com// Official site of Detroit's current king of Horror!