- Dr. Gangrene
-
Larry Underwood as Dr. Gangrene.Born September 9, 1966
Nashville, TennesseeShow Dr. Gangrene Presents Station(s) Nashville's CW58 WNAB Time slot Saturday @ 1am (Sun morn) Country USA Previous show(s) Dr. Gangrene's Creature Feature Website http://www.drgangrene.com Dr. Gangrene is a writer, artist, and award winning television horror host based in the Middle Tennessee area, portrayed by Larry Underwood.
Contents
History
Underwood was inspired to create the character as an homage to Sir Cecil Creape, a former Nashville horror host. Created in 1999, the show was originally a half hour Public-access television cable TV program called Chiller Cinema in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The first episode aired July 1, 1999 on the Hendersonville, TN Public-access television station. The show quickly expanded into Nashville, Tennessee where it aired on Community Access Channel 19. Chiller Cinema was the first program to broadcast live out of the new Public, educational, and government access television building where CH 19 broadcast from. Chiller Cinema was soon seen on other Public-access television stations across the country, making Underwood one of the first horror hosts to self syndicate his program.
The show moved to Nashville's WB affiliate WNAB in 2005, and was renamed The WB58 Creature Feature, expanding to a two-hour format showing horror and Sci-Fi movies. It later changed its name slightly to The CW58 Creature Feature to match WNAB's switchover from The WB to The CW in September 2006.
In 2005 Dr. Gangrene won a Rondo Award for Best Website at the The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. He won a second Rondo in 2008 for his "Go Green with Dr. Gangrene" PSA Campaign (see below).
On October 30, 2007 a photo of Dr. Gangrene alongside legendary horror host Zacherley appeared in USA Today along with a mention in an article about horror hosts.
In April 2010 Dr. Gangrene appeared alongside several other horror hosts in Rue Morgue Magazine #103 in an article featuring top horror hosts from across the country.
Dr. Gangrene continues to stay busy, with his program currently airing on WNAB. He is a regular guest at the Wonderfest convention in Louisville, Kentucky, where he hosts live movies every year. He has appeared in a number of magazines and newspapers, as well as several movies, including appearing alongside fellow horror hosts in the documentary American Scary.[1]
Go Green With Dr. Gangrene Campaign
In 2008, Dr. Gangrene appeared in a series of Public Service Announcements entitled Go Green With Dr. Gangrene. The initial three shorts were entitled "Bonehead", "Two Lane Trash Stop", and "Trash Day Of The Dead". The shorts were written by Cameron McCasland and Larry Underwood and directed by Cameron McCasland. The series went on to win several local and national awards, including an Emmy Nomination for McCasland [2], and citations from the Governor of Tennessee Phil Bredesen, and the Nashville City Council.[3] In the 2008 Rondo Awards the PSAs were awarded a special Rondo Award in The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards called "The Vasaria Public Service Rondo Award" http://www.rondoaward.com/rondo/RondoVIIwinners.htm
Horror Punk Band - SPOOKHAND
In 2009 Larry Underwood formed a horror punk band called Spookhand. Underwood fronts the band, appearing in a number of outlandish costumes and masks. The band utilizes a variety of shock rock gimmicks live including dismemberment, blood drinking, and brain eating. The songs are all horror themed and based on many sci-fi and horror movies. They perform annually at Dr. Gangrene's Horror Hootenanny show as well as often in Nashville and surrounding areas.
- In 2005 Dr. Gangrene provided a spoken intro on the Creeping Cruds CD, "The Incredibly Strange People Who Stopped Living and Became the Creeping Cruds." He also provided a spoken word bit in the middle of the song "All Hail the Horror Host" on that album. That CD was nominated for a 2005 Rondo Award for BEST CD.
- Dr Gangrene also provided the spoken intro and outro for the horror rock compilation CD "T-Boner's Rot-N-Roll Compilation from Hell," released in 2006.
- In 2009 Dr. Gangrene recreated a faux horror host episode at the start of the song "I Kicked Dracula's Ass" on the Creeping Cruds CD, "Tennessee Bloodbath." The bit spoofed tales of long lost Hollywood horror films and poked fun at ridiculous "Americanized" titles of imported Spanish horror films. A classic horror film that was lost in a fabled Hollywood fire is recovered from Dr. Gangrene's dungeon in Tennessee nearly 75 years later. Before Dr. Gangrene is able to screen the new found film for his horror host audiences the film catches fire in the projector and is again lost for the ages.
- Larry provides the voice of a deranged killer truck driver on the 2010 CD Mark of the Psycho by the band Psychocharger. That CD was nominated for a 2010 Rondo Award for BEST CD.
Notes
- ^ American Scary
- ^ James Zahn (November 25, 2008). "An EMMY nod for TRASH DAY OF THE DEAD". Fangoria. http://www.fangoriaonline.com/home/news/9-film-news/647-an-emmy-nod-for-trash-day-of-the-dead.html. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
- ^ Duane Dominy (January 6, 2009). "RESOLUTION NO. RS2009-600". TN.gov. http://www.nashville.gov/mc/resolutions/term_2007_2011/rs2009_600.htm. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
References
- FilmFax: Outre Magazine #21 - Dr Gangrene wrote article about his hero, Sir Cecil Creape, previous Nashville Horror Host.
- Scary Monster Magazine #36: Dr. Gangrene" Featured article. Dr. Gangrene appears on cover, painted by Terry Beatty. Limited edition numbered Dr. Gangrene special version also offered which included Dr. Gangrene postcard.
- The Horror Host Underground: "Dr. Gangrene's Chiller Cinema"
- USA Today, October 30, 2007. - Horror hosts article with photo of Dr. Gangrene alongside legendary horror host Zacherley
External links
Categories:- Horror hosts
- Comedy characters
- Fictional scientists
- Fictional characters from Tennessee
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
