September 29th, 2011 marks the 10th Anniversary of our nighttime TV show "The Bone Jangler." Starting with this post, I intend to take a look back at the last 10 years (and even before that), and lend a little insight into what's gone on these last 10 years. I'll start by discussing how the show began.
"Since long before time itself had been recorded, there has been The BONE JANGLER! Throughout the years, the world's most prolific thoughtsmiths have theorized that the 'Big Bang' that spawned the Earth's creation also heralded the arrival of this ancient enigma."
Close enough.
I came here, to your Earth, from Beyond, so long ago, and have made it my home. In the Spring of 1998, having long been averse to much of your dreaded mortal technology, I reluctantly entered the realm of your "World Wide Web." I remember thinking to myself, "I don't want to sit around, wasting my time, 'surfing' the 'net." So, I thought that I'd amuse myself by enriching my considerable vast knowledge (I am as omniscient as I choose to be at any given time, don't you know?) by using the computer to learn more about my favorite passions. The first thing that entered my mind was Television Horror Hosts.
Having long before made my home on your Earth in the region known as "Chicagoland,"
I'd enjoyed the exploits of Terry "Marvin (The Near-Sighted Madman)" Bennett, Jerry G. "Svengoolie" Bishop (my favorite Horror Host of all-time), and Rich "(Son Of) Svengoolie" Koz. Of course, I was also familiar with Vampira, Zacherley, Ghoulardi, and Elvira Mistress Of The Dark. The Internet opened my shaded eyes to a plethora of other Horror Hosts, past and present, and, I was pleasantly surprised. Now, I knew that there were still a few current Horror Hosts out there, besides our Svengoolie. I'd seen Madd Frank, "Off Beat Cinema," and, of course, "Mystery Science Theater 3000." However, thanks to the wonders of the "personal computer," I was made aware of Horror Hosts like Sammy Terry, The Ghoul (who I vaguely remembered seeing on Chicago's WFLD 32, way back in 1973, as a "replacement" for the original Svengoolie, and not being impressed), The Son Of Ghoul, and many others.
Before long, I began interacting with fellow Horror Host fans on various message boards, striking up friendships, and thought of a way to obtain copies of these current Horror Hosts' shows. Many of us began trading VHS tapes of Horror Host programs, past and present. I'd contact Horror Host fans from all over the country, offering to trade tapes of our local Horror Host (Svengoolie) for tapes of their local Host(s). Rather rapidly, I amassed quite a collection of Horror Host shows from throughout the decades, and immersed myself in my passion for these shows. At the time, I co-owned a comic book shop, and I would play these tapes all day long in my store, exposing my clientele to these personalities, current and otherwise, and edu-taining them in regards to the genre.
One day, whilst watching one of The Son Of Ghoul's shows in the comic shop, I had an epiphany. "What if I hosted my own program like all of these shows that we watch?" Now, to you, it may seem like an obvious concept, much as it should've been to me at the time. I mean, yes, I was, and, obviously, still am, an immortal, omnipotent, tremendously spectacular, not to mention charming, sexy, and handsome, being from Beyond. However, bear in mind that until shortly after this point in time, I'd hidden much of my... uniqueness, from the vast majority of my customers. And, as I stated ealier in this post, I am "only" as omniscient as I choose to be at any given time. (Side note: Enchantress Nocturna and I have a sort of reverse Darrin and Samantha relationship, in the sense that, while Nocturna wishes that I'd use my powers more often, I'm often reluctant to do so.) I'd had no previous desire to be on television, but, after watching all of these Horror Host shows, and seeing what everyone's schtick was, I knew that becoming a Horror Host myself was a natural. Afterall, there'd be no need to for make-up, a set (our home would suffice), or costumes. Nocturna, The Coven, and I, could simply be ourselves, only on TV, hosting Horror/Sci-Fi/Cult movies.
More, much more, to come...
