September 2008 Archives

Let’s wind up this month with some random reactions…

The passing of Paul Newman means the world lost a fine actor and a good man. His charitable work became as important to him as his acting career, and even surpassed that once he retired from the business. No, he never made any true horror films, but he was still a favorite actor of mine. His family has stated that, if you’re a fan, and want to commemorate Paul- do something nice for someone- whether it’s bringing a bowl of soup to a sick friend, or some charitable act. I’m with them on that- in fact, while you’re at it, go but a couple of the “Newman’s Own” products- salad dressing, popcorn, spaghetti sauce- whatever. Plus, go out and rent a Newman flick…”Cool Hand Luke”- “The Verdict”- “Somebody Up There Likes Me”- “The Sting”- and see a guy who really knew what he was doing.

This past weekend I kicked off my annual Halloween season, and, what a great couple of events! Our visit to Willow Springs was a huge success, and we met SO many nice Sven fans of all ages. The “Scarryoke” was truly scary at times…and the kids in costume were really cute. I even got to see a lady I went to high school with, and meet her family- and she admitted hat her husband used to live in Berwyn! The Mayor of Willow Springs also graciously came by.

Then, Saturday, our return to the Portage Theater for the Chicago Horror Film Festival was just as much fun-plenty of cool films were screened, including the documentary about me “Calling All Stations”-the locally-shot “Bonnie and Clyde Meet Dracula”-and the great William Castle documentary- “Spine Tingler”- a perfect background informational lead-in for the Sven feature that night on our program, “the Tingler.” The proceedings at the Portage, hosted by the lovely and talented Kenzie was definitely a fun event for fans of the horror genre, and a great look at some of the independent films being produced.

By the way, if you missed me at the Portage- I’ll be back for my yearly red carpet arrival at the Six Corners Horror Film Fest on Friday night, October 24^th.And, yes-there are more appearances coming- just check back here for the information.

To answer the question I keep getting- no, so far, there are no plans for me to appear at “Fright Fest” this year- in spite of our successful visit last year, where I had to stay a full hour overtime to get to everybody who wanted an autograph. Feel free to contact the folks there and ask THEM when they’re having Sven there this year…maybe they’ll think about doing so.

Don’t look now- but here comes October…

I get a lot of great e-mails from all you Sven fans- and occasionally will get something that makes a big impression on me. Here’s the latest to do so- this story sent to me by Rob Piorkowski. I’ve only edited it slightly, so as not to change the impact it has.

Read it, and you’ll see…

…D’oh! Thanks, Rob!!!

Readers of the Chicago Sun Times, including just about everybody in the broadcasting business, got some shocking news this past week- Robert Feder, the longtime local radio and television columnist, has accepted a buy-out deal from the newspaper, and will soon be signing off from his column.

Rob Feder and I have a lot in common- both local boys who have managed to stay and work here in our hometown area, both with a great love and respect for local radio and TV broadcasters and broadcast history. Rob has always treated me kindly-and fairly, even mentioning that a WFLD Halloween special I did with Jonathan Brandmeier came in “dead last” in the ratings for its night! He has also mentioned milestones in my career,and mentioned upcoming highlights of my shows about which most other local writers would never bother.

I’ve mentioned the fact that my friends from WGN Radio- Steve and Johnnie- are greatly responsible for me being a part of WCIU. I think it’s appropriate for me to mention- again- that Rob Feder was pretty much responsible for me returning to local TV after “Son of Svengoolie” was gone from the airwaves. The story, for those who don’t know it- I had been “dismissed” from WFLD when they became the Fox Network- because my show wasn’t “appropriate” for a network station. About three and a half years later, after some false starts on a few projects, I was freelancing in radio and commercials- and Rob called me, because the date was coming that WOULD have been the 10^th anniversary of Son of Svengoolie. He wanted to write a column about that fact- and, quite frankly- I didn’t want him to do so. I didn’t want him portraying me in a sort of “oh, poor me” light, looking for sympathy. Rob assured me that that was not his intention, that he just wanted to point out that there was still a guy around with something to offer to local TV viewers who just might be worth utilizing. He asked me to trust him- and I did.

After the column came out, I got a call from- of all places- WFLD !!! My old station- now an august member of the Fox network. It seems that they had seen Rob’s column, and now had an “idea” about doing a show with me. Would I come down to the station to discuss this?

Indeed I did- and, after hearing their lame idea, gave them one of my own- which they accepted, and which became the nighttime “Koz Zone”- which won an Emmy its first year out of the box. I went on to do more shows, including the daytime “Koz Zone”- became a weatherman(?!)- did live specials and more. I also got to show that I could be much more than just “Son of Svengoolie.”

I would not have gotten the chance to do all that- had it not been for Rob Feder writing a column he had to convince me to allow him to write. I have never forgotten that.

I hope Rob and his family take some time to enjoy themselves- they are big fans of Disney World, and Rob has given me hints on ways to enjoy the Disney experience a few times! And- I’m looking forward to seeing what he will do next.

I do know that everybody in the Chicago broadcasting business will now have less to read in their morning paper. I sincerely doubt that anyone will fill the void that Rob’s absence will leave.

Many thanks, Rob- I’ve got a lot of clippings to keep the memories alive. Keep in touch.

Tonight at 9 pm, get set for a great 1950s classic from the mind of freaky exploitation film showman William Castle- the legendary gimmicked film- “The Tingler!”

Vincent Price works in the local morgue, but also conducts experiments into the nature and science of fear- he’s trying to discover how fear manifests itself in the human body, and can become so powerful- it can kill a person. He meets a man and his wife- who is deaf and cannot speak- that run a silent movie theater…and begins to develop a theory, based on the woman’s reactions- that the deadly effects of fear are overcome by- screaming! After some experimentation- some including his own beautiful but unfaithful wife- Vincent discovers that there’s SOMETHING that grows inside the human body, that feeds on fear- and can become strong enough to shatter the spinal column!

Things get even worse when he manages to actually extract this organism- known as “the Tingler”- from the dead body of a victim…and, before long- the Tingler is on the loose- roaming through the darkened movie theater, ready to feed on the fears of the audience!

This film is very famous for its use of one of Castle’s in-theater gimmicks- he would actually have some of the seats in the theater where the film was shown wired with a “shock buzzer” that the projectionist would turn on at appropriate time during the film!

We’ll tell you more about it on the show tonight-also, watch for another unusual gimmick in this black and white feature-that adds a little “color” to the flick!

As I mentioned earlier this week- this will be the last time- for a while- that this same 9 pm Sven show will also air on Me-TV at 1 am…due to the limited number of showings Sony/Columbia has granted on these films, we’ll just be showing them on the flagship WCIU showtime. After this week, the 1 am Me-TV Sven show will be one from our archives- but will still be the same as the 9 pm flick when it comes from a separate deal from our base Sony/Columbia agreement. Regardless, you’ll still be getting just as much Sven-tertainment on Saturday nights!

Quick reminder- you can meet me at the Chicago Horror Film Festival today, from 3-5 pm, at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee, in Chicago. Check the schedule at

www.chicagohororfest.com - earlier, they will be presenting a student documentary about Svengoolie, “Calling All Stations”- plus, a documentary on William Castle- “Spine Tingler”- that will prepare you fro tonight’s Sven flick! 

Okay, pay attention- there’s a change coming that may affect your weekly Sven viewing!

I fully understand that some of you might just enjoy going out on the town now and then on a Saturday night- and figure that you can just catch the show that aired at 9 pm on “the U” when it is rebroadcast on Me-TV at 1 am that same evening, once you’ve returned (IF you’ve returned) from the evening out.

Be forewarned- after this weekend, and  “The Tingler”- most of the time, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT! The reason? Well, due to the limited number of runs we have on these Sony/Columbia features, we have to be careful of how many times the film runs in the Chicago market- and, every time we run it both at 9 pm and 1 am- that uses up two full runs. So, in upcoming weeks, we’ll probably be plugging in some “classic Sven”-whether it’s one of the Universal flicks we still have rights to for the next year, or one of the other shows with a film for which we still have rights. If it’s a film we have from another company that provides enough runs- or it’s a special arrangement, like the upcoming “John Carpenter’s Vampires” or “The Howling”-then you WILL see the same show at 9 and 1 am. So- if you’re out and about on a Saturday night, and want to see the new Sven show- you’ll need to tape or TiVo it- so, set your timer to roll at 9 am on WCIU!

A quick reminder- you can meet me in Willow Springs TONIGHT- from 8-10pm- at their “Fall Goolie Fest”- located at 8345 S. Archer Avenue. I’ll be signing autographs, posing for pictures, and enjoying the “Scarryoke” contest- so, come out and sing –wear a costume- and have fun! We will have a limited number of Sven t-shirts for sale-and I do mean limited- we can only pry a certain amount away from the folks here who handle the mail orders, since these shirts continue to be a hot seller, and THE most popular Sven shirts of all time!(And, yes- if you buy one tonight, I’ll sign it!)

Tomorrow, Saturday, you’ll find me at the Portage Theater- 4050 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago- from 3-5 pm, signing autographs at the Chicago Horror Film Festival-come out and enjoy independent films, a Scream Queen contest, and more- and, of course, meet me! For more info, go to www.chicagohorrorfest.com 

…and, there are more Sven appearances coming- we’ll post ALL the information here, and some will be promoted on the show. There’s one especially cool and unexpected one that we’re working on for Halloween night- cross your fingers that it all comes together!

Some of you have written and said it just isn’t the Halloween season if you don’t come visit with Mr. Goolie-and that’s so nice to hear- so, check here for appearance dates and times!

Continuing the never ending story of the digital conversion box:

I mentioned that I had one of the two digital conversion boxes I’d bought go belly up-

the power would no longer go on- and that I needed to exchange it. So, off I went to the store-and, as I approached the service counter, there was a woman raising a massive stink- she evidently had a box that didn’t work (or wasn’t connected right, although she claimed “four people” were helping her hook it up!) The folks working at the counter (three of the four- no, not the same four people who had tried to help her hook the box up) told her they could not return the forty dollars that her coupon had covered. “but I don’t want the box!” she brayed. They calmly and courteously explained- they could return the additional money she had spent- but NOT the forty dollars covered by the government coupon. They would gladly exchange the box for another one. She was screeching about how she would NEVER shop at that store again (sure, lady) and continued her tirade. Meanwhile, I snagged the one person behind the desk who wasn’t dealing with her, explained that I wanted to exchange the box-gave it to her, along with the receipt –and she said no problem- just go and pick up another, and return to the desk.

I did so, and, as I returned to the desk- the same woman was still there, continuing her shouting and complaining. She was STILL there when I left. Wonder how that all ended?

Anyway- I brought the new box home, and it worked fine-except, it does NOT pick up channel 2. I know they boosted their signal when they moved to their brand spanking new digs on Monday, and, the analog signal on the old TVs does come in better- but NONE of the digital conversion boxes in my home will get channel 2-even the one with the amplified antenna. Yes, I can still watch it on the sets that are hooked up to cable-and, no, I’m not about to pay the cable company more money to get the other sets attached, rent me their cable boxes, etc. (man- how many “boxes” do I have attached to TVs already?!)

Someone had suggested that this is due to the fact of where the digital signal is located for that channel-and that the digital box being on channel 3 negates the signal. (Huh?)

I haven’t had the chance yet to ask one of our technical guys here about that- but, I did want to ask you…anybody had this same problem with your digital converter box? Feel free to let me know – svengoolie@wciu.com  -  or, if you have any tips that might help-other than buying a new TV set- I’m not in the market for that right now…

Okay, switching from Sven to Stooge-a-palooza mode (and mixing in some “Dick Van Dyke” show as well)- I heard some fascinating information that you Stooge fans will probably be amazed by. Our pal the distinguished author Ted Okuda (perhaps you’ve seen his fine book about “Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows: from Shock Theatre to Svengoolie” or, his excellent book about the Columbia Movie Shorts –with plenty of 3 Stooges information) forwarded to me a story he got from actor Eddie Deezen (if you don’t recognize the name, you’d know the face- remember the guy in “1941” with the ventriloquist dummy on the Ferris wheel?) Eddie is also a fan of the Stooges, and found this amazing story about one possible (and logical sounding) explanation of how Curly got his name.

We all know the accepted story- that when Shemp left the stage act the boys had with headliner Ted Healy, even though Moe had suggested using his younger brother Jerry-

Healy felt that Jerry looked too “normal”, with his moustache and wavy hair, to be a Stooge. Reportedly, Jerry went to a barber, had the mustache shaved of, and his hair cut off to a “baldysour” super-short crew cut. He returned to show the boys his new look, and, with tears in his eyes, said “if you want me, just call me Curly.”

…or DID he? Eddie recounts this story- attributed to none other than Rose Marie- Sally from the “Dick Van Dyke Show”(she was a child singer in vaudeville –“Baby Rose Marie”): Her last name was originally “Mazzetta”-and her father felt that it wasn’t a good show biz name- so, thanks to a fight promoter uncle, they devised a new last name- “Curley!” The family became the Curley family, and she was “Rose Marie Curley.”

They went on a tour of the RKO vaudeville circuit, along with the Stooges, and became good friends with the boys. Rose Marie’s dad and the Stooges would play pranks on each other, and Jerry would often be heard saying “Hey, Curley, cut that out!” Before long, she claims everyone was calling him “Curley”- after her father.

Is this just a total “bull” show biz story, told after the fact- like Mickey Rooney telling how, as a kid, between filming scenes, he crawled up on Walt Disney’s lap, and Walt showed him a new mouse character he was creating- and Mickey said he should name it Mickey, after him? One might think so- except for one strange twist…

For the first 14 Stooge shorts- in the opening credits- Jerry Howard’s name is listed as- “Curley!” Same spelling as the Curley family. Supposedly after studio typists constantly dropped the “e”- his name was left as “Curly.”

Does this explain the always- asked question of why the spelling changed- and how the name originated? Is it the real story? Sadly, the only people who REALLY could confirm it are long gone- but- it does make some sense!

First, this update: already, one of the digital TV converter boxes that I bought and hooked up has gone bad! The power will not go on and off, either with the switch on the box, or with the remote. SO- now I have to disconnect it, pack it back in the box, and trudge back to the store to exchange it for another box- one that, hopefully, will keep working… updates as they happen…

If you read my Sunday blog, plugging this weekend’s Sven appearances, you know I’ll be in Willow Springs Friday night, and I’ve received a little more information about that to share with you. The admission is FREE- there is no admission charge, as I previously thought– there will be snacks for sale there- there will be both a palm reader and a card reader there, with fees of $7 and $12 (not sure which is for which!) and I mentioned both the costume contest and the “Scarryokee” contest- they stress that you don’t have to be a good singer, just entertaining- and, if you have a cd you want to sing along with- please bring it! They will have a few to choose from, as well. The village deputy clerk says that I can quote her on the fact that Willow Springs has the best volunteers-so, how can you turn down joining us? That’s Friday night, in Willow Springs- the address is 8345 Archer Avenue- the event begins at 7pm- and I’ll be there from 8-10 pm. I’ll have more appearance information later this week.

In other news-what was the deal with Oprah at the Emmys Sunday night? She acted like she had never seen a teleprompter before, or, at least hadn’t seen the stuff she was reading off it before- unless she just couldn’t see it well…yeah, the show, as a whole, was pretty weak. I really didn’t enjoy the multiple reality show hosts as our genial m.c.s…a couple of them are people I can’t stand anyway. Not a fan of some of the winners as well. Three hours I shall never get back- oh, well- at least it ended on time. It was produced and partially written by former Chicago guy Ken Ehrlich, who worked with my mentor Jerry G. Bishop on the original version of what became “Soundstage”…hopefully, Ken didn’t write some of the truly awful repartee that the hosts and presenters spewed forth…and, when Ed MacMahon showed up briefly during the TV show theme medley, I booed him- yes, in the comfort of my own home.(If you don’t know why, please see previous blogs discussing his “oh poor me” financial woes…) I loved Don Rickles- even at a slightly slower pace than he used to maintain- and could’ve done without the “Laugh-In” bit- even though, just like Jon Stewart, they had a huge influence on me- as did the Smothers Brothers show. Both were really cutting edge back when they first aired- and it was nice to see Tom get that delayed writing award- I only wish he’d have been just a touch more succinct in his statement…

Darn- the weekend went by too quickly, as always. Thanks for all the nice comments regarding Elvira on the show- and, yes, we’d love to have her co-host, but I’m afraid the cost would be beyond our budget.

Yes, it’s Monday, and, like many of you, it’s hard for me to drag myself back to work mode- so, I thought I’d ask some of my co-workers to suggest blog topics that I might tackle. Just their responses were enough for me to compose an entire blog! Here’s what they said:

-“Why don’t you write to complain about those people who stand in the middle of a dangerous intersection, trying to collect money for a charity- while posing a danger to themselves and motorists?”

-“Write about what famous broadcasters in town are your friends” (What- and have their status lowered for hanging around with the likes of me?)

-“You should write about how the parking garage we all park in over-sells daily parking entry tickets, so there aren’t enough spaces available, and pre-paid monthly parkers like us can’t find a space, because those greedy-“ (we get the idea…)

_”With Halloween coming up, you should write some make-up tips” (okay- a great way to remove make-up? Those baby wipes…)

-“Can I come down and throw chickens at you during your next taping?” (Uh- you’re supposed to be giving me ideas for a blog…)

-“You should write about the regular Sven crew that helps you do the show every week”

(That’s a good idea- maybe we can talk about each person- Chris, our director/editor,

“Hit the Theme” Kevin, audio guy and editor, Malcolm, camera and lighting expert, and Bill, production helper, teleprompter, floor manager, etc… if they are willing to divulge any information!)

-“Explain why you know so much about professional wrestling…geek!”

-“Can’t you just do a whole bunch of adventures of Tombstone?”

-“Write a blog about the benefits of being a Svengoolie advertiser…” (…did that come from the sales department?)

-“You should write about your most embarrassing moments at public appearances” (I know- “just being in public in that get-up is embarrassing enough”…)

- “Write about how much noise you make doing your two-fingered typing” (Okay- that’s enough!)

- “Write about how annoying it is to have co-workers constantly bothering you for some stupid reason” (OKAY! THAT’S ENOUGH!!!!)

Okay, folks- every year, all year long, people ask where and when they can meet me- and the Halloween season is the prime time to come out and visit with me, since we’ll have several events that yours truly will be attending! I have promised that I will make a point of mentioning them right here in this blog space as we go along, so- if you’re looking for that perfect opportunity and location to see me- live (or, as close as I get) and in person-keep coming back here to check on where I’ll be this Halloween season (and, the rest of the year, as well- I’ll always post the information in my blogs…)

We’ll be staring out this upcoming Friday night (September 26) when I will make a special appearance at the Willow Springs “Fall Goolie Fest” (how kind of them to name it after me!) I’ll be bringing with our color autograph cards to sign for you, and we will bring a LIMITED number of Sven t-shirts for sale. Bring your camera (these days, it seems everybody does!) so you can take a picture with me! The event goes from 7-10 pm, and I’ll be arriving around 8 pm. There will be a lot of fun stuff going on- fortune telling, face painting (not sure if they’ll make you look like me!), palm reading, a costume contest (yes-you’re encouraged to start the season off early, so get that costume out of mothballs, or get busy creating a new one!)-plenty of refreshments, and –here’s a cool ides- there will be a “Scarryokee” contest- dress in your costume, bring a cd with your music, and sing along! There is an entry fee, and it all takes place at the Willow Springs School Gym- 8345 S. archer Avenue in Willow Springs- this Friday night!

Then- on Saturday afternoon- you can head to the Portage Theater-the site of many Sven appearances- and meet me at the Chicago Horror Film Festival! The festival, hosted by our friend Kenzie, takes place at the Portage September 26 through the 28^th, with some great stuff- a documentary about William Castle (we’ve got some of his flicks coming up on our show)-“Dark Reel” featuring Tony Todd, Lance Henrickson, and Tiffany Shepis 9who will make an appearance at the festival)-plus contests and more! I’ll be there Saturday afternoon, on the 27^th, from 3-5 pm. The Portage is  at 4050 N. Milwaukee in Chicago- and, for more info and a schedule of what’s going on at the festival, go to

www.chicagohorrorfest.com 

I hope to meet YOU at one of my appearances this season- and, again, check back here for future appearances!   #   #  #

Tonight is the night! It’s the “season premiere” for the Svengoolie program, kicking off our new library featuring some cool stuff from the Sony/Columbia library…and we’re starting out with a classic- one of the highly regarded stop-motion animation effects-laden films from the 1950s, done by the legendary animator Ray Harryhausen. It’s

“20 Million Miles to Earth”- the story of a ship that crash-lands off the coast of Italy, having returned from a ground-breaking voyage to Venus…but there’s big trouble aboard- including astronauts suffering from a strange and deadly infection- and- a small container that holds a specimen from Venus.

The specimen washes ashore unnoticed by everyone-except a young Italian boy, who’s a real wheeler-dealer, and figures he can get some money from a local zoologist for the strange “egg” or “cocoon” that was inside the container. Little does he realize that it will soon “hatch”- and release an amazing creature that begins to get larger and larger! Before long, the reptilian-looking alien animal is a powerful colossus – and Italian and American forces must join together to battle the rampaging monster!

This is a great showcase for Harryhausen’s black and white era animation work-and the creature, known to sci-fi fans as the “Ymir” (even though it is NEVER called that in the  entire movie!) is a fascinating study in realistic movement. I always worry that brilliant stop-motion work like this may go by the wayside now that computer animated effects are a faster and easier way to achieve the same thing. I’ve always loved stop-motion stuff- and, just so you know- we’ve got a lot more Harryhausen for you down the line.

Also on tonight’s show- yes, finally- we’ll show you the on-stage first encounter of Svengoolie and the ever-popular Elvira- Mistress of the Dark! The woman who may be THE most well-known horror movie host ever was kind enough to spend a few moments with us as we were about to m.c. the Flashback Weekend horror Convention costume contest, which you may have seen a couple weeks ago on the show. Ms. ‘Vira and I had never met before, but we had really nice chemistry as far as working together, which she commented on to me later, in an off-stage conversation. She was very kind, and astounded and flattered me with her knowledge about –me! She was very sweet, and, yes, guys, she IS very attractive. I was honored to get the chance to meet her at last!

So- see this legendary meeting tonight- along with “20 Million Miles to Earth”- and-come back here tomorrow for news of the first Svengoolie Halloween season appearances- coming next weekend!   #   #   #

Saturday in Berwyn- you can help support Berwyn Arts Education and gain a one-of-a-kind Svengoolie collectible!

Here’s the deal- during Berwyn’s Centennial celebration this year (you may remember me being in the parade in June)-the Centennial planning committee wanted something like those wacky cows that were on display in Chicago, as a special commemorative thread for the big celebration. They thought about having something that artists and groups could decorate, sponsored by businesses, individuals, and organizations, that would then be put on display around the suburb to show the diversity and creativity of Berwyn and its citizens. Among the ideas for the base item were, perhaps a car- to signify the important ranks of car dealerships on Ogden Avenue-or maybe a mushroom, the symbol of the yearly Houby Parade and a tip of the hat to the Czech heritage of Berwyn. They finally decoded that a cake would be the ideal symbol-since Berwyn would be celebrating its 100^th birthday.

Those of you who watch our program know that we showed pictures, supplied by longtime fans Angie and Ron, of a couple of the cakes-which are two-dimensional and made of wood…and those two featured artwork with yours truly Svengoolie, which were on display facing Harlem Avenue near Cermak! For all I know, there may be a few others with Sven-related art- there’s at least one with Godzilla on it-but- the point of this blog is- the Berwyn public library and the Berwyn Arts Council will be auctioning off all the cakes this Saturday afternoon, to benefit Berwyn schools ’art education programs. YOU are invited to bid on these unique works of art-

Just come to the auction this Saturday, September 20,from 2-4 pm in Proska Park –located at 3001 Wisconsin Avenue ( a couple blocks off Harlem Ave.) in Berwyn-bid on your favorites, and help fund arts education in our favorite suburb…for more information, please call the Berwyn Public Library at 708-795-8000.

A “Sven” cake would be a fine decoration for the rec room, basement, or study of any Sven fan! So- if you decide to bid- aim high, to help that arts initiative.

Tomorrow- the lowdown on our Saturday night “season premiere” –featuring our meeting with- Elvira!!!

I mentioned that I’ve seen some of those seasonal Halloween stores that pop up every year-seems like they are starting earlier than ever. Even K-mart has gotten into the act, with some stand-alone costume places! But- according to an article in the Washington Post- it appears that America is seeing monsters again (no, it wasn’t an article about the upcoming elections!)

These type of things seem to happen in cycles- I’m sure you’ve seen that happen- like when there are bunches of reports of UFOs being sighted in various locations all around the same time. The Post article, however, feels that there is a new wave of – monster sightings! Sure, it starts off with the backwoods adventurers who claimed to have found, and put on ice, the body of a Bigfoot- which was later proven to be that most elusive of creatures, the cheap gorilla suit (and I do mean elusive- visit one of those Halloween stores, and see how expensive a gorilla suit can be- the cheap ones are indeed rare…)-but, soon there were other reports of creature sightings. In Cuero, Texas-no less an authority than some sheriff’s deputies caught something on their dashboard cameras- the ones that they use to document arrests, pursuits, etc. The unidentified creature was running alongside the road in daylight- and seemed to match up with other reports- some with pictures- of doglike creatures with long fangs, seen in various Texas locales. Could this be the legendary Mexican creature- Chupacabra- the Goat-Sucker?

And, what of the “Montauk Monster”- a strange, bloated dead thing that washed up on the shores of Long Island back in July? Was it a de-shelled tortoise? A skinned bulldog?

Or- a creature that has only been whispered about in legend? Uh- unfortunately, nobody can come up with exactly what legend it might have been whispered about in…

The article claims that, when there’s a rash of monster sightings like this-with “evidence”- it often means that people don’t have anything better to do! I find that hard to believe, although this article did come out before hurricanes and floods took over the front pages. A more logical explanation it puts forth is that people tend to see monsters when there is a sense of paranoia and “abstract worry”- maybe just ominous vibes that people feel before real panic sets in…brought on by the economic worries, unending wars, and uncertainties that current parts of daily life are offering up.

The last sentence of the article is probably the most telling- that, despite all our advancements- we’re still that group of villagers who are willing to pick up those torches and search for the monster with the least little bit of provocation! Come on- wouldn’t we at least be villagers who would pick up those flashlights you shake to get them to light without batteries?

( Read this in a “Barney Fife” voice: ) Oh, yeah, us big-time TV types get all sorts of inside information that the general viewing public won’t catch on to for days, if ever.

Actually, if you’re on the internet, you might run into some of this stuff…but, for example, I get e-mailed updates from one industry publication that often has interesting news- and thought I’d share it with you in this blog. Of course, from the time I’m typing this to the time you read it- it may already be general knowledge…like the part that says MTV won’t be doing its “Total Request Live” show for much longer- heck, I heard that on a TV news show three hours before I read this “insider” publication, TV Biz Wire, a division of TV Week…

For example- word comes that Democratic congressmen are questioning how the government has, all of a sudden, realized that it may not have enough money to pay for administering the coupon program for the digital television switch (my advice- if you didn’t send for them yet- DO IT NOW!!! Who knows if they’ll end up pulling the plug- nice TV term there, eh? - on the whole thing…) Two months after stating they had plenty of dough to fund the coupon program, regulators have now asked to use 7 million bucks in Commerce Department funds to help pay the costs of the program. See? Saving citizens 40 bucks here and there adds up…especially if you didn’t realize it would…

In related news, there’s worry that some viewers may miss out on this year’s Academy Awards show…because it occurs on February 22, only a few days after the switch to all digital broadcast signals. They’re worried at ABC that people who had put off preparing for the switch- getting a TV or a coverter box to receive the signals- and, the people who JUST CAN’T UNDERSTAND IT- won’t be able to watch, thus lowering the usually high ratings the broadcast generally reaps. They were even hoping to shift the broadcast event to March- just as the industry has already shifted the normal February ratings “sweep” period to that month, “just to be safe.” I’m still wondering if there may be a grace period beyond that February due date, where the analog signals will still be available, because too many people JUS’T CAN’T UNDERSTAND IT!

And, finally, the cable Sci-Fi Channel is doing its own remake of “Children of the Corn" (and , no, it will not be updated to “Children of the Kettle Corn”…)…see all the inside stuff I learn by being part of the teevee industry? Yawn…

You may have read what I wrote about the digital TV conversion spots that George Blaise and I did being nominated for a regional Emmy award- the whole point of these spots is to let people know that their old television sets will not be rendered totally useless by the change, next February, to digital (as opposed to the current analog) broadcast signals.

I just wanted you to know that I am practicing what I preach- although a couple of my home TV sets are hooked up to cable, and will be fine, since the cable boxes will convert the signal for my lowly analog sets- we do have a couple sets NOT connected to cable, that use the old antennas to pick up broadcast signals. So- I followed the instructions- and went to www.dtv2009.gov  - and signed up for my two free coupons to use for discounts on two of the digital converter boxes. There are quite a few varieties available, at various stores, and these coupons- good for forty dollars off the price-make them very affordable. Just beware of the expiration dates- and use them before they expire (they give you time- it’s about ninety days from when they’re issued.)

I bought my two boxes (two different brands, in fact), and then went about the task of hooking them up. Believe me, it’s pretty simple- and the boxes come with a booklet that explains how to do it. I hooked one up to one set, attaching the old amplified antenna already on the set- and, in fact, hooking it up to the VCR that then feeds into the TV- so I can still tape shows off-air (I know- I am not yet a part of the TiVo generation…)…followed all the instructions, and, once it was programmed, was getting nice clear pictures on all the stations- uh- EXCEPT WBBM, channel 2- which was not picked up at all. Supposedly, this is due to its weak signal (which a lot of folks tell me is common where they live as well-)- but, later this month- when channel 2 moves to its new studios- they will supposedly be upgrading their signal, and it will be available to the digital boxes.

I then went to hook up the second box- and, when it was all hooked up, tried to use the remote to turn it on- and nothing happened! I checked the plug, the outlet, all my connections, the batteries in the remote- but the conversion box wouldn’t go on! I was getting angry, and ready to take the box back to the store- prepared to tell them where they could digitally install it. I disconnected it, and was getting set to repack it in its box- when I noticed an on-off switch near the back of it. The first box I put in, being a different brand, didn’t have a switch like that- you just used the remote to turn it on. D’oh! I reconnected the box- TURNED IT ON- and it worked fine. The TV it was on only had a single rabbit ear antenna (just a single extendable rod)-and I think I could replace that with a little better antenna, so the signals come in better. There was a little “freezing” of the picture occasionally on a couple channels- which happens when the signal strength dips a little. Once again, though- no channel 2.Let’s hope they make their power boost on time, or “Survivor” won’t survive on my sets.

I just thought I’d tell you my story, and show that, even a person of limited brain power like myself, can handle this digital TV transition. Fear not! You can do it too!

If you’ve been watching our show for a while, you probably know how much we enjoy the old “Flash Gordon” serials from the 1930s…you’ve seen us parody them, and use them for “Svensurround”- and maybe even, if you’ve been with us long enough- saw us present the Dino Di Laurentas “Flash” movie from the 80s, with the Queen soundtrack.

My earliest recollections of the serials were back when I was a wee child, and Community Discount Stores sponsored a Sunday morning “Outer Space Theater” show that often featured the famed Buster Crabbe serials. I got to enjoy them again years later, as a high school kid, when Channel 9 would show an episode every week after its Sunday night showcase for classic old movies entitled (appropriately) “When Movies Were Movies!” later, I found a vhs set of the serials, and, again, got to relive the retro space adventures of Flash.

If you were (and are) a fan like me- then you’ll be interested in a new book-a “heavily illustrated guide” (it says so right on the cover!) to this classic set of films. It’s called “the Flash Gordon Serials, 1936-1940”-from the prestigious McFarland Publishers (www.macfarlandpub.com  -ordering info at 800-253-2187)- written by three Chicago residents- Roy Kinnard, Tony Crnkovich, and R.J. Vitone. The authors bring us a full history of Flash Gordon- with a detailed look at Flash’s comic strip origin, and the huge effect the Alex Raymond strip had on readers-then, moving on to the movie serials.

There’s plenty of the kind of information that rabid Flash fans like myself enjoy- for example, the connections of the serials to other Universal films, whether by re-use of props, sets, or music. On our program, we’ve often pointed out musical passages that were in some of the Universal classics that re actually more identified with Flash Gordon!

The book has summaries of each chapter of each of the three serials, along with some great stills from the various episodes-which include plenty of behind the scenes information as well, including pointing out who certain actors were, and what else we may have seen them in. Who’d have thought that one of Flash’s dad’s assistants was also the cranky old “Gramps” on the original Lassie TV show, “Jeff’s Collie”?

This book covers it all, even the inconsistencies that cropped up, and points out “character modifications”- like Dale Arden graduating from being a mere “damsel in distress” in the first serial to a “chemist and radio operator” by the last one. We even get information on Buster Crabbe’s second attempt at portraying a famous spaceman in the “Buck Rodgers” serial-and- actual personal insights by the late Crabbe and his co-stars, taken from both telephone and live interviews. This book definitely will provide Flash Gordon fans, providing so many facts to embellish the memorable scenes we all have loved, whether we first saw them on the movie matinee screen, Sunday morning TV, or (sigh- such infants!) home video!

As hinted yesterday, the Svengoolie program has its “season premiere” next Saturday night- with a great Ray Harryhausen stop-motion animation classic, and –yes, finally- for those who didn’t attend Flashback Weekend this year- the on-stage meeting between myself and the lovely legendary Elvira-Mistress of the Dark! (We did get to chat later, during our still photo op, and she was terrific…) We’ll have some great movies coming up the next few weeks- stuff that hasn’t aired on free broadcast TV in a long time.

We’re getting a lot of people asking about where we’ll be during the upcoming Halloween season- and the best place to keep tabs on that information would be- right here! I will be mentioning ALL of our Sven appearances, with the season kicking off early at the end of September- so, watch the show for some of the plugs- and check here for ALL of them! FYI- we WILL be returning to some places we were last year…

Not only are we coming into Halloween season- but it is also regional Emmy award season, as well (they used to be just the Chicago Emmys, but in recent years, have expanded to include a good chunk of the Midwest- hence the term “regional”) this year, I found out about the deadline about a day before the entries were supposed to go in, and, being too swamped with work, didn’t have a chance to get an entry together in such a short amount of time- it was more important to get the shows done for airing! Nonetheless, I have been included on a couple entries put in by the station- one, for the Svengoolie webisodes that you hopefully view and enjoy right here on the Sven page of the WCIU website (yes, the Emmys now include digital content- which shows you how the business is changing)- and, for a public service announcement campaign, the vignettes in which my pal George Blaise and I try to get the word out about the digital TV conversion information (one of the favorites is us scaling a famous huge Chicago landmark!) Cross your fingers for us- we’ll find out who the winners are around mid-October…

So, I’m driving down the street the other day, and there’s some goof dressed in the “Scream” ghoul costume, waving a sign for one of those temporary Halloween stores that takes up residence in an empty storefront for a few weeks every year. And, even I am thinking- “a little early, isn’t it?” I certainly agree that Halloween is a big deal- and an ever-increasingly popular adult event every year as well -but- couldn’t they wait a couple more weeks? And- it seems there are MORE brands of those different Halloween temporary stores around- will the market hit a saturation level? Too much of a good thing, too soon? And, with the current economy- will people be spending as much for store-bought costumes- or relying more on making their own? Don’t get me wrong- I love seeing more stores, with more of a variety of costume stuff and decorations and props- I just don’t want to see these seasonal purveyors crash and burn, like the candle inside a jack o’lantern…

Tonight on Svengoolie, get set for – a more modern movie! (One of my co-workers actually said- ‘wow- I’m not used to seeing a modern movie on your show!”) Not to mention it’s a Wes Craven film- with enough scary, bizarre, and wacky elements to entertain any Sven fan- it’s “The People Under the Stairs!”

…but- ARE they PEOPLE? There’s something strange going on in that big old house- the house owned by a slumlord, where there is supposed to be a vast treasure in gold coins. A poor young man, known as “Fool” to his family and friends, is tired of the lousy life he, his sister, and his critically-ill mother lead- and opts to help his sister’s boyfriend infiltrate the foreboding house, in a quest to score some of the gold- and help his mom afford the operation she so desperately needs.

They eventually make it into the house, when the owners aren’t home- and end up facing incredible terror! A crazed guard dog- the newly-returned owners- and –the strange beings who seem to be behind the walls, and lurking down in the cellar- soon put Fool in jeopardy- as he is trapped in the sealed-up house! Can Fool escape the murder-minded owners? What is the secret that the young girl he finds in the house reveals? And- who-or what- are the strange people who are locked in the cellar? It’s pulse-pounding peril in the

madhouse occupied by-“the People Under the Stairs!”

There’s plenty to see in this 1991 flick- Ving Rhames, a wacky couple pulled from the cult classic TV show “Twin Peaks”, some quick-shock scares, and more- in a film that Wes Craven actually got the idea for- from a real-life incident! He saw a news story about some parents who kept their children locked up inside their house, and never let them see the outside world- and, naturally, took the story a few steps further.

The movie almost made back its 6 million dollar budget on its opening weekend alone, clearing $5,220,000 in the USA alone!

When you’re watching this film tonight-(9 pm on WCIU, 1 am on Me-TV- and Sunday on “Me-Milwaukee”- think about the fact that- supposedly, a sequel is being prepared, for release in 2010- with the young girl character in this movie as a grown-up, who’s writing a book about her years in the house!

Next week: a new Sven season begins- and Elvira finally shows up!

Well, it looks like the test of that Atomic Hadron Collider worked out fine- contrary to some theories, it did not create a black hole and suck in various parts of our universe.

Our pal Zay Smith in the Sun Times did bring up an interesting fact, though- pretty soon after the test, there were earthquakes in several locations around the globe! Saaay- you don’t think that…? Looks like we have the basis for another Sven movie here…just as soon as one of the quakes releases a giant lobster or something…

Mary, a loyal Sven fan, had mentioned to me that at her workplace- Fermilab- they were planning an all-night “pajama party” as they stayed up to see the results of the collider being turned on. Yes, some of the scientists and co-workers did wear pajamas. Imagine some nuclear engineer in his Spongebob jammies with the feet, eagerly anticipating the flipping of the switch!

Switching from colliders to comedies and cowboys- I have to say, when I catch some of the old shows on our sister stations “Me-TV” and “Me-Too”…I’m amazed at how well some of them hold up, and how entertaining they are! “The Beverly Hillbillies” is a great example- I find it interesting that it was one of the shows that CBS decide to get rid of when it purged its line-up of what they perceived as “rural” shows around 1970. Watching Jed Clampett and his clan, you actually catch some subtly hidden commentary on the then-modern world and society- in a much more clever way than some of the heavy-handed shows today. I remember watching the show as a kid, and one of my friends breathlessly coming in with the news “Do you know how old that Elly Mae actually is? She’s THIRTY!” Back then, we were amazed that this supposedly 18 or 19 year old was played by such an “old lady”- but, regardless, she “shore was purty…”

I also found myself being sucked in to watch some episodes of “Bonanza”- that’s another show we always watched when I was a kid- I watched it because it’s what my folks had on every Sunday night (after the Walt Disney “Wonderful World of Color” show…)-and most of the time, had just passing interest in it…but, watching recently, I can see why it was always a top-rated program. Some friends went to Reno a while back, and visited the actual outdoor location “Ponderosa” ranch- yep, it was a real place- they even had the Cartwright home there, with walls that swung out to accommodate cameras! My friends brought me back a map of the Ponderosa, which they said they were afraid to give to me, because I might burn it! (This is in reference to the famous opening credits of the show that showed a map of the Ponderosa, and its middle burned away, revealing a scene behind it!)

Check out some of these “Me” programs- if you’ve never seen them before, you might just become a fan today!

The date of one of the most devastating acts against our nation has returned, bringing back a flood of memories. Has it been seven years already? As we grumble about having to wait in line at the airport, and take off our shoes- as we now have to get cleared by security when entering certain office buildings- as we pray for the armed forces overseas who are still there, all because of the events of 9/11…we wonder- are we more secure now? Will the perpetrators ever be brought to justice? Have we lost even more in the past seven years?

I went back to reread what I wrote last year at this time. Please take a look:

“I’m sure we all remember where we were when we heard the news on that day… for me, it was turning on the TV when I woke up, and seeing the footage of the horrible “accident” that had occurred in New York- an airplane crashing into the World Trade Center. Speculation that it might not have been an accident also was mentioned. What a horrific scene! Then, the terrible truth became apparent, as we watched- at the moment it happened- the second plane flying into the tower. I just remember sitting there stunned- what was happening? A second plane?! This was intentional?! It took a while to actually comprehend that America had been attacked on its own soil.
The tragedy continued to unfold- as the frightening reports continued- people leaping to their deaths out of the buildings-reports of a plane heading into the Pentagon- another plane crash- and then- the towers falling. The sight of the huge clouds of ash and debris filling the streets is burned into my memory. I always remember Carol Marin’s article about being out on the street and surviving the chaos. As the horror of the event just kept growing, I remember thinking- will things ever be “normal” again?

Today, we think of the many lives lost- and the heroes who tried to help. We think of the survivors- and of the far-reaching effects of this huge tragedy. We get the unwelcome reminder supplied by each occasional “new” tape of Osama Ben Laden- amazingly still free somewhere.

There are reminders every day in our lives- added security here and there, the procedures at the airport, the suspicion about people who “look” like they could be part of an evil plot against our nation and our people. Yes, our world changed horribly and dramatically that day- and changed and challenged a lot of what we thought.

Please take a moment to remember those who lost their lives that day. Take a moment to think of how our world has changed. Take a moment to value what –and who-you have.

I realize this is not the customary blog you expect to find here- and I promise it will be back to normal tomorrow- even if all of us will never be, after the events of 9/11.”

I wrote that exactly a year ago. How much will have changed by the next 9/11?     #    #   #

A co-worker was asking me how many different characters I’ve created in my broadcast life- and, to be honest, I haven’t counted them. Whether I made ‘em up for radio, commercials, or television, I’ve come up with a lot of them. Anyone who watched my old “Koz Zone” shows certainly has a bunch to choose from- one of the favorites, of course, that people still bring up being “Captain Dustpan”- the Fighter of Filth, enemy of waste, pollution, and serial messiness. I’d still like to bring the Captain back around for another run…

The first characters I created, in my non professional broadcasting days, were really products of my great regard and enjoyment for Dick Orkin’s popular 1960s radio features- I’m sure many older readers and viewers remember his ground-breaking “Chicken Man” radio serial, or perhaps “the Tooth Fairy.” (I am proud and very lucky to have worked with Dick for a while, especially to have taken part in a later run of Chicken Man episodes –“Chicken Man Returns for the Last Time Again”-in which the “Feathered Fighter” feels time has passed him by- so he opens his own crime-fighting school- which pretty much has exactly ONE student.)

So, as a kid on the high school radio station at Maine East, while playing disc jockey, part of my show included comedic serials. The first was a stunt-flying adventurer named “Wings Wanzer”- mainly to get in a horrid pun by the narrator that echoed an old advertising phrase for the Wanzer Milk Company – “Wanzer on milk is like Sterling on Silver.” If I recall correctly, Wanzer’s arch enemy, whose name was possible “Chicken

Sterling” (yes, I know- chicken- always chickens)- was trying to escape on the Lone ranger’s horse Silver, which he had stolen (don’t ask)- just as Wanzer was bailing out of his failing airplane…in the act of “hitting the silk” as it were…setting up the narrator’s final thought- “Wanzer on silk is like Sterling on Silver.” Yep- that’s a LOOONG way to go for such a weak gag.

My other high school serial hero was “the Raven”- a costumed crime-fighter who pieced together a costume from some old stuff in his grandfather’s attic trunk- which included a stuffed bird (he used the beak as part of his mask) and a pair of goggles (which made it hard for him to see- and comedy ensued…) his secret identity was “Addison Wesley” –which I believe was the name of the publisher on the side of our algebra books at the time…and his helpful co-hort was a janitor named “Phumphrey Hogart”- yes, like Humphrey Bogart, and with a voice that was a lame imitation of the same.

While attending Northwestern briefly, I came up with a character that was a sort of take-off on the Green Hornet- except; he was “the Green Cornet!” He was a jazz trumpeter who bought a cornet from an unscrupulous music dealer…and the cheap horn turned green (cheap brass? I never did explain why…) He vowed to fight those who would cheat the innocent, like that music dealer (I know, I know)..and became the Green Cornet. The trumpet music for the serial was actually done sometimes by my current music director on Sven, Doug- or, when I couldn’t get together with him in time- I played the parts on a trombone, and sped the tape up! The Cornet’s sidekick was a slightly less than politically correct Hispanic guy named “Crescendo”- and together, they fought evildoers like the clumsy crime boss “the Clodfather.”

I’m pretty sure that no copies of  any of this stuff exist- I sure don’t have them, though I’d guess a couple of my old student co-workers at the high school station might have a tape-an old reel-to-reel tape- of a “Raven” episode or two…and I’m sure the episodes are laughably bad!

There were a couple things I wanted to mention, before they are driven out of the limited space in my tiny little brain…

Okay, those MTV Video Awards…BORING!!! Oh, boy, Brittney Spears is here! Yes, she seems to have herself to together, good for her…but, could she show LESS emotion about winning her little Moonman awards? And, was all the hype about her showing up worth the little pre-taped bit, her lame show opening introduction, and all the shots of her pretty much just sitting? I actually kind of liked the Brit host (not the “BritTNEY” host…) who seemed to veer from outrageous to trying to make nice and not offend too many people in attendance.

Plus- what was Demi Moore doing there? Sure, she looked great, but somehow she didn’t seem to fit in with the demographic they were aiming for…does she have a movie coming out soon, and they wanted to remind the kids whom she was? And, of course, we get the pre-packaged, kids love ‘em group from “High School Musical”- a strange mix, that; Disney and MTV…Fashion-wise-it looked like Lil’ John could use a lil’ belt…okay, I know I’m an old guy, and probably don’t get the hip style of your pants barely staying ON your hip, but-sorry- it just looks stupid! Remember when we would laugh at somebody who got their pants pulled down even a little like that as a prank?

I did like Kid Rock’s number- even if, every time it comes on the radio, I’m STILL expecting “Werewolves of London”- and was a little surprised when some of the performances they had been touting ended up as just a quick segment going in or out of a break, instead of as a full number…and- to be very honest- it doesn’t seem like many really creative videos even got nominated! And- if you’re going to be using the Paramount back lot- weren’t there a few more parts to that than just the “New York” street?

In other news, Hulk Hogan’s divorce continues to drag on (how come his singer daughter Brooke wasn’t on the MTV show? Hmmm…I think we can guess…) Soon-to-be ex-wife Linda claims her monthly expenses include $7,258 for clothing- $1,318 for “grooming” (what is she, a poodle?)-and $6,100 for vacations- EVERY MONTH?! Compare that to hubby Hulkster’s monthly claim of his clothing budget of $102 …really? Are sleeveless t-shirts and doo-rags to cover your bald head THAT expensive?   #    #   #

For those of you who tuned in Saturday, and saw the “Flashback Weekend” segment- with the tease that soon, we will show the epic meeting of Sven and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark-and are wondering exactly WHEN that will air- wonder no further. As I might have mentioned before, the meeting of the Bod and the Clod (I’m sure you can tell which one is me!) will be on your television in just about two weeks- in our “season premiere” on September 20- which will be the airing of, coincidentally- “20 Million Miles to Earth!”

I have to wonder about myself sometimes- when I was heading to work last week on a day we’d be taping a show- carrying a bag that contained: a George Foreman grill- a couple of old hub caps-and a rubber chicken that looked like a pirate! I always wonder if

I were to be in some horrid accident, and the police are checking what’s in my car- “uh…

get a load of this, Murphy…”

On that same day, taping a show that will air in October, I’m reminded that there are things that I just shouldn’t attempt sometimes…it all started when I was calling Doug, trying to figure out what song we should do, and, boy, were we stuck- until we somehow latched onto the idea of doing a certain disco song. At first, it was just a joke- but, after talking, we figured out it would work, since it had a lot of fast passages that I could do a lot of patter to (it’s a disco song you’ll recognize- but it’s a little different than most disco songs- you’ll see why when it airs…)

Anyway, we decide we will do it- and I ask Doug to slow the tempo down, just a touch, so when I’m singing the faster parts, people will hopefully understand the words. The bottom line- even slowed down, the words were pretty tough to nail, between our poor floor manager Bill trying to run the prompter and keep up, and my feeble mouth trying to stay on top of the words! Naturally, I have no one to blame but myself for choosing and writing this stuff…anyway, we finally did manage to get a decent take (as if ANY take with me singing could be called “decent!”)-and I kept up with the speed of the music.

You can be the judge of whether I pulled it off successfully or not, when it airs- I’ll warn you right here when the show that includes it is coming up…

These days, I get to around 5 pm on a Sunday, and start to think “where do the weekend go? It’s back to work tomorrow…awwww…”-and it occurred to me that it used to be

“…back to SCHOOL tomorrow…”

I remember most of school very fondly- but, let’s face it-I was a prime target for the evil tough guys and bullies.90 pounds or so in high school, glasses, short, and in some accelerated classes- you bet I was a magnet to the jerks. There were some of them that I won over because I could make them laugh- and I even eventually became pretty good friends with some of them. But, there was always the group of stupid, knee-jerk reaction tough guys who found it necessary to infiltrate my life.

Granted, I was no tough guy- but I wasn’t afraid of these guys, for the most part. I’d just try to avoid them to squelch any unpleasantness. Sometimes, though, no matter what you did, they’d find a way to interfere in my daily life.

I may have written about one guy before-one of these geniuses that that was fairly useless- bad student, bully, troublemaker…and, one day, I was in the library, trying to find periodical articles about astronaut Alan B. Sheppard. I couldn’t find much of anything, and said to someone nearby “I guess nobody likes Alan Sheppard…” to which our bully boy spoke up- “hey, shut up- he’s a friend of mine!” (Side note: there was no Alan Sheppard in our school, nor anyone with a name even close to that) Struck by the ridiculousness of his obvious attempt to try to start something, I replied- “He was an astronaut, stupid…”-oooh. Maybe I shouldn’t have added the “stupid..”

After going into a side room that our class was in, one of my classmates came in and said ’hey, there’s a guy out here who wants to see you.” I went to the door- saw it was the bully, and said “oh- it’s you”- turned and went back in. When it was time to leave for the next class, naturally, he followed me, and, in true fashion for his character- gave me a big kick in the small of the back, which I didn’t see coming. All this because I couldn’t fins an article about an astronaut…

I remember another time when I was confronted by a bunch of tough guys- for no good reason- in the hallway before class. They began the usual shoving, and, looking to the side, I noticed one of our fine school heroes- a basketball letterman that people thought was such a great guy- standing and pretending he didn’t see what was going on. Now, I wouldn’t ask anybody to fight my battles- but- if you were this big man on campus, and saw five guys picking on a little guy, wouldn’t you at least say something, like “Give him a break, guys, it isn’t worth it”? Maybe I’d read too many comic books- but I knew, if I was someone with some school clout, and a little size on my side- I’d at least try to do something to help the situation…

It’s funny that, now, years later, I know for a fact that some of these guys now brag about how they went to school with me- and a few tell tall tales of how we were bestest buddies. I certainly have more of an incite now on why people become bullies…and, I think you will agree- we all run into bullies now and then, evening our adult lives. And I still think now, what I thought then- “what’s the point of bullying people- especially those who haven’t done anything to affect your existence?!”

Then I get kicked in the small of the back…

Tonight on Svengoolie- it’s one of the handful of Universal flicks that they have allowed us to hold onto- which means you can again get a look at the Universal masters of horror-Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff- in a twisted tale with roots in the stories of Edgar Allan Poe…appropriately called- “the Raven!”

Bela is a master surgeon, who is obsessed with all things Poe- even so far as to have a dungeon in his home, equipped with devices depicted in Poe’s stories and poems! He is called back into surgical service by an old friend, whose daughter has been severely injured- and only Bela’s surgical expertise can save her. This leads to Bela enlarging his obsessions from Poe stuff to include the young woman- and when others stand in the way of his possessing her- his Edgar Allan Poe-ssessed mind forms an evil plan. Falling perfectly into place to be a pawn in this scheme is Karloff, as an escaped killer who wearies of being chased- and wants to have his face altered to let him fade away from

recognition and live in peace.

Bela’s evil plan prevents this- causing changes that Karloff didn’t plan on- which Bela says he’ll remedy only if Boris does his bidding! A stormy night and dastardly deeds lead to the utilization of Bela’s treacherous Poe devices- including a razor-sharp pendulum copied from “the Pit and the Pendulum!” This creepy 1935 thriller is a great example of

the non-monster horror/chiller genre of that era- and I think fans of the great Universal horror actors will enjoy “the Raven!”

Make a point of sticking around after the flick- because we’ll have a special feature showing some of the fun from our annual visit to the  “Flashback Weekend” horror convention! As always, there’s some creative costuming on display as I host the costume contest…and- you’ll get a tease of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark!

The program will commence at 9 pm on WCIU, at 1 am on Me-TV- and on Sunday afternoon on Me-Milwaukee… and, I think we still air in South Bend, so-Hoosiers, rejoice…for now…

Don’t forget that, in Chicago and Milwaukee, our new season will start on the weekend of September 20^th- kicking off with a great Ray Harryhausen classic from the 50s!  #  #

Just want to mention- a local morning show news person, who’s been here long enough to know better, was giving a location in the city- a street named “Huron” –but pronounced it so it sounded like “urine.” No further comment…

There’s big news from Joliet- supposedly, there’s action on the real estate front, for one of the most recognized locations in that town- the prison. It’s been used in countless movies and TV shows, and now- the Joliet Correctional Center is being worked on by the local government and a developer, to turn the place into a hub for commercial use.

The uses range from a prison museum to stores to even-residences. Residences? I’m sure there are some people who were forced to reside there in the past who would not think that’s a very good idea. Regardless, it seems that any plan for development has to keep the prison building intact! The prison was closed in 2002…certainly not because there is a lack of people who belong there, right? It’s actually owned by the state, and its main use has been as a setting for TV shows and movies…it was used in Fox’s “Prison Break” and Johnny Depp was there recently shooting his “Public Enemies” flick. Of course, some of “the Blues Brothers” was shot there-and THAT would be the main hook for commercialization of the place.

Wouldn’t it make a better “Blues Brothers” hotel than one of those “House of Blues” places? Imagine- you could spend the night in Jake Blues’ personal cell! And- dine in the main dining hall, with a show on stage (and on the tables) just like at the end of the movie! Just wondering- if they do turn part of it into stores- how would you pay for things- with cigarettes and home-brewed alcohol?

In other news- MIT scientists feel that there is a very slight chance that- when a large Hadron collider (and you know how painful it is when something collides with your Hadron) is turned on next week in Europe- it may create a black hole that could destroy the world. Come on- it’s just a SLIGHT chance! There’s more of a chance that a prison could be turned into a hotel! 

…okay, I know some of you veteran Channel 32 viewers got the “Snippets” reference above- for those who weren’t around then, “Snippets” were a bunch of little “educational” segments that were dropped into kids’ programming…however, I rarely classify anything I write as educational- these are just little meanderings of my mind, stemming from the passing of a public figure…

It’s sad to hear that voice-over announcer Don La Fontaine passed away- his voice, familiar from movie trailers, the Academy awards programs, and numerous commercials,

has been familiar to all of us, with many not even knowing the man’s name (as is often the case- certainly there are familiar voices we hear all the time that we can’t connect to a name- I’ll bet that more people know today that the guy on ABC saying “the Looove Boat” was Ernie Anderson (famed TV horror host “Ghoulardi”) than knew his name back in the day.

One thing that I think many people assume-is that he himself came up with the intro line that he is most closely associated with (and most parodied for): “In a wo