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NOBODY COULD MAKE THIS STUFF UP So we're going to publish the Madblood archives for those of you who like to follow the strange goings-on that have put Pungo on the map.
A Report by Doctor Madblood Well Rob Floyd and his troops did it again. October 14, 2006 will go down as a day in horror host history. At Rob and his gang's third annual Monster Fest, which was once again held at the Chesapeake Public Library, veteran horror hosts like The Bowman Body, Count Gore DeVol, and yours truly sat down to a panel discussion with the new generation of hosts like Penny Dreadful, Dr. Sarcofiguy, and Karlos Borloff. I am happy to report we will be showing you some of the best moments from that panel in our special Monster Fest program, which airs on Saturday November 11th. Monster Fest is a fan favorite because it is an informal gathering put on by people who really love and respect the genre. In addition to the horror host panel discussion, there was a great presentation on the legendary Forrest J. Ackerman from Debra Painter and Paul Knight, a delightful hour-long salute to 8-mm movies (for many of us the beginning of this obsession of ours) by our own Craig T. Adams, who brought some of his own gems to share (and narrate!). There was also a costume contest and a host of dealers, artists, and authors offering all kinds of fun and freaky stuff. Craig T. and Debra Burrell also hosted the fan-table gift shop, which allowed Carter Perry and Rachel C. Hunter to videotape the television episode. One of the highlights for us was getting to introduce our Webmaster Gary Eckstein to Count Gore DeVol, who credits Gary with his move (and resurrection) into cyberspace. It was also a real treat to sit down and catch up with my dear old friend Bill Bowman, AKA The Bowman Body, who traded appearances on the Madblood show when we first started in 1975. At that time, his show was the hot late-night ticket in the Richmond market, and he came on our show to wish us good luck in our new venture. The Body was a special favorite of the panel audience, and he seemed genuinely touched and delighted with the reception. It was a grand day, and one we will long remember. I hope you'll tune in on Saturday November 11th and see for yourself.
Download the Original Full-Sized Camera JPEG of the group photo above (1 MB) Visit MySpace Monster Fest site
COUNT LACUDRA Count Vladimer Lacudra was the first character that Mike Arlo played on Doctor Madblood. It happened way back in the summer of 1976, in the first year the show was on the air. (Mike details what that first appearance was like on the video podcast of the Doctor Madblood 4th Anniversary Special.) Mike has always brought a special dignity and madness to our beloved vampire, and the Count has been a main character on the show from the beginning, sharing a host of adventures, from the wild canoe ride in The Coffin Caper in season five, to the near fatal mishaps in Down For the Count this past season. Our 1984 Halloween special, Doctor Madblood?s Halloween Howl, opened with an elaborate sequence of the Count being reduced to ashes, and then spent the entire episode trying to restore him. The photo is of Count Lacudra and Doctor Madblood (although in my iPhoto library, its name is Mike and Jerry). This was taken at a Haunted Hayride a few Halloweens back, and shows a couple of old pals, still enjoying the game. JH DOWNLOAD THE FULL-SIZED POSTER OF VAMPIRE EMERITUS
Count Gore DeVol interviews Dr. Madblood! On October 14, 2006, Chesapeake Central Library hosted MonsterFest, where there was an amazing gathering of local horror hosts. If you saw the show on November 11, you saw some of the highlights. Now check out two living legends of horror at the Count's excellent Creature Feature website!
Dr. Madblood interviews Count Gore DeVol! Turnabout is fair play as Doctor Madblood takes his turn at interviewing the legendary Washington, D.C. Vampire host, Count Gore De Vol at Monsterfest. Click the icon screen below to see the Flash Video version right here or go download the iPod video version over on the Stuff page!
Doctor Madblood and his Gang visited the Virginia Air and Space Museum in Hampton on Saturday evening, October 28th for their annual Halloween Bash and you can see all the festivities at our Air and Space Photo Gallery or click below to see the video!
CLICK FOR THE HALLOWEEN BASH VIDEO Doctor Madblood performed his magic, Fuzz and Stuffing Puppets performed their magic, Lynn Ruehlmann told her ghost stories by the water, and the Hermitage offered some pretty spooky tours - made possible in part through sponsorships by the City of Norfolk Commission on the Arts and Humanities and Channel 4 Hampton Roads, WSKY TV. See all the festivities at our All Hallows Eve Photo Gallery!
OUR VERY SPECIAL THANKSGIVING PODCAST Following the successful response to the first radio drama, "The Halloween Goblin," plans were made to do a second program. It was decided to make this an Audio Shadow adventure, with Doctor Madblood playing a minor role. With influences ranging from The Firesign Theatre to Bob and Ray, Jerry Harrell wrote the script for The Turkey Caper, and the Madblood gang again provided the voices. Jim Stanley worked his aural magic and The Turkey Caper premiered on WNOR-AM radio just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Still available on the Stuff page!
Also available on the Stuff page: "The Halloween Goblin" - Originally produced for radio in 1978 by morning drive announcer Jim Stanley, top on-air personality at WNOR in Norfolk, Virginia, Doctor Madblood was transformed into aural theater with every bit of the visual humor intact. Special introduction by Doctor Madblood.
SPARKS Behind The Scenes on "Pirate Grrrls" The first spark for "Pirate Grrrls" came from Craig T., during an appearance at the Naro Expanded Cinema in September. The Madblood Film Festival was showing Disney's epic "20000 Leagues Under the Sea" and so Craig came dressed appropriately as always, introducing himself to the audience as "Lamebeard the Pirate." Watching him perform, I knew I wanted to work that character into an upcoming episode. Then the spark for the "Pirate Grrrls" story came the following weekend, during my visit to a favorite old haunt, Teach's Hole, the pirate museum and gift shop just down the road from Howard's Pub on Ocracoke Island. It was there I found a book called "The Pirate Queens," which told the stories of Anne Bonny and Mary Reid. The gang had so much fun last year with our tale "Pirate Envy" that I got to work on a new adventure. Several members of the cast and crew, including Carter Perry and Ken Johnson, are pirate trekkies, so I felt we'd have no problems with costumes and props. Casting was easy. I knew our friend Shellee Casiello would be the perfect Pirate Queen. And tasking the pretty young actresses (Lori White, Joy Riach, and Lauren Sundarajan) who play our student witches to dress up like pirates provided some great results too, as you can see. All that remained was to have lovely Jewell Willis become Sybil to once again save the day, with some expert swordplay by Carter Perry as Ernie K. Monster (!) On the evening we taped the episode, Craig T. raided his giant prop warehouse (which we respectfully refer to as The Craigsonian) and brought a wealth of pirate gear for the girls to choose from. Shellee's son Jonathan kindly let his mom bring along some of his Pirates of the Caribbean costume, Ken Johnson offered up stuff from his own stash, and we were off. A small side note: while doing research for this episode, I came across a recent album of pirate music called Rogue's Gallery that was assembled by Johnny Depp, who enlisted his friends Sting, Bono, Nick Cave and others to sing pirate ballads and sea chanteys. There is even a song by a hero of mine, magician/historian/actor Ricky Jay. You can find it on iTunes. The final spark for this episode was struck during Monster Fest, when I met Brian and Marie Bridgeforth, two amazing young artists who had a booth at the show. In a set of Brian's drawings "Bridgeforth's Monsters," I found several pirate images that fit perfectly with what we were doing. Check out his remarkable work at www.brianbridgeforth.com. The post-production on this episode was a bit daunting, putting my little Powerbook into overdrive. CGI effects by Daniel C. Harrell. We hope you enjoy the results, when "Pirate Grrls" airs on Doctor Madblood Presents on Saturday, November 18th . at 8:00 p.m. on WSKY-TV 4. On Tuesday, June 20, 2006, Doctor Madblood's "Third Banana," Craig T. Adams, was presented with the highest honor given by the American Lung Association of Virginia. Adams received the Douglas Southall Freeman Award, bestowed annually to a person deemed "to have made extraordinary contributions to the cure and control of lung disease within Virginia." The award was made at the organization's annual board of director's meeting immediately after Adams performed his "Clear The Air" secondhand smoke awareness puppet show for the board and an audience of invited youngsters, including his wife, Debra A. Burrell. Adams and his Fuzz and Stuffing Puppets have toured the program for eleven years. The program and award presentation got some nice coverage on Richmond Channel 12's News and there will be a story coming soon in Style Weekly Magazine. And for those who cannot pick up a copy of Style Weekly Magazine . . . . read the article here!
And be sure to check out this PilotOnline.com story: Puppeteer sides with dragons to educate about smoking Notes on Sarah Karloff: The lady was charming and gracious and funny. This visit was a lot more fun than the previous time we saw her, which was for a science opening at the Virginia Air & Space Center a few years ago. She gave her prepared speech well, and showed home movies. Next, the Williamsburg Library arranged an interview in the style of “The Actor’s Studio.” She also took questions from the audience. All the attention was focused on her father, but she did speak with some of her roles – in her father’s recognition. She talked about how she went her first convention years ago. It was a “Famous Monsters of Film Land” con. She, Bela Lugosi Jr, and Lon Chaney’s son were all invited, and accepted the invitations out of curiosity. At one point, someone asked if she’d been to the dealers’ room. She thought they were playing poker! Well, after she saw the dealers selling videos, posters, one sheets (which she thought went on beds) and photos of her and her father, she thought she should be doing this too – and now, instead of not knowing about dealers, “I are one.” She spoke with pride about her role in getting the USPS to issue stamps with her father’s image on them. According to the stamp collectors she’s heard from, only US Presidents and her father have been on as many as 3 stamps. She talked about the honor of having Madame Tussaud’s doing two wax portraits of her father – and about the detailed questions they asked. (“How many inches from the end of the sleeve to his wrist joint?” “Did the fly on his pants have 1 button or two?”) Her home movies featured the only known color footage of her father in the Monster makeup, taken by her mother. They also featured some of the animals her parents had—dogs (as many as 22!), even a cow, a pig, and a few cats – all within Beverly Hills. Mr. Adams & I didn’t get a book – they were all sold out by the time we got in line. She did agree to a photo, though. Look for it on the Madblood website as a “Snapshot of the Week” soon. It was a lovely and enjoyable evening. Well worth the drive, even through the I-64 “Deathstar Trench,” which is how we refer to the construction around Mercury Blvd. And we’re planning another, to see the Frankenstein exhibit at the Swem Library at William & Mary. To view Sara Karloff’s website, go to Karloff.com. She gets 150-200 e-mails every day and reads them all! PLUS, she had the best “little black suit” I have ever seen in my life. I want one! Onward! Into the Fog! Debra Visit William and Mary's Swem Library Frankenstein Exhibit Webpage
Just in time for counting down the days until Doctor Madblood's 30th Anniversary Celebration on October 29th at 8 p.m. on WSKY-TV. A new addition to the Mac OS in 10.4 is the dashboard widget technology that makes it possible for Mac users to download and install useful 'widgets' (short for 'jimmy widget,' we're sure) on their new OSX 'dashboard' in order to keep tabs on important dates, computer functions, world news, exotic recipes - you name it. Mac users with OSX 10.4 can just download the Doctor Madblood Countdown Widget and their Safari browser will know what to do with it. Apparently some non-Safari browsers make you have to manually move the unzipped widget into your Widgets folder. Here's a screen shot of Doctor Madblood's 30th Anniversary Countdown Widget on the Apple website. Thanks to Apple for turning us on!
Regular visitors to this extraordinary website know we run a contest. We ask trivia questions about the show, and hope that people will send in their answers. From those who send in answers, we pick a winner (or winners, if we have more than one prize) from the correct answers. We ask that people send their names, snail mail addresses (if we're mailing out the prize), and that contestants be over the age of 12. It's a fine point, but we don't want to get in trouble the way Soupy Sales did years ago (or didn't -- look it up on Snopes.com). So we have asked people to send in their ages, and more recently, we just asked that they swear, affirm and aver that they are over the age of 12. Sometimes we get the best and most creative answers to this question. We'll quote quite a few of them, with special thanks to Chris, David, D'Anne, Iesha, Lorrie, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Jeanette, Kevin, Ron, and William. We're not identifying who goes with which quote, because some requested their ages not be published, and almost all were reticent:
When we felt the need to verify one winner's age, we got this response: lol yes im way over 12 im 38 And then we get into the esoteric: Age: I've seen my Chinese Zodiac sign 3 times And some with information about their lives: 35 year old sailor with nothing better to do than watch classic sci-fi and horror at local theaters and libraries (not that there's anything wrong with that). Nothing at all! Using other people to verify what you say: Both my kids are over 12. And the most exhaustive word comes from a frequent contributor to the contest page who says: ROTFLMAO! Snapshot of the Week A chance meeting in the hallway at the Holiday Inn Patriot during the Williamsburg Film Festival turned into a chatfest with Dick Dyszel, a.k.a. Count Gore De Vol. Mr. Dyszel was arriving to take part in a Solar Guard screening and noticed my Madblood T-shirt. Ms. Burrell saw his name on his ID tag and the rest was history. It was like spending 45 minutes catching up with an old friend. This photo was snapped right after Count Space Ranger bit Debra on the neck. She hasn't been quite the same since.... CTA
Pictures from Monsterfest Monsterfest, recently held at the Chesapeake Public Library, was quite a success in drawing a large crowd of Doctor Madblood fans. Bill Davidson, our staunch number one cameraman, attended and captured some shots of the excitement:
"Dr. Madblood Presents" Film Series Live at the NARO On Friday October 15 and Saturday October 16, 2004, at 11:30 p.m., Doctor Madblood presented the one and only "Plan 9 From Outer Space" at the NARO Expanded Cinema. The legendary horror film host traveled from his Pungo laboratory to introduce the legendary "Golden Turkey Award" winner, designated as the worst movie ever made. This classic clunker, penned and directed by schlock legend Edward D. Wood, stars Bela Lugosi in a posthumous performance, along with Maila "Vampira" Nurmi and wrestler-turned-zombie-actor Tor Johnson.
Download Original Poster! SEASON THREE OF "DOCTOR MADBLOOD PRESENTS" Once again, Doctor Madblood (Jerry F. Harrell) saw his hopes for a quiet season premiere dashed, as a heretofore overlooked denizen of the monster basement escaping to wreak havoc on the long-suffering burg of Pungo. Big Game Hunters, Sir Guy (Mike Arlo) and Herr Otto (Craig T. Adams) arrived to dispatch... er, capture... the creature. Nurse Patience Dream (Penny Marcialis) assisted in crowd control as an array of angry neighbors, animal rights activists and disrobed off-camera supermodels converged on Madblood Manor. Looked like Ernie Monster picked the wrong week to be out of town.... Special Appearances were made by Geoff Kennedy, Debra Burrell, Chi Pucher and the dulcet tones of Bernie Melton. And also introducing Buzzy Mainspring as "The Gnarly Beast"
The Sneak Peek THE CREATURE IS COMING TO THE NARO The Creature From The Black Lagoon is considered by many to be the most effective film ever made in 3-D, because of the underwater sequences with the Gill Man. Doctor Madblood's Cult Classic Film Festival will present The Creature From The Black Lagoon in 3-D on the Naro Expanded Cinema screen throughout the Labor Day Holiday, with both matinees and lateshows scheduled. The Doctor himself will introduce the film on Friday and Saturday evening at 11:30.
Original Poster! CELEBRITY SCOOPERS A BIG SUCCESS The Make-A-Wish Foundation has reported that the July 29th appearance by Doctor Madblood and his uncle Felonious at the Coldstone Creamery location on 21st Street in Norfolk raised more than $8,000 for the charity. All of the money raised at this event will go to the local chapter of Make-A-Wish to aid in the important work they are doing.
Our old friends at the legendary Naro Cinema have launched "Doctor Madblood Presents," a cult film series bringing favorite movies to the Naro's big screen. The series begins this Friday through Sunday nights with The Dark Side of Oz, the new cult classic that marries The Wizard of Oz with the soundtrack to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. On Friday and Saturday August 13th and 14th, the Doctor will host late show presentations of The Exorcist, The Director's Cut. What better way to spend Friday the 13th than watching what many consider the most frightening film ever made on the Naro's big screen, complete with extra footage and an introduction by Doctor Madblood. And be sure to mark your calenders for Labor Day Weekend when Doctor Madblood Presents the best of the 50's 3-D features, The Creature From The Black Lagoon, complete with the 3-D glasses. Check the Naro website (www.narocinema.com) for details and showtimes. And be sure to pick up a copy of the current Naro circular. It is certain to become a collectable! See you at the movies!
FANTASCI 3 IS A BIG SUCCESS Fantasy and science fiction fans turned out in force on Saturday July 24th for Fantasci 3, held at the Chesapeake Central Library. Jim Blanton and his team again staged a terrific day of fun and activites. Joining Doctor Madblood and Waldo T. Monster at the event were show producers Craig T. Adams and Carter Perry. Craig will have a more complete report here soon.
(Photo: The doc and Waldo congratulate organizer Jim Blanton on the launch of another great Fantasci event.) FANTASCI 3 REVIEW Fantasy and science fiction fans turned out in force on Saturday July 24, 2004, for Fantasci 3, held at the Chesapeake Central Library. Jim Blanton and his team again staged a terrific day of fun and activities. First thing in the morning, Doctor Madblood and Waldo T. Monster staged a few scenes with the folks who came early and with some of the display personnel and vendors. Show producer/director Carter Perry lingered for additional shots as folks set up. That footage will, no doubt, turn up on the Madblood show at Halloween, if not sooner.
DOCTOR MADBLOOD CELEBRATES 28th ANNIVERSARY Veteran horror movie host Doctor Madblood celebrated his 28th Anniversary with a Halloween special edition of The Friday Night Frights this past Friday October 31st on WSKY-TV4. The special was videotaped at the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton the Saturday before during the Center's 12th annual Halloween Bash. The holiday special featured a presentation of William Castle's "House on Haunted Hill" starring Vincent Price. The mad doctor from Pungo and his gang visited the Air and Space Center's haunted house and other special events including the costume contest.
Strictly not for the faint of heart is the Doctor Madblood "SHOTS" page, which contains a shocking collection of frightening photos from over the past twenty-eight years. NAVY FAMILIES FIND FALL FESTIVAL MAGICAL Military and civilian families from all over Hampton Roads enjoyed a weekend of fun at the Navy Amphib Base November 1st and 2nd. Included in the free activites were a major car show, pony rides, face painting, games, clowns, music, and a certain mad scientist from Pungo who signed autographs and performed magic for the crowds, both close-up and on the event stage. .
DOCTOR MADBLOOD TAPES HIS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL On Saturday October 25th, the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton is having their 12th annual Halloween Bash from 4 - 7 pm. The Madblood Gang will be there to videotape their Halloween special, which airs on October 31st. Come out and meet the cast, and maybe be on the Halloween Special!
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FREE Virginia Air and Space Center Poster! DOCTOR MADBLOOD'S MOVIES Madblood Executive Producer Jerry Harrell appeared on Tony Macrini's morning program on WNIS Radio 790 on September 3rd to announce the return of Doctor Madblood's Movies. Films will be added to the line-up of The Friday Night Frights beginning with the Season Two premiere on September 26th, when the doctor will show Horror Express, starring Peter Cushing, Christoper Lee and Telly Savalas.
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