inktober 2024: series 1 week 5

The final week is upon us and the final entry in the “Regional TV Horror Hosts” series is Philadelphia’s Stella. In September 1984, Philadelphia NBC affiliate KYW-TV continued a local, but near-forgotten, tradition. They decided to follow the national broadcast of Saturday Night Live, with a locally-produced show with a home-grown host. Tapping Philly actress …

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inktober 2024: series 2 week 4

The second series — “Horror Actors of the 1940s” — concludes with George Zucco. British actor George Zucco gained fame as an upper-crust, but often villainous, character in dozens of dramas, mysteries and serials of the 30s and 40s. He was cast as the nefarious “Professor Moriarty” in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in 1939. …

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inktober 2024: series 1 week 4

JPiC’s Inktober offers the fourth entry in the “Regional TV Horror Movie Hosts” series. After the death of Larry Vincent, Los Angeles’ TV’s local horror movie host “Sinister Seymour,” station KHJ was looking to revive the weekend broadcast. At first, they contacted Maila Nurmi, who played TV hostess “Vampira” in the 1950s. While Nurmi was …

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inktober 2024: series 2 week 3

Week 3 of the “Horror Actors of the 1940s” series in JPiC’s “Inktober” continues with Rondo Hatton. Rondo Hatton was a star athlete at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Florida, excelling in track and football. He was also voted Most Handsome Boy in his senior year. After high school, he worked as a sportswriter for …

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inktober 2024: series 1 week 3

The third entry in JPiC’s Inktober 2024 in the “Regional TV Horror Hosts” series continues with Philadelphia’s Dr. Shock. Philadelphia native John Zacherle was an announcer and actor at WCAU-TV, portraying various characters, as needed, in the station’s home-grown Action in the Afternoon Western series. He also hosted the popular Mad Theater at the station, …

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inktober 2024: series 2 week 2

Week 2 Series 2 of JPiC’s “Inktober” continues with with Fay Wray. Moving to Hollywood from Alberta, Canada, 16-yrear old Vina Fay Wray made her film debut in  an historical film sponsored by a local newspaper. Bitten by the acting bug, Fay landed a number of uncredited roles with the Hal Roach Studios in the …

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inktober 2024: series 1 week 2

The second entry in JPic’s Inktober’s series of local TV horror movie hosts is Cleveland’s legendary Ghoulardi. In 1963, announcer and disc jockey Ernie Anderson was tapped to host the late-night showings of horror movies on Cleveland’s WJW-TV. Dispensing with the usually “mad scientist” or “vampire” persona favored by other TV movie hosts, Eddie adopted …

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inktober 2024: series 2 week 1

Week 1 of series 2 – “Horror Actors of the 1940s.” – of JPiC’s “Inktober” starts with Colin Clive. A prominent stage actor in his native London, Colin Clive made his Hollywood debut in 1930’s Journey’s End, a drama about an alcoholic British Navy officer, a role that eerily mirrored his own life. The film …

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inktober 2024: series 1 week 1

It’s October already. You know what that means. Cooler temperatures. Going to work in the dark. Pumpkin spice cornflakes and coffee for breakfast. And Inktober! That right, for the tenth consecutive year, I have been participating — on my own terms — in the autumn internet drawing challenge started by an artist named Jake Parker. …

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inktober 2023: week 5

The final entry for Inktober 2023 was alluded to last week. It’s The X-Files, a science-fiction-horror series inspired by Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Tired of the mundane scripts he was churning out for Walt Disney Productions’ teen market, Chris Carter was hired by the upstart Fox Network to develop new programming. Working with his fondness …

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