For many Monster Kids something that was near and dear to them was getting home in time to catch their local Horror Host on TV, and better yet when that Host seemed like their friend who made them laugh to ease the scares of the film of the night. And for me watching the likes of The Creeper of Moraine Playhouse Theater or Dr. Creep of New Shock Theater (and so many more) while a thunderstorm raged outside are some of my favorite memories of watching TV when I was a kid. And for little Eddie Munster, that strange kid who lives in that rundown house on Mockingbird Lane, his favorite Horror Host was Zombo who hosted the show House Of Zombo! For this Horror Host Icon update, we will be taking a look at Zombo and have a quick look at this Horror Host that was part of the sitcom The Munsters from the 1960’s and who helped inspire a generation of Horror Hosts in just one TV appearance! So sit back and be ready to be chilled to the bone as we enter the House Of Zombo!

Zombo is the host of House Of Zombo that aired in the late afternoon, and he was a host who was filled with wise cracks, had a sinister look and hosted from his creepy home. Zombo is a pale faced warlock with massive hands and thick fingernails. He has dark circles around his eyes, a long nose with a wart, long white hair and teeth almost like a vampire. He also has a very iconic sounding laugh as well dresses like a vampire sometimes and other times like a demented wizard. His catch phrase is “You Kill Me”, and this phrase has been quoted by his fans for decades now and is also always on his autographs. Zombo connected with his viewers and made them not only laugh but also makes them feel like they are his friends. A truly talented and funny Horror Host who is Eddie Munster’s favorite Host and even his role model. Actor Louis Nye was Zombo and was a well loved comedic actor who had a very long career in film and TV and who is known for roles on such TV Shows as The Beverly Hillbillies, Needles An Pins, The Love Boat, Curb Your Enthusiasm and did voice work for cartoons like Inspector Gadget, Foofur and The Real Ghostbusters. Sadly Louis Nye would pass away at the age of 92 due to lung cancer in 2005. And in 2022, an uncredited actor played Zombo for the made for streaming film The Munsters that was directed by Rob Zombie.

Growing up, I was always a fan of The Munsters and can remember watching classic episodes on reruns on TBS as well as watching Grampa Munster host Super Scary Saturday who had Grampa hosting Horror and Sci-Fi films, as both where must see TV for me. And I mean let’s be honest, most Monster Kids had a crush of Lily Munster! So as you can see, this show and its characters have always been a big part of my life growing up and one of my favorite episodes of all time is “Zombo” as I have always been a fan of Horror Hosts and could understand why Eddie had a fondness for Zombo as growing up for me Commander USA was one of my favorite people on the planet and his show was something I had to watch. And I think what is really cool for Zombo is that he only made one appearance and only had a few moments on screen, but he made such a big impact and has truly inspired many to pursue becoming a Horror Host and that truly make him an Icon in my book. And let us not forget also that the character has inspired artwork as well as other Horror media showing just how impactful he was, and for some I am sure he also acted as a gateway to introduce some folks to Horror Hosting much like Count Floyd and Alister Cookie have as well. Say what you will about Zombo, but to me he really has made a big impact to the art of Horror Hosting.

So now we are at the point of this Horror Host Icon update that we take a look at the episodes I own and with Zombo we will be taking a look at the episode of The Munsters he appeared in. I will be taking the episode’s plot from our friends at IMDB, and I will be then writing about the antics of Zombo from the episode. And like always, I will not be rating or grading the show as these updates are not to review as much as they are to respect the history of the hosts and their episodes. So with that, the doors of the House of Zombo are open and that’s our invite to come in and see what he is all about.

The House Of Zombo!
Starring – Fred Gwynne & Yvonne De Carlo     Not Rated     1966

Host: We open with an old abandoned house, the place that Zombo lives who welcomes us to the show and makes a few pun filled jokes, and then tells the viewers that today they will be picking the winner of the “I Like Zombo Because” contest! He then howls and reads another chapter from the book “Mark Of The Werewolf” and then a little later talks about Crumble Creature Crackers and how you smash them to eat them and then drown the pieces in milk! After that he announces the winner of the contest that is a young lad by the name of Eddie Munster. We then join Zombo later behind the scenes and he is out of costume as he meets Eddie and his mother Lily, and they watch as he gets made up in his makeup and costume, and sadly Eddie is very disappointed by this as he thought Zombo was real. Later on the House Of Zombo show, he sits with Eddie and introduces him to the viewers, but Eddie snaps and grabs and removes Zombo’s wig and fake nose showing the viewers at home that Zombo is just an actor and not a real ghoul and as Zombo tries to hid his real appearance Eddie runs wild on the set and the show ends due to technical difficulties. Back behind the scenes, the producers say that the Zombo show is done for good due to this, and Zombo thanks Eddie for his help as he wanted out of the show for months and tells Eddie to grow up to be like his Dad and not Zombo.

Movie: Eddie is under the spell of Zombo, the host of a television horror show, who he considers to be a hero. Herman feels neglected by Eddie who hasn’t got time for his dad anymore and is jealous of Zombo. When Eddie has won a contest and gets to go to the studio and meet Zombo in person, Herman tries to become just like Zombo so Eddie will consider his dad a hero again.

Zombo is a “Host” that really did leave his mark on the world of Horror Hosting as I have spoken to many hosts who have said he was a big influence on them and help inspire their characters and desire to became a host, so to me that is very impactful and I truly see him as a fully fledged Horror Host as his show inside The Munsters sitcom world has become one of the most iconic episodes in the series’ history. And with the 2022 Rob Zombie film reintroducing Zombo to modern viewers, let’s hope he inspires a new generation of Horror Hosts like the original’s appearance did all those decades back. And again I want to stress in the world of Horror Hosting there are all types of Hosts, and Zambo is one that in one appearance on a sitcom has become a truly iconic Horror Hosts. So with that our next update will take us out of the world of Horror Hosting and will take us to the baseball diamond, as we will find ourselves at the Rotten Ink Stadium to take a look at the rest of the Cincinnati Reds Mascots! So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Hosts! And I hope you are ready to chat about Schottzie # 1 and 2!