From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Humanoids From The Deep (1980)

Posted on August 4, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. This update is going to take us to the depths of the deep waters where humanoids dwell just looking to kill men and take the woman…and of course I am talking about the 1980 film “Humanoids From The Deep” that was a sleazy creature feature that was made for Roger Corman’s then owned New World Pictures. In 2010, this film got the comic book treatment from a strange indie publisher and fans were delighted to get more slime and creepiness from their Humanoids. And for me Humanoids From The Deep makes for the perfect “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update and is one that had been a very long time coming. So let’s get to the boat and hit the blue waters looking not only for genetically enhanced salmon but also mutant humanoid fish creatures!

Let’s start off by taking a look at The Humanoids from this film and their ways of killing humans. The Humanoids are fish creatures that were created when a company called Canco by accident let out a batch of salmon that had been given an experimental growth hormone that caused the bigger fish that ate them to become these creatures, and they are bloodthirsty and have a lust for human women. They are very monstrous in appearance and look like green fish men with oversized heads, sharp teeth, have tails and are slimy covered with muck from the water and this alone drives people into pure madness. They are big in size as well and this makes them very intimidating as their look and size is a combo for terror. The Humanoids are very strong and can kill a person or animal with their bare hands as well as toss them around like a rag doll. The Humanoids also will attack solo as well as in packs and can do so both in water as well as land making them even more dangerous. The Humanoids have giant webbed clawed hands that they use to rip apart flesh and most of the time when using their claws they can remove large parts of flesh down to the bone. They also will pull you into bodies of water where they can attack faster than you can defend yourself and this could lead to your drowning. They also have massive razor sharp teeth that they can use to also rip away at your flesh and cause you to die of blood loss or instant death depending on what artery is munched on during the attack. They are very violent and have a goal to make men dead and ladies to carry their offspring. While The Humanoids are very dangerous, they are living creatures and can die as they can be killed by multiple gunshots, being stabbed, bashed in the head and they truly hate fire. They are also very much driven to attack and mate and this leads them to make mistakes and be taken out. The Humanoids are very dangerous and are creatures with no remorse and only live for their own purpose.

Now that we have taken a look at The Humanoids and their ways of dealing death, I think that it’s time now that we take a look at the film they are from and that is “Humanoids From The Deep”! Like always, I will be getting the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts of the film. So if you are ready, let’s at least get near the water and see if we can spot any Humanoids!

Humanoids From The Deep (1980)

“Humanoid sea creatures start killing a fishing town’s residents, and raping their women. It’s up to the townsfolk and a visiting biologist to fight back and fend them off.”

Humanoids From The Deep was a film that was made for Roger Corman’s company New World Pictures in 1980 as the master of the B-Movies was looking to beef up his company’s horror releases. The film’s script was written by Frederick James and originally Corman wanted Joe Dante to be the director, but he turned it down so Barbara Peeters was hired instead. When casting the film, such names as Vic Morrow, Doug McClure, Ann Turkel, Anthony Pena, Lynn Schiller and Denise Galik were brought in with filming starting in late 1979. The film has a budget of around $2.5 million dollars with a big part going to the creature effects that was created by Rob Bottin. As it was filming, it seemed like Roger Corman and Barbara Peeters started to kind of clash as they both clearly had different visions of what the films violence and sleazy parts needed to be. Peeters would focus on the bloody attacks on the male characters, but would not showcase the more sleazy attacks on the females that Corman wanted as he thought would bring people to the theaters to see it, so she would be let go. This also caused Jimmy T. Murakami to step in to film some scenes as well as second unit director James Sbardellati filming the more sleazy attacks from the monsters on the women. The film was shot in California and once done James Horner would do the score. The film would be released on May 16, 1980 and would be met with negative reviews from critics. Most fans of horror seemed to enjoy it as it did make money at the box office. But the film’s two biggest haters were director Barbara Peeters (who was let go before the re-shoots) and main actress Ann Turkel as they hated the added in nudity and attacks on the females, plus the names change as when filming was going on the title was “Beneath The Darkness”. The film when then build a bigger cult following once it was released on home media and continues to build on its legacy. The film would get a remake in 1996 that was made for the paid cable station Showtime and would also get a home media release. The film in 1980 was released alongside such other horror films as Friday The 13th, The Shining, The Fog, Maniac, Motel Hell, Mother’s Day, The Gates Of Hell, Cannibal Holocaust, Antropophagus, Nightmare City, Hell Of The Living Dead, The Children, Prom Night, Toxic Zombies, Alien Dead, Terror Train, Mama Dracula, Fiend and Doctor Butcher M.D. to name a very few showing that 1980 was a great year for horror movies!

Humanoids From The Deep is one of those films I first saw on VHS when my brother and I rented it on one of the weekend horror movie marathons we used to always have when we moved to a new town and school and good old spooky movies were old friends that were always around and filled that void until we both made new friends. I can remember liking the film as who doesn’t love strange humanoid creatures coming out of the water and attacking anyone in their way all in a quest to get the ladies of the surface world. The Humanoid creatures were very cool and weird looking and with the tapes grain they looked even more creepy and them attacking for me was like a mix of those beach party horror films as well as a dash of classic Universal Monster flick Creature From The Black Lagoon! The film also had many lovely ladies in the cast, but I will say that I am not a fan of all the sexual assault stuff in the film. The film has a charm for me because it was part of the early days of New World Pictures, a movie company that was created by Roger Corman and his wife that delivered so many amazing horror films to over its life, heck after Corman sold the company it would go on to even own Marvel Comics for a time! Humanoids From The Deep is a film that I learned about thanks to the books The Gore Score by Chas Balun and The Splatter Guide Movie Guide by John McCarty and their write ups made me have to see it, and like I said when I finally did I was not disappointed as it was a very fun creature feature! And for those wondering, the late great Chas Balun gave it an 8 on the Gore Score. If you have not seen Humanoids From The Deep but like sleaze in your horror, make sure to give it a watch.

So now that we have covered The Humanoids and their film, I think that its time that we take a look at the comic based on it that was released by Bluewater Comics, an indie publisher who for a while was making some great comics based on some horror and sci-fi films that should have gotten the adaptation treatment back when they were originally released. Sadly now Bluewater is called Tidal Wave and pretty much only do online comics based around celebrities. I would like to thank Bell Book And Comic for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, I think it’s time that we spend some time with these blood thirsty humanoids of the deep in this blue water.

The Humanoids # 1 ***
Released in 2010 Cover Price $3.99 Bluewater # 1 of 1

After the attacks of 1980, Canco was sued out of business or so the world thought as they really just changed their name to NACO and set up shop in Canada where they still experiment with the DNA growth hormone as well as research the Humanoids it created, and they have made progress as one they have named Graham can now talk! But an accident at the plant lets all the Humanoids free and they kill everyone in sight, but Graham is not like the others and is upset over the killings and the others do not expect this more advanced species of themselves. Meanwhile on a small island, a party is going on and friends Ann and Cindy are attending, but things get really bad when The Humanoids crash the party and start attacking killing the men and grabbing the ladies. Ann armed with a hatchet and Cindy armed with a rock make a stand against The Humanoids killing as many as they can as well as try and save people being attacked, and as the two friends get separated and things look grim for Cindy she is saved by Graham who rips apart her attacking Humanoid! Cindy thanks Graham for saving her and he tells her to run, but sadly is shot and killed by the arriving police…and as Cindy looks around she is the only one left alive on the little island as even her friend Ann is gone.

This comic is a very quick read and does the film its based on justice, but also adds more to the lore as I love the idea of a smart Humanoid who knows the difference between right and wrong and has got a friendship with humans and does not wish to slaughter and mate with them like the others of his species. The plot is very basic and has Humanoids escaping from a lab after an accident, and they attack a high school island party with two friends being our heroes and wanting to stop this attack and try and save lives. Cindy and Ann are those friends who are attending the party, and when the attack starts, they decide to fight back and do a great job of doing so as they kill many of The Humanoids as they were smart and armed themselves. Ann is almost assaulted by one of them so she makes it her mission to save any of her fellow classmates that are about to be mated with as Cindy just swings her hatchet and tries to kill as many as she can…sadly Cindy is the lone survivor of this massacre. Graham The Humanoid is also a hero as he arrives just in time to save Cindy from being attacked, and he is such a kind creature that is why when he is shot and gunned down it kind of hits you in the gut. The Humanoids are as dangerous and mean as ever as they truly just want to kill and mate and go after anyone they see on this island. One of the cool aspects of this issue is that they do tie it into the 1980 film and while none of those characters appear, you know that they are out there still. I also like that we get to see a Humanoid fight as watching Graham rip apart one of his fellow Humanoids in a fight to the death is pretty badass. The comic has lots of blood and gore with lots of blood and goo splattering all over. The comic does not have any nudity and truly focuses on the slaughter. The cover is pretty cool and shows a Humanoid with a woman in his arms, so people who knows this film it would be very eye-catching for. The interior art is really cool and done by Benjamin Hall as I really like the way he draws The Humanoids as well as all the gore. While not as sleazy as moments of the film are, this comic is a great way to keep The Humanoids From The Deep alive in media and delivered a entertaining read to all us horror comic readers. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Hall used in this comic.

Humanoids From The Deep is one of those cult classic films that was a perfect fit for comic books and I have to say that Benjamin Hall and Bluewater Comics did a great job here, and to be honest I wish this had been more than just a one shot. In fact I wish that Roger Corman’s very short-lived comic publisher company he owned called Cosmic Comics had lasted longer as many of this films he was producing or even had made would have made for great comics. But as you can see, this update is coming to an end and that means we will be leaving The Humanoids behind as the next update will take us to The Valley Of The Rage as we take a look at the indie horror movie The Rage and the Fangoria Comics based on it. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror comic or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update as we RAGE!

Horror Host Icon: Dr. Shock (PA)

Posted on October 31, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Happy Halloween and welcome back to Rotten Ink. When thinking about horror hosts, a state that I feel at times does not get the recognition for having some amazing ones is Pennsylvania, and for me, one of the tops from that state is Dr. Shock who is the topic for his “Horror Host Icon” update. Like so many, this one is long over due as I have been wanting to cover him for awhile and went on a hunt to track down episodes to make this update possible, but while I could not find any, I did find a tribute show that is just perfect to showcase his style as well as is a heartwarming tribute to him done by the station that aired his show as well as his friends and fans. So if you are ready, grab a big bowl of popcorn and turn down the lights as it’s time to have a blood chilled and our funny bone tickled thanks to Dr. Shock and his Mad Theater!

Dr. Shock was the host of Mad Theater (along with all of its name changes) and was a fun natured ghoul who took his style from Horror Host Zacherley and even slightly looked like him. He entertained viewers on Channel 17 with his goofy jokes and magical tricks. Dr. Shock had grey skin, wore a black suit, and while friendly, he did have a slight mean streak as he would love to hit crew members with a plastic hammer when they would get on his nerves. He would also take time to give bad medical advice to those who would wander on his set and really loved hosting the films that he presented. The fact that he had that jolly ghoul appeal made his viewers bond with him quickly as he was that late night horror film watching friend who brought laughs to the horrors on the screen. Dr. Shock is truly one of those iconic horror hosts who did it right as he really did make viewers feel like he was their friend and entertained his viewers for almost a full decade, and for that he truly was one of Pennsylvania’s best horror hosts of all time. When Dr. Shock make public appearances, fans would flock to meet him as he would be one of the area’s most loved stars. All the way to his sudden passing, his show was must-watch TV and his passing is still felt to this day. I should also note that Dr. Shock’s sidekick was Bubbles, his young daughter that viewers watched grow up on the show, and she became a big part of the show’s history.

The original show that was hosted by Dr. Shock was “Creatures Features” in 1970, and after a very short time, the show had a name change to “Scream-In.” Oddly Channel 17 decided to fire Dr. Shock after only 13 episodes, and after getting several very angry letters and calls, they brought him back to air and the fans were happy! But when he was brought back, his original sidekick Igor was not. So Dr. Shock brought on Bubbles, a young girl who over the years grew up in front of viewers’ eyes. The show would go from showing a single film to a double film in late 1970. Scream-In would become “Mad Theater/Horror Theater” in 1972 and would be on air until 1979, before the untimely death of Dr. Shock. The viewers of Dr. Shocks shows enjoyed his cheesy comedy, magic as well as all the zany characters he would play like Wild-Man Of Pango Pango, Samurai Swordsman, Henny Himself, Food Man, Freaky Fairy and Great Grandma Shock to name a few. The show really meant something to Philadelphia fans and was well loved by all his fans and viewers who made his shows must views for the week. Despite the name changes and even the channel firing the host for a brief time, Mad Theater would be a staple or Channel 17 for over 9 years. Sadly while footage can be found on YouTube as well as trade lists, no known full episodes have been found, due to home media recorders being very rare in the 1970’s.

Joseph Zawislak was born September 14, 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and from a very early age he had the creative and entertainment bug as he learned the accordion as a youngster as well as did impersonations of famous people to make family and friends laugh. When old enough he joined the Navy and was in from 1955-1957. It was after this that his love for magic was born and after becoming a master magician, he would perform going under the names Dr. Alky and The Fabulous Mister Joseph and his assistant Sylvia DeNardo would later become his wife by 1958. During this time Joseph would also own a steak shop, run a pinball arcade and even become an insurance salesman. He would also have five kids with his wife and would dress up as Horror Host Zacherley at family get togethers to make people have a good laugh. But his life changed in 1970 when at a barbershop he overheard a head of WPHL-TV Channel 17 talking about them not being able to find a host for their upcoming Horror Movie show, and Joseph went up to the man and did went into his Zacherley act and was hired on the spot! Joseph would become a local celebrity from the moment his first show aired and would remain one his whole career. But sadly his time on this Earth was cut short as at the age of 42 on September, 28 1979 he would pass away from a heart attack. While gone, his horror host legacy and memory lives on with his family, friends and fans.

On March 22, 2014 at HorrorHound Weekend, Dr. Shock was inducted into the Horror Host Hall Of Fame as one of the hosts of the Class Of 2014 and was inducted by Nibbles The Clown and Punkin of Freakhouse Flicks who did a fantastic job paying him respect and honor. The fans who attended as well as fellow Horror Hosts clapped as he took his place among the best the art of Horror Hosting has to offer. Also names in the 2014 Class were Crypt Keeper, The Ghoul, Grampa Munster, Mad Daddy and Penny Dreadful to name a few. And with Dr. Shock making it in, I am sure this was something that his family, friends and fans are really proud of and happy to see that his legacy still lives on.

Dr. Shock is a true icon and legend in the world of Horror Hosting and while he asked and got permission to use elements and even the style that Zacherley used, I feel that Dr. Shock took them and added so much more to the character and made them his own. One of the coolest aspects of Dr. Shock was his use of magic during his segments as at the time it was really something special that set him apart from all other hosts going in and around the Pennsylvania area at the time. Plus I feel that his jolly nature and the silly elements of his show are what really made him must watch for viewers who liked their horror host dashed with humor. I respect Dr. Shock so much that I almost was going to make a 17hr round trip drive just to visit his grave and pay my respect to him! I also spent lots of time searching the Grey Market as well as horror host tape trade lists trying to find any episodes of Dr. Shock and came up empty handed. When you talk to those who grew up in Philadelphia and the surrounding area that were able to view Dr. Shock, they all say how he was a big part of their lives and childhood, showing just how much he meant to the culture of that city and the state of Pennsylvania in general. For me Dr. Shock is a great horror host who is a Hall Of Fame member and shows just how great the horror hosts of Pennsylvania can be.

So as you can see, Dr. Shock is one of those hosts that will always be remembered in his home state of Pennsylvania and beyond and with being inducted into The Horror Host Hall Of Fame, his legacy truly will never be forgotten. Now sadly, like many older hosts at this point, his shows are lost to time and for this update we will be taking a look at a tribute show that aired after his passing that was filled with many amazing clips from the show. And like before, I will be taking the show’s write up from our friends at IMDB and I will be writing about the host’s antics the best I can. So if you are ready, let’s take a spooky laugh filled trip with the one and only Dr. Shock.

A Tribute To Dr. Shock
Starring – Rick Fox & Joe Zawislak Not Rated 1980

Host: This shows many clips of Dr. Shock bits as well as him talking to celebrities like John Carradine and Lassie The Dog! They also show photos and behind the scenes moments of Dr. Shock. A very well done tribute to Dr. Shock and his life and legacy as a Horror Host.

Movie: A tribute to Joe Zawislak and his horror host character “Dr. Shock”. As “Dr. Shock”, Zawislak hosted “Creature Features” (changing its name to “Scream-In in April 1970), then “Mad Theater” and “Horror Theater” (a double feature pair of shows) from 1972 until 1979 on WPHL-TV, Channel 17 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Dr. Shock is a true Icon in horror hosting and is one of Pennsylvania’s top hosts as to this day his fans talk about the joys of watching his show. He really is a truly awesome host, and I hope someday that I will be able to track down a few full episodes so I can experience this host like his fans did back during his original run on television. I hope that this update brought back some great memories for those of you reading this that grew up watching Dr. Shock. And to all you readers, I hope this added to your Halloween holiday and made it a little spookier as well as humorous. For our next update, we will be leaving behind the world of horror hosting and will be heading to the woods of Sherwood Forest in order to go on an adventure with Robin Hood and his Merry Men. So until next time read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie of two and as always, support your local horror host. Also keep in mind Robin Hood starts our countdown to Thanksgiving 2024!

Horror Host Icon: Sir Cecil Creape

Posted on October 21, 2023 by bloodlinematt

“You Callled”…Nashville, Tennessee in the early 1970’s had a late Saturday night Horror Host show called Creature Features that would start at 10:30pm on WSM-TV Channel 4. The show would scare and entertaining its viewers, and the host of this show was the amazing Sir Cecil Creape, who, along with his trusty gas lamp, would entertain viewers with his antics. This legendary host was a major icon in Tennessee and would go on to inspire a ton of creative minds including Dr. Gangrene who is also a great host and an icon of Hosting. For those who live in Tennessee and for those Horror Host followers they know just how awesome Sir Ceciel Creape! So if you are ready, grab a cold drink, light the Jack O Lantern, open up all the widows to let a chill in and be prepared to spend a little time this Halloween with Horror Host Icon Sir Cecil Creape!

Sir Cecil Creape is a hunchbacked, balding man who wears strange 60’s style cloths with a cape, had messed up bucking teeth, a massive scar on his forehead and worked in the catacombs beneath the WSM studio that he would do his experiments in. He later would move to the basement of the Grand Ole Opry House. In this basement lab he would conduct experiments, share creepy yet humoroous stories and of course host the night’s movie. Sir Cecil Creape had a calming aspect to his voice when he spoke, almost giving you that false feeling of nothing scary is about to happen before you witnessed the horrors of that night’s film. He also very much had that gift to bond with the viewers as he spoke directly to them and made them feel part of what he had going on. What made him so special was that bond with his viewers as they would flock to him when he would make public appearances around the city. And I would be so bold as to say that he next to Sivad was the state of Tennessee’s two most popular and iconic hosts in that golden age of local TV. Sir Cecil Creape was played by Russ McCown who would play the role off and on for many years and would sadly pass away on January 3,1994 at the age of 65. While gone, Sir Cecil Creape will never be forgotten as his legacy in the world of Horror Hosting with truly never fade.

In September 1971 on WSM-TV Channel 4 out of Nashville, Tennessee a spooky movie show called “Creature Feature” with host Sir Cecil Creape was unleashed on viewers and their lives were forever changed and a must-see show was born. You see kids and adults were drawn into the strange host as well as the films of the evening. No matter how frightening or cheesy the film was, all they knew was that they had to watch and among friends, what happened in the movie was talked about, and most importantly what Sir Cecil Creape was up to. Sadly Creature Feature would end in 1973, but during his time on air Sir Cecil Creape would have his own fan club via WSM and even would make public appearances at local events and a Boy Scouts Patch was created by The Boy Scouts of America Tennessee Council for a very short time. But as I stated, the show’s end came in late 1973 thanks to WSM moving the show’s time slot from 10:30pm Saturday Nights to Saturday days and this was very unwise. But like all good Horror Hosts Sir Cecil Creape could not be kept down and on March 13, 1983 he would return to TV this time on TNN (The Nashville Network) with a show called The Phantom Of The Opry and would switch his location to the catacombs of the Opry House. The quality of his movies dropped, but his antics did not miss a step! And it was great that now a nationwide audience could see him do what he did best and that’s entertain and bring viewers the Horror Movies. The end of The Phantom Of The Opry came in December 1985 when TNN canceled it. While his Horror Hosting days were over, he still would make appearances from time to time in the start of the 90’s on the show “TNN’s Nashville Now” to the delight of all his fans. While both shows Creature Feature and The Phantom Of The Opry only lasted 2 years respectively, they both made a major mark on the genre as well as on Creape’s viewers and fans. And I want you readers to think about that, Sir Cecil Creape had only a total of 4 years as a Horror Host and in that short time he became a true icon in the state of Tennessee as well as in the history books of Horror Hosting. One thing that also makes Sir Cecil Creape so special is that he has a Connection to Dr. Lucifur who was one of the states original Horror Host who hosted Shock Theatre from 1958-1967! As many do not know this outside the state of Tennessee but Dr. Lucifur is the voice you hear that opens the classic episodes of Sir Cecil and throughout the shows run our host would also get packages from Lucifur as well as reference him during skits, showing that these two iconic hosts were indeed connected. And look for a Horror Host Icon update about Dr. Lucifur at some point here on Rotten Ink.

Sir Cecil Creape was so popular that during his time as a Horror Host he would also find himself being a patch for the Boy Scouts Of America in the Nashville area! It was for his Ghoul Patrol and this just showed how important this Horror Host was to his city as besides being honored gracing magazine covers he got a patch issued out to Scouts…what other Horror Host can say they got that Honor? I mean I would have love to see the Dayton, Ohio area Boy Scouts issue a Dr. Creep or Baron Von Porkchop patch…but sadly, I just don’t think that would ever happen. The patch is very much a collector’s item now and fans of the show would love to be able to get one for themselves, but they fetch high prices on Ebay and Etsy and are very rare to come by. I do want to say that his fellow Tennessee host Dr. Gangrene does have one of the patches that he wears very proudly on his lab coat during his show.

Sir Cecil Creape was inducted into the 2015 Class of the Horror Host Hall Of Fame and was inducted by Dr. Gangrene the legendary Tennessee host in his own right, and this only made sense as he was kept the spirit of Sir Cecil alive for decades. The fans in attendance really were happy when Sir Cecil got this honor as many felt it was long overdue. He took his place along with fellow classmates that included Superhost, Baron Von Wolfstein, Rhonda Shear, Gilbert Gottfried and Misty Brew to name a few. And in my opinion Sir Cecil should have been inducted way before this class as he was a true icon in Hosting and inspired many to follow in his footsteps.

As you readers know, I have been a mega fan of Horror Hosts for almost my whole life as I grew up watching the likes of Dr. Creep, Commander USA, Grampa Munster and The Creeper to name a few and over the decades I have discovered, learned about and watched so many hosts and one that I quickly became a fan of was Sir Cecil Creape as he was such a master of hosting as he had that magic touch of making us the viewers feel like we where along for the ride the whole episode, plus is humor was part cheesy but I always also picked up just a hint of playful sinister to pull you into the safe side of Horror, but also scare you just a little. He is also one of those Horror Hosts who made a big impact in the culture of his city as all the youth at the time of his first run use to stay up late to watch his show so that they could talk about it with friends the next time at school as watching Sir Cecil Creape and the movie he presented was the cool thing to do, and because of his show many of his viewers went on to do some great creative things in the world of Horror, Sci-Fi and Entertainment in general. Plus it was like the Nashville area also just opened their arms to Sir Cecil as he was booked for public appearances all over the city and he would always draw a big crowd showing just how much of a local celebrity he was. I also need to say that it’s crazy that Sir Cecil Creape has not gotten the Comic Book treatment as someone out their in the Nashville area needs to make this happen! As I know that here in Ohio one artist named Scott Scarborough who works for Blood Scream Comics would love to make a comic based around him. If you have never seen Sir Cecil Creape, do yourself a favor and find some of his shows on Horror Host Trade Lists, on the Grey Market or find clips of YouTube and give them a watch as you will see just how great he is.

So we are now at the part of this Horror Host Icon update where we take a look at the episodes I own in my collection and sadly I do not own as many as I would like as his stuff is hard to come by as many of the older shows are lost to time and his second run on TNN was when the station first started so many markets did not have it. I want to thank all those who had Horror Host Trade lists that sent these episodes to me over the decades and would like to remind you readers that I will be taking the films plots from our friends at IMDB and I will be writing about the hosts antics from the episodes. So with that, let’s head to the catacombs and see what Sir Cecil Creape has in store for us.

POTO: Mr. Wong Detective
Starring – Boris Karloff & Evelyn Brent Not Rated 1938

Host: Sir Cecil starts the episode off looking at the Underground Classified Ads as he needs to find some work as rent is due and he has no money to pay it. When he does not find one there, he looks through the normal paper and has the idea of selling some of the spooky stuff he has around his dungeon home. He tries then to have a phone interview for a Body Shop and of course gets hung up one when he thinks the job is for human bodies and not automobiles. He then thinks about working for the Blood Bank or even selling some of his blood collection to them but can not part with any of it. After returning from a break he informs us they did not hire him at the Blood Bank after they saw him in person. He then fails to get a job for a preserves company as well as working for a Newspaper Morgue as he thought it was for writers not the papers themselves. In the end he does not find a job and heads home to get some sleep.

Movie: When a chemical manufacturer is killed after asking detective James Wong to help him, Wong investigates this and two subsequent murders. He uncovers an international spy ring hoping to steal the formula for a poison gas being developed by the first victim’s company.

POTO: Terror By Night
Starring – Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce Not Rated 1946

Host: Sir Cecil has a bunch of mail delivered, and he goes through and opens it with stuff like the insurance on his teeth, a message from his twin brother and even more weird junk mail. When he opens up a box, he finds that inside is a banjo and he is confused to why it was sent to him and what it is for. He later gets a phone call from Bud who works for the Opry and who is coming down to deliver a package of candy bat wings that was delivered above and not below, he also gets another message that a coffin with a body (Aunt Vampira) inside has been delivered as well above. Sir Cecil leaves the banjo outside is dungeon and in the end he gets one last call from Bud who has a jar of creeping unknown upstairs for him!

Movie: When the fabled Star of Rhodesia diamond is stolen on a London to Edinburgh train and the son of its owner is murdered, Sherlock Holmes must discover which of his suspicious fellow passengers is responsible.

POTO: White Zombie
Starring – Bela Lugosi & Madge Bellamy Not Rated 1932

Host: Sir Cecil is reading a magazine and finds out that he is fat and decides to order a muscle-building machine from one of the magazines ads. And as he takes us to the start of the movie he starts doing figure exercises. Later his order of exercise machine comes in and he can not even lift 10 pounds without major strain, he is so embarrassed that he rigs up a pulley system to make it look as if he can lift it over his head after a movie break. He then chooses to try and get exercises by listening to a radio show, but the show mostly has commercial breaks so he never gets to work out as while Sir Cecil goes to get his jump rope the show is interrupted by a dance class show!

Movie: A young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiancé, but instead turns her into a zombie slave.

Note From Matt: Sadly the last segment of this episode is missing

Sir Cecil Creape is a Horror Host whose legacy will live on forever as he was something very special and was a big part of the culture in Nashville, Tennessee during both of his runs on television. And with Dr. Gangrene around who is a mega fan of Sir Cecil I am sure he will never let his memory fade. I wish that more episodes of his show would be around as they are great watches and his style of hosting just draws you in as a viewer. I for one am a big fan of Sir Cecil Creape and it was a very big honor for me to be able to do this Horror Host Icon update about him. But for our next update we will be meeting back here at this very blog for the big Halloween update and this year it’s going to be a fun one as we will be talking about the 1979 killer bat film Nightwing and the Photo Novel Comic based on it! So until next time, read a Horror Comic of three, watch a Horror Movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you on Halloween as the bats are coming!