There is no question that one of the most enduring and influential Horror Hosts of all time was the late Bob Wilkins from the San Francisco Bay area. Less garish than that of many hosts, Wilkin’s style was about as simple as one could get; Just your average guy wearing glasses and sitting in a chair while smoking his cigar. Yet through his dry wit and demeanor was a charm that was undeniable.

Having grown up in Chicago, I did not become familiar with Bob Wilkins until shortly before starting this blog. A friend I’d met at the 2010 Horrorhound Weekend saw my interest in learning about hosts and sent me some clips from one of his favorites – Bob Wilkins Creature Features. I devoted an entire Sunday afternoon to Wilkins and, by the end, felt as if I’d known him since youth. I had little doubt that if I’d grown up in that region of the world, I’d have been a huge fan and this is not something I’d say about every host operating in tandem with my beloved Son of Svengoolie.

Thanks to the folks at November Fire, Wilkins fans have cause for celebration while those less familiar have a great opportunity in becoming one.

November Fire, created by Strephen Taylor, dabbles in the more sinister side of artistic expression primarily through their amazing shirt designs! These feature horror and underground themes and are, as they put it, the kind of apparel you’d like to be “caught dead in.”

They’ve also put out some great fan inspired DVD’s including one that spotlights one of my local Chicago personalities (for better or worse), David “The Rock” Nelson. I met Mr. Nelson last June at MONSTERBASH and I can tell you that November Fire’s DVD absolutely captures his essence!

Their latest offering features a year by year overview of the hosting career of Bob Wilkins, beginning in 1966 at Sacramento’s KCRA Ch. 3 and ending in 1981 at KXTL Ch. 40. The screen is split three-ways and features vintage interviews, TV show bumpers, and commercials along with the colorful and “pulpy” poster artwork of some of the great (and not so great) horror films Wilkins hosted.

At the bottom of the screen is a chronological listing of every movie Wilkins presented along with their air date. Thanks to this DVD, I now know that just a few hours before I was born, Wilkins aired HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN!

Of the interviews shown are those both being given to, and conducted by, Bob Wilkins. Some of the notable celebrities Wilkins had as guests were Christopher Lee, John Carradine, and Donald Sutherland.

Interview with Christopher Lee

This DVD should not only appeal to established fans of the late “Creature Features” host but also folks like me who want experience what our childhoods would have been like had we grown up out West! This is the perfect way to not only get a feel for Bob Wilkin’s Creature Features but the odd sensation that he was your host too!

Order your copy by clicking HERE!

Dave Fuentes~

Alright kiddies, you’ve waited patiently, and the time has finally arrived: today begins our week-long opportunity to throw your hat in the game to win our big, fat bag o’ schwag, and man oh man is this a good one. If there was a Price is Right of ‘con schwag, this one just might just be the showcase to win (Batmobile not included — sorry kids).

Here’s a rundown of the sweet, sweet STUFF in this year’s WonderCon giveaway, and the nice folks who provided the goods:

• Doctor Who t-shirt, size XL – BBC
• Issue #1 of the first printing of Undying Love SIGNED by Tomm Coker & Daniel Freedman (totally sold out of first run, btw – this one will be/is already worth $$$), along with a special UL button, poster, and bookmark – Image Comics
• The W.I.Z. Featuring Won & Phil SIGNED by Age Scott – Age Scott/Last Gasp
• G.I. Joe: Future Noir SIGNED by Andy Schmidt – IDW Publishing
• Back to Space-Con DVD – November Fire
• Welcome to My Darkside: Women in Horror Documentary DVD – Last Doorway Productions
• Tuna Town print on matte board 6/20 – Jeannine Schafer/ Neenerbot
• Amazonia the Uncanny Super-Tranny comic book by Justin Hall (foreword by Peaches Christ) – Northwest Press
• Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 galley edition by David Petersen – Archaia
• Assortment of buttons – Dark Horse
• Assortment of schweet posters

Holy smokes, that’s a lot of schwag, amiright? For that very reason, we can’t just, you know, say “Hey, comment and you could win,” now, could we? That would be way too easy for the amount of hotness we have collected here.

Here’s whatcha gotta do:

Visit our Facebook fan page (you’ve already “liked” it anyway, haven’t you?) and leave a comment on our wall telling us the two following things:

1. You’re a superhero OR a supervillian — what’s your supreme super power?

2. Even superheros and supervillians have weaknesses. What’s your biggest?

Best answer wins, so get creative! You must have  U.S. mailing address, and you have until midnight next Wednesday, May 11 (PST) to enter, so think long and hard before you answer (and no, if you get a better idea after your first, you can’t go with that one instead, silly! So make it a good one.) And, to celebrate the addition of our NEW comic geek Ethan Kaye to the GGotS team, he’ll lend his expert opinion to the final judgment. We’ll notify you via Facebook if you’ve won, and then follow up with a grand announcement next Friday.

And, many, many thanks to all of the lovely folks mentioned above for contributing to our schwag bag giveaway! We loves ya.

“People are making their own papier-mâché Storm Trooper masks and communicators and all these things that would later be stamped out commercially.” -Ernie Fosselius

I was happy to attend the world premiere screening of Back to Space Con in Alameda. The invite said “Costumes encouraged,” so naturally I whipped something up; a newly appointed “Trekker,” I happened to have two Star Trek Communicator Badges on hand, and simply scoured my closet for the rest.

As I arrived with my friends, I was met with people in far more authentic costumes. One group actually showed up in legitimate 1970s hand-made costumes, complete with Vulcan rubber ears. As I lamented on my non-authentic costume, a Klingon said to me “Greetings, Federation.” Vindicated.

This is Director Tom Wyrsch’s third documentary, a follow-up to last year’s amazing Remembering Playland at the Beach. On February 22, 1975, Northern California’s very first Star Trek convention, The Red Hour Festival, was held at Lincoln High School in San Francisco, CA. Nestled in the dark time between the cancellation of Star Trek: The Original Series and before the massive movie franchise began, these early festivals kept the fandome going.

The film captured the true purpose of cons — even today — in one particular moment, as a convention-goer explained that in going to these conventions, you realize that the one thing that makes you different in the outside world is suddenly the one thing that everyone in the room is interested in. I’m sure most con-goers can remember experiencing that realization; I felt it attending my very first Con.

Tie Fighter Costume

With the previously unreleased footage from the convention floor discovered by Back to Space-Con’s director in a box in the home of legendary Creature Features host Bob Wilkins*, viewers get to see amazing costumes that kids made in their garage, custom-tailored Federation uniforms, and early Star Wars costumes. (*As it was before my time, I wasn’t as familiar with Bob Wilkins as I should of been.)

At times I felt a little confused about the time line of the film, as it would jump from idea to idea. I would have actually liked the film to focus even more on Bob Wilkins in this era, as the film flirted with the idea of making it about Bob, but then kept straying away.  It was eye-opening to see how he viewed the world in the way that he asked questions and explored the people that attended these early conventions. I also would have loved to see more exploration of the context of these Space-Con conventions compared to other conventions in the country happening at the time.

One of the most intriguing points made that I wish they would have focused on more and was only brought up briefly towards the end was the reason why these stopped: commercialism. Star Wars appeared on the scene and made everything more commercial and expensive. These cons used to be the only place that you could even purchase Star Trek-related merchandise, many of them hand-crafted. This is such an interesting dichotomy considering all of the current major cons sponsored by the film and comic industry.

All in all, the “flaws” of this film don’t negate the fact that if you are a hardcore Trekker or Con enthusiast, you should check this movie out to celebrate your roots. DVD copies are available through dark art house and GGotS friend November Fire.

For geek girls and fanboyz around the world, there’s no better time of year than Con season, but for anyone born in the 70′s or 80′s, the true history of cons as we know them today is probably a bit of a mystery.  “Back to Space-Con” brings a lens to the history of founding organizers and fans of Space-Con, Northern California’s very first Star Trek convention. Featuring celebrity interviews by Bob Wilkins, 1970s costume contests and over 40 minutes of rare convention footage, “Back to Space-Con” is sure to be a real treat for any Star Trek or Star Wars fan.

This Saturday, Bay Area geeks can catch the costumes-encouraged world premier of the documentary at Michaan’s Theater in Alameda for just $10, and enjoy what are sure to be the excellent hosting skills of “Creature Features” John Stanley and Mr. Lobo from “Cinema Insomnia,” along with special Bloopers, Hardware Wars, rare clips and a Q&A session after the film.

Special guests include: Ernie Fosselius of “Hardware Wars,” the producers of the original Red Hour and Space-Con conventions, members of the Bob Wilkins family and the makers of the film, Tom Wyrsch & Strephon Taylor.

Can’t make it? Our very own Candice Dayoan plans to attend this space-star-studded event (though no word on what costume she’ll wear), so stay tuned for a full review from her next week!  For those of you who’d prefer to watch the film in the comfort of your own home, you can also order a copy of the DVD now through November Fire for just $15.