Happy Birthday to Mr. Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett the Monster Mash King

Time to send out some Horror Birthday Love to Bobby “Boris” Pickett. Now sad to say, Bobby is no longer here, we can still remember all his works that have made Halloween a Party to remember every year. Mr. Pickett was born on February 11, 1938. He passed away in April of 2007, but still lives on in our hearts.

SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONSTER MASH KING

Bobby had a knack for doing an impression of the legendary actor Boris Karloff. His father, a theater owner encouraged him and helped drive his love of the golden age of Horror Films. This translated to him often doing an impression of Karloff during his time with the band the Cordials. It was there that the legend of the MONSTER MASH was born.

One of his bandmates told him he needed to do a whole song dedicated to the Horror Icon and so the writing of the song began. MONSTER MASH was written in about half an hour, and has since become the staple of Halloween, Trick or Treating and Parties around the world and of all time. Most of the sound effects were created by Pickett himself including the creaky door, a nail being pulled from a piece of wood, the boiling viles, Pickett blowing bubbles in a cup among others. This creative master piece went on to hit Number One on the Billboard Charts the week leading up to Halloween in 1962, 1970, and May of 1973!

Now as we know here at ROTTING FLESH RADIO, Pickett made entire albums full of campy, novelty Halloween Songs. Some of my personal favorites were Monsters Holiday, Wolfs Bane, Transylvania Twist and others. The LP remains in my collection today and I will never forget the time I was able to meet Bobby and talk with him about this classic era when Halloween was true Americana.

Symphonc Sacrifices Back to Write NEW Music for your Haunt

In the Haunt Industry Music plays a huge roll in an event to set the mood or tone. And many of you may remember back at Midwest Haunters Convention Symphonic Sacrafices jamming on stage at Club Vampire.

Well after some time off and working on their own haunted attractions, Dr. Frankenfingers is BACK!

“Good Evening Boils and Ghouls,
Symphonic Sacrifices and Living Dead Mafia have since built two major haunted houses. One was a 7,000 Sq foot mansion at a historically preserved actual haunted house. The other was a 60,000 Sq ft trail in the middle of the woods. Great year for us!

Symphonic Sacrifices is now available again to write music for your haunted event or attraction. If you are looking for music please contact me at houdioni2@optonline.net

Thanks everyone,
Robert J. Frankenberg”

So it seems the Doc is back and ready to give your haunt an exclusive track! For more information about Symphonic Sacrifices and to hear his work visit: www.SoundClick.com/SymphonicSacrifices

The 2010 Steampunk World’s Fair

During the Haunt Season of 2009, STEAMPUNK was bigger than ever. It was seen in haunts like The Scarehouse and even had a Haunted Attraction dedicated to it solely in the Steampunk Haunted House by Third Rail Projects.

Steampunk has been growing in culture, and its popularity, and RFR is even working on a Steampunk Mortician. Well it should come to no surprise then that the Steampunk World’s Fair is set in motion to get all your Steampunking Selves into action!

“The Steampunk World’s Fair will take place on May 14th-16th 2010, at the Radisson of Piscataway, in the lovely state of New Jersey. The site you’re visiting is an evolving entity, growing like an antediluvian beast rising up from the unfathomable deeps. Visit us often as we assemble our vast army of entertainments and amusements for you!”

In addition to some great Pre-Show Entertainment the Vendors will knock your socks off and get you some sweet ideas for adding Steampunk to your Haunted Attraction. With such Steampunk Staples as:

RA Friedman of Tsirkus Fotografika will be on-site offering a chance to have your image captured in a vintage photograph!

Festooned Butterfly custom clothing, etc.

Alchemy brings ritual needs, oils and more for you to get in the Steampunk Era Mood.

Griffon’s Claw Armoury is proud to offer you a variety of swords, knives, along with steampunk friendly pouches, sunglasses, and watches.

Sunshine’ Moonlight! Handcrafted candles, soaps, bath salts, oils, sugar scrubs.

Lara Corsets & Gowns

Dr. Clockwork’s Home for Electrical and Medical Oddities

Steamedpunk Laboratories

And this ongoing list of vendors for all your Steampunk Needs:
Delicious: Boutique & Corseterie, Barker’s Herbs & Heirlooms, Claire Catherine Designs, Grendel’s Den, Horror Show Jack, 19 Moons, Jennifer Rodgers, KvO Inc, PH Factor, Foggy Night, Leather Lair, Red Falcon Armouries, R.H. Mardigan Enterprises Adornments and Gadgetry, Emrys: Handcrafted Finery, Jolly Rogue Studios, PROJEKT, Emperor’s Needle Leather, Fantasia/McGraw Kilt Company, Dress Your Dreams, Shady Emporium, Enchanted Glen, Tea & Absinthe Materials

In addition there is some great performers like The incomparable Professor Elemental! A resident of the Sceptred Isle, he is travelling from his native Great Britain to make his very first appearance here in the New World!

One of my favorites, Black Tape for a Blue Girl is a dark cabaret musical group.

Coming to us from Connecticut, we have historian and steampunk author/speaker G. D. Falksen.

Brigid Ashwood, a steampunk artist and sculptor of “winged things and improbable machines”.

To add to our music collection, we are bringing from New York the steam-goth band Platform one!

The Absinthe Drinkers have spawned catchy, original pop-funk-rock songs from works of literature both ancient and modern!

And more!

For more information about this event, and all the steamy details about the Steampunk World’s Fair be sure to visit: www.SteampunkWorldsFair.com I know RFR will be there full in Rotting Swing to bring some Steampunk Fun to the show!

Haunted House Party Commercial

Sometimes we come across some things that just make us laugh. And this is one of them. Its a cheesy, B-style Commercial for a DJ’s Haunted House Halloween Party.

Its basically a mashup of some clips, some footage of him and Thriller playing in the background, but it does make me chuckle. It’s nice to see once in a while a commercial that is done by those who just love Halloween, not from all of us trying to get people to our haunts….Enjoy.

Creature Feature FREE “Death of a Dollmaker” Limited Time Download

So all you Deadites, nothing speaks to us all more than Music while haunting. And with that, Spooky, Horror Music gets us in the mood to build as well and one of our favorite bands at RFR is a sweet morbid ditty called Creature Feature.

With their album, “The Greatest Show Unearthed” it is catchy, dark, moody, spooky and full of lyrics we all love to sing along to as part of the Haunt Industry.

Well now for a limited time you can get a FREE Music Download from the band to show their appreciation for all its fans support over the years. In their official release it states:

“Hello fiends,
As a special gift for all your years of ongoing support, we’ve decided to offer up our instrumental ‘Death Of A Doll Maker’ as a free download on our new Bandcamp page. We tried to set it up the free download on our Myspace player, but it didn’t seem to like that idea too much and the link doesn’t want to show up. So, when you go to our Bandcamp Page and you click on the download link it will ask for your e-mail address and for you to set your own price, you can either pick zero or any type of donation (if you have any pennies to spare), but we are making it available for free. So please download the song, tell your friends about it, e-mail about it, tweet about it, send your friends the link, etc. Just be magically whisked away to our new Bandcamp Page where you can download the song free of charge.”

So while you can you need to get this sweet FREE offer from Creature Feature. I know we have gotten our copy, and so should you. For more on the band Creature Feature visit: www.CreatureFeatureMusic.com and stay tuned to RFR as we work to get the team on the show soon.

Midnight Syndicate’s 13th Anniversary Photo Contest

In light of Midnight Syndicate celebrating their 13th Year of Fear, and the upcoming release of the Dead Matter, they have now given their fans and music lovers a chance to win some hauntingly good goodies in the Midnight Syndicate Photo Contest.

Simply email the following items to info@midnightsyndicate.com with the subject heading: PHOTO CONTEST, it is that easy!

1.)Any Midnight Syndicate-related image you may have from the present or past thirteen years. Some ideas include: posing with CDs, posters, t-shirts, or the band at a convention, Midnight Syndicate-inspired artwork, or a picture of your group or haunted house.

2.) A description of the photo and how it relates to Midnight Syndicate (if not obvious). You can also (but do not have to) share a story from the past 13 years about the music or how you’ve used the music (5 sentences max).

3.) Your name (as you would like to see it appear on the website)

4.) City and State

Once these fields are filled out, and submitted you are ready for the Monthly Drawing! Everyone who submits a photo or story will be entered in monthly drawings. At the end of each month in 2010 one contestant (chosen at random) will win the prize that month. Prizes include, but are not limited to, rare and special-edition autographed Midnight Syndicate-related merchandise.

Each contestant will automatically be entered in every month’s drawing until either: They win a prize in a monthly drawing, The contest ends on December 31, 2010

And if that wasn’t enough, itt is possible to win a prize in both the MONTHLY DRAWING and the weekly FEATURED PHOTO CONTEST!

WEEKLY FEATURED PHOTO CONTEST:Starting in January and continuing every week in 2010, we will feature one photo that will be displayed on the Midnight Syndicate Facebook page as well as on the official website.

Photos are chosen randomly. If your photo is chosen you will receive a Midnight Syndicate CD of your choice (must be a CD that is currently in-print).

We will contact you for information on where to send your prize to once your photo is chosen.

So enter and show that Morbid Haunt Love for the spookmaster musicians Midnight Syndicate. For more information the band visit: www.MidnightSyndicate.com or for more on the Photo Contest visit: www.MidnightSyndicate.com/photocontest.htm

“Monsters Got Back” from Gore Galore

In getting ready for the upcoming Haunt Season and Conventions, Kevin Alvey or Gore Galore was our guest this week on Rotting Flesh Radio and discussed new products, vending at the Transworld Haunt Show and more.

We also discussed the infamous videos he has created for their monsters. And with that, the All-New MONSTERS GOT BACK has been released from the Mr. Gore himself. So enjoy.

And for more on Gore Galore and to save an Additional 10% for Rotting Flesh Radio Listeners, stop on by: www.Gore-Galore.com

Midnight Syndicate Gives “The Dead Matter” a Release and Contest

Midnight Syndicate Films has announced that The Dead Matter movie and soundtrack will be released on July 30th. Production on an interactive website that allows fans to delve deeper into the world and characters they will encounter in the movie is underway.

A set of three new trailers, the first of which will be released in February is also in production along with a mini-documentary produced by Smudgeline Productions and other behind-the-scenes featurettes. All of these items and more special features to be announced soon will be included on the DVD release.

In addition, Midnight Syndicate Halloween Music is hosting a 13th Anniversary Video Contest where filmmakers and animators can create a silent film or music video to an existing Midnight Syndicate track. The winner will be featured on “The Dead Matter” DVD as well as win prizes from sponsors: Screamline Studios, Conquest Graphics, Robert Kurtzman’s Creature Corps, Van Helsing’s Curse Halloween music, and Midnight Syndicate. Other finalists will also win prizes and special promotions.

Judges include legendary frontman and horror fan Dee Snider (Twisted Sister, Strangeland), Horror FX-legends Tom Savini (Friday the 13th, Dusk Till Dawn) and Robert Kurtzman (producer From Dusk Till Dawn, KNB FX, Wishmaster), as well as Edward Douglas (The Dead Matter) and Gavin Goszka of Midnight Syndicate and producer director Gary Jones (Xena, Hercules, Boogeyman 3).

For more about the Video Contest, Rules and more visit: www.MidnightSyndicate.com/videocontest

ABOUT The Dead Matter
Why rule the living when you can control the dead? . . . Inspired by Hammer Horror Films and Tales from the Crypt. The Dead Matter tells the story of a relic with occult powers that falls into the hands of a grief-stricken young woman, whose desire to reconnect with her dead brother draws her into the supernatural world of vampirism and the living dead. Scored by Halloween music legends MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE and co-produced by Robert Kurtzman (Producer From Dusk Till Dawn, KNB FX, Wishmaster) and Gary Jones (Xena, Boogeyman 3), the movie features a mix of classic horror themes with modern twists that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Starring Andrew Divoff (Lost, CSI:Miami, Wishmaster), Jason Carter (Babylon 5, Angel), Tom Savini (Friday the 13th, Dawn of the Dead), and legendary television horror hosts Dick Count Gore DeVol Dyszel and Big Chuck Schodowski.

VIDEO CONTEST SPONSORS
Conquest Graphics – www.ConquestGraphics.com/Greg
Screamline Studios – www.ScreamlineStudios.com
Van Helsing’s Curse Halloween Soundtrack – www.VanHelsingsCurse.com
Robert Kurtzman’s Creature Corps – www.CreatureCorps.net

The All-New Haunted Castle on Santa Cruz Boardwalk Begins

Dark Ride Enthusiasts were sad last summer when the World Famous Haunted Castle on the Satan Cruz Beach Boardwalk was demolished. Dark Rides have always been fun and were the early beginnings of the current Haunted Attractions we all love now. I continue to love Dark Rides, and of course like most, Haunted Mansion is a must ride!

Well construction on the All-New Haunted Castle have begun. The new attraction will go through three stories. Yes 3 Floors! It is going to incorporate the newest Special Effects in the Dark Ride and Haunted Attraction Industries to date. I am sure the guuys over at DAFE are going to Love this one.

GETTING DEMOLISHED:

We are currently working on talking to the team who is putting together this all new attraction to get them on RFR soon to discuss it and what to expect. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will get this breath of fresh air in its’ attractions sometime this summer is the ETA. We will keep you posted as it unfolds. So in a world where we love our walk through Haunted Attractions, the awesomeness of the Dark Ride still lives on.

THE NEW PLANS:

RFR Morbidly Merry Christmas Celebration Music Break

Thought we would take a moment to jam on some Morbidly Merry Christmas Fun during the 5th Annual RFR Morbidly Merry Christmas Celebration. So sing along DEADITES!!!!