Forty Years Behind the Beard - The Bizarre Journey of the Son of Ghoul
Forty Years Behind the Beard - The Bizarre Journey of the Son of Ghoul
by Janice and Mike Olszewski
Foreword by Michael Monahan
174 pages
6x9 size
Book Type: Black & White
Paper Type: Black & white interior with white paper
Paper Size: 50 lb
9798905350658 Forty Years Behind The Beard
9798905350665 Forty Years Behind The Beard hb
Monsters, Rock Stars, Betrayal and Redemption.
Son of Ghoul takes us on his twisted tour of gothic vaudeville in Forty Years Behind the Beard
Every kid has a dream, though very few can make them a reality. Keven Scarpino not only achieved his lifelong goal but set a world record that continues to this day. He did it with a phony beard, a cape and mortician’s hat, and relives those tumultuous times in FORTY YEARS BEHIND THE BEARD - The Bizarre Journey of the Son of Ghoul.
It’s a tale of a kid from Ohio inspired by the king of horror hosts, Ernie Anderson’s “Ghoulardi”, with a heavy dose of Famous Monsters of Filmland, Mad magazine and the British Invasion. Starting at rock bottom, Keven created a character that would become a pop culture icon with a weekly TV show that has never been off the air even once for more than four decades. In that time, the Son of Ghoul show featured appearances by former Beatles along with some of the top names in movies and television and he became close friends with one of his most eager fans, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Ray Vaughn. Those years were also marked with tension and tragedy.
A one-time horror host desperate to regain his own notoriety fought a highly publicized albeit losing battle against the Son of Ghoul, later bowing to his longevity. A cast member was cruelly murdered in a case that remains open to this day. Despite these setbacks, Son of Ghoul's career would include movie appearances, hosting a satellite radio show, standing room only stage shows, and even recording at Sam Phillip’s legendary Memphis recording studios with B-movie great Arch Hall, Jr. Along the way he was joined by a highly creative troupe of animators, inventors, and a cast of characters that defied description all reflecting his outlandish style of entertainment.
Forty Years Behind the Beard is the story of how fate can take us down remarkable paths in life, a trek full of unexpected and in many cases unbelievable circumstances. Son of Ghoul shares a story that continues to this day and is played out every week to a television audience that wouldn’t miss what might be around the next corner.
“A true legend.... broadcast TV horror host Son of Ghoul! He is unstoppable! He's been at all of our Monster Bash shows, even though just in voice from his hospital bed on one occasion. We had his call running through the PA system and I described to him that he was getting a standing ovation! After all these decades he still entertains fans on TV across Ohio, and across the world on the Internet. From wild on-location antics to inserting himself into classic movies, he makes movies, and life, fun!”
Ron Adams, Monster Bash
“Let me just state unequivocally that I think the world of Keven as a guy, and as a very talented guy, but also just his own personae, his own personality. Meeting Keven rekindled the spirit of why people are drawn to the music and the enjoyment of playing together. He’s an exuberant guy, filled with life and energy. Of course, a lot of people know him for Son of Ghoul and the longstanding imagery with a mustache and beard, but it's really him that people gravitate to and respond to. He has a way of mixing in interesting things both old and new, and keeping that interest for new generations that don't remember the people that preceded him forty years ago. They just know Keven. They didn't know there was anybody else…and in many ways they don’t need to.”
Arch Hall, Jr., pilot, actor, musician and star of The Sadist, Wild Guitar, &The Choppers
“Are you a fan of the wonderful B-movies that Joe Bob and all these guys love to show? Is that your thing? You want something you know you can escape to? Then you know the Son of Ghoul and he makes those films worth watching. It speaks volumes about his commitment, but also about him as a person because in so many ways he’s a leader. TV audiences want consistency, something they can rely on and week after week the Son of Ghoul is there to tell that audience that they still matter and so do the films they come back to time and again. Forty years is a long time, but for fans of the Son of Ghoul show it’s only a start!”
Ari Lehman, the first Jason in Friday the 13th
“My fascination with TV horror hosts began when I first saw Shock Armstrong, the All-American Ghoul, on Tampa’s 1964 late-night Shock Theater at age ten. Those crazy entertainers who introduced, commented on and often interrupted the movie I was trying to watch. At one time, there was at least one horror host haunting every major city in the United States. Now, much like Shock Theater itself, they are gone... gone, but for one! The mighty Son of Ghoul! Keven is one of the last, if not the last, of the true on-air broadcast TV horror hosts still haunting the airwaves. Don’t pawn any internet wannabes off on me. I know the difference between butter and margarine. Son of Ghoul has passed the test of time and remains the ghost host with the most. Master of Cleveland’s late-night TV... just keep those rabbit's ears twisted, friends!
Fred Olen Ray, Emmy Award winning filmmaker