'Long live the Rondos!' - Ain't It Cool News

'I love Rondo!' - Guillermo del Toro

'District 9,' biography of Lugosi and Karloff, Rue Morgue take top Rondo honors

'An American Werewolf in London' is Best Classic DVD; Greg Mank voted Best Writer;

Gary Pullin named Best Artist;  Count Gore de Vol is voted favorite horror host

Monsterpalooza organizer Eliot Brodsky is Monster Kid of the Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

By David Colton
CHFB News

   ARLINGTON, VA. -- District 9, the gritty Oscar-nominated science fiction film, Rue Morgue magazine, a bloody yet reverent compendium of horrors old and new, and Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, a history of the rivalry between two of Hollywood's greatest hissables, all shared top honors in the 8th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards announced Monday night.

   The fan-based Rondo awards, named after Rondo Hatton, an obscure B-movie villain of the 1940s, celebrate the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation. This year's e-mail vote, conducted by the Classic Horror Film Board, a 15-year old online community, drew a record 2,973 votes, the biggest in genre history.

   Among other winners for work in 2009:

   A deluxe version of 1981's An American Werewolf in London won as Best Classic DVD; the BBC import Doctor Who took Best TV Presentation, and an eight-film set by cult director William Castle, including The Tingler and 13 Ghosts, was voted the Best Classic Collection. The fourth season of Alfred Hitchcock Presents grabbed the prize for Best TV Collection.

   The futuristic allegory, District 9, was the choice for Best Film honors, beating out Zombieland and greatly outpacing Avatar, which surprised some observers by coming in fifth among Rondo voters.

   The classic-oriented electorate honored the 84-year old silent German film, Faust, by director F. W. Murnau, in the Best Restoration category. The 1926 film was extensively restored by the Murnau Foundation and released by Kino Films.

   The year's best documentary award went to American Scary, a loving tribute to horror hosts past and present in a very tight contest with very strong independent films and documentaries.

   And Rondo voters for the fifth year urged that Island of Lost Souls, the 1932 thriller starring Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi, be released on DVD, hopefully in a restored version.

    Longtime horror researcher Gregory William Mank was voted Best Writer of 2009. Mank's book, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration, was voted Best Book in a tough field that also included works by fan favorites Bill Warren, Michael Mallory and David Skal.

   Many of the awards signaled a turn to more modern horrors.

   Rue Morgue, a Canada-based magazine that often features grue and terror along with looks at horrors past, continued to take home Rondos: It was again named Best Magazine and Best Audio Horror Site. And its former editor, Jovanka Vuckovic and Jason Lapeyre won Best Article for their piece on John Landis' An American Werewolf in London. In addition, Rue Morgue Art Director Gary Pullin was voted Artist of the Year.

The combination of Rue Morgue and HorrorHound, another more modern-based magazine, increasingly dominated the voting, although a very classic portrait of Karloff from his 1936 The Walking Dead garnered the Best Cover prize (and second Rondo), for artist Daniel Horne and Monsters from the Vault magazine.

   An additional fan artist award was added this year, and has been named in honor of Linda Miller, a painter of classic horror icons who died suddenly last year. The first Linda Miller Award for Best Fan Artist went to Robert Scott, whose black and white portraits of fiends new and old capture menace and whimsy in stark presentations.

   Among other winners:

   -- Beware the Moon, a documentary about the Landis Werewolf film, took Best DVD Extra.

   "To win is beyond amazing,'' said Paul Davis, director of the documentary. "Not only did it take us nearly three-years to make, but my father also, very unexpectedly, passed away in February and he was my biggest supporter.  So the win is for him.''

  -- Director Fred Dekker was cited for his Commentary on the newly restored Night of the Creeps.

   -- Dread Central, a daily roundup of horror news, was named Best Website, and the absurdist yet earnest Drunken Severed Head was voted Best Blog.

   -- Pittsburgh's Monster Bash was named Best Convention for the sixth time in eight annual Rondo votes.

   -- And an all-star tribute to the late Forrest J Ackerman, organized by his friend and caregiver Joe Moe in March 2009 at Grauman's Egyptian Theater, was voted Best Fan Event.

   In a statement, Joe Moe said the tribute marked "the fulfillment of my final promise to Forry, to hold a tribute so we could all come together to laugh, cry, celebrate and say goodbye. Forrest J Ackerman shall never die!''

   -- Longtime horror host Count Gore De Vol was voted Favorite Horror Host, the third winner in a new category that has in the past honored Penny Dreadful and Svengoolie.

   -- Two well-known comic book creators, Steve Niles and Kelley Jones, won Best Horror Comic for DC's Batman: Gotham After Midnight. And Talking Tina, a replica of the sinister doll in a Twilight Zone episode, won Best Toy, Model or Action Figure. James Horner's score for Star Trek II won the Best CD category.

   -- Favorite DVD Reviewer went to Kim Newman, a frequent contributor to Video Watchdog.

   Finally, the honorary categories, based on suggestions from Rondo voters, included:

   -- Eliot Brodsky, a California fan and convention organizer, was named Monster Kid of the Year for his creation of the Monsterpalooza convention in Los Angeles.

   -- Hall of Fame Inductees were also named. They are the late Bill Lemon and Ray Meyer, sculptors of the Aurora monster model kits of the 1960s; Dennis Druktenis, editor and publisher of Scary Monsters Magazine (The Only 'Real' Monster Magazine!); longtime scifi fan Bill Warren, author of the definitive 1950s film study, Keep Watching the Skies; Midwest horror hosting legend Sammy Terry; and the late Frederick S. Clarke, whose Cinefantastique revolutionized the magazine world with its in-depth coverage

    Many of the Rondo winners will receive Rondo busts, sculpted by Kerry Gammill, at the Wonderfest convention in Louisville in May..

    Further information, including runners-up and all the nominees, can be found at rondoaward.com

BEST FILM OF 2009 DISTRICT 9 Runners-up: ZOMBIELAND; STAR TREK Honorable mentions: TRICK 'R TREAT; AVATAR
BEST TV PRESENTATION DOCTOR WHO: End of Time Runner-up: TRUE BLOOD Honorable mentions: LOST; BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
BEST CLASSIC DVD   AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON: FULL MOON EDITION Runner-up: NIGHT OF THE CREEPS: DIRECTOR'S CUT Honorable mentions: MAD MONSTER PARTY: SPECIAL EDITION;  FAUST (1926)
BEST CLASSIC HORROR COLLECTION WILLIAM CASTLE COLLECTION Runner-up: KARLOFF/LUGOSI HORROR CLASSICS Honorable mention: HELLRAISER BOX SET
BEST CLASSIC TV COLLECTION ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS (SEASON FOUR) Runner-up: TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE (Seasons 1 and 2) Honorable mention: BBC SHERLOCK HOLMES
BEST RESTORATION FAUST (1926) Restoration by Murnau Foundation Runners-up: BUCK ROGERS; REPULSION Honorable mention: NIGHTMARE CASTLE
BEST DVD EXTRA AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON: 'Beware the Moon' documentary Runner-up: WILLIAM CASTLE COLLECTION: 'Spine Tingler' documentary Honorable mention: MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000 VOL. XVI: 'Santa Claus Conquers the Devil: A 50 Year Retrospective'
BEST DVD COMMENTARY Director Fred Dekker: NIGHT OF THE CREEPS Runner-up: Charlotte Austin, Bob Burns, Tom Weaver: FRANKENSTEIN 1970 Honorable mentions: Barbara Steele, Ian Ogilvy: THE SHE BEAST; Steve Ryfle, Ed Godziszewski: MOTHRA
BEST INDEPENDENT FILM OR DOCUMENTARY AMERICAN SCARY (John Hudgens, Sandy Clark) Runner-up: LOVECRAFT: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN Honorable mentions: EVERY OTHER DAY IS HALLOWEEN; FAMOUS MONSTER; BOB BURNS' HALLOWEEN
BEST BOOK OF 2009 BELA LUGOSI AND BORIS KARLOFF: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration, by Gregory William Mank Runners-up: KEEP WATCHING THE SKIES, The 21st Century Edition, by Bill Warren Honorable mentions: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS MONSTERS, by Michael Mallory THE TWILIGHT AND OTHER ZONES: The Dark Worlds of Richard Matheson, edited by Stanley Wiater, Matthew Bradley and Paul Stuve ROMANCING THE VAMPIRE by David J. Skal
BEST MAGAZINE RUE MORGUE Runner-up:  HORROR HOUND Honorable mentions: VIDEO WATCHDOG; MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT; SCARY MONSTERS; FILMFAX
BEST ARTICLE 'Bad Moon Rising,' by Jovanka Vuckovic and Jason Lapeyre (with Bruce McVicar), RUE MORGUE #93 Runners-up: 'The Most Famous Monster of Them All: A Personal Remembrance of Forrest J Ackerman,' by Steve Vertlieb, THUNDER CHILD Website; 'Boris Karloff at Warner Brothers, 1935-1939,' by Gregory Mank, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #26; 'Video Invasion: 'Remembering the VHS Boom,' Parts 4-9, by Matt Moore, HORRORHOUND #15-20 Honorable mentions: 'Lost Nightmare: The Mystery of the Missing Spider Pit Sequence, Part 3' by Gary Vehar, FILMFAX#120; 'Tales from the Crypt: A Horror Hound Retrospective,' by Nathan Hanneman, HORRORHOUND #18
BEST COVER MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #26 by Daniel Horne Runners-up: RUE MORGUE #90 by Gary Pullin; HORROR HOUND #20 by Nathan, Thomas Milliner #20 Honorable mentions: MAD SCIENTIST #20 by Pete Von Sholley; LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #22 by Mark Maddox
BEST WEBSITE DREAD CENTRAL Runners-up: Count Gore De Vol Creature Feature; Universal Monster Army; Honorable mentions: Trailers from Hell; Horror Society; Classic-Horror.com; Famous Monsters of Filmland
BEST BLOG THE DRUNKEN SEVERED HEAD Runners-up: Frankensteinia; Video Watchblog Honorable mentions: Vault of Horror; Final Girl; The Good, the Bad, and Godzilla
BEST CONVENTION MONSTER BASH Runners-up: Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear; WonderFest; Horror Hound Weekend Honorable mentions: Cinema Wasteland; Monsterpalooza; Chiller
BEST FAN EVENT TRIBUTE TO FORREST J ACKERMAN, Hollywood, organized by Joe Moe Runner-up: World Zombie Day Honorable mentions: Blob panic re-enactment at Blobfest; Ron Chaney as Wolf Man at Monster Bash; Dr. Gangrene's Horror Hootenanny; Boris Karloff Blog-a-thon
FAVORITE HORROR HOST Count Gore De Vol Runners-up: Penny Dreadful; Svengoolie Honorable mentions: Dr. Gangrene; Karlos Borloff; Wolfman Mac
BEST HORROR AUDIO SITE RUE MORGUE RADIO Runner-up: Deadpit Honorable mentions: Fangoria Radio; Cult Radio A-Go-Go!
BEST CD STAR TREK II: WRATH OF KHAN (James Horner; Film Score Monthly/Retrograde) Runners-up: 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD (Prometheus); NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (La-La Land) Honorable mentions: ESCAPE FROM PLANET OF THE APES (Varese); DRACULA A.D. 72 (GDI/BSX)
BEST HORROR COMIC BOOK BATMAN: GOTHAM AFTER MIDNIGHT, by Steve Niles and Kelley Jones Runner-up: VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS Honorable mentions: HELLBOY: THE WILD HUNT; CARNIVAL OF SOULS; THE GOON
BEST TOY, MODEL OR COLLECTIBLE Twilight Zone Talking Tina (BifBangPow!) Runners-up: Karloff (Executive Replicas); Monster Scenes (Moebius) Honorable mentions: Horror Host trading cards (Horror Host Graveyard); Creature (Ultratumba)
COUNT ALUCARD'S CONTROVERSY OF THE YEAR 'No, but I can burn one for you.' Studios offer some classics on DVD-Rs only Runner-up: Genre magazines struggling Honorable mention: Universal cracks down on copyright infringements
FILM MOST IN NEED OF DVD RELEASE OR RESTORATION ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) (Come on Universal, it's the fifth year this film has been chosen!)   Runner-up: BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN   Honorable mention: THE UNINVITED
WRITER OF THE YEAR   GREGORY WILLIAM MANK     Runners-up: Tom Weaver, Tim Lucas
ARTIST OF THE YEAR GARY PULLIN   Runners-up: Joel Robinson, Jeff Carlson, Kerry Gammill Honorable mentions: Basil Gogos, Daniel Horne, Frank Dietz
LINDA MILLER AWARD FOR FAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR (In memory of the late Linda Miller) ROBERT A. SCOTT Runners-up: Jerrod Brown, Belle Dee Bibrey, Roger Koch
DVD REVIEWER OF THE YEAR KIM NEWMAN   Runners-up: Tim Lucas, Glenn Erickson, George Reis Honorable mention: Mark Walters
MONSTER KID OF THE YEAR Eliot Brodsky   In an industry town where monsters are just part of a day's work, Eliot Brodsky's Monsterpalooza convention reminded everyone in the creative arts just how magical, talented and cool it is to be a Monster Kid, especially in Hollywood. Everyone was a fan that weekend, giving the horror genre an infusion of West Coast energy that's still being felt a year later. For capturing the spirit of imagination that brought everyone to Hollywood in the first place, Eliot Brodsky's tireless work on his gathering of gods and monsters earns him the award as Monster Kid of 2009.
MONSTER KID HALL OF FAME The six newest inductees are:
BILL LEMON and RAY MEYERS Makers of Aurora monsters   The late Bill Lemon and Ray Meyers (right, with his Godzilla), are the sculptors of the original Aurora monster models who made us all, for just 99 cents, the makers of monsters.
DENNIS DRUKTENIS A 'Real' Monster Kid Dennis Druktenis, editor and publisher of Scary Monsters Magazine (The only REAL Monster magazine), has chronicled in a very real way the complete street-level history of the horror craze. Like few others, Dennis gets what the shock is all about.
SAMMY TERRY A Midwest horror legend Robert 'Bob' Carter, better known as Sammy Terry, kept Indianapolis awash in monsters, TV creeps and nervous laughter. He still prowls today, a true monster original.
BILL WARREN Chronicler of the sci-fi era The ultimate 1950s science fiction fan, Bill Warren worked with Forrest J Ackerman and produced one of the genre's essential works, the mammoth Keep Watching the Skies, a film by film account of every sci-fi movie from 1950-1962. An irascible online presence, Warren is one of the original Monster Kids.
FREDERICK S. CLARKE Finding the fantastic His Cinefantastique kicked monster magazines into a new level of sophistication unmatched even today. Along the way he gave a new generation of writers a testing ground. Tortured and dead too young at 51, we will remember always Frederick S. Clarke.

   There they are, the winners and the legends who helped make the classic horror world just a little bit better in 2009.  Thanks to all who voted. We look forward to RONDO IX in 2011.

  And join us in Louisville at the WonderFest convention on May 15, 2010, for this year's Rondo Awards Ceremony.

  Finally, here was the ballot. Thanks again.

david

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HERE WAS THE OFFICIAL BALLOT

FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON

CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS

This year's awards are dedicated to the memory of Jim Harmon, Michael Thomas and Paul Naschy.

        ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Best Movie of 2009 (Pick one)

-- AVATAR
-- CORALINE
-- DISTRICT 9
-- DRAG ME TO HELL
-- HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
-- I SELL THE DEAD
-- THE LOVELY BONES
-- MONSTERS VS. ALIENS
-- MOON
-- MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D
-- ORPHAN
-- PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
-- SHERLOCK HOLMES
-- STAR TREK
-- TERMINATOR: SALVATION
-- TRICK 'R TREAT
-- TWILIGHT NEW MOON
-- WATCHMEN
-- ZOMBIELAND
-- Or write in another choice:

2. Best Television Presentation

 -- BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, 'Daybreak Part 2 (3),' SyFy, 3.20.09. Loss, death and new hope in series finale. 'We all make our choices. Today, I made a choice. I think it's my last one.'

-- DOCTOR WHO, 'The End of Time,' Parts 1 and 2), SyFy, 12.25.09-1.1.10. Farewell to the Tenth Doctor. 'If the time lock's broken then everything's coming through. Not just the Daleks.'

-- FLASH FORWARD, 'No More Good Days,' ABC, 9.24.09. For two minutes and seventeen seconds, the whole world blacks out and sees their future. 'You're worried your future's gonna come true. I'm worried mine won't.'

-- FRINGE, 'There's More Than One of Everything,' FOX, 5.12.09. World Trade Center is intact in Season One cliffhanger. 'Unfortunately, the question is what can't he do?'

-- LOST, 'This Place Is Death,' ABC, 2.11.09. Violent shifts in time take toll on the Oceanic Six. "You asked me how to save the island and I told you, you had to move it. I said that you had to move it, John.'

-- MEDIUM, 'Bite Me,' CBS, 10.30.09. Allison's nightmares throw her into scenes from 'Night of the Living Dead.' Elvira guest stars. 'I'm not sure I like what this black-and-white is doing to my skin.'

-- SUPERNATURAL, 'The End,' The CW, 10.1.09. Lucifer reveals the future is a wasteland populated by zombies, 'You ever hear the story of how I fell from grace?'

-- TORCHWOOD, 'Children of Earth,' SyFy, 7.10.09. Reunions and sacrifice mark the final Sanction. 'I wanted to know about that Doctor of his. The one who appears out of nowhere and saves the world. except sometimes he doesn't.'

-- TRUE BLOOD, 'I Will Rise Up,' HBO, 8.16.09. The eldest of the vampires, Godric, sacrifices himself to the sun. 'We may be immortal, but you are dead to me.'

-- V, 'Pilot,' ABC, 11.3.09. UFOs arrive over major cities. The Visitors have arrived. 'Just be sure not to ask anything that would paint us in a negative light.'

-- Or write in another choice:

3. Best Classic DVD

-- AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON: FULL MOON EDITION
-- BUCK ROGERS (serial)
-- FAUST (1926 Kino)
-- FIVE (Arch Obeler)
-- MAD MONSTER PARTY: SPECIAL EDITION
-- NIGHTMARE CASTLE (1965)
-- NIGHT OF THE CREEPS: DIRECTOR'S CUT
-- PHANTASM II
-- Or write in another choice:

4. Best Classic DVD Collection

-- HELLRAISER BOX SET (first two films, and Blu-Ray)
-- ICONS OF SCI FI: TOHO COLLECTION: Battle in Outer Space, Mothra, H-Man
-- KARLOFF/LUGOSI HORROR CLASSICS: The Walking Dead, You'll Find Out, Zombies on Broadway, Frankenstein 1970

-- UNIVERSAL CULT HORROR COLLECTION: Murders in Zoo, Mad Doctor of Market Street, Strange Case of Dr. RX, Mad Ghoul, House of Horrors.

-- WILLIAM CASTLE COLLECTION, Tingler, 13 Ghosts, Homicidal, Mr. Sardonicus, Zotz!, Old Dark House, Strait-Jacket, 13 Frightened Girls.
-- Or write in another choice:

5. Best DVD TV Collection

-- ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS (Season Four)
-- BBC SHERLOCK HOLMES (Peter Cushing)
-- DARK SHADOWS: THE VAMPIRE CURSE: Barnabas' origin condensed to three hours.
-- DEAD OF NIGHT (1977 Dan Curtis TV trilogy)
-- ONE STEP BEYOND (Season One)
-- TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE (Seasons 1 and 2)
-- TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION (1966 British series)
-- Or write in another choice:

6. Best Restoration (or video upgrade)

-- BUCK ROGERS (serial): All 12 episodes clear and clean.
-- FAUST (1926); Intensive Murnau Foundation restoration with original hand-painted intertitles.
-- FIVE (1951): Sony restoration is best film has looked.
-- MESSIAH OF EVIL: THE SECOND COMING (1973). Restored, Techniscope transfer..
-- NIGHTMARE CASTLE (1965). Pristine print, uncensored.

-- OLD DARK HOUSE (1963). Color replaces B/W TV print.
-- ONE STEP BEYOND (Official First Season): Great transfers; pilot episode extended.
-- REPULSION (Criterion). Correct aspect ration.
-- THE SHE-BEAST 1966) Widescreen Chromovision.
-- Or write in another choice:

7. Best DVD Extra

-- AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON: 'Beware the Moon,' documentary.
-- BUCK ROGERS (serial): 'Buster Crabbe: All-American hero,' 1972 autobiographical talk.
-- DEAD OF NIGHT (1977): Includes unaired pilot episode.
-- FAUST (1926): 'Language of Shadows' documentary.
-- HELLHOUND: HELLRAISER II: 'The Soul Patrol,' interviews with Cenobites.

-- KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS: William Shatner interview.
-- MAD MONSTER PARTY: SPECIAL EDITION: 'Making of a Cult Classic,' documentary.
-- MESSIAH OF EVIL: THE SECOND COMING: documentary.
-- MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 VOL. XVI: 'Santa Claus Conquers the Devil: A 50 Year Retrospective,' documentary.
-- WILLIAM CASTLE COLLECTION: 'Spine-Tingler,' documentary on master of shock.
-- Or write in another choice:

8. Best DVD Commentary

-- Fred Dekker, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS
-- Barbara Steele, Ian Ogilvy, THE SHE-BEAST
-- Gregory Mank, THE WALKING DEAD
-- Steve Ryfle, Ed Godziszewski, MOTHRA (Toho collection)
-- Tom Weaver, Bob Burns, Charlotte Austin, FRANKENSTEIN 1970
-- Jim and Ken Wheat, Rebecca Balding, THE SILENT SCREAM
-- Or write in another choice:

9. Best Independent Production (film, documentary or short)

-- AMERICAN SCARY, finally on DVD, John Hudgens and Sandy Clark highlight dozens of horror hosts old and new.
-- AUTOPSY OF THE DEAD, Night of the Living Dead retrospective, directed by Jeff Carney.
-- BOB BURNS' HALLOWEEN SHOWS (streaming video documentary)
-- DARK DREAMERS collection. Four discs of Stanley Wiater's interviews with genre writers and creators.
-- EVERY OTHER DAY IS HALLOWEEN, a Curtis Prather documentary tracing the monstrous career of Dick Dyszel, aka Count Gore DeVol..
-- FAMOUS MONSTER, updated for DVD, a look back at Forrest J Ackerman.
-- FANEX FILES: HAMMER FILMS: Interviews with Lee, Pitt, Sangster, others.

-- THE GUARDIAN (short), directed by Andrea Ricca (Skeleton confronts a motorist)
-- HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN, Eben McGarr enlists Ron Chaney in homage to the original.
-- THE INSTITUTE OF SEANCE (short), directed by Kevin Corcoran. (Invokes murder mysteries of the 30s)
-- LOVECRAFT: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN, directed by Frank H. Woodward. His influence through the decades.
-- NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD -- REANIMATED, directed by Mike Schneider. (Original soundtrack over new animation and stop-motion)
-- NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD, Mark Hartley's exploration of Australian cult cinema

.
-- ORLOK THE VAMPIRE IN 3D, directed by Keith Carter. The original Nosferatu tweaked and rendered in threee dimensions.
-- TERROR FROM BENEATH THE EARTH, directed by Christopher R. Mihm. A Monster Kid homage to 50s sci-fi.
-- VIRGINIA CREEPERS: THE HORROR HOST TRADITION OF THE OLD DOMINION, Sean Kotz' and Chris Valluzzo documentary about Virginia horror hosts.
-- Or write in another choice:

10. Best Book of 2009

-- AMONG THE RUGGED PEAKS: An Intimate Biography of Carla Laemmle, by Rick Atkins. Last surviving member of 'Phantom of the Opera' and 'Dracula' cast.

-- BELA LUGOSI AND THE HOUSE OF DOOM, by Dwight Kemper. Another comedy thriller starring our favorite horror stars.

-- BELA LUGOSI AND BORIS KARLOFF: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration, by Gregory William Mank. Almost 700 pages examining the myths and realities of the Karloff-Lugosi rivalry.

-- COMEDY-HORROR FILMS: A Chronological History 1914-2008, by Bruce Hallenbeck. From silents to Bud and Lou and Scary Movie.

-- EDISON'S FRANKENSTEIN, by Frederick C. Wiebel Jr.  Everything about the making of the 1910 silent (E-book with DVD).

-- GRAND DAME GUIGNOL CINEMA: A History of Hag Horror from 'Baby Jane' to 'Mother,' by Peter Shelley. How mother complexes, and aging actresses, found work.

-- THE HORROR FILM QUIZ BOOK: 1,000 Questions on Spine-Tingling Films, by Chris Cowlin and Mark Goddard. Sure to settle, or start, tavern brawls.

-- KEEP WATCHING THE SKIES, American Science Fiction Movies of the 1950s, The 21st Century Edition, by Bill Warren. More than 1,000 pages in this expanded and greatly revised edition of the classic film-by-film analysis.

-- THE MAN WHO COLLECTED PSYCHOS: Critical essays on Robert Bloch, edited by Benjamin Szumskyj . Twelve looks at a master of suspense fiction.

-- MUSHROOM CLOUDS AND MUSHROOM MEN, The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda, by Peter H. Brothers. Examining the visionary behind 80 films and the origins of Japan's greatest monsters.

-- PREHISTORIC MONSTERS: The Real and Imagined Creatures that We Love to Fear, by Allan A. Debus. The truth and fancy about movie monsters through the ages.

-- ROMANCING THE VAMPIRE: From Past to Present, by David J. Skal. A lush 'collector's vault' of research and reproductions covering the entire history, books and films of the undead.

-- SHADOWS OVER FLORIDA, by David and Scott T. Goudsward. A tour of the Sunshine State's spookiest locations.

-- THE TELEVISION HORRORS OF DAN CURTIS, by Jeff Thompson. A look at the force behind Dark Shadows, Night Stalker and TV's horror adaptations.

-- THE TWILIGHT AND OTHER ZONES: The Dark Worlds of Richard Matheson, edited by Stanley Wiater, Matthew Bradley and Paul Stuve. Interviews, essays and letters serve as a tribute to a genre grand master.

-- UNIVERSAL STUDIOS MONSTERS: A Legacy of Horror, by Michael Mallory. An oversized and lushly illustrated history of the films that started it all.

-- Or write in another choice:

11. Best Magazine of 2009

-- Filmfax
-- G-Fan
-- HorrorHound
-- Little Shoppe of Horrors
-- Mad Scientist
-- Monster Bash
-- Monsters from the Vault
-- Phantom of the Movies' VideoScope
-- Rue Morgue
-- Scarlet
-- Scary Monsters
-- Screem
-- Van Helsing's Journal
-- Video Watchdog
-- Or write in another choice:

12. Best Article of 2009 (PLEASE PICK TWO)

-- 'All Miller, No Filler: An Interview with Dick Miller,' by Anthony Petkovich, FILMFAX #121. After all these years, the B-movie favorite has plenty more to say.

-- 'The Art of Linda Miller,' by Max Cheney, SCARLET #3. A tribute to the late fan artist, richly illustrated.

-- 'The Bad Moon Rises Again,' by Jason Lapeyre and Jovanka Vuckovic (with Brice McVicar). RUE MORGUE #93. A retrospective on the making and influence of An American Werewolf in London.

-- 'Boris Karloff at Warner Brothers, 1935-1939,' by Greg Mank, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #26. Behind the scenes at The Walking Dead and Karloff's four other WB films.

-- 'Cult Classic Commander,' by Brett Homenick, G-FAN #86. Interview with Robert Horton about his career and The Green Slime.

-- 'Dee Wallace: Hills, Howling and Beyond!' by Rob Freese, VIDEOSCOPE #69. Interview with the genre star of E.T. Cujo and The Howling.

-- 'Down the Block from Bergman: The Last House on the Left and Beyond,' by Eric Somer, VIDEO WATCHDOG #151. Connecting the cinematic dots from art house to slaughter house.

-- 'Eerie Eyre: War Eagles Beyond the Test Reel,' by Allan A. Debus, MAD SCIENTIST #20. Everything known about Willis O'Brien's unfilmed epic.

-- 'Four Remember Five,' by Tom Weaver, SCREEM #18. Interviews compiled over 60 years, some for the first time, describe the filming of the 50s A-bomb classic.

-- 'Godzilla, My Old Friend: Akira Takarada Talks about His Career, His Co-Stars', by Yutaka Ichimura (totorom), G-FAN #87. Interview with star of the original Gojira.

-- 'How I Met the Man Behind Famous Monsters of Filmland,' by Daniel Kirk, SCARY MONSTERS #70. Remembering the day Forrest J Ackerman's cross-country tour in 1963 stopped at his house in Columbus, Ohio.

-- 'King Kong's Lost Nightmare: Mystery of the Lost Spider Sequence, Part 3,' by Gary Vehar, FILMFAX #120. Facts and remembrances try to track down the truth behind stop-motion's biggest mystery.

-- 'Let the Twilight In,' by Stephen R. Bissette, VIDEO WATCHDOG #150. A sympathetic exploration of the newest wave of vampire romance and shock.

-- 'A Look Inside of Bela Lugosi's Personal Scrapbook,' by Dennis L. Phelps. SCARY MONSTERS #69. Lugosi's show business past, carefully preserved by the actor himself.

-- 'The Making of Plague of the Zombies and The Reptile,' by Bruce Hollenbeck, LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #23. A look at Hammer's audacious B-movies from the summer of 1965.

-- ''How Do You Solve a Problem Like Carmilla?' by John Paul Checkett, VAN HELSING'S JOURNAL #10. Exploring the literary and film versions of one of the first vampire tales.

-- 'The Most Famous Monster of Them All: A Personal Remembrance of Forrest J Ackerman,' by Steve Vertlieb, THUNDER CHILD Website.

-- 'Mr. Rains Goes to Burbank,' by David J. Skal and Jessica Rains. SCARLET #3. A look at Claude Rains triumphs and battles in Hollywood in the 30s.

-- 'Mystery and Imagination,' by Kim Newman. VIDEO WATCHDOG #151. Revelations from the obscure British TV series that adapted 'Frankenstein,' 'Dracula,' 'The Suicide Club' and other gothic classics.

-- 'One Browning, Two Helens and a Host of Fakes: Narrative and Cinematic Trickery in The Thirteenth Chair,' by Gary D. Rhodes, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #26. Exhaustive study of the director's use of sound, editing and, two years before Dracula, Lugosi.

-- 'Peter Lorre: The Lost One Is Found,' by Herbert Shadrak, CINEMA RETRO website. An interview with Stephen Youngkin, author of Lorre biography.

-- 'Scare News,' by John Skerchock, SCARY MONSTERS and MONSTER MEMORIES. Fandom's insider column, appearing regularly.

-- 'Tales from the Crypt: A Horrorhound Retrospective,' by Nathan Hanneman, HORRORHOUND #18. From comic to movie to TV, 20 years of the Cryptkeeper.

-- 'A Tribute to Oliver Reed,' by Tom Triman, SCARY MONSTERS #72. Complete career retrospective of Hammer's werewolf.

-- 'Universal-International's The Strange Door, Part One,' by Tom Weaver and Steve Kronenberg, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #26. Inside the over-the-top Karloff-Laughton production of 1951.

-- 'Vampires, Zombies and Sorcerers,' by Mark Clark and Bryan Senn, MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #26. Examining their picks for the best Hammer horrors of the 1960s.

-- 'A Very Careful Hatred,' by John W. Bowen, Dave Alexander and staff, RUE MORGUE #96. The making, loss and rediscovery of the 1977 film, 'Rituals.'

-- 'Video Invasion: Remembering the VHS Boom,' Parts 4-9, by Matt Moore, HORRORHOUND #15-20. The definitive history of the please-rewind gore days of VHS in the 1980s.

-- 'Weird Scenes Inside the Fun House: The Making of Malatesta's Carnival of Blood,' by Shaun Brady. VIDEO WATCHDOG #153. Resurrecting the bizarre ghoulfest filmed in Pennsylvania 40 years ago.

-- Or write in another choice:
Remember, please pick TWO articles from the list above. One will win.

13. Best Magazine Cover

FILMFAX #120 By Vincent DiFate	G-FAN #89 By Lee Munday
HORROR HOUND #20 By Nathan, Thomas Milliner	LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #22 By Mark Maddox
LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS #23 By Bruce Timm	MAD SCIENTIST #20 By Pete Von Sholly
MONSTER BASH #9 By Lorraine Bush	MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT #26 By Daniel Horne
MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT SPECIAL EDITION #1 By Kerry Gammill, Joe Schovitz	RUE MORGUE #90 By Gary Pullin
SCARLET #4 By Michael Wilk	SCARY MONSTERS #72 By Terry Beatty
SCREEM #18 By Bill Chancellor	VIDEOSCOPE #70 By Kevin Hein
VIDEO WATCHDOG #147 By Charles Largent	Or write in another choice:

14. Best Website (Online magazine, message board or tribute site)

Classic Horror Film Board, sponsor of Rondos, is not eligible

-- Atomicmonsters.com (Fun look at 50s scifi)
-- Chiller Cinema (Dr. Gangrene's website of horrors)
-- Cinema Retro (online genre magazine)
-- Classic-horror.com (Dedicated to the history of classic horror)
-- Creature Feature (Count Gore DeVol's weekly multimedia monsters)
-- Creepy Classics (Monster Bash and latest product news)

-- Dread Central (all things classic and modern)
-- Eccentric-cinema (One of earliest cult sites)
-- E-gor's Chamber of TV Horror Hosts (amazing)
-- Famous Monsters of Filmland (latest version, under new management)

-- FearZone.com (modern horror)
-- Film Noir Foundation (For fans of long inky shadows)
-- Gallery of Monster Toys (The source)
-- HK and Cult Film News (Off the well-worn horror paths)
-- HorrorhostGraveyard.com (Clips, listings and more)
-- Horror Society (Independent horrors)

-- Latarnia: Fantastique International (all things Euro and more)
-- Lugosiphilia Yahoo Group (Just Bela)
-- The Many Faces of the Frankenstein Monster (like it says)
-- Mondo Cult Online (the world of, well, everything)
-- Monster Island News (Godzilla is just the start)
-- Monster-Mania Forum (monster conventions)
-- Movie Meltdown (Interviews and more)

-- Serialsquadron.com (Cliffhangers, restored serials and talk)
-- Shriekfreak Quarterly (online magazine)
-- Stoner's Monster Mayhem (if downtown had a monster shop)

-- Thethunderchild.com (Online magazine)
-- Trailers from Hell (Joe Dante, pros comment on trailers)
-- Universal Monster Army (Toys, models, masks and way more)
-- Witch's Dungeon (Home of the monstrous Hollywood tributes)
-- Or write in another choice:

15. Best Horror Blog

-- Cinebeats (for monster cinephiles)
-- Cinema Dave (movie musings)
-- Cinema-suicide (Smart look at modern films; soundtracks, too)
-- Dollar Bin Horror (for fans on a budget)
-- The Drunken Severed Head (Max Cheney's unique blog about it all)

-- Final Girl (A different kind of scream)
-- Frankensteinia (If it didn't exist it would have to be invented)
-- Gary J. Svehla: Midnight Marquee/Mad About Movies (From a genre original)
-- The Good, the Bad, and Godzilla (August Ragone's G-blog)
-- Groovy Age of Horror (Not for faint-hearted)

-- The Horrors of it All (Horror in the comics and more)
-- Love Train for the Tenebrous Empire (mondo, Euro and fantastique)
-- Monsterama.blogspot.com (Friendly creeps from Jay Stevens)
-- Monstermoviemusic.blogspot.com (Music is just the start)

-- Obscure Hollow (The look of horror)

-- Scared Silly (classic horror comedies)
-- Secret Fun Blog (childhood reveries from creator of Flip!)
-- Unimonster's Crypt (John Stevenson's news and views)
-- Vault of Horror (Blog for every era of horror)
-- Vampiros and Monstruos (the blog of Mexican horrors)
-- Video Watchblog (and still it lives)
-- Zombos' Closet of Horror Blog (John Cozzoli new generation blog)
-- Or write in another choice:

16. Best Convention or Film Festival of 2009

-- B-MOVIE CELEBRATION (Franklin, Ind.)
-- CHILLER (Parsippany, N.J.)
-- CINEMA WASTELAND (Cleveland)
-- DARK CARNIVAL (Bloomington, Ind.)
-- DEEP RED FESTIVAL OF FANTASTIC FILM (Portland and Seattle)

-- DRAGONCON (Atlanta)
-- FANGORIA WEEKEND OF HORRORS (New York)
-- G-FEST (Chicago)
-- HORROR-FIND (Baltimore)
-- HORROR HOUND WEEKEND (Indianapolis)
-- HORROR REALM (Pittsburgh)

-- LIVING DEAD FESTIVAL (Evans City, Pa.)
-- MONSTER BASH (Pittsburgh)
-- MONSTER FEST (Chesapeake, Va.)
-- MONSTER-MANIA (Cherry Hill, N.J.)
-- MONSTERPALOOZA (Burbank)

-- RUE MORGUE'S FESTIVAL OF FEAR (Canada)
-- SPOOKY EMPIRE (Orlando)
-- SPOOKY MOVIE FEST (Washington, D.C.)
-- WONDERFEST (Louisville)
-- Or write in another choice:

17. Best Fan Event

-- Ron Chaney appears as the Wolf Man (Ron Chamberlain's makeup), at the Monster Bash.

-- Blob panic reenactment, held at actual theater where movie was filmed in Phoenixville, Pa. (Blobfest)

-- Classic 3D double feature (Creature from the Black Lagoon and It Came from Outer Space), at Cleveland Cinematheque.

-- Dario Argento's INFERNO screened; Q&A hosted by Tim Lucas with star Irene Miracle and composer Keith Emerson. Los Angeles.

-- Dr. Gangrene's Horror Hootenanny and Zombie Walk in Nashville.

-- Godzilla actor Kenji Sahara appears at G-FEST XVI, Rosemont, Ill.

-- Boris Karloff blog-a-thon, organized online by Frankensteinia.

-- Shadow and Substance: The Twilight Zone Tales of George Clayton Johnson, hosted by Terry Pace, Sheffield, Ala.

-- Thriller re-enactment with original dancer Sheryl Sington; guest John Landis at Spooky Empire, Orlando.

-- Tribute to Forrest J Ackerman, Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood, organized by Joe Moe.

-- Tribute to Mike 'Ygor' Thomas, Chiller convention. Paul Scrabo assembles archival footage of late actor and makeup artist.

-- Universal Monster Army toy exhibit, including rare toys from 50s and 60s, at Wonderfest.

-- James Warren talks about Famous Monsters and more, Monsterpalooza, Burbank.

-- Witches' Dungeon Classic Movie Museum. Startling recreations of full-sized classic monsters, open at Halloween in Bristol, Conn.

-- World Zombie Day: It's Alive Zombie Fest included zombie walks for World Zombie Day, Monroeville, Pa.

-- Or write in another choice:

18. Favorite Horror Host of 2009

   Who did the best hosting in 2009? If your favorite is missing, please write them in.

-- A. GHASTLEE GHOUL (Ohio)
-- THE BONE JANGLER. (Illinois)
-- KARLOS BORLOFF (Washington, D.C.)
-- COUNT GORE DE VOL (Mid-Atlantic)
-- DR. GANGRENE (Nashville)
-- DR. PUREBLOOD (Smyrna, Tenn.)

-- GHOUL A GO GO (NYC area)
-- GRAVELY MacCABRE and GRIZELDA. (Pennsylvania, West Virginia)
-- LATE DR. LADY
-- MR. LOBO (California)
-- ORMON GRIMSBY (North Carolina)
-- PENNY DREADFUL (New England)

-- PROFESSOR EMCEE SQUARE (Pittsburgh)
-- REMO D (California)
-- SINISTER MINISTER (Las Vegas)
-- SON OF GHOUL (Ohio)
-- SVENGOOLIE (Rich Koz; Chicago)
-- WOLFMAN MAC (Michigan)

-- There are plenty of others, so if your favorite isn't listed, write in another choice:

19. Best Soundtrack or CD)

-- CAPTAIN NEMO AND UNDERWATER CITY (Angela Morley, Film Score Monthly)
-- DRACULA A.D. 72 (Mike Vickers, GDI/BSX Records
-- EMPIRE OF THE ANTS (Dana Kaproff, Kritzerland)
-- ESCAPE FROM PLANET OF THE APES, (Jerry Goldsmith, Varese)
-- MASTER OF THE WORLD/GOLIATH AND BARBARIANS (Les Baxter, Intrada)

-- NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (Barry DeVorzon, LaLaLand)
-- PANIC IN YEAR ZERO (Les Baxter, LaLaLand)
-- 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD (Bernard Herrmann, Prometheus)
-- SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT (Gershon Kingsley, Howlin' Wolf)

-- STAR TREK II: WRATH OF KHAN, (James Horner, Film Score Monthly/Retrograde)
-- TIME AFTER TIME (Miklos Rozsa, Film Score Monthly)
-- VERNE LANGDON PIPE DREAMS (DejaVu

-- Or write in another choice:

20. Best Horror Audio or Video Podcast

-- Cult Radio A-Go-Go!
-- Deadpit.com
-- Fangoria Radio
-- Fearshop.com
-- The Graveyard Show

-- Mail Order Zombie

-- Midnight Podcast
-- TheMonsterclub.com old time radio
-- Rotting Flesh Radio
-- Rue Morgue Radio
-- Without Your Head
-- Or dial in another choice:

21. Best Horror Comic Book

-- ASTOUNDING WOLF-MAN. Robert Kirkman (Image)
-- BATMAN: GOTHAM AFTER MIDNIGHT by Steve Niles and Kelley Jones (DC)
-- BEASTS OF BURDEN by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
-- CARNIVAL OF SOULS, by Michael H. Price (Midnight Marquee)

-- THE COMPLETE DRACULA, by Leah Moore, John Reppion, Colton Worley (Dynamite)
-- THE GOON. Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
-- SCIENCE FICTION CLASSICS: War of the Worlds, A Martian Odyssey and more. (Graphic Classics)

-- HELLBOY: THE WILD HUNT by Mike Mignola and Fegredo (Dark Horse)
-- LENORE: The Cute Little Dead Girl, by Roman Dirges (Titan)
-- LOCKE AND KEY: HEAD GAMES by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)

-- ROBOT 13 by Thomas Hall and Daniel Bradford (Blacklist)
-- VICTORIAN UNDEAD Ian Edginton and Davide Fabbri (Wildstorm)
-- VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS, anthology (Blue Water)
-- Or write in another choice:

22. Best Toy, Model or Collectible
Nominees developed with help from the Universal Monster Army!

-- Or write in another choice:

23. Count Alucard's Controversy of the Year

Every year has its fair share of disputes and worrisome trends. What topped this year's list?

-- 'Copyright lawyer sold separately.' Universal cracks down on unauthorized kits, images.

-- 'You know I can't hear Bela when the ice is melting!' Fans debate whether a snippet of Lugosi-as-the-Monster dialogue can be heard in Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.

-- 'No, but I can burn one for you.' Major studios offer DVD-Rs on demand rather than full-fledged classic DVD releases.

-- 'Hey kid? Want a DVD?' Turner Classic Movies joins Best Buy in offering exclusive DVD releases.

-- 'This ain't no library!' Genre magazines continue to struggle.

-- Or add your own matter of concern:

WRITE-IN CATEGORIES:

24. Classic Most in Need of Restoration

Which classic horror film, either released or unreleased, do you think most deserves a restoration?

25. Writer of the Year (for 2009)

Who do you think did the best published (or online) work in 2009 to advance the state of classic horror research?

26. Artist of the Year (Pro)

Which professional artist (designer, illustrator, sculptor),was your favorite in 2009?

27. Artist of the Year (Fan)

Which amateur or fan artist (designer, illustrator, sculptor), was your favorite in 2009?

28. Favorite DVD reviewer

Which reviewer in print or online was your favorite in 2009??

29. Monster Kid of the Year

Who deserves to be named 'Monster Kid of the Year' for efforts beyond the call of duty to build a better world of gods and monsters? Give us your suggestion.

30. Monster Kid Hall of Fame

Who should be this year's inductees into the Monster Kid Hall of Fame?

ALREADY INDUCTED ARE: Bob and Kathy Burns, Forrest J Ackerman and James Warren, Zacherley and Vampira, Ray Harryhausen, Ray Bradbury, Alex and Richard Gordon, William K. Everson, Rick Baker, Basil Gogos, Roger Corman, Dick Klemensen, Gary and Sue Svehla, James Bama and Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, Paul and Jackie Blaisdell, Joe Dante, Don Glut, Jack Davis, German Robles and Frank Frazetta; Bernie Wrightson, Ben Chapman, Cortlandt Hull and Dennis Vincent, Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth, Archie Goodwin and Ghoulardi; Ken Kelly, Jim and Marion Clatterbaugh, Bob Wilkins, Calvin Beck, Paul Naschy and Lux Interior. Who should join them?

Tell us your suggestions. We'll pick six more.

Whew! That's it!!!

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VOTING ENDED APRIL 3, 2010

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And remember, even the Creeper himself can't stop Rondo VIII! 

Want more information about the Rondos?

Email david colton at taraco@aol.com