"Howdy Folks! You like blood? Violence? Freaks of nature? Well then, come on down!"- Rob Zombie, House of 1000 Corpses.
I love blood, violence, freaks of nature... and I always have. Most children at an early age are busy rocking out to Sesame Street. Me? I was content watching what new nightmare the lovely Elvira had in store for me that evening. Always living near a drive-in or theater I could easily sneak in to get an eyeful of all the devilish delights the silver screen could offer only exacerbated the situation. What can I say? A little nudity, a lot of explosions, more than a legion of cinematic monsters and I was hooked. There's a lot worse a child a child could be addicted to, a lot.
As the Fresh Prince, or Will Smith as you know him now, once said- "Parents just don't understand." Mind didn't. They couldn't grasp why their growing boy found joy sitting the dark confines of the cinema, in the library reading many a frightening tome and highlight the TV Guide on Sunday mornings to find any horror themed late shows. I was a Monster-Kid born 30 years too late but what a time to be a live then with the introduction of cable and the home video boom to bolster my appetite for all things scary.
In the late 80's, I could be found browsing the aisles of my local video store searching for Big Box VHS Terrors. Often my little brother would be in tow, wanting to tag along for the 2 for 1 Hot Pockets Specials and hoping to see raccoons catching catching craw-fish from the stream that ran through our shortcut home. Hanging out with my youthful sibling, scaring ourselves with all nite marathons of fear and enjoying Jiffy Pop with real butter with cola chaser- those were the best times of my young life.
Not much has changed, I'm still a Terror Fiend. Always, I can be found somewhere near the local cinema waiting in line to catch the next horrific release. Maybe you'll catch me at your local library thumbing through Frankenstein with a dog-earred horror mag or novel at my side. Most times, you can catch me at home with a brew in hand reading or watching anything that be found in my massive cinema and literature archive of fear. Wherever I may be found lurking in shadows... Always know, I'm the Tourist of Terror and horror is my life.
