2008 Halloween Countdown 29 Bonus: Blog Alert - Vinnie Rattolle's Records

Not only does Vinnie Rattole's Records provides some groovy music albums to download but he also provides reviews videos and full issues of comics. In fact, he has Elivira's House of Mystery #2, 3 and 4 available in pdf and jpg formats. Be sure to check his Elvira posts for even more treats featuring the Mistress of the Dark.

2008 Halloween Countdown 29: Elvira Slot Machine

International Game Technologies (IGT) was given the license to use Elvira's image in a themed video slot machine in 2002. IGT acquired Anchor Games in 2001. I actually played the Elvira slot machine a few times at a casino near Topeka, Kansas. Here are some pictures of the Elvira slot machine that I found on the interweb:

Elvira slot machine 2002

Elvira standing in front of her slot machines in 2002

Promo flyer for Elvira slot machine from 2002

2008 Halloween Countdown 28 Bonus: Commander USA

Another tv host that I enjoyed watching in the 1980s was Jim Hendricks as Commander USA. He hosted Commander USA's Groovie Movies on the USA Network every weekend from 1985 to 1989. He usually had double horror and science fiction double features every Saturday and a single movie on Sunday. I remember watching the movies with Mexican wrestlers and his hilarious segments where he used his microwave vision along with his hand puppet, Lefty. The basic look of the Comedian from the Watchman reminds me a lot of him maybe because of the cigar and mask. Here is a video with some Commander USA segments:

2008 Halloween Countdown 28: Elvira Pinball

Elvira and the Party Monsters pinball machine from Bally was released in 1989. Some of the features include wake the dead heads, party punch, skull lock and monster ramp. Bally released Scared Stiff in 1996 and features a spin spider. Both pinball machines were designed by Dennis Nordman and are holy grails for most Mistress of the Dark fans. I have neither but I did play Elvira and the Party Monsters on a trip to Wichita University back in the early 1990s.

Here are some pictures of the Elvira and the Party Monsters pinball machine that I found on the interweb:

Elvira and the Party Monsters promo flyer front cover

Elvira and the Party Monsters promo flyer back cover

Elvira and the Party Monsters promo flyer centerfold
Here are some pictures of the Scared Stiff pinball machine that I found on the interweb:

Scared Stiff pinball flyer

Scared Stiff pinball poster

Scared Stiff pinball promo photos
Scared Stiff promo video featuring Elvira:

2008 Halloween Countdown 27 Bonus: Crematia Mortem

I never watched any of Elvira's Movie Macabre when they originally ran so I need to post about the horror hostess that I did watch. From 1981 to 1988, Roberta Solomon played Crematia Mortem, the ghostess with the mostess, on KSHB-TV Channel 41 out of Kansas City, Missouri. She hosted Creature Feature every Saturday night and I had more fun watching her than the movies. The only item that I have is a DVD of her hosting Laserblast.



The postcard was originally found at T.V. Horror Hosts: Crematia Mortem.

Here are a few videos featuring Roberta Solomon back as Crematia Mortem:


The Basement Sublet of Horror interview


Introducing movie at Feast of Horrors 2007 convention in Wichita, KS

2008 Halloween Countdown 27: Chill's Evenings of Terror With Elvira

Evenings of Terror is a Chill roleplaying game supplement from Pacesetter that was published in 1985. Not only does color pictures of Elvira adorn the front and back covers but there are also black and white pictures before and after each adventure. She even introduces and ends each of the nine adventures of horror like the following:

"This is Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, getting all you CHILL fans ready for our first Evening of Terror, an adventure called "The Epidemic." Kind of a catchy title for an adventure, isn't it...but really what happens is that everybody goes to this town to try and find out why people are vanishing mysteriously and why animals are dropping over dead. And this S.A.V.E. organization which is supposed to be so goody-goody, right? This S.A.V.E. organization gives the people a little puppy and kitten to use as bait. I mean, when you need the ASPCA, they're never around.

"Well, the excitement waiting for the adventure to begin is kind of contagius, don't you think? So let's get on with the story..."

"O.K., first off, what's with these Pacesetter guys? Animal zombies? Little dog's body with a little kitten's head? For that matter, a little kitten's body with a little dog's head. I mean, gross me out! These guys are really not subtle or anything.

"And one verterinarian who just happens to be there? Sure. Just happens to know about half the stuff those S.A.V.E. folks need to know. Made it kinda easy for them, if you ask me. Even if you don't ask me.

"Anyway, the next adventure is going to be more tougher. But more of that later. As for now...Unpleasant Dreams."

For those not in the know, Chill: Adventures into the Unknown was a horror roleplaying game released in 1984. The players work for S.A.V.E. (Societas Argenti Viae Eternitata, or, The Eternal Society of the Silver Way), a secret society dedicated to protecting the innocent from creatures of the unknown. I had the boxed set and several supplements before I sold them several years ago. Mayfair Games bought the game and put out a second edition that gave the rules a facelift.

I had some fun with Evenings of Terror but never actually used any of the nine adventures of horror with my gaming group. I did make a very large campaign with Elvira as a main focus. One player found out the hard way never to take a sleeping pill in a supernatural charged place. Another player had fun hitting werewolves with his silver briefcase.


Evenings of Terror with Elvira front cover

Evenings of Terror with Elvira back cover

2008 Halloween Countdown 26 Bonus: The Batman vs. Dracula

The Batman vs Dracula was a full-length animated movie released on DVD in 2005 that was much darker than the cartoon series. Vicki Vale makes her first animated appearance and she was voiced by Tara Strong (she was also the voice of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl on The New Batman Adventures and Raven on Teen Titans).

2008 Halloween Countdown 26: Elvira At Claypool Comics Part 3

The final covers from my collection of the Elvira, Mistress of the Dark comic book series from Claypool Comics.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #35 (March 1996) featured "For Your Spies Only" and "The House That Roared".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #35 cover
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #66 (October 1998) featured "Groan" and "Historical Babes Capter Seven: Maid to Order".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #66 cover
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #67 (November 1998) featured "The Search For Schlock" and "Historical Babes Capter Eight: Showgirls".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #67 cover
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #69 (January 1999) featured "White House or Bust" and "Diving Belle".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #69 cover
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #151 (November 2005) featured "Death Cargo of Doom" and "Elvira: S.C.I. (Supernatural Crime Investigation)"

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #151 cover
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark 152 (December 2005) featured "Holiday Humbug" and "This Is Vinyl Crap Part One: Blast from the Past".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #152 cover
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #153 (January 2006) featured "A Nose For Slease" and "This Is Vinyl Crap Part Two: New Year's Evil".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #153 cover

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