Love Horror? Want More? Rondo Awards time again!

Every year since 2003, David Colton and his Classic Horror Film Boards have presented the RONDO HATTON AWARDS! These treasured lil' statuettes are the only horror award nominated and voted on by classic horror fandom at large. This coveted acknowledgement within our community is much more friendly than competitive. Sure, we all want one. But at the end of the day, supporting the Rondos means fostering attention for the classic horror faire we love and encouraging the creation of more classic horror-related media for all of us to enjoy.

When you check out a RONDO BALLOT for the first time, I think you'll be surprised at the number of categories AND the sheer quantity of nominees listed. It's remarkable to note how many talented people are lending their energies to exploring the genre and keeping it alive through diligent, creative, well-researched work. If you are new to the genre or the Rondos, I can assure you that you won't find a more literate or well informed field. Now, I know there are a lot of categories. But be aware: YOU CAN VOTE ALL OF THE CATEGORIES - OR - JUST THE ONES THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH. But I would challenge you to get up to speed with as many nominees and their works as you can. It'll be a rewarding effort.

As in most RONDO BALLOTS past, there are a number of Forrest J Ackerman-related projects nominated for honors this year. Here they are:

10. BOOK OF THE YEAR

FORRY: The life of Forrest J Ackerman, by Debbie Painter

And...

HOUSE OF ACKERMAN, by Al Astrella and Jim Greene

11. BEST MAGAZINE OF 2010

FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND

14. BEST MAGAZINE COVER

FAMOUS MONSTERS # 250, by Michael Heisler

You'll also enjoy voting on everything from "Best toy, model or Collectible" to "Best Blog of 2010"! At the end of the ballot you'll find a list of write-in categories which includes the prestigious "Monster Kid of the Year" Rondo. This is an honor that goes to the person the community feels put forth, "efforts beyond the call of duty to build a better world of gods and monsters." I can tell you first-hand that this nod is one of the great honors in our genre. I received it in 2009 for my care-taking of our beloved Forry Ackerman in the last years of his life. It was like a big hug of appreciation from the people most important to me. This year YOU get to decide who gets that hug!

Me and my very own Creeper!

So, amble on over to the RONDO AWARDS ballot and cast your vote. Just cut and paste the ballot into an e-mail and make all of your choices. Be sure to include your name on your ballot or risk disqualification! Send your votes to David Colton at: Taraco@aol.com no later than midnight of March 27th, 2011. Do it now! The monsters are listening!

RONDO Polls have closed! Results Tonight!

Thanks to everyone who voted THE FORREST J ACKERMAN TRIBUTE as BEST FAN EVENT on the RONDO AWARDS ballot. An extra-Gigantor thank you to dear David Colton who administers the entire Rondo effort, as well as counting the nearly 3000 votes - a new record! David is a prominent figure in his field and our genre and his generosity and dedication to our cause is incredibly Forry-like!

RONDO Monster Kid Hall of Fame & Comeback of the Year 2002!

This Rondo nomination was particularly important. It seems the more distance we get from Forry's passing, the fewer opportunities there may be to keep his name in the public eye. In my heart of hearts, I truly believe that the Forry Tribute just HAD to be the best event of the year! Not only because it was a once-in-a-lifetime happening, but it personified the best parts of our classic horror genre community and the very spirit the Rondo Awards seek to acknowledge and promote.

Proud Monster Kid of 2008 - ME!

I apologize to those of you who voted early and then had to endure my constant haranguing about getting your ballots in. The thing is, even though Forry is a beloved figure and the Forry-event was legitimately deserving of the award, there were MANY events in our category and some of our competition might have been more well-attended (our Egyptian Theater only seats 600). I couldn't risk sacrificing the opportunity for a potential Forry-Rondo to complacency. I hope my pushiness paid off?

The RONDO AWARDS will be announced tonight! To observe the awards ceremony LIVE, join the CLASSIC HORROR FILM BOARD and then attend the "BLIND HERMIT'S NEW HUT" chat room (6th forum from the top)! Best of luck to all the very deserving nominees. I hope we did enough to bring a posthumous Rondo home to Horrorwood for Uncle Forry!

It's up to you. RONDO or no? Help keep our beloved Uncle Forry in the Punshine!

Voting for the RONDO AWARDS ends tonight, April 3rd, at midnight! Please follow the instructions below and do your part to help insure that FORREST J ACKERMAN SHALL NOT DIE!

You do NOT have to vote the entire ballot. Just the categories you are familiar with or care to vote for. If you just wanted to vote for The Forry Tribute, here's how:

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• Write an e-mail to Rondo administrator David Colton at: taraco@aol.com
• In the e-mail field, write: Best Fan Event - Tribute to Forrest J Ackerman
• Include your name!
• Hit "SEND" - You're done!

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If you'd like to vote the entire ballot, you can find it here: RONDO BALLOT And here's the link to the DreadCentral Tribute article if you'd like to revisit the 4e event: FORRY TRIBUTE

Other Forry-friendly candidates: Steve Vertlieb's 4e article, The Drunken Severed Head blog, DreadCentral.com, lots of Rue Morgue, and you can also write in Forry pal and foremost woman of Horror - for Monster Kid of the Year: Jovanka Vuckovic and Best Indie Production: RED VELVET - featuring Forry's final cameo.

Thanks for helping to keep Uncle Forry in the genre spotlight. Even if you don't vote for our tribue, please consider voting. It's fun! The Rondo Awards help to keep our genre undead!

Jovanka Vuckovic: A hook-up with Rondo?

Or: Why Jovanka should be Monster Kid of the Year!

Jovanka and Ann "War of the Worlds" Robinson at the Forry Tribute

I hear February was Women In Horror Month. So, naturally, my contribution to the cause is to write this love letter about my pal Jovanka Vuckovic - in March! Why a month after WIHM? Because every month should be WIHM, that's why. And there is no more horrible woman than Jovanka. Her stewardship of RUE MORGUE magazine during her tenure, not only elevated that mag to prominence, but she always, ALWAYS made room for a classic horror presence. Today, Jovanka's moved on to other glorious mischief, but Rue Morgue (under new editorship of Dave Alexander, hi Dave!) continues traditions she nurtured and remains a balanced voice in our genre; attempting to give the young uns' what they expect, while tossing us old folks a bone and indoctrinating those snot-nosed squids into a world of horror, pre-1980's (or even 40's, schweetie).

Jovanka also keeps the torch burning for our most favored Uncle; Forrest J Ackerman. Forry was quite fond of her and the whole RM staff. Jovanka and her crew's presence at the Forry Tribute was incredibly warm and comforting. It was on that sad day that Jovanka coined the term "Monster Grandkids" to acknowledge a brand new generation of monster lovers AND, again, to remind us geezers to eat our fiber and to embrace the new ranks of horror-youth - cre-e-e-eak, squish! (Make sure to also vote for a Rondo for the Forry Tribute: "#17. Best Fan Event"). Look, I don't need to tell anyone how dear the classics are to Jovanka. She's a map of love and commitment to the genre, with most of our icons (Chaney, Karloff, Lanchester, etc.) as badges of Scour-age permanently tattooed all over her loveliness!

Forry used to say that female fans were as rare as "Pterodactyl Pteeth!" Well, Forry may have lamented the scarcity of femme fans, but he also encouraged many a fair lady to tryst with the dark(ish) side. Principle among them, Jovanka, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Katherine Moore, Pam Keesey, Heidi Saha, Terri Pinckard, Lucy Chase Williams, Ann Hardin, Bjo Trimble, Jessika White, Candy Clark, Meechie Simpson, Debbie Painter, Brinke Stevens, Trina Robbins, Edith Eyde, Naomi Magaziner, Jennifer Brooks, Tigrina and on and on. And Jovanka is not only basking in the radioactive glow of our genre, she's manufacturing more fans as we speak! Not by merely contributing quality works of creepy depth. She's actually got a Monster Kid on board! She's gonna have a lil' one! Now, don't get all steamy just because this is proof that Jovanka's had sex at least once! Really think of it! What better way to perpetuate the genre? Monster-momma's gonna be a monster's momma! Yeah!

The flash-vote was cast the day Rondo voting began. Now ghoul-er heads are prevailing, taking their time, approaching their RONDO AWARDS BALLOT with serious scrutiny. Now's the time to remember our Jovanka! She's a modern gal creating a healthy future for our continuing legacy of quality art and entertainment. As a young horror maven, she represents our best hope for a flourishing world of Broads and Monsters! I dedicate the rare pic below of an early "vampire" and foremother of the German stage - to my pal and a rightful Monster Kid of the Year: Jovanka Vuckovic!

Frau Wilhelm Herzog aka. Erna von Hart aka. Erna Morena

(1885 - 1962)

"Fraulein Erna von Hart is known throughout Germany as a breaker of male hearts. She portrays "vampire" roles on the stage and that she gets her characters across the footlights is evidenced by the fact that she has received thousands of proposals of marriage from love sick swains. Fortunately for her and perhaps unfortunately for her suiters the lady already has a lord and master (Eeew, the olden days - Joe), in the person of Wilhelm Herzog, the German revolutionary journalist."

The Shrunken Revered Head (of Rondo)!

Cheney's wicked blog is up for a RONDO AWARD!

Max Cheney is an adored figure in our genre. He's smart, kind, generous and funny as hell to be around. All of these qualities are hardwired to his acclaimed blog: THE DRUNKEN SEVERED HEAD.

Now three years old and still drunken, Max's blog is a virtual Horror-town-square of info and entertainment. Genre news, anecdotes, inside scoops, unique pics of events and even cocktail recipes are standard entries at this kitchen-sink blog. Max even featured lil' ol' ME in a Forry-memoir last Halloween!

If the excellence of this blog wasn't enough to warrant a trophy, Max has been so supportive of fandom in general and many of us personally. He is also a bona fide Forry fan and nephew! Don't take my word for it. Just visit Max's blog and you'll be convinced. I hope you'll consider giving Max your well-deserved vote for:

• 15. BEST HORROR BLOG - The Drunken Severed Head (Max Cheney's Unique blog about it all)

Vote here: RONDO AWARD BALLOT. Max and I will be at WonderFest in Louisville, Kentucky this May, 15th-16th 2010. The Rondo Awards are presented at that incredible Con. I'm a guest this year! Do yourself a favor and come out and play with your monster cousins!

Meanwhile, here's a nice chat I had with Max about his life, Blogoraphical stuff and the importance of the Rondos:

Horror heavyweights Tim Lucas, Max Cheney and David Schow

Joe Moe: Hey, Max! Aside from being a Monster-magnet, what was your inspiration for starting your blog?

Max Cheney: I discovered I could telepathically control my cat to type faster on the keyboard than I could peck out messages with my nose. This was before I got a used prototype android body originally built for the head of Walt Disney. (They got rid of it cheap because it had a rather bulgy fuel container around the midsection and a tendency to jitterbug at random.) Also, I had long been in love with the online community of classic horror film fans-- I met my wife there! I wanted to increase my presence and get to know more folks.

JM: I should have known it would have something to do with cats and Disney. How has your blog evolved since that very first post? Has it lived up to or exceeded your expectations?

Max: It's longer than it used to be. And I'm not sure it's lived up to ANYONE's expectations! But, okay, seriously: It's lasted longer than I thought it would, and I've been floored that it has been nominated in the Rondo Awards each year and done decently well in the voting each time. It has led me to discover some kind and interesting people from all walks of life. They're found in my links, in the interviews I've done, and the comments I get. I'm grateful.

JM: The popularity of your blog has helped to make you a beloved figure in genre fandom. Well, that and your loveliness as a human being. How has that affected you?

Max: ME? A beloved figure? You musta been smokin' somethin' POWERFUL when you thought up these questions! [Note: Kids, we don't condone the use of whatever I was smoking when I thought up these questions - Joe] Though I do have a photo of Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas and and author David J. Schow making goo-eyes at me! But you're a nice guy to say that, Joe, and getting to know interesting fellow horror enthusiasts like yourself HAS affected me greatly. I'm more aware how lucky I am to know so many warm, smart people who share this interest in the weird, the wacky, the macabre and the monstrous. And I'm immensely pleased that the film blog; Cool Ass Cinema complimented TDSH by describing it as being like Famous Monsters magazine for adults. I never really expected any of this.

JM: Adults? Never heard of em'. Y'know, receiving the Rondo for "Monster Kid" last year was an honor I'll treasure forever. What would winning the Rondo Award mean to you?

Max: An end to years of therapy. And that the voting is rigged. Okay, really, it would mean I'd no longer have to lower my eyes in the presence of such past winners as Jovanka Vuckovic, except to pass my gaze over her attractive figure. Okay, really truly it would mean encouragement. A visual reminder to strive to be more creative with my blog and in my future writing goals.

JM: Ha! Straight, gay, animal, vegetable, teamster, blob - no matter. EVERYBODY loves Monster-Sis Jovanka (maybe this year's Monster Kid! Nudge-nudge). Assuming that "blog-master" isn't the end-all to your ambitions in the genre, what are some of your dreams for the future?

Max: I have in mind producing a CD that will interest classic horror fans and an article for one of the major genre magazines. Hopefully both will appear this year. Also, after testing the waters with my short, improvised mostly-in-a-few-days film The Drunken Severed Head Show, I'm planning on working on something more elaborate and thoughtful. And to have time in my old age to read more Shakespeare.

JM: Ah, Shakespeare! The man who wrote King Lear! I dunno if King Lear ever wrote back...(thanks Uncle 4e) So, where do you think blogs (including yours) are headed in the future?

Max: That's an excellent question. Blogs have increasingly become more like websites than the personal online journals they started out as. And they've multiplied like the rats in Willard! (Or maybe the rabbits in Night of the Lepus.) I think they are increasingly going to become blogs with multiple contributors, and ads may appear on more and more as the rules for internet access becomes increasingly influenced by large commercial interests. As for my blog, it will experiment in the year to come with narrow-focused theme weeks or months where I can get more detailed on some subjects that fascinate me, and include more interviews and more posts on genre artists. But the same love of odd news, cheap humor, beautiful women and enthusiasm about Boris Karloff, Frankenstein's Monster and Forry Ackerman will continue.

JM: And so, dear pal, say it with me!

Max & JM: Forrest J Ackerman Shall Not Die!

JM: See you in Louisville at WonderFest, Max. Here's hoping we both get a little head there (a Rondo statue, that is).

[Max Cheney is a Monster Kid originally from the hills of north Arkansas, who now lives in Pittsburgh with his wife Jane, who he married on Halloween in 2005. He's been a teacher, an actor, a plainclothes security guard, a caricature artist and a flunky at a funeral home. Now he's an online head in a pan, who enjoys being one of the moderators of the Universal Monster Army boards!]