BEAST WISHES to screen at WonderFest 2012!

Our documentary BEAST WISHES will be screened on both Saturday AND Sunday at this year's WonderFest in Louisville, Kentucky! Filmmakers Frank Dietz and Trish Geiger will be on hand to present the film and answer questions from fans. Join us at the Crown Plaza Hotel on May 26 and 27 for a great weekend of sci-fi, fantasy, models, toys, special guests and BEAST WISHES!


http://www.wonderfest.com

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON director

John Landis on the set of BEAST WISHES with filmmakers

Trish Geiger and Frank Dietz.

Anne Francis 1930 - 2011

Goodbye, my dear friend. You were fabulous a hundred different ways.

From left to right: Sara Karloff, Donnie Waddell, Anne Francis, Frank Dietz, Carol Bauman. Taken on a trip to the Louisville Zoo.

Even More Recenter Activities!

My computer very recently had a fatal meltdown, which kept me from posting for a bit, but all is back to normal. So here are a few more shots of recent events in my crazy Monster World!

Signing at the San Diego Comic Con with actor Redfield
and director Larry Blamire.

Panel discussion with James Karen at Wonderfest 2010.

Hanging with Ain't It Cool News' Harry Knowles...

...and the lovely and talented Belle Dee Bilbrey.

Wonderfest 2010

Another Wonderful Wonderfest. Here are just a few photos that express my joy of being a returning guest for twelve years now:

New artist Lee Copeland was selling these fabulous caricatures of me, and also had one of fellow guest William Stout. I love it, because it looks like me on any given Wonderfest morning!:



This shot was taken by Anita Pace, as I moderated the RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD Q&A panel, with my friends Jim Karen (pictured), Bill Stout and Linnea Quigley:

A candid shot taken in the Guest Room. Look how happy I am to be there!

Me, Crazy Joe Nejberger and Bill at the Sunday Night Banquet, taken by Beau Kaelin:

My dear friends Tim and Donna Lucas, publishers of VIDEO WATCHDOG magazine. I love these folks with all my heart...

More photos to come...Big thanks and big love to Dave Conover, Donnie Waddell, John Davis and Dave Hodge for continuing to include me in their WF family!

Wonderfest Sketches

With Wonderfest 2010 looming on the horizon, I thought I'd take a look back at some of the images I've created for this fabulous convention in the past. The Louisville, KY event is still my favorite event of the year. This year I will be moderating a 25th anniversary celebration of the classic RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, with my friends production designer William Stout and actors James Karen and Linnea Quigley. It's being held May 15-16 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Louisville. Hope to see some of you there!

Wonderfest 2009 Part 3

More fun than humans should be permitted to have...

...and big thanks to Eileen Colton, Terry Pace and Beau Kaelin for the great pix!

Here are three of my favorite people: Gary Prange, creator and curator of THE OLD DARK CLUBHOUSE, Joe Busam, the Rondo Award-winning producer of MONSTER KID HOME MOVIES, and Linda Wylie, everyone's favorite nurse. Here we drink a toast to good friends.

The Boys Of Wonder (fest) finally receive the long-deserved Rondo Award for Best Convention. John Davis, Dave Hodge, Dave Conover and Donnie Waddell. Congrats, boys!

THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN gang pose for a photo op. Frank, Jennifer, the Poster from the movie, Larry and producer Mike Schlesinger are happy to be anywhere, but especially happy to be in Louisville.


A mischevious prank unfolds during a post-convention dinner. Particpating in the hilarity are Jen, Melinda Angstrom (back turned), Frank, David J. Schow, VIDEO WATCHDOG'S Tim and Donna Lucas, Gary Prange and someone's nose to be named later.

The crowd begins to gather for the exclusive screening of THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN. The room would end up being SRO, and the crowd went nuts for the long-awaited sequel.

Wonderfest 2009 Part 2

More candid shots of the frenzied fun that is Wonderfest...

David J. Schow takes in the splendor of THE OLD DARK CLUBHOUSE...

Joe Moe and Anita Pace become part of the FAMOUS MONSTERS SPEAK album cover art. Later that night Anita would be caught in a scandal involving myself...

...the lovely Sara Lattis...

...and the concoction pictured below. Kids, don't try this at home...

Bob Burns placates an alien in need of a root canal. That's WF program director Dave Conover at the podium.

Alexandra and Forrest Pace became best buds with "Animala" herself, Jennifer Blaire.

Still more to come... Thanks to Terry Pace for the usual awesome photos!

Wonderfest 2009

This year's Wonderfest in Louisville, KY was the most fun ever. I was thrilled to be a part of this Rondo Award-winning convention. Here are just a few shots of the mirth and mayhem that ensued.

Larry Blamire, Beau Kaelin, Frank and Jennifer Blaire at the Sunday evening banquet. That's artist William Stout in the background on the left, and writer Terry Pace on the right.

Three great gals and Coffin Joe. The fabulous Nurse Moan-Eek, the exquisite Sara Lattis, the fiery Jovanka Vukovic from RUE MORGUE and the sinister Raymond Castile.

Larry and Frank crack up during the Q&A panel for THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN.

The zany Count Gore De Vol and Frank channel Bela Lugosi for the cameras.

Awesome artist "Belle Dee Bilbrey" stopped in to join the festivities.

More photos coming up soon. Thanks to Beau Kaelin for the great pix!

Frank Dietz Interview On The Web

Over on Movie Meltdown, a fun site that celebrates horror in film and art, they have posted an interview with me, conducted by Bryan Renfro at Wonderfest 2008. Have a listen:

http://theartofbeingamoviegeek.com/index.html

And speaking of Wonderfest, May is only a few months away. Have you made your hotel reservations at the Crowne Plaza Hotel yet? This year is going to be a smash, with Veronica Cartwright, Tom Woodruff, Bob & Kathy Burns and special guests Larry Blamire and Jennifer Blaire! It's the 20th anniversary of my favorite convention, so come join the fun!

http://www.wonderfest.com/news.htm

WonderHeston

My friend Mike Schlesinger (Rondo Monster Kid Of The Year and producer of THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN!) provided me with this shot, taken at the conclusion of my demo at Wonderfest, discussed in the posts below. Thanks Mike!

Hail, Caesar!

At Wonderfest I was asked to demonstrate my sketch techniques by drawing Charlton Heston, a cinematic hero in the eyes of many WFesters. I honored that request, and did a caricature of Big Chuck as Col. Taylor from the original PLANET OF THE APES. I had one hour, and I had left my reference photos back at the hotel. Thankfully, a gracious vendor and Linda Harrison ("Nova") came to my rescue, lending me a few of their stills to work from. The piece came out fine, and was sold at one of the WF charity auctions later that day (so I don't have a photo of it to share we you here).

It occured to me that day - as I was once again drawing Heston - that I haven't drawn enough apes. I should draw more apes.

This is the kind of stuff that goes through my brain.

Top: Roddy McDowall from CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.
Bottom: From 2000, Maurice Evans as the crafty Dr. Zaius.

Artist Of The Year

Bernie Wrightson (Rondo Award Hall Of Fame),

Mike Schlesinger (Rondo Monster Kid Of The Year)

and Frank Dietz (Rondo Artist Of The Year).

One of the highlights of this year's Wonderfest was the Rondo Awards ceremony. The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards are presented annually, representing the very best in classic horror in films, books, magazines, etc. A record number of 3,000 people voted this past year, and for the second year in a row, I was voted 2007's ARTIST OF THE YEAR.

Frank accepts his Rondo Award in Louisville, Kentucky.

It is a great thrill and true honor to have my work recognized by the fans at large. It means the world to me, and I do not take it's importance lightly. I vow to continue to encourage and promote the work of other classic monster artists, particularly those who are just starting out, as I have done on the Classic Horror Film Board this past year.

I also had the honor and privilege of presenting the Rondo Hall Of Fame Award to my very good friend Bernie Wrightson. It was quite an emotional moment for us both.

Bernie and Frank

I also want to give a congratulatory shout out to a few of my other friends who came home with Rondos this year - Writer Of The Year Tim Lucas (he got two!), Terry & Tiffany Dufoe of Cult Radio A Gogo, Danny Roebuck and Chuck Williams, Joe Dante and Michael Schlesinger. Way to go, amigos!!

Thanks to Eileen Colton for all the swell photos you see here!

Wonderfest 2008

What a couple of months.

First the surgery, then right into DARK AND STORMY NIGHT, then right onto a Dreamworks animated short, and finally on to Louisville, Kentucky for the 2008 Wonderfest Model & Toy Expo. I've been a guest at this event for the last decade, and I enjoy it more every year.

The other guests this year included Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood from 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and beautiful Linda Harrison from PLANET OF THE APES, plus my good friends Bob and Kathy Burns, John Goodwin and bloodbrothers William Stout and Bernie Wrightson. I once again had the pleasure of performing with Doctor Gangrene and Nurse Moan-Eek in their Chiller Cinema live show, and spent a good deal of time hob-nobbing with all the great folks in The Old Dark Clubhouse. Thanks go out to Gary Prange for hosting the ODCH, and special thanks to Dave Hodge, Dave Conover, Donnie Waddell and the entire Wonderfest staff for allowing me to participate in what I consider the best show of the year. I'm already looking forward to next year's show, their 20th anniversary!

Robert Taylor took this shot of me with a Doc Phibes piece his cousin Sara bought last year and had beautifully framed for display.