Reel Monsters Podcast

I Bid You Welcome feat. AJ Danna

April 11, 2022 AJ Danna Season 1 Episode 0
Reel Monsters Podcast
I Bid You Welcome feat. AJ Danna
Show Notes Transcript

You're invited! Reel Monsters Podcast celebrates cinema's classic monster characters through the lens of popular culture, from a century of screams to the future of frights. In this special introductory episode, actor and historian AJ Danna previews how nostalgic monster memories have influenced today's entertainment industry professionals.

Hosted by AJ Danna: http://www.ajdanna.com/

Reel Monsters Podcast theme song by Alexander Taylor: https://www.alexandertaylormusic.com/

Reel Monsters Podcast logo and key art by Will Davenport: https://www.instagram.com/davenportwilldraw/

Igor:

Cameras are rolling... rolling, rolling!

Boris:

Sound speeding.

Scientist:

The time has come for our celebration of cinema's classic Reel Monsters!

AJ Danna:

Hello, everyone! I bid you welcome to episode zero of Reel Monsters Podcast. I'm your host, AJ Danna, and I'm grateful you're tuning in. Thanks for joining me. This introductory episode is only a few minutes long and won't be covering one particular topic. Instead, I'm providing a very brief overview of what to expect with Reel Monsters Podcast. First and foremost, this isn't necessarily a film review podcast. Although I will be talking about films, the primary purpose of Reel Monsters Podcast is to celebrate and spotlight the legacy of cinema's classic monster characters through the lens of pop culture. This often includes theme parks, comic books, brand tie-ins and other works of art. As a lifelong monster fan, I'm always delighted to see when today's creators honor these classic characters in their work. So along the way, I'll be interviewing some of those creators about their classic monster stories. For those of you who haven't met me yet, my name is AJ. I'm a professional actor and creature performer based in Los Angeles, California. I also often work as a nonfiction writer, with subjects including themed entertainment history, film history, and Halloween history. I am very grateful to say that my career has also included continuing classic monster stories, including playing one of the Brides of Dracula at Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights Bride of Frankenstein Lives attraction in 2021. Throughout these adventures, I have met quite a few fellow creators who are also classic monster fans. My monster journey basically began with a little book called Great Monsters of the Movies by Edward Edelson. I found a small paperback copy of this book for 75 cents at a used bookstore down the street from my childhood home in Hollywood. I couldn't have been any older than seven years old when I had this book. So I was looking at pictures of Nosferatu and the Phantom of the Opera years before I was watching the movies. There's something about growing up with monsters that I think a lot of us artists especially can relate to. These characters are kind of on the fringe of society. They're not the heroes generally associated with great movies of yesteryear. However, they have gone on to influence quite a few of us who are in the field now. Before continuing, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge two of those creators now. If you're a fan of modern horror media, you've probably heard Alexander Taylor's work as a composer before - and now if you're listening to this podcast, you've heard his Reel Monsters Podcast theme song. Perhaps one of the first things you noticed about the show is the Reel Monsters Podcast logo and key art created by Will Davenport. Will's Instagram@Davenportwilldraw is home to some truly captivating illustrated tributes to Scooby Doo characters. When I was first brainstorming Reel Monsters Podcast, the Scooby Doo formula of spooky themes and all ages content came to mind more than a few times. And I think we can agree Will Davenport completely captured that feeling with his excellent artwork. Thank you so much, Alexander, for giving the show the spooky kooky theme song it needed, and thank you so much, Will, for capturing the same vibe with your artwork. You'll often find a common thread between horror fans and horror creators who all grew up with classic monster movies. And of course, these characters have made their way into the mainstream throughout the last 100 years or so... especially in the 1990s! The Universal Monsters characters were officially licensed and affiliated with Pepsi, Doritos and several other mainstream consumer brands, making these monsters even more accessible to a younger generation. As every Halloween season rolls around, you're sure to find some sort of classic monster character represented on consumer products... whether it be spooky monster cereals, or soda brands. Characters that were once primarily associated with literature and film have gone on to become, essentially, cultural icons. And that is what Reel Monsters Podcast is all about. Whether you are nostalgic for the classic monster toys and brand tie-ins of your childhood, or if you are brand new to the classic monster characters, perhaps thanks to events like Halloween Horror Nights, Reel Monsters Podcast will have something for you. And through my interviews with monster creators, like makeup artists and writers, you'll learn a little bit more about how these characters have endured for so long thanks to a very talented team of people with one common interest... Reel Monsters! If this monster mash sounds like a graveyard smash to you, proceed... if you dare. Reel Monsters Podcast theme song by Alexander Taylor. Reel Monsters logo and key art by Will Davenport. Reel Monsters Podcast is an unofficial fan tribute to the classic monster stories of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and is not sponsored by any of the entertainment entities discussed. Any and all opinions expressed within Reel Monsters Podcast are those of my own or those of my guests. Stay tuned and subscribe to Reel Monsters Podcast for even more monstrous discussions.