Start of I Listings

I.C. Bloodenguts, Professor

(see PROFESSOR I.C. BLOODENGUTS and MOUSEY BOY)

IGOR (I)

(Bob Mills, real name Robert A. Millisor; died in 1998)

Find more information about Bob Mills and KOTV's Shock Theater in the guestbook archive of the Tulsa TV Memories website. This site also has great information about other TV horror hosts in that area, including PETER HARDT (Fantastic Theater) and DR. MAZEPPA POMPAZOIDI (The Uncanny Film Festival & Camp Meeting)!

Shock Theater

Saturday at 10:30 pm

KOTV, Channel 6 (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

October 1957 - ? 19??

NOTES:

• E-gorespondent Michael Reynolds provided initial details for this entry:

  Subject: Shock Theater on KOTV Tulsa
  KOTV Channel 6 Tulsa late Saturday night 50's cult fave Shock Theater based on a Screen Gems classic movie package with horror movies from Universal Pictures:
  
  Igor — alter ego of KOTV announcer Bob Mills. Had a wire thing that ran from the corner of his mouth and hooked around his ear, so that it looked like a scar. He was lit from underneath, and everything was dark behind him so it made him look ghostly.
  
  Hornstaff, sidekick of Igor — played by Leon Meier, a Shock Theater KOTV camerman, wore a big rubber mask... big eyebrows and black hair. Part gorilla and part caveman.
  
  Source: my Shock Party memory and a Tulsa World article: "Shock and Claw" October 31, 2004.

• The following comments are adapted from the Tulsa TV Memories website guestbook noted above:

  01/26/99 05:03:58
  I am a little older than most of the people posting here so my early memories of Tulsa TV will be a bit farther back than some of you. Does anyone remember Shock Theater with Igor (someone in a rubber mask). .... When was Shock Theater on, and which station?
  Steve L.

  03/14/99 04:44:25
  Re: Shock Theater on KOTV in the 1950s. The host was Bob Mills, who also worked the Sun Up program. Bob worked for me in San Diego and, sadly, passed away last year.
  Don Lundy

  July 20 2001 at 01:19:30
  We know a bit about KOTV's Shock Theater. It signed on in October 1957, was on at 10:30 p.m. Saturday nights and lasted a couple of years; Bob Mills (aka Robert A. Millisor) played "Igor, Your Ghost Host"; cameraman Leon Meier, Lee Woodward and others played Igor's assistant, "Hornstaff," outfitted in rubber masks from Ehrle's Party Barn.
  Tulsa TV Memories Webmaster

  April 26 2002 at 08:58:01
  On Shock Theater on KOTV, Bob Mills featured people who would paint false eyes on their lower chin along with a beard just above the upper lip etc. and then the engineers would electronically turn this image upside down and the person would either talk or sing a song. It could be pretty amusing depending on the makeup. I don't know who started this idea?
  Lee Woodward

IGOR (II)

(George Eisenhauer)

13th Hour

Friday night at 1:10 a.m.

KDKA-TV, Channel 2 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

1958?-19??

NOTES:

• FLASH!!! E-gorespondent Jim Hurray is from Pittsburgh ("North Side Spring Hill") and he used to watch this show. He sent us a scan of his original autographed 8x10 portrait of Igor from the old days, which now adorns the sidebar at right! He also sent a scan of his fan club card for the original late-50s Shock Theatre host in Iron City, SIR RODGER (see that entry for details)!
  
  Thanks to Jim's contribution, we were FINALLY able to put a name to George Eisenhauer's host character — Igor — and correct our information about him, which had previously been listed under "GEORGE EISENHAUER."
  
  Jim's comments about Igor were brief but tantalizing!:

  Igor got fired, from what I understand, for using the F word to a stagehand while he thought he was off air. My Dad worked for the Pittsburgh Press and got me the 8 x 10.

  I hope Jim will be able to dredge up some more memories about this host and his show!
  
  
• Another old fan of the show, Jim Gibson was the first to write to us about it:

  I came across your website as I was gathering information about Bill Cardille (Chilly Billy) to show to my kids, whose only experience with horror/sci-fi tv hosts is MST3K.
  There was another horror host in Pittsburgh in the mid-50's on KDKA, Channel 2. The host's real name was, I'm pretty sure, George Eisenhauer. Mr. Eisenhauer was one of those "all purpose" employees of early TV. I think he even did news.
  The show was on late Friday nights and was called The Thirteenth Hour. I was very young, about 6 or 7, and my dad would let me stay up late with him on and watch the show. I remember a lot of Boris Karloff movies, which were creepy enough to give a child nightmares in the 1950's. The host was dressed as a vampire.
  I can't remember a whole lot more about the show. It's been more than 40 years since I saw it. One thing I do remember, though, is that the first time my dad took me to the Carnegie Museum, I saw George Eisenhauer looking at some Roman statuary and I thought that was pretty cool.

• A Pittsburgh-area TV Guide for the week of April 5-11, 1958 (see picture on sidebar) includes a half-page ad for "13th Hour" (no "The") but no mention of the host. The ad reads "Mystery....suspense" and "Every Friday night--1:10 a.m". That week's movie was The Body Snatcher with Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Henry Daniell.
  
  
• Fans of Igor and other horror hosts from the Pittsburgh area will find lots of information, pictures, and audio/video material — and lots of other fans to talk to — on John Buriak's ChillerTheater Memories Yahoo discussion group and the related website. Highly recommended (I'm a member) — tell John E-gor sent you!

IGOR (III) (fictional host)

(Guy Marks)

Fictional horror host played by Guy Marks in a single episode of the TV sitcom The Odd Couple.

See Guy Marks' Internet Movie Database entry.

Name of fictional show?

Day? Time?

STATION?, Channel ? (New York City, New York)

19??-19??

NOTE:

• Tireless hostorian Saul Fischer spotted this fictional host:

  There was an episode of TV's The Odd Couple named "The Odd Candidate," in which Oscar and Felix appear on a TV horror movie show with a Zacherle-like host named Igor. Igor acted the same way on camera as off, and ran horror movies with titles like The Monster From Planet Debby. Props on the set were a coffin, stuffed animals, etc. ....An actor named Guy Marks played Igor.

Igor (fictional host's sidekick)

(see DR. CADAVER and IGOR)

(see DR. SHOCKER and IGOR and TRACY THE GORILLA)

The Invisible Man

(see VLAD, CREIGHTON and THE INVISIBLE MAN)

Ives, Victor

(see VICTOR IVES and JIMMY HOLLISTER)

Ivonna Cadaver

(see BUTCH PATRICK and IVONNA CADAVER)

I. ZOMBI

(Hayden Milligan; died of cancer in November, 2007: see obituary notice)

See I. Zombi's profile page at HORRORHOSTS.com, the official site for the Horror Host Underground.

The Witching Hour

Every other week

Insight public access cable Channel 14 (Lexington, Kentucky)

July 18, 2002 - ?

NOTES:

• Hayden Milligan was severely burned in a house fire as a child, heavily scarring his face and entire body. With the help of his friends and family, he overcame his hardships to achieve his lifelong ambitions and seek out new ones. A moving documentary film about his life and the world of horror hosts, I. Zombi, was made in 2003. Read a review of I. Zombi at pulpmovies.com.
  
  
• Adapted from a very sad announcement originally posted on November 20, 2007, by Shane M. Dallman (aka horror host REMO D.) to the members of the Fans of Horrorhosts Yahoo group:

  I am so sorry to be the one to break the news to the group. Our dear friend Hayden "I Zombi" Milligan is at peace. Here's the bulletin from his sister.

  He passed away Monday night around 730, he was in immense pain, now he no longer is. He is in Heaven with a new healthy body, pain and sickness free. I loved him so much and His wife and I were with him when he died. .... I am so sorry that you had to find out this way, and I thank each and every one of you for being his friend. .... Always remember him, and when you think you can't do something, think of him and I bet you will think again!!!

• Soon after, with the help of some of Hayden's friends, Shane Dallman organized a testimonial show as:

  .... a reluctant farewell tribute .... to the late, great Hayden "I. ZOMBI" Milligan .... the best friend a horror host ever had -- to a wonderful human being and the most REAL person I've ever known.

  The tribute show aired on Monterey cable channel 24 (AMP) and was also shown on-line at www.ampmedia.org. Dallman posted this advance announcement to the Fans of Horrorhosts group:

  We will be running Hayden's personal favorite episode of THE WITCHING HOUR --- his heartfelt, outspoken Christmas special (chock full of his unique personality AND plenty of grisly Yuletide-themed horror clips!) in its entirety...
  
  ...and I'll be joining THE BONE JANGLER and Nocturna, as well as Ghastlee and The American (comin' at ya as good old Bob and Jeff) as we share our memories, pay our respects and unreel some vintage Cinema Wasteland clips of I. ZOMBI rocking out with the HHU ....
  
  If one must say goodbye, I believe this is the way to do it.
  "Departed" will never mean "forgotten." Please join us for a celebration of an incredible life!

• From a moving memorial tribute posted by another horror host, DR. GANGRENE, on his Tales from the Lab blogspot on November 21, 2007:

  It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Lexington KY horror host I. Zombie ....
  I. Zombie was played by Hayden Milligan, one of the genuinely nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Virtually everyone who knew Hayden was touched by his gentleness and courage. He overcame tremendous odds by creating and performing despite horrible burns over the majority of his body at the age of two. He underwent years of physical therapy growing up. He never let his affliction hold him back, despite the odds being stacked against him. He worked out, played guitar, dressed as an Elvis Impersonator, ran his own video company, and hosted movies on The Witching Hour. Hayden was a friend and a true inspiration. He found out earlier this year he had inoperable cancer, a final unfair blow to one who had suffered so much in this life.
  
  Farewell Hayden, you will be missed.

• I, E-gor, had the great privilege of meeting and talking to Hayden Milligan at Monster Bash in 2007, and I was tremendously impressed by him. He was kind enough to give me a copy of the I. Zombi documentary (which I highly recommend!) and to add his inscription and signature to many other treasured autographs in my copy of Elena Watson's book on horror hosts. He was completely sincere, utterly unique, and totally amazing, and his passing was a great loss to fans of horror hosts.
  
  
• Excerpts from I. Zombi's Horror Host Underground website profile:

  A witchingly good hour of Zombi-delight, The Witching Hour, with I. Zombi, is a humourous smorgasbord of video clips, music, trailers, interviews, scenes from oddball and obscure movies, and nightmare-inducing madness, all brilliantly brought together by the one and only, I.Zombi. In 2003 he was featured in a moving documentary about his life and the world of horror hosts titled I. Zombi.
  
  Favorite Horror Film: If he had to choose ONE it would probably be Dawn of the Dead.
  
  His musical influences range from old KISS and 70's rock to Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, The Misfits, Bush, Van Halen, Nirvana, AC/DC and many MANY other groups including Steve Vai, Michael Angelo and Nitro to the blues and classical music.
  
  Favorite Foods: PIZZA!! Also shrimp, Mexican, Chinese, Thai and other yummy stuff. His favorite treat has got to be chocolate chip cookies and Reeses Cups!

• Adapted from the autobiographical info on I. Zombi's original website:

  Ever since that magical moment when I heard my first scary story from my father I have been fascinated by ghosts, ghouls and anything associated with horror. I toured Disney World's THE HAUNTED MANSION at age 5 and have been hooked on spooky stuff ever since! I can vividly remember watching CHILLER with my parents and loved every single scary moment of it... That is, until the lights went out at bedtime! I would see spiders crawling on my bed and red eyes in my window. These traumatic events have molded me into the morbid man I am today.

  As a teen I sort of repressed my need for horror but replaced it with a lot of weird and often occult heavy metal music. By the time I reached my early twenties, I had grown weary of all of "mainstream" horror and began to search for other sources. What I found was a TON of world-wide rarities and oddities. I quickly snatched up every film I could find or afford to buy and quickly grew a HUGE collection! I started Witching Hour Video in May 1995 [evolving into Nostalgiac in November, 2005 -- E-gor] With WHV's success came a lot of new opportunites such as horror conventions and many new friends... all of which opened even more doors of opportunities. I was blessed in September of 2001 when I met the one and only Dr. Creep at Cinema Wasteland in Cleveland, Ohio and soon I also met A. Ghastlee Ghoul. I felt like a kid all over again! These guys brought out things in me I have not felt in years... I started remembering all of the old classic TV shows and all of the hundreds of horror films I have watched over the years.

  By May of 2002 I decided to resurrect horror in Lexington, and so I launched THE WITCHING HOUR on public access. My first episode aired on July 18, 2002 on channel 14 here in Lexington and nothing has been the same since! I am very happy to be among the UNdead legends of the The Horror Host Underground.

  I am also the lead singer and guitarist in my current band TIN MAN.... I have been asked to perform at Cinema Wasteland (Oct.4-6, 2002 in Strongsville, Ohio) and will be joining the HORROR HOST INVASION as well as out ALL-STAR jam Saturday night in which I will get to play and sing along with some of the best out there! ROCK ON!!!

• I. Zombi's cable markets included Lexington public access channel 14 and Horror Host Underground Network airings in Dayton OH, Jackson NJ, North Carolina, parts of Illinois, and Modesto and Monterey CA. It was slowly making its way into other states across the nation.
  
  
• Notable quote: "Seek Truth and you shall Find it... Be true to yourself and you shall see truth. Believe in yourself also and others will believe in you."

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