Not being all that familiar with anything outside the Hollywood mainstream at that point, Lawrence quickly became one of my key horror mentors during those formative years. He sent me bootleg copies of new Argento releases, schooling me from afar. When it came time for my first book, HORROR 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster movies, Lawrence contributed the essay for Cannibal Holocaust, giving a marvelous overview of the Italian cannibal film subgenre in the process. He later delivered another beauty seven years later, celebrating Jean Rollin’s Fascination (1979) for HIDDEN HORROR.
Lawrence had started the horror review website Monsters at Play in the early 2000s and his passion quickly made MaP a favorite destination for online horror fans. He eventually assembled a crew of contributors to the site, building a thriving community in the process. He later took that passion to the next level, becoming one of the key creative forces behind the horror channel FearNET, an idea that would inspire later platforms like Shudder and ScreamBox. While promoting FearNET, Lawrence made appearances at various convention booths around the country, which was great because it meant I got to see him more often. He also proved an incredible wing man (or rather I was his) when I attended my first SXSW in 2013.
When I decided to launch the H101 YouTube channel in 2023, Lawrence was absolutely on my list of folks I wanted to have in the mix, and I was so grateful when he accepted on five separate occasions.
When Melissa announced last summer that Lawrence had suffered a stroke, we were all shocked but hopeful that he would turn it around. Unfortunately, that was not to be. His condition declined over the next 6 months until he passed onto the next realm on December 19. Our hearts go out to his family and everybody that he touched during his brief tenure on this mortal plane.
Doug, on the other hand, was somebody I knew almost exclusively from the Chicago Theater world. After being on tour from 1995 to 1998, I returned to the Windy City and that whole thing about “Out of sight, out of mind”? It’s very true. I could not get arrested for several months. Doug was one of the first people to take a chance, casting me as the narrator in Mrs. Coney, a Christmas tale about a shape-shifting old woman who appears to a young boy. It was a beautiful story simply told and Doug worked tirelessly with me so that my role was not just an onstage voice-over, but rather a fully fleshed-out and dramatically involved character. I played the part for three consecutive holiday seasons throughout the late ’90s, and Doug and I stayed in touch for the next 25 years.
It was only within the last decade or so, however, that I learned he was also a lover of classic fright flicks, having grown up in Indiana with legendary horror host Sammy Terry as his guiding light. Doug taught as an adjunct professor at DePaul University, and his Facebook feed was always filled with detailed exploration of Pop Culture Moments, be it music, film, TV, art, architecture, whatever. Even if it was something you didn't think you cared about, you were fascinated by the subject once seen through Doug’s lens.
One day, Doug reached out to me, wondering if I was going to edit another volume of either HORROR 101 or HIDDEN HORROR, telling me how much he enjoyed them and wanting to be part of the next one. I told him about the idea I’d recently had for a podcast with panel discussions and he was eager to join the crew. The first episode he appeared on was Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein; he was utterly delightful. I knew I would have him back often and did. (8 more times, to be exact.)
When I sent out the show schedule for 2025, Doug informed me that he had been diagnosed with CMML, a form of leukemia. He was optimistic about his prognosis and was excited to appear on the shows he had signed up for, but assured me that if he was not able to appear for whatever reason, he would let me know. He delivered the goods for the Les Diaboliques and Psycho panels early in the year, and then was admitted for what we all thought was a successful treatment over the summer. I checked in with him several times over the next few weeks and he seemed to be doing as well as could be expected.
Then, out of the blue, on August 25, I received word that he had passed away. To say I was surprised as an understatement, since he was scheduled to record the "Giant Monsters of 1955" episode with me the following day. I thought, “Well, that can't be right. I'm going to see him tomorrow.” I'm sorry that we will not get to enjoy his astute observations, his educated commentary, his clever critique for future shows. I'm also sorry we never got around to having that lunch we talked about many times. Love to Kay, Sarah, and the rest of the family.
Rest in Peace, gentlemen. May your VHS always be rewound and your streaming never need buffering.
We miss you.
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