Sir Graves Ghastly...he is a big part of why I became a lifelong horror fanatic. Sir Graves Ghastly was a Detroit horror host, but his shows were aired in Baltimore when I was growing up. They played latenight on Friday and there was also an earlier show on Saturday. I was ADDICTED to it and I watched it whenever possible. One night I stayed up late and Mario Bava's Black Sabbath scared the living shit out of me, courtesy of Sir Graves Ghastly.
Years have come and gone. Horror has made its changes, but the good stuff remains classic. I saw The Wolf Man on Ghastly's show. Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and many sequels to them. The Invisible Man. The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Too many years have passed for me to remember them all. But as long as I breathe, I will remember Sir Graves Ghastly and the influence he had on me.
Born with the name Lawson Demming, Graves worked in various show biz areas before donning his cape and becoming a beloved boogeyman. After the show was cancelled, he continued to wear it at various conventions and shows, especially around Halloween.
Sir Graves Ghastly died one day after his 93rd birthday.
Others had Ghoulardi or Zacherley, but I had Sir Graves Ghastly and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I can still hear that ghoulish laugh of his...NEEYYAAAHAHAHAHAHA!
And now, I think it is most fitting to bid farewell to Sir Graves Ghastly in the exact way he said goodbye to us each night back when we were young and the world still contained magic:
Happy Haunting!
