No. 53 / 2005

Happy Halloween!!  🎃 

I made it to 'the other side'!  This is the first post I'm doing from a public wi-fi connection outside a McDonalds somewhere West of the Mississippi.  (I'm being vague on purpose.) What is important is that the house was sold and although it was a pretty tough ride a lot of things have worked out and I believe I'm coming along okay for a 'homeless' man.

As you know, this again will just be a bare-bones post with none of the extras I enjoyed so much adding for each issue.  All that means is when the final issues post this year, it won't be over with yet because I will come back and finish the job.

So far I've uploaded all four movies from the "Sherlock Holmes Collection Volume One" and you can find those links under the introduction to Scarlet Street #50 (July 2019 post).  I eventually want to upload all 14 Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce films but I believe it will probably take a while.  Still, it's something I look forward to.

So here's wishing you all a wonderful Happy Halloween Season.  It will be my 60th Halloween this year!  Let's make it a good one. Until next time (next month) as the dear local TV Horror Host I used to watch as a kid, Sir Graves Ghastly would say, "Happy Haunting!"

*Outside Thailand Plaza in Los Angeles where Forry's 88th Birthday Bash was being held.

*Inside the Plaza with Forry's cake.

*On the next page, Richard's "Frankly Scarlet" entry has one of my photos taken from this event [2nd from the bottom, right side] but here's another from that same spot with a different fan showing Forry's warmth for the people who remember him.

*Ann Robinson in what I believe was the first time I'd seen her since the "Son of FM Con" in 1995.

[Photos by John Stoskopf]

*Inside the Plaza enjoying the festivities of Forry's Birthday Bash.

*An 'award' presentation with Forry and on the extreme right is Brad Linaweaver, whom we lost not too long before this post was originally made in 2019.

*Writer Al Paige became a good friend.  A lovely thing I have noticed about the precious gift of Forry Ackerman is when people realize that each have a mutual love for Forry they sort of get a feeling that the other must be all right and they open up.  

The next thing, friendships are born!

Al came all the way from Australia to be at Forry's Bash.

*A fave photo I took of Richard Valley.

Richard mentions in his "Frankly Scarlet" column that, while visiting, he'd also be doing research for his new and upcoming book on the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce films in which they portrayed Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

This inspired me to upload copies of all of these films for this blog and, with Richard's notes contained with each DVD release along with his commentaries, it will be the closest we ever get to the realization of Richard's book.

[Photos by John Stoskopf]

*At the Forry Acker-Mini-Mansion enjoying watching Forry open up some Birthday gifts.

*What a thrill to not only have this photo which I took show up in Forry's "Crimson Chronicles" feature but to also have my name added to the list of guests staying at Forry's home during his Birthday Bash event.  I still thrill at the thought!

*Ron Chaney with Richard Valley, Tom Amorosi & Linda Chaney

*Ron Chaney shows his teeth paying homage to Great-Grandad Lon Chaney

*The next day as Forry prepares to go out for breakfast with Anita & Terry Pace he takes a moment to tell more tales to one of the next generation of Sci-Fi/Monster Fans, Forrest Phillips Bradbury Pace.

As Anita explains:  "Forrest and his younger sister Alexandra both have very clear memories of Uncle Forry. They would insist on always driving by the Acker-mini-mansion every time we'd visit LA LA Land."

Today Forrest is a police officer.

*The ones who really made this all possible for me, Richard Valley & Tom Amorosi.

*The Gang bids a farewell leaving with me memories that shall never be forgotten.

[Photos by John Stoskopf]

*Bram Stoker's "Famous Imposters" [1910]

*Dracula's Castle

*Dracula forces Mina to drink his blood

*Oscar Wilde

*Washington Post 1882 article, "The Wild[e] Man of Borneo"

*Modern art for "The House of The Vampire" [1907]

*A supposed depiction of what it's like to be a part of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

*"Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving" [1906]

Bram Stoker's "The Lair of the White Worm" [1911]

"Dracula's Guest" [1914]

*Here's the original photo, of which Richard did a great job in focusing on the main subject, Ann Robinson, taken at Forry Ackerman's Birthday Bash.  

One last surprise for me as near the end of this issue one more photo of mine was used and my name, this time mentioned by Richard himself, appears in print. 

What a pleasure to have been a part of it!!

*Richard mentions spending time with Patricia Morrison [shown above] while visiting Los Angeles for Forry's Birthday Bash.

Watch for my final issue post update on this Scarlet Street magazine Blog which will contain a surprise featuring Patricia Morrison and Richard Valley!

*This issue post is dedicated to my son, Pal 'Barry' Stoskopf.

Pal passed away about 1-1/2 weeks before this was written, in March of 2025.  

He was born in March of 2008 so he made it to age 17.

Barry was the name his previous family had given him so I'm honoring that here.  

Pal and I first laid eyes on each other June 1, 2008 and soon after that I was able to take him home.

He was with me when we drove to Los Angeles in March of 2009 to be at Forry Ackerman's Tribute in Hollywood.

This photo is of Pal inside the hotel where Monster Bash 2010 was being held.

He was my buddy and when all others [human?] disappeared, Pal stayed by my side, taking care of Mom Margie with me and making another trip out West with me in 2011 and then, the big escape from Michigan after Mom passed away in 2019.

Pal was there as we traveled the States, battling bureaucracy, but enjoying more National Parks before the evil COVID War was launched upon the world. 

Thank God Pal was there for me and we stuck together until his poor little body began to rapidly wear out.

I'm missing him greatly.  I'm trying to keep aware of the love he left me and I can't help feeling he is now, with Pop and Mom, watching over me.