Happy Birthday, Poison Ivy Rorschach

A very special baby girl was delivered unto this Earth in Sacramento, California on this day in 1953. The babe's parents named her Kristina Marlana Wallace, but you can call her Poison Ivy.

Poison Ivy Rorschach is easily one of the hottest women in music. For the last 3 decades, she has been rockin' n' shockin' onstage with psychobilly pioneers The Cramps, alongside her larger than life husband, Lux Interior. Sadly, when Lux departed this mortal coil on February 4, 2009, he took the future of The Cramps with him. Now that the irreplaceable frontman is gone (but never forgotten), the amplifiers have fallen silent, the drum beat no longer keeps time, and the adoring fans stand perfectly still before the stage.

Thank gods for the 15 album legacy The Cramps were thoughtful enough to leave behind.

Bonne fête, Poison Ivy... Rock n' Roll Goddess.

Claws of Horror [1954]

Gather 'round the fire (okay, so it's a lighter), and familiarize yourselves with the LeClaw family secret: humanoid vampire cats!!! The dashing American explorer could never have anticipated the fur-raising fate that awaited him when he wished to be bound by love to Grandmother Elise "forever."

CLAWS OF HORROR was plucked from Horrific #9, published way back in 1952. Killer Kittens was able to post this classic romantic spine-chiller thanks to the always-generous longboxes of Karswell -- Host Utmost of the Rondo-nominated The Horrors of it All. From now until February 22, THOIA is serving up tales from the Horrific series, so git on over while the eatins are still warm! Why not begin the meal with A GLIMPSE OF THE PIT?

"Let the claws take effect!"

7th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards

It's that time again, spooky kittens! Ballots for the 7th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards are now being collected, so now is your chance to toss your two cents into the wishing well, and see what happens!

I could never forgive myself if I didn't mention that The Horrors of it All (Super Friend of Killer Kittens From Beyond The Grave) has been nominated in the Best Horror Blog category. THOIA fans, don't delay! Cast your vote today! I can't think of a better way to say "thank you" to Karswell for toiling away the hours in bringing us the very best in pre-code horror comics each and every day!

The Rondo Polling Stations will be open until midnight on March 21, 2009, and the winners will be announced the following day. Please don't be put off by the massive ballot, as participants are not required to vote in every category.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Rockin' Bones: Remembering Lux Interior

I first read the news about Lux Interior's death on The Daily Swarm, in an article passed along to me by Karswell. Was it true, or was it a hoax? Rumours of the tall drink of strychnine's death had circulated before, after all, and history has shown that it takes very little effort to spread lies on the Internet. Dedicated fans seemed reluctant to believe what they had read, and said as much in their commentary. The fact that no other media sources had reported the news gave many of us reason to hope that it wasn't true.

Girlie Action, media reps for The Cramps, confirmed the death of the music icon hours later in this official statement (peeled from The Daily Swarm):


For Immediate Release:February 4, 2009

Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, passed away this morning due to an existing heart condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California at 4:30 AM PST today. Lux has been an inspiration and influence to millions of artists and fans around the world. He and wife Poison Ivy’s contributions with The Cramps have had an immeasurable impact on modern music.

The Cramps emerged from the original New York punk scene of CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, with a singular sound and iconography. Their distinct take on rockabilly and surf along with their midnight movie imagery reminded us all just how exciting, dangerous, vital and sexy rock and roll should be and has spawned entire subcultures. Lux was a fearless frontman who transformed every stage he stepped on into a place of passion, abandon, and true freedom. He is a rare icon who will be missed dearly.

The family requests that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.

How is one supposed to feel when one of their heroes passes on? Among the myriad of emotions moving through me now, I can't help but feel just a little bit older today. If anybody could have cracked the immortality code, I thought for sure it would have been Lux. The Cramps had been playing music since before I was born, and throughout their legendary career, they seemed ageless. The music they played with such conviction and vigor was timeless. A classic performer like Lux Interior doesn't come around very often. We were all lucky to have known him through his art.

Anopsia Radio is making the Internet a spookier place today, as they will be pumping out tunes from The Cramps repertoire all day, in honour of Lux's monumental contributions.