The GhoulHe may not be an internationally known name, but since the 1970s, The Ghoul has been one of the figureheads of pulp cinema in the American Midwest. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, The Ghoul (real name Ron Sween) has become one of the most beloved figures on area TV, hosting some of the worst movies ever made, sometimes with all the inappropriate ad-libs, dubs, or splices which make the flicks halfway watchable.

The Ghoul is actually a spin-off of the late Ghoulardi, who originated the character (weird fright wig, long lab coat covered with monster buttons, etc…) in the early 1960s. The Ghoul took over the role with Ghoulardi’s blessings several years after the original went off the air and has become a mainstay ever since. Aside from the TV show, he also makes several appearances at horror shows, malls and comic shops… and he has a book out.

The Ghoul even has a website.

Among the best of the worst that The Ghoul has aired, and often screwed with, are such classics as “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”, “Night of the Living Dead”, “Scrooge”, “The Screaming Skull”, “Santa Claus Versus the Martians” and “Amsterdamned”. Often he redoes the theme song, dubs in burps whenever someone is drinking, has them saying “Ow, ow, ow!” when being mutilated by a monster or a psychotic killer and that sort of thing. The comedy is not for everyone and some critics have said that they would prefer him not to do pop ups or cut ins as it prevents them from enjoying the movie. I once felt the same way when I used to go to the Rocky horror Picture Show and told friends for once I would like to hear the soundtrack from start to finish. “No, you don’t,” said my friend and when the film came out on video, sans interruptions, I learned why! Much the same here, as the ad-libs and comedy can make, rather than break, some truly horrible films.

There have of course been others who have done or do such TV shows. Vampira, Elvira, Edmus Scary (a Phoenix based horror host who used this name as a spin-off of his real name, Ed Muscari, though he was immediately taken off the airwaves when caught up in a shocker-type scandal away from the studios). Whether or not anyone has done it better than the Ghoul is debatable. Few, however, have lasted as long as he has.

When contracts prevent him from doing his pop ups and inserts, The Ghoul still manages to amuse his audience with skits and routines ranging from the tasteless to the side-splitting.

Among his cohorts are Froggy, a spoof on the studio mascot, to whom the Ghoul is always doing bad things, Franky (A talking Frankenstein head) and Junior, the Ghoul’s dog. While the late Ghouladri often took jabs at newscaster, Dorothy Fulheim, in the 1960s, The Ghoul follows suit with barbs aimed at present newscaster, Denise Dufala. When Dufala announced the release of a CD, for which she sang and let proceeds go to charity…the Ghoul was in his element. He released a CD “Skeet Shoot”, among other things, making fun of the product while gaining yet more publicity for the release and helping her cause. The digs between the two of them continue to this day.

At many horror shows and conventions, The Ghoul remains strikingly different from other dealers and celebrities. He signs things for free and at times even brings his own photos to sign and pass out. For a long while, he was offering a free signed photo to people who sent a self-addressed and stamped 5by7 envelope to the studio.

When certain people failed to follow instructions and sent a regular-sized envelope, he would make fun of them on the air, cutting the picture in half and mailing it, folding it different ways, or just giving the signed portion of the still to the intended victim.

Though in the past year or so his ratings have been hurt by annoying network time changes, he continues to drive forward and there is no indication he will pack it in at any time soon.

It’s a pity he doesn’t have an international audience.