Back in the day there was one thing that was universal on TV… horror hosts. Every city had them. Each week a macabre figure would greet you within their dungeon and entertain you with their usually campy shtick between the showing of a classic horror film.
Being that I’m a Philly boy I grew up with Dr. Shock, AKA Joseph Zawislak. He combined the traditional comedic insult formulas created by horror host god Zacherley with magic tricks and his own cast of sidekicks like Boris and Bubbles (Dr. Shocks daughter).
Unfortunately on September 28, 1979, Zawislak died of heart failure at the age of 42. His rabid fan base (including yours truly) were heartbroken. A few others tried to fill his shows, most notably Saturday night Dead’s Stella, but none could capture Zawislak’s charm and fun.
Below are some clips from Dr. Shock’s show.
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