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Decca Records has brought back a Halloween classic in style with the remastered reissue of The Original Monster Mash by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers, released in stores from 13th September 2024. This re-issue of the 1962 album was given a devilishly perfect release date – Friday the 13th – and has been fully remastered and pressed on glow-in-the-dark vinyl for the very first time, offering fans and collectors a spooky new way to enjoy these timeless hits.

Bobby (Boris) Pickett’s Monster Mash single became an instant success upon its release, sparking a full-length album packed with fun, horror-themed tunes that parodied contemporary hits and dance crazes. From Monster Mash to Graveyard Shift, Transylvania Twist, and more, this quirky collection of ghoulish delights has long been a staple of Halloween playlists, ensuring it never truly faded from cultural consciousness. Now, fans old and new can experience the album with enhanced sound quality...

To quote Space Ghost himself, "I'll be dead long before you were born, and I'll be dead long before you'll be dead."

In 1994, producer Mike Lazzo donned a pith helmet, filled his arms with machetes, and trekked into the darkest corners of the bleak, terrifying Hanna-Barbera cartoon library. In the depths, he re-discovered a long-forgotten, one-season animated series from 1966 called "Space Ghost," a superhero show about a white-clad, cape-wearing starship captain who fought bud-like villains in the inky void of the cosmos. Space Ghost, voiced by Gary Owens, could pass through walls and oversaw a pair of sidekicks named Jan (Ginny Tyler) and Jace (Tim Matheson) as well as a chimp named Blip (Don Messick). 

Like most of Hanna-Barbera's output, "Space Ghost" was strange and awful. 20 years later, reruns of shows like "Space Ghost" were increasingly enjoyed exclusively by college students under the influence of potent smokables. One would be...

Back in 2008, a music video landed on YouTube — then still largely in its infancy and mostly dominated by amateur video footage — and caused a bit of a stir, amassing a cult following and 1 million views. More than 15 years on, the video has morphed — extremely slowly — into a full-length feature film.

Chris Dane Owens’ upbeat love song “Shine on Me” was already a catchy slice of rock with some heavy ’80s inspirations. But it was the epic accompanying video — which he made for $70,000, no small sum in today’s music video world — that proved to be the real hit, largely for squeezing into its four minutes practically every clichéd trope and inspiration from popular swords-and-sorcery fantasy entertainment. “The Princess Bride” features prominently, but then there are elements of “Xena,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Dungeons and Dragons” and many, many more.

Among a...

Exclusive: M88 has signed actor, stand up-comedian, and entrepreneur Desi Banks for representation.

Currently on his cross-country “Purpose Chaser” theatre tour, which follows a 50-city tour in 2022, Banks has toured with the likes of Mike Epps, Deray Davis, Kountry Wayne, Gary Owens, Lavell Crawford, and more. A content creator who has thus far produced over 3,500 original videos, he boasts a following of over 15M fans across various social media platforms.

After being publicly praised by Kevin Hart as a “next great” talent, Banks was brought on board for a cameo in a Hartbeat-produced Super Bowl ’23 commercial for DraftKings. Other heavy hitters with whom he’s worked include Ludacris and 21 Savage.

As an actor, Banks has appeared in major motion pictures such as Will Packer’s Little starring Issa Rae and Regina Hall; the Terry J. Vaughn-produced and directed Merry WishMas; and 2017’s Love by Chance. He also landed a...

On David X. Cohen and Matt Groening's 31st-century sci-fi sitcom "Futurama," the world's citizens are hooked on a high-octane ultra-soap-opera called "All My Circuits," a long-running TV series starring a cast of mostly robots. The main character in "All My Circuits" is a tall, egocentric blowhard named Calculon who is constantly discovering evil twins, engaging in robotic infidelities, and discovering multiple personalities. In a strange metanarrative twist, the Calculon on "All My Circuits" is played by a robot ... that also happens to be named Calculon, and also happens to be an egocentric blowhard.

In reality, Calculon is played by veteran voice actor Maurice Lamarche, one of the best voice actors currently working. Maurice Lamarche plays Calculon with a bloviating confidence that only seems to infect famous actors. Calculon eventually reveals that he is many hundreds of years old, and changes his identity every few decades. In previous lives, he...

The new animated anthology miniseries "Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi" is now streaming on Disney+, and brings us a new perspective on Count Dooku: a view of him in his earlier years before the corruption of the Sith took him and twisted him into Darth Tyranus. 

The man behind Count Dooku's voice, Corey Burton, has been a voice actor for decades, providing voices you hear almost every day. From the tram operator at Disneyland and "Star Wars" characters like Count Dooku and Cad Bane, all the way to Captain Hook, Spike Witwicky and Shockwave from "Transformers," and even James Bond, Jr., Burton has shaped the audio landscape of Saturday morning cartoons and theme parks for decades. We were able to have a wide-ranging conversation with him about the beginnings of his career, his work as Count Dooku, and the legacy of "Star Wars."

'Who Is That?'

I'm a...

For George Schlatter, the creator of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, there was a key moment when the Classic TV comedy sketch series had gone from an oddity to cultural phenomenon: Sammy Davis, Jr., an old friend, was making a guest appearance on the show. They were joking around with comedy bits involving a judge, when, according to George, Sammy came up with the phrase, "Here come da judge!", which would lead into a sketch about the banter between a defendant and a judge dressed in black robe and oversized wig (becoming a national catchphrase in the process). "We taped 'Here Come Da Judge' at two in the morning," says George exclusively. "It was so funny that we put it on the next show. Suddenly people were walking down the hall saying, 'Here come da judge.' The show went on that Monday night, and Tuesday or Wedneday morning when the Supreme Court came into the courtroom,...

Another one bites the dust. Deadline reports Russell Simmons has been removed from the upcoming HBO TV show All Def Comedy amid allegations of sexual assault.Simmons has had a long-standing relationship with HBO since the network first debuted his series Def Comedy Jam in 1992. Like that show, All Def Comedy features well-known and up-and-coming stand-up comedians such as Deon Cole, DeRay Davis, Gary Owen, Alex Babbitt, Jess Hilarious, and Kelly Kellz.Read More…...

Some say that December is the perfect time to catch up on a bevy of great TV for the year. While there are plenty of shows vying for your precious remaining 2017 hours, that certainly isn’t stopping networks of all kinds from trying to strike gold with a hit before the calendar turns.

Read More: Our 20 Favorite New TV Characters of 2017

Admittedly, this month’s selection is slimmer than usual (someone has to make room for all the holiday specials!), but there’s still enough to highlight for our monthly roundup of new shows. (Wondering if you’re all caught up with the big shows from the past few months? Our August, September, October, and November previews are here to help guide you.)

“All Def Comedy” (December 1, HBO)

“All Def Comedy” made its HBO debut last year as a late-fall special, but Tony Rock is back to host an...

Wild 'N Out isn't going away anytime soon. Today, MTV announced the TV show will return for a 10th season later this month.Hosted by Nick Cannon, the new season of the sketch and improv comedy series will feature appearances from 21 Savage, Fabolous, Desiigner, Wyclef, Keyshia Cole, Gary Owen, Sara Sampaio, Kyle, A Boogie, Michael Blackson, PnB Rock, Mgk, Tee Grizzley, Ayo & Teo, Sky, Quincy, Christian, Justin Combs, and Pete Davidson.Read More…...

Nick Cannon is getting wild again for MTV, but this time he’s doing it in Brooklyn, New York. “Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out” has picked up a 10th season at the cable channel, TheWrap can announce exclusively. The new run begins Nov. 30 at 11 p.m.

The sketch and improv comedy series moves the action to Brooklyn for Season 10, where guests will include Wu-Tang, 21 Savage, Fabolous, Desiigner, Wyclef, Keyshia Cole, Gary Owen and Pete Davidson.

Paging the Unknown Comic. ABC has ordered a reboot of The Gong Show TV series, from Will Arnett, who is executive producing for his Electric Avenue Productions.Created and produced by Chuck Barris, the original version of The Gong Show premiered on NBC in 1976 and ran through 1978. It also aired in first-run syndication from 1976 to 1980 and 1988 to 1989. Barris hosted the amateur talent competition both on NBC, and in syndication, from 1977 to 1980.Frequent celebrity guests panelists on the original series included: Trixie Dejonge, Jaye P. Morgan, Gary Owens, Jamie Farr, Arte Johnson, Rip Taylor, Phyllis Diller, Anson Williams, Jo Anne Worley, and Rex Reed.Read More…...

One of the great voices of television and radio, Gary Owens died on Thursday at his Los Angeles home. Owens is best known for his work as the announcer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and coining the phrase "beautiful downtown Burbank." He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Arleta Lee Markell, and their two sons, Scott and Chris. He was 80. His was an iconic voice alongside Casey Kasem. Owens got his start working in radio stations throughout the Midwest and the South. He became a disc jockey in Los Angeles at Kfwb-am in 1961 and moved to Kmpc-am, where he worked for two decades. In addition to Laugh-In, he appeared on animated shows from Space Ghost to The Ren & Stimpy Show, narrated Sesame Street segments, and did commercials and intros for television shows like Bewitched. Here is a pretty delightful one that he did for...

Gary Owens, the famous voice of “Laugh-In,” died on Thursday at his Encino, California, home after succumbing to diabetes-related complications. He was 80. The veteran talent, who enjoyed a long career as a radio DJ, voice performer and TV announcer, served as the announcer for NBC’s “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” from 1968 to 1973. His trademarks included the catchphrase “beautiful downtown Burbank” — said in a deep, booming voice — and holding his hand over his ear while he announced. See Photos: Hollywood’s Notable Deaths of 2015 Owens was the first radio star to be inducted into the Hollywood HaIl of Fame presented by the Hollywood.

In a career that spanned seven decades, Gary Owens' role as the off-the-wall announcer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In was a highlight that has become part of broadcasting history. Owens, who died Thursday at 80, will always be remembered as he cupped his hand over his ear and provided the voice of the comedy show that reinvented comedy. When he got the job just before the series launched in 1968 — and made comedy history — Owen's "audition" was anything but standard, recalls George Schlatter, now 82, who was the hit show's creator and executive producer. Schlatter's

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Gary Owens, best known as the announcer for Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, died Thursday at the age of 80, the Associated Press reports.

Owens appeared on many TV shows during his seven-decade career, including Lucille Ball and Bob Hope specials.

He also lent his voice to hundreds of programs, such as Sesame Street and Yogi’s Treasure Hunt and, more recently, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Wizards of Waverly Place, Johnny Bravo and Dexter’s Laboratory.

Owens passed away at his Los Angeles-area home and is survived by his wife of 57 years, Arleta, and their two sons.

Related storiesWriters Guild Awards: True Detective,...

Gary Owens, a radio and TV announcer and voiceover artist who will always be remembered as the voice of the seminal NBC comedy series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, died on Thursday at 80. Owens died due to complications from diabetes, which he had suffered from since the age of 8. His son, Chris Dane Owens, a producer and musician, told The Hollywood Reporter that his father died peacefully at his home in Encino, surrounded by family. His son said Owens continued to work until he was 79, furthering a career that began when he was 16 years old. Read

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Though best known as the announcer for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Gary Owens enjoyed a long and varied career up until his death on Thursday. He was 80. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, his rep said in a statement to People. The veteran announcer, whose career spanned seven decades, worked until the end; a month before his death, he had voiced TV promos.Owens began his career as a voice-over artist in 1949, but his big break came in 1966 as the voice of cartoon superhero Space Ghost. He went on to provide voices for The Green Hornet, Batman and...

Though best known as the announcer for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Gary Owens enjoyed a long and varied career up until his death on Thursday. He was 80. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, his rep said in a statement to People. The legendary announcer, whose career spanned seven decades, worked until the end; a month before his death, he had voiced TV promos.Owens began his career as a voice-over artist in 1949, but his big break came in 1966 as the voice of cartoon superhero Space Ghost. He went on to provide voices for The Green Hornet, Batman and...

In the 1960s, super-heroics were such the rage that ever era seemed to inspire a masked champion for Saturday morning fare. We had the Mighty Mightor who could been seen as an ancestor to his comedic counterpart, Captain Caveman, which also reflects the shift from dramatic fun to slapstick comedy (also showing how parents boxed in the animators).

Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels was created for Hanna-Barbera, shortly before they split to form their own outfit. It ran from 1977 through 1980 in ABC and the complete 40 episode series is now available on a three-disc set from Warner Archive. The series started off sandwiched as a part of Scooby’s All-Star Laff-a-Lympics and Scooby’s All-Stars before gaining their own thirty minute slot. Brenda, Dee Dee and Taffy, the erstwhile angels, found a caveman frozen in a block of ice and thawed him back to life. Now, Cavey and the girls...

While you savored your colorful eggs, Marshmallow Peeps, and chocolate bunnies this past holiday weekend, many ventured out to their local theaters to cheer on the Joes in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Paramount Pictures’ Easter basket was overflowing as the action-figure fueled movie took in over $132 million across the globe. Here in the U.S. the Jon M. Chu sequel totaled in the $51 million range.

This isn’t the first cartoon franchise to hit the big screen and won’t be the last. When TV was king, Frankenstein, Jr. and The Impossibles, Pirates of Dark Water, Valley of the Dinosaurs teleported us to another place and the animation studio Hanna-Barbera reigned supreme in every kid’s universe.

Filmgoers have seen their beloved Saturday morning shows and comic book heroes transfer from the small screen to wildly, gigantic movie heroes. Whether you grew up with them as a kid planted in front...

By Jeffrey Matulef

While actual space program Nasa is recieving massive budget cuts, sci-fi comedy adventure SpaceVenture has been successfully funded on Kickstarter.

The upcoming adventure comes from the minds of Space Quest creators Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy aka Two Guys from Andromeda.

Their goal was to raise $500,000 which they exceeded last night mere hours before the deadline. The final tally came in at $541,371 (including PayPal contributions) after being funded by 10,809 backers. Those late to the party can still pledge on PayPal.

SpaceVenture will continue in the vain of the Space Quest series, and is described as, "A game that you will feel comfortable playing with your children, but with some entertainment that will safely appeal only to the adult psyche." It will also have "hilarious death sequences."

The game will carry such star power as Gary Owens (voice of Space Ghost), Ellen McClain (GLaDOS), and Rob Paulsen (Pinky,...

By Jeffrey Matulef

Space Quest series creators Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy have returned to the games industry after an over two decade hiatus under their new label, Two Guys from Andromeda. Their first project, SpaceVenture, just began its Kickstarter campaign.

SpaceVenture will be a "space adventure" game in the vain of Space Quest. Two Guys From Andromeda have already roped in an all-star voice cast consisting of GLaDOS voice actress, Ellen McClain, the voice of Space Ghost, Gary Owens, and ubiquitous cartoon voice actor, Rob Paulsen (Wakko from Animaniacs, Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

The Eugene, Or-based outfit seeks $500,000 by Jun 12th to fund the project. The Kickstarter has been up less than a day and as of writing this they've amassed $78,587 in pledges. Donating $15 or more guarantees access to a DRM free version of the game upon its release, while a pledge of $30 or more will grant...

Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron is one of those cartoon series you can only love if you grew up watching it as a kid. Otherwise, the formulaic storytelling and lack of interesting characters just doesn’t make for an enjoyable time. The stories get so repetitive that even those who watched the series when it originally aired in 1993 will have a hard time watching more than a few episodes.

The series is released as a 5-Disc DVD set as part of the Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection. It features the voice talents of Barry Gordon as Razor, Charles Adler as Chance Furlong, Gary Owens as Commander Ulysses Feral and Tress MacNeille as Callie Briggs. Jim Cummings (Winnie the Pooh, Gnomeo & Juliet, The Super Hero Squad Show), Mark Hamill (Batman: Arkham City), Candi Milo (Planet Sheen) and Lori Alan (90210, Family Guy) also perform guest roles.

The story revolves around two cats, Chance Furlong and Jake Clawson,...

By Ali Naderzad - December 20, 2010

“Certifiably jonathan” is a comockumentary directed by Jim Pasternak that weaves in and out of the bi-polar world of Jonathan Winters, where reality and fantasy collide. Jonathan Winters, an eighty years-old comic who served as the comedic mentor to scores of comedians including Robin Williams, Jimmy Kimmel and Sara Silverman (who all appear in the film) is also a gifted painter who dreams of having his work shown in the Museum of Modern Art. The filmmakers show his work to a famous art critic who believes Jonathan is "the missing link between Miro and Dali" and he convinces the museum to give Jonathan a show—but only if he paints three new paintings. Jonathan launches into a creative frenzy, but disaster strikes when his favorite painting is stolen along with his sense of humor. Without his humor, Jonathan can't paint and is about to lose the opportunity of a lifetime.

By Stacy Jenel Smith

hollywoodnews.com: Will Bret Michaels make the live finale of “Celebrity Apprentice” tonight – exactly one month and two days after the brain hemorrhage that could easily have killed him? And within days of his “warning stroke” and the discovery of a hole in his heart?

If anyone can pull off such a feat, rock and reality star Michaels is a good bet. He learned to battle through physical challenges from the time he was six and was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.

“When you’re five to eight years old and you find out you’re going to have to take insulin for the rest of your life, its pretty depressing. It’s heartbreaking,” he recalled in an interview a couple of years back. “But I just looked at it and embraced it. I said, ‘I’m still going to go out and enjoy my life. I...

Late comedian Henry Gibson kept his cancer battle a secret from his friends and co-stars on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in - failing to mention his illness even when they planned a reunion of the 1960s comedy sketch show.

The beloved actor passed away at his home in Malibu, California on 14 September.

The tragic news came as a surprise to his pals on the TV show because he never complained about his disease to any of them - and even planned to take part in a screen reunion scheduled for later this year.

Gary Owens, who hosted the comedy programme, tells the National Enquirer, "He didn't complain or tell any of us.

"He was a dear friend, a great and wonderful man. I knew him even before Laugh-In. He was busy and active to the end. He'd been doing Boston Legal and was still making commercials."

Owens last saw his friend in July when they discussed a Laugh-In get together: "He looked fine. He never complained. He was joking all the time. We were all looking forward to the reunion show. And he and I were laughing about some of the jokes and skits we planned to do.

"He was so excited about being back together with the old gang. He kept his illness a secret from all of us. But that was Henry - a trouper to the end."...

Hundreds of Hollywood stars turned out yesterday to pay their respects to late comedy veteran Bob Hope at a special Mass. Hope's memorial service was held at St. Charles Borromeo Church in North Hollywood, and 900 mourners gathered together to honor the star, who died aged 100 on July 27. Among the variety of guests was former American President Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty Ford, former first lady Nancy Reagan, Mickey Rooney, Raquel Welch, Julie Newmar, Marie Osmond, Phyllis Diller, Ed McMahon, Gary Owens and Norm Crosby. Connie Stevens said before the service, "We're going to miss him. He was a tremendous force on Earth." And former Magnum, P.I. star Tom Selleck said, "Bob always called personally when he wanted you to work with him. It meant a lot and it made it hard to say no."...