Dr. Creep
Encyclopedia
Barry Lee Hobart was a local television personality widely known to fans as Dr. Creep. He was a horror movie host on WKEF
Television in Dayton, Ohio
.
, born June 23, 1941 to parents Edward and Grace (Fullen) Hobart; he was also the nephew of horror film make-up artist and stuntman Doug Hobart, who hosted a traveling monster show in the 1940s and 1950s. Hobart graduated from Middletown High School in 1959, then attended the University of Cincinnati
where he graduated in 1963 with a degree in broadcasting.
After an overseas stint in the Air Force
, Hobart returned to southwest Ohio and was hired by WKEF
television as a camera specialist and Master Control Operator
.
Shock Theater premiered on Saturday, January 1, 1972 and was a fixture on WKEF for thirteen years. During that time, Dr. Creep co-hosted Clubhouse 22, a popular weekday afternoon kids show, adding to his local star power.
Like many other late-night horror shows, Shock Theater played classic "B" horror films, with bumpers and breaks featuring the host, leaning more toward the humorous than the horrific.
By the mid-to-late 1970s, Shock Theater had moved to Saturday afternoons, garnering a younger following. But by the early 1980s, the show's humor had become more risqué
, causing increasing clashes with station management. Consequently, Shock Theater ended its run in March of 1985, but Hobart remained a Master Control Operator at WKEF for six more years.
. Simply called "The New Shock Theater", the show aired public domain films mixed with footage of Dr. Creep at Horror conventions and ran periodically through 2005.
In 2002, Hobart played Dr. Creep again in Necrophagia: Through Eyes Of The Dead, a collection of music videos and interviews with the rock band Necrophagia
and other horror hosts directed by Jim Van Bebber
. In 2003 Hobart stepped in front of the camera as a father-like spirit in Andrew Copp's film, Black Sun, which built up a cult following. That same year he provided the opening narration for Copp's Freakshow Deluxe, a documentary about a sideshow that pops up around Halloween in Xenia, Ohio
, and appeared as himself in the short film Joe Nosferatu: Homeless Vampire, produced by Bob Hinton aka A. Ghastlee Ghoul.
Hobart is featured reminiscing about his career as a horror host and the horror host phenomena in John E. Hudgens
' 2006 documentary American Scary
.
Hobart's Dr. Creep inspired an entire generation of Horror Hosts from the Ohio region, such as Baron Von Porkchop
(who hosts a similar show on Dayton Access Television) Dr. Freak, Dr. Dark and A. Ghastlee Ghoul
, all of whom credit him as their mentor.
during their annual Labor Day
telethon. Hobart and Linda Gabbard founded "Project Smiles", a charity that collects toys every Christmas for needy children in the Dayton area. The charity is still active today.
In 1997, Dr. Creep, Andrew Copp and Rick Martin started Horrorama, an all-night film festival held every Halloween to raise funds for Project Smiles. Horrorama originally took place at the Flicker Palace, a now-defunct movie theater in the Dayton suburb of Huber Heights
, but has since moved to another theater in nearby Englewood
and still remains active today.
Hobart lapsed into a coma after a series of massive strokes in December 2010. Complications resulted in Hobart's death at a Dayton hospice on January 14, 2011. He was 69 years old.
WKEF
WKEF, virtual channel 22, is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Miami Valley area of Ohio, which is licensed to Dayton. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 51 from a transmitter at their Broadcast Plaza studios near the New Chicago section of the city...
Television in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
.
Early life
Hobart was a native of nearby MiddletownMiddletown, Ohio
Middletown is an All-America City located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Formerly in Lemon, Turtlecreek, and Franklin townships, Middletown was incorporated by the Ohio General Assembly on February 11, 1833, and became a city in 1886...
, born June 23, 1941 to parents Edward and Grace (Fullen) Hobart; he was also the nephew of horror film make-up artist and stuntman Doug Hobart, who hosted a traveling monster show in the 1940s and 1950s. Hobart graduated from Middletown High School in 1959, then attended the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
where he graduated in 1963 with a degree in broadcasting.
After an overseas stint in the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, Hobart returned to southwest Ohio and was hired by WKEF
WKEF
WKEF, virtual channel 22, is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Miami Valley area of Ohio, which is licensed to Dayton. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 51 from a transmitter at their Broadcast Plaza studios near the New Chicago section of the city...
television as a camera specialist and Master Control Operator
Master control
Master control is the technical hub of a broadcast operation common among most over-the-air television stations and television networks. It is distinct from a production control room in television studios where the activities such as switching from camera to camera are coordinated...
.
Shock Theater
In 1971, WKEF management began looking for a gimmick to garner ratings on Saturday nights. When Hobart suggested a late-night horror movie show, station management accepted the idea; encouraged by colleagues, Hobart himself auditioned for the hosting job by donning a monk's robe, fangs and skull-like make-up, initially calling himself "Dr. Death". After Hobart was given the job the fangs were abandoned and the skull face motif toned down for being too fearsome, and the character's name was changed to "Dr. Creep".Shock Theater premiered on Saturday, January 1, 1972 and was a fixture on WKEF for thirteen years. During that time, Dr. Creep co-hosted Clubhouse 22, a popular weekday afternoon kids show, adding to his local star power.
By the mid-to-late 1970s, Shock Theater had moved to Saturday afternoons, garnering a younger following. But by the early 1980s, the show's humor had become more risqué
Risqué
Risqué is the third studio album by American R&B band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1979, the same year that Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers wrote and produced Sister Sledge's massively successful We Are Family....
, causing increasing clashes with station management. Consequently, Shock Theater ended its run in March of 1985, but Hobart remained a Master Control Operator at WKEF for six more years.
Later years
In 1999, cult film director Andrew Copp and partner Rick Martin would resurrect Shock Theater with Dr. Creep at the helm once again for Dayton, Ohio Public-access televisionPublic-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
. Simply called "The New Shock Theater", the show aired public domain films mixed with footage of Dr. Creep at Horror conventions and ran periodically through 2005.
In 2002, Hobart played Dr. Creep again in Necrophagia: Through Eyes Of The Dead, a collection of music videos and interviews with the rock band Necrophagia
Necrophagia
Necrophagia is an American death metal band. The group was assembled in Wellsville, Ohio in 1983 and are credited as being one of the very first musical groups to be classified within the death metal genre. The group was founded by Frank Pucci...
and other horror hosts directed by Jim Van Bebber
Jim Van Bebber
Jim Van Bebber is an American film director. Van Bebber attended Wright State University where he studied cinema. Instead of using a bank loan to pay for a second year of college, he used the money to finance Deadbeat at Dawn, and founded the indie film company Asmodeus Productions with several...
. In 2003 Hobart stepped in front of the camera as a father-like spirit in Andrew Copp's film, Black Sun, which built up a cult following. That same year he provided the opening narration for Copp's Freakshow Deluxe, a documentary about a sideshow that pops up around Halloween in Xenia, Ohio
Xenia, Ohio
Xenia is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio 21 miles from Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and appeared as himself in the short film Joe Nosferatu: Homeless Vampire, produced by Bob Hinton aka A. Ghastlee Ghoul.
Hobart is featured reminiscing about his career as a horror host and the horror host phenomena in John E. Hudgens
John E. Hudgens
John E. Hudgens is an independent director, producer, and editor noted for his short Star Wars fan films and for many Babylon 5 promotional videos....
' 2006 documentary American Scary
American Scary
American Scary is a 2006 documentary film about the history and legacy of classic television horror hosts, written and directed by American independent filmmakers John E...
.
Hobart's Dr. Creep inspired an entire generation of Horror Hosts from the Ohio region, such as Baron Von Porkchop
Baron Von Porkchop
Baron Von Porkchop is the fictional host of Terrifying Tales of the Macabre, a horror host television show from Dayton, Ohio. Terrifying Tales of the Macabre is produced by Bloodline Video TV, a division of Bloodline Video . The show began airing on January 8, 2010 on DATV, Dayton's Public-access...
(who hosts a similar show on Dayton Access Television) Dr. Freak, Dr. Dark and A. Ghastlee Ghoul
A. Ghastlee Ghoul
A. Ghastlee Ghoul is a television horror host from Dayton, Ohio, USA. His program, The Ghastlee Movie Show, began in 1989 as a segment on a Public-access television cable TV sketch comedy presentation called The Underground Sideshow, and is still airing . He also co-hosts the online horror host...
, all of whom credit him as their mentor.
Charity work
As Dr. Creep, Hobart had been an avid supporter of local charities, helping out the MDAMuscular Dystrophy Association
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is an American organization which combats muscular dystrophy and diseases of the nervous system and muscular system in general by funding research, providing medical and community services, and educating health professionals and the general public...
during their annual Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
telethon. Hobart and Linda Gabbard founded "Project Smiles", a charity that collects toys every Christmas for needy children in the Dayton area. The charity is still active today.
In 1997, Dr. Creep, Andrew Copp and Rick Martin started Horrorama, an all-night film festival held every Halloween to raise funds for Project Smiles. Horrorama originally took place at the Flicker Palace, a now-defunct movie theater in the Dayton suburb of Huber Heights
Huber Heights, Ohio
Huber Heights is a city in Montgomery, Miami, and Greene Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. Huber Heights's motto is "America's largest community of brick homes." The city is named for Charles Huber, the developer who constructed a number of the houses that would later comprise the city. Suburban...
, but has since moved to another theater in nearby Englewood
Englewood, Ohio
Englewood, a northern suburb of Dayton, is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,465 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and still remains active today.
Death
Hobart's health began to fail in the last years of his life. Leg and respiratory issues rendered him unable to walk by April of 2010. After this point, he used a wheelchair. Hobart continued making appearances as Dr. Creep through the fall. In November, he was guest of honor at the HorrorHound Weekend event in Cincinnati.Hobart lapsed into a coma after a series of massive strokes in December 2010. Complications resulted in Hobart's death at a Dayton hospice on January 14, 2011. He was 69 years old.