Harry Houdini March 24, 1874 -- October 31, 1926

The Great Houdini

Remembering the great showman, magician, escapologist, foe of phony spiritualists and mediums, and the first man to fly across Australia!--on this, the 137th anniversary of his birth.

CARTOONARAMA: W.C. FIELDS

"W.C. Fields" (2010) by Mark Redfield. Acrylic on canvas board. 16x20.

This cartoon is one of my "blotter pieces", meaning that when I'm painting and have paint I've mixed left over, I'll use it up without any plan or thought.

I started with just round shapes and swirls, and somehow what decided to manifest itself was this caricature of the great comedian!

-Mark Redfield

9th ANNUAL RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS

It's the last week to vote in the fun and fan-driven RONDO HATTON AWARDS. Click the link below, follow the simple directions and email your vote before the Saturday, March 27th deadline! You don't have to vote in every category, just the ones you know or feel strongly about.


This year I'm honored to have been nominated in the BEST INTERVIEW (#13 on the ballot) category for my talk with Hammer Films star Veronica Carlson (which you can read here at An Actor's Notebook).

Veronica Carlson and Simon Ward in "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed"

I'm also pleased-as-punch to be "nominated by association" with the noms for Larry Blamire's movie DARK AND STORMY NIGHT (in Best Indie Film category) and the live performance of Ted Newsom's TOO MANY CREEPS at the 2010 Monsterpalooza show (in Best Live Fan Event).

The Cast of "Dark and Stormy Night"

DARK AND STORMY NIGHT, the latest Blamire comedy, was released on DVD in 2010 after traveling the globe playing theatrical and festival dates. The murder-mystery-old-dark-house romp has a great cast, and I was lucky to be included among the stellar talents of Dan Roebuck, James Karen, Brian Howe, Fay Masterson, Jennifer Blaire and so many others!

TOO MANY CREEPS was performed live in a truncated form for an audience at Monsterpalooza last year. I had the cool opportunity to voice Boris Karloff in this, acting along side Brinke Stevens, Perry Shields, Frank Dietz, David Skal and David J. Schow!

I've already voted (in fact, I cast my ballot an hour after the nominations were announced!) but if you vote, I'd like to urge you to look at my favorite horror-related blog FRANKENSTEINIA and consider voting for it this year in the "Best Blog" category.

I've been following this fascinating "Everything-Frankenstein-Under-The-Sun" blog almost since it's debut on the web, and this labor of love from Pierre Fournier just can't be beat for information regarding Mary Shelly's towering and influential creation.

Karloff as The Monster

FRANKENSTEINIA is now a virtual encyclopedia of all thing Frankensteinian, and is always outstanding and entertaining. Pierre has done a marvelous job, and continues to make it fresh and exciting on a weekly basis.

That's my simple but heartfelt endorsement. I love Frankensteinia and would so like it to win this year!

Thanks for you consideration and votes! Here's to Rondo 2011!

-Mark Redfield

The Rondo Awards are HERE.

Frankensteinia is HERE.

3rd ANNUAL POE WINE TASTING EVENT AT WESTMINSTER HALL IN BALTIMORE

3RD ANNUAL THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO WINE TASTING AMONG THE BONES

Join us on Saturday, March 12, 2011 from noon to 4PM at Westminster Hall in Baltimore of our 3rd Annual CASK OF AMONTILLADO WINE TASTING AMONG THE BONES!

CONTINUOUS ENTERTAINMENT through-out the day while you sample great wines from WOODHALL WINE CELLARS! Also returning this year is Baltimore’s popular RAVEN BEER!

LEARN ABOUT THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WINES!The ever-popular LAURIE FORSTER,THE WINE COACH returns to give a spirited talk on wines, and Poe House favorites DAVID KELTZ and TONY TSENDEAS will be LIVE performing selections from Poe’s poems and stories!

THE DROP THREE COMEDY IMPROV TROUPE will be presented for the first time at this event, performing multiple times through-out the day. DROP THREE plucks THE RAVEN, drains A KEG OF ARMADILLOES, and patently parodies Poe with love and laughter!

BRING YOUR CAMERA and have your picture taken with POE, or with your host MONTRESSOR, with YOU dressed as FORTUNATO, or BOTH!

MARK REDFIELD will be showing new POE-INSPIRED ART with new drawings, cartoons and painting for sale! And rounding out the festival atmosphere will be a return engagement of SADIRA, brought back by popular demand because YOU asked for her, with her exciting display of ORIENTAL DANSI—it’s educational AND entertaining! SADIRA will also offering fortune-telling sessions, along with THE MYSTERIOUS MYKITA, who see’s all and tells all!

DATE AND TICKET INFO: Saturday, March 12, Noon to 4PM. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for “designated drivers”, at the door. Cash and checks accepted. Sorry we CANNOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS. Admission includes 3 wine samples and all entertainment. Additional wine samples may be purchased. Children under ten not admitted.

Come for the wine and the friends! Stay all day for the entertainment!

More info and directions HERE!