Dr. Gangrene's Creature Feature

In the grand tradition of horror-hosts from the golden age of TV horror, Tennessee's Creature Feature is hosted by Dr. Gangrene, Physician of Fright and certified madman! Broadcasting from mysterious Shackle Island, Dr. Gangrene has been on the air with Chiller Cinema since 1999 in various incarnations gathering national awards and honors ever since. He's on WB58 out of Nashville featuring full length movies few hosts have a chance to show, but you can catch his live shows at conventions and various venues as well.

To find Dr. Gangrene's beginnings you actually have to go back a few years prior to the beginning of the show to a comic book company called Out of the Cellar Comics, later to be renamed Volunteer Comics.  This independent comic company was run by Larry Underwood and Chuck Angell, who had met and collaborated on a number of projects over the previous 5 years.  Eventually the two decided they'd had enough of the publishing business and called it quits.  

Burning the midnight oil, Dr. Gangrene has taken it upon himself to revive the tradition of the good-natured, but dangerous experimentation in the name of science.

Larry moved to Hendersonville, TN and met a neighbor who produced a weekly cable access TV program.  That's when the idea of hosting a regular horror program first struck him. "I thought it was about time Nashville had another horror host," Larry said. "Sir Cecil Creape was huge in the early seventies . . . his show was awesome.  I didn't get to watch it too often, since it was on past my bedtime, but every now and then I would catch it, and it had quite an impact on me." 

Larry called his partner Chuck and announced he knew what they were doing next.  "A cable access TV show," he announced.  After talking it over for a bit Chuck agreed to jump onboard.  It was a partnership that worked as well as the duo had in comics; Chuck preferred to stay behind the camera and direct the scenes, Larry wanted to become the next Sir Cecil Creape.  And so our story begins.

When Gangrene's show began, Chiller Cinema was just a half -hour cable tribute show with a few 90 minute movies thrown in here and there.  But even then, it was easy to see why Gear Magazine rated Chiller Cinema the #11 public access show in the country and John Skerchock, author of The Zacherley Scrapbook  said "If I ever had to pick a replacement for Zacherley (and let's hope that never happens), I would have to say it's Dr. Gangrene . . ."

Certainly, he would be a fitting one!  Gangrene poses by day as the unassuming Larry Underwood, but in his television persona, Gangrene bubbles with enthusiasm for science the way it used to be--MAD!  Strange experiments and unpredictable results, crazy ideas and madcap plans, world domination just for the heck of it . . . that's what it is all about.  Dr. Gangrene has never forgotten how to be a kid or the special joys of a creepy movie.

Larry chose the name Dr. Gangrene as a word play off a character on the hit tv show, ER. At the time he was getting stopped quite regularly by strangers and told “you look just like that guy on ER” (Anthony Edwards who plays Dr. Green).  It's a kind of twisted version of Dr. Green, much as Dr. Gangrene is a twisted version of a physician.

But what about Monique . . . er, Moan-eek . . . Gangrene's sidekick.

Well naturally, the doctor had a rich uncle named Mortimer.  But the Great Pumpkin Famine of 1812 wiped out the family fortune.  However, one bright spot remained--Moan-eek, the able bodied and willing assistant every mad scientist needs to manage the dungeon and give shots to monsters.  That is, when she's not rockin'.

So where do monsters go when they need medical treatment?  Today, the "good" (?) doctor supplies his brand of medicine on WB58 in Nashville.  He runs a truly fascinating show that is a combination of B movies, horror history, creepy happenings, personal appearances, independent films, mad science and rock and roll.  Just checking out the show one time will demonstrate why Dr. Gangrene has a rabid fan base.

His road show is tremendous too.  For three years now, he has been the live host for WonderFest's movie event in the convention hotel, with his aforementioned assistant Nurse Moan-eek and a few very special guests.  In 2006, Gangrene showed the Vincent Price "shocker," THE TINGLER, which left a nasty scar on Bob Burn's back. 

Dr. Gangrene put on a great show:  "We had help once again from our special guest, the incredible Bob Burns," reports the good doctor, "and this time the amazingly talented John Goodwin helped out as fellow mad scientist Princent Vice.  Turns out Bob Burns had, unknown to him all this time, an actual Tingler living inside him, and we had to perform immediate surgery to keep him alive."  By the end of the evening, fans were holding off a giant, mutated 10 foot Tingler with screams and laughter.

He also does numerous live appearances around the Shackle Island region, hosting movies and concerts for enthusiastic crowds, so if you live in Tennessee, check out his website for local apparitions. 

You see, Dr. Gangrene is also the number one emissary for creepy rock and roll, having a close relationship with The Creeping Cruds and The Exotic Ones.  Horror punk and spookabilly rock the Shackle Island on a regular basis.  And, as if that were not enough, Gangrene is down with the indie and the very-indie film scene, with his Unlucky Thirteen contest, allowing would-be film makers to hit the airwaves with their own creations.

Dr. Gangrene has carved his way into Nashville, Tennessee's local tv history with a rusty scalpel and and a "sure-let's-try-that" attitude.  With legends like Dr. Lucifer and Sir Cecil Creepe, that ain't easy folks.  To hang with Dr. Gangrene, join his message boards and check out his website that won the 4th annual Rondo award for being the best horror site on the net. 

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