{"id":2108112,"date":"2025-10-22T12:28:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T12:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2108112"},"modified":"2025-10-22T12:28:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T12:28:26","slug":"dr-paul-bearer-tampa-bays-horrible-horror-host-is-back-from-the-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/dr-paul-bearer-tampa-bays-horrible-horror-host-is-back-from-the-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Paul Bearer, Tampa Bay\u2019s horrible horror host, is back from the dead"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Every Saturday afternoon for 22 years, Dr. Paul Bearer plopped down in the \u201cuneasy chair\u201d of his \u201cun-living room\u201d to host a show called \u201cCreature Feature.\u201d On television screens across Tampa Bay, he raised a blocky eyebrow and rattled off the worst puns you\u2019d ever heard in between scenes of the worst movie you\u2019d ever seen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When he wasn\u2019t the horror host on Channel 44, breaking up screenings of old films with commentary and skits, Dr. Paul Bearer was driving to bingo halls, shopping malls and parades in his 1961 \u201cCardiac Corpse De Ville\u201d hearse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He served as the \u201cworst man\u201d at a Halloween wedding. He recruited a \u201cTampa Tri-bone\u201d reporter to help him judge his annual invisible woman bikini contest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On Saturdays, he\u2019d be back onscreen to mock another movie and groan his catchphrase: \u201cI\u2019ll be lurking for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Dick Bennick, the man behind the greased hair and gravelly voice, died 30 years ago in Lakeland. Florida\u2019s \u201cmassacre of scareimonies\u201d reigned as one of the longest continuous horror hosts in the country, with peers like <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FXPO_2-rBrk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:voluptuous valley girl Elvira;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">voluptuous valley girl Elvira<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5NnSN-yMNWc&amp;list=RD5NnSN-yMNWc&amp;start_radio=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Chicago hippie Svengoolie;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Chicago hippie Svengoolie<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When Bennick\u2019s life ended, so did \u201cCreature Feature.\u201d But the memory of his iconic character has lived oninFlorida\u2019s collective consciousness since, lovingly haunting the fans who miss his ghoulish charm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Good thing the \u201cbad doctor\u201d has been reincarnated.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Twenty years after Bennick died, Michelle LaRose was approached at an Orlando pop culture convention by a man with wild eyebrows.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Black makeup shadowed his beard and eyes. A severe middle part ran through his slicked hair. The man under the costume was an appliance parts salesman namedRichard Koon. He introduced himself, with a throaty cackle, as Dr. Paul Bearer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI did not know who Dr. Paul Bearer was. I\u2019m from Michigan, and we had <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tampabay.com\/arc\/outboundfeeds\/tbtrss\/excludes\/youtube.com\/watch?time_continue=1&amp;v=RvsO2-h8Hx0&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fsca_esv%3D4dcf95639e6c46b2%26sxsrf%3DAE3TifMxz3eXNRS3k6pw7yxuXhdN-4gIjA%3A1761081430449%26udm%3D7%26fbs%3DAIIjpHxU&amp;source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Sir Graves Ghastly;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Sir Graves Ghastly<\/a>,\u201d said LaRose, who had traveled from St. Petersburg to attend the event with her friend, actor Butch Patrick of \u201cThe Munsters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cA couple months went by, and I get a friend request on Facebook from Richard, and I\u2019m like, \u2018Who is this guy?\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cBut I looked at his teeth, and I went, \u2018Uh huh. I know who this is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She offered to redo Koon\u2019s website. He asked LaRose if she would film him as Dr. Paul. Despite his macabre appearance, LaRose was intrigued.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/x5ShBjiprl.ol5EhQZKr0A--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/tampa_bay_times_articles_917\/9ccfd6273cc94d9fb5299cedc7466612\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Like the man behind the first Dr. Paul, Koon is a Winter Haven resident named Richard. He adores anything Halloween, especially toilet-papered yards and the smell of burning pumpkin \u2014 specifically, from a real candle inside a jack-o\u2019-lantern.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As a kid, Koon especially loved trick-or-treating at the home of a doctor in his neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cHe\u2019d always wear this suit and play like he was Dracula, and he\u2019d bite his wife,\u201d remembered Koon, now 57. \u201cShe dropped to the floor slowly, and he\u2019d say, \u2018Come on in for some candy. Just step over the body.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On weekends, Koon\u2019s sister Beth sprinted to the television to turn on \u201cCreature Feature.\u201d He got hooked after seeing Dr. Paul Bearer bop to \u201cMonster Mash\u201d with a headless go-go dancer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He finally met his idol when he was 13 andvisiting his father at work. Koon\u2019s dad was Bennick\u2019s real-life doctor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Koon told the actor he looked funny without the Dr. Paul makeup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWell, you look funny without yours, too,\u201d Bennick replied.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/ckCab2uOj6sPBn_sMk9arg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/tampa_bay_times_articles_917\/8aebc0af2869e98f7bcc0fe2cfb0f34a\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Decades later, in 2009, Koon attended downtown Winter Haven\u2019s Ghoul\u2019s Night Out festival. At his wife\u2019s suggestion, he dressed as Dr. Paul Bearer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Koon constructed a replica of Tenement Castle, where the \u201cCreature Feature\u201d segments took place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe line to come into the tent went down and around. It was all the way down to the next block,\u201d Koon said. \u201cMy sister kept saying, \u2018You gotta hurry up! People are waiting.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cIs that Dr. Paul Bearer?\u201d parents asked one another as he walked down the street.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">One woman grabbed his arm and asked if he was Bennick\u2019s son. She hoped the show was coming back so she could show her children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cAnd yeah, my head swelled,\u201d Koon said. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. It swelled a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He made a Facebook page for Dr. Paul Bearer, his version, several months later. A friend of a friend who owned a funeral home found him a baby blue Lincoln hearse for $500.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Koon painted it black.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Before Dr. Paul Bearer, there was Count Shockula.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Bennick designed the character in the mid-1960s for aTV show called Shock Theater. Then working at a station in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he squeezed into a white skull cap and popped in fake teeth. The look, according to author and film historian Ed Tucker, was \u201ckind of like a human skeleton in a tuxedo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Bennick quickly realized his character was terrible. And not in a charming, roguish way. Viewers just didn\u2019t care.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWhen nobody calls and nobody is talking about you and nobody says anything, you know you\u2019re in trouble,\u201d he <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crazedfanboy.com\/spotlight\/drpaulbearer.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:told Tucker during an interview;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">told Tucker during an interview<\/a> in the 1990s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Bennick decided to kill Count Shockula on air. The murderer would be his replacement: Dr. Paul Bearer.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/M9I9oqLm8L9lJCHXsriLbA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/tampa_bay_times_articles_917\/980c128967b630450f825f266ed7bd68\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Bennick owned every issue of \u201cFamous Monsters\u201d magazine, so he flipped through the pages and stole pieces of various characters, Tucker said. Dr. Paul\u2019s beard was inspired by a Vincent Price movie character; the middle part, from a New York horror host namedJohn Zacherle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe voice came from the fact that I am not very good on dialects. I was the No. 1 disc jockey at the time in North Carolina and so I thought I should disguise my voice for the character,\u201d he told Tucker. \u201cI stumbled on this reverse falsetto, which is an octave below instead of an octave higher.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The finishing touch: a scar on his face.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If a child asked Bennick how he got it, he\u2019d say: \u201cFrom a used scar lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">If an adult questioned it? \u201cI tell them, \u2018I got it in the war,\u2019 and then they always ask me, \u2018Which war?\u2019 and I say, \u2018In the boud-oir.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Dr. Paul Bearer was a hit for nearly seven years in North Carolina. Bennick brought the character and props with him when he moved to Florida. Every few months, he drove from Winter Haven to St. Petersburg to film \u201cCreature Feature\u201d segments for Channel 44.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cHe wasn\u2019t our host,\u201d Tucker said. \u201cHe was a person that stopped by your house once a week and you watched a movie together.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/WnVRAPAU.dhgqnu6P9VzHA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/tampa_bay_times_articles_917\/4c79f47d4e0a4a50396a139537991ca5\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Tucker, 58, spent his childhood Saturdays in Ocala watching as many \u201cCreature Features\u201d as he could.He especially loved the props. Bennick stalked supermarket aisles to find products to parody, painstakingly cutting and gluing together scraps to make boxes of \u201cChicken McMaggots,\u201d cans of \u201cBud Frite\u201d and editions of \u201cThe Bleeders Digest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cTo a young kid, he seemed very subversive,\u201d Tucker said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/gt4z7EK1nuf2u_oc_GbGYw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/tampa_bay_times_articles_917\/31b77676b9b49f2a528062e9e9b27fee\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Sandra Freedman, then the mayor of Tampa, deemed Oct. 30, 1993, Dr. Paul Bearer Day. The proclamation said Bennick \u201chosted over 1,000 horrible old movies, which have terrorized three generations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When Bennick died in February 1995, following open heart surgery in Lakeland, he\u2019d filmed enough new episodes to last through that April. According to the TampaTribune, Bennick\u2019s family didn\u2019t want the station to air them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Bennick always wanted Dr. Paul Bearer to go national. But when he passed, his show ended too.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/nZGfiaUiHgimsdtPbuHe4g--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/tampa_bay_times_articles_917\/344888f63f9b02ec80681f98db50909e\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In between LaRose\u2019s shifts as a limo driver in St. Petersburg, she directs, films and edits videos of Koon\u2019s Dr. Paul Bearer. A longtime concert photographer, she also shoots promotional photographs and tends to his website and merchandise. Even though they live 90 minutes apart, they talk on the phone every day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cIf I\u2019m not working, when my eyes are open, I\u2019m Dr. Paul-ing it,\u201d she said. \u201cOh, and I am Dr. Paul-ing it at work too, because when I\u2019m driving, there\u2019s downtime. I\u2019m writing scripts. I\u2019m working on his socials, you know, the LinkedIn and the Facebook.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When she met Koon in 2015, several years after his Winter Haven debut, he was working with Channel 44 to bring back \u201cCreature Feature.\u201d He filmed eight episodes, but the CBS-owned station struggled to secure rights to classic horror movies from the 1930s through the \u201870s. Koon lost his time slot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThey wanted to run sports packages, and if they weren\u2019t doing any sports, they wanted to run four hours of \u2018Pawn Stars,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Koon and LaRose would have to reincarnate Dr. Paul Bearer on their own.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">They worked together to film videos and organize public appearances \u2014 until the pandemic. LaRose couldn\u2019t quit her limo job, and Koon\u2019s wife didn\u2019t want himto catch COVID-19 and bring it into the house.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Plus, Koon said, \u201cI didn\u2019t think it\u2019d be fun to represent death, even if it was in a comical way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As the pandemicfizzled out, Koon tried to film a few TVsegments on his own. It just wasn\u2019t the same without his partner.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI hated every minute apart,\u201d LaRose said. \u201cWe have to be together in order for Dr. Paul to be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/MibsYum9DPOErNYJn1dG1g--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/tampa_bay_times_articles_917\/4bbae3b6f9a57c638873a58afaa7ef42\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every Saturday afternoon for 22 years, Dr. Paul Bearer plopped down in the \u201cuneasy chair\u201d of his \u201cun-living room\u201d to host a show called \u201cCreature Feature.\u201d On television screens across Tampa Bay, he raised a blocky eyebrow and rattled off the worst puns you\u2019d ever heard in between scenes of the worst movie you\u2019d ever [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2108113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[399102,399103,399100,399104,399101],"class_list":["post-2108112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-creature-feature","tag-dick-bennick","tag-dr-paul-bearer","tag-michelle-larose","tag-richard-koon"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Dr-Paul-Bearer-Tampa-Bays-horrible-horror-host-is-back.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2108112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2108112"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2108112\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2108114,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2108112\/revisions\/2108114"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2108113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2108112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2108112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2108112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}