I first discovered David J. Skal’s work when I was a youngin’ and I found a copy of HOLLYWOOD GOTHIC at one of my favorite bookstores of all time, Ben Franklin Books in the woo. The book looked at vampire lore and how it was depicted in pop culture. That book traveled with me all over the world during some tumultuous times– and it was like having a good friend nearby.
After that I picked up DRACULA; THE ULTIMATE ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THE VAMPIRE PLAY, THE MONSTER SHOW and DEATH MAKES A HOLIDAY which gave us a look at how Halloween became the juggernaut of a holiday that it’s become.
He has a few more titles, and I even got to have several email conversations with David over the years, both of us being authors and devotees of classic horror films gave us a connection. I never met him but I considered him a friend.
He was killed in a automobile accident on New Years Day 2024 and has been sorely missed by both me and many other classic horror fans.
RIP David. I hope the other side welcomed you with open arms.
It's Andy Fish! 
Leave a comment