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On
January 1, 2024, Skal and Postawko were involved in a traffic collision in Los Angeles, when a vehicle crossed into their lane and struck their car; Postawko survived for several weeks before complications set in and he succumbed on February 6; Skal died in the crash at the age of 71.
143:(June 21, 1952 – January 1, 2024) was an American cultural historian, critic, writer, and on-camera commentator known for his research and analysis of horror films, horror history and horror culture.
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argued that some of Skal's arguments were "pretty far-fetched", but added that, as a whole, the book "offers persuasive evidence that in order to understand a culture, you must know what it fears".
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called it "witty and comprehensive", and quipped that it was "something to gnaw on long after those trick-or-treaters are gone". Writing in 2004, David Colton of
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159:, where he worked as a film critic and assistant editor for the college's newspaper. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1974. After graduation, he
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257:. In this book, Skal analyzes the history of horror films, drawing parallels between those films and the cultural crises of their times, such as
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noted that the book had "become one of the field's essential reads" and had " the standards for horror researchers".
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Martin F. Norden. "Dark
Carnival: The Secret World of Tod Browning, Hollywood's Master of the Macabre".
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to protect the rights to her husband's work. The book also contains the first in-depth study of a
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succeeds in resurrecting the reputation of one of
Hollywood's long-buried eccentrics."
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Skal lived in Los
Angeles, and was in a long term relationship with Robert Postawko.
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283:"the perfect intellectual primer for a Halloween weekend". Stefan Dziemianowicz of
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was the first book-length biography of Tod
Browning, best known for directing
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of New York. During the 1980s, Skal completed three science fiction novels:
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Hollywood Gothic: The
Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen
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674:. Gale. September 27, 2005. Retrieved from GaleNet on October 25, 2008.
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Gary
Houston. "Inside the macabre mind of filmmaker Tod Browning".
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M.L. Lyke. "Grave matters: fascination with monsters is undying".
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David Colton. "Horror historians: They can get carried away".
641:"David J. Skal, Scholar Who Took Horror Seriously, Dies at 71"
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Jules Verne & Walt Disney: Explorers of the
Imagination
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In 1993, Skal released his second non-fiction book, titled
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The World of Gods and
Monsters: A Journey with James Whale
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Monster by
Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
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Carla Laemmle Remembers: An Interview with David J. Skal
345:
V Is for Vampire: The A to Z Guide to Everything Undead
354:
Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween
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The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction people
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Steven E. Alford. "Filming Hollywood's nightmares".
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Kenneth Turan. "Hollywood Gothic by David J. Skal".
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The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
748:Stefan Dziemianowicz. "The thrill of the chill".
349:Screams of Reason: Mad Science and Modern Culture
206:. This book discusses the various adaptations of
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536:She's Alive! Creating the Bride of Frankenstein
584:Back to the Black Lagoon: A Creature Chronicle
578:Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Monsters!
255:The Monster Show: A Cultural History of Horror
155:, on June 21, 1952. He studied journalism at
572:Now You See Him: The Invisible Man Revealed!
806:The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
542:Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
486:Skal appeared in the 2008 documentary film
390:The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
387:Skal regularly contributed film reviews to
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167:and became the publicity director for the
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894:"Review: The Phantom Of The Opera (1943)"
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776:Journal of Popular Film & Television
696:Kathleen Quinn. "Fangs for the memory".
343:Skal's other major publications include
202:Skal's first nonfiction work was 1990's
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560:In Search of History: The Real Dracula
323:Journal of Popular Film and Television
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961:, with 18 library catalog records
950:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
868:"Review: Phantom Of The Opera (1943)"
468:Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
364:(2008). Skal also co-edited the 1997
778:. Winter 1997. Vol. 24, Iss. 4. 187.
374:Vampires: Encounters with the Undead
330:directors". Steven E. Alford of the
224:produced in 1931. Kathleen Quinn of
16:American cultural critic (1952–2024)
713:. October 28, 1990. Book Review, 6.
661:
590:The Universe According to Universal
566:The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked
302:, Hollywood's Master of the Macabre
298:Dark Carnival: The Secret World of
174:Skal later held positions with the
13:
1055:Road incident deaths in California
1045:People from Garfield Heights, Ohio
1005:21st-century American LGBTQ people
995:20th-century American male writers
848:. Locus Magazine. January 12, 2024
802:"Films/Television — David J. Skal"
638:Gabriel, Trip (January 26, 2024).
14:
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990:20th-century American biographers
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687:. Greenwood Publishing, 1997. 42.
423:for a number of films, including
401:Skal made several appearances in
384:, was published in October 2016.
1035:American science fiction writers
499:, the cultural impact of iconic
372:and compiled the 2001 anthology
1000:20th-century American novelists
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165:National Endowment for the Arts
820:"Interview with David J. Skal"
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474:Creature from the Black Lagoon
417:DVD supplemental documentaries
408:The 100 Scariest Movie Moments
86:National Endowment of the Arts
1:
896:. DVD Verdict. Archived from
765:. October 29, 1995. Books, 9.
615:
396:
222:Spanish-language Dracula film
176:American Conservatory Theater
146:
72:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
870:. DVD Review. Archived from
492:in which he discusses, as a
489:Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon
180:Theatre Communications Group
151:David John Skal was born in
98:Film critic/assistant editor
7:
846:"David J. Skal (1952–2024)"
672:Contemporary Authors Online
10:
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737:Seattle Post-Intelligencer
276:Seattle Post-Intelligencer
1025:American male biographers
700:. December 30, 1990. A15.
178:in San Francisco and the
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1015:American film historians
1010:American LGBTQ novelists
965:Facebook site (official)
726:. October 29, 2004. E10.
314:and the 1931 version of
1030:American male novelists
791:. November 5, 1995. 23.
739:. October 30, 1993. C1.
511:Personal life and death
413:The Perfect Scary Movie
366:Norton Critical Edition
292:Skal collaborated with
269:controversies, and the
1040:LGBTQ people from Ohio
382:Something in the Blood
153:Garfield Heights, Ohio
54:Garfield Heights, Ohio
752:. May 30, 1993. WBK8.
501:gay pornographic film
456:Bride of Frankenstein
109:on-camera commentator
1020:American gay writers
900:on December 16, 2012
959:Library of Congress
750:The Washington Post
685:Dracula in the Dark
683:James Craig Holte.
554:The Road to Dracula
403:television specials
376:. His biography of
286:The Washington Post
273:. M.L. Lyke of the
198:Non-fiction writing
698:The New York Times
647:The New York Times
421:audio commentaries
415:. He has produced
362:: An Actor's Voice
296:to produce 1995's
227:The New York Times
105:cultural historian
826:on March 22, 2016
789:Houston Chronicle
711:Los Angeles Times
670:"David J. Skal".
480:Gods and Monsters
450:The Invisible Man
368:of Bram Stoker's
333:Houston Chronicle
320:. Writing in the
241:Los Angeles Times
188:When We Were Good
138:
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125:horror literature
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925:Official website
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281:The Monster Show
232:Hollywood Gothic
171:Stage Company.
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497:cultural critic
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157:Ohio University
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141:David John Skal
134:Robert Postawko
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82:Ohio University
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65:January 1, 2024
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50:June 21, 1952
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25:David J. Skal
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19:
904:December 13,
902:. Retrieved
898:the original
888:
878:December 13,
876:. Retrieved
872:the original
862:
850:. Retrieved
840:
828:. Retrieved
824:the original
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477:(1954), and
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462:The Wolf Man
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448:
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432:Frankenstein
430:
424:
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388:
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360:Claude Rains
358:
357:(2002), and
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321:
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309:
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300:Tod Browning
297:
294:Elias Savada
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263:World War II
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190:(1981), and
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121:Horror films
67:(2024-01-01)
18:
985:2024 deaths
980:1952 births
852:January 13,
830:December 4,
653:January 26,
523:Filmography
378:Bram Stoker
336:remarked, "
267:thalidomide
259:World War I
208:Bram Stoker
92:Occupations
974:Categories
616:References
405:, such as
397:Other work
192:Antibodies
184:Scavengers
147:Early life
46:1952-06-21
724:USA Today
444:The Mummy
328:cult film
247:USA Today
163:with the
78:Education
483:(1998).
471:(1948),
465:(1941),
459:(1935),
453:(1933),
447:(1932),
441:(1932),
435:(1931),
429:(1931),
351:(1998),
347:(1996),
230:praised
218:Florence
194:(1988).
186:(1980),
169:Hartford
161:interned
948:at the
426:Dracula
419:and/or
370:Dracula
317:Dracula
279:called
238:of the
213:Dracula
131:Partner
610:(2004)
604:(2003)
598:(2003)
592:(2002)
586:(2000)
580:(2000)
574:(2000)
568:(2000)
562:(2000)
556:(1999)
550:(1999)
544:(1999)
538:(1999)
532:(1999)
438:Freaks
311:Freaks
265:, the
101:writer
56:, U.S.
503:star
941:IMDb
906:2012
880:2012
854:2024
832:2013
655:2024
411:and
62:Died
40:Born
957:at
939:at
494:gay
976::
804:.
663:^
644:.
624:^
507:.
393:.
380:,
304:.
261:,
123:,
84:,
908:.
882:.
856:.
834:.
808:.
657:.
48:)
44:(
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