This article is from Rivet #5, published sometime in 1994, written by Stacey Case with Billy Van photos by Dave Cremasco, one of the camera operators on the Hilarious House of Frightenstein show. It was written with no editing on a manual typewriter. This reprint is timely -- Joe Torbay, the puppeteer of the show (Gronk, Harvey Wallbanger, Grammar Bammer Slammer) passed away last Wednesday in Kitchener. Billy Van died of esophageal cancer at age 68 on January 8, 2003 in Toronto. Additional photos courtesy of Fingers.
So after I finished the article, banged out on a manual typewriter with no editing - pre-computers, kids! - I figured I’d better send a copy or two to Billy. Imagine my surprise when I went to check my Money Mart rental mailbox a week later, and this letter was waiting for me! I remember the day like it was yesterday - it was raining outside, and like a dope, I ripped the envelope open and went out in the rain to read what was inside. The ink began to run from the rain - see the smudges? Billy was so damn classy, you just KNOW he used a legit, old-school fountain pen when writing letters... but I was so excited, I didn’t care about rain on the letter. I prefer to think of them as smudges from my tears. Tears Of Happiness, from receiving such an amazing piece of correspondence from one of my childhood idols. Bless you, Billy Van. Rest In Peace. -- Stacey Case
RIGHT: Joe Torbay and Dave Cremasco with Mongrel friends Fingers and Drea.
THE HILARIOUS HOUSE OF FRIGHTENSTEIN AIRS ON SPACE (Canada’s 24-hour Sci Fic network) EVERY NIGHT (!!!) AT 3 A.M. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BETTER THAN WATCHING THE GRAMMER SLAMMER BAMMER WHEN YOU COME HOME STONED AFTER A GIG.