Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / HorrorHost

Go To

1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/HorrorHostCryptKeeper_3421.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:The Crypt Keeper, hawking Creator/ECComics' wares.]]
3
4->''"AHAHAHHA! The doctor is in! It's your ghost host, with the most! It's Dr. Wolfenstein!"''
5-->-- '''Dr. Wolfenstein''', ''Film/HouseOf1000Corpses''
6
7The Horror Host is a {{narrator}} who presents harrowing tales to his audience. This eerie character first appeared on radio serials, creating continuity between otherwise unrelated stories. Horror Hosts then spread to horror comics, most notably Creator/ECComics titles like ''ComicBook/TalesFromTheCrypt''. Soon these Hosts appeared in movies, and then television.
8
9During the [[TheFifties 1950s]] and [[TheSixties 1960s]], a horde of Horror Hosts haunted television viewers across North America. There were hundreds of local presenters on low-budget shows based around cheap [[BMovie B-Movies]]. Sometimes, the host trope was used to tie together otherwise unrelated material into a single episode for broadcast. By the [[TheEighties 1980s]], the genre had nearly died out completely -- possibly due in part to changing audience tastes, but more likely due to general cost-cutting that resulted in the end of ''most'' locally-produced non-news programming in favor of syndicated fare. While not as popular as it once was, by [[TurnOfTheMillennium the late Aughties]] and TheNewTens Horror Hosts have made a comeback in the form of {{Video Review Show}}s, {{Caustic Critic}}s who talk about their favorite horror movies in honor of the Creator/{{Rod Serling}}s and Creator/{{Elvira|MistressOfTheDark}}s of their childhood.
10
11The Horror Host often takes a sadistic glee in the events of the story, and cannot resist making the implication that the reader might meet a similarly dire fate. He may become an InteractiveNarrator, but is usually content to stay at home, whether it be a tomb, a featureless void hung with paintings, or a broom closet with a cardboard coffin. The Horror Host may be grotesque in some manner, possibly with a backstory of his or her own, but ultimately most Horror Hosts are presenters, not protagonists. Their personalities are revealed in various skits, often featuring BlackComedy, morbid props, and puns. These asides usually comment on the themes and morals featured in the episode, making this an example of a FramingDevice.
12
13Instead of a NightmareFuelStationAttendant, the presenter may be TheStoic, and remain aloof. The one thing the presenter (usually) ''won't'' be is scared.
14
15In a Live Action TV context, the Horror Host is often the mock-sinister antithesis of the ExcitedKidsShowHost. More recently, this character has been fictionalized, appearing as a 'type' in films and movies, or being parodied by characters within a show, often as the introduction to a HalloweenEpisode.
16
17Talkative cousin to the MetalBandMascot.
18
19----
20!!Examples
21
22[[foldercontrol]]
23
24[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
25* The unnamed curator of the Black Museum, a museum that holds memorabilia of peculiar Scotland Yard cases, in the short-lived manga ''Manga/TheBlackMuseum'' introduces the stories, although it's always a guest of hers that tells the actual story.
26* ''Franchise/GakkouNoKaidan (Anime Video Joukan)'' has eight hosts to present the segments. They are Hanako of the Toilet, the Ninomiya Kinjiro statue, a jinmenken, the kuchisake-onna, an anatomy model, Beethoven's portrait, an undead rabbit, and a triple-piece totem.
27* ''Manga/TheLaughingSalesman'' is a anthology about Fukuzou Moguro, a TravelingSalesman who grants [[DealWithTheDevil wishes]] to his [[VictimOfTheWeek clients]]. Since he's a JackassGenie, this rarely works out well. He also gives a opening narration of who he is and a closing narration in which he makes silly jokes about his clients in a very horror host kind of way.
28* ''Orochi: Blood'' by Kazuo Umezu deals with both psychological and supernatural horror. Each tale is told from the perspective of the ever-observing Orochi, a woman with seemingly eternal youth and supernatural powers.
29* ''Manga/TheOuterZone'' Manga by Mitsuhara Shin. A ''Twilight Zone''/''Outer Limits''-esque romp through the occult and supernatural led by your elven-eared hostess, Misery.
30* ''Anime/ThrillerRestaurant'' has a number of horror hosts. The main one is the Ghastly Garçon, who is responsible for the episode as a whole, while another employee of his arranges the menu each episode.
31* The stories of ''Manga/ZekkyouGakkyuu'' are narrated by Yomi, a teke-teke.
32[[/folder]]
33
34[[folder:Audio Drama]]
35* In the AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho audio drama ''[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho142TheDemonsOfRedLodge The Demons of Red Lodge and Other Stories]]'', the final story, ''Special Features'', is set during the recording of the comentary track for the DVD of an AnthologyFilm. The movie is apparently linked by a character named Dr Demonic, and the actor who plays him also has a significant, but not starring, role in each of the segments.
36[[/folder]]
37
38[[folder:Comic Books]]
39* The UrExample in comics wasn't technically horror. The pioneering crime comic series ''ComicBook/CrimeDoesNotPay'' featured a character called "Mr. Crime", a ghoulish spectre in a "CRIME"-emblazoned top hat who sometimes acted as a gloating narrator for the stories, and sometimes directly intervened to tempt the villains to worse acts.
40* Creator/ECComics was probably the TropeMaker, at least for comic books:
41** The Crypt-Keeper in ''Tales from the Crypt'' (and its LiveActionAdaptation ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' and its AnimatedAdaptation ''WesternAnimation/TalesFromTheCryptKeeper''.)
42** The Vault-Keeper in ''Vault of Horror''.
43** The Old Witch in ''The Haunt of Fear''
44** Drusilla, the silent but beautiful "lost [=GhouLunatic=]" who co-hosted ''Vault of Horror'' alongside The Vault-Keeper for the last four issues of its run.
45* Examples from Creator/DCComics, most of whom went on to be supporting characters in ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'':
46** CainAndAbel in ''ComicBook/HouseOfMystery'' and ''House of Secrets''
47** Lucien in ''Tales of Ghost Castle''
48** Destiny in ''Weird Mystery Tales''
49** Cynthia, Mildred, and Mordred, [[TheHecateSisters The Three Witches]], in ''The Witching Hour''
50** Eve in ''Secrets of Sinister House'' and later ''Weird Mystery Tales''
51** The Mad Mod Witch in ''The Unexpected'', who cameo'd in ''The Sandman'' as "the Fashion Thing".
52** Judge Quentin Gallows in ''The Unexpected'' (who ''wasn't'' used by Creator/NeilGaiman, but did appear as an antagonist in a Len Wein story within the SpinOff series, ''The Dreaming'')
53** [[FortuneTeller Charity]] in ''Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion'' (who also wasn't used by Gaiman, but did go on to appear in James Robinson's ''ComicBook/{{Starman}}'')
54** Creator/ElviraMistressOfTheDark (see below) was the licensed host of ''House of Mystery'' in TheEighties (no, she didn't appear in ''The Sandman'' either, though she was obliquely referred to in one Creator/AlanMoore ''ComicBook/SwampThing'' story featuring Cain and Abel.)
55** Death (not to be confused with Dream's sister from ''The Sandman'') hosted ''Weird War Tales'', usually in the form of a skeletal soldier or TheGrimReaper.
56** Squire Shade, who briefly hosted ''Ghosts'', was visually identical to the DC supervillain known as the Gentleman Ghost.
57** [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] himself played this role in ''ComicBook/JokersAsylum'', though the stories, eerie or not, were more crime than horror based (since they consisted of the Clown Prince of Crime giving accounts of events experienced by himself and his fellow members of Batman's rogues gallery).
58** ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueDark'' vol 2 #7, "Tales from the Otherkind", is an anthology, with Man-Bat telling the reader four stories from his files about members of the team battling the Otherkind, and getting increasingly worried himself and wondering if he should burn the stories instead of reading them since he's not sure he remembers writing them all up. [[spoiler: It turns out the Upside-Down Man is writing them when he's asleep because the Otherkind feed on belief and fear]].
59** The tenth issue of the 2004 ''ComicBook/PlasticMan'' series, where Plas and Agent Morgan take in Edwina after confronting the teenager's vampire stepfather, was presented to the reader by a cloaked figure calling himself the Cartoonist Wrangler.
60** ''ComicBook/TalesFromTheDarkMultiverse'' is an anthology series where every issue consists of a famous DC Comics storyline being retold in ways that involve the events being altered so the characters are subjected to horrific fates and things end in tragedy (the specific storylines covered being ''ComicBook/BatmanHush''[[note]]with elements taken from ''ComicBook/NightOfTheOwls''[[/note]], ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'', ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'', ''ComicBook/WarOfTheGods'', ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' [[note]]though more a darker take on a follow-up to ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' titled ''ComicBook/LastDaysOfTheJusticeSociety''[[/note]], ''ComicBook/TheJudasContract'', ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'', ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint|DCComics}}'' and ''ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal''). The one presenting these tales is Tempus Fuginaut, a cosmic being who scours the Dark Multiverse in vain hopes of finding a universe within where good triumphs.
61** ''ComicBook/DarkNightsDeathMetal'' had an anthology of more Dark Multiverse stories (albeit going their own direction rather than being darker rehashings of established DC storylines) in the tie-in one-shot ''The Multiverse Who Laughs'', which had the Robin King present the stories in a prologue titled "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Multiverse".
62** Creator/TangentComics (which consisted of recycling established names of DC Comics characters for widely different characters who had little in common with their namesakes) had its interpretation of Green Lantern consist of a mysterious woman with a magic lantern that can raise the dead. This Green Lantern serves as the narrator for two one-shots, the first having her tell three instances where she resurrected a deceased person to help them finish their UnfinishedBusiness and the second (titled ''Tales of the Green Lantern'') having her tell [[MultipleChoicePast three different possible origin stories of herself]].
63** The 16th issue of Keith Giffen's run on ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' began with a horror show spoof presented by a vampire named Count Suckula.
64** Every issue of the main ''Comicbook/KnightTerrors'' miniseries opens with Comicbook/{{Deadman}} introducing the story from a different location: the circus ring, a news studio, a theatre stage, and finally a Victorian study where he's been reading old horror comics.
65** Creator/GeoffJohns' run on ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' had a back-up feature titled "Tales of the Sinestro Corps" (the first three leading up to the ''ComicBook/SinestroCorpsWar'' arc, a fourth being featured as a back-up for the ''Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps'' special that began the arc and a fifth and final installment included as the back-up story for the ''Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime'' one-shot), where Sinestro Corps member Lyssa Drak read a story about a Sinestro Corps member from the Book of Parallax that entailed a particularly gruesome murder the Sinestro Corpsman committed and/or how they were recruited into the Sinestro Corps. The first three installments have her tell a newly recruited Amon Sur the stories of Despotellis, Karu-Sil and Bedovian, the fourth installment has her tell the audience [[UnreliableNarrator a considerably biased account]] of how Sinestro was disgraced and kicked out of the Green Lantern Corps and the fifth and final installment has Lyssa try to scare expecting Green Lantern couple Amnee and Matoo Pree by telling them the story of Sinestro Corps member Kryb and how she murders Green Lanterns who are parents to kidnap and brainwash their children.
66* Warren Publishing's black and white comics magazines had several:
67** Uncle Creepy in ''Magazine/CreepyMagazine''.
68** Cousin Eerie in ''Eerie''.
69** Vampirella served as the presenter of horror stories for the first eight issues of ''ComicBook/{{Vampirella}}'', after which she was reinvented as a lead character.
70* ''Creepy'' and ''Eerie'' have a SpiritualSuccessor in ''The Creeps'' whose Host is called The Old Creep. He in turn is succeeded by his sister Aunt Shudder hosting ''Shudder'' Magazine. There's also ''Vampiress Carmilla'' who's more or less an {{Expy}} of ComicBook/{{Vampirella}}.
71* Devilina was technically a horror host for her own comic in the spirit of Vampirella, but the amount of times she actually presented a story are few.
72* From Britain's ''[[ComicBook/TwoThousandAD 2000 AD]]'':
73** ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' character Judge Edwina Strange in "Judge Edwina's Strange Cases"
74** Henry Dubble in "Tales of the Black Museum"
75* ComicBook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch briefly served as an EC-style Horror Host in the 1972-1974 Creator/ArchieComics series ''Chilling Adventures in Sorcery As Told By Sabrina''. It was actually pretty strong stuff for [[MediaNotes/TheComicsCode Comics Code]]-approved material in its day, and especially for ComicBook/ArchieComics -- straight-up horror, albeit still drawn in the Archie house style.
76* The short-lived 1969-1970 magazine ''Web of Horror'' (published by Major Publications, best known for ''Magazine/{{Cracked}}'') was hosted by Webster the spider.
77* Creator/MarvelComics had a few:
78** Headstone P. Gravely (alongside his cohort, Roderick "Digger" Krupp) hosted stories in ''Tower of Shadows'' and ''Chamber of Darkness''. Digger would later be incorporated into the regular Marvel Universe, with it being explained that ''Tower of Shadows'' and ''Chamber of Darkness'' were in-universe TV shows that he acted in before going crazy and becoming a supervillain. He still ''talks'' like a horror host, at one point calling himself "the king of dead dad jokes".
79** None other than Creator/StanLee himself served as a "fill-in" host for Headstone P. Gravely [[http://seanhowe.tumblr.com/post/37987714069/smilin-stan-your-host-in-the-chamber-of for a story in ''Chamber of Darkness.'']]
80** ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, of all people, could be considered one, albeit only on a technicality. The last two issues of his Golden Age title [[NewSeasonNewName were retitled]] ''Captain America's Weird Tales'', because horror was selling and superheroes weren't. Cap didn't actually introduce any stories "on panel," though. In issue #74, he appeared in a regular Captain America story (albeit one with horror aspects, as he fought the Red Skull in, literally, Hell.) He didn't appear in #75 at all, except in the title.
81** ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'' has a brother named Victor who he desperately tried to save from death using every spell at his disposal. This turned him into a vampire, who killed himself to escape his bloodlust, but his soul lingered on in mirrors. There he can watch anything he wants but tends to focus on events involving monsters and other supernatural dangers. From behind the mirror he tells the stories he sees to an audience he isn't sure is there, having gone slightly insane with isolation and a desire for revenge against his brother, as seen in ''Strange Tales Infinity Comic'' and two ''Crypt of Shadows'' HalloweenEpisode one-shots.
82* Creator/GoldKeyComics had ''Grimm's Ghost Stories'' whose host was an old hag of a witch called Hephzibah Grimm.
83* Creator/CharltonComics had an especially large and colorful stable of Horror Hosts; there were so many that the 2014 ''Charlton Arrow'' zine had a two-page spread depicting them all hanging out at a gallery of their titles' covers[[note]]the EC Old Witch, Uncle Creepy, Cousin Eerie, and Cain and Abel are denied entry outside[[/note]]:
84** [[http://ripjaggerdojo.blogspot.com/2011/10/impys-haunted.html Impy the Imp,]] a tiny ghost in an all-white costume, hosted ''Haunted''.
85** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Many_Ghosts_of_Doctor_Graves Dr. M.T. Graves]] (usually just "Dr. Graves") hosted stories in several titles, including ''The Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves''. A heroic ghost hunter, Dr. Graves sometimes starred in stories of his own.
86** [[http://ripjaggerdojo.blogspot.com/2011/09/dashing-mrdedd.html Mr. I.M. Dedd]] of ''Ghostly Tales'', despite his horns and pale blue skin, was rather dashing and handsome by the standards of Horror Hosts.
87** [[http://ripjaggerdojo.blogspot.com/2011/05/red-white-bloody.html Baroness R.H. Von Bludd,]] a more mature {{expy}} of Comicbook/{{Vampirella}}, was a beautiful redhead vampire who hosted ''Scary Tales''.
88** Professor Cyrus Coffin hosted ''Midnight Tales'' with his lovely niece [[http://ripjaggerdojo.blogspot.com/2011/02/arachne.html Arachne.]]
89** [[http://ripjaggerdojo.blogspot.com/2010/06/winnie-witch.html Winnie the Witch]] was a beautiful young woman with deep blue skin and a penchant for "mod" fashion. She hosted ''Ghost Manor''.
90** Baron Weirwulf hosted ''Baron Weirwulf's Haunted Library''.
91** [[http://ripjaggerdojo.blogspot.com/2010/03/charlton-horror-host-poll-results.html Even more obscure Charlton Horror Hosts]] include Mr. Bones, Colonel Whiteshroud, the Old Witch (not the same one from ''Haunt of Fear'' unless she lost an eye at some point), Mr. Dee Munn, and Mortimer Tishin.
92* ''Nightmare Theater'' was a four issue limited series from ‘’Creator/ChaosComics’’ whose hosts were Mister Mischief and Pyschotica.
93* Dr. Death, the cadaver-like host of ''This Magazine is Haunted'', a series published by Creator/FawcettComics and then Creator/CharltonComics (which purchased most of Fawcett's properties when Fawcett got out of the comics business), in the 1950s.
94* Creator/JackKirby had Horror Hosts for his series in the abortive "Speak-Out" line of adult-targeted magazines that he created for Creator/DCComics in the early 1970s:
95** Dr. E. Leopold Maas, a parapsychologist, was the host for ''ComicBook/SpiritWorld'', which featured tales of the paranormal.
96** ''ComicBook/InTheDaysOfTheMob'' featured RealLife stories about gangsters such as UsefulNotes/AlCapone. But its host, Warden Fry, nevertheless qualifies for this trope, because he's literally the warden of {{Hell}}.
97* More recently, the horror comic, ''Bela Lugosi's Tales From The Grave'', published by Monsterverse, features [[Creator/BelaLugosi the legendary actor]] himself ([[BackFromTheDead back from the grave!]]) as its host, alongside beautiful vampire groupie, Nosferina, and Hugo, a deformed dwarf.
98* Before that, Creator/BorisKarloff was the host of Gold Key/Whitman Comics' ''Boris Karloff: Tales of Mystery'', which continued for a good decade after his death! (1963-1980; Karloff died in 1968)
99* ''Haunted Horror'' is a series by Creator/IDWPublishing imprint Yoe! Books that repackages stories from pre-code horror comics that have fallen into the public domain and features newly-created horror hosts to present the stories to the reader. The majority of the series alternated between three horror hosts named Forelock the Warlock, Mr. Karswell and Madame Clizia, with five issues featuring a guest horror host in their stead who served as an AuthorAvatar to the issue's guest editor (The Howler[[note]]Mike Howlett[[/note]], Toxic Tommy[[note]]Tommy O'Brien[[/note]], Dr. Odd[[note]]David O'Dell[[/note]], El Diablo[[note]]Tommy Stanziola[[/note]] and Tillman the Terrible[[note]]Tillman Courth[[/note]]).
100* ''Film/TrailerParkOfTerror'' has the lovely Norma spin her tales from the titular trailer park.
101* Jay and Silent Bob parody this trope in ''Film/{{Clerks}}: The Lost Scene''.
102* Several [[BritishComics British girls' comics]] also used this trope. A summary can be found [[http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/2015/04/short-stories-storytellers/ here]]. In addition to the ones for specific strips, ''ComicBook/{{Misty}}'' had Misty herself, who claimed "the publishers send their very bravest men" to learn her stories.
103* ''ComicBook/{{Supreme}}'' had an EC Comics pastiche issue, "The Age of Gold", which homaged the [=GhouLunatics=] as the [=MayheManiacs=]: the Morgue-Minder, the Tomb-Tender, and the Old Hag. Their role was a little different in that, while some of their visions were horror-related, the themes were that of EC's other titles -- the allegories of ''Weird Science'', the "social realism" of ''Crime / Shock [=SuspenStories=]'', and the lampoons of early ''MAD'' -- and they appeared at the ASA's New Year's Eve 1949 party to taunt them with the reality that [[MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks the world they once knew]] was [[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks now effectively over]].
104* ''ComicBook/DiabloHouse'' has its horror stories presented to the reader by a morbid SurferDude named Riley.
105* ''[=SuperNaturals=]'': Despite being a comic series to promote a toyline, the ''[=SuperNaturals=]'' magazine doubled as a horror anthology series. While the good ghostling Spooks handled the letter page, the evil ghostling Scary Cat hosted a section that invited readers to send in a script for a horror comic. The winner would get 10 bucks and their comics would be drawn for and published in the next issue. Scary Cat didn't make any quips, but she did introduce each comic and reminded readers to send in scripts afterwards.
106* Madame Dragonfly from ''ComicBook/BlackHammer'' acts like one, presenting macabre tales to the comic's reader about the myriad horrors lurking in the rooms of her haunted interdimensional cabin. However, she is also one of the main characters in the comic's actual plot: the other heroes interrupt her at one point while she's trying to tell the reader a story, leaving her very annoyed as she goes to see what they want.
107[[/folder]]
108
109[[folder:Fan Works]]
110* Drama Heart plays herself up as one of these as part of her career in ''Fanfic/ManehattansLoneGuardian'', specializing in puppet shows and illusion-based stageplays. As Burning Salamandra, she passes herself off as a well-traveled storyteller and resident of a CreepyCemetery. She keeps her stories tame for matinees, knowing that foals are likely to be in the audience, and reserves the truly macabre tales for her adults-only evening performances.
111[[/folder]]
112
113[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
114* As part of its horror offering, Universal made six ''Inner Sanctum Mystery'' films in the early 1940s. Each film is introduced by a face (David Hoffman) floating inside a crystal ball.
115* Creator/BorisKarloff hosted ''Film/{{Black Sabbath|1963}}'' as an unhinged version of himself. He also starred in the second of the featured short films.
116* ''Film/FrightNight1985''. Peter Vincent was the host of the ShowWithinAShow with the same title, which consisted of him introducing horror movies to his TV audience.
117* The Creeper from ''Film/Creepshow2'' qualifies, although he barely showed up in [[Film/{{Creepshow}} the first film]].
118* ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'' featured an in-universe horror host named Grandpa Fred (whose look was lifted directly from [[Series/TheMunsters Grandpa Munster]]) who hosted Z-grade horror movies at Clamp Cable. When the plot starts to pick up momentum, he teams up with an excitable Japanese(ish) cameraman to report on the activities within the building and keep the outside world informed. At the end of the movie, Clamp, having witnessed his reporting skills during the total chaos of a gremlin infestation, promotes him to an actual news anchor, causing him to instantly start his first news report on what a total makeover for men costs today to get rid of his horror outfit.
119* Dr. Francis B. [[HeavyMetalUmlaut Gröss]], the narrator/host of the infamous {{Mondo}} ''Film/FacesOfDeath''. Like the film itself, "Dr. Gröss" had a number of imitators. In the ''Faces of Death'' series itself, Dr. Gröss was succeeded by "Dr. Louis Flellis," who claimed (in separate installments) to have accidentally killed Dr. Gröss on the operating table, or that Dr. Gröss committed suicide after having been driven insane by witnessing so much death.
120* Brain Damage, the mascot of Brain Damage Films. A few of their releases have an intro by him, and in them he's played by company founder Darrin Ramage.
121* A 1986 horror film called ''Film/TerrorVision'' features an in-universe busty horror host called "Medusa" who perfectly fits the GorgeousGorgon trope.
122* [[TheVoice Balan]] from ''Murder Collection V.1'', a GenreThrowback to the shockumentaries mentioned above.
123* ''Film/Plan9FromOuterSpace'' has Criswell addressing the audience directly and introducing them to "the shocking facts about grave robbers from outer space."
124* In ''Film/BodyBags'', Creator/JohnCarpenter plays an oddball character with creepy fixation with the dead called The Coroner. He brings the viewers three tales centered around the cadavers in his care. [[spoiler:The ending of the film reveals that he is actually one of the corpses at the morgue who has come to life as a zombie while the real coroners were away. As the real coroners return, the Coroner quickly removes his scrubs and props himself onto a gurney before zipping up his body bag. The real coroners then unzip his bag and start to do an autopsy on him, much to his horror.]]
125* The 2005 film ''Film/TheRoost'' uses this as its actual FramingDevice, with its primary tale presented as a weekly ''Frightmare Theater!'' episode. It's introduced by a creepy bald butler from a cheesy cardboard HauntedHouse set, where he badmouths the BatOutOfHell main story and deadpans terrible puns.
126* ''The Criminolgist'' from ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'', narrates the movie from his office and is implied to be investigating the events with witness statements and police reports.
127** The original play and the [[Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShowLetsDoTheTimeWarpAgain remake]] have ''The Usherette'', a cinema ice cream sales girl who sings the opening song and its DarkReprise.
128* ''Film/TheMortuaryCollection'' has Montgomery Dark, a creepy and eccentric, but not particularly malevolent mortician played by Creator/ClancyBrown. Deconstructed somewhat, since his behavior has made him a social pariah, which he is not particularly happy about.
129* ''Film/TalesFromTheHood'' and ''Film/TalesFromTheHood2'' have Mr. Simms, an eccentric mortician with a propensity for telling horror stories and acting as unhinged as possible. [[spoiler:Justified, as the ending of both films reveal he’s actually {{Satan}}; in the former, he is toying with his latest victims, while in the latter, he uses his stories to lead a CorruptCorporateExecutive and his equally corrupt staff to their doom.]]
130* ''Film/KildTV'': The ShowWithinAShow is Dr. Perseco's Late Night Horror, which Milton hosts under the Dr. Perseco persona.
131* Flavor Flav plays this role in ''Film/NiteTalesTheMovie''. He would reprise the role in the SpinOff series.
132[[/folder]]
133
134[[folder:Literature]]
135* ''[[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger's Tales of Terror]]'' was more or less a literary continuation of ''Series/FreddysNightmares''. Krueger did a cheesy intro and outro for each book, though he was also somehow involved in the plot of every story, unlike in the TV show, where only a few episodes revolved around him.
136--> '''David Bergantino:''' Meanwhile, the most interesting guideline for writing the ''Tales of Terror'' series was... Freddy Krueger couldn't be in them! It was a guideline from New Line. I believe it was because the more he would be in a novel, the more chances one might have to violate his mythology. So... I was only allowed to have him bookend the story like the Crypt Keeper. He could also appear briefly at the very end of the main story for the big reveal of which character he was possessing, as he did in each story.
137* Every entry in the ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}: [=SlappyWorld=]'' series of books contains an intro, outro, and "intermissions" done by [[DemonicDummy Slappy the Dummy]]. Before that, the ''Hall of Horrors'' series had The Story-Keeper, while the ''Most Wanted'' line had Creator/RLStine.
138* ''Tales from the Haunted Mansion'' has Amicus Arcane, the Mansion's head librarian, who offers bolded commentary within the text of his own narratives. It's implied but left relatively vague that he's the attraction's Ghost Host, as his appearance is rather close to the "Hatchet Man" portrait identity of the character.
139[[/folder]]
140
141[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
142* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Chuck_and_Lil%27_John Big Chuck and Li'l John]]
143* Winston Essex from NBC’s short-lived Circle of Fear / Ghost Story.
144* Creator/ElviraMistressOfTheDark[[note]]Who is technically a parody of horror hosts.[[/note]]
145* Creator/ErnieAnderson (Ghoulardi), who spawned The Ghoul, The Cool Ghoul, Son of Ghoul, and Creator/PaulThomasAnderson.
146* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_(horror_host) Marvin]]
147* Series/{{Svengoolie}} (originally ''Son of'' Svengoolie)
148* Creator/{{Vampira}}, the 1950s Los Angeles inspiration for Elvira also infamous for her appearance in ''Film/Plan9FromOuterSpace''.
149* Voluptua was a very short-lived romance host in 1955. An explicit counterpart to Vampira, the so-billed Living Goddess of Love did what horror hosts do but did it for romantic films. Her jokes were more sexy than creepy and there was some pseudo-stripping involved in the hosting.
150* [[Creator/{{Zacherley}} John Zacherle]] was famous for being one of the earliest television horror hosts, being most well-known for hosting ''Shock Theater'', an anthology show where he presented pre-1948 Creator/{{Universal}} horror films while playing a sinister character named Roland (pronounced Ro-land).
151* Creator/RodSerling was one of the rare examples of TheStoic host on TV, in both ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'' and ''Series/NightGallery''.
152* ''Series/{{SCTV}}'''s Count Floyd was a Horror Host parody. InUniverse, he was Floyd Robertson, co-anchor of ''SCTV News'', who moonlighted as the host of ''Monster Chiller Horror Theater''.
153* UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC station WDCA-20 had [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Gore_de_Vol Count Gore DeVol]] hosting ''Creature Feature'' from 1973 to 1987. Played by Dick Dyszel, who also appeared as the Spock-eared alien ExcitedKidsShowHost Captain 20 in the daytime.
154* [[UsefulNotes/{{Florida}} St. Petersburg, Florida]] station WTOG-44 had Dick Bennick, a.k.a. "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creature_Feature_(1973_TV_series) Dr. Paul Bearer]]", hosting a horror movie show (also called ''Creature Feature'') from 1973 until his death in 1995. The show was revived in 2015 with Richard Koon taking over the role of Dr. Paul Bearer.
155* In the TV series ''Series/FreddysNightmares'' [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet Freddy Krueger]] himself served as host. This includes episodes where he pulled double duty by starring as the MonsterOfTheWeek, giving the impression that he's ReminiscingAboutYourVictims before the viewer.
156* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' provides an unusual take on the trope, as Joel Robinson/Mike Nelson and the bots might be considered unusually genial Horror Hosts, while Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank could be considered more typically sinister Horror Hosts of the ShowWithinAShow that the Satellite residents are forced to watch.
157* ''Series/OffBeatCinema'' has three laid-back {{Beatnik}} horror hosts, who are less sinister and more into "digging it."
158* ''Series/TheHunger1997'' had two of these, one for each season. Creator/TerenceStamp did the honors for Season One. Season Two went further by casting Music/DavidBowie (who had a key role in [[Film/TheHunger the movie]] that inspired the show) as an original character: MadArtist Julian Priest. Unusually for a Horror Host, his backstory is complicated enough that the first episode of the season ("Sanctuary") is devoted to telling it, so he doesn't address the viewer until the final sequence. Subsequent episodes use traditional bookends as he muses over the themes of the stories in question, with touches of BlackHumor here and there. He's rather elegant and melancholy for a horror host too, but that only makes his sadistic (and sometimes ''masochistic'') moments all the more unnerving.
159* ''Series/TheMunsters'' features an episode with a fictional HorrorHost named Zombo, who, to Eddie's disappointment, isn't a blood-thirsty ghoul outside of his television show.
160* Balrok and No Name, a pair of frat boy demons, hosted the UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco-based ''Creepy [=KOFY=] Movie Time'' in the early [[TheNewTens New '10s]]. Besides running a public domain film each week and making the usual jokes about it, their host segments featured a house band, some scantily-clad lovelies, chats with contemporary B-movie makers, and a guest stand-up comedian, making for a goofy VarietyShow.
161* Salem the cat was a horror host during certain Halloween episodes of ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch''.
162* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByokwFrLZEk Joe Bob Briggs,]] a persona created by Dallas film critic John Bloom, was the host of ''Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater'' on Creator/TheMovieChannel from 1986-96, ''[=MonsterVision=]'' on Creator/{{TNT}} from 1996-2000, and ''The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs'' on the streaming service Shudder from 2018 to the present. Unlike many horror hosts, he didn't put on a "spooky" persona, but instead played an AffectionateParody of a [[GoodOlBoy Texas cowboy]] who lived in a trailer, spoke with a thick Southern drawl, and [[UnabashedBMovieFan watched horror movies mostly for the blood, guts, and T&A]]. One of his most popular bits includes cataloging the various methods of violence and mayhem in the feature film and listing them out with "Fu" attached, such as Car-Fu, Chainsaw-Fu, etc. ''The Last Drive-In'' introduced a younger DistaffCounterpart co-host in the form of the MsFanservice Darcy the Mail Girl.
163* Creator/AlfredHitchcock himself provided the hosting duties for the eponymous ''Series/AlfredHitchcockPresents'', airing from 1955 to 1965 on CBS and NBC. Hitch's macabre drollery and frequent use of props such as guillotines and gallows makes him a classic HorrorHost, and colorized footage of his introductions were used in a 1985 posthumous revival.
164* Creator/RoaldDahl presented the first two series of ''Series/TalesOfTheUnexpected''. His quiet, avuncular manner and comfortable surroundings (overstuffed armchair, cozy fire, knit cardigans) usually managed to make the audience feel ''more'' disturbed, thanks to the contrast between his introductions and the bizarre stories that usually followed.
165* Creator/BorisKarloff's tenure on ''Series/{{Thriller}}''.
166* In the '80s Detroit station WKBD had Count Scary (Tom Ryan), a wisecracking Creator/BelaLugosi-type vampire who not only hosted occasional horror films, but starred in local comedy specials as well.
167* Discontinued Canadian horror channel "SCREAM" had several horror hosts. Mistress Olga was a goth/vampire/dominatrix who hosted monster movies, Tiff was a DumbBlonde cheerleader who hosted slasher movies and Nancy was a British schoolgirl who hosted supernatural and occult movies. They were all played by the same actress, Jane Meikle.
168* Several two-parters of the television adaptations of the ''Series/Goosebumps1995'' were given intros and outros hosted by the books' writer, Creator/RLStine himself, with Cryptkeeper-esque jokes and puns, but mixed with stoic Rod Serling-esque delivery. For unknown reasons these were abandoned after season two.
169* The 2001 BBC horror-parody series ''Series/DrTerriblesHouseOfHorrible'' included a parody Horror Host in the titular character, played by co-writer Creator/SteveCoogan.
170* Parodied by ''Series/TheTwoRonnies'' in "The Bogle of Bog Fell", where Ronnie Barker (as the Laird of Cockahoopie Castle) introduces the eponymous ghost story.
171* USA's ''Up All Night'' midnight movies were hosted most notably by Creator/GilbertGottfried, who would joke about the films in his classic persona. The films included horror films as well as various B-movies and sexploitation films.
172** Prior to this was ''Commander USA's Groovie Movies'', a B-movie block which ran on weekend afternoons from 1985-89. Lots of horror movies were featured, but the title character eschewed traditional horror host trappings -- he was an uncouth, cheerful subversion of TheCape who lived in the basement of a shopping mall!
173* Parodied by two skits in ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie'' featuring Creator/StephenFry as Gelliant Gutfright, host of ''The Seventh Dimension'', who is a Horror Host combined with Weird and Loquacious Stephen Fry Character:
174-->'''Gelliant Gutfright''': Between imagination and desire, between reality and ambition, between what is known and what is feared, between purpose and despair, between sense and [[SophisticatedAsHell shite]], between the visible world and the inner world that straddles the curtain hung between what we know and what we think we suspect is a dark veil that waves gently between the beckoning finger drawing us into the world of what could be and [[ConfusingMultipleNegatives what never couldn't be impossible to dread]]. ''OR DO THEY?''
175* ''Series/{{Darkroom}}'' was hosted by the owner of the eponymous darkroom, a mysterious photographer played by Creator/JamesCoburn. The German version of the show replaced the photographer with a shopkeeper played by Carl-Heinz Schroth.
176* ''Sinister Cinema'', a mid-1970's horror movie show that was broadcasted on KATU-TV Channel 2 in Portland, Oregon, was hosted by Victor Ives, who dressed like a ClassicalMovieVampire and was frequently accompanied by a long-haired, creepy individual named Ravenscroft and a disembodied head named Head.
177* The first season of ''Series/BeyondBeliefFactOrFiction'' was hosted by Creator/JamesBrolin (whose segments took place in a dark void) while the subsequent three were hosted by Creator/JonathanFrakes (whose segments took place in a mansion). Creator/DonLaFontaine also acted as the announcer for the first three seasons, but was replaced by Campbell Lane for Season 4.
178* ''Damien's Dreadfuls'', airing in the mid-Atlantic U.S., is hosted by an amiable Scottish laird-cum-vampire, Damien [=MacDonovan=]. He spouts more movie-trivia than puns, plays TheStraightMan to satirical drop-in guests, and has an active in-character presence on Twitter.
179* Brazilian creator Creator/JoseMojicaMarins, better known as "Zé do Caixão" ("Coffin Joe"), was the host of a horror show named ''Cine Trash'', which aired in a Brazilian channel in the 90's.
180* Mr. Lobo's ''[[https://cinemainsomnia.com/ Cinema Insomnia]]'' is a nationally syndicated show that also runs on Roku and Platform/{{Twitch}}. You can also get [=DVDs=] of his shows.
181* The Canadian kids' show, ''The Hilarious House of Frightenstein'' used Creator/VincentPrice to introduce the show and close it. He also introduced some segments, and all of it with poems, playing on his horror persona. Also parodied in a recurring segment featuring "the Librarian", an old man who would try to read a scary story to the viewers--only for the stories to turn out to be not scary every time, much to the Librarian's dismay and disappointment.
182[[/folder]]
183
184[[folder:Music]]
185* Music/{{Eminem}}, with the blessing of the Creator/AlfredHitchcock estate, used ''Series/AlfredHitchcockPresents'' as the theme for his 2020 album ''Music To Be Murdered By'', sampling Alfred's commentary into songs and skits.
186* Creator/VincentPrice was this on Music/AliceCooper's ''Welcome to My Nightmare'' introducing the song, "The Black Widow".
187--> If I may put forward a slice of personal philosophy, I feel that man has ruled this world as a stumbling demented child-king long enough! And as his empire crumbles, my precious Black Widow shall rise as his most fitting successor!
188[[/folder]]
189
190[[folder:Pinball]]
191* The Crypt Keeper in Creator/DataEastPinball's ''Pinball/TalesFromTheCrypt'', naturally.
192* Played with in ''Pinball/ScaredStiff'', insomuch as [[Creator/ElviraMistressOfTheDark Elvira]] is the hostess to the player as they watch (and play) various horror movies together.
193[[/folder]]
194
195[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
196* Parodied with [[MadScientist Dr Phil van Neuter]] and [[TheIgor Mulch]], who presented the recurring ''Series/MuppetsTonight'' sketch "Tales from the Vet".
197* Uncle Deadly of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen planned]] to get his own anthology series called "Uncle Deadly's House of Badness" where he would have acted as a parody of this trope.
198[[/folder]]
199
200[[folder:Radio]]
201* Raymond of ''The Inner Sanctum'', he of the creaking door, Hurricane Of Puns, and final wish of "Pleasant dreeeams?" Often bantered with his Mandatory Plug co-host, the Lipton Tea Lady.
202* ''The Mysterious Traveler'', voiced by Maurice Tarplin, who told his stories on a [[AfterlifeExpress train]].
203* ''The Strange Dr Weird'', also voiced by Maurice Tarplin, and who was based in "the house on the other side of the cemetery".
204* The Man In Black, voiced by Creator/ValentineDyall in Creator/TheBBC's ''Appointment With Fear'' and TheMovie ''The Man In Black''. And by Edward de Souza and Creator/MarkGatiss in [[TheRemake remakes]] of the radio series, ''Fear on Four'' and ''The Man In Black''.
205* ''Radio/TheWhistler'' of the same show, known for his eerie whistled theme tune and always having one last twist revealed in TheStinger.
206* ''Radio/TheShadow'' started out as the host of a crime-drama series, but became a character in his own right when audiences found him more interesting than the stories that unfolded. Not strictly a horror host, but his voice was chilling. He could be called the UrExample, since he was the very first host character for an ensemble series.
207* Old Nancy, the Witch of Salem, who introduced ''The Witch's Tale'' from May 21, 1931, to June 13, 1938. She was played by Adelaide Fitz-Allen, Miriam Wolfe, and Martha Wentworth. Although The Shadow predates her, she is still the trope maker as the very first ''horror'' host.
208* Creator/VincentPrice hosted ''Radio/ThePriceOfFear'' produced by Creator/TheBBC during the 1970s. Unlike many other examples, the short stories that made up each episode were adapted to feature him as a character: sometimes he simply recounts a story that was supposedly told to him by one of the people involved, while other times he's portrayed as a witness to the story's events, investigating the mystery, trying to save people, and/or finding himself in danger from the spooky thing of the week. A rare case where the horror host sometimes ''is'' scared, when he finds himself AloneWithThePsycho or sees someone get gruesomely killed in front of him, though except for particularly shocking moments he tends to remain outwardly relatively stoic, and still has a fairly morbid sense of humour at times.
209[[/folder]]
210
211[[folder:TabletopGames]]
212* In ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'' setting ''Emerald City'', Madame Macabre was originally a "scream queen" in low budget horror movies, before getting a job as an Elvira-clone on local TV, and then accepting a DealWithTheDevil to become an actual LadyOfBlackMagic, because she was worried about losing her looks. She's still got the personality of a horror host, with both an enthusuasm for the genre and a fondness for macabre jokes, and is actually AffablyEvil if she meets a fan. She lives in a dimensionally-enhanced haunted mansion called the House of Fear, a riff on how many horror comics are named after an EldritchLocation where the host is based.
213[[/folder]]
214
215[[folder:Theme Parks]]
216* Universal Studios has their annual ''Theatre/HalloweenHorrorNights'' which frequently features one or more of a cadre of horror host type mascot characters. The first of which was the Crypt Keeper, but others such as the Storyteller a mysterious old women telling macabre tales, the Usher who shows you to your seat in a haunted theatre to take in a horror show, or the Director who creates horror movies with unwilling subjects most resemble arch types of someone who might be hosting a show for a horror hungry audience. These mascots are typically dubbed the "Icons" of the event and have been featured in stage shows and haunted houses over the years.
217* ''Ride/TheHauntedMansion'' has the Ghost Host, a haunting voice that guides the visitors to a supernatural experience which varies from park to park.
218** Around the holidays the mansion gets a ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'' makeover in Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, complete with the Ghost Host [[RhymesOnADime speaking in rhymes]].
219* Woodland Hills, California had a haunted attraction called The House at Haunted Hill, which revolved around a ghost story narrated by a talking jack-o-lantern named Jack (voiced by Creator/CoreyBurton).
220[[/folder]]
221
222[[folder:Video Games]]
223* ''[[VideoGame/FrankiesDungeon Creeepy Castle]]'': The protagonist is guided by The Crypt Creeper. No reason is given why he helps or so much as a hint as to who he is, but he does have some quips ready to lighten the mood.
224* ''VideoGame/TheDarkPicturesAnthology'': The games are hosted by "The Curator," who appears every so often to comment on how each game's story is progressing and occasionally offer cryptic hints to the player.
225* ''VideoGame/TheFabulousFearMachine'': The mechanical fortune teller Kirlian, who both enables and records the stories of the Masters of the Machine.
226* ''VideoGame/TheQuarry'': Eliza is an elderly fortune teller who the player convenes with between chapters to receive her occasional commentary on the story's proceedings as well as tips on what choices in the game's Choose Your Own Adventure format might have what outcomes - provided they (independently of the player characters) find her lost tarot cards during gameplay. [[spoiler:Eliza also has a role in-universe as she's the ghostly Hag of Hackett's Quarry and is trying to influence the player to make choices that harm the Hackett family. Long ago, they destroyed her traveling sideshow to set her young werewolf son free from his status as an attraction. Multiple members became infected with lycanthropy after he bit one while transformed, resulting in the family turning to hunting him to cure themselves.]]
227* ''VideoGame/WhatRemainsOfEdithFinch'': Barbara's story is told via a comic book in the style of the ''Tales from the Crypt'' comics, hosted by a pumpkin headed fellow called "Old Jack".
228[[/folder]]
229
230[[folder:Webcomics]]
231* Every now and then, a somewhat creepy storyteller-narrator character appears on ''Webcomic/{{Jack|DavidHopkins}}'' to tell disturbing stories. He often gives his own thoughts while the story is in progress. At the end of the last arc to feature him in that role, he revealed [[spoiler: that he was in hell and so is the reader.]]
232* Theodore Tremaine was a daytime newscaster for a local TV station on weekdays. On Friday evening, however, he took on the persona of Father Fiore, host of the Friday Night ''Webcomic/{{Freakwatch}}!'' Unfortunately, however, [[PosthumousCharacter he's no longer in a state to be hosting much of anything.]]
233* ''[[http://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/digital.php Bound by Law]]'', an educational webcomic about copyright law and public domain, opens with a creepy old man in a SpookySilentLibrary inviting the reader to the study of "a subject that makes strong men and women tremble" -- the law.
234* The Creator/MarvelComics Infinity Comic ''Webcomic/StrangeTales2022'' uses the vampire Victor Strange (brother to ComicBook/DoctorStrange) in this role, although the stories he presents aren’t always horror.
235* The greater part of one chapter of ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', in which several characters visit a TownWithADarkSecret for a retreat, is presented as an episode of "Bun-bun's Theatre of Horrors" with Bun-bun BreakingTheFourthWall to take the narrator gig.
236* Minor ''Webcomic/SomethingPositive'' character Gaspar Baugh, Lisa's dad, used to host a show called ''Midnight Macabre'', and he and his daughter still share cheesy monster jokes.
237[[/folder]]
238
239[[folder:Web Original]]
240* In the ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' toon [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/ween09.html "Doomy Tales of the Macabre,"]] Strong Sad plays this role, suggesting various horrific fates to befall his friends.
241* ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'''s annual Halloween segment ''WebVideo/LongboxOfTheDamned'', reviews of horror comics were conducted by the undead Moarte (a Creator/BelaLugosi parody with occasional outbreaks of the original [[SelfDemonstrating/BoisterousBruiser Toblerone]]), always greeting viewers with "Hello My Children!"
242** For the summer 2016 edition of LOTD, ''Franchise/TheTwilightZone: Chain Reaction'' (which covers exclusively [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Twilight Zone comics]], Moarte has been replaced with, naturally, a Creator/RodSerling {{Expy}} known only as "[[EverybodyCallsHimBarkeep The Host.]]" The next regular edition had Moarte briefly do the Serling voice while covering another ''Twilight Zone'' comic.
243* For [[Website/ChannelAwesome TGWTG]]'s fifth anniversary special, an anthology of shorts called [[WebVideo/TheUncannyValley The Uncanny Valley]], the host is The Webmaster, played by none other than [[WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou Nash Bozard]].
244* WebVideo/{{Phelous}}' Blip channel is also home to '''Halloweenie''' who is HORRIBL-- Halloweenie who is AWF-- Halloweenie who is a horror host.
245* [[LargeHamRadio Radio DJ]] Wolf the Dog of ''Podcast/PretendingToBePeople'' serves as this for the show, giving announcements, recaps, and snarky commentary to listeners. Oddly enough, not only does he [[InteractiveNarrator exist in-universe]] and provide announcements on the player character's behalf, he appears to be a separate, [[PhysicalGod immensely powerful]] entity with an agenda of his own, primarily centered around the Contention PD and his love of [[ThePigPen garbage]].
246* The host of WebVideo/FascinatingHorror is a sedate and respectful example, as he narrates stories of real-life accidents and tragedies.
247* James A. Janisse of ''WebVideo/DeadMeat'' does this in his [[WebVideo/TheKillCount Kill Count]] videos, with an emphasis on the body counts in the horror movies he covers, complete with a "Golden Chainsaw" award for the coolest kill, a "Dull Machete" award for [[MedalOfDishonor the lamest kill]], and snarky commentary throughout. He also goes into depth on the films' productions.
248* Played with when it comes to ''WebVideo/VampireReviews''. Elisa Hansen portrays a vampire obsessed hostess called Maven of the Eventide, who reviews various vampire-related movies, TV shows, novels and comics.
249* WebVideo/ContraPoints portrays such a character in her ''Pronouns'' video; Lenora Le Vae, who wears an enormous bird-like headdress and speaks with numerous candles in the background, to hype up the FauxHorrific of talking about right wing personality Ben Shapiro.
250--> "And then, my dreadful dears, the western world shall surely succumb to renewable energy, affordable healthcare and ''video games for lesbians''!" (*cue EvilLaugh).
251* Nick Nocturne (and yes, [[AwesomeMcCoolName that is his real name]]), of WebVideo/NightMind, discusses various {{Alternate Reality Game}} projects, Creepypastas and other such oddities in a [[CozyVoiceForCatastrophes smooth, soothing voice]] He's a more modern take on the concept, [[DissonantSerenity calmly]] leading the audience along explanations of horror-themed works and taking them on a journey to explore their themes and meaning.
252[[/folder]]
253
254[[folder:Western Animation]]
255* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'' had Sir Raven, a creepy robe-and-fez-wearing anthropomorphic corvid pop up as a narrator in a few episodes.
256** An early episode had the Elvira CaptainErsatz, Atrocia.
257* ''WesternAnimation/MaryShelleysFrankenhole'' has a live-action introduction to each episode which lovingly parodies the low budget Horror Host.
258* ''WesternAnimation/FrankeldasBookOfSpooks'' has the title character Frankelda, the energetic ghost of a horror author, and her cautious enchanted book, Herneval, a cursed demon prince. Together they have been trapped in a haunted house by a much more powerful entity and telling stories to the audience allows them to "live again" and slowly gather enough strength to try and break their curse, though the dark entity stirring from its slumber often cuts things short.
259* ''WesternAnimation/TalesFromTheCryptKeeper'', being an AnimatedAdaptation of ''Tales From the Crypt'', naturally followed the format of its parent show by having the Cryptkeeper open and close each episode by narrating the story.
260** Interestingly enough, the second season episodes begin with The Crypt-Keeper fighting against The Vault-Keeper and The Old Witch for the rights to host the episode.
261* Count Floyd (see Live Action TV, above) also appeared on ''WesternAnimation/TheCompletelyMentalMisadventuresOfEdGrimley''.
262* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' examples:
263** An [[Creator/ElviraMistressOfTheDark Elvira]] parody named Boobarella shows up occasionally.
264** The [[HalloweenEpisode Treehouse of Horror]] episodes often have the regulars spoof famous hosts, like Bart as Creator/RodSerling from ''Series/NightGallery'' or Mr. Burns as the Crypt Keeper.
265** "The Springfield Files" is hosted by Creator/LeonardNimoy. He bails halfway through, necessitating he be replaced by the Squeaky Voiced Teen ("Keep watching the ''[[RougeAnglesOfSatin skis]]!''") This doubles as a spoof of Nimoy's ''In Search of...'' hosting stint in TheSeventies.
266** An example from the "Treehouse of Horror" comic book - one story has Bart find a "Tales from the Crypt"-esque story entitled "Harvest of Horror", which is hosted by the Old Lamplighter.
267* Two episode of ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' featured Buster Bunny in parodies of ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' and ''Series/NightGallery'', and at least partially owning to the similarity of their names, another had "Elmyra, Mistress Who's a Dork" as a spoof of Elvira.[[note]]Who herself is, again, a parody of horror hosts.[[/note]]
268* The ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode "Terrifying Tri-State Trilogy of Terror" is hosted by Mr. Macabre of the Macabre Book Mobile.
269* Larry and Maurice from ''WesternAnimation/FreakyStories''. The former was a cockroach while the latter was a maggot, and they both lived in a greasy spoon called Ted's Diner.
270* The eponymous stories in ''WesternAnimation/GrizzlyTalesForGruesomeKids'' are presented as shorts being shown in a theater owned and operated by Uncle Grizzly and his pet spider, Spindleshanks. Uncle Grizzly would be replaced by his half-brother, the Night Night Porter, when the show "moved" from the Squeem Screen to the [[HellHotel Hot-Hell Darkness]] during the short-lived revival and changed the formula a bit so that the naughty children described in the stories were read from entries in the Night Night Porter's book and the Night Night Porter would explain what became of the children after the events of their stories concluded and they found themselves inmates of the hotel.
271* While Mosley "Mo" Moville was the main character of most episodes of ''WesternAnimation/MovilleMysteries'', in others he acted as something of a narrator or GreekChorus, commenting from the sidelines or off-screen as supernatural phenomena bedeviled a resident of Ouigee Falls.
272* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' episode "Little Gift Shop of Horrors" had a HalloweenEpisode parodying horror anthologies, with Grunkle Stan playing the role of the Horror Host. Of course, this being [[SnakeOilSalesman Stan]], the stories he comes up with actually [[MerchandiseDriven are meant to advertise the various objects in his shop to convince a visitor to buy them]]- something he's absolutely shameless about.
273* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' episode "Sleepless in Retroville" features Dr. Dark, a program designed by Jimmy to tell scary stories, represented by a floating holographic face with sharp teeth.
274* One of the countless ''WesternAnimation/OhYeahCartoons'' shorts that didn't have the fortune of being picked up for a full-fledged series like ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', ''WesternAnimation/ChalkZone'' and ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'' was "The Forgotten Toybox: Curse of the Werebaby", which had the plot of a selfish and immature man being cursed by an enchanted doll to [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent periodically transform into a giant infant until he learned to act his age]], the FramingDevice having the story presented to the audience by a living ventriloquist dummy named Mr. Beasley, who would apparently rummage through the titular toybox to show a different toy related to the current episode's story had this become its own show.
275* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' episode "Dimmsdale Tales" had Timmy Turner take up the role of horror story narrator by telling three scary stories to his dad and the rest of the Squirrely Scouts.
276* ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' had a two-part episode titled "The Horror Hostess", where Jon Arbuckle falls for a woman named Vivacia who hosts horror films on TV. Garfield and Odie arrange a meeting, but end up having to save Jon when it turns out Vivacia has added Jon to her collection of shrunken baseball players so she can use them to entertain her guests of various monsters.
277* The WesternAnimation/WeBareBears episode “Charlie’s Halloween Thing” as well as its sequel “Charlie’s Halloween Thing 2” features Charlie the Sasquatch acting as one, telling tales of terror starring the bears and other characters on Halloween night.
278* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/CountDuckula'', where the unseen narrator who speaks at the beginning and end of each eisode (and also in the build-up to the lyrics in the intro theme music) has the narration style of the classic NightmareFuelStationAttendant Horror Host, but his show really isn't that scary at all. His most memorable trait, being unseen, is his catchphrase with which he closes each episode: "Good night out there... ''whatever'' you are..." (cue EvilLaugh)
279* The ''WesternAnimation/SmilingFriends'' HalloweenEpisode "A Silly Halloween Special" featured a live-action FramingDevice where the episode is presented by a nameless gray-haired man in a suit, who rambles about how the one thing everyone should fear is fear of the unknown and in the closing portion gets in trouble with the police for loitering.
280* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueAction'' episode "Trick or Threat" is presented in the style of a horror anthology, with Cain, the horror host of ''ComicBook/HouseOfMystery'', serving as the episode's presenter.
281[[/folder]]

Top