The post I didn't think I'd write!

As I write this, it's a week after the announcement of the winners of the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. I think it best to not go much past a week in talking about it--so this is my last "I won" post. And I think I'll spend it telling you what I REALLY have been thinking about the whole thing the whole time!

Which is what I thought I wouldn't do. But I didn't think I'd really win, so...

(This is gonna be long, so I'm gonna pepper this post with pics that sum up to me what TDSH is all about. Click on 'em to see 'em bigger-- or just put your face up to the screen.)

The first thing that comes to mind is that it's been a helluva week. Over a hundred people have congratulated me, either in person or online. Mostly online, at forums, Facebook, here, etc.

Hits here went way up; Facebook friend requests up, too. I gained a few more "followers." (Thinking about buying a fortified encampment where we can all live together in harmony-- with me in charge, of course.)

For most of the long voting period, I thought I didn't deserve it. No major research done (except for my article on fan artist Linda Miller, which I am proud of), only a handful of film reviews, very few rants written in anger or disgust. How could TDSH be any good?

Didn't keep me for lobbying for it, though-- but with self-deprecating jokes, and I was always honest about wanting it. ("It'll end years of therapy!") Let self-deluded peeps take an "above-it-all-I-only-blog-for-the-personal-satisfaction-of-writing" stance, sez I. Hey, last year I somehow had come in second to author/critic Tim "My cabinet's full of awards" Lucas, which was like losing to Albert Einstein on Jeopardy! Aw, it was a frickin' fluke, I said to myself then... but second? SECOND?! CAN MIRACLES REALLY HAPPEN?

I was hell-bent to find out. If TDSH was worth something, then coming in 2nd again-- for a second year in a row-- wouldn't happen just because I had friends who'd vote for me. Or just because it was a new category with few nominees, like the previous year. No, no, no-- and it wasn't like I could hold a gun on voters to make'em send in a private e-mail ballot. (Well, not enough of 'em to make a difference, anyway.)

One friend of mine told another they hadn't been around me because I was "too busy lobbying...Poor Max." Yeah-- I was exhausted! (I decided not to cross the line of sending out mass "Vote for my blog" e-mails to strangers or near strangers. I was getting plenty of those for other categories myself.) Most of the Rondos are chosen in a "People's Choice Award"-style poll, I felt it was okay to "campaign." As the historical figure John L. Lewis once said, "He who tooteth not his own horn, the same shall not be tooted."

Of course, all the joking and noodging haha-like with a link to my blog wasn't reinforcing my self-image any. But I began to get e-mails from folks saying why they liked my blog. They all cited some things in common: I entertained them and I didn't take myself too seriously. The lack of a focus on doing one main thing meant they had a reason to check back. (I was dead sure--I'd say "cocksure" but I'm a severed head-- that that meandering aspect of my blog alienated everybody but almost-ADHD-like me.) As Carl Manes of I Like Horror Movies told me,"I love that The Drunken Severed Head offers a much broader look at Horror in all wakes of life, ranging from comics to classic Horror to current community events on and off the blog scene!" (And I love anyone who'll pun on "walks" with a fun-ereal "wakes.") Others said I wasn't as impersonal as other blogs, that TDSH had a "voice." (Most of the other nominees do too, but not every one.)

People I never expected to vote for me, or express congrats later, did. Five bloggers I like went out on a limb (thankfully, NOT severed) and endorsed me. I mean these are all people who've done and know more than me! (I hafta wonder if the world's gone mad-- but if so, I hope it never gets totally sane!) My blog's motto is "Weirdness is where you find it," and those words were never truer.



I think Halloween blogs are under-appreciated by too many horror bloggers (as if by posting much on our favorite holiday is be too childish, sentimental, or irrelevant.) But I'm proud to contribute to the "Blog-A-Day" Halloween blogathon every year, though it wears me out. (I'm old-fashioned enough to have an inner voice that suggested "tuckers me out," but that makes me sound like Grandpa Simpson; I'd prefer Grandpa Munster. Pull my finger, Herman.) I love Halloween blogs and I'm guessing a fair number of my votes may have come from "Halloween-year-round" bloggers and blog readers. Take note, future Rondo nominees!

The voting occurred over part of Feb., all of March, and the first 3 days April. What a slog! Probably helped the blog category though, as it allowed for plenty of time for the nominated blogs to be looked over. Which is why I was certain someone else would win, most likely my friend Pierre Fournier of the surpassing, scholarly yet fun Frankensteinia. (I was only desperately hoping to come in second, so that last year wouldn't appear to be the total accident I thought it was.) Even though he'd been endorsed by highly respected writer's blogs like Tim Lucas' Video Watchblog, Pierre wasn't so sure. (I thought the amazing endorsements Pierre got would blow him waaay past anyone else.) In fact, we had a bet: if Pierre placed at all (meaning first through fourth or fifth-- "honorable mention" territory) I'd have to do a guest post at his impressive blog. He was convinced he wouldn't even place-- so now he has to do a guest post here. Well, there goes HIS reputation! In spite of that, (wink wink) his Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award is coming, I know. Pierre and many others deserve one.

Although I won "Best Blog," there is NO single "best." Certainly not TDSH. There ARE, however, nominees of different styles and purposes that are among the best.

Having interviews with a variety of people (and not just film folk) probably helped me. I like focusing on other people-- everyone's got a story. I've seen complaints at other blogs about interviews with the non-famous, but properly introduced and illustrated, people DO read them. My hits have shown that.

After my Rondo Award win was announced among the others, I was expecting a LOT of "hits"-- critical hits made by bricks and flaming arrows lobbed by observers of the horror blog scene. I am floating in the air that such a singeing shower never happened. Whew!

If you voted for my blog, or just know me and we're friends, thank you very much for your support. You're someone who has made this honor possible. I'm sorry to be behind in saying so.


(Dammit, I'm always draggin'. Well, that's Life.)