MERCHANDISING THE MACABRE : SHOP CATERS TO TWO-FACE'S TAILOR, KARLOFF KIN, HEARSE DRIVERS.Byline: Deborah Adamson Daily News Staff Writer Eerily lifelike masks of horror film horror film n → película de terror or miedo horror film horror n → film m d'épouvante horror film horror n actors line the walls of Dark Delicacies in Burbank. And beneath the row of plaster masks of Boris Karloff Noun 1. Boris Karloff - United States film actor (born in England) noted for his performances in horror films (1887-1969) Karloff, William Henry Pratt and Vincent Price is a 6-foot-tall handmade coffin. The culprits behind this horror book and gift store are Sue and Del Howison, owners of the 2-year-old business described by the Sci-Fi Channel as the ``Macy's of the Macabre.'' The Howisons take pride in selling mainly horror stuff, unadulterated un·a·dul·ter·at·ed adj. 1. Not mingled or diluted with extraneous matter; pure. See Synonyms at pure. 2. Out-and-out; utter: the unadulterated truth. by science fiction or fantasy. It stands to reason that the variety of products they carry attracts entertainment industry clients. Some of their buttons and skull figures were used for the costume of Two-Face, Tommy Lee This article is about the American drummer Tommy Lee. For other uses, see Tommy.
Tommy Lee (born Thomas Lee Bass on October 3, 1962), is a Greek American rock musician. Jones' character in ``Batman Returns.'' The store also attracted the attention of the British Broadcasting Corp. and the Learning Channel, which used props and research data from Dark Delicacies. ``They were amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. people, knowledgeable with the subject and with great resources,'' said Mark Montgomery, a Studio City producer who recently filmed a vampire documentary for the Learning Channel. ``They were instrumental in helping me make contact with a lot of key people in the vampire genre.'' The store markets itself by holding monthly book signings, featuring authors such as Clive Barker, who wrote ``The Great & Secret Show,'' and William Peter Blatty, who wrote ``The Exorcist ex·or·cism n. 1. The act, practice, or ceremony of exorcising. 2. A formula used in exorcising. ex  or·cist n. .'' Sara Karloff, daughter of the late Boris Karloff, once visited the store to promote a drive to put horror actors' faces on stamps. This year, Dark Delicacies will sponsor the Dracula convention to celebrate the centennial of Bram Stoker's famous book. The Howisons also will hold an annual Vampire Valentine celebration, an all-day event with readings of vampire stories, a live band and other activities. ``What goes better with hearts than vampires?'' Del Howison asked. But the shop gets its bread and butter from selling books and gifts that cost from $2 for a used book to $2,500 for the handmade coffin. A Vampire brand cabernet sauvignon Cab·er·net Sauvignon n. 1. A variety of black grape used to make red wine, notably in Bordeaux and the Napa Valley. 2. A dry red wine made from this grape. [French. is for sale, plus a set of skeleton-handle silverware and Grim Reaper goblets. Then, there's a back room full of black Victorian clothing and long ebony capes for a Gothic look. The Howisons carefully scour scour, scours 1. the chemical and physical cleaning of fleece wool. 2. diarrhea. dietetic scour see dietary diarrhea. peat scour see secondary nutritional copper deficiency. the country for suppliers, but some items come from Canada and as far away as England and Turkey. Annual sales more than doubled in the second year of business to $150,000, enabling Sue Howison finally to quit her job elsewhere. While the store is reaching the break-even point break-even point - In the process of implementing a new computer language, the point at which the language is sufficiently effective that one can implement the language in itself. , Del Howison works in the garment industry as an adviser to clothing designers on how to incorporate metal parts into clothes. The store is an offshoot of the Howisons' interest in horror books and movies. Sue Howison, for instance, loves artistic tombstones tombstones a cellular phenomenon in pemphigus vulgaris; rows of basal cells of the epidermis remain attached to the basal membrane, reminiscent of rows of tombstones. and mausoleums. ``I would spend my vacations going through graveyards,'' said the 47-year-old former administrative assistant, whose passion for all things horrifying started with a Stephen King <noinclude></noinclude>
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of over 200 stories including over 50 bestselling horror and novel. ``But I love her anyway,'' quipped Del Howison, 44, whose shoulder-length white hair contrasted with his wife's jet-black velvet pants suit. He got interested in the horror genre after watching ``Curse of the Faceless Man,'' a mummy movie. Serious fans of horror, the Howisons stress the difference between their store and a Halloween shop that sells costumes. ``We're a horror collectors' store, not a Halloween store,'' Del Howison said. ``We're not science fiction. We're not cult. We're horror.'' Dark Delicacies draws other like-minded businesses and groups. There are ads for services that sharpen human teeth and sell white contact lens contact lens, thin plastic lens worn between the eye and eyelid that may be used instead of eyeglasses. Actors, models, and others wear them for appearance, and athletes use them for safety and convenience. to make people look like vampires. Fliers for Gothic night clubs proliferate. The Phantom Coaches Hearse Club in Duarte meets about twice a year at the store, if members aren't at cemeteries or graveyards. The Howisons belong to the club, whose members are fans or owners of antique hearses. ``It's a great store. We love it there,'' said club President Rock Griffith. ``You find things there that you'd find nowhere. There's quite a bit of literature on anything of a macabre nature. . . . It's a perfect place for us to meet because most of the people in the club like that type of thing.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1) Rock Griffith of Duarte is president of Phanton Coaches Hearse Club, which meets about twice a year at Dark Delicacies shop. Phil McCarten/Daily News (2--Color) Sue and Del Howison peer out of a coffin at Dark Delicacies, their Burbank store specializing in horror books and gifts. Tom Mendoza/Daily News |
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