Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore. FOR PART ONE, INCLUDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT IN THE 1850s, CLICK HERE.
PART 80 – As always, it’s fascinating to read the over 100-year-old opinions of James Larkin Pearson (and by extension his Fool Killer), including the opinions that one doesn’t agree with. Here are some of the Fool Killer’s targets in December 1915.
*** Dr. Frank Crane, Methodist clergyman, for his condescending newspaper columns that blamed the poor for their plight by stating they should have saved money. That advice ignored the fact that if someone doesn’t even have enough income to pay for all their necessities then they have no money to put into savings.
*** The two major political parties, whom he lumped together under the term “Redemocans” (he also called them Republicrats). Today we call them the Uniparty. He also bashed people who still voted for either of the two major parties.
*** Charles Taze Russell, leader of what would be called Jehovah’s Witnesses after his death in 1916, for his faulty prediction that 1914 would be the end of the human kingdom and the coming of the Messiah’s Kingdom.
*** The country’s wealthiest and most powerful, whom he called the House of Mammon. The figures he named this issue were Charles M. Schwab and J.P. Morgan. The Fool Killer criticized the money they were making from War Preparedness and named Democrat President Woodrow Wilson and Republican former President Theodore Roosevelt their servants. Continue reading
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT Vol 1 #5 (August 1972) 
LA MALROCHE (1833) – By Louisa Stuart Costello. Halloween month continues here at Balladeer’s Blog with yet another look at a neglected work of Gothic Horror, this one dealing with witchcraft, a monstrous child and supernatural beasts. Louisa Costello, the female author of this eerie tale, deserves to be much better known.
THE HILARIOUS HOUSE OF FRIGHTENSTEIN (1971-1974) – Balladeer’s Blog’s recent review of Countdown Canada (1970) generated so much excitement that I decided to go to the Canada Well once again with this classic children’s series which combined kid-friendly monsters with educational programming and the always welcome Vincent Price. 
That poem went “Another lovely day begins, for ghosts and ghouls with greenish skin. So close your eyes and you will find, that you’ve arrived in Frightenstein. Perhaps the Count will find a way, to make his monster work today. For if he solves this monster-mania, he can return to Transylvania! So welcome where the sun won’t shine, to the castle of Count Frightenstein!” And then Price did his patented sinister laugh, again like he would go on to do for Thriller more than a decade later. 
As that intro indicated, the premise to this show was that Count Frightenstein and the others at his castle in Frankenstone were living in exile from Transylvania until he could bring Brucie J. Monster (basically the Frankenstein Monster) back to life. That backstory was really just the excuse for the ensuing madness in the form of kid-friendly comedy sketches and educational material, all presented with monsters as the characters. 
Institution: YAVAPAI COLLEGE 
Halloween Month continues with this review of one of the zombie movies of French Director Jean Rollin. Balladeer’s Blog’s reviews of Rollin’s films always point out that his works range from brilliant and artistic to just plain awful. 
COUNTDOWN CANADA (1970) – Here at Balladeer’s Blog I am amazed that this vintage Canadian Television work of speculative fiction hasn’t received renewed fame in 2026. And not one IMDb review as of this writing. 
MADD FRANK – This ghoulish character was played by Kent Kamron, whose real name is Delray K. Dvoracek (but everyone knew him as Nancy). He hosted Madd Frank Presents on KVRR in Fargo, North Dakota from May 1985 to an unknown date in 1995. 
