AWESOME-tober-fest 2019: AKA Elvira

Awesometoberfest 2019

This week I’m looking at Elvira’s Fangoria appearances.  Yesterday I took a look at her debut in Fangoria #22.  Next up is an interview that was in Fangoria #45 from 1985 (below left). While Fango #45 was the original issue the interview appeared in, I know this interview best from one of the yearly compilation “Bloody Best of” issues. Specifically, Volume 5 from 1986. The cover for that is on the right.

The Bloody Best of Fangoria v5 (1986) - cover

Here’s the article.

This is an interview with Cassandra Peterson about being Elvira.  It’s been three years since Fangoria featured her in the last article.  It covers some of the ground the previous article covered.  Her moving to Vegas, becoming a showgirl, meeting Elvis who advised her to get singing lessons and get out of Vegas.  Her moving to Italy and becoming an actress.  Upon her return to the states she answered a casting call to be the new Vampira, a former horror host played by Maila Nurmi.  I discussed some of this in my first article this week about Maila Nurmi, who played Vampira.  As was stated in that previous article, negotiations for the Vampira name broke down with Ms Nurmi and instead of reviving the Vampira character Cassandra and the studio created a brand new character.  Elvira.

Not only is the breakdown with Nurmi mentioned, the interviewer actually asks Cassandra about the poem she wrote in to Fangoria that was published in the letters column about Nurmi in response to Nurmi’s less than favorable comments in issue #30.  Cassandra confirms that she did indeed write that poem, and then gives her version of the story.  That the station offered her money to lease the name.  She asked for ten times the amount.  The station couldn’t pay it so they went in a different direction.  Cassandra said she feels bad for her but Nurmi turned down guaranteed money and missed out on a revival of the character and now bad mouths Cassandra about it.

Of course, along with this interview, there was a pin-up. It’s one of my favorites and I brought it up on the last Fangoria AWESOME-tober-fest.  But I’m going to show it to you again, because it’s awesome.


One Response to “AWESOME-tober-fest 2019: AKA Elvira”

  1. caffeinatedjoe Says:

    You are not wrong, it is awesome! Elvira was right about Nurmi. Too bad, really, in the end.

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