10 Years Of The Horror Movie BBQ

 Wow…has it been a decade already? This one is gonna be as short and sweet as I can possibly make it. But…it’s me, so I’ll prolly lose focus and ramble awfully quick,

10 years ago today, after a conversation with my friends and fellow bloggers Jordan Garren(The Vault Master behind The BMovie Vault) and John Squires(now of BloodyDisgusting), I rebranded this blog from “Big Chad’s Creature Feature” to “The Horror Movie BBQ”. My goal at the time was simple: I loved blogging and I wanted to run a fun blog. At the time, blogging was still a fresh, big, open world and seemingly full of endless possibilities. A lot of my favorite writers online such as RD Reynolds of Wrestlecrap, Matt formerly of X-entertainment and currently DinosaurDracula and Roger of I-Mockery made this medium seem so fun and all 3 left their own impact on me in their own ways. It was something I wanted to do myself. I had the ideas, the tools and the want-to, I just didn’t have the know-how. But that comes within time and experience. 

John and Jordan’s big advice was simple, come up with a snappy name, get an official url, promote it on every social media platform until I’m blue in the face. I had written for DeAtH-eNsEmBlE and Underscoopfire and felt like I really belonged in the blogging world, so I was determined to make this idea a bigger deal…

Coming up with the name wasn’t easy in the least. The style and atmosphere of the blog, was though. All I wanted to do was have a little, tiny corner of the internet where I could ramble and write about the things I’m passionate about and use my voice to bring attention to things I thought had gone forgotten or given a raw deal.Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2, The Wizard, No Holds Barred, whatever. I like to make people feel good and entertain them and at the time, this was one of the best ways I knew I could do that. It’s always nice to know you helped unlock a memory or even turn someone on to something new. I just think that’s a great, fun perk to have go along with blogs, videos, podcasts, etc. 

The name however, wasn’t happening. I just couldn’t come up with something snappy enough. So whatever, go to bed, try in the morning.

You know how sometimes you just wake up and something comes to you? That was it. That’s how it came to be. “Horror Movie BBQ”. It was kinda random sounding, rolls off the tongue but kinda unique. I said it a few times out loud and loved how it sounded. I told my now ex-wife (who worked on many of the early graphics to help establish a style and feel for the blog. Her work can still be seen in many past articles, logos and even graphics. I’m still so grateful for all she did to help me with this goofy little dream I had) who thought it was a random name but she encouraged me to go with it. So after telling John and Jordan my name and even going outside into the courtyard of my apartment complex to take random photos of a grill with figures and movies surrounding it, I was ready to take on blogging. Next step: I created a Facebook page which I still attempt to keep active and enjoyable. It got a lot of likes quick thanks to so many supportive friends who encouraged me to dive in and just be me.

My writing style has never been too refined or possibly be considered professional. I simply write how I talk in real life.  I’m a naturally enthusiastic person and if I can’t be the best writer or whatever, I’ll be the most enthusiastic and excited. I have always wanted my entries/articles be read in a way that you can picture me saying them to you in person. Which…if you can’t figure out…I can sometimes go on for a while with no point but eventually I get there…but nonetheless, I’ve never considered myself a profession writer and with good reason. So why not just go with what I know. I was having a blast and am still learning what works and what doesn’t. Eventually I’d be able to find my own unique voice and ability in writing. I loved it and still do. I pride myself on standing out, being an individual and every blog or any kind of content should always reflect the true personality behind the person creating it. 

Thankfully, as corny as it will sound, my favorite part of doing this has been making so many great new friends. Meeting like minded people, who shared a lot of the same opinions, same experiences and same interests was my favorite part. And still is. I love people. I’m a people person, so when I make new friends at conventions or even online, it really makes me happy. And thanks to this tiny little amateurish blog, I’ve met so many who have helped change the way I see things, do things and even inspired me to get creative. To list everyone would take forever but do know, if you’re reading this, I’m probably referring to you. 

A lot of opportunities came my way. The more I pounded out content on a then weekly basis , the more eyes it got. This lead to writing a few articles for Bloody-Disgusting, a print article in Strange Kids Club Magazine, Finding Eric “Garbage day” Freeman, interviews with celebrities for upcoming projects, convention media passes, screeners, podcast guest appearances, and my personal favorite: appearing on the documentary of the Shout Factory Blu-ray release of The Wizard. All from me just writing about my favorite things.  I think a combination of that and the pandemic of 2020 made me think all my goals had been met so the blog kinda took a backseat these last few years and I focused on social media instead. I was kinda burnt out and needed to step back for a while. But recently, I’ve been Getting the bug to be creative again and do a little more writing. 

Blogging is no longer the hip way of getting your opinion or views out. Now, it’s videos and podcasts, which I think are great and really enjoy seeing so many friends and creative types produce. I have tried to do them myself and enjoyed it but nothing beats writing in my humble opinion. I have a little bit more control over it. And I like that. I don’t feel comfortable doing videos, hosting a podcast really isn’t my favorite thing either (I love guesting on other peoples shows though) so while others have found better platforms to head to, I’m gonna still try to keep this rinky dink, diy, pop culture obsessed blog going as best I can. Things always come up in real life but whenever I hit a flea market or get a new figure, my first thought after is usually “I need to write about this”. Some get done quicker than others these days, some never see the light of day. I’d love to change that and continue going. When I love doing something, I try to stick with it. Maybe someday I’ll fall in love with good grammar and proper sentence construction but until then, let’s keep having fun. Typos and all.

Something I never planned on was the fact that this is my 400th published entry. 400. On my tenth anniversary of rebranding this thing. Wow. Of course, there were blog entries before HMBBQ but….let’s not let fantasy get in the way of our fun, shall we?

So after 10 years of getting to know me, my typos, my obsessions and even things I can’t stand, I just want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for the continued support, the kindness, the love, and every like, every comment, every share, every conversation. It’s nice to know people care and that people want to read these things. I hope I’ve brought as much joy to you as I possibly can..I know doing this goofy little blog thing has brought me joy but as I said before, I love giving that joy back into the world to as many people as I can. I hope you’ll stick around for more and I hope I somehow get the handle of this writing thing eventually. I turn 40 in September, who knows! Maybe in my 40s I’ll be able to rite an article without any typos.

;)

-Chad