EPISODE CHASER: Gray Matter

A brand-new feature! An assemblage of references from each episode of The Short Horror Beer Cast! (Available here and at fine podcatchers everywhere.)

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Our inaugural episode.

We had a bit of mic trouble, and at the time of this recording yr humble servant hadn't touched a mixing board since his angry twenties and it kinda shows. Nonetheless, I'm fond of this one despite the flaws. You always adore your first Thalidomide baby.

It was only fitting that Stephen King would be the choice, and that Gray Matter would be the one. It was among the first Stephen King stories I'd ever read, plus it deals with a case of bad beer—make that very bad beer.

The man taught me how to write horror. (He's still teaching me.)

The References

We’re two Gen-Xers whose minds are everywhere all at once, sub-referencing ourselves into the boundless depths, thus warranting a deeper dive into some of the passing remarks we make on the show.

1. Cavalier Magazine

King found his niche pretty early on, and good for him. It’s a tough sell when you hail from one of the literary ghettos: SF, fantasy, horror, etc. He was stuck with this rag even after he broke through with Carrie and ‘Salem’s Lot.

By the way, dig this illustration by Glenn Chadbourne for Cemetery Dance’s gorgeous two-volume set, The Secretary of Dreams.

2. The Ol’ Reliable

The model in this pic may be a bit ancient for the story, or maybe not. (The model being the stove, not the uh… not the model…)

3. ATWT

Gotta tell ya, I’m a sucker for supers on old TV shows. A key bit of nostalgia. (See what I did there?)

4. Hellraiser II: Dr. Channard Emerges

Here’s the scene Alec was referring to. Hoo boy.

5. Beers from the time

Bet you didn’t know all the Native Americans were German

Our brave forefathers embark on the perilous search for hops

The beer that made Milwaukee say, “We’re better than this.”

I remember these bottles littering the doorway of my youth

I can totally see Richie Grenadine polishing off one of these when he had a little extra cash on him

In the words of Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood, “I beg to differ!”

6. Bon Appetit!

Errata

We speak off the cuff, and often under the influence of a particular fermented beverage. It's only natural our mouths run ahead of our brains and we muck up some of the details.

• Not exactly an error, but a misspeak. I said “Nobody read Lovecraft”. What I meant to imply was that at the time the story was written in 1973, the old man’s ideas had not yet gone mainstream. Say the word “Cthulhu” in a crowded bar today and you’ll get enough recognition for the thing to qualify as a cultural meme. Not so much in 1973. But as I said in the show, he did have his hold on all the wonderful weird writers that came galloping out of the 20s, 30’s, and beyond, not to mention the game designers.

That’s all for now. Catch you next time for “Smoke Ghost”!