THE HAUNTED WORLD OF

VERNE PICKFORD

1. What is your name? Verne Pickford
2. What is your zodiac sign? Aquarius
3. What do you do on www.popcultureaddict.com? Contact famous people, then beg them to talk to us.
4. What are you hobbies or interest? Collecting movie posters and anything related to the horror genre and KISS.
5. Who are your favorite celebrities? Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Kermit the Frog.
6. What celebrities that get under your skin? The one's that take what they do as serious work.  Come on their entertainers, not doctor's, police officers, firemen or teachers.
7. Who are your celebrity crushes? Elvira and Yvonne "Lily Munster" DeCarlo.
8. What are your favorite films? Good one's, The one's that take me away from my daily crap.
9. What films did you hate so much that you wanted to poke your eyeballs out just so you didn't have to watch them? Anything with Paris Hilton or Hillary Duff
10. Which TV shows do you/have you follow? The Munsters, Star Trek, Kolchak the Nightstalker, Millennium, Solid Gold
11. Who is your favorite comic character? Spiderman and Superman
12. What is your favorite bands/musical performers? KISS, Alice Cooper, the Beatles and me singing in my car cause man I sound great.
13. What CD are you most embarrassed to admit is in your collection? Michel Bolton's greatest hit's..you had to ask that.
14. What pisses you off? People who pick their noises when they drive then look around, because they don't know what to do with it.
15. Who would win in a no holds barred to the death grudge match between Alan Thicke and Michael Gross? No Comment, I don't want to be mean.
16. Do you know who Tommy Page is? WHO ?
17. Which Beatle do you identify most with? Ringo because were both short and have big noses.
18. Who is your favorite Brady?  Greg.  Did you seen him dance?  And how about when he took over his dad's office and turned it into a groovy bedroom.....one cool dude.
19. Who is your favorite Osmond? Donny.  He's the one that's a little bit Rock n Roll. A real bad boy.
20. What is your personal definition of hell? Picking my noise in the car and not knowing were to put it......
21. Leonard Nimoy's "Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" video.  What the fuck?  Great video, but not as good as William Shanter's "Rocket Man."
22.  Who is cooler?  Morris Day or Prince. Prince.....no one can lick them self's better then Prince and look cool doing it.
23.  Favorite personal quote? "OOP'S"
24.  Who inspires you? Gene Simmons.
25. What else should we know about you?  I like puppies and long walk's on the beach.

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February 6th, 2007

Stephen King.  The name alone conjures up images of vampires, killer clowns and ghosts. However, when I hear the name Stephen King I think of a great storyteller, Stephen King is one of the most successful authors in history; he has dug his way into the subconscious minds of millions of readers around the world. So please come with me down this dark alley, ignore that screaming and the black cat that just ran across your path, everything will be just fine. Remember…. It’s only a story.
 

THE HAUNTED WORLD OF VERNE PICKFORD

presents an encounter with the Master of Horror

STEPHEN KING
(a Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict Production)

I was living in Toronto near the Beaches. I woke up to a beautiful day and decided to stay home from work with no real intensions but to enjoy the day.
I thought I would start my day with a good cup of coffee and a little music so I turned on the television to Much Music to hear one of the VJ’s say Stephen King would be coming into the studio for an interview.  Now I knew Mr. King was in Toronto promoting his movie "Maximum Overdrive: in which he wrote the screenplay and directed it. Stephen King was at Sam the Record Man store the night before to take part in a contest of people acting like Angus Young from AC-DC while they played the song “Who Made Who”. I’d watched this on the news; Stephen King had to pick one person out of what looked to be hundreds. So when I heard he was going to be at Much Music I pictured a huge crowd of people like I seen the night before. I thought to myself it would be cool to meet him, but I wouldn’t have a chance in hell to get near him, so I was content to just watch the interview on television. As I sat there my inner voice kept telling me to get off my ass and take a chance.  So, after a few minutes of trying to convince myself it would be a waste of my time I grabbed my hard cover book of Pet Cemetery and an 8x10 photo I had of him from a press kit from Creepshow and headed to the street car stop. One of the best things about living in Toronto is you can walk out to a bus stop at any time and before you know it along comes a bus or in this case a street car.

Back then Much Music was in its old location in a small building which meant a quick ten minute ride for me.  As I was coming up to my stop I was starting to get a little nervous.  I looked out the window expecting to see a huge crowd of people but there wasn't anyone there.  When I didn’t see anyone my first thought was "shit.  I'm to late and I missed him."  I got off at my stop and walked across the road I was so disappointed I didn’t even notice the black limo parked in front of the City TV Building.

I walked inside and went up to the receptions desk were a very voluptuous women who looked to be focusing more on how to chew her gum then greeting any visitors, I asked her if Stephen King was still here in the building, I got a very quick and strong “NO.  He has left the building.  You missed him.” Just then I looked past this wonderful person with her wonderful people skills and noticed on the TV they were still interviewing him. I quickly said “I didn’t miss him he’s right there” and pointed to the TV, I was then told I couldn’t wait inside and would have to leave and wait out front. I thanked the nice lady   and stepped out side. I rested against the building about six feet from the door as I was waiting about five or six other people showed up with their favorite Stephen King books under their arms. I remember leaning against the wall soaking up the sun and thinking about what I was going to say to Mr., King, I happened to turn my head towards the door and noticed this tall man in a white T Shirt and baggy blue jeans miss his step and yell out “oh shit” then walk towards the black limo parked out front.  Now I’m sure it was only seconds but it seemed like forever when my brain started yelling “that’s Stephen King!  Holy shit!  That’s Stephen King!” I couldn’t move. I stood there and watched him get into the limo so now my brain started screaming hurry up and move you idiot, he’s going to leave.

 I don’t remember walking up to the car. I just remember knocking on the window, Mr. King rolled the window down about 4 inches and asked if he could help me, I felt like a kid caught up in a dream and I could hear myself asking him if he would please sign my book.

 Mr. King then rolled the window all the way down and took my book and my photo then started yelling at his driver “GO! GO! HURRY UP AND GET OUT OF HERE! I HAVE HIS STUFF!”. I snapped out of my trance and looked at the driver who looked scared and unsure of what to do, just then Mr. King turned to me and said, “wouldn’t you just shit if I took off with you stuff”.

I looked at Mr. King who was looking at me with a big smile on his face and I said ”no, I think it would be cool to be ripped off by Stephen King."  With that Mr. King laughed and signed my book and photo then shook my hand.  I thanked him and stepped away from the car, that was when every one else woke up from their trances and approached the car. Mr. King stuck his head out of the car window and said he was sorry but he was very late for an appointment and had to leave.

I can’t tell you how much I was on cloud nine, I think I floated to the streetcar stop, ever since then I have always listened to my inner voice.
 

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