Six Weeks of Weird Halloween Words ~ Week #6 (The End)
Question of the day: Was “Wolfman” Jack a lycanthrope?
LYCANTHROPE or more commonly – WEREWOLF (werʹwoolfʹ): n. Folklore, a person
changed into a wolf, or one capable of assuming the form of a wolf at will;
lycanthrope.**
Hmmmm
… think about it … Robert Weston Smith, businessman, by day … howling,
wild-‘n’-crazy, mysterious radio DJ extraordinaire, Wolfman
Jack, by night. And we wouldn’t
have had it any other way.
Halloween
is simply not complete without a tribute to the most fun and famous “werewolf”
of the 20th century.
If
you missed the thrill of personally experiencing Wolfman Jack’s sometimes salacious, always deliciously irreverent
howl filling your radio’s airwaves, you missed history. Of course, there are taped
airchecks and replays of his vintage shows* still sold in syndication. But there’s nothing
like the real thing, baby.
More
on Wolfman soon, including where you
can hear him again. But first, speaking of the real thing – are werewolves “real”? Owwwwwwoooo …
Belief
is a powerful state of mind. I firmly “believe” that we can train our minds to
accept anything, though it may not be provable. Millions of people do so every
day … what do you believe in that you
can’t prove exists?
According
to the dictionaries, werewolves
exist only because we believe in them. A lycanthrope
is someone who believes they can, or have, transformed into an animal form –
often known as shapeshifting – and most commonly, wolves. But we can be cats
and bats, too!
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| Stoker's real-life inspiration: Vlad Tepes |
Legends and
literature of werewolves date back
to Biblical times in most cultures. WolfCenter.org is a terrific place to
learn about wolves in general (real ones), with a section about how the
werewolf regained popularity during the Bubonic Plague. Tales of wolves
silhouetted in moonlight – are you getting the picture?
To add to wolves’
famous mystique, the iconic Count Dracula favored them, referring to their long howls as “sweet music.” And
of course, Hollywood loves a good – er, bad – vampire and werewolf story. Remember
2003’s Underworld and its popular spin-offs? Or for lighter
fangs, Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf?
I got spooks all around
me, baby! In 1973, mystery still surrounded an enigmatic DJ who gained fame
broadcasting from Mexico on airwaves that reached across much of the U.S., like
a sexy swirling Halloween mist. But that year Wolfman Jack broke out of the dark and exposed his true fangs – we
finally met the man behind the microphone.
Most
everyone knows by now that George Lucas spotlighted his teenage years in a
small, Northern California town,
cruising the main, listening to his fave rebel DJ on the radio. His American Graffiti
wasn’t just a coming-of-age film set in the early 1960s – it was Wolfman Jack’s premiere appearance to
the masses. It’s standard, man, I can dig
it!
From
near-juvenile delinquent in New York, to the most innovative radioman in the
industry, Bob Smith transformed his playtime character capers with
his nephews, into a million-dollar business. Now that’s something to howl
about.
Heading West from New
York, Bob learned, matured, and left his raspy, double-entendres walking a thin
FCC line along the way. When he hit his ultimate gig at XERB The Mighty 1090, Wolfman Jack was home.
The
howling DJ’s storied career spanned more than thirty years and brought us a spooky
shot of “Monster Mash.” Following his first book tour, Wolfman Jack died July 1, 1995, in the
arms of his beloved Wolfwoman, Lou.
A
listening Halloween treat: Wolfman
wanders through “A Little Ghost Story” in a timeless 40-year-old Halloween aircheck
on the United States Air Force Radio Network.
NOTE:
ReelRadio does charge for your
aircheck listening pleasure. However, it’s a non-profit broadcasting museum, so
your “donation” may be tax-deductible, and it supports this site that collects
and shares great vintage airchecks. Relive your youth with beloved DJs of
yesteryear who will never be far from our memories. Happy Halloween, Ellery Queen!
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| Wolfman in prime @ WNBC/New York 1973 |
No,
Bob Smith was not a lycanthrope – he
knew exactly who he was and played his role on the world stage with the flare
of a master dramatic artist – in wolf’s clothing. Owwwwwwoooo!
* As you know, wolf
spirits transcend every plane of existence, and Wolfman Jack’s howl is alive and vibrant through syndication on
these terrestrial and/or streaming online radio stations:
WOLF 102.7 / Santa Rosa, CA
REZ Radio 91.3 / San Diego, CA
KAZM / Sedona, AZ
WKVT-FM / Brattleboro, VT
'Til next time ...
have a wonderful "wordful" week!
(Back to whatever passes for normal around here, next Wednesday!)
(Back to whatever passes for normal around here, next Wednesday!)
** A psychiatric syndrome not recognized by
standard medicine, Lyncanthropy (li kanʹthrɘ pē) is: n.
1) [Archaic] a mental disorder in which one imagines oneself to be a beast,
esp. a wolf; 2) Folklore,
transformation of a person into a wolf or werewolf.
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