To make a long story short (at least for now), I grew up in Lakewood, Ohio and had been in two local bands before I wrote the first Psychotronic movie reviews in Cle magazine while I was working at The Drome record store (a center for imports and punk rock) in 1977. I moved to Manhattan in the summer of 1979 and published, edited and distributed the original hand lettered Xeroxed weekly Psychotronic TV guide during 1980-81. This led to the Psychotronic Encyclopedia Of Film (Ballantine, 1983), a lot of publicity and great reviews, a feature in Rolling Stone, free lance writing for various now defunct publications (and High Times), and hosting a series of Psychotronic films shows and festivals in major American and European cities and Sao Paulo, Brazil..

In 1987 I met Suh Mi Hwa (aka Mia) at a concert at the Palladium (a long ago demolished big old theater on E 14th St) starring Divine from John Waters movies. Three years later we were married at city hall on Halloween and celebrated with dinner at the Windows Of The World restaurant in the World Trade Center. We started Psychotronic Video Magazine in 1989, opened the original Psychotronic store on East 9th St (by Veselka Restaurant), and eventually moved to Cochecton (near Narrowsburg in Sullivan County New York by the Delaware River).

We had lots of help and encouragement (especially from Fred Brockman and Akira Fitton, the longest lasting and main contributors) getting Psychotronic Video started and making it look good. We had support from advertisers and a great, loosely organized staff of writers, interviewers, and contributors. While the sequel review book was being prepared (it took a long time) at Pharos Books (in the Pan Am Building), several annual Psychotronic calendars were published. Pharos went under so the book eventually ended up being published by St Martins’ (in the famous Triangle Building) as The Psychotronic Movie Guide (96). More reviews, publicity, book signings, film shows and TV appearances (MTV, Fox, The Crook and Chase Show…) followed.

During the 1999 Y2K nonsense scare we relocated to Chincoteague (another hard to spell and pronounce Indian name) Island, Virginia, and started a new bigger and better Psychotronic store and Mia’s Hair Salon in the old Bank Of Chincoteague Building. We sell records (LPs and 45s), CDs, DVDs, movie posters and books, rock flags and pins, comic books, imported clothes, and new and old jewelry. Mia demonstrates glass bead making every Second Saturday.

Psychotronicvideocom was created by artist and Electric Eels leader John Morton (who I’ve known since Lakewood High School) and launched just in time for 9-11. Psychotronic Video magazine continued (and I think got better) even as Webmaster Morton and I both were sometimes mentally sidetracked by anthrax, color coded threat levels, and two polarizing terms of political scare tactics. In 2006, I found a new diversion by hosting a weekly FM radio show at WCTG.

The decision to stop publication of Psychotronic Video (or PV) magazine after 18 years was a difficult one, but the reasons were many and impossible to ignore. I’m proud of everything about Psychotronic magazine except for the half assed way I ended it. I went through a longer than expected kind of withdrawal period, letting mail and email pile up until my computer typically crashed.

A bigger mental jolt for me was when my eccentric Okie, WWII vet magician, ventriloquist, hypnotist, MC, magic historian and collector, Houdini fan … father died last year. He also worked as an ad salesman at The Cleveland Press for aprox 35 years until it went under. His largest write up was in the rival Cleveland Plain Dealer: http://www.cleveland.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2008/11/a_life_story_bill_...

I had heard that he used to hypnotize people at parties in the 50s but only recently discovered that he also “regressed” them to alleged past lives. My brothers recently discovered an issue (July 54) of Fate Magazine (special hypnotism issue) in our fathers collection, which featured an incredible feature story about our soldier dad and Edgar Cayce’s son in France during WWII.

(Click image to read the article)

I miss him and have many good memories, but my brothers and our mom are left wandering just who was this guy?

I once gave a nearly incoherent talk at a fan convention (in Baltimore) about how my main three male influences growing up were Billy, Ernie, and Forry. Billy was my father (see above). Ernie was the late Ernie (Ghoulardi) Anderson and Forry was the late Forrest J. Aackerman of Famous Monsters Of Filmland fame. Don’t be surprised to see more about all three of them on this site in the future.

About those bands I was in. I played rhythm guitar (black solid body Hagstrom) in a school garage band called The Waters Edge, doing Hey Joe, Louie Louie, Gloria, Wipepout, and select tracks by The Who, Yardbirds, Love, Blues Magoos… (the excellent selection of material far surpassed our musical talents). We actually did practice in a garage until neighbors called the police, but usually practiced in the Weldon family basement. We were too young and unfocused to record anything or even have any pictures taken, but we did play a few parties and auditioned at a bar. Most of us were at Harding Jr High then Lakewood High School at the time. Here is a look of just some of the class of 70 students (including our Acetone keyboard player Bill Kratsus) who are gone.

I think our greaser lead singer is also long gone, but haven’t been able to confirm that fact.

By the early 70s I was playing drums in Mirrors, a band that actually did record. Nothing was released at the time but we briefly became part of a small local pre punk rock “scene” along with The Electric Eels and Rocket From The Tombs. Last year there was a one off Mirrors reunion which I passed on because I hadn’t picked up a drum stick since 1975 and my father was dying.

The reunion happened because of the death of bass player Jim Jones (later in Pere Ubu).

Speaking of The Electric Eels you can read about them at two sites, one from Brian McMahon (a guy who helped shape my musical tastes): http://www.electriceels.com/crabpot/pg/mcmahon.html
and one by John Morton: http://www.electricfuckingeels.com/

Recently I have been a guy to call when trash culture figures pass away. Here are two recent examples

Lux Interior of The Cramps

Director Ray Dennis Steckler (who was interviewed for the never published PV #43).

I want to thank Uncle Bob Martin, the very helpful editor of Fangoria back when I started the first Psychotronic TV Guide. He recently got in touch with me at WCTG to tell me that he started a Psychotronic Radio listening group on Facebook. Here is Uncle Bob’s rant about losing a job!

Anyway, this site has new things for you to peruse and will soon have a blog, a new secure store (with new items for sale) and a new review sections. Any relevant DVDs or books should be sent to Psychotronic, 4102 Main St., Chincoteague, VA, 23336.

I’m glad to be back – Michael J. Weldon