Ron Haydock

There aren't many people who can claim that they did everything from record rock'n'roll songs to writing sleazy adult novels to editing and publishing their own horror magazine to acting in a few enjoyably offbeat low-budget pictures throughout the course of their lives. Well, Ron Haydock did all this during his sadly short, yet often colorful and eventful 37 years on this planet. Ron was born on April 17, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois. He was an avid fan of comic books, monster magazines, and creature feature fright flicks from an early age. He published his own fan magazines "Ape" and "Skybird" as well as wrote for other friends' magazines in his teen years. Haydock's life forever changed when he saw the film "The Girl Can't Help It," which inspired in Ron a lifelong love for rockabilly singer Gene Vincent. Ron formed his own band called the Boppers in 1958. The group cut several singles for the Cha Cha label in 1959 and appeared on the local TV variety show "Chicago Bandstand." Ron moved to California in 1960. Haydock was an editor on the "Graveyard Examiner" column for Forrest J. Ackerman's legendary "Famous Monsters of Filmland" horror magazine. In 1961 Ron launched his own horror magazine called "Fantastic Monsters of the Films" and even participated in a spin-off local radio show. In 1962 Haydock wrote the adult novels "The Flesh Peddlers" and "Scarlet Virgin" under the alias Don Sheppard. Ron made his film debut as heroic state trooper Officer Tracy in Ray Dennis Steckler's terrific psychos-on-the-loose knockout "The Thrill Killers." Haydock achieved his greatest enduring cult popularity with his portrayal of Lonnie Ford, a rock star who doubles as superhero Rat Pfink in Steckler's gloriously wacky and off-the-wall spoof "Rat Pfink a Boo Boo." The Haydock songs "You Is a Rat Fink," "Runnin' Wild," "I Stand Alone," and "Go Go Party" are all featured on the soundtrack to this picture. Ron's magazine folded in 1964. Haydock subsequently penned a bunch of gloriously lurid porno novels under the pseudonym Vin Saxon in order to keep himself afloat. Ron makes a brief appearance as Rat Pfink in Steckler's delightfully goofy comedic romp "The Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Monsters." Alas, Haydock sank into a deep depression in late 1966. He left California and moved back to Chicago in 1967, where he recorded nearly a dozen acoustic demos. Ron helped research the book "The Great Radio Heroes" for his friend Jim Harmon, plus wrote a couple of stories for "Creepy" magazine and scripted the backs for "Land of the Giants" trading cards. In 1971 Haydock portrayed a vicious sword-wielding psychopath in Steckler's deliciously cheesy horror flick "Blood Shack." In 1974 Ron served as associate editor and key contributing writer for the magazine "Monsters of the Movies," which only lasted for a few issues. Haydock subsequently edited a handful of one-shot magazines for E-Go Publications. Unfortunately, Ron suffered a severe mental breakdown in 1977. On August 13, 1977 Haydock was struck and killed by an eighteen-wheeler as he was walking on an exit ramp on Route 66. He was 37 years old. Ron Haydock was buried on the same exact day that Elvis Presley died.