SATURDAY NIGHT DEAD
SCIENCE SHOCK THEATRE
SHOCK THEATER
SHOCK THEATRE

BARRY HOBART - "DR. CREEP"

Barry Lee Hobart was born on 23 June 1941 in Middletown, Ohio, USA; and passed away on 14 January 2011 in Dayton, Ohio, USA. Hobart was a local television celebrity and late night horror movie host, nationally known as "Dr. Creep", who was a corpulent, bearded man wearing dead white make-up, black makeup around the eyes, red lips, a stove-pipe hat and a cape. As founder of the Montgomery County project "Christmas Smiles" Barry helped over 93,000 families over 33 years. He used his celebrity status to raise contributions in the Muscular Dystrophy telethon each Labor Day. Barry was a 1959 Graduate of Middletown High School, and a 1963 Graduate of the University of Cincinnati majoring in Television and Radio Broadcasting. After his college graduation he entered the USA Air Force and served overseas in service broadcasting during the Vietnam War era. After his honorable discharge he was employed by Channel 22 as a camera specialist and master control operator before creating the host of "Shock Theatre" as "Dr. Creep,". The shows: "Science Shock Theatre" - a non hosted science fiction and horror movie show on WKEF-TV Channel 22 Dayton, Ohio between late 60's till early 70's (likely 1969-1971); with Barry Hobart supplying creepy voice-overs for opening and breaks. "Shock Theatre" - a hosted horror movie show with Barry Hobart as "Dr. Creep" presenting movies late nights on Saturdays WKEF-TV Channel 22 Dayton, Ohio between 1 January 1972 until 1980; screening around Saturday at 11:00 pm. "Saturday Night Dead" - a hosted horror movie show with Barry Hobart as "Dr. Creep" presenting movies late nights on Saturdays WKEF-TV Channel 22 Dayton, Ohio between January 1980 until 23 March 1985. The show followed "Saturday Night Live". "Shock Theater" - a hosted horror movie show with Barry Hobart as "Dr. Creep" presenting movies for DATV TCI Channel 20 Dayton, Ohio; and Miami Valley Cable Council Media One Channel 23; from 1999 till around 2011. The show ran on Sunday nights at 10:00 pm. "The Horror Host Underground: Horror Hosts from Coast to Coast" is a 2002 direct to video featuring many horror hosts including Dr. Creep. "100 Years of Monster Movies" - a three day movie marathon series on Chiller TV from 26 - 28 March 2010 presented by Fear Werx at the Horrorhound Weekend, in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, and included Dr. Creep. Portrait of "Dr. Creep" by Dave Dunlap.

Portrait of "Dr. Creep" by Bradley Beard.
"Dr. Creep" - biography (taken from Bradley Beard's Facebook page)

He ran for President twice. Tonight I present Dr. Creep, host of Shock Theatre on WKEF-TV Channel 22 in Dayton, OH. The show ran from 1972 to 1980 as Shock Theatre, however, the name was changed in 1980 to Saturday Night Dead as it followed Saturday Night Live and aired until 1985. He breathed life again into the new Shock Theatre in 1999 which aired on DA TV in Dayton, OH. Dr. Creep was portrayed by Barry Hobart. His roots were deep seated in the horror genre as his uncle was horror movie make-up artist Doug Hobart, who incidentally hosted a traveling spook show in the 1940's and 1950's. For Hobart, being a horror host was more than just a job, it was an outlet that allowed him to help his community, as co-founder of the "Project Smiles" charity, he was able to reach out to 45-65,000 needy families each year. Barry Hobart was a kind and generous man who will always be fondly remembered by all who knew him.

In 2011, Barry Hobart - "Dr. Creep" for "Shock Theater", was inducted into "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame".

In 2019, Andy Copp - producer "Dr. Creep" Behind the Screams induction into "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame".

The following is the opening for "Shock Theatre":

"Shock Theatre" - opening from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo.