FRIDAY NIGHT WITH THE GRAVEMASTER

TIM TROMBITAS (TIM KINCAID) - "THE GRAVEMASTER"

The above poster of The GraveMaster and the below posters of "Ranger Bob" are AI generated based on images and information obtained. "Friday Night with the GraveMaster" was a hosted horror movie show with Tim Kincaid (Tim Trombitas) as "The GraveMaster" presenting movies on Friday nights on WKCF-TV, Channel 18 Orlando, Florida in the early 1990's for about six months. "The GraveMaster" appeared to be a zombie or some other demonic creature wearing a cloak, and seated on a throne hosting scary movies. Pat Tantalo created the very scary makeup for "The GraveMaster". Portrait of "The Gravemaster" by Dave Dunlap. TIM TROMBITAS (TIM KINCAID) Tim Trombitas (sometimes credited under the stage name Tim Kincaid) is an American television personality, actor, and producer best known for his versatile work as a local children's television host and late-night horror host in the 1990s and 2000s. Early Life & Career Foundations Born circa 1951, Trombitas served three years in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War before pursuing a degree in broadcast and telecommunications at Kent State University in Ohio. He began his professional broadcasting career in radio, working as a country-station morning show personality where he developed a wide repertoire of character voices. Television Breakthrough: Ranger Bob Trombitas made the leap to television in Rochester, New York, when a local channel launched a search for a vibrant children's host. Drawing on his country radio background, he created Ranger Bob, an eccentric, country-western character sporting painted white hair, a thick mustache, a western shirt, and an oversized cowboy hat; screening on WUHF-TV on channel 31, in Rochester, New York. In 1992, Trombitas relocated the character to Orlando, Florida, hosting Ranger Bob's Buckeroo Club on WKCF-TV Channel 18 in Orlando, Florida. Broadcast as a daily, two-hour weekday afternoon block, the program was a massive regional success. Operating as a one-man variety showcase from the fictional town of "Gooberville", Trombitas performed improvisational skits, voiced dozens of characters, shared viewer drawings, and famously greeted his audience with "Howdy, buckaroos!". At its peak, the show boasted 30,000 fan club members and outperformed major national syndications in local ratings. The Gravemaster & Late-Night Horror In the early 1990s, Trombitas pivoted sharply from children's entertainment to late-night genre television by creating The Gravemaster for WKCF-TV Channel 18. Masked in intense prosthetic makeup created by Pat "Fleagore"" Tantalo, the character was a cloaked, demonic zombie entity who hosted public-domain B-movies from a dark throne on Friday Night with the Gravemaster. Though the horror-host program only ran for approximately six months, the character left a lasting impression on regional counter-culture television. Decades later, Trombitas's performance earned him official nominations into the Horror Host Hall of Fame in 2022 and 2023. Character Work on Gina D's Kids Club Transitioning behind the scenes in the mid-1990s to form his own production company, Trombitas focus shifted toward writing, freelancing, and producing medical television segments. However, his physical character acting skills were called upon again for the educational children's television program Gina D's Kids Club. Displaying his comedic and transformative range, Trombitas portrayed a rotating gallery of distinct characters on the show, including the lovable Millie Muffin, the whimsical Mr. Pockets, the eccentric artist Pierre D'Artiste, and the impressionable Simon WannaBe. Personal Life & Spiritual Second Act Following a period of financial hardship as a freelancer in the late 1990s, Trombitas experienced a profound spiritual awakening during a church-led men's retreat. Leaving the entertainment industry behind, he dedicated his life to theology and religious service. He was eventually ordained as an Anglican priest under the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy. Under his religious title, The Rev. Canon Tim Trombitas, he later served as a bishop's chaplain and successfully planted the Bible-based Anglican Community Fellowship church in Winter Garden, Florida. In 2022 and 2023, Tim Kincaid as "The GraveMaster", was a nominee in the "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame". The following is a clip from the show: "The GraveMaster" - clip from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo.

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