Richard E. Dyszel, a renowned television personality, was born and raised in the vibrant city of Chicago, Illinois. Following his graduation from Southern Illinois University with a degree in Radio-TV, Dyszel embarked on a journey that would shape his future as a television host.
In 1971, he assumed the role of M.T. Graves, hosting TV shows at WDXR-TV in Paducah, Kentucky, where he introduced weekly horror films to captivated audiences. The following year, Dyszel took his character to Channel 20 on WDCA-TV in Washington D.C., where he created his iconic character, Count Gore De Vol, the vampire host of Creature Feature. This esteemed program ran from 1973 to 1979, and after a five-year hiatus, from 1984 to 1987.
In addition to his work as Count Gore De Vol, Dyszel portrayed Bozo the Clown from 1972 to 1977 and Captain 20 from 1972 to 1987, hosting the station's kids program. His program, "Kids Break," won an Emmy Award in 1984. As assistant programming director, Dyszel played a crucial role in accumulating an impressive collection of classic horror, Japanese monster, and campy 50s and 60s movies before the advent of the video era.
A notable achievement in 1976 was Dyszel's success in helping the station become the first to air the original "Night of the Living Dead" in its entirety, unedited. He also pioneered the broadcasting of Creature Feature in stereo in the DC market.
In 1995, Dyszel relocated to Chicago and, in 1998, became the first horror host on the Internet with the launch of "Creature Feature, the Web Program," a sequel to his TV show. He returned to the DC area in 2005 and continues to produce his weekly web program, which is now also available on mobile devices.
