Acknowledged horror and sci-fi expert, John Stanley, began his road to hosting as a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. A fan of horror hosts, Stanley
would promote local personality, Asmodeus (Frank Sheridan), host of KEMO Ch 20's Shock-It-To-Me Theater. When Bob Wilkins' Creature Features show premiered
in the bay Area in 1971, John was the first to print an interview. He later contributed to Creature Features and, upon Wilkins' retirement from the show in 1978, became
his hand-picked successor.

 

In 1976, Stanley directed, and co-wrote the cult film, Nightmare in Blood, using Wilkins' Creature Features set in one scene. Since the demise of the program, he has
authored updated volumes of The Creature Feature Movie Guide. Trash movie host Joe Bob Briggs announced himself "in awe" of Stanley, and included him in a month
long tribute to horror hosts on Briggs' cable show. The other hosts chosen by Briggs as representative of the genre were Zacherley, Ghoulardi and Elvira.