'Alex Van Helsing' author brings rock 'n' roll to young adult lit

BY KARL PFEIFFER

In my best Dracula voice, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, Van Helsing!"

Photo by Julia Guzman

No? What? It's actually Jason Henderson (shown here)? Perhaps I messed that one up again, but don't hold it against me. The two are easily confused. After all, the worlds they live in are essentially the same. Henderson has been described as a writer of the supernatural who wears his darkness within. His first young adult novel, 2010's Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising has been named by the Texas Library Association to the 2011 Lone Star Reading List, a list of the top 20 books for young readers.

His character Alex, is described as James Bond meets the quintessential vampire hunter, a 14-year-old badass. Henderson is also the writer of the Sword of Dracula comic miniseries and his new Alex Van Helsing novel, Voice of the Undead is out July 26. I spoke with Henderson to discuss his fascination with vampires, paranormal pop culture and how both impact his work in YA fiction.

Kane Hodder: 'Friday the 13th's Jason on acting, ghost hunting

BY AARON SAGERS

Despite being 6-foot-3, and having been in show business for three decades, most casual audiences wouldn’t recognize Kane Hodder, but they know his work. The stuntman and actor has appeared in more than 100 films and TV shows, and has left a mark on popular culture – and more often than not, it has been a big, bloody mark.

Although he has worked on blockbuster thrillers (Se7en), super hero flicks (Daredevil) and Oscar-winning films (Monster), Hodder’s most enduring legacy is his time behind a hockey mask hacking through fornicating teens.

He portrayed killer Jason Voorhees in the classic slasher flicks Friday the 13th, parts seven, eight, nine and 10, and is the only actor to play the undead, deformed maniac more than once. More recently, the actor’s role in the Hatchet films - as Victor Crowley, another undead, deformed maniac– has allowed Hodder to originate his own character in a cult franchise, the third entry of which was just greenlit in March. The result is a spot in the pantheon of actors who repeatedly left their mark on horror, alongside Robert Englund, Anthony Hopkins and Anthony Perkins.

But what’s a guy to do after making a killing in Hollywood? Hunt for ghosts, naturally.

While filming the 2006 supernatural horror film Fallen Angels at the reportedly haunted Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Hodder and fellow stuntmen Rick McCallum (Hatchet, The Devil’s Rejects) and R.A. Milhailoff (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3, Hatchet II) – all of whom who potrayed demons in the movie - decided to form the Hollywood Ghost Hunters paranormal investigative group. The team appeared on a January 2011 episode of Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures and also organize events where fans and amateur investigators can join the hunt. Like other ghostbusters, Hodder’s crew ain’t afraid of no ghosts, but as “horror film professionals stalking the supernatural,” the ghosts may just be afraid of them.

On June 10-11, 2011, Hodder will get a chance to spook the spooks at Rolling Hills Asylum (www.rollinghillsasylum.com) in East Bethany, N.Y., where he’ll be leading ticketed investigators through the famous haunted site, which has been featured on numerous paranormal programs.

A big, grizzled dude with intense eyes who looks too comfortable wielding a machete or with his hands around someone’s neck, Hodder is actually a likable man who’s just hacking and strangling for a scene or fan photo, and joined us to talk about his upcoming investigation and his work in the entertainment industry.