Hail The King Of Horror! (Happy Birthday Stephen King!)

 I believe it was 1984 (I would've been 8 years old) when I took a glimpse of the film "Cujo," and I was understandably shaken. I'm surprised I even wanted to attempt to return to that story and read the book but years later I did and was greatly entertained. I've quite enjoyed his books and film adaptations ever since.

Born on September 21st 1947 in Portland, Maine, King displayed an early interest in horror, as he read some of the great classic horror comics like "Tales From The Crypt" and would later pay homage to those comics in the anthology "Creepshow." Dubbed 'The King Of Horror,' Stephen King has written 60 novels, 200 short stories, and his books and film adaptations have enjoyed great success over the years. Classics like "Carrie," "Salem's Lot," "The Shining," "IT," and "Pet Sematary" are ingrained in pop culture, as are many of his non horror entries like the film adaptations "Stand By Me," "The Running Man," "The Green Mile," and "The Shawshank Redemption." 

The horror contributions alone would cement his place in pop culture and literary history, but those film adaptations have shown what an amazing and versatile storytelling he is. As a youngster I knew his horror stories and reputation, but watching films like "Stand By Me" as a kid I never would've guessed he was behind it. 

His stories continue to spark interest with film and television, with The Dark Tower being tapped for potential sequels and television shows as well as new adaptations of "The Stand." With this new Golden Era Of Television, I believe his work is a goldmine waiting to be tapped into.

My all-time favourite quote of his is "We Make Up Horrors To Help Us Cope With The Real Ones." It's always been my explanation to folks that don't understand why we horror fans embrace the macabre...aside from the genre also being a hell of a lot of fun.

I'm so very happy to still have this living legend alive and well to celebrate another birthday. So Happy Birthday Mr. King! Here's to more great stories to tell...