Going back 36 years ago I had a record store in Lyndhurst, NJ

called The Vinyl Frontier ( hey, I liked Star Trek ) and one

afternoon as I sat in the store listening to Ziggy Stardust,

in walked a rather large guy in a blue plaid shirt, jeans, and

combat boots with longhair in all his menacing glory came

walking up to my counter.

He said in a snarly voice," You got any punk or hard music"?? I directed him over to my new releases and showed him a compilation album titled, 'Hell Comes To Your House'!

It featured lots of California punks banks and a few tracks by 45 Grave. He liked it and said that he would buy it. We then stared to talk about music which lead to horror, films, and out of print books.... He turned me onto a lot of different great bands including The Stranglers, Television, and The Dead Boys!!

That was my first meeting with Shawn McLaughlin, a local 15 year

old kid that road around in an old Chevy that was appropriately

nick named, The Death Mobile! A no frills about it in any way Chevy that even the junkyard would have probably refused to take in!

He had a face and attitude that made you think you were going to be punched at any second, but once you started talking it was apparent that he was very well read, very intelligent, and pretty good guy. ( unless he had a bunch of beers in him then all bets were off!! Ha! Ha! )

Now don't get me wrong, he could be a wise ass too but only really if he was being provoked or if he just didn't like you.. lol

Anyway, to make a long story short we hit it of pretty well. Nine

years later I decided to put on my first convention and Shawn was

there ready to take it on with me and a few other close friends. He had been there since. He has always been loyal, a major help with the show, and a brutally honest person.

With Shawn, you either would get him, or you wouldn't! Simple.

I got him and what he was about. Sometimes he did have some demons arise, but don't we all!

Years ago Shawn told me that I had his loyalty and that he would take bullet for me if it ever came to something like that...
These were not idle words, they were the truth.

Last week when talking to some Chiller people that were concerned about his health and his Diabetes, he told them he was more concerned how I was doing and if I was getting the treatment I needed! That's the kind of guy he was!! Right up to the end! I miss him already and wish he was still going to be along for the ride! A great friend, brother, helper, confidant, and

as humane as one can get!!

Love ya Shawn!! - Kevin

(photos by Eddie M.)