Many talented people have been lost this year, and on the last day of 2009, I’m sad to report that horror enthusiast extraordinaire Charlie (Chas.) Balun died on December 18 at the age of 61 after a heroic battle with cancer.
Known for his books related to horror in cinema, including 1983’s THE CONNOISSEUR’S GUIDE TO THE CONTEMPORARY HORROR FILM, Balun spent his entire life writing, talking, and voicing his opinions and love for horror with hopes of inspiring more fans of the genre. He not only wrote a variety of books, but also contributed regularly to both GOREZONE magazine and FANGORIA in the late 80s and early 90s.
Along with his magazine writing, Balun took on writing a few nonfiction novels, including THE GORE SCORE, MORE GORE SCORE, HORROR HOLOCAUST, and BEYOND HORROR HOLOCAUST. In other words, Balun was the ultimate fan of horror, had a love for Italian splatter films (the gorier the better), and had a long career telling others about hard to find horror gems on video, and fueling the love of the genre for fans everywhere.
Balun was an inspiration to us all, the ultimate fan of the horror genre, and he will be missed. For more information on Balun, we well as thoughts on his passing from FANGORIA’s Tony Timpone, click HERE.
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