What happens when the VHS kid who found safety with scream queens grows up and becomes the cosplay that inspires the original star?

If horror has ever been your coping tool, your comfort movie, or your mirror when life got loud, Gregory’s story shows how channeling fandom into creativity and community can lift your mood, build resilience, and connect you to people who truly get it. This episode turns nostalgia into a wellness practice you can actually use.

Key takeaways:

Turn comfort watches into creative fuel: how Gregory transformed Friday-night rentals into cosplay, commentary, and connection.

Community heals: ways conventions, photo shoots, and creator shout-outs can reduce isolation and boost self-worth.

Own your origin story: reframing “outsider” energy into confidence, boundaries, and an everyday wellness ritual.

Gregory Van Abelar joins Corey to talk horror as therapy, community, and art. We dig into Gregory’s famed Angela cosplay from Night of the Demons, including the moment Amelia Kinkade herself cheered him on and later collaborated with him for charity events. Gregory traces a throughline from being a horror-loving loner who found friends in scream queens, to creating shoots at sacred genre sites like the Monroeville Mall, to landing on the Night of the Demons 3 Blu-ray commentary. We also hit Night of the Living Dead lore, the new Tom Savini director’s cut, and why revisiting classics can feel like checking in with an old friend. Most of all, Gregory shows how horror helps you survive the hard chapters and celebrate the weird, wonderful you.

How a Scream Queen Saved Me

Highlights:

• Angela forever: first cosplay, junior-high courage, and navigating homophobia without dimming your shine
• The Amelia effect: meeting Kinkade, instant kinship, and teaming up for animal charity work
• Community as medicine: why creator recognition and con culture can be life-giving
• Monroeville Mall memories and keeping horror landmarks alive
• Night of the Living Dead talk, the Savini cut, and why remakes can heal too
• Final people we love: claiming Angela’s last line as a “final girl” crown
• Practical ways horror fandom supports mental wellness

Press play to hear how Gregory turned VHS-era comfort into real-world courage and community, and steal his rituals for making horror part of your mental wellness toolkit today.

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Hello, boys and girls. It's your old pal, John Cusir, the voice of the Crypt Keeper. And I want to welcome my good fiends of the Horror Heals podcast. Is horror good for mental wellness? But of course it is. I delight in the delicious deaths of pitiful people on the silver screen.

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So get ready for a hell of a good time with my new fiends Cory and Kendall on the horror heels podcast

Hey Horror Heliacs, it's Cory. Today's episode is pure, scoogie joy. We're hanging out with Gregory Van Abelard. Horror fan, cosplayer, commentator, and all around creative light in the dark. You might know him for his absolutely killer Angela from Nightly Demons Cosplay. The one that's so good that Amelia Kincaid herself couldn't stop talking about it at conventions. Gregory grew up like a lot of us did. A horror loving loner finding comfort in VHS covers, Friday night rentals,

and screen queens who felt like real friends when the world felt quiet. Horror was his escape hatch, his therapy, and eventually his art form. Today he channels that love into cosplay, commentary tracks, and community, including his recent Night of the Demons 3 Blu-ray appearance. We also talk about Night of the Living Dead, the new Tom Savini director's cut, and why the Monroeville Mall is basically sacred ground. Keep your mitts off at Walmart. And you'll hear how horror for Gregory

became a lifeline when things got hard. Which, for so many of us, is not just blood and monsters, it's the long game.

Hi Gregory, welcome to the Horror Heals Podcast.

Hi guys, thanks for having me.

Absolutely, yeah. Before we get into the whole horror and healing stuff, I have to admit I was doing a little bit of stalking on your social media and I love the photos, the Night of the Living Dead themed photo shoot that you did recently. I've never been to actually one of the Living Dead cons, but I wanted to. Yeah, it looks like a blast.

Thank you so much. Oh my God. They're so fun to go to. It's interesting because I Walmart purchased them all. So who knows what's going to happen to it. So I've been urging anyone that's into the living dead movies or just, you know, zombies in general, even some history in general, go check it out. Cause it's a really remarkable landmark on top of the history of Dawn of the Dead and everything. It's cool. It's fun to be a part of.

Or yeah, it's.

I'm excited that there's a director's cut of Tom Savini's remake coming out in September.

It's funny, my dad took me to see that movie in the theater when it came out when I was really little, really little, like too young to be seeing these, right? And it left such an impression on me. You know what I mean? Like, cause it's such a great remake and great movie, you know, so I'm really excited to have it in like the best format possible and all the little Easter eggs thrown in, know. Yeah.

We're gonna have at some point get this like custom frame because it's an unusual size, but I've got a Polish movie poster of the remake and it's signed by George Romero, Tom Savini, Bill Moseley, a bunch of the original cats. it's, yeah, it's, it's one of our treasures.

That's so cool. It's funny too because you know it's hard when you make something that's so beloved and treasured and this is kind of one of the few remakes that's almost just as loved right? Yeah. Not really a lot of bad feedback on it which is great. Good! The proof is in the pudding! Tom Zavini did a great job! Exactly.

So Gregory, what do you think of our theme of horror and being good for, you know, the soul and for wellness and all that?

What's so cool is it's very unique, yet very spot on, and it needs to be jumped into because the horror community in general, a lot of them, myself, all of us, in some ways we're like survivors of stuff. And I think one of the pinnacle points is with everybody, I think that we all have in common is horror was there for us when we really needed it. And kind of our darkest time, which is so ironic because it's horror.

You know, but like it was there for us during our lowest of our lows and it'll always be there for us. It's like an old friend that's it's so comforting and we all have story, especially it's what's interesting to a lot of what I've come to notice is it's also different types of films or this or that is so personal to people. So they're kind of attached to this movie or that movie or that actor or that actress. And, but what's so beautiful about it is

And what I think people are starting to realize that created these films and acted in them. They're like, wow, we're, we didn't know at the time, maybe not speak for everybody, but they're saving lives. You know I mean? By the art of it all, you know, it's really fascinating to me. Absolutely. So I'm glad you guys are jumping into this and kind of just exploring this topic, which is so important, you know, and it's like therapy horror and all that, you know,

It is, yeah. It took us a little while, because we're, we're fans and it took us a little while to come to that aha moment, when it came to us, it's like, yep.

absolutely. And it does heal. It really does.

Yes. And we find that with not just fans, but the creators too. you know, they all have a story. There's something that's, that has helped them. The community has helped.

It totally has. And it's funny too, because you'll even some of the actors, so some of them don't know till way later. They're like, wait a minute. I had no idea. I did this movie and I had no idea about the fan base and what it's done for people. But that makes me so happy when they finally do know. You're going to mean like, and then they're kind of on board and you kind of just, it's a beautiful exchange of. We, we, we both are getting something so beautiful out of this, something you created and how it's affected me.

really is timeless and it's so interesting to see where horror is going because it's been taking off and going in wonderful directions. think it's healing more now than ever, you know.

So when did horror and cosplay come together for you?

That is a really good question. think it started, well, horror in general started for me very young. I was really fortunate. My mom, who's awesome, she would let me rent anything I wanted. she, she trusted my judgment. I got to see some really cool horror movies in the theater when I was very young. All of that really did leave an impression on me because I was very much kind of a loner kid. But the funny part was I wasn't upset about being a loner. I was.

All about it. Cause that's kind of all I knew. But the funny thing, what was there for me were horror movies, you know, especially like, I guess, scream queens at the time, I think before even like, knew what that term was. Um, so I'd have certain horror movies that I would connect with these characters and I really felt like I was hanging out with them. Like I felt like they were my friends and they were there for me when like no one else was. So I remember like Friday nights, Saturday nights, my mom would be.

you know, doing her thing, but she'd always take me to rent. It'd be like two movies and a pizza. And I was the happiest person on the planet, you know, you know, and I'd watch them over and over. And then she'd take me to sun coasts I'd go buy it if I loved it. You know, it was a really wonderful, special time, which has left such an impression on me and it's going to be with me forever. And then that kind of leaked into the cosplay, you know, like that kind of came a little bit later, but it all came full circle with all that, you know.

Definitely.

What was your first cosplay experience?

Well, it was Angela from Night of the Demons. And that's a wonderful story on its own because I'm very, very good friends with Amelia Kincaid. And so that I would have never have dreamt when I was so young, I have like drawings of her that I did when I was very little. I still have them that it would be something that would come to reality later, you know, and the whole, all of the adventures we've been on and

You know, and I even got her back in the Angela costume at one point, you know, and she still does it. It's just a beautiful. You know what it is? It's dream big because it could happen. You know what I mean? It really is. Don't dream it. it that that's one of the underlines of the cosplay and everything. And a lot of the cosplay characters I choose are characters that somehow really tapped into me, you know, in one way or another, I could see myself in them. And so I try to channel them and.

fun. I love tapping into that side and just jumping in.

Yeah, that's amazing that that was your first because that's and we didn't actually meet at this con. just like you were posing for photos with Amelia and Linnea and it was like, wow, that is like, that is some great Angela. And I could hear her just like totally like, you know, telling anybody that was like passing by like how great you were and how much she appreciated the, all the detail and everything.

thank you.

Yeah, because I first did Angela, I was in junior high and I did her for Halloween. dressed as her. I believe it was her from part three. And I just remember. It was, it really was a time where homophobia was very much there. And so you kind of had to learn and kind of like, you had to know where to navigate and what you can get away with, what you couldn't. So I remember on Halloween, you definitely knew who your friends were.

because the ones that were into it, you were so happy, but there was always one or two that had to like make a snide comment. But the funny part was I didn't give a shit. It didn't stop me. You know, I was so happy to be Angela and I was so excited to be running around on Halloween and this dress and the makeup. It was so much fun. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. That was like the first time I did it. I was really proud of myself. You know, I just remember telling my mom that's what I wanted to do. It was just great. It was just you're caught up in the moment and that's what you're going to do. I did it and I'm so happy I did it.

and it's taken me on this journey ever since.

Yeah, it's wild. What was Amelia's action when she first saw you?

my gosh. Okay. Well, this is funny. We both share the same story. I had never been to a horror convention ever. Like they always seemed like something so far away. Like it was always in like, you know, the back of fangoria you'd see these at, and they were always in different States. I didn't even think about it. You know what I mean? And then one day, I don't know how, but my partner told me, he goes, my God, there's a horror convention in LA. And one of the guests is Amelia Kinkade. I was like, what?

And I pulled over because I was like, wait a minute, wait a minute, let's pull up these dates. You know, like what is happening? You know, cause at this point I was already cosplaying as Angela, like every year, you know, like the West Hollywood Halloween parade, I was doing it, you know? And so I was very much like, Angela is all I do. You know what I mean? Like I was, you know, all about it. So my chance to meet Amelia was there. And I remember we went to this convention.

I was so nervous. I like, I had to do like a shot in the car. But like I had, I had like almost no experience, you know, to meet these people and realize it was just like a dream. I was like, this isn't happening. Right. And then so, so I go into meter and the funny part was she hadn't done conventions for awhile. She was out of the country and doing all sorts of things. So this was kind of her first foray back in a long time. So I got to meet her and it was really.

We just clicked and I remember we exchanged emails almost right away and I was showing her picture. It was almost like we already knew each other in another life. It was just kind of instantaneous. It was just boom. And so we were talking, talking, talking. And then we were talking about her animal charity work. And then we decided let's put on an event ourselves, you know, when she was going away, but she was like, when I come back.

Let's talk. And then we, you know, I took her out to lunch and we started doing charity events in Hollywood and I would host it as Angela. It was cool. It was kind of just the adventure of it all started off very early and we've just been together ever since. And she's so amazing. I've learned so much from her. She's truly a caring, wonderful, just funny. She's the bee's knees everybody.

And the proof, you know, it's funny, like everyone at conventions that comes to see her, that's her, you know I mean? So it's so easy to get just sucked in with whatever she's talking about. Cause she's so charismatic and so wonderful, so beautiful. I'm honored to be her friend. Let's just say that.

Do you remember what convention that was? Because I went to a couple and when we were living in California, I lived in the Bay Area for nine years. And this was a monster palooza, I believe, where I saw you and Amelia.

Okay. The one I met her at was called days of the dead. Okay. They, don't think they do them in California anymore, but they did a long time ago and that was a cool one, you know, cause it only had, I remember a lot of people, my gosh, like the girls from evil dead and they Tommy Doyle from Halloween. Like they just had a lot of different people. so that was my first experience in the conventions and it was cool. It was really, really cool. And then before I knew it, I was like, you know, at Amelia's table, like

Hmm.

working with her and it was so fun because I had fun chatting with the fans too about Night of the Demons. You know, like it was, it was so cool. Yeah. I love it. I love fellow horror fans, you know, like I love chatting with them cause I'm one of them, you know, it's just this wonderful exchange of our love for this and their story too of survival, you know, like, cause everyone has it, you know, like it saved my life. It's for this, that reason. And so that's a part of it. It's, it's like,

you know, finding these kindred spirits, you know, under this genre, this very misunderstood genre that I now think is finally getting the huge tiara deserves. You know, cause back then it was almost like you did a porno. You know I mean? Like, you know, which wasn't true, but still, you know, right.

No, definitely a s- Yeah, there was a stigma there for sure.

Yeah, for sure.

So I guess it could be argued that Angela is the protagonist or is the villain. You could argue it either way. What was it about that character that drew you in?

That's a really good question. think it really was somehow. And this is what Amelia says too, like somehow we knew each other in a past life. And I totally believe that because I can't explain why I was drawn to her. And the funny part was when I was really little, my cousin, Angela, we were very close, very close. We were BFFs. And one day they came over.

And her mom had gotten something from the video store and they showed, go, Gregory, this is for you. Cause I, know, obviously I was in the horror and stuff. They go, look, what we got for you. And they enrolled this poster from the video store. They were giving it away or something. And it was of Angela. was neither demons. And they go, look, it says Angela's having a party, Angela all over it. And they thought I'd be all about it. And I go, that's okay. Like I was actually scared of the poster because it was, you know, it was terrifying for me. So that.

You know what? If you ever have one regret in life, it was that. It's obviously later when I discovered it I was all about it. I was like, I remember asking my aunt, like, do you still have that poster that you you What poster? I was drawn to her rebellious spirit. She's beautiful. She's this goth princess. And the irony that in high school I was goth. So I was always channeling her. Just something about her that like kind of fuck you. I'm going do it my way. She was an outcast. So was I.

And she was the champion for the underdogs and I was definitely the underdog. Our souls were just connecting. She was definitely always my inspiration with like the whole goth thing. So, and that's who I still channel, you know, she is my number one diva. Absolutely. And I love her.

And she could dance. mean, come on. That's the understatement of all the centuries combined. So yeah. And Hall House, believe it or not. So many things in that film just drew me to it. The music, the party, all of it, right? And Hall House, it's such a beautiful house. was in LA. It was old. It had all this history to it. So there were no sets and sadly they tore it down, which killed me because I didn't know it at the time, but I had so many chances I could have gone down and seen it before they tore it down.

Yes.

But the house is so cool. It's like my dream home. And I think we can all say we all love Halloween because especially growing up, Halloween was the time where you could be anything you want and you didn't have to worry about being judged. You know, I still think that is the beautiful outlet for either young LGBTQ plus. Like that's always an outlet. Like that's like the creaking the door.

for some that like, I could be whatever I want today and like, no one could say shit or bother me. And it's kind of exploring who you really are, right? You know, at least with me, definitely.

So, aside from Angela, do you have any other favorite cosplay animations that you've done?

yeah. It was okay. Cause growing up alone and I really tapped into these scream queens, know, like truly like grace Jones from vamp or stretch from Texas, St. Samantha, like either you were like, you know, quote unquote bad or good. There was so many elements of them that I was drawn to. And I feeling like I was a survivor, you know, cause I was alone and

Obviously, you know, I had an abusive dad, so I didn't see him. So it was just a lot I was dealing with. And I saw the strength and completely identified with Laurie Strode and you name it, right? Or Judy from Night of the Demon, you know, but one that I'm really proud of is Miss Renee Zellweger from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4. I love that movie. That's another one that's one of my favorites because her character Jenny starts off as very meek and

Throughout the night, she finds her inner strength and her voice and she survives, you know, and that's one of the underlines with me, at least that's always tapped into me. You know, I totally feel that way. She's one I'm really proud of. You know, I'm proud of all of them. They're all fun, you know, and it's cool to see what you can come up with when you really want to do it.

Yeah, for sure. Well, you've done some other really cool stuff in the horror realm. Are there a couple of jewels in your crown that you'd like to mention?

yes. Well, I was really happy to be on the commentary for Neither Demons Three. That's another one that I love that a lot of people hadn't seen. It just got a Blu-ray. So I was on there with Jimmy Kaufman, who directed it. He was so fun. He's so wild. And it was he was really fun to be around, you know, completely creative soul. I was really honored to be a part of that and just.

Everything I've done. I'm, always grateful, you know, to be a part of anything. I'm so happy and grateful to be on here with you guys. Just anyone that's interested, you know, like I'm so happy to be a part of it all. I, you know, it's just happy to be here. Right. And it's just a wonderful community and it always gives me something to look forward to. It's just that getting me something to get out of bed and just be excited about.

I'm excited for the Blu-ray of Night of Living Dead. Everything coming out, it just gives me something just so happy. And then that's what inspires me too, especially with cosplay or whatever I'm doing, right? It's just to be excited about things. think it's that kind of childhood innocence that we tap into. A lot of people still are trying to find, and I always want to help people find that. Just finding those things that just really get you going. It doesn't always have to be

this or that. Sometimes like the adult worlds quote unquote where that's all you got going and you're just so miserable. It's like we also have to find that that happy place and really keep that very treasured and locked in, you know, cause it's keeps us young, right?

Yeah, I love your positivity that is really inspiring.

And you know funny too? We are living in a time where, least in the scope of heart, like I'm so grateful. I, if the 14 year old me, if you told me, they're going to be still doing Halloween's and I know you did last summer's and this and that, you know, I would have had a hard time. I would have fainted. It's me. It's so easy now to be like, well that was dumb. It's like, no, we should be really lucky that they're doing this for us.

I think that that's my take on it. You know, so the fact that we're getting these reunion movies and this and that and conventions and just all of this, like I would never have dreamt this exist would have existed when I was younger because it was such a hush hush thing. Like, you know, you liked horror because, know, I had people in my family member that were like religious and they were like, you and this horror movies and, know, like just stuff like that. They'd always make you feel like shit just for being your authentic self.

And being happy, like mining your own business even because they're unhappy. You know what I mean? Like that. That's exactly that. And, and even though I didn't quite know that then I knew then not to let it ruin my good time. Cause I never let it ruin it. You know what I mean? I just wish back then I said something back, but that's okay because the, know, I, I did it my own way just by doing it. So there you go.

Exactly.

The last question on this is, who's your favorite final person in a horror film?

question that we always ask on podcast.

Final. Wow. Yeah. I guess Angela wasn't final, but she does get the final in part three. She has the final word in the whole, she says happy Halloween. So it'll be Angela. Literally. I see. I found that loophole right there. If it wasn't for Angela, I wouldn't be here. Truly. She kickstarted it all. So it's my love for her that really opened the flood gates to me.

That's awesome. Great. Well, Amelia has said that she will come on the podcast at some point. I she's very, busy, but definitely make sure I'll ping her and let her know about this episode for sure.

she'll love it. Yeah, absolutely. you're gonna have so much fun with her.

Yeah, she's- I've met her a couple times and she's great. I love what she does for animals and stuff too.

Another thing that's so inspiring and just really makes you want to be being a better person, know, absolutely. She's fighting the good fight for sure.

Well, Gregory, thank you so much for coming on the show. really appreciate it.

Thank you so much, this has been so much fun. I'm honored and for the love of horror.

That was Gregory van Avelar reminding us that horror doesn't just entertain, it heals. I love how we put it. Horror is the old friend that shows up when you need it most. From cosplaying Angela in Junior High, despite homophobia, to later working conventions with Amelia herself, Gregory's story is proof that embracing who you are, makeup, fangs, and all of it, is its own kind of survival. And yeah, we're gonna claim it. Angela is the final girl of that franchise. She gets the last line.

and the crown. Gregory, thank you for sharing your warmth, your artistry, and your undead optimism with us. Amelia, we're keeping a chair ready for you too. If this episode hit home, tell the creator their work saved you. Rewatch that movie they got you through. Put up the costume that still feels like Arver. Because the horror community? It's not just a fandom, it's family. Thanks for listening. And when someone asks if horror is good for your mental wellness, you tell them, of course it is.