Originally published at Better Living Through Science Fiction. Please leave any comments there.
We recently had a chance to sit down with Kyra Schon, the ghoulish little girl fromthe original Night of the Living Dead. She’s still a zombie lover, but it doesn’t look like she’ll be returning to the screen anytime soon.
ILLUSION: We all know you from night of the living Dead…
So let’s get up to speed… are you still sculpting?
kyra: I’m still sculpting, but on a smaller scale these days. I teach pottery and sculpture for a living, and in my free time I do lost wax casting.
ILLUSION: I understand you also make jewelry. I think it’s a fascinating medium,
What are your design influences?
Kyra: All of my jewelry is made using the lost wax method. I’ve done fabricating with sheet metal, but I really enjoy the whole process of lost wax casting, from the initial sculpting to the metal casting. Well, almost the whole process — I’m not fond of finishing pieces — grinding and polishing is drudgery. I’m not sure what my design influences are, really. I get a lot of inspiration from animals, both real and imaginary, and human faces.
ILLUSION: You also run Spiffycards.com, inspired by your dog of the same name who sadly passed away some years ago.
How did the concept of spiffy cards evolve?
Kyra: No, no! Spiffy is alive!
ILLUSION: Oops! I’m so sorry! We goofed. Eep.
Kyra: Spiffy has one of those very expressive Hanna Barbera cartoon faces, and I started designing images of her in unlikley positions and as different characters. I finally had quite a few of them and a friend suggested I do greeting cards.
ILLUSION: Spiffy was a rescue dog; I understand that rescue animals have a soft spot with you, just like several of our ILLUSION team members, can you tell us why you think it’s important to help needy animals.
Kyra: My family has been adopting strays for generations, so I come by it genetically. There are so many animals in shelters who need homes that I just can’t see actively seeking out a breeder to buy a dog. Too many people treat dogs and cats like a commodity — they have to have the latest “hot” puppy breed and then when it chews the furniture or has an accident in the house, they dump it. The shelters are full of abandoned animals who are in desperate need of loving homes. I’d never consider buying a dog from a breeder or at a pet store. All of my dogs have come from shelters and they’ve all been among the best dogs in the world. I wouldn’t have traded them for anything.
ILLUSION: I see that you’re still involved in “zombie culture”… visiting conventions, etc.
Is there any chance at all that you’ll overcome your camera-shy nature and do at
least a cameo in the future?
Kyra: If George Romero asked me to be in his next zombie opus, I’d agree. I doubt I’d do it with anyone else, though. I really am camera shy. Zombie culture is still a huge part of my life, though. In fact, I just took part in a Zombie Walk here in Pittsburgh. The turnout for it was astonishing. Zombies are still hot!
ILLUSION: Your father, both on-screen and off, is Karl Hardman…
one of the producers of the original NOTLD… Producing / acting in an indie
is hard enough without it being a family affair. What impact did the dead movie play on your family-life?
Kyra: Karl was not only one of the producers, he was Harry Cooper, as well. My mother stayed out of the whole thing, though she was supportive of the project and that I was in a horror movie. Horror was my favorite genre at that time, and it still is. My mother really fostered my love of horror by letting me stay up late to watch the weekly horror host and his schlocky movies.
ILLUSION: You expressed your dislike for the 30th Anniversary Edition of NOTLD, with
valid reason, but NOTLD has a sort of “re-dubbing” culture around it these days…
Some people feel that it adds to the “community” feel that brings dead fans together.
What’s your take on the subject?
Kyra: I’ve seen very few good remakes and I generally don’t like the concept. There are a few notable exceptions, but for the most part, I don’t see any good reason (other than a quick buck) to make them. Night of the Living Dead has been abused more than most films, and I wish people would just leave it alone now and try to come up with an original idea. Classics don’t need to be remade.
ILLUSION: Your personal website is dedicated to Duane Jones who played Ben in “Dead” as well as key roles in several other cult classics. The stories about Ben on your site are truly touching. I know you didn’t have a chance to see Ben again before he passed away, but have you
had a chance to express your fondness for him to any of his family and friends directly?
Kyra: Barry, the man who wrote the tribute to Duane for my website, is the only one of Duane’s acquaintances with whom I’ve corresponded. I don’t know any of Duane’s family, though I’d like to be able to contact them. I was told he had a sister, but I don’t know anything about her, or where she’d be living now. My father stayed in touch with Duane after he moved to New York, and saw him there on a couple of occasions, but I don’t think even he knew much about his family.
ILLUSION: To the credit of both George Romero and your family, Duane was able to play a strong black lead… to my knowldge, the first of its kind for black actor in America. Do you feel that
Duane and “Dead” receive the credit that’s due for being such a milestone in the racial integration of action pictures?
Kyra: I’m not sure they did at the time the film was released, but since then it’s been recognized as a milestone in American cinema, for those reasons and more. Originally, the character of Ben was not necessarily black; in fact, an acquaintance of the filmmakers — a white guy — was told he could have the part, but when Duane auditioned for the role, he was so good they hired him, instead.
ILLUSION: What movies do you like to watch? Are you interested in horror films in your
personal life?
Kyra: Horror is still my favorite genre. I have a soft spot for really cheesy giant animal and bug movies, and watching those is my favorite way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon. Jaws, though not at all cheesy, is my favorite movie of all time. I’m not a big fan of slasher or exploitation films. I prefer plot, atmosphere and real scares to just blood and gore.
ILLUSION: Who do you consider new filmmakers to watch in horror?
Kyra: The little bit of Asian horror I’ve seen (not the American remakes of Asian films) has been pretty creepy, but in terms of filmmakers, I honestly couldn’t tell you who to watch.
ILLUSION: Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me! Stop by anytime.
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