Val Warren(1942-2011)

Valmore Warren was born on January 27, 1942 in Newburgh, New York. Warren attended West Street Elementary School, North Junior High School, and Newburgh Free Academy. Val was a writer, illustrator, and associate editor for the fanzine Kaleidoscope in the early 1960's. In 1964 Warren won first place in a national horror make-up contest sponsored by the legendary publication Famous Monsters of Filmland; as a direct result of winning said contest Warren appeared in the frothy American International Pictures romp Bikini Beach (1964) in a bit part as the Teenage Werewolf Monster sporting his prize-winning make-up. Val was a member of the rock group The Crashing Crescendoes in the mid-1960's. He later went on to become a singer, songwriter, and guitarist in the folk-rock vein. In 1979 Warren wrote the book "Lost Lands, Mythical Kingdoms, and Unknown Worlds." Moreover, Val not only worked as a graphics designer, but also was an avid fan of and noted authority on Buddy Holly. Warren was married to wife Jill; the couple had a son, Jem. He died from cancer at age 69 on July 25, 2011 in Gardiner, New York.