09.23.2026 GORILLA SUITS!!! With AARON LAPLANTE!
GO APE AN APE!
JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD go bananas over those simian slip-ons that have transformed actors into the precocious primates we’ve always loved. MONSTER PARTY is giving up “furries” for “hairies” as we salute… GORILLA SUITS!!!
Most monster kids of a certain age have an indelible memory of seeing an actor in a gorilla suit featured in a ton of classic horror and comedy films. In fact, many of you may have been surprised when you saw your first real-life gorilla and thought, “That’s not what chased The Three Stooges!” But despite the fact that gorilla costumes didn’t always achieve 100% realism, there was always a certain charm attached to seeing these awesome animal impersonators.
In this episode, we dig deep into the multitude of films and TV shows featuring gorilla suits and the talented performers who brought them to life. Actors like Charles Gemora, who created gorilla costumes and appeared in such classic films as Island of Lost Souls and Murders in the Rue Morgue; George Barrows, who played Ro-man in Robot Monster, as well as gorillas in TV shows and films like The Addams Family, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Gorilla at Large; and Ray “Crash” Corrigan in The Ape Man, Captive Wild Woman, and the Three Stooges short Three Missing Links. And the list of gorilla-suit actors doesn’t stop there.
We couldn’t do a gorilla-suit episode justice without singling out the gorilla-suit actor, movie and TV prop collector, and genre film historian BOB BURNS. Bob, who left us in 2025, was the picture of affability and courteousness, and often invited select monster kids to view his astounding museum of horror and sci-fi collectibles. And Bob would even allow you to touch the 1932 King Kong armature, operate the Alien Queen prop, and sit in the original 1961 Time Machine! In addition to the many personal appearances Bob Burns made as Kogar the Gorilla, he also played the role of Tracy the Gorilla in the 1973 Filmation TV show The Ghost Busters.
Which leads us to our guest!
For this episode, we have a supremely accomplished actor, voice performer, and artist whose work can be enjoyed in the video game Resident Evil Village, HBO Max’s Primal, Cartoon Network’s Samurai Jack, and the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse prequel Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham. And if that doesn’t make Aaron cool enough for you, he also became a friend and regular visitor of Bob Burns during the last couple of years of his life. Making his MONSTER PARTY debut, please welcome… AARON LAPLANTE!
GORILLA SUITS YOU! ANY “FAST SHOW” FANS OUT THERE?
