Will Elvira Retire-a?

Could the Mistress of the Dark possibly leave the spotlight? We had to know.

Like Edward Cullen but way more entertaining, Elvira has been an ageless, desirable beauty. Like Stan Lee, she's someone you just expect to see at all the big comic conventions. But based on what we've been hearing, things could be changing for the horror hostess with the mostest cleavage following the Comikaze Expo, Nov 5-6 at the L.A. Convention Center (For exclusive discount Comikaze tickets, enter code GEEKCHIC for $2 off!). The possibilities have us more on edge than any scary movie Elvira ever introduced. As much as we love Cassandra Peterson's other work (her scene as the biker chick who threatens Pee-wee Herman in Pee-wee's Big Adventure is almost as classic as the "tequila" dance that immediately follows it), nobody wants Elvira to head for the haunted hills. We had a chance to catch up with Ms. Peterson and get the real scoop.

GeekChicDaily: So, we hear you have a big announcement.

Cassandra Peterson: [Laughs] Which one?

GCD: We hear that Comikaze Expo will be your last con!

CP: Oh, yeah! It's kind of funny. I just decided that I'm not going to wear the costume anymore to appear at conventions. I'm definitely going to wear it for TV shows, movies, personal appearances, stage – but as far as sitting there for four or five hours in an incredibly uncomfortable and hot outfit, no.

You know, I looked around at my last convention and I'm going, I don't see Robert Englund dressed as Freddy. I don't see the Wookiee dressed up in his Wookiee suit. Why am I dressed like this?

GCD: Are you still doing cons without a costume?

CP: Yeah, I still plan on doing as many – maybe more now that I can be comfortable.

GCD: And you're getting an award at Comikaze Expo for contributions to pop culture. The Elvira award!

CP: I believe someone did mention that to me, and I'm glad you reminded me because I love me some awards!

GCD: They're also going to try to set a record for the most Elviras in one room.

CP: Woah! Oh my god! That's scaring me! I'm sorry, I have to leave now...I'm kidding.

GCD: You did the reality show to find the next Elvira...how many have you seen in one room?

CP: Oh, wow, not in one room, but outside the Queen Mary, there were initially 2000 people who wanted to get on the show. So they're going to have to get that many Elviras in the room! [Laughs] Of course, the stakes won't be as high. I mean, these people were vying to be on a national television show, so I imagine there were some out there who didn't want to dress up as Elvira for the right reasons. But you know, I think it will be really cool. I think that sounds fantastic. Maybe I should get my camera ready right now!

Speaking of that, I just want to mention, right now, if you go to Elvira.com, the official Elvira costume, which is really an amazingly well-made costume, is on sale. I'm having a giant blow out sale, moving the inventory out because Halloween is coming up. If anybody out there wants to have the most fun they've ever had while standing up, they should get this costume for Halloween.

GCD: Why do you think Elvira has become such an icon?

CP: It's really strange. I think the character appeals to a lot of different groups of people, so if you combine all those groups, it makes lots of fans. I mean, there is, of course, the horror genre people and the goths, and all of that. That's probably my main group of fans. And then there is the gay audience, which is a pretty huge group. Then there's the dirty old men, the guys that just like me for the boobs and dirty young men too, by the way. [Laughs] But it's funny. The character is appealing to women – I think they really appreciate the character being kind of a woman who stands up for herself. She's kind of boobalicious, but she doesn't take any crap from anyone. She's not a bimbo. And I really have gotten so many comments over the hears from women and from young girls, saying they see Elvira as a role model, which is, you know, kind of sick, but fun in a way.

GCD: So, what tips do you have for the Halloween season?

CP: Hmm...let's see. Well, buy my costume, first of all. That's my first tip. There are some costumes that you shouldn't wear for Halloween. Like, if you go as a ghost, and you throw a sheet over your head, make sure it's a white sheet, not one that has Smurfs on it or something. If you're going trick or treating late at night, do not go dressed as a speed bump, because it could be very, very dangerous. Don't take any apples you can shave with. These are just like my safety tips. Gosh, basically just have a wild, insane night which is just all about you. It really is the best holiday.

GCD: If you were not Elvira, what would you dress as for Halloween?

CP: Oh my god, let me tell you! I actually fantasize about this all the time because every year I have to be Elvira!  And I love Elvira and I love being the character, but before I was Elvira, I was a costume freak. For one thing, my mom ran a Halloween costume shop. So I had the best Halloween costume every single year of my life growing up. Whatever the hot costume, the hot character was every year, my mother and my aunt would make me the most incredible outfit. They were the most incredible seamstresses and costume makers, and I would have this insane costumes. Not one of those little things that came in the plastic boxes made out of crepe paper or something. I won costume contests every single year. Always. And I loved doing different costumes. And that I haven't been able to do that for 30 years!

So nowadays, I would probably wear something really comfortable. I would probably wear a muumuu and flip flops or go as a nun, or maybe wear a burka. It would be totally against type and so insanely comfortable.

GCD: Are you doing any more work for PETA?

CP: Yeah! It's funny you mentioned that, because PETA just asked if they could use a picture I did for them several years ago. It's of me wearing a bloody fur coat and holding a newspaper that says, ''Woman attacked by fur coat.'' So it was a really great photo they used in some of their pr and they're going to use it again this year, which I'm really thrilled about. But I really still do a lot of things for animals. My main thing that I like to be involved with is rescuing animals so they don't get euthanized. That's what I like to do whenever I can.

GCD: They're re-releasing Elvira's Haunted Hills on DVD, right?

CP: Yeah! It's really awesome and I'll tell you why. Haunted Hills came out ten years ago and this time when it comes out – for the last several months, I've been working on some extras. We've gone through the whole movie and edited in some new clips, we've done new interviews with myself and the director and some of the other actors, and new – the funniest thing, honest to god, I was crying from laughing so hard, was the audio commentary track we recorded that will go behind the movie. Myself and three of the actors, Mary Scheer, Mary Jo Smith, Scott Atkinson and the director Sam Irvin, talking about the movie. But it is so funny, I swear I almost wet my pants. If I do say so myself, people are going to really laugh. And also some funny bloopers from the movie that we tracked down. Mostly of me and Richard O'Brien cursing, but it was still funny.

GCD: So what other new projects do you have coming up?

CP: I have several items coming out new this month that will probably be online on Elvira.com, starting around the first week of October, and one of those is a new Elvira wine, a new Elvira makeup kit - a really high end makeup kit, and you'll be able to see the tutorial on Elvira.com about how to apply it. I have my new videos, of course, which are rolling out every other month. Videos from my series, Movie Macabre, that I just had. And I even have a line of jewelry and a tampon case coming out, which will be in a few months. It won't be in October, but I'm very excited about that. And next year, I have a social networking game coming out and I'm really excited about this, because it's a really big deal. I'm not contractually allowed to talk about it until it's officially coming out and they have a date, but I can tell you that it's going to be really fun and really spooky!

Comikaze Expo will take place on November 5th and 6th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. And for exclusive discount Comikaze tickets, enter code GEEKCHIC for $2 off!

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