All that changed when I hit thirteen. It was no longer cool to have fake blood dripping from your mouth. Last year I learned there is at least one other who could not stop. He turned his passion for the dark side into an extremely successful film career.
As a boy in Mexico, film director Guillermo Del Toro also became fascinated with myths and monsters. You certainly see them in his movies such as "Hell Boy" and "Pan's Labyrinth". 
Del Toro has collected "monster art" for decades which decorates his Los Angeles home, "Bleak House". It includes paintings, sculptures, and full-size renderings of monster movie characters.
Re-creations of famous scenes like this ("Bride of Frankenstein") have their own room
Imagine trying to sleep having her next to your bed.A life-size character from the classic 1930's movie, "Freaks".
Two other rooms in Bleak House,
Early fantasy-film animator, Harry Harryhousen
A re-creation of science fiction writer, H.P. Lovecraft, in his library. The ultra-talented Del Toro, who makes millions from his craft, said in an interview that half his income is spent on his ever-growing collection. Part of it was on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art when we visited LA not too long ago.
My son, Ian, and I went to see the show, "At Home With Monsters". After we left, the exhibit travelled to other U.S. art museams before its contents were returned to Los Angeles' Bleak House.
It was great to spend an hour being a monster-crazy twelve-year-old again. Having zipped ahead 59 years, I had to skip the dripping blood part.
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