Misfits Balance Work With Album, Tour, Toys, Movies, More

By archive-Rob-Mancini

October 12, 1999 / 7:00 PM

Attention, all struggling musicians... if you just can't find the time to make your dreams come true, quit bitching.

At least two members of punk survivors the Misfits (bassist Jerry Only and his brother, guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein) toiled away in the family machine shop in New Jersey while their latest effort, "Famous Monsters," was coming together.

[article id="1448181"]"I was working a full day and writing at night,"[/article] Only told MTV News. [article id="1448181"]"Every interview I do, I always tell them that this album goes out to all the kids who play guitar, who say to themselves, 'If I didn't have to get up and go to school everyday,' or 'If I didn't have to go to work today I could be a great guitar player or I could write a great song.' You can still do it. Your responsibilities cannot be a weight that drags you down. Your responsibilities have got to be something that you pick up, kick out, and get out of your way and

then focus. And the less time you have to focus, the harder you need to focus. That's it. If you got all day, take your time, but if you got ten minutes to write every night, you better write a great song." [RealVideo][/article]

In addition to cranking out his share of tools, knives, and other metal works, Only managed to crank out a number of vintage Misfits tracks which arrived last week when "Famous Monsters" hit stores.

Along with the new album, the band further flaunts its work ethic with a U.S. tour, action figures, film roles, and a couple of Halloween season one-offs. The band turned up in New York on Friday night to help launch the annual fright-fest known as Madison Scare Garden with a full set (see "Misfits To Haunt Madison Square Garden Before U.S. Tour"), and plans to stay on the Halloween beat with a cover of "Monster Mash" that will soon be shipped to radio stations across the country.

The band is already

haunting the shelves of Toys R Us, Kay Bee Toys, and Tower Records with a line of action figures from the folks at 21st Century Toys. The Misfits will also turn up in theaters in horror director George Romero's upcoming return "Bruiser" (see "Misfits Team With Director George Romero For Film, Video").

Of course, if you would rather see the Misfits in the flesh, you'll get your chance when the band kicks off a U.S. tour on Tuesday: