Frederick C. Wiebel, Jr. is a 62 year old artist and writer from Hagerstown, MD, who has won many awards for his drawings and paintings and has been exhibited in museums and galleries nationally. In 1978 Wiebel created a bust of '20s jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke for Davenport, IA and was given the key to the city by the mayor at their annual Beiderbecke Jazz Festival. Recently he has turned his attention to writing continues to produce articles for niche publications such as FilmFax, Outre', Discoveries, and Cool And Strange Music Magazine.
Wiebel has not only designed artwork for album and CD covers for various small jazz and blues record labels but has also produced and recorded numerous music CDs. For 20 years Fred worked in broadcasting in the Washington, DC area as a programmer, commercial voice over artist, "talk radio commentator" and host of his own programs playing novelty and comedy records as "Grosso The Clown". As "Uncle Fred" he had a 6 hour weekly radio show, "Blue Notes" playing a mix of traditional and contemporary Blues musicians. During this time he interviewed and recorded live concerts for his show including; John Mayall, John Hammond, Otis Rush, Honey Boy Edwards, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Pinetop Perkins, Luther Allison, Bernard Allison, Gatemouth Brown, Cephus and Wiggins, Hot Tuna, Earl King, John Jackson, Rory Block, The Nighthawks, Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, and many, many more local and regional bands. Wiebel has been compiling these interviews and recordings into CD and book form.
Fred was the editor and publisher of "Firezine" the official magazine of The Firesign Theatre for 5 years. In that capacity, he performed many tasks for the group, including publicity, compiling information, collecting recordings, ephemera and developing and producing 5 Firesign Theatre CDs that were released by group's own label "More Sugar". Wiebel wrote, edited, directed and produced a book of original interviews with Firesign and compiling a complete discography of the group "Backwards Into The Future: The Recorded History of The Firesign Theatre" published in 2006 by BearManor Media. It reached number #18 in it's catagory on amazon.com's best seller list. Wiebel also produced 5 Firesign Theatre CDs that were released nationally. 3 are still available on amazon.com and continue to sell well. "Nick Danger: The Daily Feed Tapes" reached #23 in it's catagory on amazon.com's best seller list. "Anytown, USA: Firesign Theatre Live At Westbury Music Fair (5/7/74)freleased in 2000 was recorded at the height of the comedy group's career and is considered their definitive live recording of that era. "In The Firezone: Firesign Theatre Live At the Bagley Wright Theatre" (5/2/1999)updated the group into the digital age and is the best live concert of the final phase of the group.
Perhaps Mr. Wiebel is best known for his work involving "Edison's Frankenstein" He helped find, restore, and facilitate the production of the first DVD release of the Frankenstein film. Fred has screened and lectured about the historic motion picture from coast to coast at various institutions, universities and film conventions including The National Institute of Health, The University of Dayton, The Symposium Center in NYC, The Fort Lee NJ Film Commission, Cinecon 33 in Hollywood, CA, and The Monster Bash and Chiller Theater horror film conventions. The resulting book "Edison's Frankenstein" released on the 100th anniversary of the film in 2010 to rave reviews by critics worldwide, as one of the best researched and entertaining book on early horror films. It is available on amazon.com as a combination CD/DVD, with Wiebel's restored version of the 1910 film containing a soundtrack edited from original Edison recordings according to the music cues published by the Edison Studio.
Wiebel also worked with 2 others to produce a graphic novel, "Edison's Frankenstein 1910" published by Comic International Library in 2003. Wiebel has become quite an authority on the Frankenstein film and has been consulted by authors, scholars, students and institutions from around the world. He even supplied a photograph of the Edison Frankenstein monster and information that was used for the popular TV game show, "Jeopardy". He has received many honors and accolades including a letter of commendation from the Library of Congress for his efforts on Edison's Frankenstein. Wiebel has also been interviewed about it by CNN radio, with articles on him published by the Associated Press, The New York Post, The Washington Times, The Hollywood Reporter and countless other publications, websites and Internet radio globally. Wiebel has screened and lectured on the film in person and by proxy at numerous Film Festivals.
Currently Wiebel, recovering from health problems resulting from an attempted murder, has toned down his career by turning to poetry illustrated with his own artwork and photographs. He has recently finished his first poetry collection, "Dreams Of The Forest Goddess" preferring to self publish it in book and CD form. His latest projects are "Spirits Of The Banyan", illustrated poems and "Travels With Buddy" a photographic travelog with his 2 year old grandson on CD.
Wiebel continues to produce paitings and drawings and has revived his exhibitions and gallery shows. Whatever he produces, one will find it interesting and entertainment of the highest quality.
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