Keyboarding with Zombies

Friends, Library of the Dead users, confused yet intrigued first time visitors, let's venture back in time to the mid-90's. Way before THE WALKING DEAD was even a comic, let alone a TV show or a video game, before LEFT 4 DEAD, before DEAD RISING, a couple of major video game series were just beginning. It wasn't the first time some form of zombie would appear in a game (that's been going on for at least 30 years) but both RESIDENT EVIL and HOUSE OF THE DEAD would have a significant impact on horror video games featuring the undead.

Film review: Sinister

 In SINISTER, Ethan Hawke stars as true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt who has brought his wife and two kids to live in a house formerly occupied by the slaughtered family he intends to write his newest book on. That sounds reasonable, right? After finding a box of 8mm snuff films in the attic, Oswalt realizes that the person responsible for this most recent murder may have been attacking families for decades. 

In retrospect, I wish I had thought to live-tweet my thoughts on SINISTER while I was watching it.

Women in Horror Comics: Rachelle Rosenberg

This feature is part of my Women in Horror Comics series in honor of Women in Horror Month. For more info on WiHM visit www.womeninhorrormonth.com

As I mentioned back in my feature on Jenny Frison, I'm a big fan of HACK/SLASH. Creator Tim Seeley has had a few different female artists working on the series over the years, one being my final Women in Horror Comics feature, cover artist/colorist Rachelle Rosenberg. Rachelle started working in comics in 2008, and her first color work on HACK/SLASH was in a one shot called "Entry Wound." In addition to her work on horror comics, Rachelle has done both covers and color for titles like X-MEN, DOCTOR WHO, GAMBIT, and HULK.

Screenplays, Comics and Why Calm Sucks

A sentiment to live by! Don't get me wrong, I take my breaks from the genre. But I've decided too much calm and comfort is no good. Everyone needs some adventure and excitement.

Film review: Atrocious

I’ve talked before about my love of the Spanish shaky-cam, found-footage film [REC], so I hoped that ATROCIOUS might be worth a watch, seeing as it’s also a Spanish film in that same style. Not that it makes sense logically, found footage movies from Spain are not automatically better for any particular reason, but the association was there, and the plot sounded promising, so once again I communed with the interlibrary loan gods to acquire another horror film.

Metalcakes!

While I'm definitely no expert, I've been known to enjoy the metal genre from time to time. Most of it has been under the influence of a good friend of mine, who used to sing in a metal band in Colorado, but I also found myself unable to resist the epicness of bands like MASTODON. Mmmm, Mastodon. 

Women in Horror Comics: Nancy A. Collins

This feature is part of my Women in Horror Comics series in honor of Women in Horror Month. For more info on WiHM visit www.womeninhorrormonth.com

This week’s Women in Horror Comics feature, author Nancy A. Collins, has not only written for a variety of horror comics, she is also a horror novelist best known for her Sonja Blue vampire series. The first book in the series, SUNGLASSES AFTER DARK, won a Bram Stoker award for Best First Novel. Unlike some other paranormal fiction, Nancy’s vampires are as they should be: vicious killers.

Ye Olde Monster Mash

Due to some other projects and responsibilities I've got going on, I don't have a substantial post for today. But here's something fun to watch instead! Enjoy the fact that the weekend is almost here with a little bit of musical Craig Ferguson. In the Library of the Dead, every day is a good day to Monster Mash.

The Unquiet Dead

While horror is my main passion, I have a lot of love for other genres like sci-fi and fantasy. It's not so far-fetched really, there's a lot of cross-over. Horror appeals much more to an emotional response, while the others focus on the characters, plot details or setting. But they share an interest in the fantastical or speculative.

Right now I'm allowing myself to get hooked on Doctor Who. I had never watched it before, but the only Doctor Who I've ever been familiar with was this guy:

"The Cruel Sting" in Sirens Call Ezine #7

I have a new short story in The Sirens Call issue #7, their Women in Horror Month edition filled with short horror fiction entirely contributed by female writers! My story is called "The Cruel Sting" (it's towards the end) and you can download the whole issue for FREE from their website. Be sure to check it out!

Women in Horror Comics: Jenny Frison

This feature is part of my Women in Horror Comics series in honor of Women in Horror Month. For more info on WiHM visit www.womeninhorrormonth.com

The Women in Horror Comics series continues with local Chicago area cover artist Jenny Frison as my feature this week. Jenny has done a lot of wonderful covers, working with publishers like Dark Horse, Image, IDW and DC. It was honestly difficult to narrow down my choice of which artwork to show you as an example because it's all so good, but let me first tell you a bit about one of my favorite horror comics that Jenny has worked on.

A Recap and Look Forward

This has been one hell of a week for Women in Horror Month! If you haven’t been following all of the events and blog posts and links and everything over on Facebook or Twitter, then your head probably isn’t spinning as much as mine is.

Horror Decor

Finally, something for the Librarian of the Dead who wants her apartment looking like a bloody haunted nightmare ALL year round! ...Which I currently accomplish by a few permanent Halloween decoration installations. Don't judge! I know some of you do it too...

Fangoria is/was holding a contest to win some merchandise from Horror Decor, more information on what they're giving away can be found here.

A Cemetery Special

For some time I’ve had a documentary in my Netflix queue called “A Cemetery Special,” which was put out by PBS title in 2005. I finally took some time to watch it, not knowing exactly what it would cover but given my proclivity for the topic I figured I’d appreciate whatever they had to offer.

Film review: The Revenant

I had heard some good things about THE REVENANT, enough to pursue a copy to watch myself. I love good horror-comedies when I can find them, like SHAUN OF THE DEAD, SLITHER, ZOMBIELAND and my most recent favorite TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL. I can't say that REVENANT knocks any of those four out of their prime positions in that sub-genre for me, but it's original, different and does have some truly funny moments that make it worth checking out.

Women in Horror Comics: Rachel Deering

This feature is part of my Women in Horror Comics series in honor of Women in Horror Month. For more info on WiHM visit www.womeninhorrormonth.com

I'm excited to kick off this series with writer, letterer and editor Rachel Deering. Rachel contributed to WOMANTHOLOGY, a comic anthology series brought to life by Renae De Liz to showcase the work of women in comics. Rachel also created and Kickstarted her own series, ANATHEMA, in which huntress Mercy Barlowe and her lover, Sarah, are discovered and doomed to be tried as witches. Mercy escapes, but returns in time to witness Sarah's soul being taken by monstrous ravens as she is burned at the stake. In her immense grief and guilt, Mercy seeks help and takes on her own dark powers in order to rescue the soul of her beloved from being used by a dark cult to resurrect a much more dangerous evil.

The Future is Now... -ish!

I haven't posted anything cemetery-related in a while, my mind has been on writing and stories and comics. But in the midst of everything else I came upon this nifty little app thanks to the Death Reference Desk on Twitter:

(from The Future Cemetery Facebook page)

Happy Women in Horror Month!

February 1st is here and that means it's officially WOMEN IN HORROR MONTH!

What does that mean? Well, direct from their website (www.womeninhorrormonth.com):

Every February, Women in Horror Recognition Month (WiHM) assists underrepresented female genre artists in gaining opportunities, exposure, and education through altruistic events, printed material, articles, interviews, and online support.

The short of it: Let's talk about ladies doing amazing things in the horror genre, because they deserve just as much exposure and fans as the guys do.

So, what am I doing to celebrate WiHM? I'm so glad you asked.