“He kind of plays it fast and loose.” 

Call it a guilty pleasure, but there’s something about this time of year that puts me in the mood to watch a boatload of Chevy Chase films. Of course there’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, but more than that I’m talking about Chase’s classic fare like Caddyshack, Fletch, Nothing But Trouble, and (yep, you guessed it) Memoirs of an Invisible Man!

As one of the less fondly remembered Universal Monster, the Invisible Man has always had it kind of rough in terms making a lasting impression upon the horror world. Despite being the butt of many a joke, the Invisible Man does manage to work his way back into the Hollywood every so often (Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, Hollow Man, several TV series) and in 1992 it just so happened that he fell in the lap of Chevy Chase by way of of John Carpenter. Yes, my friends, that same “master of horror” who brought us Halloween and They Live directed a comedy starring Chevy Chase as an Invisible Man. Can’t get better than that, right?

Depends on how you look at it. As a comedy Memoirs of an Invisible Man isn’t particularly funny, or rather there’s nothing that stands out as being “laugh out loud” funny. What the film does do a great job at is presenting a (semi)realistic depiction of what it might actually be like to become invisible. While Chase never truly reaches the height of characterization playing Nick Halloway as he did with Fletch or as Clark Griswold in the National Lampoon franchise he is still immensely likable in the role. It also doesn’t hurt that his leading lady is the smoking hot Daryl Hannah.

The special effects are also pretty impressive given that the film came out a year or so before Jurassic Park put CGI on the map. The scenes with Chase half in make-up and half without are almost just as creepy as Claude Rains original getup, especially in the restaurant where his false face is smeared, exposing his abnormally white teeth like some plastic surgeon’s worst nightmare. Another standout sequence is when Chase lights up a smoke and you can see his lungs as they fill with smoke. It’s like watching a high school anatomy video, only it’s intentionally meant to make you laugh.

If you haven’t ever seen this film, or even if it’s just been awhile since you last saw it, do yourself a favor and rent, borrow or buy it. It’s sure to make a mighty fine addition to your horror-comedy-that’s-not-really-horror collection alongside The Burbs, Transylvania 6-5000 and Nothing But Trouble. Guaranteed.

Tired of watching A Christmas Story ad nauseum every year on TBS? Well if you’re lucky enough to live anywhere near New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Boston, Kansas City or any of the other theaters listed here than you’re in luck! Those are the cities that will be premiering director Jalmari Helander’s latest feature film, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale.

Based on a series of short films by Helander, Rare Exports Inc. (see above) and Rare Exports: The Official Safety Instructions, this feature length adaptation finds a band of Finland archeologists who inadvertently discover the “real” Santa Claus, a terrifyingly real (and most likely rabid) representation of ‘ole Saint Nick. Unearthed by a reindeer hunter and his young son while searching for the cause behind a recent string of missing children, Santa doesn’t take to kindly to being held captive and before long his elves come looking for him… and they ain’t too jolly either.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale opens at the IFC Center in New York on December 3, 2010 courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories. Be sure to check out the original short film above for a taste of what I can only imagine Helander has in store for theater-goers next Friday.

“You’ve got red on you.”

With an epic quest that began a little over a decade ago, the King of Carnage has returned to us in better shape than ever in a blood-drenched redux driven by revenge, ultra-violence and a whole lot of badassery. Full of abhorred mutations from another dimension and a mask with questionable (but very helpful) intentions, Splatterhouse begins as it typically does… with Rick Taylor reborn in blood and fueled by hate thanks to the mysterious Terror Mask.

Of course, one of the many things this new version of Splatterhouse does well is provide a plethora of more background information than previous entries in the franchise, essentially combining the storylines of all three games into a singular mythology.

PRESENTATION
As a horror fan, Splatterhouse is a fairly beautiful game to behold. Chock full of decay, dismemberment and a welcome variety of different worlds the game offers up, each made available thanks to a series of portals that appear throughout the game’s eight hours of gameplay. Among the highlights are an evil carnival park called Dandyland, West Mansion (past, present and future), a slaughterhouse, and even the bowels of Hell itself. The most impressive visual of all, however, has to be the “regeneration effect” which reflects the damage Rick is taking in real time with exposed bones, torn flesh and even a missing arm all in real time. The cut scenes are also well done and unlike many games, watching them is actually an important part of unraveling the game as you will likely discover in the mirror maze level.

The various residents of these twisted worlds are as diverse and wicked as their environments with everything from Zombies to The Forgotten filling out the ranks. The larger demons such as Abhores and Beasts are even more intimidating, but even they don’t compare to the sheer gargantuan boss battles between the likes of Biggy Man or Experiment 765 (a mammoth ape-like monstrosity that is simply awe-inspiring). Rick’s certainly no slouch, though, with the mask granting him the massive frame of a wrestling juggernaut that clearly takes its cue from Splatterhouse 3. A boatload of bonus content fills out the ranks with a selection of alternative masks.

GAMEPLAY
A hard mix of MadWorld (see review here) and Evil Dead: Regeneration, Splatterhouse is a true hack ‘n slash experience whose strength lies primarily in a rather complex, yet rewarding, battle system that boasts a mind-numbing 90 different moves. There’s your average light and heavy attacks which do a reasonable bit of destruction, but an assortment of weapons (chainsaw, shotgun, bats, pipes, cleavers, machete, 2×4) and power-ups bring combat to another level. Enemies can be dispatched with any of the methods above or, if weakened, Rick can initiate a mutilating Splatterkill (via a button mashing mini-game) that sends those demons screaming back to Hell and gain Rick a few extra BLOOD points.

Speaking of which, BLOOD is the currency in Splatterhouse (naturally) and you’re going to need plenty of it. The more insane your kills, including chaining attacks, the more opportunities you’ll have to improve Rick’s list of moves. This isn’t just some RPG element for show either as it will take some real strategy and skill to predict which upgrades you’ll need most to survive the night. Even on “Coward” mode the game can be unforgiving the most unfair of ways, especially when it comes to running, jumping or generally any other obstacles. In later stages be prepared to see the irritatingly long loading screen a lot thanks to imprecise platforming mechanics, one misstep is all it takes to send Rick plummeting to his demise or see him sliced to ribbons by a random trap.

BONUS MATERIAL
For some one playthrough might be enough, but for a die hard “Son of the Splatter” such as myself there is tons of replay value at our disposal. The aforementioned alternative masks serves as only a precursor to the multiple Survival Arenas you unlock by progressing through story mode, each of which offer up additional photos of Jen (both clothed and buck naked). Add to that the original three games in the Splatterhouse franchise and multiple difficulties levels and you’re sure to have you hands full for a good while.

Even earning achievements are worthwhile with many of them providing references to horror genre classics like “Army of Dead Evil,” “Bad Taste,” or “Be Garbage of Cesspool” which is an homage to Wanpaku Graffiti courtesy of none other than our recent contributor, Rob Strangman. Also be sure to catch Rob’s name in the end credits as a special thanks from the game’s creators for all his consulting assistance during the game’s production. That’s pretty awesome!

FINAL RANKING

4 out of 5 Terror Masks

“This time it’s open season… on all of us!”

Thanksgiving is here and I’d like to take your mind back 20 yrs to this very week, where Predator fans were treated to a sequel of the classic sci-fi original, Predator 2, that sees a Predator alien doing his hunting in a new jungle… the urban jungle.

The story is fairly simple, a Predator is hunting violent gangs in Los Angeles, most likely because they look like good prey to do battle with. Fairly quickly Detective Harrigan (Danny Glover) and his team realize there is more going on that normal gangland turf wars. As they dig deeper they begin to uncover things that reveal the Predator to them, but to us as the viewer we know it’s the Predator from the get go. A third group is also thrown into the mix with Gary Busey’s character heading up some government department that knows full well what the Predator is and would like to capture it, for it’s technology I assume. The hunt for the Predator leads up to a pretty great final battle with Danny Glover and the Predator on a Predator spacecraft. Fans of the original Predator (1989) comic book series by Dark Horse Comics will find this plot very familiar, as it was essentially what the comic depicted with various changes when taken into the film world.

This movie takes a lot of heat and hate, but personally I love it from the standpoint of watching and getting more information about the Predator character’s race. It seems like people forget about these details that have led to the Predator characters as we know them today. If you look at the weapons the Predator has in this film, it’s far more interesting and cool from a technology and hunting stand point than what the original Predator had. We get to see one of their alien ships and one of the great reveals in film history, the trophy room. The trophy room Det. Harrigan discovers on the ship has a group of skulls stuck on a wall, many strange looking beasts and human skulls, but the greatest reveal is an Alien skull hanging there suggesting that the Predators have hunted their deep space terror counterparts. When I saw this in the theater my jaw dropped, I almost jumped out of my seat at the idea.

The trailer here says the movie was to open on Christmas, but it was actually released in November instead. You can search and find posters depicting the various release dates.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR – FIJI MERMAID

Fiji Mermaid is a horror movie and movie soundtrack junkie. He has a love for all things that go bump in the night, and if that bump has an album with “original soundtrack” stamped on it, he’s all over it. This love has given birth to his blog “Sideshow Cinema” where rare and out of print soundtracks can be found. Admittedly, as the years go by he finds himself welding himself into a time capsule that encompasses all things 70s, 80s and 90s..

]]> http://creepseed.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/thanksgiving-day-trailer-terror-predators-2/feed/ 0 manbehindthemask http://creepseed.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/uncle-eeries-howling-halloween-shiver-show/ http://creepseed.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/uncle-eeries-howling-halloween-shiver-show/#comments Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:00:00 +0000 Strange Kid http://creepseed.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/uncle-eeries-howling-halloween-shiver-show Read more]]>

By far the best segments were those actually produced by the Shiver Show crew such as the intro sequence and Eerie’s “Lil’ Eerie” (played by Jonah Linchenberg) flashback in which he relives his first trick or treating experience. I also cannot express just how awesome the costume and set design is for the show courtesy of Shashonna Knecht, Jessica Wasilenko, Pam Wager and Joseph Dufrense (Uncle Eerie himself)! You definitely get the feeling that these characters are in some backwoods shack packed to the brim with all sorts of spooky stuff from portraits of Eerie’s horror hosts heroes to posters of Critters and Xtro.

Looking back, the Shiver Show could have benefited from a few more oddities such as the midget musical interlude which blends seamlessly with Eerie’s twisted sense of humor. Aside from that (and some minor slow pacing issues), this is one of the best Halloween Specials I’ve seen in recent memory. It’s certainly up there with Transylvania TV as one of the best indie productions on the web and the Shiver Show crew definitely deserve some recognition and support for the work they’ve done. If you’d like to see the entire Howling Halloween special, be sure to check out Uncle Eerie and the gang over at YouTube or pay them a visit at their online haunt, www.ShiverShow.com.

“Sifl and Olly Show… ROCK!!!”

The 90s saw a cornucopia of some of the most twisted, deranged, and innovative television to ever grace the screen; none more potent or vital to my existence than the shows on Nickelodeon and MTV. As it is, both of these stations lost the will to entertain after 1999 and gave in to pregnant teenagers, whining pre-teens, and cartoons that would cause the braindead to become… er, braindead.

But let’s not dwell on the things that we can’t change. No matter how many petitions are signed, Facebook groups are started, or how many times we swear off television we’re never gonna be able to bring back that glorious orange couch on Friday nights; the wit and disdain dripping monotone of an unpopular high schooler; or the sexual and thematic undertones of the cartoons that we absolutely adored. So, we need to just suck it up find home grown comfort from blogs such as Strange Kids Club.

The fun part for me came when I went back to these shows and rediscovered what I fell in love with in the first place. So, with this turn of the screw, I’m going to take you hand-puppet in hand-puppet down the hypnotic grooves of one Mr. Sifl and his confidante Señor Olly. ¡Olé!

http://www.youtube.com/v/_qU_gEiSbIU?fs=1&hl=en_US

In 1997, a couple of gentlemen were sitting around MTV studios trying to hatch a plot for the next smartass-tastic adventure to portray on the channel’s illustrious list of smartassery. There was Liquid Television, Beavis and Butthead, and, of course, the infamous Denis Leary television spots. So, while knocking back Tequila and playing checkers (as I imagine all mad geniuses do), these daring young men decided… VOILA! Sock Puppets!!!

There’s not much that can go wrong with a show that literally cost $10 (a 20 pack of socks, buttons, a plastic sunflower). As I can’t convey every single moment that made me fall in love with this unconventional pique on wit, I’ve decided to compile a compendium of the greatest aspects of the show— so, like, four or five. And I have to start with…

The Theme Song: It’s very simple. Say the characters’ names and then say the name of the show. And… GO! “Sifl and Olly. Sifl and Olly Show [Everybody!]” It’s not just the fact that it’s so simple that a comatose Alzheimer’s patient could recite it verbatim. It’s the images that are just so ridiculous… and literal. Of course, the moment I fell in love with the show (when I was all of 11 years old) was when an over-excited background singer declared in a lucid and unequivocal outcry of support for these bastions of comedy… ”ROCK!!!” I was hooked for the rest of my life!

http://www.youtube.com/v/6GeVctiUGl4?fs=1&hl=en_US

Chester: Probably the most uncomfortably adorable character on any television show ever, this socially awkward sock puppet (with a head shaped like pizza crust) won the hearts of millions. With his uncanny giggling twitch and his desire to fit in with the cool kids, Chester came up with some of the most incredible moments of music history every produced, most noteworthy of which were his contributions to “Tangerine” (which we’ll get to later), “Stolen Holiday” (a song that just makes me warm and fuzzy inside), and a plethora of others.

Crescent Fresh: No one quite knows what it means, but that’s totally “cress.” The assumption is that it’s the most crescent way to say “cool”. So, if you’re reading this article, could you just let me know if it’s “crescent fresh?” Thanks.

The Music: On any given episode there’s a Top 10 masterpiece just bursting to go down in the annals of pop history. Establishing who does a hooker’s laundry; rockin’ out like Ziggy Stardust… and nothing touched me quite like the two Mack Daddy sock puppets slowin’ it down Al Green style for the ladies in their ode to sexiness, “Tangerine”. It’s one of those songs you hear and you must instinctively incorporate the lyrics into your daily routine. When you’re at Wal-Mart: “Tangerine. I can’t wait to take you back to my crib.” When you’re out with your lady friends: “Tangerine. Eating lobster with my bitches.” And, of course, when declaring your undying affection for that special someone: “Tangerine. Get undressed and get in my round bed. Tangerine. I put on my robe and my platform slippers. Vaseline. All aboard the electric stallion.” Every line could possibly seal the deal… just sayin’.

http://www.youtube.com/v/aOIufLMrTts?fs=1&hl=en_US

The Hosts: Every single thing that happens to and with these two cotton blokes is pure genius. From “Calls from the Public” to interactions with their landlord, it just seems this twosome can do no wrong. Of course, almost every moment they’re on screen becomes my favorite, but something special happens when they give advice. I find myself actually applying them to real world situations and finding out… they fail miserably, but in the most beautiful fashion.

I know this is a mouthful, but surely you can empathise. There’s no way you can speak of something coming from the golden era of childhood television and not get all teary-eyed and verbose. Truly one of the defining moments in my life… ladies and gentlemen: Sifl and Olly.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR – CAMIELE WHITE

As unexpected as her path was to loving all things weird, more unexpected is her ability to get attention for writing about the stuff. From Japanese horror and Korean melodrama, to the acid soaked animation of the 70s, Camiele White loves to talk about, debate, and watch film that teases, pleases, and fucks with the senses. Right now, she gets her jabberjaw jollies writing about Halloween costumes. If you want to give her a buzz, she can be reached at cmlewhite at gmail [dot] com.

]]> http://creepseed.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/lost-signals-sifl-and-olly-show-1997/feed/ 4 manbehindthemask http://creepseed.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/printed-perversions-the-astounding-wolf-man-vol-1/ http://creepseed.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/printed-perversions-the-astounding-wolf-man-vol-1/#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:00:00 +0000 Strange Kid http://creepseed.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/printed-perversions-the-astounding-wolf-man-vol-1 Read more]]>

Thanks to the release of AMC’s newest hit show, The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman’s name has quickly become synonymous with those carnivorous corpses we call zombies, and rightly so. An adaptation of the comic he co-created with Tony Moore, Kirkman has certainly made his mark on a sub-genre of horror that has squeezed every bit of originality from it’s pores. Look no further than Resident Evil‘s latest film for proof of that.

Kirkman, however, is from from being a one hit wonder. In fact, soon after being exposed to The Walking Dead I found myself initiated into an entire universe full of creative characters and visually rich stories. From his humble beginnings in Battle Pope to his first runaway success, Invincible, the man has shown that he’s not only a talented writer but he’s got good taste in artists as well. Just ask Cory Walker, Ryan Ottley, or Jason Howard.

One of the books that I’ve heard the most about is the recently concluded The Astounding Wolf-Man and I have to admit that I naively chalked this one up as another cash-in on the rise in popularity of Hollywood’s “horror crap” when it first appeared back in 2007. Oh, how I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Astounding Wolf-Man brilliantly references that 70′s archetype of a “monster as a main character” with equal proportions of superheroics, sci-fi and shock horror.

It’s apparent from reading the introduction alone that Kirkman is a superhero kid at heart and yet the supernatural aspects of the book are so interwoven within the fabric of the narrative that it could just as easily be seen as a modern day adaptation of Curt Siodmak’s 1941 screenplay for the original Wolfman. The general plot centers on Gary Hampton, a CEO who has fallen on hard time… not the least of which involves being mauled by a werewolf and cursed with lycanthropy. Unaware of his curse, Gary soon becomes a danger to both himself and those around around him until a mysterious stranger named Zecheriah steps in and begins to teach Gary to control his powers.

But there’s a catch. You see, Zecheriah is quite the monster himself (he’s a vampire) and his motives quickly become less clear as the story progresses ending in perhaps one of the most heart-wrenching moments I’ve read in a comic in sometime. I won’t spoil it for you suffice to say that it’s impulsive, it’s bad, and it sets the stage for one hell of a shi*t-storm when Volume 2 hits. Collecting Issues #1-7, Volume 1 offers SO much more for it’s 14.99 price tag than 90% of the other trade paperbacks out there. It’s sports a brand new cover designed specifically for this release, a decent introduction by Kirkman himself, and a gallery full of concept sketches and cover designs by artist Jason Howard.

Speaking of Howard, his work on the book is quite literally the driving force that fuels the story. There’s a certain duality in Howard’s sequential storytelling that lends the superheroics a certain credibility that makes the more horrific moments of the book all the more shocking. Whether it’s an action shot of a slime monster attacking downtown or an exploding rib cage complete with viscera, Howard treats them with equal care. In fact, it’s often the quieter moments in the book that have the most impact like when the Wolf-Man is standing atop the roofs of the city or Gary’s daughter, Chloe, vents her frustrations about being picked on at school. Overall, it’s an “astounding” read and I can’t wait to pick up the Volumes 3 & 4 for Christmas.

Photo Credit: Toy Archive

As it often happens when I’m on Twitter, I was chatting it up with fellow horror fiends @FijiMermaid and @FreddysFingers about the existential nature of #FF (Follow Fridays) when somehow our conversation turned into talk about time travel and a certain quintessential Gremlins knock-off known as Critters. This got me thinking that how cool it would be if there was more Critters merchandise as I’ve never really seen any before, at least not on the level of Gremlins. Lo and behold, Fiji knocks me on my felt-stitched butt by revealing that Fangoria (issue #117 to be exact) once had an ad featuring Critters handpuppets. HANDPUPPETS!

Of course my excitement immediately skyrocketed as Fiji provide a few links to some actual proof that these things existed and I’ve been obsessed over them ever since. Apparently there were two figures in all; the regular version ($50) was your average run-of-the-mill “crite” that sported a thin, rubber and some fake hair on its back, while the premium version was the same rubber shell with a different paint job and some additional body hair which retailed at $90. For a kid back in the early 90′s that’s a hefty price tag, especially when the end result looks like one of those Land Before Time Pizza Hut promos from around the same time.

Photo Credit: Toy Archive

I have to say that, given the awesome looking photo of these things in the color ad (see above) I’d be more than a little pissed as a kid if I laid down my hard earned allowance on either of these things. Granted, the though of Critter handpuppets is cool no matter how you slice it, but when compared to a $20 or $30 Boglin (see previous post) that’s twice their size I’ll have to stick with my Boglin.

The days have gotten colder and the nights have grown longer. There’s no doubt that Winter is upon us and although that means the luster of Fall is behind us there’s still time for one last send-off for Halloween before you start to carve up those Thanksgiving turkey and break out that dusty Black Christmas DVD. Our year-end Halloween Hooplad begins with a project that’s actually perfect for these Winter nights: Dick Grunert’s Dead of Night Radio.

An ode to those late night terror transmissions of days gone by, Dead of Night Radio recently concluded a new series of midnight radio dramas in collaboration with The Autumn Society. Each story literally drips with the kind of macabre atmosphere that can only be drawn upon the midnight hour and serves to expose a different subgenre of horror that is sure to leave you with more than a few shivers. Dick joined us recently to share the origins of Dead of Night as well as shed a bit of light on its future.

You’ve written for stage theater, television and even animation. What are some of your favorites projects that you’ve worked on?

I’ve got a lot of favorites, each one for different reasons. I co-wrote a short film in 2003 called T For Terrorist that was produced by the Farrelly Bros. It was pretty exciting working with them, and I learned a lot about comedy writing on that project. I also wrote a play called Scenes From A Dance in 2008 that was published last year by PlayScripts, Inc and is now being performed by schools all across the country. That’s pretty cool. And, of course, there’s Dead of Night Radio. I love horror and I love audio drama, and this show allows me to create stories that I wouldn’t be able to do as short films or plays.

Art by Alex Eckman-Lawn

Have you always wanted to be a writer? What sparked your interest in writing?

I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I remember. My dad dabbled in writing – he has a couple of unpublished novels and short stories, and I think seeing him at the typewriter as I was growing up really inspired me to be a writer, too. Also, I’ve had a wild imagination ever since I was a kid, so that doesn’t hurt either!

Your latest project, Dead of Night, is obviously inspired by old school radio theater like Dark Shadows and Inner Sanctum. Were there any specific radio shows that you wanted to capture the feel of when writing your scripts?

I’m an old time radio junkie! Some of my favorite shows are Inner Sanctum, The Hall of Fantasy, Price of Fear with Vincent Price and CBS Radio Mystery Theater. I wanted Dead of Night Radio to be a full-blooded horror show, and each episode is a different sub-genre: “The Tunnel” is my HP Lovecraft story, “The Killing Garden” is my revenge from beyond the grave story, “Night of the Rats” is my nature run amok story, “The House on Vincent Street” is my haunted house story, “Night Delivery” is my vampire story and “All U Can Eat” is my zombie story. I wanted to make sure no two shows were alike, and so far, I think I’ve succeeded.

Art by Mike Bukowski

How does scriptwriting differ for a visual medium like television versus for radio? What are some of the strengths of radio horror?

Writing for radio is so much harder! You have to make sure you’re telling the story through dialogue and sound efx only. As a screenwriter for film and tv, you’re told to write visually, so when I started DoNR, I definitely had to switch that part of my mind off and change the way I told the story. It’s been quite a challenge, but I love it!

This past October you kicked off a series of new shows in collaboration with The Autumn Society. How did this collaboration come about?

I work at a Cartoon Network Studios with Joe Game (aka Chogrin), and he came up with the idea of having The Autumn Society create these special “posters” for the existing DoNR episodes, and then we re-launched the blog over Halloween weekend. Since we won’t have any new episodes until next year, it was a great way to keep the show alive, and it was really exciting to see how The Autumn Society crew re-interpreted the shows.

Art by JP Flexner

What’s your favorite story from Dead of Night and why?

It seems like every new episode is my favorite. I think the series has evolved from episode to episode, and there are things I love about each one. But overall, I’m really proud of “Night Delivery” and “All U Can Eat.”

Episodes are currently available for free online, is that correct? Do you have any plans for releasing the series on CD or is this something specific to the web?

People can listen to episodes for free at the blog or download them on iTunes. I’ve thought about releasing a CD, but right now, I’m putting all of my energy into creating new episodes.

Art by Justin Gray

With the conclusion of your Autumn Society collaboration is this the end of Dead of Night or can we expect future installments?

I hope this isn’t the end! I’d love to continue working with The Autumn Society in the future!

You also have another radio project called Murder by Radio. What’s the status of that project and how is it different from Dead of Night?

Murder By Radio is a spin-off series that I’m working on. As I said before, DoNR is a straight-on horror series, whereas MBR is going to be more mystery-driven stories with just a hint of the supernatural. We’ve recorded the first episode and will premiere the show in early 2011. The idea is to do these shows bi-monthly, so one month we’ll premiere a new Dead of Night, the next month a new Murder By Radio, and so on…

Art by Ma Mansur

What’s the strangest thing you can remember doing as a kid?

I was a pretty strange kid, as you can imagine! I went to a Lutheran grade school, and for my 3rd grade talent show, I performed a scene from Frankenstein! I think from that moment, I was destined to become a horror writer!