Here's some of the Boney Bunch from Yankee Candle for Halloween. Simply delightful. Not too cute, not too dark, and full of character. Definitely hex-citing enough for guys to enjoy, too, especially with those blood-red dripping candles.
A pleasant bite at Crazy Burger, then a nighttime walk past One Way Gallery in Narragansett, Rhode Island reveals these two engrossing pieces of horror art. I couldn't make out the artist's name. Perhaps he's a child of Pickman…
Zombos Says: Very Good
Ghoulies, ghosties, beasties, here be monsters all, hobnobbing their way through the mortal realm in 19 tales assembled by Christopher Golden, with book-body parts supplied by Jonathan Maberry, David Liss, Kevin J. Anderson, Nate Kenyon, Sarah Pinborough, and many more. Squatting in the monster's corner is you, metaphorically speaking of course, as the next meal, the next victim, and next sideline viewer or partaker of nasty events. Identifying who the monsters and victims are can be a little challenging because sometimes they swap places or appear similar, depending on your vantage point, and the tone of monstrosity varies from story to story, as does the terror.
Perhaps the clearest monstrous vision here is seen through Pinborough's The Screaming Room. Having snakes for hair and turning people to stone doesn't make the Gorgon a social butterfly, but when her dates do eventually show up, she does get to spend a very long time with them, enjoying their constant song of love. Only they aren't singing and she's deluding herself, turning her loneliness into happiness. A simple premise sustains a truly terrifying revelation, and this story will not easily leave you once you put the book aside.
Often the monster ranks are swelled by those we unleash ourselves, and in Maberry's Saint John, you may be hard pressed to find the saints, but sinners abound. Armageddon leads to madness, but sometimes madness can lead to redemption, and here the sinners must face a holy roller to reckon with, dressed in swirling white robes and long sharp blades wielding salvation. Not surprisingly, coming from an author who specializes in death and destruction in apocalyptic measures, Maberry creates an unbalanced world populated with unbalanced people, and places his heroic protagonist, who's either deep-dish crazy, made so by the monstrous events of his past, or following God's crib-notes, within it, preaching one slash and thrust sermon at a time. There's an intimacy here as Maberry focuses on one small street corner and those people stepping into it, coming under Saint John's light. Victims and monsters are interchangeable. Salvation is tenuous. The emotional complexity deep and disturbing. Maberry may have created a new and noble antihero ripe for novelization.
For a swim with Lovecraftian primevalness, Tananarive Due brings us to Graceville, Florida in The Lake. Abbie's new job, new house, new life is growing on her so much she's becoming a whole new person; or thing, anyway. People say not to swim in the lake in summer, though the reasons are hushingly unclear. She swims anyway. The lake's calm water is so inviting. Slowly changes in her attitude start to match the physical changes between her toes, and the changes in her appetite. Is she dreaming? Is she delusional? Is she embracing a whole new Abbie? Her understated tranformation unfolds in carefully building paragraphs, rendering the terror mood gently and matter of factly, until the ending reminds you it's not wise to swim in the Graceville Lake during the summer months.
You won't find gore or check-the-door scares in The Monster's Corner, but you will find, hanging out in its dark recesses, a well varied assortment of true monsters, seeming monsters, and would-be monsters, all either vying for your understanding–as carefully outlined in Gary A. Braunbeck's witty And Still You Wonder Why Our First Impulse Is To Kill You–or your blood.
Zombos Says: Good
(story good, but artwork lacking)
Since Zatanna is wearing pants they put her fishnet stockings on her arms, overly done coloration brightens to distraction, and another apocalyptic vision gets everyone in a huff. And don't get me started on using Justice League in the title: it's somewhat confusing, but since Superman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg aren't up to the task at hand, I suppose it will have to do for now.
Even John Constantine winds up here as Madame Xanadu sees a bleak future and calls Shade (actually she calls his M-Vest). Enchantress is dreaming madness and chaotic spells ensue. This first issue sets up the looming hunka-burnin' catastrophe with mini-ones, and introduces key participants including Deadman, Constantine, Zatanna, Shade, and a mysteriously confused young girl.
Getting in their way is the artwork, with color that saturates the opening action in a golden haze, and the closing setup in purple. Mikel Janin draws everyone with almost the same face, and poses characters stiffly in his scenes. One welcome exception is Constantine dropping in unexpectedly. Another is the encounter with filthy flying teeth (now try and say that 3 times fast), which is rendered less effective by a putting-green background.
Peter Milligan's story builds well to the quiet climax, adding mystery and pending threat, but Janin's layout, while grid-wise assists the narrative, content-wise needs more oomph and fluidity to bring on the darkness.
And for gosh sakes, dull those colors!
Zombos Says: Very Good
I wouldn't have picked this one up if DC hadn't sent it to me for review. I have a problem with the cover. It sucks. Okay. I know. You want more of a critical assessment than a fanboy kind of knee-jerk opinion. Here it is then: it sucks a lot. It's too yapping Twilight-y, and its composition panders more to stereotypical male herdy-nerdy readers with its voluptuous, booby and elf-y coy female posturing brazenly. I don't know what age range they thought they were aiming for with this one, but I'm not near it apparently. And it doesn't jive with the more sophisticated content, which I can tell you doesn't suck.
Andrea Sorrentino's heavily dark boundaries and shadow-fused illustration would easily be at home in a black and white world, but Marcelo Maiolo's color dashes and toning brings emotional depth as well as objective and personal perspective through its variation across the pages.
This first issue re-establishes the centuries-old love-hate relationship between Mary and Andrew: she's intent on feasting and he's more of the fasting kind. Joshua Hale Fialkov interweaves their lovers' dialog between present and past, and in spite of his 400 years of vampire-killing savvy, she gets in the last word. Much bloody mayhem ensues
If Fialkov and Sorrentino can sustain the emotional intensity and visual flare started in this first issue, the series should have a long run. Their predominant use of wide-format panels gives ample room for telling the story with imagery and narrative, and red dialog boxes and discrete splashes of blood punctuate the lovers' quarrel, broadening it to apocalyptic proportions.
At 20 pages an issue, it's a tough call whether I want to wait for the trade paper or pick up each issue. I'm tempted toward the latter based on the promise shown here.
Is it me or is everything so apolcalyptic these days?
Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o’Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds…in between mouthfuls of candy corn…with My Scary Halloween.
Why is Halloween important to you?
At some point we all leave our childhoods behind and with it a treasure trove of make-believe, candy, and the wonder that one night a year ghosts and witches do exist. Halloween allows me to reconnect with that childhood wonder and in that moment that sense of fascination recharges my creative soul for an entire year.
Describe your ideal Halloween.
I love my Halloween scary – from the front porch where kids are greeted with macabre yard haunt, to the decorations that fill my house with a very spooky atmosphere – every detail is carefully considered. In the background a horror movie is playing, or perhaps a playlist of my favorite Halloween music. I usually have a few friends over to hand out candy, tell ghost stories, and enjoy a warm bowl of Autumn stew. After the activities fade and I am alone, I watch horror movies until late at night when the last of the pumpkin scented candle burns out.
What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?
I collect a Halloween village and every year I spend a month putting it together. I build platforms, carve rocks out of foam, and wire the whole thing together (pictures are on my website). This is a fascinating hobby for me and I’ve learned things like engineering, electrical wiring, woodworking and painting – all the same things I’ve put into use in my own actual home.
When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?
I don’t have many memories of celebrating Halloween as a kid. One of my most memorable Halloweens was my first year in San Francisco. The Castro neighborhood put on quite a big “show” and the costumes were incredible. One woman was being wheeled around in a phone booth covered with crows in homage to The Birds, and of course, there were the 8-foot-tall drag queens with headdresses that practically reached the traffic lights. I’d never seen anything like it (or since).
What’s the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what’s your answer?
Q: Do you want to go trick r’ treating?
A: Yes! Let me grab a bucket.
So that’s it? I set up a blog and a webpage and I’m done marketing my book?
Hell, no. In addition to a webpage and a blog, you will also need to establish an account on some of the various social networking sites (SNS) available on the Internet. Facebook and Twitter are the most common, although there are dozens of SNSs available. If there’s a particular site that caters to the audience you’re trying to reach, by all means add that to your Internet presence. But don’t go crazy and establish a profile on every SNS available, because the more time you spend maintaining these sites and networking means the less time you spend writing.
You will also want to join a few forums and/or chat groups to make your name known throughout the community. I suggest a mix between those directed primarily to writers and those frequented by fans of your genre. A good place to begin is Goodreads. This site is dedicated to writers and readers, and it maintains numerous chat groups that span all genres. Beyond that, do your research and check out various forums/chat groups until you find a few where you feel comfortable visiting. As with the social networking sites, moderation is the key.
Cool. I love Facebook. I have a couple of dozen zombie pets that I’m taking care of.
You’re missing the point. Your goal is to sell books, not to steal your friend’s zombie rabbits or create photo albums of your last trip to Europe. You need to market yourself as much as your work. The best way to accomplish that is to establish a reputation as a reliable expert in your genre. Don’t just use these sites just to talk about yourself and your latest writing project. Discuss books and movies, offer the latest news in your genre or the publishing industry, or maybe write a series of blogs on how to get published. When visiting websites and blogs other than your own, if you find an interesting post, share it on your SNSes; your fans and other bloggers will appreciate it. And don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a thousand followers at the end of the first week. This is a slow and labor-intensive process, so be patient. If you market yourself correctly and give it time, slowly but surely you’ll build up a following of fans who will want to read your book, who will tell their friends to read it, and who will eagerly await your next novel. (NOTE: Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It!, available from Amazon, provides an excellent step-by-step approach on how to achieve this.)
There are two things to keep in mind when blogging and networking.
First, always use your writing name when posting. While it might be fun to call yourself vampireexpert69 on Facebook, it makes it almost impossible for your fans to find and follow you.
Second, and this is a matter of personal opinion only, avoid controversial subjects and flame wars with fans or colleagues. This is one of those instances when bad publicity is worse than no publicity for beginning authors. If you’re a vampire author who is not a fan of Twilight, don’t bash the series every chance you get. Don’t take sides on political issues, militantly support controversial causes, or publicly and consistently lambast a colleague as a hack who can’t write for merde, otherwise you run the risk of losing major portions of your fan base. As a writer trying to establish him/herself, you can’t afford to alienate potential readers.
Finally, there are other things you should do to market yourself and your book:
Book signings: These are your most important venue for building your fan base. And don’t limit yourself just to book stores. I do a lot of signings at comic book stores. Conventions are also a big draw for fans. Book expos are a great way to meet potential fans. Specialized conventions are also a big plus. For example, if you write about animals, attend pet expos. Of all the horror cons I’ve attended, authors are among the most popular celebrity guests. John Lamb, author of the Teddy Bear Mystery series, once told me that he sells almost as many books at teddy bear conventions as he does at book store signings.
Guest blogging: These are vital for new authors to get their names out in the public domain. There are many established blogs that allow aspiring or first-time authors to guest blog on their sites. I am indebted to Dawn’s Reading Nook, Adventures of the Cautionary Tale, Back of the Book Review, and several genre sites for allowing me the opportunity to talk about my writing. I’ve made several new friends and fans thanks to their generosity.
Look for every opportunity you can find to get your name out there. Convince your local radio and television stations or newspapers to interview you as a hometown celebrity. Arrange virtual book tours (which is especially important if you’re an e-book author) where you have chat room discussions on various forums. Spend the time and effort to create a video trailer for your book that you can post to YouTube. Donate autographed copies of your book to charity events, or do book signings at such events with all the proceeds going to that charity. These are just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of things you can do to publicize your book, all of which inevitably increase sales and lead to more exposure.
Well, that wraps up my blog series on how to get published. Any questions?
Yeah. You just described a hell of a lot of work to go through to be a mid-list author. Why would anyone in their right mind want to write for a living?
Good question. Let me answer that next…
I’m not sure, but I don’t think you can use the term “hideous She-Thing!” in publicity anymore. Unless you’re a politician, of course.
…
Double Bill Pressbook: Screaming Skull
and Terror From the Year 5,000 Part 2Read More »
Zombos Says: Excellent
Call it a glum child adult's fairytale or a morose adult child's fairytale, Evelyn Evelyn: A Tragic Tale in Two Tomes from Dark Horse is quite intoxicatingly real in it's grotesque fiction. It is darkened parquetry, laid across the pages of two small tomes bordered by slipcase, revealing the piquant story of the conjoined Neville sister twins' never existence, from birth to YouTube stardom, embellished with gross exploitation, tearful misfortune, and their eventual, but tenuous, music salvation.
The tartly sweet baroque illustrations by Cynthia von Buhler are all coffin frills and funeral lace and purple ribbons heavily blushed by somber Autumn colors and impossibly tragical events. This is the bedtime story Wednesday Addams would want to fall asleep to, people'd to absurdity, dusted lightly with caked talcum and caressed softly by razor sharp tinsel.
Their caretakers, Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley, musically gifted in their own right, have preserved the fragile confidence of the twins enough to bring their melancholic artfulness to light, as well as their bittersweet, decidedly corkscrew journey that starts with a detrimental birth in a medically-modified Airstream trailer, necessary salvation from a chainsaw-wielding doctor of dubious reputation and errant skills, unnecessary loss to a chicken farmer who coops them like his chickens, and questionable rescue by candy-wielding saviors who bring them to live at a shady home for wayward girls, where VHS tapes and debauchery mix and 13 year-olds mysteriously leave for parts unknown, late at night.
Elephant Elephant, the two-headed elephant, their only friend in the circus where they must perform, provides surcease of misfortune until misfortune insists, but the inseparable and resourceful sisters use the wonder of technology and the closeness of the Internet to garner notoriety with their ukulele and fragile gumption; sure in the knowledge that, no matter what travails they face, through thick or thin they will never split up and go their separate ways.
Endearing, frightening, and perplexing, in Evelyn Evelyn, the truth is stranger than reality, and far more cheeky.