Is that Change in the Air or Your Decomposing Corpse I Smell?

Victor and Boris will return from the grave shortly. They've decided to take a few days off in order to discuss how they want the new blog to look. The direction in how things will be handled from here on out will be changing as well. Hopefully they'll have everything up and running soon. In the meantime, head on over to Strange Kid's blog to see his new kick butt design!!!

Dawning 2009

A family decides to go away for a weekend to a house in the woods to reconnect. Still bothered from a divorce and history of perceived wrong doings, their weekend away is derailed when a stranger enters their home and holds them hostage. All the while, you are lead to believe that something is outside, lurking and stalking around the woods and presumably, its coming after the inhabitants of the home.

www.dawningthemovie.com
Sounds like a Victor and Boris treat to me!

Gremlins Goodies: Just Don't Consume After Midnight

Grimace and Balloon Boy

A Selection from Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep (1976)

THE GHOUL

The gruesome ghoul, the grisly ghoul,
without the slightest noise
waits patiently beside the school
to feast on girls and boys.

He lunges fiercely through the air
as they come out to play,
then grabs a couple by the hair
and drags them far away.

He cracks their bones and snaps their backs
and squeezes out their lungs,
he chews their thumbs like candy snacks
and pulls apart their tongues.

He slices their stomachs and bites their hearts
and tears their flesh to shreds,
he swallows their toes like toasted tarts
and gobbles down their heads.

Fingers, elbows, hands and knees
and arms and legs and feet -
he eats them with delight and ease,
for every part's a treat.

And when the gruesome, grisly ghoul
has nothing left to chew,
he hurries to another school
and waits...perhaps for you.

I can't help but think of Victor Salva's Jeepers Creepers when I read this poem. The selection was taken from Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep (1976, Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Arnold Lobel) which is a book of 12 poems on witches, werewolves, vampires, haunted houses, and all things scary. Each poem is illustrated with one or more full-page black and white drawings in a style reminiscent of Edward Gorey. Pelutsky has written several books of poetry for children.

More Sketches, Unfinished Panels and the Debut of Awkward Posture

I realize at the end it says "What are watchin?" instead of "What are YOU watchin?" so just ignore that. I did that panel really quickly and will take it out once I redraw it for the actual short story.

What I have been developing lately is a new strip/comic label of sorts. I'm still kinda at odds with everything but I think I'm finally going with Awkward Posture. I'm not certain if it's going to be Awkward Posture Comics or just Awkward Posture. What do you guys think?

I'm also going to be launching the ALIENS ARE AFRAID OF FLOWERS website in the next week or so, so be on the lookout for sure. Hope everyone is having a great Friday!

R.I.P. Peter Steele

Some sad news has hit the metal world: Peter Steele, front-man of goth metallers Type O Negative, has reportedly died of heart failure. He was 48.

Word of Steele’s death broke late Wednesday night (April 14) via a series of tweets from friends and family. These were followed by statement to Blabbermouth from Type O Negative keyboardist Josh Silver, who confirmed Steele passed away on Wednesday. And while it is believe he died of heart failure, no official word on the cause of death has been released.

Type O Negative’s label, SPV, has released the following statement:

It's with great sadness that we give our condolences to the family and friends of Peter Steele. He died on April 14th, 2010.

With his bands CARNIVORE and TYPE O NEGATIVE he achieved cult status and was loved by fans around the world. The last releases he did with TYPE O NEGATIVE were the DVD Symphony For The Devil and the studio album Dead Again.

SPV/Steamhammer proudly released both products worldwide, which will now — very unfortunately — be the end of his recording legacy.

And VERY unfortunate it is indeed. I cannot express the melancholy I feel at this moment. I know it sounds a little silly but it's the truth. Type O Negative have been very vital to my evolution from child to adult and like everyone else in the world who clings to their idols I definitely clung to Mr. Steele and company. I could always rely on their drudgy graveyard tones and the droning vocal drags to brighten my day or at least help me cope with the stresses of the world.

I will certainly miss you Peter Steele. Thank you for 19 wonderful years.

And like the song suggests...and I feel it to be very true:

"Everything dies..."

A Tad Nostalgic part I

1990, the year that everything seemed to 'kick off' I suppose. I was already watching movies prior to this (obviously), Monster Squad being one of the first movies I had ever seen (born in 1984 I would see it in 1987 when it was first released). But what really shaped my viewing experiences when it came to Horror movies was my mother, who would take me to see these films at the old Carmike in LaGrange on a regular basis. I got to thinking the other day about the late 80's/early 90's and all of the wonderful movies that I got to see as a child and decided to do a little bit of research. So, below are all of the movies that were released from 1990 to 1994 that changed my life. The list is quite long so you don't have to read all of them. All I ask is that you pay attention to how many AMAZING movies were released back then. It's no wonder I'm constantly feeling nostalgic for my childhood. Thanks to my mother I was able to see these movies in the theatre while all my other friends were forced to down giant heapings of Disney at home with their parents. Thanks mom! I'll start things off with 1990 and 1991 and over the next couple of days I'll move my way to 1994.

1990 (I was in Kindergarten when I saw the following films)

- The Willies (YES!!! I definitely had the URGE TO REGURGE!!!)
- Edward Scissorhands (LOVED this movie. I saw it at the old LaGrange theater)
- Home Alone
- Troll 2 (I LOVED the first one but number 2 is just phenomenal, really)
- Predator 2 (still remember renting this for the first time!)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Misery
- Jacob's Ladder
- Tremors (Good ole Kroger rental)
- The Witches (one of the scariest movies I had seen at the time!)
- Darkman
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch (rented this at Kroger with my brother)
- Tom Savigni's Night of the Living Dead
- Arachnophobia (John Goodman!! Woo Hoo!)
- Child's Play 2 (Kroger rental)
- Nightbreed
- Terminator II (Kroger rental)
- Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (Blockbuster rental)
- Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (Blockbuster rental)
- Graveyard Shift (Blockbuster rental)
- The Guardian (I was literally frightened for a month)
- Maniac Cop II (late night showing on HBO I believe)
- Basket Case II (fell in love with the effects and would later ask Santa for a makeup kit that showed you how to make eyeballs "pop out")
- The Gate II
- Puppet Master
- Stephen King's IT (my mom taped this on T.V. when it first aired and we would watch it together late at night after I got out of school)

1991 (First grade here I come!)

- Howling VI: The Freaks
- The People Under the Stairs
- Sometimes They Come Back
- Child's Play 3 (saw this at the old lagrange theater with mom)
- Silence of the Lambs
- Critters 3: You are What they Eat (Kroger rental with my grandmother)
- Critters 4: They're Invading Your Space (Next day rental with grandma)
- Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (Kroger rental)
- Naked Lunch
- Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead
- Nothing But Trouble
- Highway to Hell (late night Showtime or HBO I think)
- Ernest Scared Stupid (Changed my life)
- Subspecies (First taste of Full Moon!!)
- Dolly Dearest (Boy, oh boy, what a movie)
- Popcorn
- The Borrower
- Puppet Master II
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze

I know I'm probably forgetting several movies but most of these are from memory so I apologize if I'm leaving anything off.

The Halloween Tree

It's big, it's broad.
It's broad, it's bright.
It fills the sky of All Hallows' Night.
The strangest sight you've ever seen.
The Monster Tree on Halloween.
The leaves have burned to gold and red,
the grass is brown, the old year dead,
but hang the harvest high, Oh see!
The candle constellations on the Halloween Tree!
The stars they turn, the candles burn
and the mouse-leaves scurry on the cold wind bourne,
and a mob of smiles shine down on thee
from the gourds hung high on the Halloween Tree.

The smile of the Witch, and the smile of the Cat,
the smile of the Beast, the smile of the Bat,
The smile of the Reaper taking his fee
all cut and glimmer on the Halloween Tree...

-Ray Bradbury

I finally found a book copy of The Halloween Tree and folks, let me tell ya, it is phenomenal. If you loved the animated adaptation and it was the first taste you had (like myself) then you honestly don't know what you're missing. Ray Bradbury is an incredible writer and his insatiable love and thirst for all things Halloween is very, VERY evident in his work. Sadly, it has been a long time since I've felt elated about Halloween (mainly due to several unfortunate 'outside' debacles) and after reading Bradbury's books lately I've felt a warm comfort that I think I've needed for some time now. I'm ready to delve further into my artwork and be more productive with everything. Well, more on all this later I suppose. Anyways, just thought wanted to share that above poem with everyone. Have a wonderful day!

Night of the Living Trailers: Rumpelstiltskin (1995)

While browsing in an antique shop, a young mother (Kim Johnston Ulrich) comes across an unusually carved "wishing stone" that's too intriguing to resist. Little does she realize, however, that her one wish will free the demonic Rumpelstiltskin (Max Grodenchik), who's been trapped inside the rock for more than 500 years and who survives by eating babies. Now, the young mom has just three chances to guess the impish man's name or lose her child.

Seeing this movie at the tender (or not so tender) age of 10 was a very magical experience indeed. Full Moon was one of my favorite companies back then (well, still is I suppose...I can't help but love almost every single thing they've put out) and Rumpelstiltskin is definitely one of their better releases (next to Castle Freak and the Puppet Master series). Now, not much can be said about this movie in detail now, but I can say that it's a pretty solid picture. I haven't seen the darn thing since '95 so don't throw your boogers at me just yet. I looked it up on Netflix and unfortunately they don't have a copy available for shipping but I think you can find the whole movie on Youtube if you hunt for it. It is definitely worth the search if you love your movies extra buttery and terrible for the arteries.

Edit: I just found the entire movie on Youtube quite easily. I've decided to post it below for your convenience. Enjoy!