[Downloadable] Creators Unite Issue 02 WOMAN POWER ISSUE

Darlene C. Deever

Editor-in-Chief & Publisher

@DC_Deever

Marion Berdoati Sauzedde Marketing & Business Development Director

@MarionBerdoati Chris Barnes

Marketing & Art Director

Contributors

Greg Palko, David Dubrow, Dub Meter, Laura MacLeod, Richard Rowntree, Kreepazoidkelly, Christopher Zisi, Stephen Harper, Chantal Handley, Kriss Pickering, Mike Blehar, Sooz Webb, Myk Saiten, Myra Berkel, R.M. Martin, Anne Bonnier, Victoria Bartolini.

FOLLOW US @DC_Deever @Kreepazoidkelly

@SlaughteredBird @BRUTALPosters

https://creatorsunitemagazine.tumblr.com

Emilie Flory

ADVERTISE / BE FEATURED IN OUR MAGAZINE

Creative Director

@EmilieFlory

Richard Charles Stevens Editor-at-large

@RiversofGrue Roy Bheer

Editor-at-large

@ShockingMag Kreepazoidkelly Editor-at-large

@Kreepazoidkelly ON THE COVER :

Axiokersa taking her bath Artwork by Greg Palko

contact@iconelabelpictures.com WRITE FOR US theslaughteredbird@gmail.com

Dear readers, the wonderful response to the first issue of Creators Unite enables us to continue happily on our path. As our mission statement explains, our free publication aims to make art and the work of creators accessible to the widest audience possible. Although the first issue has been flagged as unsafe for including nudity, we wish our second issue to show that it is our duty to celebrate art in all its forms and not to censor it. Ideas come from the fringes of society where creative people who do not know how to deliver sanitized work thrive and we shall defend them always.

The horror genre that offers in addition to inventiveness further insight into the human condition and our deepest selves is an art we will also always support loud and clear. It plays a huge part in our Woman Power Issue inspired by the Women in Horror Month. This February month devoted to women and celebrated joyfully in America explores what the horror genre owes to women and how essential they are to this genre. We invite you to discover the paths of Kelli Maroney, Maria Olsen and Denise Gossett, three exceptional women both professionally and on a personal level. Hugely respected and admired they are loved by all.

The Creators Unite Gallery also offers you a first chance to discover the visual works of a horror enthusiast, a gifted artist who has always known how to portray women. Through the exhibition of Greg Palko’s artwork presented in the Inception section you will discover an artist with a unique vision just as fascinating as striking. I hope you will enjoy it as much as you will appreciate the many other great surprises Creators Unite has wanted to bring you here.

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003 Letter from the Editor by DC Deever 005 Identikit : The Most Influential & beloved Women in the Horror World

Kelli Maroney - Maria Olsen - Denise Gossett Special feature by Laura MacLeod and Christopher Zisi Artworks by Chantal Handley, Dub Meter and Roy Bheer

055 Le Boudoir : Interview with Wendy Bell by Chris Barnes Artworks by Chantal Handley - Visual Conception by Dub Meter 068 Inception : The Gallery Creators Unite 106 Welcomes The Woman In All Her Glory (01.29.18 - 04.01.18)

The New exhibition of Greg Palko 092 Vault of Creation : Creators Unite Fiction

A Haunting In Pennsylvania by David Dubrow Story illustrated by Stephen Harper & Dub Meter

111 Showroom : Creators Unite Reviews Dogged - A Review by Kriss Pickering Echoes of the Passed - Review & ITW by Laura MacLeod 60 Seconds To Die - Special Press Release by Roy Bheer 146 Inspiration Box : Odile Decq The strong role model for women in architecture | Lise Bourbeau The devoted Mind-Body Expert - A Selection by Roy Bheer & Emilie Flory 160 Special Tribute: A Tribute to Kreepazoidkelly My Friend The Warrior by Richard Charles Stevens SFX by Myra Berkel - Visual Conception by Emilie Flory

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Identikit

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DENISE GOSSETT Denise Gossett founded Shriekfest film festival in Los Angeles in 2001 and with over a decade of success, helped numerous filmmakers and screenwriters who follow the same ethic of hard work and dedication that she has held to the whole of her career. Actress in television & feature films for over 20 years, Denise appeared on such shows as The Office and Veronica Mars and has recurring and series regular roles on television series such as Nickelodeon's Zoey 101, HBO Deadwood Mysteries and The Life of Tonya Harding.

She can most recently be seen in the Mel Gibson starring feature film Get The Gringo and the Morris Chestnut movie When the Bough Breaks.

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Voted “number 5 out of 13 Most Influential Women in Horror History”, “2016's Most Influential Women in Genre” and “2017 Most Influential Horror Film Festival Director”, Denise has been interviewed, and is featured, in the books Hot and Horrifying: The First Ladies of Horror.

On the occasion of the Women in Horror Month, it was our honor to interview her.

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Interview with Denise Gossett How did you get your start in the business?

Well, I started as an actor while still in College majoring in theatre. Years later I starred in a horror film which gave me the idea to start a horror film festival, so, I founded Shriekfest which is going into its 18th year and 2nd year of being bi-coastal.

What most made you want to get into acting / filmmaking?

I’ve always loved it, as far back as I can remember I just wanted to act, dance, or sing‌ but, never really knew what it meant to pursue it as a career until college and once I started figuring things out, there was no stopping me.

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What surprised you the most about acting?

How much business is involved. Most people think you audition, you book the job, you show up on set, repeat‌ but, it is very different from that.

There is a whole business side where you have to promote yourself, market yourself to people that can hire you, take classes, get headshots, reels, postcards, etc.

Have you had a particular role model or mentor who has been an inspiration to you? If so, how has that person affected your life and work?

No, I really haven’t. Of course, I look to anyone who has been successful and look at how they did it, what did they do, how did they think, etc.

Successful people have lots of the same traits in common, start doing those things and keep doing those things and just never give up!

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Tell us about a favorite role or project of yours. What made it fun, enlightening, scary or otherwise memorable?

Well, I loved working on Get the Gringo with Mel Gibson and Peter Stormare! I had scenes with both of them and Bob Gunton and Scott Cohen too. Such fun working with them and I learned so much too. We shot in Mexico City, so, the entire crew only spoke Spanish… that was an adjustment at first… I had to dig down deep to my Spanish classes from high school/college, but I managed pretty well if I do say so myself. ☺ I saw how each one of those guys behaved in their own level of fame. Truly fascinating… from Mel being an icon and everywhere he goes people know his name, to Bob and Scott being recognized but people not really knowing from what, to Peter being recognized & most people knowing his name.

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Amazing to watch how they all handled that aspect of their careers too. I just loved working with them all.

How has being a woman made your career more challenging?

I never look at things that way. I am the type of person who looks at how to solve problems, not at what might hold me back. I’ve honestly never felt it was an issue and if it were an issue, it wouldn’t stop me. ☺ What's been your best day of work so far?

Every day on a set is a best day, seriously. As an actor I work so hard to get those roles, so, when I do, I enjoy every second of it! I love learning from other actors, making friends, and just creating with everyone.

What's been your worst day of work so far?

That would probably be when you really want a role and it doesn’t pan out... I used to let that sort of thing really bother me, but, now, I know not every role is the one for me, so, I just move on.

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Who have you most enjoyed working with and why?

Mel Gibson… such an amazing professional and talent. Julia Louis Dreyfus… comedy genius, Dennis Hopper, he was such a sweet man, the list goes on and on… I’ve never really worked with anyone I didn’t like.

Who would you want to work with? What sort of role would you play? I’d like to work with Steven Spielberg in a career making role that shows my dramatic and comedic side, but also my tough side, I am going for my 3rd degree black belt in May. What would your dream project be like?

It would be a story that touches everyone, that sticks with you, that changes how people feel and lifts them up.

How would you most like to be remembered in fifty years?

For my kindness, my talents, my energy, and for love.

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MARIA OLSEN You could probably name several people in the film industry who have both acted and directed. You could also probably name an actor or two who work in both independent films and in Hollywood. It's much harder to name someone who's done all that as well as working in theatre, producing, and shining equally well in roles ranging from horror to zany comedy. But not to worry -- I have a name for you, and that name is Maria Olsen.

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Born and raised in South Africa, Maria has always been a fan of horror, so it's no surprise that she's now found herself as one of the queens of indie horror films. But to begin with, she was known in her native country as a stage actress, often performing in musical theatre -- not something you might expect! But when she came to the United States in 2005, she was already an experienced actress who also knew a little something about what it takes to fund a production and make the magic happen.

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Since her arrival, she hardly seems to have slowed down for a moment.

With 172 acting credits plus 23 as producer (and counting) to her name on imdb, Maria has become a leading force in independent film as well as making her mark in Hollywood blockbusters like Paranormal Activity 3 and Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Some of her best known performances include Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salem, Rich Rule's Marrtown, and Patrick Horvath’s Die-ner (Get It?) where she won a Best Supporting Actress award from HorrorFest for her portrayal of Rose. She's appeared in more than 65 feature films and 150 short films, including two shorts at the 2009 Cannes Short Film Program and one feature length film at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Whatever you may have seen her in, her intense looks combined with her acting prowess create an on-screen presence it's hard to forget.

Laura MacLeod @MovieCriticND

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How did you get your start in the business?

I started performing on stage when I was all of six years old! While I was in South Africa, I concentrated on stage productions - with a little radio on the side - and it was only when I arrived in Los Angeles in 2005 that I started auditioning for film. I was lucky with film and booked several feature and short projects before my "big break" came in the form of becoming part of the cast of Fox's Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lighting Thief in 2008. Many wonderful film and stage opportunities have come my way since Percy Jackson , including Starry Eyes, Southbound and the upcoming I Spit On Your Grave : Deja Vu, and I treasure each and every one of them!

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What most made you want to get into acting / filmmaking?

Many reasons! Both of my parents were performers, for instance - and my dad still is - and they instilled in me a love of both stage and screen from a very young age. Another is that, while growing up, my heroes were several legendary actresses like Jane Fonda, Kathleen Turner and Jodie Foster, and I wanted to grow up to be just like them.

What surprised you the most about acting?

I think what constantly surprises me is the amount of physical discomfort an actor must go through in order to do their job. As I type out my answers to your questions, I'm nursing about 15 different bruises, which are a result of my shoot last week when I had to defy gravity and climb and horizontal ladder! I've had to dive into swimming pools in the dead of winter, climb a snake-infested mountain and fall backwards out of a window. ‌/‌

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My next shoot will involve being outside in the upstate New York countryside in the dead of winter at night wearing very few clothes...you can guess how I'm going to enjoy THAT one!!! I take each physical challenge as it comes, though, and I try to enjoy them as new experiences!

Have you had a particular role model or mentor who has been an inspiration to you? If so, how has that person affected your life and work?

I've always been an extremely independent person, and I generally do things because I want to do them and not so much because I've been inspired to do them by other people. That being said, there are indeed two actresses that I look up to and emulate, and they are Meryl Streep and Charlize Theron. Ms Streep is simply the most amazing actress who has ever lived, and Charlize is a fellow South African who has risen to the pinnacle of her chosen profession! Who wouldn't want to follow in their footsteps!!

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Tell us about a favorite role or project of yours. What made it fun, enlightening, scary or otherwise memorable?

As far as stage productions are concerned, I think the most memorable was the Los Angeles premiere of Gary Owen's The Drowned World. Creating the character of Kelly for the first time ever in Los Angeles was such a wonderful experience, and, with it coming so soon after my wrapping Percy Jackson, I felt that I was really enjoying the best of both the stage and screen worlds.

For film productions, it's extremely difficult for me to pick a favorite because different productions stand out for different reasons. I loved my role in African Gothic because I got to speak Afrikaans, I adored Mark of the Witch aka Another because the film is just so powerful that it leaps off the screen, and, of course, I had the best time ever on the set of I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu where I had the honor of working with the cast and director of the original 1978 production: Camille Keaton and Meir Zarchi.

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@jamiebernadett and @mariaolsen66 Talk I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu !

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How has being a woman made your career more challenging?

The one thing that I am noticing is that, the older I get, the fewer and fewer breakdowns I see for women of my age. I've seen breakdowns for features where all available roles were for men between the ages of 40 and 70, but all I see for women are that the available opportunities are becoming extremely scarce. Unfortunately, I think this reflects a perception in society that, for some reason, the "Older Woman" is of less importance, and less interesting, than any other demographic. I think we should all work together to try and change this!

What's been your best day of work so far?

My best ever day of work was when I booked Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lighting Thief ! This is closely followed by the day I booked I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu !

What's been your worst day of work so far?

My worst day of work was when I was replaced on a project due to perceived scheduling conflicts. But that's Hollywood, right?

Who have you most enjoyed working with and why?

Again, there are so many people that I could choose to mention in my answer to this question, and almost everyone that I've worked with all over the US and in Vancouver have been wonderful! I think, though, that the most memorable time I had on set was with the South African cast and crew of African Gothic because it was just magical to hear South African accents all around me once more!

Who would you want to work with? What sort of role would you play?

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and, of course, fellow ex-South African, Charlize Theron.

What would your dream project be like?

My dream project would be directing the feature film I wrote myself with the actors of my choice in every role (including myself!). I would have enough money to shoot it properly and to ensure a theatrical release. Hmmmm...I think I should hurry up and buy my lottery ticket!

How would you most like to be remembered in fifty years?

I would like to be remembered as the second South African actress to win an Oscar!

Interview by Laura MacLeod @MovieCriticND

FOLLOW Maria Olsen VISIT MOnsterworks66 (IMDB PRO) Maria Olsen will be back in our next issue with a special Showroom dedicated to her best movies as well as upcoming films: Marrtown, No Knock List‌

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KELLI MARONEY 1984! Some of us remember that year well. World superpowers seemed headed toward “Mutual Assured Destruction.” The possibility of nuclear war affected the consciousness of every college aged schmuck (which I was one). The possibility of the world coming to an end permeated every intellectual discussion as Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev repeatedly failed to decrease the nuclear stockpiles. That same year, a cult classic hit the silver screen. The not so epic Night of the Comet told the story of the end of the world. The joke was on all of us, as nuclear winter didn’t factor into the equation.

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On the surface, Night of the Comet seemed to mesh two plots. High schoolers coming of age mixed with the apocalypse. Was mankind worth saving? Government henchwoman Audrey (Mary Woronov) didn’t believe so and set out to euthanize perky blonde high school cheerleader Samantha (Kelli Maroney). Ditzy, shallow, and materialistic Samantha seemed to symbolize the futility of 1980s youth and their inability to carry on a civilized culture and society. Ah, but wait! Audrey looks closer and sees something else. Optimism, trust, and the ability to make lemon-ade out of lemons. Yes, a closer look at the sultry cheerleader suggested that Samantha is exactly who we want to help construct a society in which all peoples need to love and coexist. Sure, Samantha’s proclivity to use an Uzi is quite alluring and not a bad plot device, still, her smile and sex appeal could prove to be quite inspiring.

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When leaders, technology, and normative social structure have failed planet Earth, Samantha and her buddies may be the perfect combo to begin it all again. With a pom-pom in one hand, a machine-gun in the other, perhaps Samantha is a perfect metaphor for what it takes for a pretty lady to succeed for decades in a misogynistic film industry. Before Alice in Resident Evil and Selene in Underworld, the babes of horror were portrayed as meek and merely pretty faces that just so happened to survive occasionally. In reality, Kelli Maroney beat both Kate Beckinsale and Milla Jovovich to the punch. Sure, her portrayal of the ditzy but feisty Samantha (and also Alison in Chopping Mall ) gave a very masculine audience characters that seemed to feed male stereotypes of young ladies. In reality, Alison and Samantha (as portrayed by Ms. Maroney), were energetic, resourceful, strong, and very capable of overcoming evil, killing monsters, and saving the masses.

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As more and more stories in today’s news highlight the predatory nature of a male dominated Hollywood, Kelli Maroney ’s endurance is a testament to her strength and smarts in the entertainment industry. Even more important than the initial impression we draw of either Samantha or Alison, is what those two Maroney characters evolve into before the end of the films.

Perhaps all the victimized actresses in Hollywood today could gather inspiration from Ms. Maroney’s portrayals and proceed onward with strength and victory. Enjoy the interview that follows of an actress many of us have been admiring for decades.

Christopher Zisi @cjzisi

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How did you get your start in the business?

I was planning to attend a conservatory school in NYC and arrived with $500 to my name and nowhere to live. While looking for a roommate situation, the woman who ran the service suggested that I speak to her friend, who was an agent. There had been a national search for a teenage actress to play the part of a “Midwestern Lolita” on the ABC Daytime drama, Ryan’s Hope. I had one photograph of myself, and the agent told me to slide it under the casting director’s door. I was called in, auditioned and was cast in the role. What a crazy show business story, right?! After all this time I still can’t get over my good fortune.

What most made you want to get into acting?

When I was little, I remember that the thing that made my mother seem the happiest was when we were watching old movies on TV. I wanted to be part of the thing that made her light up. Passions and emotions were expressed …/…

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in films and on TV that didn’t seem appropriate for people to have in “real life” and I wanted to be part of that.

What surprised you the most about acting?

Firstly, I think how intimate and safe it felt to play a scene and be fully immersed in it. It’s like the rest of the world fades away and it’s just you and whomever is in the scene with you, and the director. Secondly, I never thought of acting as being my business! An actor is really a sole proprietor of their own company, but no one had ever told me anything like that, so it’s only somewhat recently that I began thinking of it this way. Actors and artists aren’t famous for their business savvy, so we need to learn this stuff.

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Have you had a particular role model or mentor who has been an inspiration to you? If so, how has that person affected your life and work?

The actress who played my mom on the soap, Louise Shaffer, was kind to me and taught me everything she knew about surviving on a Daytime drama, where you’re expected to cry on cue, never stop tape for any reason, etc. I’d never have gotten up to speed fast enough otherwise. I owe her everything. I also used to have a coach, Roy London, who was a genius. He passed away years ago and I’m still looking for another coach like him.

Tell us about a favorite role or project of yours. What made it fun, enlightening, scary or otherwise memorable?

You know, each role is fun, enlightening, scary and memorable! The soap was my first job in NYC, Fast Times brought me to Los Angeles, Night of the Comet changed my career, Face Down was the best written, flashiest role …/…

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I have ever played. She was a schizophrenic. I thought it might be challenging to get it right, but found it was very easy and comfortable. I love my entire career.

How has being a woman made your career more challenging?

With all the women coming forward and speaking up about sexual harassment, it’s obvious that it’s a huge issue in my industry, but also in every industry. I quickly learned ways of dodging it: Never be alone with these guys, and cut off any discussion with, “Great, thank you! Please call my agent and set it up.” I developed a tough sarcasm that I learned from Mae West and Bette Davis films and that tends to be a buzzkill for these guys. And I didn’t immediately realize how limited women’s roles could be because I was fortunate to get fantastic leading roles where I was a badass.

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Then in the 90s I saw that my choices were “victim” or “girlfriend.” Yuck.

I’m a character actress so I wasn’t going to get cast in those girlfriend roles, and the whole victim thing I found so depressing that after a couple of those roles I felt like I didn’t even want to do this anymore, if I had to play those victim-y parts. One or two, okay, but that’s all that was out there for me, it seemed. It’s so against my brand. People know me as the one who survives.

What's been your best day of work so far?

The best day of work is when you first get a role. That first day on set is like the first day of school. I remember the first time I was able to cry on cue on Ryan’s Hope. That was big for me because if you couldn’t do that they would probably get rid of you! I just love it on a film when the work is going well and everyone seems in sync, from the crew to the actors, directors, craft services, the grips—it is a mutual respect, love, and mutual admiration society.

What's been your worst day of work so far?

Every time we wrap a movie or I get wrapped on a TV show, I feel like it’s a death! I walk around set all needy, not wanting it to be over and not wanting to say goodbye to anyone! Well, maybe not exactly that needy, but I do feel very sad and make sure I know how to stay in touch with everyone. I think many actors feel this way.

Who have you most enjoyed working with and why?

As I mentioned, Louise Shaffer and Roy London, but additionally I loved working with Joan Fontaine, who played my agent on Ryan’s Hope.

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I loved working with Catherine Mary Stewart on NOTC (Night of the Comet, Ed.) and Barbara Crampton on Chopping Mall and made two lifelong friends.

Once I’ve done a movie or TV show with people they become like family in my mind. I’ve been lucky enough to have been thrown in with some remarkably talented and kind artists. I loved working with Joe Mantegna, Peter Riegert, and of course, the wonderful Adam Ant in Face Down. I love Thom Eberhardt and have done two films with him now, and I enjoy working with Jim Wynorski, although he yells a lot on set. He is just 1000% committed and wants everyone else to be on point, too. He is hilarious, and I have fun working with him. There are so many other people who have helped me and touched me throughout my career that I’m not going to be able to mention everyone, and I hate knowing that I’m forgetting to mention people.

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Who would you want to work with? What sort of role would you play?

How about Tarantino? He takes actors and brings them into the present, like John Travolta, Robert Forster, Pam Grier, many more. And I would want to play a badass character who lives. I’d also like to do other films with Barbara Crampton, Catherine Mary Stewart, Thom Eberhardt, people I’ve already mentioned whom I’ve worked with and love. Also, there is a lot of brilliant talent coming up now in the horror and independent genres that I’m excited to work with, too. There has been a shift back to story and character, and I love that. There is a whole new energy that I feel happening now.

What is your ideal project?

A wonderful, well-written script that is moving and a story that just insists upon being told, a visionary director and cast who are passionate about the material, a director of photography with a great eye, beautiful lighting and sound, and an unlimited budget!

How do you want to be remembered in 50 years?

As someone who encouraged others to love, appreciate and believe in themselves, and dare to stretch and make their best dreams become reality.

And as someone who always raised the vibe, made it comfortable for everyone to be their true selves, have fun, and create with abandon. I guess I really am cheerleader of sorts, after all!

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Laura MacLeod @MovieCriticND Laura MacLeod is a self-taught critic who's loved movies of all kinds since the Night on Bald Mountain scene from Fantasia scared her half to death at the age of four. She's been sharing that love (along with the occasional healthy dose of sarcasm) online since 2006 as the Movie Critic Next Door.

Christopher Zisi @cjzisi Christopher Zisi is an American horror writer from Fredericksburg, Virginia.

In 2013 he created the blog Zisi Emporium for B Movies which showcases his thoughts and witticisms of horror, exploitation, and science fiction films.

To date, over 800 films have been reviewed on this blog. Mr. Zisi has published four books which include compilations of his reviews and one of his own horror poetry. Before writing about horror full time, Christopher Zisi was a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Le Boudoir

Interview with Wendy Bell by Chris Barnes Photo courtesy of DJase King & Matt Rowan Maw Artworks by Chantal Handley - Visual Conception by Dub Meter Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Since 2014, I have been the co-director & organiser (along with my sister Jill) of HorrorConUK ; a national horror convention that takes place at Magna Science Adventure Centre in Sheffield/Rotherham annually.

I’ve known you for a few years now – since you were planning HorrorConUK : Part One – and it’s been amazing for me to watch it rapidly grow. …/…

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It started huge (Moseley, Foree, Savini, Hansen, etc) and gets steadily bigger and better! What’s been the most satisfying thing for you as you look back over the 3 events, approaching your 4th?

That we did any of it! We always sort of pinch ourselves and say "We run that!" It's so weird. Before we started there wasn't anything here in the UK remotely comparable to the horror conventions in the US or Europe, and to be honest if we knew how much blood, sweat & tears it would take, I think we would have been scared off doing it, but we just sort of jumped in feet first and swam as fast as we could! We were told that "Horror Conventions don't work in the UK" and that "It'll be cool if anyone turns up at all" and other really supportive comments like that! We love the genre and the show, and put our heart & souls into every part of it - that may sound cheesy, but the event consumes most of our waking hours!

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As well as the guests mentioned, you’ve also attracted the likes of Doug Bradley, David Naughton, Kane Hodder, Sid Haig, Elvira, John Jarratt, Heather Langenkamp, and many more; so, where do you go from here? Is it difficult to keep things fresh and diverse?

Yes, it can be very challenging at times! Things do go wrong, things get cancelled at the very last minute, and plans change. However, we're gaining a good reputation within the industry too, which really helps.

Why horror? I’m still game to start up RomComCon©.

Bless you, Romantic Comedy Con has been a dream of yours for many years hasn't it?

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So if we did it, I think we should have Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell reenact the rainy scene from Four Weddings (I think you could be responsible for holding the watering can), followed by Hugh Grant and Renee Zellwegger recreating the big knickers scene from Bridget Jones, and then later on Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts could enchant us all with the tear jerking "I'm just a girl" bit from Notting Hill. Then when we thought our hankies couldn't possibly get any wetter (from tears), we would close the show with RomComCon heaven: good ole Bryan Adams singing “Everything I do� .

Why horror? It was by happy accident really. In 2014, after my dad died, I started attending comic-cons, it was a way for me to get out and socialise when I really didn't feel like it, but knew I needed to for my sanity. I love those events, they're so much fun, and you're just there geeking out and being silly getting selfies with the Planet of the Apes, mini Doctor Who's, Chewbacca, Storm Troopers, Darth Vader and the Daleks etc, as well as stalking Danny John Jules !

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I love all that Sci-Fi stuff, it’s great, but my true love is horror. So I decided I wanted to go to a "Horror Con", simple enough right? Wrong! After a seriously long & lengthy internet search, I couldn't find anything at all in the UK, apart from horror film festivals or horror conventions in the States or Germany, and just when I thought I had found one it turned out to be an American show, and that wasn't much use to me! I was amazed that there wasn't anything here in the UK. So I mentioned it to my sister, we got chatting about it and after about an hour we decided to run one ourselves!

Cuckoo!

What are your favourite horror films and why? And if any of their stars have attended HorrorConUK, were they as nice as you'd hoped?

I have tons! There isn't room here to name them all - but off the top of my head The Mephisto Waltz, Let the Right One In, The Shining, NotLD, Asylum,

The Wicker Man, Deep Red, Psycho, Possession, Bram Stoker's Dracula, …………..

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Waxwork, Alien, Repulsion, Dog Soldiers, Carrie, Scream, The Omen and What We Do in the Shadows. They're all great stories, and I chose these cos they're ones that I have watched repeatedly, but there are tons of new horrors such as Starry Eyes, Raw, Goodnight Mommy & Don't Breathe that I really love too.

If I had to pick an all-time favourite then I think it has to be An American Werewolf in London - it was one of the first horror films I saw, and is possibly responsible for engendering a lasting devotion to the macabre! To this day, I still watch it wide eyed and fascinated as though I have never seen it before, and I still hope for an alternative ending! For me it has everything: pathos, romance, comedy, terror & suspense. David Naughton (David Kessler) was a guest at HorrorConUK in 2016 and he was utterly delightful. He was so warm and friendly to folks and he really couldn't have been any nicer - I would have been gutted had he been a diva! I am a fan of his for life!

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Over the years it’s become apparent our horror tastes are very similar, so your guests always blow me away. But you also consistently manage to cater for the wider spectrum – how do you do this?

I love films, and am also a big fan of horror, so I do have a feel for what attendees will like and who they would like to meet, maybe, in the same way a wedding DJ knows if they play Love Shack it'll get some people on the dance floor, and if they play Daniel O'Donnell it won't! Unless the wedding party happens to be really into Daniel O'Donnell! That premise would be a great horror film!

Of all the horror heroes still out there, who would be your ultimate guest?

(Excluding the folks who’ve already attended) I suppose because they don't attend conventions it would have to be Jamie Lee Curtis, Griffin Dunne, Rick Baker & Stephen King, they would be awesome.

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Stephen hasn't apparently attended conventions since the 1980s, but you never know.

I came and helped out at HorrorConUK Part 3 in May and at one point found myself sat in the green room kitchen, eating chocolate Hob Nobs and talking “soccer” with Sid Haig. This relaxed sense of openness seems to permeate the entire occasion for fans and ‘crew’ alike, but never lapses into chaos.

How is this achieved?

Everything is planned and thought through to the nth degree, we plan and plan and plan, even if it seems like it is happenstance! We are always talking through stuff & walking through stuff - imagine running this show, and for everything that needs to be in place for it to actually work!

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It's crazy! I think that (as women perhaps) we are good at juggling lots of things, and we're able to do 10 jobs at once it seems e.g. check this, write that, order this, design that, post this, create a video, share a video, ask a question, answer a question, go shopping, design something, have a meeting! There are only 2 of us responsible for this; we don't have a team of employees, we're not well off, and all of our helpers are our trusted friends. It helps that in general our attendees and helpers have great manners too. This sets the tone, and no one takes advantage of this, overall it's a very chilled vibe for an event of its size. In my experience most horror lovers and certainly the vast majority who come to HorrorConUK are respectful, friendly people, they aren't normal, they are exceptional! I think it was Kane Hodder who incredulously said "These guys are so well mannered!"

Go on, what else?

We don't just have international actors, we've had the likes of pop culture ‌/‌

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expert Sir Christopher Frayling, Bram Stoker's Great Nephew Dacre Stoker and legendary horror author Shaun Hutson, as well as fantastic hosts that comprise of Tony Earnshaw, Bunny Galore, Darrell Buxton and Peter Laws, who bring true professionalism & expertise to the event. We also have great traders and exhibitors too which makes for a fantastic specialist horror market.

What can we expect from HorrorConUK: Part Four?

Well you'll have to wait and see, but prepare to have your socks blown off!

We'll start announcing guests very soon and The Slaughtered Bird will be the first to know! Folks can sign up to our Newsletter on the website www.horrorconuk.com, which ensures that you never miss any guest or ticket news!

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Chantal Handley @Chantal Handley Chantal Laura Handley creates horror and pop culture portraits using traditional pastels from her studio in Australia.

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GREG PALKO

Inception

Creators Unite Gallery welcomes

The Woman in All Her Glory

The new exhibition of Greg Palko

Permanent Exhibit After That Date. Available Exclusively in Creators Unite Magazine!

THE WOMAN POWER ISSUE Page 69 : As Above,NO. So02Below (2017) Digital Art - Greg Palko

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Greg Palko is an award-winning graphic designer specializing in book covers, movie posters, DVD and CD packages, media kits, corporate branding, promotional art, and more. With over fifteen years’ experience as an art director and designer, he uses graphic design and digital manipulation to bring visual messages to life in digital and traditional print.

“When I first watched Hansel and Gretel and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a child, I fell in love with the horror genre, and it’s been the longest relationship of my life. I’m an avid collector of custom horror movie props as well as rare physical media from DVDs and laser discs to VHS tapes.”

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A student of horror, thriller, fantasy, and science fiction movie poster art and marketing materials, Greg creates the most potent images in the right colors and styles to promote films.

“I draw from all my experiences to create compelling images. My book covers have earned awards from Authors DB, which helped increase authors’ sales for Ron Shaw’s novels Red, The Dead and the Dying, Uya, and Yellow Bus Boys Go Blue – the latter became a “Five Stars Readers Favorite.” But my movie posters have also received recognition from film festival attendees, like director Fred Lehne’s Shy Guys. I work with filmmakers, production companies, authors, and musicians to make their work gain the global recognition they deserve.”

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Vault Of Creation

A Haunting in Pennsylvania A Fiction by David Dubrow Story illustrated by Stephen Harper & Dub Meter Special Thanks to Myk Saiten and to Myra Berkel for the SFX Men. They were all alike, so why should Penelope hate them any differently? Men had defiled her. Men had murdered her. Men had doomed her to an afterlife of bodiless torment. She had been young once. Youthful and beautiful and vivacious and raped and slaughtered because her buffoon of a father, another man, had chosen dreams of colonial liberty over the privilege of English nobility. If God had opened Heaven’s gates to the likes of him, she preferred the endless Purgatory of the house that had borne witness to her last living moments.

For years after her death she prowled the halls, slamming doors and kicking walls as though such tantrums could scratch the surface of her fury. It was she who had overturned the lamp that burned the manor to the ground, roasting the sleeping children in their beds while their oafish father died mere feet from their door.

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The cries of grief from their mother as she trudged through the cinders were terrible to behold, but Penelope had been unmoved. Where was this howling cow when King George’s men ravished her first with their cocks and thence with their bayonets? ‘Twould have been better if the woman hadn’t married at all.

And yet burning two male children and their sire alive hadn’t come close to sating her hunger for vengeance. Her life had been worth a hundred men’s lives. A thousand. So even with the house charred to ruin and her lonely corpse blackened to sticks in the cellar, she remained.

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Oh, the fun she’d had with the man who sought to rebuild, a foolish German with dull blue eyes and fishbelly pale skin. A stonemason, he had cleared away the debris and dug a new foundation, discarding her bones with the refuse. She watched him day and night, learning his habits, and then drove him mad with misplaced tools, spoiled mortar, and hours of whispered obscenities. For weeks she would caress him while he slept and kick his stones before he finished, making every night an agony. At long last, exhausted, he fell off his ladder, landed on a pile of bricks, and broke his spine. As he writhed and screamed and begged for help that would never come, she showed herself to him, flaunting the bloody horror that King George’s men had made of her sex. It was his last sight on this Earth.

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Eventually, however, the house was rebuilt. With such a beautiful plot of land at the edge of a forest, its resurrection was inevitable, even if hers was not. Unwilling to endure decades with nothing to feed her vengeance but the remembrance of past evils, Penelope learned a kind of subtlety. Why destroy this new house when she could simply ruin the men inside it? As years passed she became an expert at inflicting a thousand spiritual cuts, licking the blood for nourishment. A twist of the faucet to make baby John’s bath a scalding cauldron here, a close of the flue during a roaring fire there. Her greatest joy was to inflict impotence: the stink of rotting flesh in his nostrils, a terrible sobbing only he could hear, the sight of her furious, loathly face whenever his pitiful manhood stirred. Some men took their frustrations out on their wives, others on their children, but none knew a moment’s comfort.

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The house endured innumerable owners, each determined to raise a family, make a home, live a dream. All failed. As the men raged, the women wept, and the families fled her mischief, she laughed in joy.

The piano in the hall left with one family, its patriarch made elderly in his thirties through a year’s worth of petty torments. With the new owners came a radio, a blocky, noisy thing that she reduced to crackling hisses. That family had been stubborn, proclaiming eternal faith in a God who had never shown His face, and in her anger at their bovine placidity she pushed their youngest boy down the stairs, breaking his leg. In response they summoned a priest to exorcize her, but she fled to the basement and endured his prayerful bleating in silence.

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In time a new family arrived, replacing the radio with an even worse contrivance, a box that displayed moving, colorless images on an oval screen. That was when she learned to draw out her tortures, allowing the men in her house occasional moments of pleasure instead of unremitting misery. She would let him watch his image-box, but not without frustrating moments of static. If he managed bedroom intimacies, she would use her cold hands to hasten him to a rapid, unsatisfying conclusion. His automobile would suffer mechanical failures only when it was most needed.

Men, she discovered, were quick to assign blame if an obvious culprit was offered. A thumbtack in his shoe could be traced to his son, who endured beatings as a result. Roaches on his plate three dinners running could only be the malicious work of his wife. Alcohol became a common refuge, followed by screaming fights, divorce, and departure.

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And now, after years of emptiness, a cohort of workmen arrived with paint and lumber and tile. A new family to ruin. Though every fiber of her insubstantial body ached to push the men off their ladders, she let them finish their work.

The reward for her patience turned out to be a new patriarch, with a soft midsection and thick spectacles and a receding hairline. In tow he brought his fragile-looking wife and teenage daughter. Perfect.

She would have them cutting his throat by winter.

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Like all of his sex, this new man was prosaic in his habits, insipid in his demeanor, and repulsive in his appearance. Even referring to him as a man elevated him far beyond his merits. Nevertheless, he was an outlet, and Penelope couldn’t afford to be selective in victims; her imprisonment brooked no wandering.

At first she watched, allowing them a measure of comfort while she became familiar with their proclivities and preferences, their routines and rituals.

The daughter lived her life in the glow of electrical devices of various shapes, sizes, and functions. The wife happily took on a servant’s role: cook, maid, and caretaker, displaying no more ambition than the roaches in the basement.

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What more needed to be said of the “man” of the house? Penelope’s own father, as worthless as he had been, was at least capable of discussing the works of John Locke and Charles de Montesquieu, Martin Luther and Rene Descartes. This new man, in tedious contrast, conversed in nothing but trivialities, offering only the blandest of conversational victuals. Thoroughly uninteresting from cock to cranium.

When it came time to poison them against each other, she began with subtlety. She put a foul stink in the nostrils of his wife and daughter when he drew near, prompting frequent and vociferous complaints. Capon that he was, he would then remove himself to scrub his body in the bath, using a variety of soaps and colognes to no avail. First his daughter, then his wife shunned him, demanding that he spend his nights sleeping in a guest room upstairs.

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The wife, so proud of her meager culinary skills, soon drew groans at the dinner table from ruined meal after ruined meal. It was an easy task to switch salt for sugar in a cake batter, or pour an injurious quantity of red pepper flake into an unguarded pot on the stove. Penelope’s trick of luring insects into a supper dish was old, yes, but still effective, especially when the youngest daughter, already chary of eating, was made the primary victim. Even the expedient of bringing home meals prepared elsewhere was spoilt by frigid drafts that congealed flavored oils to cold grease and turned crisp coatings into flaccid paste.

Of all her mischief, the daughter’s ruination was Penelope’s favorite, not least because the girl had been especially fond of her father. She had endured his phantom stench even when it made her nauseous until, when they were alone, Penelope whispered obscene suggestions into her ear in an approximation of his voice.

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He denied saying these things, but it wasn’t long before she would refuse to subject herself to his presence. When she washed herself, Penelope would open the bathroom door to give her the impression that he had been spying on her. Pairs of her undergarments would find their way to his bed for her to see, and his illusory footsteps could be heard pacing outside her bedroom door at night.

After weeks of this, the man meekly submitted to his ostracism, spending as little time in the house as he could. The daughter shut herself away, eschewing both food and company. Troubled, helpless, the wife spent her time in front of the image-box, pacified by its glow. It was glorious.

And, eventually, tiresome. The game had lost its luster.

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Penelope would end it tonight with a caress of his manhood, and as he lay aroused on his bed, she would call to him in his daughter’s voice. He would go to her, rampant and foul-smelling, and her screams would wake the dead.

--The soft, flabby figure lay on his back, clad in the loose trousers such pathetic creatures often wore abed. His snores, reminiscent of a pig’s snuffling, elicited revulsion, and his face was greasy with sweat. Penelope had already filled the daughter’s sleeping ears with entreaties to the filthiest incestuous acts one might envision, so now this…man had his part to play.

Ever so lightly, she glided her ghostly fingertips along his belly to the pathetic twig and berries he was no doubt so proud of. Soon enough his member lengthened, and if she had been capable of it, she would have vomited the bile of her loathing across his disgusting form. Just a little more and he would be ready— “Oh…” he whispered. “Oh, Penelope.”

She froze. How did he know— Pain transfixed her, an agony she had not experienced since she had been numbered amongst the quick. Looking down, she found that she had been stabbed through the midsection by a narrow, pitted blade of steel.

Grinning, eyes upon her, the man sat up. “Worth every penny, Penny,” he said, still gripping the impaling bayonet. “Amazing what you can find on eBay.” How could he see her? Touch her?

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Unable to scream through the pain, she writhed like a worm on a hook.

“I’ve been waiting months for this. Researching. Planning. Waiting. All the shit you put us through.”

She could see nothing behind his eyes. They were as blank and empty as a spider’s.

With a massive, excruciating effort, she pulled herself off the blade. How he could see and hurt her were questions she would ask another time. As she unclenched her will, returning to her refuge in the basement, she spied him getting to his feet.

Did he plan to chase her? A foolish notion. She would revenge herself— A new burst of agony surprised a shriek out of her, an animal howl that shook the dust off the basement shelves.

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Clad in only an open red coat of the likes King George’s men wore to battle, the man’s wife had rammed a cavalry saber through Penelope’s chest.

Moisture dewed the woman’s thighs.

“Naughty Penny,” she said, twisting the handle. “Have you been fooling with my husband?” She licked her pink lips. “Lucky for you, we have an open marriage…of a sort.”

All Penelope could do was clutch at the blade, slicing her insubstantial hands on the edge.

“We only fuck ghosts,” said the man, walking down the stairs. Freed from his trousers, his tumescence bobbed with each step.

“Only special ghosts,” said his wife.

The man laughed, a high-pitched, yipping sound. “And you sure are special, Penelope.”

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With a grunt and a sigh, he slipped the bayonet back into the ghost’s stomach, eliciting a terrible scream that stretched her mouth to inhuman proportions. “God, you’re tight.”

“Does that feel familiar?” the wife asked her. “We went to a lot of expense to find these blades. Went through a lot of collectors, a lot of fakes. But when we found them…we just knew they were the right ones.”

No, Penelope begged. No, do not— The man dropped his body weight, and the bayonet sliced down from her stomach through her sex. Ectoplasm, thick and cold and glutinous, gushed from the wound to splatter on the floor.

Over her renewed shrieks, he said, “It’s fuck time, Penny,” and mounted her with both cock and steel. ###

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Showroom

DOGGED Directed by Richard Rowntree Written by Richard Rowntree, Matthew Davies, Christina Rowntree Starring Sam Saunders, Philip Ridout, Jo Southwell Plot: When Sam returns home to the tidal island where he grew up to attend

a funeral, he soon discovers that the seedy underbelly of this small community harbours more than just a few secrets.

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It’s often said that the internet is the greatest invention ever thought up. I mean, try and think of the times before it was engaged in every aspect of our modern life. Hard isn’t it? How did we ever cope without the ability to watch a monkey smelling his own farts on demand? Or how to find virtually any fact at the touch of a few buttons? And let’s not forget the advent of free porn(!).

But from a horror fan’s perspective, one of the biggest changes the information superhighway has brought about, is many websites that allow talented film makers to fund their projects via crowdfunding. For those of you not familiar, “crowdfunding” websites allow the general public to contribute affordable amounts towards a project, in return for “rewards”. It is through crowdfunding (Kickstarter) that director Richard Rowntree got his feature directorial Dogged funded.

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Based on the brilliant short film that eventually finished fifth in the BBC’s cracking horror short competition “The Fear”, Dogged introduces up to University student Sam (Sam Saunders, who is making his feature film debut) as he returns to his island home to attend the funeral of a 10 year old girl, whose body was mysteriously found at the foot of a cliff.

Unfortunately for Sam, something is off about his childhood home.

Something evil and bloodthirsty has come over it, and Sam finds himself unwittingly digging into its seedy underbelly. As events unfold and the pieces of the puzzle come together, he finds himself simply trying to survive in a world he never even knew existed.

The first thing I’d like to state about this film is how great it looks for the money the director had available. Dogged actually became one of the most …/…

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successful horror films ever funded on Kickstarter, but even so, £14,500 is obviously not a lot of money to make a feature film with. But Richard Rowntree has worked a bit of a miracle as Dogged looked amazing and much better than a lot of the bigger budget indie fare I’ve seen lately.

A big part of why the film looks so good are the chosen locations. Filmed mainly on Osea Island in Essex and Iver in Buckinghamshire, the locations give the film a dauntingly isolated feel, and you can really imagine the waters around the island acting as the bars to their island prison. While the locations are great, it’s the amazing cinematography of Christopher Foulser that really brings them to life. His choice to wash out the colours in the “present day” shots really give the sense that there is something menacing happening, while the flashback scenes are bathed in bright colours to represent the joy and happiness of the characters’ youths. Together the effect works brilliantly.

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But a film that looks amazing would be nothing without an engaging, intelligent story. Luckily Mark Davies’ screenplay (based on Christina Rowntree’s story), while running the risk of slipping into cliche’d ground, is solid and intelligent. For example, the island in question is a tidal island whose repeated cycles of connection and isolation would serve as an ideal catalyst for the residents to develop a classic “them against us” attitude, which can naturally develop into a cult like behaviour.

There is also a “Stepford Wives” feel to things. The island’s main village is an old school English country village, where well-to-do families have lived for generations in their barn conversions and there is a definite social hierarchy. The thing is though, the higher echelons are almost 100% male, with the wives and daughters relegated to almost servant like status.

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While the story and cinematography is great, barring occasional flashes, the acting is at best “okay”, but this is to be expected with low budget films using an inexperienced cast. For example, Sam Saunders is solid as the leading man, despite one or two flaky deliveries. You can see that with some experience he could go on to be a decent performer and calve out a nice little career for himself.

As with the vast, vast majority of low budget indie productions, the lack of budget has to rear its ugly head somewhere. With Dogged, the film suffers from more than a few audio issues. It’s a shame as the soundtrack, which was created solely for the film, was really, really good. There were also a few amateurish camera angles, but that is to be expected due to the inexperience of Rowntree, and can be overlooked as the bloke obviously has talent!

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To sum things up, what started as a very good short film has been turned into a very entertaining feature. Rowntree has shown he is more than capable of putting together a great story, with amazing locations and topnotch cinematography, all while managing an inexperienced cast. I for one will be keeping a very close eye on how his career develops from here‌ SOCIAL MEDIA

DOGGED @DoggedTheMovie Richard Rowntree @r_rowntree

A Review by Kriss Pickering @C0dEye Photo Courtesy of AshMountainFilm NO. 02 THE WOMAN POWER ISSUE

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ECHOES OF THE PASSED

Written & Directed by Scott Lyus

Starring Sophie Tergeist, Paul Dewdney, Tony Sands, Mac McFadden Plot: A mysterious Professor, his smartass assistant and two terrified AV techs, enter an infamous haunted house in an attempt to explore the dark history of the home, but discover it maybe their own dark history, and not the house, that truly haunts them.

Given the popularity of ghost hunting, there’s probably at least ten groups out there setting up their microphones and EMF detectors right now, and they may be closer than you think. In Echoes of the Passed, that group is in a run-down, reputedly haunted house somewhere in England, and they have mixed feelings about the plan to stay overnight and see what they can uncover. Frank (Tony Sands), for instance, is more nervous than he’d like to admit. On the other hand, Fred (Mac McFadden) seems more concerned with dinner.

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But it’s Liz (Sophie Tergeist) who’s most enthused about being there. She’s the assistant to the professor who arranged this excursion, Ian Naughton (Paul Dewdney), and she knows they wouldn’t be there if he didn’t expect to find some solid evidence, if you can even use the word solid in reference to ghosts. Everyone else seems to believe her name is Jo, but she insists that it’s Liz, and she doesn’t seem to think much of Fred or Frank.

She tells the group the story of the house, which had an ordinary history until about forty years ago, when two children disappeared mysteriously.

Since then there have been unexplained sounds of crying that have apparently discouraged anyone from living in the house, since much of the place seems on the verge of falling apart from disrepair. But the professor has his own reasons for being there, and the true horror of the house is something very different from what you might expect.

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Despite the ghost-hunting premise, it’s psychological horror that takes center stage, and it’s good psychological horror, four out of five stars’ worth. Though only twenty minutes long, the film still manages to create four realistic characters that drive the tension of the film admirably. By the end the professor has stolen the show, but all the acting is solid and the dialogue believable. The reveal is quietly chilling and the house’s true story is as much sad as it is frightening. You can be haunted by more things than just ghosts.

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Interview with Sophie Tergeist by Laura MacLeod Headshot by Alishia Love What most made you want to get into acting?

When I was studying at Newcastle University, I joined the theatre society. The first play I did was called Compleat Female Stage Beauty. I think that’s when something opened up, because I started learning about Shakespeare and had so much fun just watching the lead actors. I knew I had to pursue those roles too.

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Have you had a particular role model or mentor who has been an inspiration to you?

My first acting teacher taught me to overcome so much of myself through comedy, and I’m very grateful to have worked with him. I still use many of his teachings today. On another note, the actress Jessica Chastain is my role model (if you know me, you know how much I talk about her!). I follow every career move she makes, and her choice of roles and work ethic are a constant inspiration.

What surprised you the most about acting?

I think it was how far away it actually is from the ego. True, actors have to dig deep into themselves to create roles, but in fact, acting is not about them at all. It’s about empathizing with the other.

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Photography by Alishia Love

I believe that the more roles you play, the more you want to understand others.

Tell us about a favorite role or project of yours.

Working on Scott Lyus’s short film Echoes of the Passed was a joy because of the collaboration on that set. We were doing night shoots, had a very small green room and it all translated into the film. I also did a feature film called Sycamore which was shot in Sicily. I must admit that flying down there to do a film was a dream, especially because I met some wonderful people and ate all the ice cream I wanted!

FOLLOW SOPHIE TERGEIST ON TWITTER VISIT HER WEBSITE

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WE ARE INDIE HORROR

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SPLATS OF BLOOD

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Inspiration Box

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Special Tribute

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If you'd have asked me as a kid what I wished to be when I grew up, then chances are, there would've been a shit ton of head scratching going on, not to mention dandruff in my text book. Some of my classmates expressed their wish to become astronauts, others professional athletes, but when the question was posed to yours truly, I hadn't the faintest clue what answer to provide. It just seemed foolish to place all my eggs in a single basket when there were years left to ponder this riddle before I came of age. How can you expect a child to have their future all mapped out when adolescence is a far more pressing concern? The hormones were raging, my identity still hopelessly vague, and I was more than happy to place this particular conundrum on the back burner until such time as it figured higher on my list of priorities. Over thirty years down the line and I finally feel able to provide my tardy answer. If and when I eventually grow up, I want to be a warrior.

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And why the hell wouldn't I plump for this vocation in life? Let's just study the facts, shall we? Should you enter warrior into your search engine, then the nouns that will greet you once the page loads include such heavyhitters as vigor and courage, a pair of attributes that my father possessed in abundance. He was struck down with Multiple Sclerosis when I was barely eight and confined to a wheelchair less than twelve months later, where he remained for the next twenty-five years until heaven claimed itself a bona fide angel almost a decade back. However, while his condition gradually worsened and muscles wasted away, his passion for life didn't once falter and he showed tremendous vigor and courage right up to the bitter end. Considering pops was my all-time personal hero, it's only natural that I would wish to one day follow in his footsteps. My dear friends, that day arrived just a few months back when I was introduced to another champion for the human spirit, a lion-hearted young lady you may well know best as â­? Kreepazoid Kelly â­?.

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Some people believe it takes many years of hard graft for true friendship to develop and I'm not about to suggest this to be poppycock. That said, I never was one for keeping up with the Joneses and believe there are cases where a solitary gesture is all it takes. Granted, there is so much we cannot hope to know, quirks we won't yet be aware of, and 1001 mysteries still to be solved. But none of the aforementioned are deal-breakers once a certain other box has been ticked. One of my greatest strengths is the ability to spot superheroes quickly, and I make great haste in gravitating towards these valiant crusaders. This is precisely what happened when my path crossed with Kelly's almost as though fated. It took less than 140 characters to know that there was something different about her and I wasn't fazed in the slightest by not being able to put my finger on what that might actually be. One glance at my Twitter bio should clear up what the soul means to me personally and we all know how slippery a customer it can be. When this nifty piece of kit speaks, I'm all ears. And hers spoke as loud as it did clear.

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It wasn't long before I learned the full extent of Kelly's plight and, I'm not going to lie to you, I hadn't the first idea how to process the data. Medical jargon has never been my strong suit and I make no secret of the fact that I'd have made a lousy Florence Nightingale. However, while initially somewhat blinded by the science side of things, I was left under no illusion that she is not at all well. Indeed, this two-time brain cancer survivor is currently right in the thick of the fight of her life and bad news is something she has been forced to entertain at pretty much every turn in the road. Only yesterday she was presented with a new 50-page report detailing the challenges she faces and let's just say it didn't make for cosy bedtime reading. No sooner has she gotten her head around these latest revelations, than she will have a brain MRI to contend with and no doubt more harsh truths to digest. It would appear that she can't win for losing right now and, while the wonders of modern medicine never seize to amaze, they also pose a number of problems of their own.

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The side effects of Kelly's extensive med cocktail range from constant fatigue to violent seizures, crippling pain, tissue swelling, compromised organs, scalp scabs and permanent hair loss; and I'm barely even skimming the custard here. In her own words, her body is saying "bitch please fix" and it's not like a deaf ear is being cocked as she's taking every course of treatment available to appease it. Yet still the goalposts are constantly moving and fresh hardships introducing themselves in a manner far less than civil. It's no fun being a lab rat and even less jolly when the maze complexifies just as you're memorizing the layout. When it feels like life is nothing more than a wicked game at our expense; it's only natural to contemplate throwing in the towel right? I mean, how much poking and prodding must we realistically endure before we just say fuck it, I'm done?

The answer where Kelly is concerned is whatever the bloody hell it takes and it's that interminable never-say-die attitude that separates her from NO. 02 THE WOMAN POWER ISSUE 166 life's little victims.

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Hence "warrior" has never seemed more fitting a title as she possesses all the qualities of a bona fide crusader and bonus battle tokens aside. A true brave doesn't vacate the front-line until the battle has been won. You can strike them down with furious anger, overpower and mortally wound them, but they'll still keep coming at you right up to the bitter end because that's just what warriors do. One thing they will never be found culpable of is deserting the fray, regardless of how outgunned they might feel, as they'd rather die trying than cease their flags flying. That's true warrior spirit right there and the kind of bold mission statement â­? Kreepazoid Kelly â­? lives and breathes by. In many ways, she actually reminds me of my father as he taught me how to fight tooth and nail without ever needing to throw a solitary punch. If I had any words of advice for the cancer currently gate crashing her blood supply then it'd be the following - go suck ya girl bumbo-bloodclaat wasteman. Brrp, brrp - which roughly translates to turn back now you sniveling scourge as you're entering a house of pain and it ain't gonna end well if you persist in your vile game, believe you me.

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Here's a trio of words that I feel sum up her stance on endurance - we don't quit. Just last week I was in a desperate place and fast approaching the kind of point there can be no returning from. Ordinarily I wouldn't dream of burdening another with my misery but Kelly had made it abundantly clear at the offset that she views friendship as a two-way transaction. My problems may feel utterly insignificant up against hers; but this is no sympathy snob we're talking of here. In some ways, it probably helps to take her mind off her own pain should she entertain the blight of another and the last thing on earth that she wants is folk treading on eggshells around her. I was rapidly nose-diving, she identified this, and those three magic words were my food for thought that day. We don't quit.

As I returned to the scene of my imminent resign, this cold and bleak palace of my own sole design, I no longer felt beaten down and confined. You're motherfucking right we don't quit. What's more, there are a million baseball caps out there just begging to pimp out that very slogan.

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Needless to say, I didn't quit. Those words wouldn't have meant half as much, had Kelly not been prepared to lead by example. But that's exactly what she does on a daily basis. Between bouts of chronic nausea, she flits between two separate social platforms and sprinkles her magical pixie dust over both, refusing to let her illness speak on her behalf. On Twitter, she keeps things nice and simple, dedicating her time to supporting all manner of worthwhile causes and spreading positivity wherever possible.

Meanwhile, Instagram allows her to tell her tale one post at a time, minus the restrictions to word count. How she manages this fine balancing act while full-scale war rages on inside her, I'll never know. But what blows my mind the most is that she does so without once surrendering either her dignity or poise. Kelly isn't looking for handouts and knows full well that sympathy votes aren't ultimately going to help her defeat this fearsome opponent. She simply tells it how it is, providing a chronicle of current events, while flat-refusing to be beaten into submission or lose the faith that has seen her this far. “

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"So this will be very hard. The hardest journey yet. But I have faith in my team that I will be cured" Sound like a yellow-bellied quitter critter to you? Me neither. How about a motherfucking warrior? You're very much darned in your Sunday best tooting she is. Of course, birds of a feather have been known to flock together, and even superheroes need a spotter on hand to help split the incessant workload occasionally. Fellow Neuro-Twin Sharon Lawson may be situated rather inconveniently at the opposite side of the pond to her bestie but nobody is better positioned to understand Kelly's plight and do battle alongside her. The way the pair spark off one another is massively endearing, ironically similar to actual birth twins no less. You may have heard the phrase "sharing a brain" on your travels and this dynamic duo take that shit to a whole different level of authentic. One has the left cerebral side in tact, the other the right, making them the advanced human equivalent of Optimus motherfucking Prime bitches. Not to sound like a sentient robot here but "Megatron must be stopped... no matter the cost".

It's the Decepticons I feel sorry for as they're prodding the wrong beehive if they think they can steal the Neuro-Twins' nectar. One more thing before battle commences - had I mentioned the twins are armed with swarms of Wu-Tang Killer Bees? And you're motherfucking right they don't quit.

Before this all ends in a scratch card drive-by, let's get back to da hood and down to some brass tacks, shall we? You see, Kelly is truly an inspiration to me and I know damn well I speak for the masses when I state this. Certain souls simply shine extra bright and here's my theory on the reasoning in a single word - constellation. Once a number of suchlike orbs align in unison, it's time to grab ourselves a deck chair and get down to some good oldfashioned basking.

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Together we're better. That's no great science and, thanks largely to fierce warriors such as she, I'm shimmy shimmy sure it ain't fiction. Grind me to a pulp if I'm wrong, but I feel the term "family" needs broadening some as not all that is relative need necessarily stem from blood. Slightly off-topic, you have absolutely no idea how hard it is not to break into a rousing Sister Sledge rendition at this point. And promptly back on cue - ⭐ Kreepazoid Kelly ⭐ is a motherfucking warrior. No two ways about it. Only one needed. With my wide-open palm over trembling heart - by golly I'm Napoleon Bonaparte. No that's not it. My friend the warrior, save a spot for me on the battlefield. And with mild Tourette's as my witness - you're motherfucking right we don't quit. ⚔ You have been reading

Very special thanks to :

R. M. Martin @TheFearMerchant

,

Myra Berkel for the SFX Emilie Flory for the images Richard Charles Stevens @RiversofGrue NO. 02 THE WOMAN POWER ISSUE

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Stimulus

Discover Your Strong Woman Profile.

Discover What Type of Woman You’re Attracted to…

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available to read on issuu.com/creatorsunite