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ISSUE 001
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH
ADDAMS FAMiLY’S LURCH
CAREL STRUYCKEN
GARTH ENNIS’ lauren ghouls
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Issue #1 October 2013 www.livingdeadmagazine.com
14 Interview: Cult Classic Actor Carel Struycken
6 News of the Dead: Dr. Shocker’s Vault of Horror Shocks Again
7 Stalker’s Corner: What’s New with the Horror King?
20 The Story of American Horror Decor
26 Killer Kitty Clothing: Slumber Party Massacre
35 LAUREN Ghouls Pays Tribute to the mistress of the dark
38 Interview: Indie Horror Actress Ayse Nichelle Howard
40 Interview: Cover Artist Bill Chancellor
42 Spinespur--No Kids Allowed!
Columns
13 The Gospel of Gore: B Movie Reviews from The Reverend Jeff Jugular
46 galleria macabre
8 From Beyond the Grave: The Best in Horror Entertainment
32 NAME THAT FRAME
48 Slaycations: Our top picks for the best haunted trips
12 Staff Movie Picks
44 COMICS FROM THE CRYPT
DEADITORIAL Nobody Puts Horror in the Corner Holy bat nipples guys! We just successfully completed our very first issue of Living Dead Magazine! Sure a few of us had to sell our souls to the Devil at the crossroads to make it happen, but those souls weren’t really being used anyways. It was a small price to pay to see this beautiful creation laid out in its entirety. It has been fascinating to see how the magazine has evolved from just being a nagging demon on the shoulder of its creators, begging to be made every second of the day, to a tangible piece of art that has a voice and style all its own. It is actually wonderfully eerie how everything has fallen into place with LDM since the beginning. It is almost like Boris Karloff himself is pulling some strings from beyond the grave. I have been a professional writer/editor for over ten years, paying my bills during the day working as a marketing specialist and copywriter for corporate America, and I’ve spent every moment of free time writing for and promoting horror sites and running a horror modeling group called The Living Dead Girls. But I’ve never been satisfied simply being a spectator, I knew I wanted more from the horror community—I wanted to join forces with horror business owners and artists worldwide and push our love of horror front and center. I wanted horror to be my everyday normal, not the thing I have to hide or cover up—nobody puts horror in a corner! For a very long time I have wanted to do my own horror magazine—an everyday living magazine for the horror enthusiast. Something for those of us, male or female, who live horror, not those who just like the movie genre. I imagined it being a magazine that The Munsters and The Addams Family would subscribe to. A magazine that told you about the best haunted locations to vacation at, where to shop for horror clothing and home décor, kept you connected with new and old horror/sci-fi celebrities, and stayed true to the old-school classic horror genre from the 1930s-1980s (or anything new that strove to maintain that classic feel). Now several months later, with the help of a fully funded Kickstarter, my co-owner Lauren Steuer, our knowledgeable Creative Director Devon who helped us every step of the way, and our talented band of misfits, we have achieved our vision. I would like to thank all of the staff and contributors for their hard work, celebrities like Carel Struycken and Ayse Nichelle Howard for believing is us enough to grant us an interview, businesses like Horror Décor for allowing our imaginations to run wild using their products, and all of the Kickstarter contributors and friends we have met along the way. This magazine is the start of something amazing that will just continue to grow, and we are lucky to have you the fans with us every step of the way, guiding us to what you want to see and read, and molding us into a magazine that will unite the horror community at large. So from all of us here at Living Dead Magazine, thank you for helping make this magazine become a reality, and “Welcome to the Living Dead family! Where the zombies are created from toxic waste, vampires only come out at night, women are pale skinned with big ta-tas squeezed into tight black dresses, and we always have someone…I mean something, cooking in the kitchen for you when you arrive.” We want to hear from you so be sure to drop us a line through the mail, Twitter, or Facebook, and if you like what you see in this first issue, you can purchase a digital or print version of LDM, or even better yet, sign-up for a subscription, on our website at: www.livingdeadmagazine.com Happy Halloween!
Editor-in-Chief
Deanna Uutela
Associate Editor
Lauren Steuer
Creative Director
Devon Devereaux
Marketing Director
Gary Castleberry
Circulation Manager Roger Beckett
Copy Editor
Ashley Rask
Design Consultant/ Onset Stylist
Chelsea Bowman
Contributors
Tim Attuquayefio Mandy Cramer Jeff Dean Danny Ferbert Jesus Figueroa Jessica Humphrey Erin Kerley Jason Simpson
Cover Art:
MOVIE MONSTERS SEE A MATINEE Design by artist Bill Chancellor Photography by Cloud City Photography
Living Dead Magazine Issue #1 would not have been possible without the promotional and design assistance of James Hayward; photographic work of Kelly Shane-Fuller, Bill Berk, and Jerry Simpson; and the modeling work of The Living Dead Girls. Living Dead Magazine is published quarterly and accepts no responsibilities for unsolicited manuscripts, photos, art or other materials. Freelance submissions accompanied by S.A.S.E. will be seriously considered and, if necessary, returned. For Advertising Information, Contact: Deanna Uutela, livingdeadmagazine@gmail.com Entire contents copyright Living Dead Magazine 2013. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Printed In The United States By: Keness • Homestead, PA, USA
Deanna Uutela (Dead Bettie), Editor-In-Chief
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Living Dead Magazine 10055 NE Weidler St. Portland, OR 97220
BY DEANNA UUTELA
maybe, the chance to see if Daniel Roebuck really is that huge—his ego that is. You can order your own copy of Dr. Shocker’s Vault of Horror at: http://www.docshocker.com
BY R.I. Psycho Every Halloween, the monsters over at General Mills come out to haunt the cereal aisle, and this year we have the return of Frute Brute, discontinued in 1984, and Fruity Yummy Mummy, discontinued in 1993. These monsters have been in hibernation, waiting to be devoured.
Fans of the charming, quirky horror host Doctor Shocker will be all atingle to know that Dr. S is hosting, alongside his alter-ego actor Daniel Roebuck, a brand new “shockumentary” coming out November 9 on DVD entitled Dr. Shocker’s Vault of Horror. Featuring narration by actor Jorge Garcia (Lost) and appearances from big names in horror like Rob Zombie and Guillermo Del Toro, the film is an ode to monster movies and the world’s love affair with the horror movie genre. Dr. Shocker’s Vault of Horror will also re-team Dr. Shocker and his hapless minion, Igor (actor Chuck Williams). Together, they'll introduce the countless "treasures" hidden in their Vault. You'll see a Haunted Tour of Hollywood, a Captain Company presentation, a special documentary on the funtastic folks who invented Vampire Blood and so much more. I, for one, dear readers get all excited in my nether area when I think about all of the hoard of horrors this DVD will unveil and maybe, just
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Fruity Yummy Mummy is an Orange Cream flavored cereal, which I've never tasted in cereal form. It's nice and refreshing compared to the other cereals on the market. It's a shame that this cereal isn't available year-round. The mummy on the retro box has colorful purple, pink and white bandages—not scary or cool at all. The new mummy on the box is only slightly better, with bandaged eyebrows and a missing tooth, but he still has those dumb sherbet colored bandages.
Frute Brute is a cherry flavored cereal that tastes and smells like Trix, but unlike Trix, Frute Brute has marshmallows—sugar coma here we come. The old Frute Brute had a hippie looking werewolf on the cover in pink and green overalls who, clearly didn’t get the memo that werewolves stopped wearing overalls in the ‘70s. The new Frute Brute box has a cooler Elvis looking wolf who dresses more like Shaft.
What’s New with the Horror King? by Deanna Uutela
In Literature: Doctor Sleep (2013)
epic war between good and evil—a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted fans of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to this icon in the King canon. In Theaters: Carrie (2013)
From the minds of co-conspirators Stephen King, John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett comes a dark musical unlike anything theater goers have ever experienced. Thirteen years in the making, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County is a haunting tale of fraternal love, lust, jealousy and revenge, which will be performed by an ensemble cast of 15 actors and a four-piece live band. The macabre story will feature a chorus of actors and singers, and musicians featuring members of Mellencamp’s band. The staging of Ghost Brothers will be an amalgam of different styles—both old fashioned, resembling in many ways an old-style radio show, and yet, modern and unique in its interactive use of actors, singers and musicians in order to move the Ghost Brothers story forward incorporating a mix of storytelling, music and singing.
“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” Stephen King returns to the character and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals. Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes Doctor Sleep. Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift—the brightest shining ever seen—that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an
Perhaps Stephen King’s most celebrated and recognized character of all time, Carrie White is back on the big screen in a re-imagining of the classic horror tale about a shy outcast with telekinetic powers, her terrifying religious control-freak of a mother, and the cruel teenagers who could care less about the damage they are doing to this misunderstood girl, and the terror they are about to unleash. This new remake of Carrie is directed by Kimberly Peirce and stars Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore. Available in theaters nationwide. On Stage: Ghost Brothers of Darkland County: A Southern Gothic supernatural musical of fraternal love, lust, jealousy and revenge!
The play follows the release of the Ghost Brothers of Darkland County album (Concord Records), which came out earlier in the year. The record, produced by musical director Burnett, reflects the wide range of styles and influences required for a work that jumps back and forth across decades. It features original music and lyrics by Mellencamp—along with a stellar cast of guest musicians and actors. For tour dates and locations go to: www.aeglive.com
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From Beyond the Grave
THE
H O L D I N G
P U R G E :FEAR
L O S
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H O S TA G E
THE
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M O N T H
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B Y J E S U S F I G U E R O A (www.thisfunktional.com)
excitement as they are willing to put themselves through. Patrons need to wear comfortable shoes and not be afraid to interact with the "Purge" actors, as it will add to the experience.
From the man who produced such spine-tingling horror films as Insidious and Paranormal Activity, comes a brand new terror that is guaranteed to scare the crap out of you this Halloween. Called “The Purge: Fear the Night,” this terrifying mind-game, produced by Jason Blum, takes the plot from the psychological thriller The Purge and turns it into an interactive experience that puts you, the audience, as the captive and forces you to complete tasks (often alone and in the complete dark) in order to move on to the next part of the story. "We were able to tell a very focused story in The Purge film about one family's experience," Blum said. "But, writer/director James DeMonaco and I knew there was so much more to explore and 'The Purge: Fear the Night' is an amazing way to do it.” Performed inside the Variety Arts Center in Downtown L.A., from the moment visitors step in they become submerged into the world of "The Purge" because everyone is in character. A video broadcast of the commencement of "The Purge" runs on a loop, giving just a glimpse of what to expect. As patrons enter the darkened lobby, the receptionist greets them with a friendly "Welcome to The Purge Night!", as they check people in transforming them into "Delegates" who get thrown into the madness and mystery of the night. "We wanted to combine everything we knew about movies, theater and haunted houses to give the audience something truly intense, and to find a way to actually have guests feel they are in the middle of the story," Blum said. "’The Purge: Fear the Night’ makes our guests feel the story is happening to them, not just around them.” Through the treacherous journey, patrons are given a task that both submerges them into the event, and makes them a crucial part of the experience. About six people per group will enter the maze together, and as with most mazes, patrons will only have as much
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Guests should plan on spending, at the most, up to two hours traversing the entire haunt. There will be interactions with government officials, news media, political dissenters, protestors and other inhabitants of "The Purge.” The experience is thrilling, fast paced and story oriented. Each part of the 70,000 square feet spread covering six floors becomes the backdrop for a horrific journey. "The Purge: Fear the Night" is a haunted attraction unlike any other, and for a limited time people can step into a one night, lawless world with patrons scuffling alongside "Purge" actors to survive through the night. Join in on the terrifying and fright-filled experience and see exactly what it takes to survive “The Purge.” "The Purge: Fear the Night" runs Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until Nov. 2, with expanded hours on Halloween week. Admission is limited to eight entry periods per night—7:15, 7:30, 7:45, 8, 10, 10:15, 10:30 and 10:45 p.m. Guests must arrive during their selected entry period. Tickets range from $49 to $65 and are available online at www.purgelive.com
ICKS
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This issue, “The Most Underrated Horror Film” Deanna Uutela
Jessica Humphrey
Lauren Steuer
Danny Ferbert The Gate
Slither Despite the popularity of Michael Rooker I think that movie still never received the praise that it deserved for being a wonderfully campy horror film with a great cast, great plot, great writing and it has Nathon Fillion one of my favorite actors of all time.
Demons 1 & 2 Dario Argento is awesome and the soundtrack rules, especially Part 2.
One of my favorite movies growing up. It's bizarre and scared the shit out of me when I was little and I just love anything with claymation.
Devon Devereaux
Erin Kerley
Gary Castleberry
Jeff Dean
In The Mouth Of Madness My favorite John Carpenter film pays homage to HP Lovecraft and Stephen King. It seems to be a different movie every time I watch it.
The Decent 1 & 2 Very Scary and Claustrophobic at the same time and the endings were great!
Mandy Cramer
Either Antichrist by Lars von Trier, or The Skin I Live In. Not sure if they are quite "horror", probably more like thrillers, but the acts done in both films are horrific and allude to the monster that can live in all of us.
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The Serpent and the Rainbow Its not gory or typical genre horror, but I absolutely adore it.
Monster Squad It's the perfect example of an 80's movie. It has all the cool classic monsters, there is a stereotypical bad kid, and it has the phrase "Wolfman got nards". Shakespeare couldn't have mastered a phrase as perfect.
Phantom of the Paradise (1974) An outrageous rock musical from director Brian DePalma. Why does 'Rocky Horror' get all the love? This is better!
Tim Attuquayefio
Dellamorte Dellamore (AKA Cemetery Man) Any of y’all hear about this one? A true gem, seriously check it out if you haven't.
GOSPEL OF GORE WITH THE REVEREND JEFF JUGULAR
GHOULS! GHOULS! GHOULS! Join Reverend Jeff Jugular as he praises the virtues of living a life filled with subversive cinema. He will help cleanse your soul of the boring megaplex madness by suggesting the very best and worst in horror/cult cinema. This issue's sermon: 'GHOULS! GHOULS! GHOULS!' Listen kids, I'm just here to help. If you're a horrorphile and you've lost your way, consider me your guide to help get you back on the right path. Now since you're reading this here magazine, it's a pretty safe bet you have a taste for the terrible, a desire for the demonic—basically you have an itch for the dark side of life. Well, I'm here to scratch that itch for ya. Now I'm sure you love horror films—I adore them. All of them! Old, new, good, bad, juicy, and of course jiggly. Especially the jiggly ones! I'm really keen on horror movies with an overabundance of T&A. Ham and eggs. Shake and bake. Hell, let's face it, science has proven that gazing upon a luscious pair o' knockers is good for the ol' ticker. So grab your partner, if ya got one, a bottle of moonshine, and snatch up a few of these terror flicks featuring ghoulish strippers, and you'll be on your way to rectifying your cinematic soul in no time.
Zombie Strippers (2008) Grave rising gutter sluts are featured prominently in this highly amusing flick written and directed by Jay Lee. The plot is simple: strippers become zombies. Customers eat it up. Strippers eat up customers (literally). Lee knows to keep his core audience happy by barely letting a few minutes go by without blood and/or boobs filling up the screen. Porn Star Jenna Jameson spends most of her screen time pole dancing in various states of zombie decay, and it's a beautiful sight to behold. However, it's the scene with Jameson battling a fellow stripper that culminates with her shooting golf balls out of her cooch that proves this is a movie after my own heart. Orgy Of The Dead (1965) Written by schlock master Edward David "Ed" Wood Jr., this might very well be my favorite film he was associated with. Why, you ask? Well, it's got hooters—lots of groovy, bouncing, swinging ta-ta's! There is a paper thin plot here but honestly, who cares? What you do have here is spirits of the dead giving striptease performances for the Emperor of the Night, played by the incomparable Criswell. A mummy and werewolf (in dime-store quality costumes) are also on hand to enjoy the sights. "Torture! Torture! It pleasures me!" declares Criswell. Indeed!
Vamp (1986) This 80's flick could've used a whole helluva lot less of the kid from Meatballs and a whole lot more of the great Grace Jones! And for taking place in a strip club, where the Hell are the jugs? From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) This is a great, explosive film, but at 54:46 of the film's running time, the film rises up to levels almost never matched in the history of motion pictures. Salma Hayek's drool inducing table dance is so utterly, earthshakingly epic that you can practically hear every denizen of Heaven and Hell burst out in song. HALLELUJAH! Great Opening Titles Featuring Ta-Tas Rose McGowan shaking and shimmering over the opening credits for Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror (2007). It’s simply titalizing folks. Jane Fonda performing a gravity defying strip tease during the opening title sequence of Barbarella (1968) will have you tripping over your own tongue. 3-2-1Blastoff!
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Carel Struycken
The Man Behind the Curtain By Lauren Steuer
Playing the iconic Lurch in Paramount Studios’ The Addams Family 1991
Actor Carel Struycken has an undeniable presence that commands an audience both on and off stage. A statuesque man (7 ft. tall to be exact) with a quiet demeanor and a smile that would warm even Michael Myers’ tiny black heart, Struycken is a beloved favorite amongst horror and sci-fi fans worldwide. But despite being recognized everywhere he goes, no one really knows anything about the real man behind such famous characters as Fidel, Mr. Homn, Lurch, King Terak and the character simply referred to as The Giant in Twin Peaks. We were lucky enough to meet Struycken at the recent Star Trek Convention being held in Las Vegas, and he made our millennium by honoring us with what would be our very first celebrity interview for this first issue of the magazine. Not bad for a group of horror loving newbies! Thank you again to 14
Struycken for making this first issue such a huge success and for allowing us to interview you despite our nervous stutter and sweaty palms—it isn’t often we are amongst such cult classic royalty. Living Dead Magazine: Hi Carel, thank you for taking time out of your schedule to reach out to your fans. I
Struycken as the mysterious giant from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks (ABC 1990)
know a lot of us would love to learn a bit about your background, and where you come from. Carel Struycken: I was born in Holland, and I was raised in Curacao, in the Caribbean. When I was 16, I moved back to Holland to finish high school. I went to film school in Amsterdam because I wanted to make movies, and then I went to Hollywood. At first I tried to get something off the ground in Holland, but it was a very weird moment in time when you could only get something subsidized if whatever you wanted to make had a political tone, and I never quite found that tone. So after a year of that, I got kind of fed up with it. I wanted to move to America anyhow, so I did; right then and there.
to keep it going financially. So when somebody asked me to be in a movie, I immediately said yes. I wanted to survive somehow. So that was it, I got my very first acting gig in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. From that moment on, parts kept trickling in. But I still kind of looked at it as something that supported my other ambitions. When I got married, I realized that I had to take this whole acting thing a little more seriously. Right around that time the Ewoks movie came along, and I was asked to be the main bad guy, King Terak. That was actually a lot of fun. It was the first time I really got into the whole Idea of acting. And the rest, I guess you can say, is history.
LDM: I see. So when did you first consider yourself an actor? What was your first official acting role? CS: When I came to California, I was still gaining interest in making movies. I hooked up with a director who had already lived here for many years. We started a production company, and we wanted to do musical features. At that moment in time, the punk scene was very lively in Los Angeles, so we went scouring the clubs, looking for characters to use in our movie. That’s what we did. We made a punk musical. But of course, when you do something like that, it’s always really hard
LDM: What was the name of the punk musical you were working on? If our readers haven’t already seen it or heard of it, I’m sure they would be very interested in checking it out. CS: The title of the movie was Population 1. It starred Tomata Du Plenty of The Screamers. LDM: I can’t wait to check that out. That’s very cool. So when you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? CS: I remember all of my ambitions from when I was 15
enter this field? CS: The first movie that I saw that made me realize that I wanted to make movies was a Japanese movie called The Woman and the Dunes. What really struck me about it was how little proof you needed to transport the audience into a completely different mindset. Practically the whole movie takes place in the bottom of a sandpit, in the dunes. It was a very powerful movie to me. That’s what set me on the path to wanting to make movies. LDM: And out of the long list of characters you have played, do you have a favorite? CS: They all had their moments. Because I was such a big fan of David Lynch, and also because the character that I played in Twin Peaks—which was such an intriguing character—I think that probably my favorite was The Giant. But there were many others. I loved having the chance of being on Star Trek. It was an honor to be Lurch in [The] Addams Family because ever since I came to America people have recognized me from that movie. Every part I did, I have good memories of. There was something special about every part I played. five years old. First, I wanted to be an Indian, then a cowboy, and then a geologist. When I was about seven, I wanted to be a geologist. For a long time I wanted to be a biologist. When I went to college, that was still my ambition—to be a biologist and do research in photosynthesis. I’ve always been pretty distracted. I’m kind of a classic case of A.D.D, so not the hyperactive type, but more of somebody who kind of trails off. So I realized that I wasn’t going to have the kind of focus and attention needed to be a scientist. That’s when I switched to film school. When you make movies, it’s good to not have that kind of focused attention. Especially when you direct movies, you have to keep track of everything, so you have to be kind of all over the place.
LDM: Being huge classic monster movie fans, we of course can’t help but want to hear about what it was like working on the set of [The] Addams Family. CS: Those were huge productions. That was a moment
LDM: So when you were growing up, did you have a major role model when you were getting interested in film? Someone who inspired you to Playing Mr. Homn on Star Trek: The Next Generation with Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data (Paramount Pictures)
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in time when there was already a lot of computer graphics in movies. There were also a lot of mechanical effects and so it was kind of a crossover moment, in the late eighties. LDM: How was it working with Thing? Was he a diva? CS: Well Thing was actually done by Christopher Hart, who was a magician. Most of the time, it was someone’s actual hand. Sometimes it was mechanical, sometimes CGI. There’s the scene where Thing runs to the car, and then jumps on the bumper of the car. They were going to do that scene with a mechanical hand, but there was something wrong with the computer. We waited hours for it to work and it never did. So they just said, “never mind, we’ll just do CGI.” LDM: So prior to starting the filming process as Lurch, did you do any character study from the original Lurch, Ted Cassidy? CS: No, because the producer Scott Rudin was pretty adamant that the whole authenticity come from the original artwork—the New Yorker drawings. That’s what we all did. We looked at those, the old comic drawings, and that was our main inspiration. LDM: What are your feelings on always being cast as an above average height character? CS: Well, I don’t mind it too much. It was never a burning ambition in me to be an actor. I don’t mind the
Carel Struycken pictured at a convention with Felix Silla the actor who played Cousin Itt on the original Addams Family television series.
typecasting; I always liked doing not your typical, family man roles. The only thing I would have liked to more of is comedy oriented stuff. I was going to do Princess Bride, but I had verbally committed to do Witches of Eastwick. They made it clear it would create too much hassle, so I went with Witches. I think André the Giant, who got the role I was supposed to do, did a great job. I’m not sure if I could have done a better job than he did. I think it all came out fine. But I would have liked to have done more with a comedic feel to it. LDM: Do you have any hobbies? What is it that you love to do outside of film? CS: Since I’m not having a lot of acting work, I’ve been getting seriously into photography, professionally that is. I recently finished a project for Universal Studios. They have a filmmaker’s website, where producers can look at back lots and see what’s available. And I did photos of back lots in panorama, so it was a big project. It was a lot of fun to do. I hope to do more of that.
Carel Struycken Fulfills a Dream of Being an Astronaut for the Day
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Photographer Fotoartworx by Jerry Simpson; Models from left to right: Andy Elliott, Lillian Bellatrix Fraser, and Kelli Austin.
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American Horror Décor Story By Erin Kerley
If Martha Stewart and John Carpenter had one glorious, gruesome night of unbridled pig sex that resulted in an offspring, the end result would be a mutant love-demon that is one part impeccably made home décor and one part cult classic horror movies from the 1920-‘80s. And this beautiful mix of horror and housewife would be appropriately named Horror Decor. We were lucky enough to sit down and talk to Matt Molloy, one of the geniuses behind Horror Decor, and ask about the method behind their successful online home decor shop. Living Dead Magazine: What was the driving force behind your collection of horror themed decor? Matt Molloy: Growing up, I loved all things horror related. When it came to decorating my room, it was covered in posters, along with a few action figures, but beyond just plain black, there was really nothing else available. I made it a goal of mine to come up with other options for the horror fiend—the first being our Rough Night Collection bloody sheet sets. From there we expanded to candles, pillows and just about anything we could make creepy and cool! LDM: What is your favorite item in your collection and why? MM: That’s a tough one because they are all my children, so I love them all! The one item that I’m most proud of would be our VHS pillow. The idea of a customizable pillow was both very challenging in making it work, and rewarding once we figured it out and got such a positive response from it. LDM: Your line includes a lot of classic figures and movies from the ‘60s to the ‘80s—is this based off of customer demand and what is popular, or is it influenced off of your own love of this time period of horror films? MM: It’s a little bit of both. Our initial designs were certainly based on some of my favorites
and as soon as we launch something new, we immediately receive a flurry of suggestions and customers wanting custom designs. It’s important to us to offer items to all types of horror fans, whether it’s a love for the classics, the cult films or the big films, we aim to have something for everyone. LDM: What do you see as the future of Horror Decor? MM: We have had the chance to collaborate with a few of our favorite websites and incredibly talented artists this year, which resulted in some of our best items to date, so there will be a lot more of that. We would like to expand a few of our other non-pillow product lines as well—just need to figure out how to put more hours in the day first. LDM: If you could decorate one classic horror character’s house, who would it be? MM: I can see Michael Myers being a big horror movie buff. He does have a lot of down time between Halloweens, so I don’t see why he wouldn’t be chilling out on a couch watching tons of scary flicks. I’m sure he would be able to appreciate some bloody sheet sets on his bed, and eyeball candle on his mantle and some pillows on his couch. www.horrordecor.net
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Photographer Fotoartworx by Jerry Simpson; Model Kelli Austin dusts off her “pillows”; Horror Décor pillows from left to right: Puzzle Box Pillow (size small) $14, Nightmare Pillow (on back blood splatter, on front Freddy Krueger shirt pattern) $16.50, The Stuff Pillow (size small) $14,
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Photographer Fotoartworx by Jerry Simpson; Models from left to right: Kelli Austin, Andy Elliott, and Lillian Bellatrix Fraser; coffin coffee table with removable glass top, courtesy of Mike Allen “The Coffin Guy”
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Photographer Fotoartworx by Jerry Simpson; Model Kelli Austin, slaying away in the kitchen; Horror DÊcor pot holders from left to right: They’re Here Potholder $7, Video Dead Potholder $7
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Photographer Fotoartworx by Jerry Simpson; Model Kelli Austin washes off the worries of the day; Horror DĂŠcor bathroom decor: Indoor Bloody Footprint Mat $9
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KILLER KITTY CLOTHING Slumber Party Massacre By Erin Kerley
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Do you remember your first horror t-shirt? How awesome it was? How you got it? Whether it was “borrowed” from a boyfriend or older brother or found in a thrift store sales rack, it was your favorite shirt and you never wanted to take it off, even after weeks of wear and ketchup stains. Killer Kitty Clothing understands how you feel and has created a fashion line that takes your favorite classic horror shirt and transforms it into a fun, more modern look that will drive your friends crazy with jealous rage! A shout out to the greatness of yesterday but updated and styled for today—hoodies, leggings, corset shirts, and even dresses—everything on Killer Kitty’s website has a retro feel but with a cool updated touch. We sat down with Andrea Anna, the owner of Killer Kitty Clothing, to discuss her fashion line, her passion for horror and her recommendations for what to wear during a zombie apocalypse.
Living Dead Magazine: What made you want to start a horror based clothing company? Andrea Anna: I’ve always loved horror movies—ever since I can remember, I have always been fascinated by them. Movies like Nightmare on Elm Street, The Exorcist, Suspiria and Cannibal Holocaust have scared, shocked or disgusted me. I can’t say that about any other genre. I also grew up around fashion and sewing. My mom worked as a seamstress for over 30 years and what I learned was, if you wanted something that you couldn’t find in stores, you just made it yourself. I was really disappointed by the lack of horror clothes for women.
Aside from oversized men’s tees and maybe a few girlie tees, there really wasn’t much available. I thought it would be a great idea to reconstruct men’s horror tees in various styles for women. I started out selling on eBay back in 2006—I eventually made my own website to sell from, and later on I began selling on Etsy. LDM: What inspires your type of fashion? AA: Punk and gothic fashion from different decades [have] always inspired me. Like horror, I’m intrigued by its darkness, creativity and edge. I love mixing hard and soft details into my clothing. That’s why a lot of my 27
Miss Zombyna wearing Killer Kitty Clothing’s “Evil Dead Corset Tank Top” $57
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Sally Nightmare wearing a “Friday the 13th Jason Dress” $60
Foxy Fatale wearing a “Return of the Living Dead Tank” $47 and “Freddy Krueger Leggings” $65
Lillie Monster wearing a “Dolls Lace Tank Top” $48
Elle Epitaph wearing a “Sleepaway Camp Tank” $48
Photographer Kelly Shane Fuller of Piratelogy Studios
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garments have a combination of grommets, lace and ribbon. LDM: What are some of the challenges you have come across in your business? AA: There are many, but I’d say the biggest is not having enough arms to do everything. I’m a one chick sweatshop! I do the designing, cutting, sewing, shipping, web design, answering customer emails, taking and editing photos, and even, at times, modeling clothes myself, which makes me cringe. 30
LDM: What are your hopes for the future of Killer Kitty Clothing? AA: Keep selling and coming up with fun and interesting threads. Aside from continuing t-shirt altering, I would also love to make horror bags. I made a few when I first started, but I’d love to make more! LDM: Out of your clothing line, what item would you recommend our readers wear during a zombie apocalypse? On prom night? When staking a vampire? AA: I would definitely recommend my zombie leggings
and Evil Dead tank top for both a zombie apocalypse and when staking a vampire. A girl needs to move freely, look awesome, but feel comfortable while running from zombies or hunting vampires. My lace, off the shoulder, Friday the 13th dress would be great for prom night. Most importantly, all of these would look fabulous covered in blood, guts or brains!
Check out www.killerkitty.net to see more 31
Name That Frame!
So, you've seen a million horror movies, you know the difference between Al Franken, Frankenstein and Ben Stein? Then you MUST be an expert on all things horror and monster related right? Well we are here to test your movie monster knowledge with something we like to call “Name That Frame�. Each issue of Living Dead Magazine we will hold a contest, and not for the faint of heart or thin skinned individuals, only hard core fans of horror need try. We will post a PHOTO or FRAME from a movie, and you the reader will need to identify what movie the frame is from by heading over to Facebook (@Facebook: LivingDeadMagazine) on the designated date and time. The first person to answer the question correctly will be allowed to live one more day.....and on top of that will win a fabulous drawing by artist Roger Beckett, of a character or actor from that issue. So now that you know the rules, here is your first frame. Stop on by our Facebook page on November 13 at 8pm Eastern Time to post your answer. Happy Haunting!
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BearManor Media $32.95
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This is my dog, Max. He’s very excited by these books. And birds. Books and birds. And balls. Books. Birds. Balls. BearManor.
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a tribute to the mistress of the dark photography by bill berk of cloud city photography
Model Lauren Ghouls and MUA Austin Tatious; Hearse courtesy of The Coffin Cruisers and Ratty Caddy
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Special guest “Wolfman” makeup artist Matt Huntley
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Coffin courtesy of Mike Allen “The Coffin Guy”
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Fresh Meat
An interview with actress Ayse Nichelle Howard
By Deanna Uutela
Actress Ayse Nichelle Howard in new film Betsy
Giving horror a new voice and a complete facelift while they are at it, Concept Media produces terrifyingly awesome indie horror films from up-and-coming directors and writers who work hard to shock us over and over again. Covering all horror genres—from slasher to paranormal—Concept Media doesn’t hold back with quality content and talented actors. Living Dead Magazine caught up with one of the regular actresses and writers for Concept Media—Ayse Nichelle Howard, who admitted to us that she just can’t get enough of some good old-fashioned horror. Living Dead Magazine: Have you only acted in horror films, Ayse? If not, what other types of acting have you done, and if yes, what is your attraction to this movie genre? Ayse Nichelle Howard: So far it has only been the horror genre. I would possibly take something that wasn’t horror if I really liked the story, but I don’t think I would have as much fun with it. I just really enjoy doing horror because, depending on the story, you get to act out just about every category of film there is but with a more exciting take to it. LDM: As a brand new horror actress, you follow in the
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footsteps of greats like Asia Argento, Adrienne Barbeau, and PJ Soles, from the long list of amazing Scream Queens past to present—do you have a favorite, and why? AH: That is a very long list, and something that isn’t easily answered—there’s so many women in the genre that do such an amazing job that I want to be able to honor them all. However, here lately, my heart has been captured by Jane Levy, from the Evil Dead remake. Her performance in that film was mind blowing, she made you feel how she was feeling and she horrified you when she was possessed, and her screams…there are no words for how amazing those were. I’ve definitely kind of turned her role in that film as a kind of training video for myself with future projects. LDM: The films you have been in such as Summon, Watch This, The Sleeping Soul are all quite different genres of horror, from the more ghostly thriller to good old-fashioned slasher film, have you enjoyed being in such different types of horror films? What genre have you enjoyed acting in the most? AH: I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to act in different genres. Playing the victim has its fun, but then being
for a lot of the shooting because it was actual wine I was chugging most of the time, so that led to just a lot of goofiness on the set. I also learned on the set of Summon that I can’t run in heels in a wet field to save my life. (Literally) LDM: I know you have been working on the film Don't Fuck in the Woods—brilliant title by the way—can you tell us about this film, which sounds like an obvious homage to '80s slashers, and what your role is in the film? AH: Don't Fuck in the Woods definitely pays tribute to '80s horror, but will not been seen as a typical slasher flick. I’m not really sure how to explain, you’ll just have to see it. But I will be playing the role of Alex who is out camping with her friends celebrating their recent graduation. The final script is still in the works so I don’t have much else I can say yet. LDM: Do you have anything else you are working on you would like to talk about? And in closing, what would be your dream role to play? AH: We have a few film concepts that we are toying around with at the moment. I don’t really have a lot of information on them at this time, but I am very excited to talk about them when we have more details. As for a dream role, if I ever decide to get out of indie and into the big leagues it would be a dream to do a role in something that is fantasy like Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. That’s the genre that I enjoy the most out of everything.
able to play a villain as well is even more fun. I believe I would start getting bored with it all if I had to play the same type of character in every film. The Sleeping Soul has been my favorite to act in so far—it was a challenging role, which is probably one of the reasons why I loved doing it so much, but the paranormal genre is my favorite horror genre in general and to be able to do that type of role was just awesome. LDM: Do you ever get spooked or genuinely scared when you are acting in these films? Has there ever been a funny incident or moment you could share with us? AH: There has definitely been a few times that I’ve been spooked for real—a lot of the jumps that you see in The Sleeping Soul were real. I asked the crew not to tell me when they were about to do something that way they would get a genuine emotion from me. The terrified expression on my face in Summon was genuine as well. Fellow actress Erin Ryan just blew my mind with her performance. I knew she was good, but damn. As for funny moments, there were quite a few. We had to reshoot the pan flying off the stove a few times because I kept getting hit with it. I was also kind of tipsy A bloodied up Ayse from the film Don’t Fuck in the Woods
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COVER ARTIST BILL CHANCELLOR A Reimagining of Our Favorite MONSTERS by RI PsychO
We want to welcome you to the wonderfully warped world of horror artist Bill Chancellor. A place where classic monsters meet ‘70s psychedelia, and your wildest dreams and nightmares are realized right before your eyes. When we first came across Bill’s work, we were perusing some horror websites and stumbled across this mad genius—we instantly knew this was the guy we wanted to do our very first cover. Months later, we not only have a cover that epitomizes who we are as a magazine, but in the process we made a life-long friend with a wonderful story to tell. Living Dead Magazine: Bill, you have an undeniable talent that few possess. Are you a natural born artist or did you receive any formal art training? Bill Chancellor : I graduated from The Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles. LDM: Who were some of your earliest influences? And what were you drawing when you were younger? BC: My earliest influences were Basil Gogos of Famous Monsters of Filmland, Frank Frazetta, the Brothers Hildebrandt, members of what became known as The Studio—Jeff Jones, Mike Kaluta, Barry Windsor-Smith, Berni Wrightson, and all of the San Francisco poster artists of the ‘60s-’70s. When I was younger, I drew mostly monsters and copies of Frazetta paintings. LDM: You have clearly dabbled in many different art mediums in the past. What is your favorite medium to work with now? BC: When I was younger, I wanted to be an FX makeup artist, and I used to make my own masks. I also worked in the licensed garment/t-shirt industry, doing work using Disney, Warner Bros., Hanna Barbara characters. But I haven’t been into that stuff for years and years. For the last 15 years or so I’ve been a digital artist almost exclusively. I used to work in acrylics and cel vinyl on acetate, but since I discovered Macintosh, I’ve never looked back—and it’s
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what I’m known for. I do try to keep a painterly look to my work though. LDM: It seems there is a common theme of psychedelic influences in your artwork. Where does that come from? BC: I guess from growing up in the tail end of that era—I vaguely remember the ‘60s, the ‘70s are pretty clear, but the ‘80s are kind of a blur (ha-ha). I was really into the record cover art from those time periods though, and that has had a big influence in my art. LDM: Who are your current influences? BC: To be honest, no one. I’m doing my own thing. LDM: Bill, you were crazy enough—I mean awesome enough— to agree to do the cover of our first issue, which ended up being a hodgepodge of classic horror characters from past to present. What other publications have you worked on? And do you have a piece you were commissioned to do that is your favorite thus far? BC: So far my art has appeared on the covers of over 30 magazines, but I’ve kind of lost track at this point. I’ve done cover art for publications like Cult Movies, Scarlet Street, and Screem. I have four more covers coming out in the next couple months: one for Living Dead of course, another for Scarlet Magazine, Weng’s Chop, and Monsters After Midnight. My work has also appeared in several books. One piece in particular that meant a lot to me was the poster I did and gave out at my late friend Forry Ackerman’s tribute in Hollywood at the Egyptian Theater in 2009. I only did 200 or so and over a thousand people showed up to bid Forry a fond farewell.
LDM: Seeing that picture of you with Vincent Price makes me very curious to know the story that goes along with that picture, and what it was like meeting him. You obviously go to a lot of horror conventions in your line of work—can you tell us what the coolest encounters have been, or experiences you have had? BC: I was going to art school in Los Angeles, and just around the corner from my school, a small theater was having an anniversary showing of the 3D version of House of Wax, which stars Vincent Price. He and the director and others associated with the film were in attendance. After the film, Mr. Price stayed and signed autographs and let people take pictures with him. Although he was obviously frail, he stayed until everyone that wanted to meet him had the opportunity. If you look at the picture of me and Vincent, you can see how absolutely thrilled I was to meet one of my heroes. As for convention encounters, meeting Forry Ackerman in 1974 at the Famous Monsters of Filmland Convention rates up there! Also, meeting Tony Todd (Candyman) and James Hong (Bladerunner and Big Trouble in Little China) was quite
cool. I did a portrait of Tony Todd as the Star Trek character Worf ’s brother and gave some prints of it to him. He not only signed a print for me, but whenever he sold a print of his own he came over to my table and gave me $10 saying, Bill pictured with Vincent Price at a “Artists need to stick House of Wax special screening. together.” How cool is that? Since meeting James Hong I’ve become friends with him and have done a lot of design work for him as well. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting and getting autographs on portraits I did of Linda Blair, Traci Lords, and Jeffrey Combs. LDM: What have you always wanted to do in the way of art, but haven’t had the opportunity to? BC: A cover for Famous Monsters of Filmland. I was a friend of Forry Ackerman’s and a member of his Batpack, but I never got to do a cover for FM—either in its earlier incarnations, or the present day one.
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Spinespur’s Tabletop of Terror Gary Castleberry
Tabletop games have become more and more popular in the past few years, especially amongst adults looking for a fun way to interact and escape, you take the figures you played with as a kid and combine them with the terrifying imagery and realism you get from a video game. One of these brand new tabletop games is called Spinespur : The Horror- Skirmish- Survival Game, and it is played using miniature thugs, creatures, badass horror figures, and comes complete with dice and cards, which let you know the intensity of your dice rolls and actions. And as Living Dead Magazine found out in a recent interview with Spinespur creator Bob Mervine, this game is definitely not for the younger crowd. In fact, it is rated PG for Perfectly Gruesome. Living Dead Magazine: The zombie apocalypse theme is really popular in today’s horror world, but Spinespur goes beyond that. How does Spinespur differ from normal horror themed games? Can you give us an overview of what this awesome new game is all about? Bob Mervine: Spinespur is an alternate world filled with all sorts of diabolic person-
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alities and creatures—inspired by various horror movies, television shows and books. We wanted to do something new and different while still keeping our love of the hard genre prevalent in the creation. In the end we found Spinespur. In our world, it sometimes seems like people who do wrong quickly gain in power. Cut corners, cheat people be a bad person, and money and power will come your way. The basis of Spinespur is that God, or whatever higher power you choose to believe in, sees what’s going on and cannot allow these evil individuals to gain in power and tip the balance of our fragile reality. This puts God into quite a conundrum. He can’t allow these people to ruin our world, but on the other hand if he has them killed in some way shape or form they will only strengthen Satan’s army. So, what can the Almighty do? The answer: he creates an alternate plane of existence where he can simply brush the bad people into and forget about them. In this alternate place, these malevolent beings are able to run wild and create as much chaos as they care to. And once you’re in Spinespur, you can’t leave and you can’t die permanently either; you are just stuck in this hell. This is the brutal world of this game.
LDM: The pieces or figures for this game are absolutely amazing, and obviously a lot of thought and detail were put into them. Can you tell us about some of the thugs, villains, and gruesome creatures in this game? BM: Spinespur is rich with psychotic personalities specially created to pay homage to various icons of horror. There are a few different levels of miscreants you will find in Spinespur. You have characters that are the driving force behind the evil in Spinespur. These are mainly embodied by the 13 senators that rule the various areas of the land. Characters like the Pigskinman, who is an imposing sized man and wears a rotting pig’s head to conceal his identity. He hooks victims with his long chains, drags them towards him and cleaves them in half with his massive cleaver. Then there’s non-senator characters like HACK, the buff chainsaw wielding maniac who appears to be a love child of Jason Voorhees and Leatherface. And then there’s damned characters who don’t appear as evil as some others trapped in Spinespur. Like the Caretaker—he
them and paint them in any design scheme that you can see in your twisted little mind. You put something of yourself into the paint job and the creativity of the model. In a nutshell, I see people who play miniature games as having more opportunity to be unique and express themselves than someone playing a videogame. Plus you get that great face-toface interaction, unlike with videogames, which can breed great friendships. LDM: These figures or characters in Spinespur are fabulous. I’m a kit builder and would be proud to add any of these fine pieces to my collection of classic horror and creature model kits. Who did the design, sculpting or creation of these figures?
guards the cemetery in the center of Spinespur from grave robbers and miscreants. LDM: Many people are downright hooked on videogames. Does Spinespur hope to get these folks up off their butts and away from the television or computer to play an interactive game with their friends or family? What do you think are factors that will sway these people to your games? BM: I don’t know that you’ll ever be able to tear some people away from console videogames. I personally don’t really play them because I find that no matter what is done, you are essentially trapped following someone else’s story. Even in games that have multiple outcomes, the multiple outcomes have already been figured out and designed by someone else. The beauty about miniature gaming is that you can come up with a storyline; you can map out an area and play with a group of friends for domination over the area. This outcome is not predetermined—it is determined by the tactical ability of each player and the craftiness used by these players. Miniature gaming is also a hobby—you buy the miniatures, then you assemble
with other people. Writing these books and making these games is my way of doing that. I have also begun work on a few other books that feature my artwork. It’s kind of funny, some people collect things for hobby, some people work out as a hobby, some people knit or play cards, and my hobby is making games. It’s very therapeutic and I can honestly say that few things in my life have brought me more joy than standing in a game store where people all around me are playing the games that I have made, while laughing and joking with their friends. It’s a way of delivering happiness to people, and that is a great feeling.
BM: I love this question. The creation of some of the characters tends to be a more complicated process than most people would believe. The character process usually begins with me drawing out the character. I then contact a sculptor who actually sculpts these models out by hand, in epoxy, 32 to 35 mm tall. As of late, some companies have turned towards digital sculpting, I find a lot of the digital sculpting that I see to be lifeless and flat. I prefer the hands of a true master sculpting the models out bit by bit. To be honest with you, there is only a decent handful of people in the whole world with the ability to sculpt a great looking miniature out of epoxy. I have a few people that I use regularly—Bobby Jackson, Gene Van Horne, Ben Seins, Richard Henderson, Sergio Alonso Leon, and Tim Prow. These guys have a kind of talent that I cannot begin to explain to you. LDM: What visions do you have for future products and what can we look forward to? BM: First and foremost, you will see the world of Spinespur grow. There are so many ideas swimming around in my head and trying to hack their way out that I cannot help but to create more Spinespur. The place is almost become a living city within my head that I want to share
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COMICS FROM THE CRYPT By Tim Attuquayefio I guess it’s only fair that I put all my cards on the table—I’m a huge fan of Garth Ennis. I’ve admired Ennis since his work on The Preacher and my admiration has continued to grow over the last (almost) 20 years. You could do a lot worse than check out this man’s body of work. It’s vast in its subject matter and scope—from the raunchy and perverse to mainstream comic heroes and historical war stories, Ennis’ approach to every story is brash, raw and ultimately refreshing.
Crossed Writer: Garth Ennis Illustrator: Jacen Burrows Publisher: Avatar Press Crossed Volume 1: Issues 0 – 9 When I first contemplated writing a review for the Crossed series (published by the fabulous Avatar Press), I considered just picking up with the most recent series, Crossed: Badlands. I came to the realization though that not everyone has read the original series and since I have to start somewhere, why not just start at the beginning? So if you’re a fan of the series already, this review will just affirm your intelligence and discerning nature. For those of you who haven’t heard about this comic, well, get ready for an assault upon your psyche that will definitely elicit some sort of response. But whether it’s a giggle or a scream will depend entirely upon the person doing the reading.
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that causes them to act upon their darkest, most horrible impulses. Thoughts that can’t even be imagined become the only thoughts they possess as one of the crossed. Worse, they act upon those thoughts and revel in their corruption. Their pleasure is another’s humiliation, pain and suffering. There is no control—the crossed are what the absence of any sort of self-control would look like.
When I first happened upon Crossed way back in 2008, it immediately intrigued me. Not only was it something new from my favorite comic writer, but I could tell within the first few panels that this was completely “off the rails.” There’s no line that Crossed doesn’t cross and that’s intentional—very much so. I know, I know, get on with the review ye bastard! Okay, but when you’re finished reading this, go buy this comic so that more Crossed stories will continue to be spewed forth from the most demented minds in the industry! Crossed plays on the public’s fascination with the undead genre, coupled with an obscene twist thrown in for good measure. Now, admittedly, the zombie genre has been a bit stale for quite some time. Sure, there’s been little tweaks here and there, but a zombie is a zombie is a zombie. They’re devoid of any real intellect and whether they move fast, slow, or somewhere in between, it means little to the viewer (although, I suppose, it makes a world of difference to their victims). Of course Crossed isn’t about zombies per se, but zombies are perhaps the closest “relative” of Ennis’ maniacs, although that term doesn’t even do them justice either because they’re so much more than that. The “crossed” are victims of a horrible plague
You can easily tell a victim of the plague by the cross-like rash that appears on their faces shortly after infection. How can someone be infected? Through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who’s crossed. Whether it’s blood, saliva, urine, feces or semen—if you come into contact with any of their bodily fluids and it reaches your bloodstream, say a quick goodbye to any resemblance of sanity. The timeline from infection to transformation is very quick; on the order of minutes, if that. Once infected there’s no going back—not that there’s anything to really go back to.
The worst part about the crossed is that they maintain their intelligence—not all of it, but just enough to organize, strategize and carry out their plans. They can shoot weapons, improvise when necessary and even show restraint in some cases in order to prolong the agony of their victims. The crossed are of a singular mind as well—they will fuck, torture and kill any living creature. Men, women, children, family pets, wheelchairbound grandma, a 4 week old baby—it doesn’t matter who or what it is.
choices they make in this nightmarish world, are as compelling as their internal struggles with their new, more fluid morality. Equal parts sardonic and vile, Crossed is an addictive page-turner for those that can stomach its more repellent qualities.
A final closing note—upon publication of the initial series (and its success) Avatar requested additional issues. Ennis, recognizing that he only had the one story in him at the time, made a deal with Avatar. Avatar was given license to the Crossed universe and has since published a wide array of Crossed comics, including an active monthly comic by the name of Crossed: Badlands. The deal they had to make with Ennis? They couldn’t touch any of his characters from the first volume. They haven’t, but I sure hope I get to see them again.
As I’ve said, there is no line in this comic that isn’t crossed, and no matter how horrible you might imagine something will be—count on Ennis’ writing and Jacen Burrows’ art to make it worse, so much worse. I found myself staring at each scene of carnage taking in the full mind-blowing outrageousness of what I was looking at. Sometimes I’d feel like a nail getting hammered over and over as I started to appreciate the detail contained within the madness I was viewing. In this first volume, we are introduced to an array of characters—all survivors of the initial outbreak. Much like the Walking Dead, the story oscillates between these characters and the crossed with more than the occasional deadly clash. The characters are fascinating and feel authentic—these could be our wives, friends, or even ourselves. Their battles with the crossed, as well as the
has a style that you either love or hate. Personally, I love his work—the richness of the coloring employed, as well as Avatar’s quality printing (and materials used). It’s well worth the money and the wraparound covers are just fantastic. There’s even a collected volume available on the market now, so no need to scrounge around for individual issues and it’s reasonably priced to boot!
The writing is classic Ennis—vulgar, raw and honest. It’s what you can expect from him, and he delivers a story and dialogue that really sets itself apart from the mass of horror-themed comics that have been flooding the market lately. The art is crisp, sharp and aptly gets the job done. Burrows
Crossed isn’t for everyone, it really is an abhorrent masterpiece and some may call it a thinly veiled rip-off of Walking Dead (and I don’t know that I would argue effectively against that point in regards to this first volume), but it’s more than deserving of an audience and as cliché as this sounds, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Get this comic, read it, share it, and take delight in your friend’s reactions—it’s a lot of fun!
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GALLERIA MACABRE CURATED BY DEVON DEVEREAUX
Every issue, Living Dead Magazine will bring you the best of creeptastic contemporary art from around the globe. This month’s entries are from Rochelle Heagh Phister and Gomez from Dark Art’s Parlour, Jon Ascher, Sean Hemak and Alan M. Clark.
Jubilee by GOMEZ
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SISTER VIGILANCE BY ROCHELLE HEAGH PHISTER
Freddy by Jon Ascher
ALPHA by GOMEZ
Ghoul by Sean Heamk
Death's Encroaching Geometry by Alan M. Clark
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SL AYCATIONS
Our top picks for the best haunted trips By J. Simpson
we put animals in a zoo.” Things carried on as before, if not getting worse, causing famed investigative reporter Geraldo Rivera to break in, and conduct a series of shocking exposes, culminating in a feature, "Willowbrook: The Last Great Disgrace,” which earned Rivera a Peabody Award. It would still take an additional 15 years for things to change, culminating with the State School closing its doors in 1987.
Located just outside of Staten Island, New York, Willowbrook State School sits sad, abandoned and just begging to be explored. Sure there aren’t technically any tours or upkeep being done on the place and it is probably against the law to set foot on the property, but that’s what wire cutters, some flashlights and a fast getaway car are for. Willowbrook has quite the history. It was an institution for children with intellectual disabilities in Staten Island, NY, operating between 1947-‘87. Starting out as a care home, it quickly degenerated into 'New York's Leper Colony,’ a place where people could dump their problems and forget about them. The population quickly surged out of control. Willowbrook was only equipped to deal with about 4,000 residents, but by 1965 they housed upwards of 6,000. The living conditions were beyond abhorrent, causing Sen. Robert Kennedy to call the place 'a snake pit' after a visit in 1965, stating "living in filth and dirt, their clothing in rags, in rooms less comfortable and cheerful than the cages in which
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While Willowbrook may have shuttered its doors and windows, its evil influence continued to spread. Andre Rand, born Frank Rushan, worked as a custodian at Willowbrook State School from 1965-1968, and continued to live as a drifter in the surrounding woods. He was associated with five missing children over the next 15 years, and was eventually convicted of two kidnapping cases. He became associated with the urban legend of Cropsey, the most common version being of a crazed Judge or Doctor, who stalks the woods at night with an axe, looking for young campers. This urban legend would plant the seed for many modern day slasher flicks. It is clear that Willowbrook is haunted, whether it's by actual specters, or just tragic memories, thus making it the perfect “slaycation” for the horror lover. We just recommend while you are there that you don’t drink the water, don’t stare directly into the fake tanned bodies without first wearing sunglasses, and for some added bragging rights (that is if you survive the Willowbrook break in) make sure to visit all the locations where The Toxic Avenger was filmed.
ISSUE 2 COMING SOON! SCREAM QUEENS JULIE ADAMS DEE WALLACE AND MUCH MORE!