One more article up here at the website before 2024 ends and I am going out talking to what I believe is the video game of the year: Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore.
Personal copy of Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore on Xbox. The packaging mimics that of a CD-i game.
I had pre-ordered this game from Limited Run thinking it would be a fun little CD-i Zelda curio, but it turned out to be a fantastic adventure/Metroidvania that I could not put the controller down (I beat the game across all difficulties in just a few days). I loved this game and I hope you check out my write up about it here.
Fan2Fan Podcast Appearances
The cool kids at the Fan2Fan Podcast have dropped two episodes that I am a guest on.
These episodes can be streamed via the links above, or the embedded players, or through your favorite Podcast App. Check them out!
Sincere appreciation to the Fan2Fan crew for having me on their podcast.
Vilioti Noir
Sincerely chuffed to find myself name dropped in the new book Vilioti Noir: Interviews with the World’s Greatest Neo-Noir Creatives. What an honour!
Cover for Vilioti Noir.
The book is the brain child of Lady Medusa and Jimmy Vargas. I’ve reviewed Vargas’ fiction in an issue of Exotica Moderne, and I’ve reviewed Medusa/Vargas’ prior collaboration, Vilioti Vintage, right here at my website. Give it a read!
Thank you page from Vilioti Noir.
I don’t think Vilioti Noir is out in the wild for purchase yet, but when it is, it will probably be found at the Vilioti Press website.
Citation News
The New Peplum has been cited in Ronald Blankenborg’s essay “The Wide Canvas of human Drama: Fantasizing Antiquity Through Graphic Novel” in the open source/access journal Thersites.
Did you miss out on McFarland’s Black Friday sale of 35% off books? Well, worry not for the publisher is still doing an online sale, though at 20% off instead of 35% off. Still a great deal! During check out, use code HOLIDAY24 to get 20% off your order.
If you want to support me, consider buying a copy of The New Peplum or Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern:
Vernon Press, the publisher of A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator, has just released a cheaper, paperback version of the book, just in time for Gladiator 2!
A Hero Will Endure.
The paperback is at the much more friendly price of $57 compared to $96 for the hardcover and $107 for an electronic version. All editions of the book can be found at the Vernon Press product page.
In addition, the publisher is offering a coupon on purchases of the collection! From now until the end of January 2025, if you use code SLZM30 at check out, you’ll get 30% off the title. So, the $57 book now becomes $39.99. Nice!
ECOF 2025
In September of 2025 there will be an Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) event down in Willcox, AZ. This event is to celebrate the 150th birthday of Burroughs while also honoring him with a plaque in the town due to his stationing with there the 7th U.S. Calvary in the 1890s. (Note: another ERB convention was held in Willcox back in 2019 and an event recap of that can be read at ERBZine #7059).
Here is a flyer for the 2025 event:
Flyer for the Edgar Rice Burroughs Circle of Friendship (ECOF) Gathering in Willcox, AZ 2025.
I’ll share more information about the event as I find out more on my website updates. There currently is a fundraiser going on to raise funds for the ERB plaque, and details for that can be found in the QR code in the above graphic, or by checking out the donation page at the Sulphur Springs Valley Valley Historical Society. 3.8K of 5K has been raised already.
Michele and I will be in attendance for this convention, so I’ve added it to the appearances section of my website as well.
Publishing Recap
Below is a recap of my publishing endeavors so far in 2024.
National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
National Capital Panthans Journal #328.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #328.
National Capital Panthans Journal #329.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus / Warlord of Mars #1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #329.
National Capital Panthans Journal #330.
“Wondercon 2019 Coverage: Tarzan, John Carter, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.: What’s New?” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #330.
Panthans Journal #331
Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #331.
Miscellaneous Tidbits
Some fun things and shout outs from these past few weeks. I shared a lot of autographed swag on Bluesky, so I’m going to reshare them here.
Forgotten Realms Campaign Boxset
Last year I shared the tale of how my Local Comic Book Store back in Federal Way had Jeff Grubb as a customer and did a meet-n-greet and signing event with him. I shared that Grubb has signed one of my Forgotten Realms modules, “Endless Armies”. That recap can be read here.
Forgotten Realms Campaign setting boxset signed by Jeff Grubb.
Grubb signed lots of other stuff from Michele and I. One of the other items he signed was my Forgotten Realms campaign boxset. Check that bad boy out! And I still have everything in it too!
Space Truckers DVD
Someone on Bluesky did a post that shared their adoration of the Stuart Gordon movie Space Truckers (1996), which afforded me the perfect opportunity to share my autographed copy of the film.
Personal copy of Space Truckers signed by Stuart Gordon.
I’ve shared my autographed copy of RobotJox (1990) before (link here), but I never talked about how we met Gordon (RIP). He was a guest at a Monsterpalooza event in the LA Area, and here is a picture of all of us. He will be missed!
Nicholas Diak, Michele Brittany, and Stuart Gordon.
Cherry 2000 DVD
The 80s gave us lots of cyberpunk films, from Bladerunner to Akira to Max Headroom. Cherry 2000 is, I feel, a forgotten film of 80s cyberpunk. I have a copy of the DVD signed by cult actor Tim Thomerson and Connie Woods.
Personal copy of Cherry 2000 signed by Tim Thomerson and Connie Woods.
Connie Woods was in an episode of the original run of Twin Peaks. I met her at Twin Peaks reunion at a Hollywood Collector’s show where she signed my DVD:
Nicholas Diak and Connie Woods.
Italian Sexy Comedy
A book from the collection, here is Italian Sexy Comedy. This book is 99% pictures from Italian sex-comedy films, so stockings everywhere. I love it.
But, I also love it in that its shore foreword is pretty informative in talking about how Italian horror films faved the way for the sex comedies. This actually become a big point in my masters thesis back in the day.
Personal copy of Italian Sexy Comedy.
My book is also signed by starlet Barbara Bouchet!
Barbara Bouchet page from Italian Sexy Comedy signed by the actress.
Victoria Vetri Autographs
A couple months ago I sent off my Blu-ray sleeves of When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970) and Kings of the Sun (1963) to Hammer Glamour lady Victoria Vetri, and I just got them back. Check them out!
Blu-ray of “When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth” signed by Victoria Vetri.
And:
Kings of the Sun Blu-ray autographed by Victoria Vetri.
Since one film is a spear and fang movie and the other a Mesoamerican Historic Epic, Michele and I will probably wind up talking about them on a vidcast next year.
The Children of Gla’aki
Finally, one more sharing of autographed loot from the archives, is my copy of The Children of Gla’aki.
Children of Gla’aki cover.
My copy is signed by the legendary Ramsey Campbell:
Children of Gla’aki title page signed by Ramsey Campbell.
And the prolific Tim Waggoner:
Tim Waggoner’s story signed by the author.
If folks recall, Michele and I rebooted the HP Lovecast Podcast talking about stories from this book. That episode can be streamed at this link, the embedded player below, or through your podcast app of preference.
This is a little outside my comfort zone as I’m no expert on crime fiction, but I took a dive into Andrew Nette’s novel Orphan Road and enjoyed it. Check out the review proper here.
Artus Films have just released Antonio Margheriti’s Castle of Blood, under the Danse Macabre title, in a luxurious UHD Blu-ray boxset.
Artus boxset of Castle of Blood + swag.
The boxset has 3 discs, postcards, pins and buttons, and a near 100 page booklet. The final page of the booklet contains a snippet from my master’s thesis on Castle of Blood!
Final page of the Danse Macabre booklet.
Super chuffed to have some of my scholarship appear as part of a physical release of a movie I adore. The boxset can be purchased at the Danse Macabre product page at the Artus Films website.
H. P. Lovecast Podcast
Brand new episode of H. P. Lovecast Podcast is now online!
HP Lovecast Podcast episode thumbnail for episode 62 – Flesh Eaters.
In this episode we take a look at issue 1 of the comic book Flesh Eaters by Philippe Gerber, Orville Thurstan, with art by Okiko. The episode can be streamed at the HP Lovecast Buzzsprout, via the embedded player below, or through your podcast app of preference.
We have one more podcast for 2024 that we are planning to do. Nothing says X-mas time like angels, so we will be watching and talking about the 1995 film The Prophecy. Stay tuned!
The Best Horror of the Year Vol 16
Every year Ellen Datlow puts out a recap book called The Best Horror of the Year where she recounts notable releases and reprints some of the best stories and poetry.
Cover for The Best Horror of the Year volume 16.
Volume 16 just dropped and I’m chuffed to find out I’m mentioned in the book regarding my essay in the cosmic horror issue of Weird Tales. I’m super flattered!
Nicholas Diak mention on page xxiii.
This is actually the second time I’ve been mentioned in one of these books. A few years ago both Michele and I were mentioned in The Best Horror of the Year: Volume 13 regarding the collection we edited, Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern: Critical Essays.
Cover for The Best Horror of the Year volume 13.
Here is the text from that edition:
Nicholas Diak and Michele Brittany mention on page xiv – xivi.
Both volumes can be ordered from Amazon – here is the link to #13 and here is the link to #16.
Panthans Journal #331
The newest issue of the The National Panthans Journal has been published. This issue contains a re-print of my review of The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #1.
Panthans Journal #331
Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journalis a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn@gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.
McFarland Holiday Sale
My publisher, McFarland, is having a Holiday sale on all of their tiles! From November 15th to December 2nd, if you use code “HOLIDAY24” during checkout, you’ll get a 35% discount.
If you want to support me, consider buying a copy of The New Peplum or Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern:
Normal Price: 19.99 35% = 6.99 Price after coupon: 12.99
A Hero Will Endure Paperback Relese + Discount
Vernon Press, the publisher of A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator, has just released a cheaper, paperback version of the book, just in time for Gladiator 2!
A Hero Will Endure.
The paperback is at the much more friendly price of $57 compared to $96 for the hardcover and $107 for an electronic version. All editions of the book can be found at the Vernon Press product page.
In addition, the publisher is offering a coupon on purchases of the collection! From now until the end of January 2025, if you use code SLZM30 at check out, you’ll get 30% off the title. So, the $57 book now becomes $39.99. Nice!
ECOF 2025
In September of 2025 there will be an Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) event down in Willcox, AZ. This event is to celebrate the 150th birthday of Burroughs while also honoring him with a plaque in the town due to his stationing with there the 7th U.S. Calvary in the 1890s. (Note: another ERB convention was held in Willcox back in 2019 and an event recap of that can be read at ERBZine #7059).
Here is a flyer for the 2025 event:
ECOF 2025 Flyer (original)
I’ll share more information about the event as I find out more on my website updates. There currently is a fundraiser going on to raise funds for the ERB plaque, and details for that can be found in the QR code in the above graphic, or by checking out the donation page at the Sulphur Springs Valley Valley Historical Society. 3.8K of 5K has been raised already.
Michele and I will be in attendance for this convention, so I’ve added it to the appearances section of my website as well.
Publishing Recap
Below is a recap of my publishing endeavors so far in 2024.
National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
National Capital Panthans Journal #328.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #328.
National Capital Panthans Journal #329.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus / Warlord of Mars #1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #329.
National Capital Panthans Journal #330.
“Wondercon 2019 Coverage: Tarzan, John Carter, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.: What’s New?” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #330.
Panthans Journal #331
Comic Book Review: “The Moon Maid: Catacombs of the Moon #1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #331.
Calls for Papers/Proposals
Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my path. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.
Play and the Gothic
[Note: I = Simon Bacon]
I have a speculative CFP on “Play and the Gothic” to encompass any kind of gaming, boardgames, role-playing games, toys, construction games (Lego etc), dolls, collective or individual games across mediums, history and cultures that can be read in terms of play, playful, interactive, immersive, virtual, problem solving, psychological, well-being, materiality.
Their role in fictional fictional and non-fictive spaces, as the focus and instigators of narrative, their relation to the ludicrous gothic, their ability to gothicise spaces, or how they become gothicised via their use or environment.
This can equally involve the relationship between gaming/games/toys to certain kinds of gothic; happy gothic; regional gothic; ecogothic; folk gothic; children’s gothic; female gothic; religious gothic; gothic monsters (vampires/werewolves/ghosts/etc); the weird; cosmic gothic.
If interested send abstracts/ideas to me by Jan 31, 2025 at: baconetti@gmail.com
(Final essays of 6-7,000 words would potentially be needed mid 2026)
Monstrous Consumption: The Diets of Monsters and Monstrous Diets in the Popular Imagination
Another Simon Bacon CFP:
If we are what we eat, what things do we eat to make us monsters And what things do monsters eat to make them so monstrous?
This can be read as broad as you like, and across history and cultures and in any media (games, comics, music, performance, literature, film, TV).
Possible areas could be, but in no way limited to:
magic foods that transform people into monsters
diets/foods that make other cultures/peoples monstrous
additives/secret ingredients with monstrous effects
diets/foods specific to monsters
the role of cannibalism and/or forbidden foods
toxins/poisons/drugs
shrooms/mezcal and hallucinogenic foods
allergies and intolerances
transgressive foods/diets
supernatural and/or magical foods
foods that are alive
food/diets in rituals/religious practices and the transgression of those
role of vegetarianism and veganism
The call is going really well, but don’t let that put you off if you have an idea.
Consuming Identity: Cannibalism and the Beyond Human Subject
Connectedly….there has been a lot of interest within this around Cannibalism with the possibility of a separate collection solely on this. So if you have any left field ideas to do with cannibalism in regards to:
Historical cases
Philosophy
Theology and religion
fantasy and science fiction (alien cannibals)
indigenous and cross-cultural examples
cannibalism and eco-criticism/environmentalism
cannibalism and decolonisation
Deadline for receiving abstracts is 31st December 2024, with final essays due early to mid-2026. If you have thoughts, abstracts, or relevant essays looking for a home…drop me a message at: baconetti@gmail.com
Panel: Airborne Gothic
ASLE 2025 Panel Organized by the Society for the Study of American Gothic
July 8-11, 2025
University of Maryland, College Park
This panel sets out to consider how gothic is carried and transmitted through air. Airborne gothic takes many forms: stories told around campfires; plague and Covid narratives; texts featuring ominous flying creatures (birds, bats, and bugs!); radiation/nuclear gothic; propagandistic talk about windmills as killing machines; airplanes or spacecraft as gothic sites; the winds and wutherings that course through so many gothic stories; and more. How do gothic texts evoke unrest, turbulence, undeadness, and/or trauma by way of airborne vectors? How does airborne gothic both thwart and encourage collective atmospheres?
Please send one-paragraph abstracts and short bios to Jennifer Schell (jschell5@alaska.edu) and Eric Anderson (eandersd@gmu.edu) by December 20, 2024.
TV Matters (Intellect Books)
Editor: Sabrina Mittermeier
TV Matters is a new series of short monographs (40,000 to 50,000 words) on television series, analysing their production history, cultural context, main themes, as well as fandom and audience reception. The focus is on shows that both have critical acclaim (as reflected by awards, media reviews), but more importantly, are genuinely ‘popular’. That means they have had a robust viewership and ideally an active fandom (watercooler discussions on- and offline, as well as fan production such as fic, art, vids etc.) and/or an unusual reception history (cases of bans, censorship or similar). As the intended audience for this book series extends beyond academia, we expect an engaging/accessible writing style. This however does not mean less academic ‘rigour’ – authors should thoroughly research production history (incl. where possible through interviews with creators or archival research), include a solid textual analysis of main themes and should show familiarity with concepts and theories of fan and audience studies.
The aim of this book series is to engage with TV shows that were and are truly popular rather than just part of a canon of ‘quality TV’ or ‘cult TV’. The scope includes scripted/fictional programming, both live action as well as animation, but also reality TV, casting shows and documentary formats, if they fill the criteria. If it mattered to people, it qualifies!
This crucially also means shows outside of a Eurocentric lens of media production – K-Drama, Telenovelas, any popular TV in its respective cultural contexts, but also productions that crossed border lines and were adapted transnationally. In case of particularly long-running shows such as soaps or procedurals, or non-scripted content, ongoing series are also open to consideration. To illustrate examples, series that tentative authors have already been approached about include Bridgerton(2020–), Game of Thrones (2011–2019), Ted Lasso (2020–2023), Ducktales (1987–1990), Star Trek: Voyager(1995–2001) and the Eurovision Song Contest.
At this point, we are open to any proposals on series meeting the criteria, but are especially looking for someone interested in writing on Supernatural (2005–2020), Friends (1994–2004), Buffy the Vampire Slayer(1997–2003), Grey’s Anatomy (2005–), Doctor Who (1963–), the CSI, NCIS, Law & Order franchises or long-running reality TV and transnational competition formats such as Survivor, Big Brother or Strictly Come Dancing. If this sounds like you please approach us!
As a first step, just send a short (!) pitch (500 words max), including what series you’d want to write on and why you think it matters, to the series editor Sabrina Mittermeier (Sabrina.Mittermeier@uni-kassel.de). If deemed a good fit, we move on to a more formal proposal. We expect the series to launch in 2026.
Gothic Crossroads
A conference exploring and celebrating the multi and interdisciplinary crossings of Gothic and Horror Studies.
Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies, Manchester Metropolitan University, 25th-27th June, 2025
Plenary Speakers: Prof Rosario Arias (University of Malaga, Spain), Dr. Maisha Wester (Global Professor, University of Sheffield, UK)
Physical crossroads have long been sites where the human, divine and demonic were felt to converge and potent sites for magical, religious encounters, rituals of transformation, binding of undesirable spirits, siting of gallows and links to ancient cosmology. This conference also considers the crossroads as a space where the boundaries between differing spheres are negotiable, asking what it means to walk in the interdisciplinary pathways and cross currents of the Gothic.
The crossroad is a geographical location and ancient symbol closely associated with folklore where two or more realms touch. It is historically and imaginatively connected with travellers and travelling, strange encounters, omens, choice and indecision, danger, suicide, criminality, apocalypse and renewal, guilt and judgement, punishment, ritual and ceremony, lovers’ meetings, hanging, summoning, access to Gods, devil dealing, casting out and death. The choice between paths can also lead to repercussions and consequences of “the wrong path”, “the path not taken” and “straying from the path”.
This conference invites creative and scholarly consideration of any aspect of these areas or any other creative/critical spin on themes of crossing/crossover/cross currents, travelling, intersection, interception, (con)junction, incursion, deviation and transitioning in any/all aspects of cultural production as it relates to Gothic and horror.
It also proposes the crossing as a metaphor for presenting and thinking on the interdisciplinary work of the Gothic and the intersectional/transnational spaces where the gothic is engaged and approached. Thus, we are particularly interested in “paths less travelled” and contributions from scholars and ECRs working in the intersections where the cultural work of Gothic and horror studies crosses boundaries and spheres, engaging with fields and disciplines beyond the traditional, and where new “crossings” can be discovered. This includes, but is not limited to: Gothic and horror in gaming, architecture and heritage, creative writing and practice, comics and graphic novels, scriptwriting, theatre, music, geography, plant studies and environmentalism, anthropology, libraries and archives, sociology and social studies, broadcasting, publishing, media and graphic design. We are sure there are more, so feel free to surprise us with your wanders, crossings, and encounters!
Please submit a 250-word abstract for 15-minute presentations by 28th February 2025 to Dr Emma Liggins and Dr Eleanor Beal at gothic@mmu.ac.uk
For all submissions, be sure to include your name, a short (50-word) biographical sketch, institutional affiliation (if any), and contact details. Please send your submission as an attachment (as opposed to a link to a server such as Googledocs).
Submissions for panels should be sent as a single submission with three to four 250-word abstracts, a brief statement of the theme of the panel and the information above about each of the presenters.
Submissions for workshops should indicate the length of the workshop (max. 45 minutes).
If accepted to deliver a paper or workshop, a number of travel bursaries up to £100 are available for selected international and UK postgraduates on application.
Miscellaneous Tidbits
Some fun things and shout outs from these past few weeks.
My publisher, McFarland books, is having a Holiday sale on all of their tiles! From November 15th to December 2nd, if you use code “HOLIDAY24” during checkout, you’ll get a 35% discount.
If you want to support me, consider buying a copy of The New Peplum or Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern:
Normal Price: 19.99 35% = 6.99 Price after coupon: 12.99
A Hero Will Endure Paperback Relese + Discount
Vernon Press, the publisher of A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator, has just released a cheaper, paperback version of the book, just in time for Gladiator 2!
A Hero Will Endure.
The paperback is at the much more friendly price of $57 compared to $96 for the hardcover and $107 for an electronic version. All editions of the book can be found at the Vernon Press product page.
In addition, the publisher is offering a coupon on purchases of the collection! From now until the end of January 2025, if you use code SLZM30 at check out, you’ll get 30% off the title. So, the $57 book now becomes $39.99. Nice!
ECOF 2025
In September of 2025 there will be an Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) event down in Willcox, AZ. This event is to celebrate the 150th birthday of Burroughs while also honoring him with a plaque in the town due to his stationing with there the 7th U.S. Calvary in the 1890s. (Note: another ERB convention was held in Willcox back in 2019 and an event recap of that can be read at ERBZine #7059).
Here is a flyer for the 2025 event:
I’ll share more information about the event as I find out more on my website updates. There currently is a fundraiser going on to raise funds for the ERB plaque, and details for that can be found in the QR code in the above graphic, or by checking out the donation page at the Sulphur Springs Valley Valley Historical Society. 3.8K of 5K has been raised already.
Michele and I will be in attendance for this convention, so I’ve added it to the appearances section of my website as well.
Publishing Recap
Below is a recap of my publishing endeavors so far in 2024.
National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
National Capital Panthans Journal #328.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #328.
National Capital Panthans Journal #329.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus / Warlord of Mars #1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #329.
National Capital Panthans Journal #330.
“Wondercon 2019 Coverage: Tarzan, John Carter, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.: What’s New?” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #330.
Calls for Papers/Proposals
Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my paths. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.
Edited by Dr. Naomi Simone Borwein and Dr. Krista Collier-Jarvis
Building on discussions in the edited volume, Global Indigenous Horror (University Press of Mississippi, 2025), this is a call for chapter proposal submissions focused on the topic of Contemporary Indigenous Horror. Beautiful, luminous and resonant moments of horror exist in the work of writers like Shane Hawk, Kim Scott, Tiffany Morris, Waubgeshig Rice, or Ambelin Kwaymullina. But Indigenous horror tales thrive in many narrative or storying forms—from fiction, plays, and music, to graphic novels, art installations, or experimental films fortified by sonic and oral manifestations.
In response to the forthcoming inaugural essay collection, Global Indigenous Horror (2025), Judith Leggatt states, “Global Indigenous Horror is a timely and welcome addition to the growing field of Indigenous Horror studies.” Over the past decade, there has been a (re)surgence in Indigenous works focusing on tales of horror, such as Anoka: A Collection of Indigenous Horror (2011; Hawk); Ajjiit: Dark Dreams of the Ancient Arctic (2011; Tinsley and Qitsualik); Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Anthology Collection (2023; Hawk and Van Alst Jr.); Whistle at Night and They Will Come: Indigenous Horror Stories (2023; Soop); Midnight Storm, Moonless Sky: Indigenous Horror Stories (2022; Soop); Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories (2019), Moosebumpz: Scary Stories from the Rez, and The Land Has Spoken—Tales of Indigenous Horror (2024; Hawk and Rogers), and Zegaajimo: Indigenous Horror Fiction (2024; Akiwenzie and Adler), just to name a few.
Responding to the widening gap between Indigenous horror and academic responses to it, editors Naomi Simone Borwein and Krista Collier-Jarvis solicit contributions for Contemporary Indigenous Horror. Shane Hawk broadly defines horror as that which “prioritizes the fear factor, often using graphic depictions of violence, monstrous beings, or otherworldly threats to achieve its effect. The ultimate purpose of horror is to confront the reader with their deepest fears, creating an experience that is visceral and unsettling.” When taken up by Indigenous storytellers, horror often engages with a colonial past that has never really passed, and as such, it haunts contemporary Indigenous peoples and communities. Indigenous horror thus often blends traditional stories as well as Indigenous ways of knowing and being with contemporary issues. In many cases, Indigenous horror is about our lived experiences, not as the victim of ongoing coloniality, but as resistance. According to Elizabeth Edwards and Brenna Duperron, “Indigeneity is a resistance — in the usual sense of opposition, repudiation, and refusal to comply […but also] resistant to assimilation. Indigeneity is the lived and embodied experience of peoples who have participated in that resistance” (94). In many other cases, Indigenous horror is about what Scott Gordon calls “colonial whiplash,” where “white people who haven’t turned into zombies [or other monsters] are at the mercy of the oppressed”—their Indigenous saviours. And in other cases, what Indigenous horror is has yet to be revealed.
Chapters (6,000-8,000 words including bibliography) may examine modern, contemporary representations of Indigenous Horror from a variety of perspectives. With a focus on analysis of current horror (narrative) production by self-identifying artists, writers, and other creators, some areas of consideration include, but are not limited to:
the future of Indigenous Horror;
Indigenous futurisms;
Indigenous futurism in relation to Afrofuturism;
the post-apocalyptic;
after the Anthropocene (or other labels);
pre-contact/post-contact;
Indigenous “monsters”;
Indigenous identity/identities;
unsettling, activism;
love, reciprocity, and horror;
Indigenous horror and visual, digital, or textual sovereignty;
mixed media, experimental media;
virtual, embodied, extended, or augmented reality;
multisensory installation and the horror experience;
ecological discourses and horror manifestations in relation to speculative narratives;
interrogation of “rewilding” and alternatives;
decolonization of Indigenous stereotypes in mainstream Horror and their counterparts in Indigenous narratives;
authentic Indigenous horror images, visions, “metaphors” or “motifs”;
social media and h/Horror in relation to fiction marketization;
sonic landscapes of horror;
systems of Indigenous horror that move between fiction, film, music, and other media;
NDN and Horror media;
inter-tribal horror/Horror and trans-Indigeneity or pan-Indigeneity;
exploration of various land-based, place-based, sky-based, star-based, or water-based horrors in narratives by Indigenous creators;
blood, heredity, categorization, and holocaust/genocide narratives;
reconciliation;
virtue signalling, horror, media cultures and spaces;
metacommentary;
analysis of Indigenous Gothic and Horror;
Indigenous Horror fiction and ways of knowing;
reading (and teaching) Indigenous horror fiction;
horror systems as epistemologies;
Indigenous Horror fiction and scholarship;
and more.
This follow-up collection seeks contributions from self-identified Indigenous scholars in any stage of their academic journey. We also encourage submissions from allies to the community. To acknowledge the various ways in which Indigenous scholarship may emerge, we welcome both traditional as well as more exploratory approaches, including submissions of proposals for non-fiction works by self-identified Indigenous storytellers reflecting on the process of writing, or otherwise producing, horror.
Please send a 250-word abstract and a 100-word bio to editors Naomi Simone Borwein (nborwein@uwo.ca) and Krista Collier-Jarvis (Krista.Collier-Jarvis@msvu.ca) by May 30, 2025. Accepted chapters will be due June 30, 2026.
Miscellaneous Tidbits
Some fun things and shout outs from these past few weeks.
Gladiator 2 Cinemark Popcorn Bucket
Collectable popcorn buckets are becoming a big thing now. Gladiator 2 has one, of course. Thankfully this bucket could be ordered online instead of actually going to a Cinemark theater. So, of course I ordered a bucket:
Gladiator 2 Popcorn Bucket – Side View
Gladiator 2 Popcorn Bucket – Top View
Sword and Sandal Blu-rays
Coinciding with the release of Gladiator 2 in November, there’s been a handful of older pepla getting new releases on UHD/Blu-ray. In mid November three came in the mail: Steelbook edition of the original Gladiator (2000), a new cut of Caligula (1979), and a new edition of Hercules Returns (1993).
4K/Blu-ray releases of Gladiator, Hercules Returns, and Caligula.
Rest in Peplum Tony Todd
Tony Todd, horror actor extraordinaire best known for his portrayal as Candyman, passed away. He starred in a handful of pepla: Xena (1995-2001), Hercules (1995-1999), Beastmaster 3 (1996), and Minotaur (2006).
Michele and I had the honor to meet him way back in 2008 at a horror con in SeaTac. He autographed my Criterion Collection edition of The Rock (1996):
Criterion Collection version of The Rock, autographed by Tony Todd.
When Candyman 2021 came out I did an article on bands that sample dialogue from the original Candyman (1992). Do check out that article to see some innovative ways that Todd lives on via textual sampling.
Art of Michele Brittany
Michele has started a Facebook Page devoted to her crafting and art. If you want to check out her projects or purchase some of her journals, give the page a like and follow!
A brand new Scholars From the Edge of Time vidcast is online!
For the spooky month of October Michele and I revisit the world of sword and scary with a horror-filmed Neo-peplum film, The Head Hunter (2018)!
Head Hunter DVD.
The episode can be viewed on YouTube here – check it out!
Panthans Journal #330
The newest issue of the The National Panthans Journal has been published. This issues contains a re-print of my convention coverage of the Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. panel at Wondercon 2019.
National Capital Panthans Journal #330.
Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journalis a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn@gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.
ECOF 2025
In September of 2025 there will be an Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) event down in Willcox, AZ. This event is to celebrate the 150th birthday of Burroughs while also honoring him with a plaque in the town due to his stationing with there the 7th U.S. Calvary in the 1890s. (Note: another ERB convention was held in Willcox back in 2019 and an event recap of that can be read at ERBZine #7059).
Here is a flyer for the 2025 event:
ECOF 2025 Flyer (original)
I’ll share more information about the event as I find out more on my website updates. There currently is a fundraiser going on to raise funds for the ERB plaque, and details for that can be found in the QR code in the above graphic, or by checking out the donation page at the Sulphur Springs Valley Valley Historical Society. 3.5K of 5K has been raised already.
Michele and I will be in attendance for this convention, so I’ve added it to the appearances section of my website as well.
Publishing Recap
Below is a recap of my publishing endeavors so far in 2024.
National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
National Capital Panthans Journal #328.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #328.
National Capital Panthans Journal #329.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus / Warlord of Mars #1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #329.
National Capital Panthans Journal #330.
“Wondercon 2019 Coverage: Tarzan, John Carter, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.: What’s New?” reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #330.
A side note, I’ve done some organizing on my bibliography page. The magazines/zines/etc. section was getting rather long so I broke it up into a section for Exotica Moderne, a section for Panthans, and a section for the rest. In the future, when a particular outlet starts to appear more than a few times I’ll parse it to its own area as well.
Calls for Papers/Proposals
Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my paths. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.
Metal Music Studies Retrospectives
In celebration of the 10th year of Metal Music Studies, we (Ross Hagen and Edward Banchs) are compiling a section of short retrospectives on foundational and important publications for the reviews section. We are aiming for a mix of titles that includes books aimed at general audiences in addition to academic monographs and edited collections. We are looking for short retrospectives of around 1000-1500 words that would address the following threads of inquiry:
What is the significance of the work?
What did it contribute to Metal Studies?
What aspects of the book still seem most relevant today?
Are there aspects of the book that you are critical of?
The tone of the writing does not need to be rigorously academic; we are looking for more personal sorts of reminisces about these publications.
If you are interested in writing a retrospective, please reply with up to three titles you are interested to write about. We’re operating on a “first-come, first-served” basis so it will be good to have some alternative titles in case your first choice is already spoken for. We would like to have the first drafts by Dec. 1 – it’s a quick turnaround but since these will be short and less academic hopefully that won’t be too much of a discouragement.
We have reviews lined up already for the following:
Christie, The Sound of the Beast
Dawes, What are You Doing Here?
Kahn-Harris, Extreme Metal
Moynihan, Lords of Chaos
McNeil, Please Kill Me
Clifford-Napoleone, Queerness in Heavy Metal Music
Roccor, Heavy Metal. Die Bands. Die Fans. Die Gegner.
Hein, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal: Histoire, cultures et pratiquants
We would like to get 5–10 more pieces to round out the section. We’d be particularly interested in reviews of some of the early collections like Scott & von Helden’s Metal Void: The First Gathering (2010)along with other edited collections and special issues of journals.
Some fun things and shout outs from these past few weeks.
Autographed Crawlspace
The folks at RedLetterMedia recently did a two-part episode on Full Moon’s Puppet Master series of films. They briefly brought up Puppet Master one’s director David Schmoeller and how he did a movie called Crawlspace (1986) with Klaus Kinski who was a nightmare to work with – so much so that Kinski became the inspiration for the Blade puppet.
Personal copies of Crawlspace (signed by Charles Band and David Schmoeller) and “Please Kill Mr. Kinski (signed by Schmoeller).
Back in the late 2000s I contacted Schmoeller and asked him if I could post him my copy of Crawlspace to be autographed and he said sure! So, pictured here is my copy of Crawlspace, signed by Schmoeller (and producer Charles Band), along with a copy of “Please Kill Mr. Kinski” that Schmoeller sent as a gift.
Art of Michele Brittany
Michele has started a Facebook Page devoted to her crafting and art. If you want to check out her projects or purchase some of her journals, give the page a like and follow!
Folks probably know that I am a big fan of the Margheriti film Yor, the Hunter from the Future. I was excited a month or so ago when I stumbled upon that Antarctic Press was reprinting the comic in English! You better believe I ran to my local comic book store and put it on my pull list.
It’s been a while since I’ve had some citation news, but here is a new one, fresh off the presses!
The Soundtrack vol 16, September 2024.
My essay, “Lost Nights and Dangerous Days,” was cited by Gabrielle Berry in her essay “[Bones cracking]: Reading and listening to Foley and captions” which was published in the journal The Soundtrack, vol 16, Sept 2024 by Intellect. Super flattered!
Panthans Journal #329
The newest issue of the The National Panthans Journal has been published. This issues contains a re-print of my review of Carson of Venus / Warlord of Mars #1.
I love the cover by Mark Wheatley!
Paraphrased from the zine: The National Capital Panthans Journal is a monthly publication issued as a .PDF file on the Saturday before the first Sunday of each month. Contribution of articles, artwork, photos and letters are welcome. Send submissions to the editor: Laurence G. Dunn at laurencegdunn@gmail.com in a Word document for consideration.
Scholars from the Edge of Time
The September episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time is online!
For this vidcast Michele and I discuss the early 80s cult sword and planet film, Krull. How we have gone our entire life without watching this film is near criminal because it ruled.
Personal copies of the Krull Blu-ray and the soundtrack.
The episode can be watched on YouTube, have a listen/watch!
Below is a recap of my publishing endeavors so far in 2024.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #328.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus / Warlord of Mars #1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #329.
Calls for Papers/Proposals
Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my paths. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.
Roger Corman’s Horror Movies: Collected Essays
Edited by Sue Matheson
Part of theseries edited by Carl Sederholm
Indie filmmaker Roger Corman is known for producing and directing hundreds of B-movies, discovering industry stars (like Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, and Robert de Niro), anticipating Hollywood’s New Wave, and founding a profitable empire that included New World Pictures and Concorde/New Horizons. Entertaining, literate, and campy, his fast-paced, low-budget genre films, aimed at the youth market and generally shot in less than two weeks, included horror movies, horror comedies, and sci-fi/horror. The Beast With a Million Eyes(1955), It Conquered the World (1956), The Undead (1957), Not of This Earth (1957), A Bucket of Blood(1959), The Wasp Woman (1959), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961), The Intruder (1962), The Terror (1963), The Man With X-Ray Eyes (1963), The Haunted Palace(1963), and Dementia 13 (1963) helped make Corman “The King of the Drive-in” and the “King of Cult.” Cult classics, the gothic horror films of his Edgar Allan Poe cycle (House of Usher [1960], The Pit and the Pendulum [1961], Premature Burial [1962], Tales of Terror[1962], The Raven [1963], The Haunted Palace [1963], The Masque of the Red Death [1964] and The Tomb of Ligeia [1964]) also revived the careers of Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, and Peter Lorre. As the “Orson Welles of the Z movies,” Corman was not only an auteur filmmaker and influencer; he was also a producer and distributor of horror movies. The last movie he directed was the under-appreciated Frankenstein Unbound (1990). Corman’s better-known works have been taught in courses on the history of the horror genre and cult films, while many others deserve critical reexamination.
This anthology seeks previously unpublished essays that explore Roger Corman’s body of horror films and mashups. It is open to submissions on films belonging to his Edgar Allan Poe seriesfranchise and his well-known cult horrors, but will particularly welcome interdisciplinary approaches that can illuminate overlooked films like The Beast With a Million Eyes (1955), It Conquered the World (1956), The Undead (1957), Not of This Earth (1957), Attack of the CrabMonsters (1957), Night of the Blood Beast (1958), Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959), The Intruder (1962), Tower of London (1962), The Man With X-Ray Eyes (1963), and Frankenstein Unbound (1990).
This volume will be interdisciplinary in scope, including approaches from philosophy, literary studies, film studies, gender studies, history, psychology, popular culture studies, hauntology, ecology, etc. The chapters will be peer-reviewed, scholarly, and written at a high academic level.
Contributions could include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
Thematic and structural analysis of one or more films
Visual style
Notions of evil
Photography and cinematography
The supernatural
Corman as an auteur and/or influencer, producer, distributor
Mash ups and updated horror
Soundscapes and music
Film as philosophy/philosophy in film
Failed parenthood
Comedy, black humor, and irony
Social and cultural contexts
American youth and youth culture
Drive-in film culture
Landscapes as sites of horror
Literary and gothic adaptations
Exploration of the sub- and unconscious
Class, sexuality, abject, gender and queer readings
This anthology will be organized into thematic sections around these topics and others that emerge from submissions. It is open to works that focus on other topics as well. Prospective authors are welcome to contact the editor with any questions, including potential topics not listed above. Please share this announcement with anyone you believe would be interested in contributing to this volume. Please submit a 250-word abstract of your proposed chapter contribution, a brief CV / bio, current position, affiliation, and complete contact information to Sue Matheson (smatheson@ucn.ca) by the 30th of December 2024. Full chapters of 6,000-7,000 words are likely due in June/July 2025 after signing a contract with the publisher.
Note: Acceptance of a proposed abstract does not guarantee the acceptance of the full chapter.
After a few months hiatus Michele and I are back with H. P. Lovecast!
We have some interviews with folks we will need to connect on and get out the door, but we are going to slowly transition back into a normal schedule.
In the meantime, here is our first episode in a while! We talk about the 2022 cosmic-horror/dark comedy film, Glorious, directed by Dr. Rebekah McKendry. Check it out here, via the embedded player below, or through your podcast app of preference.
The August episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time is also online. For this episode we take a gander at the 2017 sorta-Templar film, Pilgrimage, which we both really dug.
For September we are looking to do Krull (1983). If you have suggestions for sword and sandal/sorcery/planet movies you’d like us to cover, let me know!
Panthans Journal #328
The newest issue of the The National Panthans Journal has been published. This issues contains a re-print of my review of Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond #3.
Publishing Recap
Below is a recap of my publishing endeavors so far in 2024.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#3″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #328.
Calls for Papers/Proposals
Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my paths. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.
Expanding Our View of Sherwood: Exploring the Matter of the Greenwood in Comics
Sponsored by Medieval Comics Project and International Association for Robin Hood Studies (IARHS)
Organized by Michael A. Torregrossa and Carl B. Sell
60th International Congress on Medieval Studies
Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
Hybrid event: Thursday, 8 May, through Saturday, 10 May, 2025
Please Submit Proposals by 15 September 2024
Session Information
According to a recent search of the Grand Comics Database, creators of comic books and graphic novels have produced approximately five thousand comics directly based on or inspired by the Robin Hood tradition. These comics span over one hundred years and come from at least ten countries; however, the true scope of Hood’s influence on the medium appears much larger. A variety of archers, both heroes and villains, also feature within the pages of comics, and some, such as DC Comics’s Green Arrow, have even made the transition to the screen. In addition, Hood and his fellows have also frequented cartoons, comic strips, and manga, although their adventures there remain largely uncatalogued.
Of this vast array of comics and related media, relatively little of the corpus seems known to enthusiasts of the Matter of the Greenwood. Although Robin Hood scholars (working since the 1990s) have started to share some comics, much work still remains to be done to more fully assess the world of Sherwood Forest depicted in their panels. Therefore, in this co-sponsored session, we hope to create a deeper connection between Robin Hood Studies and Comics Studies to highlight items from this rich corpus and provide ideas and reflections on how to find, access, and employ Robin-Hood-themed comics in our classrooms and research.
Applicants to the roundtable are invited to revise their work for publication in a special issue of the open-access journal The Bulletin of the International Association for Robin Hood Studies.
Thank you for your interest in our session. Please address questions and/or concerns to the organizers at Comics.Get.Medieval@gmail.com. A full PDF version of this call can be accessed from Academia.Edu.
Submission Information
The process for proposing contributions to sessions of papers, roundtables and poster sessions for the International Congress on Medieval Studies uses an online submission system powered by Confex. Be advised that submissions cannot be accepted through email. Rather, access the direct link in Confex to our session at https://icms.confex.com/icms/2025/round/papers/index.cgi?sessionid=5826. You can also view the full Call for Papers list at https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/call.
Within Confex, proposals to sessions of papers, poster sessions and roundtables require the author’s name, affiliation and contact information; an abstract (300 words) for consideration by session organizer(s); and a short description (50 words) that may be made public. Proposals to sessions of papers and poster sessions also require a title for the submission (contributions to roundtables are untitled).
Proposers of papers or contributions to roundtables for hybrid sessions should indicate in their abstracts whether they intend to present in person or virtually.
If you need help with your submissions, the Congress offers some resources at the Participating in the Congress page at https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/participating-congress. Click to open the section labeled “Propose a Paper” and scroll down for the Quick Guide handouts.
Be advised of the following policies for participating in the Congress:
You are invited to propose one paper (as a sole author or as a co-author) for one session of papers. You may propose a paper for a sponsored or special session or for the general sessions, but not both. You may propose an unlimited number of contributions to roundtables and poster sessions, but you will not be scheduled to actively participate (as paper presenter, roundtable discussant, poster author, presider, respondent, workshop leader, demonstrator or performer) in more than three sessions.
A reminder: Presenters accepted to the Congress must register for the full event. The registration fee is the same for on-site and virtual participants. For planning, the cost for the previous year’s event is posted at the Congress’s Registration page at https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/registration.
If necessary, the Medieval Institute and Richard Rawlinson Center at Western Michigan University offer limited funding to presenters. These include both subsidized registration grants and travel awards. Please see the Awards page at the Congress site for details at https://wmich.edu/medievalcongress/awards.
Miscellaneous Tidbits
Want to give some appreciation and shoutouts to some friends who have big projects that just came out or are about to come out.
Ian Welke’s Messing With Mr. In-Between
Ian Welke, friend who has been on both Scholars from the Edge of Time and H. P. Lovecast, has a new book out called Messing with Mr. In-Between.
Global Indigenous Horror is an upcoming collection edited by Naomi Simone Borwein, who has been a presenter at the Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference and also published in Horror Literature form Gothic to Post-Modern.
Composter Philippe Gerber, who creates music under the John 3:16 moniker and also did the theme song, “Azathoth,” for the H. P. Lovecast Podcast, has been scoring films lately! There’s two of them right now from SRS Cinema.
Check them out, consider backing/ordering the films!
Brenda S. Tolian’s Bestial Mouths
Friend and H. P. Lovecast interviewee alumnus Brenda S. Tolian has a new book coming from Raw Dog Screaming (aroooo) Press: Bestial Mouths. It’s a poetry collection! RDSP just did a cover reveal:
The collection is slated to come out November 14th and can be pre-ordered at the Raw Dog Screaming Press product page. The cover is wicked cool with all the mushrooms.
Ripple Effects Kickstarter
FanBase Press is about the launch their very first Kickstarter. This will be for a deluxe edition of Jordan Hart’s Ripple Effects.
I take a look at Becca Boo issue 2. I had previously reviewed issue 1 and enjoyed it (read my review here), and issue 2 definitely kept up the quality. My issue 2 review can be read here.
Note: A while after publication of my review, Obscura Comics sent over the missing Kickstarter swag. I’ll be updating my review to reflect this.
Publishing Recap
Below is a recap of my publishing endeavors so far in 2024.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond#2″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #327.
Calls for Papers/Proposals
Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my paths. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.
Phantom of the Paradise Edited Collection
Editor: Sean Woodard Contact: phantomparadisebook@gmail.com Abstract Deadline: Friday, November 15, 2024 Chapter Drafts Deadline: June 15, 2025
Essays sought for a peer-reviewed edited collection focused on Brian De Palma’s film, Phantom of the Paradise.
Brian De Palma’s 1974 film Phantom of the Paradise, starring William Finley, Paul Williams, and Jessica Harper remains a cult classic of 1970s American independent cinema and popular culture. A throwback to the legend of Faust and Gothic narratives such as Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera (1910), and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), the film satirizes the modern music industry. The musical prominently features a stellar soundtrack by Paul Williams and many of De Palma’s trademark filmmaking techniques and Hitchcockian homages that he would perfect in further genre fare like Carrie (1976), Dressed to Kill (1980), and Blow Out (1981).
Furthermore, Phantom of the Paradise has a devoted fan base around the world. For example, a fan-made preservation website called “The Swan Archives”—devoted to detailing the film’s production history and cataloging and preserving its physical promotional materials and merchandise—was the subject of a 2013 Bright Lights Film Journal essay. In addition, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro owns an extensive collection of Phantom of the Paradise memorabilia, while director Edgar Wright specifically cast Paul Williams in a cameo role in Baby Driver (2017) out of his affinity his role in De Palma’s film. The film’s growing popularity has also led to sold-out repertoire screenings, shadow cast events, and fan cosplay at horror conventions. In an archived 2019 interview with The Globe and Mail, Williams commented on the film’s resurgence and its overall legacy: “Isn’t it bizarre? You can’t be quick to write something off as [a] failure. . . . I am beyond grateful.”
While academic research has been focused broadly on De Palma’s filmography, there has not been a singular scholarly text devoted to the film. The celebration of Phantom of the Paradise’s 50th anniversary in 2024 makes it an appropriate time to celebrate and re-evaluate the film.
The purpose of this edited collection is to place Phantom of the Paradise into a cultural and theoretical context, as well as critically analyze the film, its connections to other genre films, its place in Brian De Palma’s filmography, and its continued influence.
We seek proposals for chapters that approach the subject matter with theoretical concepts that will appropriately meet the rigorous expectations of an academic work, but through a prose style that shall be accessible for both an academic audience and a general readership.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
Brian De Palma as an Auteur
Paul Williams’ Career
Film and Literary Adaptation and Intertextuality (Phantom of the Opera, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Faust, etc.)
Narrative, Thematic, or Structural Analysis of the Film
Audio/Visual Style
The supernatural and the Gothic
Body Horror
Monstrosity/Abjection
Class, Gender, Sexuality, and Queer Readings
Psychoanalytic Film Theory
Philosophy in Film/Film as Philosophy
Voyuerism and “the gaze”
Mirrors, Screens, Foils, and Doubles
Genre Hybridity
Soundtracks and Film Scoring
Horror Musical Film Cycles (including Phantom of the Paradise; The Rocky Horror Picture Show [Sharman, 1975]; Shock Treatment [Sharman, 1981]; Little Shop of Horrors [Oz, 1986]; Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street [Burton, 2007]; Repo! The Genetic Opera [Bousman, 2008]; and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog [Whedon, 2008])
Cult Cinema, Fandom, and Popular Culture
Please send abstracts of 300 – 500 words with a working title and five (5) keywords, accompanied by a short third-person author bio (100 words max), to phantomparadisebook@gmail.com as a Word document.
Final essays should be 5,000 – 6,000 words in length, inclusive of endnotes and bibliography. Citations and references shall be formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. No images. A formal proposal for the collection will be submitted for consideration to a leading academic press.
Proposed Timeline
August 1, 2024 – November 15, 2024: Call for Papers
December 15, 2025: Notification of abstract acceptances sent to authors
December 15 – June 15, 2025: Book chapters drafting period
June 15 – July 31, 2025: Initial editorial review of submitted chapter drafts; editing/revision remarks sent to writers
August 1 – September 15, 2025: Contributor revision period
September 15 – September 30, 2025: Second editorial review
October 1 – October 15, 2025: Contributor revisions, as neede
October 15 – December 15, 2025: Finalize full manuscript
December 15, 2025: Submit full manuscript to press for editorial board consideration and peer review process
Miscellaneous Tidbits
Elysian Fields Kickstarter
Michael Oden is revamping/rebooting his Neo-peplum comic, Elysian Fields, with a Kickstarter campaign. You can sign up to get notified when the campaign launched at this link.
I had the honor to interview Oden a few years ago about the original incarnation of Elysian Fields, and if you’re curious, it can be read here.
Back in December 2022 after Pyun had passed away I shared my autographed copy of Cyborg (check it out here). McBride podcast appearance totally made me remember that I had a copy of Arcade signed by the awesome cult director. So, here it is!
Nick,
We shot this in 12 days and I actually got into a fight with Charles Band on the final cut and left the film. But I really liked the Cast and David Goyer’s script.
Best, Albert Pyun
Thanks for all the memories Pyun!
Alien Quadrilogy Autographs
Alien: Romulus is out in the world now. Despite not caring for Prometheus and Covenant, I’ll give Romulus a shot since I’m always curious were the Alien/Predator universe lore takes off into. But for now, since the movie is out, it’s a good enough time as any to share my autographed copy of the Alien Quadrilogy boxset.
This is signed by Veronica Cartwright (Alien) and Lance Henriksen (Aliens). I recall buying this boxset back in 2004 from a Fred Meyer I lived across the street from in University Place, WA. I was so excited to scrimp some monies to buy this set and all the supplemental goodies in it. The set is two decades old, and I’ll probably someday buy some 4K versions of the movies on it, but this will remain one of my prized gems in the library.
In Gowan Ring Concert 2007
Speaking of old, old Washington memories, while categorizing my music and getting everything imported onto my Mac, I came across a copy of Webs Among the Din 2 by folk project In Gowan Ring.
Michele and I actually got to be concert organizers and promoters and have In Gowan Ring (Patreon link) perform a tiny concert at the University Bookstore at the University of Washington – Tacoma Campus. It was a lot of fun! Michele did up posters, and I did the green room and made my custom onion cheese tart. Michele also made a recording of the event, so perhaps we will find it while we continue to unpack, and see if something can be done with it.
After In Gowan Ring concluded their tour they did a commemorative release called Webs Among the Din 2, which features a map and a listing of all their performances.
So, 17 years ago this month we got to host a folk band at our school. Very cool!
The Neverending Streamer – More Fallout Write Ups
Travis Lakata has some new Fallout episode write ups on his Substack, The Neverending Streamer.
My friend Evan Jordan (one of the editors of Footage Fiends, the zine I got to contribute an essay about Caltiki to last year) is doing a crowdfunding endeavor for his feature-length movie debut, Florida, Man.
Per the Indiegogo campaign:
Florida, Man aims to explore the [..]paranormal encounters I had in addition to the rest of my weird past in the state of Florida through archival footage, re-enactments, interviews with surviving family members and other involved parties, as well as ending with a full paranormal investigation of the rural home where everything occurred all those years ago.
Back in 2018 I did an interview with poet Fred Phillips that was published at the Witch Haunt. However the website has been shuttered.
Because of this, I have republished the interview here at my website. It can be read here.
Panthans Journal #327
The newest issue of the The National Panthans Journal has been published. This issues contains a re-print of my review of Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond #2.
If you’re interested in receiving copies of Panthans, contact Laurence Dunn at laurencegdunn @ gmail dot com (sans spaces).
Scholars from the Edge of Time
For the July episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time Michele and I decided to look at a film that is pretty new: She is Conann (2023) by Bertrand Mandico.
Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my paths. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.
Occult Detectives
Edited by Michael Goodrum, Kris Mecholsky, and Philip Smith
The occult detective has a long history. Depending on how one defines the genre, occult themes coincide with the earliest detective fiction and theatre, 公案小說 (gong’an, or crime-case) stories from the Song dynasty (13th-14th century), which often featured supernatural appearances and interventions. To Anglophone audiences, however, the figure is, perhaps, most closely associated with the decades that followed the founding of the Society for Psychical Research in London in 1882. While Sherlock Holmes dedicated much of his efforts to exploding notions of the supernatural, most famously in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), other detectives both drew on and fought against the occult. Making his debut in 1898, Flaxman Low is perhaps the first to fit the (inevitably) loose model of the occult or psychic detective. Driven by a late Victorian interest in the occult and ghost-hunting, though, Low was rapidly followed by a stream of successors, a connection that continues to the present with new detectives appearing well into the 21st century in a wide variety of media (including novels, short stories, comics, theatre, television, film, games, and more). Horror and crime fused in weird fiction in the pulps; in comics such as Hellblazer and Dead Boy Detectives; in video games such as Alan Wake and Alone in the Dark; in TV shows such as Twin Peaks and True Detective; and in films such as The Exorcist III and The Sixth Sense, to name just a few.
The editors seek essays of ~4,000 words. Topics should include occult detectives and any text which sits at the intersection of detective and horror narratives. Texts can be of any medium or time period. Some possibilities include, but are not limited to, the following figures, genres, or texts:
Gong’an (Judge Dee and/or Judge Bao in any medium)
Abraham Van Helsing (in any medium)
Flaxman Low
John Silence
Luna Bartendale
Carnacki the Ghost-Finder
Fantastic/horror noir (e.g., Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Angel Heart)
Hellblazer and John Constantine (in comics and film)
Hellboy (in comics and film)
The Exorcist series (in novels and film)
Stephen King (in any medium)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (in television, film, and comics)
The X-Files
Twin Peaks
Supernatural
Alan Wake
Ed Brubaker’s Fatale
Essays should be accessible but touch on big ideas, using a single text, author, artist, or director as a lens to comment on the genre(s) and themes at play. We particularly encourage contributions that take an international, cross-cultural perspective, and/or touch on topics of queerness, ethnicity, gender, and disability.
Proposals of up to three hundred words due by 29 September 2024 to occultdetectivesbook@gmail.com Final drafts for accepted proposals will be due by 30 March 2025. Each essay will be subject to editorial review; authors should expect to undertake at least one round of revisions before final acceptance.
Genre and Video Games
We are seeking short chapters of approximately 2,500-2,700 words for an edited collection on literary genres in video games. We invite submissions for all five of the genres: Fantasy, Historical fiction, Romance, Horror/Gothic, and Science Fiction, that the collection endeavours to explore.
The collection fits into an ongoing genre studies series and will examine how literary genres function in video games, thereby bringing video games into the existing literary canon of genre studies. Each subsection will explore key themes in the existing canon while expanding on the interactive elements of video games that update and/or alter existing conversations about genre. The essays will be educational and accessible in nature with the aim of producing a comprehensive teaching companion for future courses in game studies, game development, or the digital humanities. This call addresses all five general genre areas the collection seeks to address. These are meant to be general categorizations, but we encourage submissions that also move into inter- or cross-genres, as many of these genres overlap and share different features in both games and literary studies.
Topics that might be considered (but are not limited to):
Fantasy
The Prominence of Fantasy Games and Nostalgia
Fantasy Race and Colonization
Non-Western Fantasy
Resource-Gathering and Digital Landscapes
Pseudo-Medievalism in Fantasy Game World
Historical Fiction
(Pre)Industrialism & economy and/or class dynamics
Feudalism
Monarchy and/or Empire
Colonialism
Myth and Storytelling (written, oral or otherwise)
Gender and/or sexuality
Disability
Romance
Player Character (PC) and Non-Playable Character (NPC) Agency
Queer Romance Routes
LGBTQ2IA+ Representation
Digital Sex, Consent and AI Romance
Romantic Subplots Across Genres
Horror/Gothic
Queer Horror and the Monstrous ‘Other’
Gothic Games and the Undead Past
Haunted Digital Landscapes
Consumption Horror: Parasites, Vampires, and Cannibals
Speculation and Apocalyptic Horror
Science Fiction
Digital Posthuman Landscapes and Mitigating Climate Nihilism
Human/Technology Interactions and the Rise of Artificial Intelligence
Space Exploration and Colonization
Speculative Dystopias and Projected Futures
Alternative Futurisms
Particular interest will be paid to pieces that engage with Indigenous and Non-Western perspectives in the chosen game or through the chapter’s proposed scholarship.
Please submit an abstract of 250-300 words alongside a brief (100 word) bio to genreandvideogames@gmail.com by the date below. Abstract due by: August 15, 2024
Prospective draft due date: December 15, 2024
(Re)Animating the Middle Ages: Adapting the Medieval in Animated Media
Co-organizers Michael A. Torregrossa, Karen Casey Casebier, and Carl B. Sell
Sponsored by Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture
56th Annual Convention of Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA)
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown (Philadelphia, PA) On-site event: 6-9 March 2025
Submission Instructions
In this panel, we seek in particular to build upon the pioneering work of medieval-animation scholar Michael N. Salda and provide additional insights into the ways medieval-themed animation has impacted our contemporary world. Presenters might explore anime, cartoons, films, games, shorts, and videos produced through traditional ink-and-paint, stop-motion, claymation, or computer-generated imagery. Selections should represent and/or engage with some aspect of the medieval, such as artifacts, characters, settings, themes, etc., presented as central to the narrative, tangential, or appearing solely as cameos.
All proposals must be submitted into the CFPList system by 30 September 2024. You will be prompted to create an account with NeMLA (if you do not already have one) and, then, to complete sections on Title, Abstract, and Media Needs.
Notification on the status of your submission will be made by 16 October 2024. If accepted, NeMLA asks you to confirm your participation with the session chairs by accepting their invitations and by registering for the event. The deadline for Registration/Membership is 9 December 2024.
Thank you for your interest in our session. Please address questions and/or concerns to the organizers at MedievalinPopularCulture@gmail.com.
For more information on the Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture, please visit our website at https://medievalinpopularculture.blogspot.com
The Dark Side of Lego: The Gothic Fantastic, and the Uncanny Pleasures of Lego
Lego is everywhere. The ubiquity of the children’s building is both a marvel at its popularity but also the kinds of financial muscle and cutthroat business practice that has seen Disney approach, what sometimes feel, as world domination of the entertainment and leisure industry — there’s no surprise that the Lego and Disney frequently work together.
Unsurprisingly Lego is not all fun and play and whilst much of the “dark side” of Lego can be seen to come making toys for all ages of “children” with no age restriction on who buys or plays with them (other than a “age suggestion” on the box) there is much of it that purposely Gothic in tone and intent. In part this comes from the other franchises that Lego partners with such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, DC Superheroes, and Harry Potter, but they also have their own dedicated series using such themes as Ninjago, special Halloween and monsters series, as well as those promoting villains and even shark attacks in the crossover brands.
Equally unsurprising are the various compromises and missteps that have occurred over gender and ethnicity within the franchise with concerns over inclusion, the “yellowness” of the toys, cultural appropriation, and sets such as Jabba the Hutts’ Mosque/Palace. Some of this can be seen to stem from an under appreciation of the kinds of troubling identity and inclusion issues that are part of the franchises they choose to deal with and the fandoms that follow them — Lego too has it’s more extreme fandoms amongst the faithful.
With this is what we might term real-world Lego in terms of theme parks (Legolands), shops, conventions and the parent company itself. The kinds of aggressive sales models that power Lego’s increasing global reach often pays little regard to those who work for them, other local businesses in the areas they move in to, or legal action against those deemed to be infringing on their copyrights.
This collection is interested in any aspect of the above or the suggestions below:
Gothic aspects of any of the series such as Harry Potter, DC Superheroes, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Disney Princesses, Mario Brothers (Luigi’s Haunted House), Lord of the Rings, Marvel Superheroes, Ninjago, Scooby Doo, etc.
The story arcs of any characters within those Batman, Joker, Lord Garmageddon, Darth Vader etc.
How any of the above play out over different platforms, bricks, books, games, accessories, theme parks, conventions, etc.
Gothic aspects of standard sets, Lego City, Creator, Dots and portraits, special editions etc.
Special sets/figures of vampires, monsters, Halloween, picture books of Dracula & Frankenstein, gothic castles, villains, dinosaurs, sharks etc.
Gothicism and play, mash-ups, and fluid Identity in self-creation.
Inappropriate Lego or fan interventions: The Simpsons, Lego Rifle, terrorist figures, Lego death camp, Breaking Bad, etc.
Lego fandom — Brickipedia, Legopedia, Wiki-Lego — and intersections with toxic fandoms from other franchises (ie Star Wars).
Issues around gender and ethnicity.
Ihe gothic nature of the company itself.
Any other areas that seem gothic in nature or outcome.
Send ideas and/or 300 word abstracts for a prospective collection of essays by 30th November 2024 to Simon Bacon: baconetti@gmail.com
The cool kids over at the Fan2Fan Podcast are continuing their marathon of episodes devoted to iconic horror director John Carpenter. They just published an episode on the Lovecraftian In The Mouth of Madness, with myself and Joshua Pruett as guests.
The episode can be streamed at the Fan2Fan Libsyn page, in the embedded player below, or in your podcast app of preference.
Sincere appreciation to Bernie and Pete for having me on. In case you missed it, Michele and/or I were on a few other Fan2Fan John Carpenter episodes, (Christine, The Fog, Prince of Darkness), so please check those episodes out as well.
Panthans Journal #326
The National Panthans Journal is a monthly PDF zine of Edgar Rice Burroughs-related reviews, essays, articles, artwork, news, etc.
Laurence G. Dunn, the editor/compiler of the Panthans Journal, has been gracious to give the many Edgar Rice Burroughs comic book reviews I penned in the late 2010s a second life. Issue #326 (pictured here, with artwork by Jim Burns) contains an updated version of my review of Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond #1. Sincere appreciation to Laurence!
If you’re interested in contributing to Panthans or receiving copies of the publication, contact Laurence at laurencegdunn @ gmail dot com (sans spaces).
Scholars from the Edge of Time
June’s episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time is now online! In this episode we conclude our retrospective of the pepla career of Bella Cortez by discussing the final sword and sandal film she made, Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens.
Poster for Ali Baba and the Seven Saracens from Wikipedia.
The vidcast can be watched on YouTube here. Check it out!
Michele and I have also planned out the next two episodes of Scholars from the Edge of Time. For July’s episode we will be discussing She Is Conan (2023) and in August we will be talking about Pilgrimage (2017). Stay tuned!
Publishing Recap
Below is a recap of my publishing endeavors so far in 2024.
Comic Book Review: “Carson of Venue: The Flames Beyond #1″ reprinted in the National Capital Panthans Journal #326.
From the Archives
This following podcasts episodes and articles were published from 6/24 to 7/7:
I take a gander at the newest album from Zeena, Transcend. Check it out here!
From the Archives
I’m starting to accumulate quite the repertoire of essays, articles and podcast appearances. I’d like to make sure I spotlight these older works so they don’t fall into obscurity. Going forward I’m going to have this new section on my updates called “From the Archives” where I list out items that occurred in the same time period (last update to current update), but in prior years
Here are some new pop culture CFPs that have crossed my paths. Links to these will also be in the CFP page on the navigation bar.
Queer Horror: A Companion
“To create a broad analogy, monster is to ‘normality’ as homosexual is to heterosexual” (Benshoff, 1997).
This quote, well worn within the pages of academic criticism, speaks to how the connection between queer identity and the horror genre is now so established as to become indivisible. From Frankenstein’s Creature to Dracula, the Babadook to Jennifer Check, in fiction and in film these monstrous queers “live in a world that hates them. They’ve adapted, they’ve learned to conceal themselves. They’ve survived” (Machado, 2020). Kirsty Logan, in the Foreword to It Came From the Closet, suggests that “horror [never] gives us LGBTQIA+ people accurate representation. The best we can have is a reflection: an image mirrored, turned backwards; an image in shifting water, wavering and distorted” (2023). However, in The Celluloid Closet and Beyond, the closeted monsters of the closeted text have now been routinely outed. Queer horror, too, is no longer the sole domain of monstrous metaphors, but a pluralistic space in which to thematise queer anxieties and to foreground non-hegemonic sexual identities, gender expressions and narrative approaches. Pitched as part of Peter Lang’s ‘Genre Fiction and Film Companion’ series, Queer Horror: A Companion thus seeks to collate a diverse volume showcasing how the label of ‘queer horror’ transcends the trauma of its shadowed roots into an explicit exploration, vital resuscitation, and ultimate celebration of queerness itself.
Following after New Queer Horror’s movement away from “a simplistic binarised negotiation of identification between normative (straight) protagonists and the non-normative (queer) monster” (Elliot-Smith & Browning, 2020), Queer Horror: A Companion looks to foreground explicit queer narratives (Chucky, Monstrilio) and the queer creators imbuing their works with queer sensibilities (Kyle Edward Ball, Carmen Maria Machado, Christopher Landon). Across new forms and mediums, such as video games and podcasts, queer horror moves towards intrinsically queer narratives of homophobic abuse (Femme), alienation (I Saw the TV Glow) and romance (Love Lies Bleeding). And, much as Pride has given way to Pride Progress, so too do works of queer horror emerge that centre underrepresented identities including intersex (Sorrowland), bisexuality (Jennifer’s Body), or explore unwritten narratives such as domestic abuse between partners of the same sex (In the Dream House). Queer Horror: A Companion thus seeks to channel this multiplicity into wide- reaching and inclusive analyses of the many modes and inflections that queer horror adopts today.
Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
Queering of specific genres and sub-genres, especially those held to be traditionally exclusionary to queer narratives (e.g. Bodies Bodies Bodies and the slasher, or In the Dream House and the memoir).
Representation of non-hegemonic queer identities, including asexual, intersex, trans, non-binary and non-white narratives (e.g. the works of Jane Schoenbrun, Sayaka Murata, or Rivers Solomon).
International approaches to queer horror (e.g. Huesera: The Bone Woman, Climax, or Thelma).
Relationship between queer horror and the mainstream, in relation to cross-medium adaptation (e.g. the alterations to Bill and Frank’s relationship in The Last of Us).
Tracing the establishment, and development, of academic criticism toward queer horror (e.g. Harry M. Benshoff’s Monsters in the Closet, or Michael William Saunders’ Imps of the Perverse).
Queer horror in video games (e.g. Signalis, or The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories).
Queer horror’s intersections with other theoretical disciplines (e.g. Masculinity Studies and Titane or All of Us Strangers, or Critical Disability Studies and Freaks).
Performing queer horror on stage and screen (e.g. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, or Dragula).
Queer horror as a way of mapping queer history (e.g. The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Labouchere Amendment, James Whale and the Hays Code, or American Horror Story: NYC and the AIDS crisis).
Relationship between queer horror, exploitation cinema and pornography (e.g. Hellraiser, Knife +)
Heart, or the works of Billy Martin, writing as Poppy Z. Brite).
Existence, or reclamation, of tropes and stereotypes (e.g. ‘Bury Your Gays’, or queer villainy).
Classic works of queer horror (e.g. Carmilla, or Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde), or the queering of classic horror fiction (e.g. Murders in the Rue Morgue and New Murders in the Rue Morgue).
Sapphic horror narratives (e.g. Our Wives Under the Sea, or Wilder Girls).
Any forms not listed above, such as graphic novels or podcasts, or concerns such as queer aesthetics.
Finished chapters will be approximately 4000 words (exc. bibliography), adopting a primary text to discuss the broader topic of queer horror. Submissions should be accessible to new readers, while still articulating the individual elements that distinguish the chosen work.
Please submit abstracts of 300 words, alongside a short biographical note (50–100 words), to Dr Michael Wheatley at michaeldavidwheatley@gmail.com by September 30th, with chapters expected in late 2025. Criticism on sexual identities and gender expressions marginalised in academia are particularly welcome.
Miscellaneous Tidbits
Happy Birthday to Me
June 20th was my birthday! I took Thursday and Friday off work to have a nice four day birthday weekend. Michele had lots of plans for me.
On Thursday we went to Imperial Outpost Games and played T.I.M.E. Stories while eating sandwiches from Goodcents. Michele and I like board games, but we don’t get to play them often in our home become 1) we lack a large table and 2) we have a certain cat who NEEDS to be involved, which includes knocking pieces around and laying in the center of the board. So, it was nice going to an outside venue to play.
We got our butts kicked on T.I.M.E. Stories. Fucking dude who wanted a plunger and distracted us with his dancing, causing us to lose five turns. WTF buddy.
On Friday we did a tour of the Arizona Biltmore, an art deco hotel from the 1920s. It was amazing! The tour was super fun, we got to see lots of original rooms, furnishings, etc. of the hotel and learn about its rich history. Nothing brought up about ghosts though.
The Biltmore is also the birthplace of the original Tequila Sunrise. Not the 1970s one made with 90% orange juice created during the disco and cocaine era, but this one was created 30 years prior and uses tequila, lime, soda water, and creme de cassis. So, of course, I had to have one! It’s not often you get to experience cocktail history.
As a present to myself, I got this amazing statue from Sideshow Collectables. It’s from their PulpVixens line. The set is called Dr. Sin, but the protagonist here is Agent Ursula. This statue has everything I love: beautiful pinup, spy-fi, Lovecraftian horror, and pulp adventure. I love it!
Time to invest in a legit display cabinet!
Beating Hearts & Battle-Axes Kickstarter
There’s a brand new sword and sorcery Kickstarter I want to signal boost, and it’s for Beating Hearts & Battle-Axes. Check it out on Backerkit.
![Cover shows a UFO emerging from space. Below it is a processing of silhouettes walking through the desert, holding the Ark of the Covenant. In black pen it is signed "To Nichola [sic] and Michele, Enjoy your journey! Tim R. Swartz"](https://i0.wp.com/nickdiak.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Ancient-Aliens-Season-6-DVD.jpg?resize=580%2C812&ssl=1)
