Tag: Twilight Zone

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Biweekly News Roundup 2023-05-07

Personal / Website News

Another series of productive and hectic weeks. The big thing is the CFP for the Emmanuelle project closed at the end of April. I’ve sent out acceptances and am currently working on proposals to send to publishers. However, there is room for more essays in the book so I will probably reactivate the CFP and accept abstracts on a rolling basis. If you’re interested, reach out!

Weird Tales #367 Mini-Interviews

Last year for the sword and sorcery issue of Weird Tales I did a series of mini-interviews with a handful of contributors. That article can be found here.

I’ve done the same thing for the cosmic horror issue of Weird Tales that is being published later this month. Angela Yuriko Smith, Samantha Underhill, and Carol Gyzander all let me do a mini interview with them and they can be read here. Check them out and consider pre-ordering the issue.

“Strange Realities” Supplemental Material

Last year I had an essay about the movie Encounter with the Unknown published in The Many Lives of the Twilight Zone.

The final bit of the essay I make reference to the various VHS releases of Encounter. As a supplement to that essay I’ve uploaded pictures of these releases. Check it out here.

Footage Fiends #1 Is Out

The debut issue of Footage Fiends is out!

It actually was released a month or so ago and the copy I bought has been sitting in my PO Box for a few weeks. Oops.

This zine contains my essay “Analisi Della Cosa: Found Footage in Caltiki and Italian Theater Going Practices.” This first issue is limited to 50 physical copies, but I believe digital copies are available. The zine can be ordered via subscription from the Footage Fiends Patreon.

New H. P. Lovecast Podcast

Our monthly Transmissions episode for H. P. Lovecast Podcast is online!

In April we interviewed some cool comic book kids: Bernie Gonzalez (also of Fan2Fan Podcast fame) and Joshua Pruett. The episode can be streamed at our Buzzsprout site, via the embedded player below, or via your podcast app of preference.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 21 Bernie Gonzalez and Joshua Pruett – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

Thank you Bernie and Joshua for appearing on our show!

Scholars from the Edge of Time

New episode of Scholars from the Edge of Time is online!

Michele and I talk about the 1954 proto-Raiders of the Lost Ark film, Secret of the Incas. You can hear our discussion on YouTube. I’ll be turning my notes into an article for Exotica Moderne in a bit, so stay tuned!

Publishing Recap

Below is a recap of my publishing endeavors so far in 2023.

Published in February, this collection contains my essay “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling.”

Vernon Press Product Page

Scheduled to be published in May, this issue of Weird Tales contains my essay “When the Stars are Right.”

Weird Tales Product Page

Published in late March, the first issue of the zine Footage Fiends, contains my essay “Analisi Della Cosa: Found Footage in Caltiki and Italian Theater Going Practices.”

Limited to 50 physical copies.

Order via Patreon.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Angela Sylvaine’s Frost Bite Cover Reveal

Angela Sylvaine (awesome friend and writer who we interviewed on H. P. Lovecast back in June 2021) has her debut novel, Frost Bite, coming out later this year. Her publisher, Dark Matter Ink, just did a cover reveal and it is the bomb dot com.

I am digging the 90s and shades of vaporwave going on here. And, it’s meteorite-horror adjacent, so I am triple excited.

Sylvaine’s book can be be pre-ordered at the Dark Matter Magazine shop.

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2022 Accomplishments

Happy 2023 everyone!

As with 2021, 2022 was a crazy year. Lots of life stuff: got a new job after 16 or 17 years at my previous job, and bought a house – first house ever! It’s been quite a process and these last few months busy with cleaning, packing, and moving. However, that is all done (well, except unpacking and furnishing) and Michele and I get to start 2023 off in a home with our cats.

I did a 2021 Accomplishments List and looking back on those, I actually got most of them done! Some projects have been delayed, and of course I have items and reviews on my to do list that have been pending for a while.

Now that I’m all settled in in the new house, with my own office, and library of research material close at hand, I look forward to taking a big bite out of 2023!

2022 Accomplishments

Podcast Accomplishments

Publication Accomplishments

  • 5 physical/print publications
  • 19 articles at my website
    • 10 comic book/book/movie reviews/write ups
    • 6 interviews
    • 3 cocktail articles
  • I also made short film called Dinosaur Joke

Conference Accomplishments

  • Co-chaired with Michele the 5th year of the Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference
    • This is also the final year we chair this conference
  • 1 Conference Presentation
    • AnnRadCon
  • 1 Convention Appearance

I’d like to give a shout out to the following folks who have given me platforms to share what I’ve been working on or given me venues to contribute to:

  • Bernie Gonzalez and Pete Charbonneau (Fan2Fan Podcast)
  • Hercules Invictus (Voice of Olympus Network)
  • Ken Holewczynski (Exotica Moderne)
  • James Chambers, Carol Gyzander (Galactic Terrors)
  • Jonathan Maberry (Weird Tales)
  • Kevin Wetmore (Twilight Zone book)
  • Hal and Dee Astell (CoKoCon)
  • Michele Brittany (partner in crime)

You are all greatly appreciated!

2023 Projections

Three days into 2023 and projects are already lining up. Some are carryovers from 2022. Some have been legacy to dos. Some will be brand new. We’ve already been in touch with folks for future episodes of H. P. Lovecast, so expect lots of cool stuff there. I got some looming deadlines for essays for anthology editors, so time to get to work!

Things to look forward to in 2023

  • Publishing of the debut issue of the Footage Fiends zine which contains my essay on the Mario Bava cosmic horror/exotica film, Caltiki: The Immortal Monster.
  • A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator is slated to be published this February. This contains my essay on industrial bands that sample the film. This book has been a long time in coming, so I am extremely excited to see it published!
  • My CFP for the Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle project will be open until the spring. Submit, submit, submit!
  • Essay to be published in Weird Tales. Proof was done and turned in.
  • New episodes of H. P. Lovecast Podcast
  • Appearances on the Fan2Fan Podcast
  • Appearance on the Scaredy Cats podcast discussing the film The Final Girls.
  • Being on panels for CoKoCon 2023.

Projects I’ll be starting in 2023

Projects I anticipate to be starting/working on in 2023:

  • Essay on peplum cats for a project for Simon Bacon about cats in cinema (due early spring!)
  • Essay on the Front Line Assembly album Implode and how it samples the films Mimic and Event Horizon (passion idea project)
  • Crossing fingers – get enough submissions for the Emmanuelle project to procure a publisher and get that book off the ground
  • Turning my Acylum/Vikings presentation in a journal article
  • And other legacy items on my to do list…

Thank you to everyone who has been with my on my academic journey, who has read and shared my material or given me platforms. You all rock socks!

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Biweekly News Roundup 2022-12-04

Personal / Website News

Life Stuff

Apologies in advance that original writing here at my website has been sparse. Michele and I recently bought a house and we are in the process of moving in. The vast majority of my library is in boxes at the new place. We will be moved in by the end of the month with January being spent unpacking and getting settled. After that, I’ll be up and running again, writing content here but for other venues and projects as well.

Despite this, LOTS of cool stuff is still going on. Read below!

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for the Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

New H. P. Lovecast Podcast Episode

A brand new episode of H. P. Lovecast Podcast is online.

This is our monthly Transmissions episode, however we did a longer form interview instead of a handful of smaller ones. Our interview is with P. L. McMillan and her new novella, Sisters of the Crimson Vine. The episode can be streamed at the H. P. Lovecast Buzzsprout page, via the embedded player below, or via your podcast app of preference.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 17 – P. L. McMillan – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

For December we are going to do a recap episode where Michele and I talk about projects completed this year, upcoming news, podcast news, and so on.

A Hero Will Endure Update

A few years in the making, but the collection, A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator, is set to be published this February by Vernon Press. This book contains my essay, “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling.” There is no cover art yet, but there is a product/pre-order page at the publisher’s website.

Footage Fiends Issue 1

Pre-orders are open for the first issue of the Footage Fiends zine. I have a short essay in this debut issue (tentatively) titled “Analisi Della Cosa: Found Footage in Caltiki and Italian Theater Going Practices.”

Issues are tied to tiers at the Footage Fiends Patreon: $5 digital and $10 for physical with issues being published quarterly.

A promotional clip for the Zine can be found on the Footage Fields Twitter:

Check it all out and consider supporting!

Awards Season

Horror/speculative award season is upon us. This year I really only have one piece of writing eligible for the various awards out there: my essay “Strange Realities: Twilight Zone-sploitation in Encounter with the Unknown” in The Many Lives of the Twilight Zone: Essays on the Television and Film Franchise. Thank you for your interest/consideration!

New Scholars from the Edge of Time

Michele and I appeared on Hercules Invictus’ Sword and Sandal cinema the last Thursday of November. I talked about the “City of Evil” episode of Thundarr the Barbarian while Michele talked about Ouja Mummy and Luxor. The episode can be heard via BlogTalkRadio.

Tribel Social Media

With all the brouhaha happening at Twitter, I’ve decided to start checking out alternative social medias. Unfortunately my iPhone is at capacity so I cannot install the app-only Hive social media. I’m on a waitlist for Post. However, I did setup an account at Tribel, which can be found here. Tribel is pretty much a ghost town right now, but I’ll wait and see what happens. Come give me a follow if you’re on the platform.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Mimic Soundtrack (And Plans)

Record Store Day had a Black Friday event this year. There was one vinyl I was really, really gunning for, and that was the new LP of the Mimic soundtrack, composed by Marco Beltrami. When I got to Zia Records, there was only one copy on the shelf and I snagged that bad boy.

Michele and I talked about Mimic and Mimic 2 on our H. P. Lovecast Podcast (check them out – links on the titles) and plan on doing Mimic 3 next year.

I have other plans for the Mimic soundtrack. The first Front Line Assembly album I ever bought was Implode which contains much sampling of dialogue and music cues from both Mimic and Event Horizon. It’s been on the idea board to write *something* about this. We shall see what I come up with.

Elmer Batters Polaroid

I am a huge fan of the stockings photography of Elmer Batters. Back in 2015 Michele and I were able to visit an Elmer Batters and Eric Stanton exhibit that Taschen Books was curating in LA. Lots of great art and photography, and polaroids too!

There was an option to buy the polaroids, but at that point I didn’t have the funds to do so.

Fast forward to autumn 2022 and I was able to work with Taschen to procure a an original Batters Polaroid:

Elmer Batters, unknown model.

The polaroid was taken in the 1970s and it is awesome. The model is unfortunately unknown. It’s a fairly conservative Batters piece and I adore it.

The back of the frame the polaroid came in was autographed by Dian Hanson, known for many of the pinup books and Big Book Ofs that Taschen published (I cited her Big Butt Book for my masters thesis). Sincere thanks to Bernard at Taschen for coordinating all of this.

Rest in Peplum

French actress Mylène Demongeot passed away on December 1st (Deadline Article).

Promotional image from IMDB.

She starred in peplum and peplum-adjacent films such as:

  • The Giant of Marathon (1959)
  • Romulus and the Sabines (1961)
  • Gold for the Caesars (1963)