Staying Spooky

Halloween and a Horror Book Announcement

Lamenting the Season’s End

This post is going out just before Halloween and I’m already dreading the loss of the spooky season. Halloween is  the only traditional  holiday that I celebrate with any vigor and by any choice of my own. I don’t even celebrate Christmas anymore, but that’s a story for the months to come. For those of us who enjoy the macabre, from the cute and creepy to the therapeutic catharsis that comes with the fright of horror, it is a brief window of time when everyone shares your peculiar tastes and entire store shelves are stocked with products targeting you. Yet the universe works in cycles and even now the shelves of good eerie fun are being slowly overtaken by jolly and cheer. Blegh! The good news is that pumpkin spice is in for at least another month, and there are some of us who live in the dark recesses all year round, and we are still making spooky things even out of season. For example…

The 99 Legs

I’m excited to announce that I’ve been brought in to edit another graphic novel by my dear friend and one of my favorite writers, Michael W. Conrad, the uncanny and incredible artist, Noah Bailey, and letters by Kyle Arends.  The 99 Legs was just announced at New York Comic Con so I can finally share some info. First, let me drop a link to the official Amazon page where the exclusive digital edition will be published in spring of 2025. I can’t do better than Michael’s synopsis, so I’ll just steal the description straight from the page:

Writer Michael W. Conrad (Neptune, Nightwing) and acclaimed artist Noah Bailey (Diabolical, Station Grand) have reunited. The creative team behind Comixology Originals/Dark Horse Comics hit graphic novels, Tremor Dose and Double Walker, bring their strange and horrific sensibilities to their new graphic novel; The 99 Legs. When a down on his luck crime writer discovers a string of murders in his area that seem to align with his newest unpublished manuscript, he is terrified. Fearing that it will implicate him in the crimes, the writer contacts his agent to put a stop to the delivery of the manuscript to publishers. What follows is a blood spattered, spiraling nightmare, as the mystery of the killer’s identity unfolds. The 99 Legs finds its roots in the duo’s shared appreciation of Italian Giallo film genre, complete with its leather clad killers, twisting suspense, and a perfect marriage of the avant garde and low art sensibilities. A must read for fans of the macabre and uncanny tales that Conrad and Bailey have become known for, The 99 Legs promises to be their most disturbing collaboration to date.

If you want to find out more about the book, here’s an interview with Michael talking about it in more detail.

Something to Watch

Freaks 

Is it exploitative by our current standards? Probably. But Freaks was very progressive for the 30s and far ahead of its time. The simple fact that the villains are the abled body actors while the real life sideshow "freaks" are the relatable characters puts this one ahead of many contemporary films in the horror genre (I’m looking at you Ari Aster). While we still exploit those who don't look like us for shock value, Freaks held up a mirror to reflect on our own ugliness 90 years ago. It’s old, but has scenes that will stick in your head and you’ll find yourself thinking about moments in the film for months to come. The shocking ending holds up surprisingly well, even with as campy as it is. Watch freaks and become one of us. One of us! One of us! One of us!

Arsenic and Old Lace

A fun quirky movie that stands out even 80 years later. Parts of the premise might be a little outdated, but it's full of charm. I only wish I could have seen the original stage play with Boris Karloff in the cast. This is one of few films that brings together the macabre and a screwball sense of humor. Cary Grant goes above and beyond with his physical humor and brings out a side of his acting that is perhaps only on display in this film. This has become a personal favorite and it has been re-released by Criterion for anyone who wants a high quality, beautiful copy for their collection. Having murderers in the family has never been so fun. 

Thirst

I know, you want something in color. Well Thirst is a modern vampire film by one of my favorite directors, Park Chan-Wok. Yes, that does mean it is in Korean, but it also means that it has the same twisted sense of horror as the cult classic, Oldboy. Song Kang-Ho, who you will recognize from other Korean hits like the award winning Parasite, plays a complicated character who finds himself battling his inner morals and the sudden need to drink blood to survive. Dark, quirky, terrifying, and beautiful in a way that only Park Chan-Wok can accomplish, Thirst is in a heated battle for the top three vampire movies of all time, at least on my list.

I’m looking for my own movie suggestions to watch on Halloween, so drop your favorites in the comments below.

Happy Halloween!

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