Welcome once again, frightful friends, to the latest issue of the new House of Scream online Magazine! And what an issue we have for you this month, packed to the bloody brim with exclusive art, short stories, and interviews!
First up, we have a featured gallery with today’s cover artist, Doug Hoppes from Shadowmyths Dark Art, as well as a special interview in regard to his inspirations and creative process. Then, we go behind the scenes at the Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF), with the mysterious videographer known as Evillica,
Likewise, Professor Oddfellow from Grave Mood Rings is back with another one of his “Priceless Spectacles”, and we have the premier of writer/director Scott Shirmer’s new “Double Feature” movie reviews.
As if that wasn’t enough torment, Creepy Linguini shares another one of her delightfully dreadful cocktails, and Scary Salad stops by for the latest “Salad Bites”!
Want to keep up with all the happenings from the INSANE SIGNALS NETWORK? Please go to our contact page and sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter, where we’ll send you regular updates on all things terrifying, bizarre, and strange!
See you next month for another exciting edition!
-Mad Mike Mandrake
Green Beings (Paintings by MAD)
Behind the Scenes W/ Evillica
I recently had a chance to catch up with the mysterious videographer, Evillica, who is known for her analog #creepcore and liminal nightmare creations. We previously interviewed Evillica at our Horror to Culture website, which can be found – HERE -
This time, she’s excited to share her involvement in this year’s BUFF (Boston Underground Film Festival), where she unveiled a new short film. The long running festival, now in its 28th (!) year, is host to independent films from across the globe. Evillica gives a little background into the event, stating:
“BUFF has a long history of showcasing boundary-pushing genre cinema, while my work mostly exists online through short analog horror pieces. What made this collaboration interesting is simply the way those two environments briefly intersect.
“Over the past few years, a noticeable amount of horror storytelling has started to emerge through short-form digital formats online. While these pieces exist outside the traditional film space, they often rely on the same language of tension, atmosphere, and unease that horror cinema has used for decades. Seeing that visual language connect with a long-running genre festival like BUFF felt like an interesting moment of crossover.”
Spotlight on Shadowmyths Dark Art
This month we're pleased to share the wonderfully macabre oil paintings, and writings, of Shadowmyths Dark Art (AKA Doug Hoppes). He provides the cover to the magazine today, and our previous interview at Horror to Culture between collaborator C. Rommial Butler, and Doug Hoppes can be found -HERE-
He's currently touring with the popular Oddities and Curiosities expo, and is probably headed to a town near you!
Why Lumberjacks Are to Blame
for the Devolution of Horror
By: Professor Oddfellow
For too long we've been given the "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" from self-aware, "meta" horror films until our ribs are bruised and our own eyelids are drooping. But can lumberjacks seriously be the culprits? Paul Bunyan may be fictional himself, but his legendary shenanigans can be blamed for the infestation of irony that plagues genre films to this day. John Waters has famously explained the scourge of irony: "Irony ruined everything.... Even the best exploitation movies were never meant to be 'so bad they were good.'
They were not made for the intelligentsia. They were made to be violent for real, or to be sexy for real. But now everybody has irony. Even horror films now are ironic. Everybody's in on the joke now. Everybody's hip. Nobody takes anything at face value anymore." Here's why John Waters might have pointed a finger high toward Paul Bunyan and the lumberjacks propping up their hero.
HORROR OF DRACULA (1958)
Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee reteam after The Curse of Frankenstein to bring another classic monster to life for Britain’s Hammer Film Studios. In this adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Johnathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) arrives at castle of Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) with the intent to kill the vampire. But Dracula vanquishes him, forcing Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) to visit in search of his friend. After he discovers Harker sleeping in a coffin with fangs, he makes use of his trusty hammer and stake, then informs the Harkley family of their loss. Soon after, Dracula begins preying on the family, turning Lucy (Carol Marsh) into a vampire and setting his sights on Mina (Melissa Stribling) while Van Helsing tries to protect them.
I find Horror of Dracula a more successful gothic outing than Curse of Frankenstein. The script starts off less burdened by exposition and the beautifully decorated sets feel a bit more expansive. The second act drags in comparison to the opening and closing ones, but that’s where I fall back on enjoying the British cast do their oh-so-serious make-believe. Cushing is one of my favorite actors, possessing the ability to make me believe just about anything, no matter how ridiculous the plot may be. Any Hammer film that rides his coat tails is off to a good start. Christopher Lee has more to do this time around, distinguishing his version of Dracula under the specter of Bela Lugosi. Michael Gough (Batman) is a wonderful addition as Harkley’s brother-in-law who accompanies Cushing throughout the last half of the film. James Bernard’s score is too exclamatory for my taste, but Horror of Dracula creates a great gothic vibe throughout its short, eighty-two minute run time. And any film ending with Peter Cushing pushing a vampire into the sunlight by turning two candlesticks into a makeshift cross can’t be bad.
With Olga Dickie and Valerie Gaunt. Directed by Terence Fisher (The Curse of Frankenstein, The Hound of the Baskervilles).
*****
THE MUMMY (1959)
What can I say? I really like mummies. And unlike Universal’s boring 1932 film, this Hammer Films production actually features its creepy title character in many scenes, instead of hiding it. Peter Cushing stars as a member of an archaeological dig that unearths the Egyptian tomb of the princess Ananka and her mummified lover, played by a mute Christopher Lee. A dedicated protector of the tomb (George Pastell) vows revenge against Cushing and his team. He brings Lee’s mummy to England and resurrects him to kill off every member of the excavation team. As his colleagues perish around him, Cushing’s only chance for survival lies in his young wife (Yvonne Furneaux), who has an uncanny resemblance to the mummy’s beloved Ananka.
Hammer’s gothic horror movies are all generally of the same good quality, but The Mummy moves at a nice, slightly faster pace than usual and takes advantage of some neat exterior sets, including a swamp the mummy carries Furneaux into for the climax. The mummy design is a grittier, muddier one than we usually get, and I think it makes the character look more ‘lived-in’ and scary. Lee animates the mummy well, Cushing is terrific as usual, and Franz Reisenstein’s romantic score adds a cozy, added touch. I could do without the lengthy flashback revealing the mummy and Ananka’s backstory in ancient Egypt, but it hardly diminishes the spooky appeal of another well-made film from the fine folks at Hammer.
Directed by Terence Fisher. With Eddie Byrne, Felix Aylmer, and Raymond Huntley.
*****
Scott Schirmer is an independent filmmaker and reviewer. His films include the cult classics FOUND, HEADLESS, HARVEST LAKE, PLANK FACE, THE BAD MAN, and GUSH. His daily reviews can be discovered at www.scottsmoviereviews.com.
SALAD BITES - SCARYSALAD.COM
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Pharaoh Ramsleazis’ Horrorscopes
Creepy Linguine’s Sour Apple Sin Smoke
A House of Scream “After Hours” Cocktail
The air in the House of Scream has been… hazy lately.
Not fog—no, no. Fog is predictable.
This is something sweeter. Thicker.
The kind of atmosphere that clings to your skin… settles into your lungs… and makes everything feel just a little slower than it should.
I do love when the house starts experimenting on its own.
For those of you just arriving—how delightful—I’m Creepy Linguine: the Devil’s Eldest Daughter, your hostess of horrors, curator of calamity, and the only bartender I trust to serve something that might serve you back.
And tonight’s little indulgence?
Oh, it’s a playful one.
Bright green. Sweet at first.
Then sour enough to make your lips curl…
and your judgment slip just enough to say yes to things you normally wouldn’t.
Pharoah Ramsleazis would approve.
He might even call it…
The Sour Apple Sin Smoke.
A deceptively innocent concoction that glows like candy, leaving just enough of a lingering haze that you might not notice when the room starts breathing with you.
Because in my house…
Not everything you inhale is optional.
Ingredients
● 1 oz sour apple schnapps
● 1 oz vodka
● ½ oz triple sec
● Splash of lemon-lime soda (or sparkling water)
● Splash of fresh lime juice
● Green apple slices
● Optional: edible glitter or shimmer (for that unnatural glow)
● Optional garnish: sour gummy worms or green sugar rim
Directions
-
Rim your glass with lime juice and dip it in green sugar.
Make it pretty. You’ll want something nice to look at when things get strange. -
Fill a glass with ice—fresh, if possible.
Old ice tends to remember things. -
Pour in the sour apple schnapps, vodka, and triple sec.
-
Add a splash of lime juice to sharpen the flavor… and your senses.
-
Top with lemon-lime soda until the drink takes on that bright, glowing green hue.
-
Drop in a few thin slices of green apple.
Watch them carefully.
If they begin to sink… and then rise again…
you’ve done it just right.
-
Optional—but highly encouraged—add a pinch of edible shimmer.
Give it a swirl.
Let it catch the light.
Let it move.
Back Cover Painting Courtesy of
Artist Benny German
Welcome, fans of fright and purveyors of the perverse, to the very 1st issue of our new HOUSE OF SCREAM online magazine! In the long and industrious spirit of every DIY zine that’s come before us, each new edition of this digital publication will feature a variety of original art, short fiction, exclusive interviews, and much more. Will there be plenty of monsters, creeps, and kooks? Surely!
And what a jelly and jam packed first issue we have, as illustrator Adriel Venegas supplies our cover today (and an interview), while painter and tattooist Benny German provides the back cover art. In between those fantastic covers you’ll find a haunting new short story by writer C. Rommial Butler, Creepy Linguini’s Cocktail Corner, and Professor Oddfellow (from Grave Mood Rings) shares his “Priceless Spectacles”.
Likewise, frequent collaborator Negative Space Pictures, provides some really cool digital art for this inaugural maiden voyage. This has been a creative passion and labor of love, so we’re excited to share it with you. And where is the House of Scream headed next? That’s up to you! We’re always open to suggestions, and on the lookout for new art, short stories, essays, reviews, and interviews to feature in future editions.
One last note I’d like to share is that the INSANE SIGNALS NETWORK is now up and running, with new podcasts and video specials (hosted by yours ghouly) on the way! A lot of fun and entertaining things are in the works, so we hope you’ll join us on this journey, and thanks for being part of the first issue!
Beast Wishes,
Mad Mike Mandrake
Adriel Venegas is an up and coming indie artist known for his interesting characters and new comic book entitled, No Need To Kill.
I recently had the chance to sit down and discuss his creative inspirations and advice for other artists.
Nobody Said It Would Be Easy,
Not Even For Demons
Her hair, the color of flames. Her eyes, wickedly gleaming. Her demeanor, as mischievous as the little bat wings sprouting from her head. Could a true creature of darkness ever be as comical as tv presenter Melevill, Puerto Rico's first horror host? Could a true comedian ever be as demonically sinister? Melevill sometimes describes herself as a "fictional horror character," but there's a problem with that. Fictional characters in fact possess a special sort of reality. Just as Shakespeare's witchy Weird Sisters are real characters who are taken on by actors, and even as a spirit manifests itself in the person of a Vodou priest, Melevill absolutely exists. Melevill may not be a "real" person, but that doesn't rule out that Melevill is a fiendish entity. She certainly has some grievances, stony-faced as a gargoyle. Speaking of gargoyles, the demonic life isn't all Hollywood glitz and glamor. Just imagine someone like Melevill trying to get a beloved avian familiar through customs.
We might have told her not to be dressed in her best pirate garb while crossing borders, as it could easily send the wrong message, but then again we might have kept our opinions to ourselves and our eyes humbly downcast. Only a bona fide horror character, upon having her pet bird confiscated, would seize the opportunity to raise awareness about the plight of cryptids. La Gárgola is a Puerto Rican monster with gargoyle-like features. This red-eyed, winged humanoid is said to drink animal blood and scream like a 1980s metal head. But it hasn't been seen in Puerto Rico since 2018, and Melevill deduced why: it was banned from returning due to the island's strict avian influenza laws. Wasting no time in mourning, Melevill found renewed enthusiasm for taking over the entire Caribbean with the assistance of gargoyles and other winged creatures. When you hear her blood-chilling maniacal laughter, you know she's serious. Melevill and her alter-ego Melanie Ramos can be seen regularly on Neo-Pulps <https://neo-pulps.com/>, a venue promising DIY punk aesthetics for lovers of pulp, horror, fantasy, and the bizarre.—
*Hailed by the art world as the most unusual scholar working today, Craig Conley a.k.a. Prof. Oddfellow fled academia to author Weiser Books' Magic Words: A Dictionary, HarperCollins' One-Letter Words: A Dictionary, and The Young Wizard's Hexopedia. Esoteric publications include Books of the Dead, Magic Archetypes, The Care and Feeding of a Spirit Board, Seance Parlor Feng Shui, How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook, Heirs to the Queen of Hearts, Astrogalomancy, The One-Minute Mystic, and Divination by Punctuation. He produces, directs, and writes both Grave Mood Rings and Prof. Oddfellow's Penetralia. His work has been profiled in the New York Post, the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, National Public Radio, The Dallas Morning News, Publishers Weekly, The Associated Press, and dozens of others. His website is MysteryArts.com
Only Where There Are Graves
By C. Rommial Butler
Walking silently among the rows of unmarked white crosses, I feel something stir in my loins.
Have the spirits of these unnamed soldiers who have lain so long beneath the earth really gripped me in some sexual way?
I am tripping on LSD, after all.
Some believe psychoactive drugs open doors to other realms of consciousness. Some believe our minds are just blipping, conjuring hallucinations.
What is perception but a controlled hallucination determined by the needs that arise when we interact with our environment?
If all we know about our environment is filtered through the state of mind we call "sobriety", then we must indeed surmise reality to be twisted by the introduction of an intoxicant.
However, if I have inured myself to the effects of such an intoxicant, have I learned to perceive more reality? Less reality?
A new reality?
I'm an old pro at this. Tripping, walking through graveyards and ruins.
The spirits are very much aware of my presence, and they hunger for love.
NEGATIVE SPACE PICTURES
NEGATIVE SPACE PICTURES is a new studio specializing in digital animation, horror, the grotesque, and the oddly familiar.
A frequent collaborator to both House of Scream, and Scary Salad, we can expect to see a lot more from NSP in the near future. In the meantime, be sure to check out our first official gallery featuring more of his works!
-GALLERY-
Creepy Linguine’s Friday the Screamteenth Bloody Mimosa
The first official cocktail of House of Scream Magazine
The fog rolled in before the first issue ever hit the stands.
I suppose that’s fitting.
You see, when you open a place like the House of Scream, strange things have a way of
showing up early. Monsters. Maniacs. Midnight storytellers.
And occasionally…
a very good drink.
So allow me to introduce myself.
I’m Creepy Linguine— the Devil’s Eldest Daughter; your hostess of horrors, curator of
calamity, and now the proud bartender of the brand spanking new House of Scream
Magazine.
Every proper house needs a welcoming toast, and around here we like our celebrations the
same way we like our stories:
bubbly, a little bloody, and just unsettling enough to make you check over your shoulder.
Which brings us to tonight’s house specialty…
The Friday the Screamteenth Bloody Mimosa.
A crimson twist on the classic brunch cocktail—sweet, sparkling, and garnished with a pair of
cherries that float just right so the drink can stare right back at you.
Because in my house…
even the cocktails are watching.
Ingredients
● ½ champagne
● ¼ cranberry juice
● Splash of triple sec
● Splash of orange juice
● Lemon wedge (also goes great with a slice of lime or orange!)
● 2 maraschino cherries (the eyes)
Directions
1. Pour champagne into a flute until it’s halfway full.
2. Add cranberry juice until the drink turns a rich, blood-red color.
3. Splash in triple sec for a wicked citrus bite.
4. Add a splash of orange juice to brighten the brew.
5. Garnish with a lemon wedge on the rim.
6. Finally, drop in two maraschino cherries.
Watch them float.
If you’ve done it right, two red eyes will appear…
…and the drink will be looking straight back at you.
I’ll raise my glass to that.
After all, every haunted house needs a proper toast before the screaming starts.
Welcome to the HOS.
What does your future hold?! Find out in this month's HORRORSCOPES by Pharaoh Ramsleazis!
Be sure to check out www.horrortoculture.com for the podcast archives, original essays and reviews, exclusive interviews, and an official partner in the new INSANE SIGNALS podcast and Saturday morning video specials!
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Back cover painting courtesy of Benny German.