WildClaw's Blood Radio

The Macabre And the Beautifully Grotesque

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:37:30 PDT

Some how, some way, I stumbled upon this fantastic page and had to share with my fellow monsters. Check out what Sean Langford envisioned ascending from the depths...

For all you FB MFer's, like this page and reap its benefits. The benefits being some of the most disturbing and wondrous images I've ever beheld. Granted this is a Facebook page, but it can introduce you to some super hot & creepy artists that maybe you're not savvy to already. Like the image above from

This image from Denise GrŸnstein is alluring and foreboding in the same misty breath.

This tangled beauty by Katherine Blackwell is a mystery. Is it the light or the darkness she's spinning herself into? Fascinating...

These are just a few of my favorites. Like the page and give yourself some beautiful nightmares.

Convention Craziness? Schmoozing with the Stars?

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 11:15:17 PDT

Whatever your preference, the folks behind Days of the Dead have you covered. With upcoming conventions slated for Indianapolis, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles, there seems to be no stopping these guys. When you've got big names like Danny Trejo, John Waters and Patty Mullen (YES!!! FRANKENHOOKER) on board in Indianapolis next weekend, and Elvira, Heather Langenkamp, and Chris Sarandon for Chicago, you know this is going to be one wild & crazy ride!

As an added bonus of awesomeness, admission is free for Military personell and children under 10 years of age! Start saving hour pennies and packing your bags!

Days of the Dead upcoming dates:
Indianapolis: July 6-8, 2012
Chicago November 16-18, 2012
Atlanta: March 1-3, 2013
Los Angeles: April 5-7, 2013

Presidential History

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:35:22 PDT

Just so's you know: WildClaw Theatre isn't just about fun and games and blood and guts. We're also edumacational. Here's a link to something over at Slate.com with some American history I'll bet you didn't know.

The Secret Histories of Other U.S. Presidents

Bulgarian Vampires Found!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:21:37 PDT

Bulgarian Vampires

Check it people.

The Bulgarians are looking to capitalize on some long dead would-be creatures of the night. The Pagan ritual of impaling was very popular amongst scared folk who thought their loved ones might resurrect themselves and come looking for good eats.

The Natural History Museum in Sofia will be displayed some of these poor suckers.

Do forgive the pun.

Lego Monster Fighters and Monsters!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:43:25 PDT

Stumbled upon these beauties in the target toy aisle last night. Oh my stars and garters are they adorable! I love the steampunk vibe of the monster fighters as well. So very cool. Get them all for your littlest hell beast.

Ax-Wielding Abe

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 02:34:14 PDT

This film adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel is top on my list of s*** I can’t wait to see this summer. I’m mesmerized by that sexy weapon work. Swing that ax, Abe, swing it good.

While Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is getting its own film adaptation soon, I’m looking forward to more horror-flavored improvements on the great figures of American history.
Possibly JFK and the Cuban Mutant Crisis or An American Werewolf in the Pentagon?

Hell has frozen over.

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:20:30 PDT

I can't believe it, but they're finally doing a "remake" that I'm 100% behind. Even excited for.
Stephen King's IT.

Probably has something to do with the fact that it's not really a remake. IT only ever went to miniseries fame and never got to the big screen. So woo hoo! Though it will be VERY hard to top Tim Curry as Pennywise. I'd say just cast him again, dammit! I can even get behind the idea that it's going to be two movies because this is my favorite King book, and I would be extremely pleased if nothing at all was cut out.

Of course I have the normal amount of trepidation when it comes to books I love being put into Hollywood hands. But most of all I'm just very happy. I could even stand seeing the weird, let-down King ending on the big screen! Bring on the world turtle and the giant spider!

Come on, get your necronom' on.

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:23:08 PDT

There's no reason I should only just now be finding this, but it should be shared nonetheless.

Enjoy Cthulhu Blues, the long lost recording.

According to the delightful flavor text:

In 2010 an old 78 rpm recording washed up on the recently night-black shores of New Orleans.... Cthulhu Blues was performed by Blind Lemon Jermyn sometime in 1938 and was recorded for posterity by E. "Scooter" Zann, Jr.

X Minus 1

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:24:15 PDT

In memory of Ray Bradbury, someone has shared with me a link of archived audio files of the old radio program X Minus 1. Within their broadcasts exist a good handful of Bradbury stories, so take your time and browse around here. I'm going to fire one up while I'm doing housework today...

Ray Bradbury passes

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 08:40:14 PDT

Sadness. I was surprised to hear he was only 91. felt like he'd been around for centuries. his writing WILL be around for centuries.

when we do finally land on Mars, whatever wonders we find there will pale in comparison to the dreamscapes of the Chronicles.

"Martian Chronicles is not science fiction, it's fantasy. It couldn't happen, you see? That's the reason it's going to be around a long time -- because it's a Greek myth, and myths have staying power." -Bradbury, 1999

so now Shadow Show will be a post-humous tribute. sadly fitting. one can see the editor (and DeathScribe 2008 celebrity judge) Mort Castle at the Printers Row Lit Fest, Sunday the 10th. At the Horror Writers Association booth.

Photo: Jane Castle

Coming July 2012 ... SHADOW SHOW: ALL-NEW STORIES IN CELEBRATION OF RAY BRADBURY. Contributors include Margaret Atwood, Dave Eggers, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, David Morrell, Kelly Link, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Robert McCammon, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Alice Hoffman, Ramsey Campbell, Audrey Niffenegger -- and more! With an introduction by Ray Bradbury.. Edited by Sam Weller and Mort Castle

Slayathon 2012- 6/16 Watch Buffy All Day to help Make-a-Wish Kids!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 08:58:25 PDT

10th Annual Slay-A-Thon
Make-A-Wish Foundation Benefit

Saturday, June 16, 2012
11:30 AM – Midnight

Dave & Buster’s Gold Coast – Showroom
1030 N. Clark Street (Clark at Oak)
Chicago, Illinois

I have been going to this event for years. It is great fun and all for a good cause. Scurry up some donations...even a little helps but you would be surprised at how generous people are when it comes to Make a Wish kids...and then come on down for a day of buffy and angel viewing. There are auctions and contests and even some tasty food treats. If you can't go...considering donating via paypal. Tell them Alyrenee sent you in the notes section of paypal!

This Public Government Denial Scares Me.

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 08:05:35 PDT

The CDC has officially denied the existence of Zombies. Which pretty much means, they DO exist, right? Get the details from this HuffPost story.

Aly, WildClaw's fearless leader, has always encouraged us to get our Zombie Attack Plan in order, because, you never know... My plan is to kick zombie ass. What's yours?

Best Movie Weekend Ever!- Snow White & Prometheus

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:36:00 PDT

I am thinking that sunday might be spent in a dark theatre...as there are not one but TWO movies I am dying to see: Prometheus and Snow White and the Huntsman. First both movies contain ridiculously hot men. Christopher Hemsworth, aka Thor...ye olde abs forsoothing of yumminess and Michael Fassbender...who might just make my List after this film. (His turn as the double agent in Inglorious Bastards was sooo good and his Magneto...well I need only say wetsuit....yum).

Anyway, we are talking about horror here as well. Snow White & the Hunstmen, based on the trailers, seems to be taking the fairy tale to a dark place. The visuals from the trailer and stills look stunning. I believe Colleen Atwood did the costumes. She is Tim Burton's go-to designer and such a perfect choice for a dark fantasy film. If the movie is half as gory as the original Grimm tales, then we will at least get some bloody hearts, poisonings, some dead virgins, and dwarves. Sounds like a horror movie to me.

The Prometheus film...that may or may not be an Alien prequel...has a killer cast. Charlize Theron is the luckiest babe in Hollywood right now to be competing against herself this weekend. Idris Elba, Noomi Rapace, and oh yeah...MICHAEL FASSBENDER as an android no less. The trailer gets my blood pumping and my palms sweaty. Nothing like a good summertime chest burster. Plus it looks like we get some all new tall white creepy guys...and hopefully the traditional Giger cockroach aliens.

So grab some popcorn, sneak some Junior Mints into your purse and head to your movie theatre. Then let your pals at WildClaw know what you thought about these films. And give my love to Mr. Fassbender if you see him...

Horror in the news....

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:47:21 PDT

Not to make light of real life tragedies...but just when you think Hollywood has gone too far with violence and gore...someone does this:

Miami Cop shoots kills naked man eating victim's face

and also this:

Hackensack man stabs self throws intenstines at police

Watch yourself yall. Get your apocalypse plan in order.

Dark Horse Vampire Digital Comic Sampler

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 29 May 2012 10:35:34 PDT

Dark Horse Does Vampires Right Digital Sampler

If you've got a taste for bloodsuckers, then look no further! Dark Horse does vampires right and gives readers who crave creatures of the night a crypt full of creepy comics!

Step into the world of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9, as everyone's favorite Slayer adapts to her new life in San Francisco. Then check out Angel & Faith, where the vampire with a soul and the once-evil Slayer work to atone for past sins.

This preview issue also features Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden's Baltimore, which follows a vampire hunter living in a world beset by a post–World War I vampire infestation; samples from P. C. and Kristin Cast's story of a vampyre boarding school in House of Night; and Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain, in which Manhattan suffers from a vampiric plague!

• Issue features selections from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #1,Angel & Faith #1, Baltimore: The Curse Bells #1, The Strain #1, and House of Night #1. Plus, the entirety of a short story entitled "Magical Mystery Tour Featuring the Beetles," a previously unreleased, digital-only retailer exclusive from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9.

Alien. Queen. Scooty & JoJo - June 1st

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:12:28 PDT

Oh my god, it keeps getting bigger!!

Mr. Morlock is a big fan of Scooty & JoJo. At first it was just the audacity of the Halloween show. But all of their work is daring and awesome and goofy and amazing and ridiculous. And they're damn fine people too. No one deserve insanely huge success more than they do. This show will make it happen.

Mr. Morlock dropped a litter of kittens the first time he saw "second best horror movie and the second best action movie of all time, set to the music of the second best rock band ever". Kittens, I tell you. Then he saw it again at the Metro last year and it was even better. It was enormous. A ripping, snorting, glam-rock woolly mammoth.

And now, just in time for Prometheus, it's back. Good lord, see this damn show. I wish WildClaw had the cannonballs to put ALIEN and ALIENS on the stage, and here these guys do it with music! I'm so in love.

"The Scooty& JoJo Show returns to Metro June 1st for the ultimate sci-fi rock spectacle! Alien meets Queen meets Battlestar Fantastica with a full choir and inter-species dance party. Proceeds go to the GoGo Legit Campaign. Doors at 9pm. Must be 18 +. Sci-Fi dress encouraged. Tickets: $20-$40"

Tale of a convention Virgin

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:09:58 PDT

I was a C2E2 virgin. In fact, I was a convention virgin.

I didn't know what to do, where to begin, how to navigate... So, I called upon a trusted convention slut who I knew would show me the ropes.

Being privileged enough to be a part of a horror theatre company, we were able to score some VIP passes that allowed us early access. We grabbed some lanyards & maps and set out. Now, being a virgin I expected a little foreplay before getting heavy but I know now that that was a silly expectation. As soon as you're in, you're in.

Boothes sprawled out before you in a vast grid with all their goodies on display. T-shirts and posters and stickers, Oh My! Not to mention the displays of practical & collectors weapons (i.e. "stabby things", of which I'm a big fan...), buttons, masks, hats, jewelry... Sensory overload like woah. However, I had my Con Vet, so we walked the grid and took it all in bit by bit. What was fantastic for me, was being able to actually speak with the artists behind the artwork I admired as I meandered about. Some were local Chicago folk, others had traveled as far as Seattle or Miami but all were showing off what they do best and they wanted to talk about it. They wanted to share what they do and so I picked up postcards & business cards like a drunk Trixie picks up STD's at the John Barleycorn in Lakeview.

By the time more of the Wildclaw Clan arrived, we were about halfway through and the public had been unfurled in the room. Beautiful, organized Chaos. It was then that Wildclaw's fearless leader, Aly Amidei, took the stage with Sparky Bobby Kind of Evil Squirrel comics, Dave Dorman, Film makers John Pata & Adam Bartlett, Brian Kirst & Rafael Nieves to talk about horror, community building & the web we can create when we cross-over mediums. Ideas were shared and nerd love was made in the form of idea sharing. So hot...

I had to duck out early due to a voodoo curse put upon me by unknown supernatural forces, but before I left I stopped by Menton Matthews' booth and picked up a nude of Death. A haunting, inspired print that I find myself staring at for extended periods of time. Also, I couldn't leave without another print that I found. Sweet, sad, stark yet utterly feminine work by Chicago's own Tanya Zolotareva. Do yourself and favor and look into both of these artists. Gorgeous and terrifying works that you need in your life.

So, I left C2E2 gently throttled and ready for round 2. April 26-28, 2013, are you here yet?

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FROM WILDCLAW

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Sun, 13 May 2012 08:54:57 PDT

To all you mothers.
Love, your children (of the corn).

Sexy Skele Swimsuit!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 10 May 2012 09:37:31 PDT

Our good friend Nora O'Sullivan pointed this sexy swimsuit out to us from BettieBang.com...behold, buy, wear, and get a little tan on your bones. Use the code BETTIE77 to get an extra 20% off!

Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 10 May 2012 09:40:06 PDT

“A naked toddler and a skeleton struggle fiercely over the body of the mother’s child…”

That quote is the first line in an article by Lori Waxman in today’s Chicago Tribune. It got my attention! After all, baseball, apple pie and dead mothers bodies. It’s so American. Well, just kidding. Not everybody likes baseball.

OK, OK. Here’s what I want to share. The quote is from an article about a new exhibit at the Cultural Center in Chicago. “Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection’ is the title of the exhibit. “Four centuries of trophy heads…crochet corpses…represent what must be one of the broadest surveys of cultural attitudes towards death ever gathered in a single gathering place.”

With WILDCLAW’S upcoming fall show, The Life of Death (adapted by Charley Sherman from a Clive Barker short story) this exhibit is of particular interest to us. If we’re going to show you death we need to lock ourselves up in a crypt with it. Breathe it’s air, get intimate with the impending fate that awaits us all. What a great study guide for us all prior to seeing The Life of Death. Better than actually dying. Then you’d miss the show.

Below is a link to the article and all the particulars of the exhibit.

See you there.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/art/ct-ent-0510-morbid-curiosity-review-20120509,0,1343988.story

WildClaw - 1, Death - 1... It's a Win Win!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:36:28 PDT

This bodes well for all of us here at WildClaw, and all of our creepy crawlers out there in the world....

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:08:15 PDT

   Aaaaaaah. Drive-Ins. How I miss them. Watching films in the sanctity of my own mobile lair. The freedom to talk, smoke, and be voyeur to the conception of unwanted teenage pregnancies in the cars around me. Good old American fun!
   The hosts of WBEZ's Filmspotting have put together a drive-in double feature. They're calling it: ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. Dawn of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead are the terrific features. Check out the link below for times and details. I wonder how many zombies you can sneak into the show in the trunk of your car?

http://www.wbez.org/event/2012-05-17/drive-double-feature-zombie-apocalypse

By the way, the food concession is a tad pricey. I'll be bringing my own brains to snack on.

Mikhail Fiksel wins this round: Theatre vs. Film

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:29:26 PDT

Check out this story in the New York Times about a new Dolby soundsystem called Atmos that will enhance the auditory experiences of movie-goers, commenting particularly on the potential for truly immersive horror films.

One quote that caught the attention of yours truly:
“You can imagine watching a scary movie, and it’s a scene when someone is hiding in a basement and there are footsteps on the floorboards above...The Atmos system will actually play that audio from above people in the theater.”

You don't say? As anyone who saw WildClaw's 2009 production of THE REVENANTS will recall, Mikhail Fiksel beat these guys to punch by exquisitely designing and pulling off that exact described sound effect in Angel Island Theater! Zombies right upstairs, people (and it scared the shit out of you).

Way ahead of his time, that guy.

In any case, I'm excited to experience Atmos firsthand. Sounds like a great innovation. What horror film would you want to re-experience with Atmos? For me, it'd be Alien.

Empress of the Aliens™ Barbie® Doll | Barbie Collector

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:17:55 PDT

This Barbie is not fooling around...too bad she does not come with a pod baby or anything like that.

Empress of the Aliens™ Barbie® Doll | Barbie Collector

Riven from Dark Horse....WEREWOLVES!!!!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:41:45 PDT

RIVEN SENDS A SHIVER THROUGH

DARK HORSE PRESENTS!

APRIL 25, MILWAUKIE, OR—Riven, the latest tale set to debut in Dark Horse Comics’ legendary anthology Dark Horse Presents, marks a new beginning for horror fans!

Dark Horse Comics recently announced the Riven graphic novel, the third collaboration between cowriters Bo Hampton (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) and Robert Tinnell (The Wicked West), which is slated to hit stores August 22. Riven’s three-part story beginning in Dark Horse Presents #14 will serve as a chilling introduction to their world of terror.

“Dark Horse Presents is bringing together such a great mix of talent and stories at the moment that it’s honestly an honor to be included in the book. From all the chatter Dark Horse Presents has been generating it’s clear the book is appealing to discerning, articulate readers—and those are precisely the sorts of people we hope are attracted to Riven,” said Robert Tinnell.

Riven’s Katya has been in a coma for five years, and when she awakes, everything has changed. Now she is a gorgeous teenager with a mysterious, gruesome past, becoming aware of a growing, terrifying power inside her body, triggered by the touch of the full moon, eager to break free . . . Can Katya solve the mystery of her blood-drenched nightmares before they become reality?

“It was a great spawning ground in its original incarnation and I’m really happy to be part of Dark Horse Presents now. I’m looking forward to seeing the Riven pages in that format,” Bo Hampton added.

Check out Riven in Dark Horse Presents #14, on sale July 18!

Teeth Shoes....nicanel: Iris Van Herpen S/S 2012 Couture /

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:04:58 PDT

These look like shoes made for WildClaw...

nicanel: Iris Van Herpen S/S 2012 Couture /: Spiky soled shoes from Iris Van Herpen's 2012 spring / summer show. View the rest of the show / collection here .

Movement Design with Scott T. Barsotti

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:12:51 PDT

Watch this funny video with out very own Scott T. Barsotti who designed the movement for Strawdog's Duchess of Malfi!

Surveying The Craft : Movement Direction from KBH Media on Vimeo.

GAME OF WEREWOLVES screening Monday/Wednesday

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:21:24 PDT

Hey guys and ghouls,

GAME OF WEREWOLVES (aka LOBOS DE ARGA) will be screening at the Chicago Latino Film Festival this Monday 4/23 and Wednesday 4/25.

I just saw this flick at the Brussels International Fantasy Film Festival, and it's really quite awesome. In chatting with the director following the screening, I learned that he was going to be attending the Chicago Latino Film Festival next week, so you'll not only get to see one of the more awesome werewolf flicks in recent memory, but you'll also get to meet cool cat Juan Moreno Martinez, writer/director of LOBOS DE ARGA (the original Spanish title, and the one we both prefer).

Here's a brief synopsis:

Tomas, a successful writer, is invited back to his hometown of Arga where he is to receive an award for his accomplishments. Little does the writer know it's a trap the townspeople have devised hoping his arrival will end a 100 year old village curse. A mock-comedy of the werewolf craze, this film takes you on a laugh-out-loud thriller to enjoy.

And here's my brief review:

"I'm sure this catchphrase will be used time and again once writer/director Moreno's love letter to the Universal classics, Paul Naschy and 80s practical effects makes its way into the public consciousness, so I'm going to seize the opportunity that comes with having seen it first: "GAME OF WEREWOLVES does for lycanthropes what SHAUN OF THE DEAD did for zombies." There, now I feel better. But in all seriousness, there is much here to favorably compare with Edgar Wright's instant undead classic: It is first and foremost a situational, character-based comedy - not a spoof - dealing with ordinary characters trapped in extraordinary, supernatural circumstances. In this case, writer Gorka Otxoa returns to his home village coincidentally on the 100th anniversary of the gypsy curse laid upon it. Things get hairy in a hurry, with nary a CGI wolf nor cuddly TWILIGHT boy toy in sight, and the heads roll as fast and furious as the belly laughs. Highly recommended, and one I'll be rooting for over the next few months to make its way in the world."

Finally, here's the info:

http://chicagolatinofilmfestival.org/film/game-of-werewolves/

Instituto Cervantes

31 W. Ohio St. Chicago, IL 60610
312-335-1996
chicago.cervantes.es

How to get there:

BUS: #22 Clark
CTA: Red Line to Grand
PARKING: $8 with validation up to 12 hours

Hope to see some of you blood brothers and sisters there!

AC

PS Here's a link to the trailer as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeR8LPt4LM4

Tim Seeley's Ex Sanguine Comic

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:19:27 PDT

Well this book just sounds fun. I was a big fan of Tim Seeleys' Lovebunny and Mr Hell book...i think that was it's name. He does horror and humor well....

And here's some more info:

APRIL 13, CHICAGO, IL–From C2E2, Dark Horse Comics is thrilled to announce Ex Sanguine—a unique blend of horror and thriller from Tim Seeley, the creator of Hack/Slash, writer of The Occultist, artist of The Guild, and more.

“Ex Sanguine is my take on the vampire-romance genre, but instead of being full of longing and anguished staring, it’s full of brutal flirtations between two savage predators, one a vampire, one a serial killer,” said Tim Seeley.

One is a natural-born killer—a remorseless hunter of men restlessly prowling the night for victims to quench an unnatural bloodlust. The other, Saul Adams, is a vampire. A bored vampire. His centuries of existence have left him world weary and detached, lost in a haze of endless memories for days or weeks on end. His latest bout of preoccupation is mercifully interrupted by federal agents.

They insinuate Saul’s complicity in the latest of a series of murders that have come to be known as “The Sanguine Killings.” Saul ignores these accusations, having eyes only for the bits of crime scenes they show him. The Sanguine Killer doesn’t just kill; he also paints primal pictographs in his victims’ blood. Where the feds see murderous compulsion and rage in the intricate patterns of Xs left on walls and sidewalks by the killer, Saul sees something different: Craft. Art.

“Dark Horse has long been the leader in high-quality, innovative horror comics, and I’m honored to bring my blood-soaked ‘romance’ Ex Sanguine to their impressive lineup,” Tim Seeley added.

Check out the exclusive interview on Comic Book Resources.

Ex Sanguine #1 is on sale November 28, 2012!

Episode 19 Deathscribe 2010 Part One...

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:29:14 PDT

Listen and Enjoy.

John Cusack Panel and Signing at C2E2 to Promote The Raven

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:29:08 PDT

John Cusack To Appear At Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2)

March 19, 2012

Critically Acclaimed Actor to Preview Trailer for The Raven

Norwalk, CT, March 19, 2012: John Cusack, a Chicago native and one of Hollywood’s most accomplished and respected actors of his generation, will appear at this year’s Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2). Mr. Cusack will participate in a Q&A session on Sunday, April 15th and show a trailer for The Raven, his new movie from Relativity starring Mr. Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe. The independent period thriller, which will be released on April 27th, is directed by James McTiegue and tells the fictionalized account of the last days of Poe’s life in which the poet teams up with a young Baltimore detective to hunt down a serial killer who uses Poe’s works as the basis for his murders. Mr. Cusack will also do a limited signing for 100 fans at C2E2.
“I am enormously pleased to share this news about John Cusack’s appearance at C2E2,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for C2E2. “I count myself as a major fan and the fact that he is now coming to C2E2 where he will meet and greet thousands of fans, many of whom share my enthusiasm and admiration for his films, is a perfect highlight. His participation at C2E2 reinforces how great our event has become and I know his appearance will be a huge attraction.”
Some other guests who will be participating in signings or panels at C2E2 include: Neal Adams, Axel Alonso, John Barrowman, Anthony Daniels, Chris Hardwick, Charlaine Harris, Adam Hughes, Stephanie Izard, Tom Morello, and Joe Quesada, to name just a few!
C2E2 will take place April 13 – 15, 2012 in the North Building at the McCormick Place Convention Center. For further information about other guests and activities at C2E2 as well as purchasing tickets, please visit www.C2E2.com.

Walking Dead Panel at C2E2

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:25:31 PDT

Stars of The Walking Dead To Participate in Q & A with Fans; Followed by 3-Hour Signing!

Norwalk, CT, April 2, 2012: Lauren Cohan, who plays the popular character Maggie Greene, the principal love interest of Glenn (Steven Yeun) in AMC’s The Walking Dead, will appear along with Yeun at this year’s Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2). Yeun’s appearance at C2E2 was recently announced (3/28) and Ms. Cohan’s appearance has just been confirmed by show organizers. The two stars of the hit television series will appear at the pop culture convention on Saturday, April 14 where they will conduct a Q & A with fans followed by a free 3-hour signing.
C2E2, which is organized by the creators of New York Comic Con (NYCC), will be held April 13 – 15 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. For further information about activities at C2E2 as well as purchasing tickets, please visit www.C2E2.com. Other recently announced guests who will be appearing at the pop culture extravaganza include John Barrowman, John Cusack, Anthony Daniels, Josh Gates, Chris Hardwick, Charlaine Harris, Adam Hughes, Joe Kubert, Tom Morello, Chad Michael Murray, Anne Rice, Scott Snyder, and J Michael Straczynski among many others!
“We were already pleased to announce Steven Yeun’s appearance on our Walking Dead panel at C2E2 last week, so this new addition is the icing on the cake,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for C2E2. “Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan have enormous on-screen chemistry and I am sure this will translate into a great panel appearance for both of them. On top of this, they are also making themselves available for an extended 3-hour signing which virtually assures that anyone who wants to get an autograph and to meet them personally will have the opportunity. I know I can speak on behalf of thousands of fans when I say that we are enormously grateful to Steven and Lauren for giving us so much of their time!”

About Lauren Cohan:

In addition to her role as Maggie on The Walking Dead, Lauren is most recognized for her roles as Bela Talbot on Supernatural, Vivian Volkoff on Chuck, and Rose on The Vampire Diaries.
Lauren was born in Philadelphia and lived in New Jersey during her childhood before moving to the United Kingdom. She graduated from the University of Winchester / King Alfred's College where she studied Drama and English Literature, before touring with a theatre company she co-founded at the University.
Lauren then split her time and work between London and LA, working on several films as well as some non-commercial projects.

About Steven Yeun:

In addition to his starring role in The Walking Dead, Mr. Yeun has also recently starred in an episode of the television series Law & Order: Los Angeles and an episode of Warehouse 13. Steven Yeun lived in Chicago where he performed with the Second City Theatre and understudied for the Steppenwolf Theatre’s production of Kafka on the Shore. In addition, he was part of several improvisational/sketch comedy groups including Stir Friday Night, Hands and Detective Detective. Additional credits include The Big Bang Theory and the role of Chaz in the independent film My Name is Jerry. Mr. Yeun currently lives in Los Angeles.

Neil Gaiman Interviews Stephen King

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:10:30 PDT

'Nuff said. Enjoy.

C2E2 -WE’RE NO ANGELS: The Leading Ladies of Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:33:31 PDT

Panels & Screenings Schedule - C2E2 - Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo - April 13-15, 2012

Oh I cannot wait for this one....

Date: Saturday, April 14
5:15 PM - 6:15 PM
Location: N427bc
Speakers: Charlaine Harris , Chloe Neill , Christina Henry , Gwen Reyes , Jeaniene Frost , Karina Cooper , Kerrelyn Sparks , Pamela Palmer
Description:
Be they fanged, furred, infernal, seraphic, or fey…beware the women of paranormal fiction…and their kick-ass heroines. Danger just might be these girls’ middle names. But no amount of bad guys can keep these ladies from doing what's right. Whether standing up for friends and family, or just plain kicking some ass, these girls don't shy away from a fight. Featured authors: Karina Cooper, Jeaniene Frost, Charlaine Harris, Christina Henry, Chloe Neill, Pamela Palmer, Kerrelyn Sparks.
Track:
Sci-Fi / Fantasy

And yet still more info:

Charlaine Harris And Other Writers To Appear At Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2)

February 28, 2012

#1 Bestselling Novelist Provides Literary Luster at Annual Pop Culture Event

Norwalk, CT, February 28, 2012: Charlaine Harris, the #1 New York Times bestselling author best known for her Southern Vampire Mysteries featuring Sookie Stackhouse, will be a Spotlight Guest at this year’s Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2). Ms. Harris’s enormously popular series is also the basis of True Blood, the HBO series produced by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) and starring Golden Globe winner Anna Paquin in the role of Sookie. Providing literary luster at a convention that is brimming with artists, creators and other talent from all segments of the pop culture universe, Ms. Harris will be joined by other Featured Guest writers appearing at C2E2 including: Rachel Caine, Christina Henry, Mari Mancusi, Chloe Neill, and Veronica Wolff. All of these authors, including Charlaine Harris, will be participating in panels and will do a signing at C2E2 where they will meet and greet thousands of fans.
C2E2 will take place April 13 – 15, 2012 in the North Building at the McCormick Place Convention Center. For further information about guests and activities at C2E2 as well as purchasing tickets, please visit www.C2E2.com .
“Charlaine Harris and all these literary guests are a fantastic addition to our developing list of major talent who will be appearing at C2E2,” notes Lance Fensterman, Group Vice President for ReedPOP and Show Manager for C2E2. “Their participation is further evidence that the pop culture world cuts across all entertainment boundaries and includes artists from every walk of life. I know these writers will be well-received at our show and will find legions of fans anxious to hear them speak and meet them in person.”

About Spotlight Guest Charlaine Harris:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for thirty years. Charlaine began writing mystery series—the Aurora Teagarden series and the much darker Lily Bard series—but then went on to write Dead Until Dark which broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of people who just enjoy a good adventure. Each subsequent book about Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, has drawn more readers. The Southern Vampire books are published in twenty languages. They are also the basis of True Blood, the HBO series produced by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) and starring Golden Globe winner Anna Paquin in the role of Sookie. Charlaine also writes the Harper Connelly series.

About Literary Featured Guests:

Rachel Caine is The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires, Weather Warden, and Outcast Season novels, among many others. She grew up in the badlands outside of El Paso, Texas. General Sheridan famously said, "If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent out Texas and live in Hell." Rachel's trying her best, with the Morganville series, to prove him right. (But still, she does lives in Fort Worth, Texas. Not Hell.)
Christina Henry is the author of the Black Wings series and enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with subtitles in her spare time. Henry used to work in a comic book store and as a result, has boxes of bagged and boarded comics in her attic. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son, and can be found on the web at www.christinahenry.net.
Mari Mancusi used to wish she could become a vampire back in high school. But she ended up in another blood sucking profession—journalism—instead. Today she writes books for teens and adults. When not writing about creatures of the night, Mari enjoys traveling, cooking, goth clubbing, watching cheesy horror movies, and her favorite guilty pleasure—videogames. A graduate of Boston University and a two time Emmy Award winner, she lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Jacob, daughter Avalon and dog Mesquite. You can find Mari online at www.bloodcovenvampires.com.
Chloe Neill was born and raised in the South, but now makes her home in the Midwest. Chloe is the author of the fan-favorite and The New York Times bestselling Chicagoland Vampires series. She watches entirely too much television, roots for her favorite college football team, and believes, however unlikely, that she’ll one day finish a half-marathon. You can learn about Chloe Neill and Chicago’s vampires at www.chloeneill.com.
Veronica Wolff, once an aspiring art historian, is an award-winning, bestselling author with a soft spot for kilts and vampires. Known for her Scottish historical romances, she now writes a young adult series called The Watchers as well as an adult contemporary romance series called Sierra Falls. She has lived everywhere from Texas, to Hawaii, to India, finally settling in Northern California where she lives with her husband, two kids, and a houseful of pets. Her unmarketable skills include snowboarding, speaking Hindi, gardening, and knowing an alarming amount of pop-culture trivia.

C2E2 -Anne Rice Spotlight Panel

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:27:51 PDT

Panels & Screenings Schedule - C2E2 - Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo - April 13-15, 2012

Anne Rice Spotlight

Date: Sunday, April 15
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Location: S402ab
Speaker: Anne Rice
Description:
Her books have sold millions of copies and she's not done yet! Come find out what's new and what's next for this best-selling author.
Track:
Sci-Fi / Fantasy

C2E2 - WildClaw Panel It’s Alive! Alive! The Monster Mash-up of Creativity and Collaboration in Chicago’s Vital Horror Community

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:29:12 PDT

Panels & Screenings Schedule - C2E2 - Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo - April 13-15, 2012

Come see our panel yall!

It’s Alive! Alive! The Monster Mash-up of Creativity and Collaboration in Chicago’s Vital Horror Community

Date: Friday, April 13
4:45 PM - 5:45 PM
Location: Variant Stage
Speakers: Adam Bartlett , Aly Renee Amidei , Bobby Sparky King , Brian Kirst , Dave Dorman , John Pata , Rafael Nieves
Description:
Collaborative art forms like Comics, Theatre, and Film require many artists coming together to bring a beast to life. Once the monster lives, it needs an audience to feed on in order to thrive. WildClaw Theatre’s mission is to bring the world of Horror to the Chicago Stage. In our five years, we have made some wonderful friends who share our love for all the things that go bump in the night. Learn from our collective successes and mistakes as a panel of professionals from comics, retail, film, theatre, and journalism discuss the creative collaborative process, marketing, and that special something that makes the horror community of Chicago a killer force that just won't die.
Track:
Performance

Save the Storefront Theatre Petition

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:17:35 PDT

Sign it please. We love this venue and want to keep seeing theatre produced in the loop!

Go See Dave Dorman's Tentacley Terrific Work At Rotofugi!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:41:05 PDT

The gallery opening is tonight!
http://www.rotofugi.com/home/template_permalink.asp?id=234

From their site...
re excited and honored to have Eisner and Inkpot award-winning artist Dave Dorman as the next artist who will be showing in our gallery.
Dave's PI a la Mode exhibit will feature a combination of new works loosely themed around all things tentacled, along with an assortment of older works from Dave's career as a comic-book artist and professional illustrator. Dave's worked for almost every major publisher in the business across a range of titles and genres, but might best be known for his work on various Star Wars books which led him to be voted as the "Best Star Wars Artist" by readers of The Official Best of Star Wars Magazine.
The exhibit opening will be this Friday, April 6, 7-10pm. As with most of our exhibits, if you're interested in potentially purchasing a piece from the exhibit please make sure you are signed up for our Gallery Previews email list. The preview will be emailed out at 10am on Friday, and we will begin accepting requests to purchase (via email) at 12 Noon that same day. Thanks!

"Turn of the Screw" a terrifying treat at First Folio - Chicago Sun-Times

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:24:24 PDT

Dear horror lovers...go check out a classic spooky tale over at first folio...

‘Turn of the Screw’ a terrifying treat at First Folio - Chicago Sun-Times

SHADOW SHOW: ALL NEW STORIES IN CELEBRATION OF RAY BRADBURY

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:18:00 PDT

Mort Castle (Celebrity Judge, DEATHSCRIBE I) and his Columbia College colleague Sam Weller have compiled a fantastic book: 26 stories inspired by Ray Bradbury.

An amazing assembly of authors: Neil Gaiman - Margaret Atwood - Jay Bonansinga - Sam Weller - David Morrell - Thomas F. Monteleone - Lee Martin - Joe Hill - Dan Chaon - John McNally - Joe Meno - Robert McCammon - Ramsey Campbell - Mort Castle - Alice Hoffman - John Maclay – Jacquelyn Mitchard - Gary Braunbeck - Bonnie Jo Campbell - Audrey Niffenegger - Charles Yu - Julia Keller - Dave Eggers - Bayo Ojikutu - Kelly Link - Harlan Ellison.

Harlan Ellison. I just read his wikipedia entry and couldn't stop grinning. He voiced himself on an episode of Scooby Doo, Mystery Incorporated!!

And check out the spectrum of names blurbing for the book:

"Great new tales of imagination in the Bradbury tradition."
-- Hugh Hefner

“There is no more fitting tribute to my friend Ray Bradbury than a compilation of wonderful short stories! Ray is a champion of libraries and one of America’s most inventive teller of tales. I cherish many happy times engrossed in his stories. This anthology reflects the high imagination, visionary ideas, and fantastic writing that Ray is loved and known for around the world.”
--Laura Bush

"Ray Bradbury is without a doubt, one of this, or any century's greatest and most imaginative writers. SHADOW SHOW, a book of truly great stories, is the perfect tribute to America's master storyteller."
--Stan Lee

"SHADOW SHOW is a treasure-trove for Ray Bradbury enthusiasts as for all readers who are drawn to richly imaginative, deftly plotted, startlingly original and unsettling short fiction."
--Joyce Carol Oates

Hugh Hefner and Laura Bush. Amazing.

Then again, we're talking about Ray Frickin Bradbury. Superlatives aren't enough. Maybe capitals:

"THE MAN CHANGED THE COURSE OF IMAGINATIVE FICTION. He is a living legend. His stories infect your brain and give you a fever. A mild, deliriously joyful fever. The symptoms will pass but the VIRUS IS WITH YOU FOREVER, affecting how you see and think about the world."
--J. T. Andronicus "Mister" Morlock

So here are the links to follow to pre-order a copy. I did so immediately. So should you.

www.amazon.com/Shadow-Show-All-New-Celebration-Bradbury/

Or if you'd like the collectable –

www.gauntletpress.com/

Unholy Night - Seth Grahame-Smith

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:45:12 PDT

Looks like the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Seth Grahame-Smith has a new book coming out on April 10th. Unholy Night fills in the simple tale of the bible's Three Wise Men with thieves and gore. I've really enjoyed his writing and it seems the folks at GoodReads agree. Check out their opinions here.

Extended PROMETHEUS Trailer Released!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:53:57 PDT

Are you as excited for this as WildClaw is?

Tim Burton's Dark Shadow's trailer released

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:39:37 PDT

So, the remade Dark Shadow's movie has finally released a trailer, and BOY... does it look wrong. I want the argument to be "But they just can't do a serious horror soap opera like they did in the 70's for today's audience unless it's tongue in cheek," but really... I'm QUITE sure they can.

That having been said, here's commentary from Wildclaw friend, Mr. Bile, who compares this to the soon to be rebooted by NBC, but most likely to suffer much less publicizing, Munsters.

My main reaction was thinking, "So... Tim Burton really wishes he had directed the Addams Family movies in the 90's?"

So, yeah, it's not really Dark Shadows at all, izzit? But on the other hand, I'm interested in seeing Modern Day Tim Burton working together with The Tim Burton Who Directed Beetlejuice. It might be a good collaboration.

But somehow, I'm feeling sad for The Munsters. Never really liked the show that much as a kid, other than the opening theme. But still... don't tell me Eddie Izzard is going to play Grampa Munster, but then follow that up with, "The show's going to be edgier and darker." ...I mean, how is that even possible?

I wonder if this is some kind of cosmic balance thing. "Well, since the Addams Family recently became a broader borscht-belt comedy, I guess we have to become less zany. No way around it."

RED (Little Red Riding Hood)

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:38:30 PDT

RED by RED. A bloody look at Little Red Riding Hood.

RED from RED on Vimeo.

Rondo Awards | Candle Cove

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 07:35:53 PDT

Just a little reminder to visit the Rondo site and vote by the end of the month.

Lady Morlock and I did so together earlier this week. A couple of healthy disputes: (Troll Hunter better than The Skin I Live In?) and couple of solid agreements: (Aaron Christensen rocks! Vote for article in HorrorHound (print only, sadly, but vote for it anyway!), tracing the evolution of Body Snatcher-like movies from 1956 to the present) And a whole slew of nifty new horror blog links to click on, including...

Kindertrauma, which we checked out just for the name. Great stuff. And it lead to this, a link to Candle Cove, which made Lady Morlock do her "omigod, omigod" thing. She made me read it and it absolutely blew my mind.

Seriously: so evocative, so creepy. Our living room was brightly lit, my wife was sitting next to me on the couch, but still I sank into this, got chills and BELIEVED. I almost posted a response: "Yes, yes, I remember that show too! Scared the SHIT out of me!"

And then I read the back story and interview with the creator, Kris Straub, whom I will now stalk.

Save the Portage Theater!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:49:04 PDT

Wildclaw has been to many a horror film festival at this fabulous oldey timey theater. Join the cause and help save the Portage Theater!

Read More about it....

More here too...

Chocolate Bunnies? Puh-lease...Give me a tasty Elder God....

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:50:44 PST

So yummy...and then you go CRAZY! Order by March 31st for Easter Insanity...

Kill Me...Final Two Weekends! Talk Back on Sunday March 11th!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:28:47 PDT

You don't want to miss it. Here's what the Critics are saying...

"This play is a lot of fun. Nobody else in town does what WildClaw does." Alex Huntsberger - Centerstage

"Kill Me is a genuinely creepy 70-minute show from the only Chicago theater company to specialize in this particular genre" Chris Jones - Chicago Tribune

"a phantasmagorical tale. At the heart of it is love."
Katy Walsh - Chicago Theater Beat

"What's there is, well, killer ... " Tony Adler - Reader

"... an ultimate feast for the senses."
Brian Kirst - Sheridan Road

"Play(s) out like a cross between 'Hellraiser' and 'In My Skin" Zach Freeman - New City

"KILL ME- Scott T. Barsotti’s effectively creepy new work."
Kris Vire - Timeout Chicago
"KILL ME is a freakishly fun time."
Venus Zarris- Chicago Stage Review

Also, this Sunday, March 11th, we will be having a discussion with some of the cast, crew, and design team immediately following the show!

Get your tickets!

Next up...Clive Barker's The Life of Death Fall DCA 2012

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 10:47:06 PST

Newsflash yall...it is official.

Red Moon - Werewolf short film

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:00:49 PST

So eleven more chances to Kill Me...Talk-Back on Sunday March 11th!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:09:10 PST

This is not a show to miss and I recommend that you do not wait. Every show we have done has seen some sad faces on closing weekend...sad procrastinating faces...who could not get in. We even have some tickets available on Hottix! So you can get scared at a discount!

Also, on Sunday March 11th, following the show we will have a post show discussion with some of the cast, crew, author, designers, etc...it will be interesting. You will learn things. Last night our director, Jeff Christian, proved himself to be the coolest teacher at Columbia by bringing a bunch of film students to see the show. Their minds were blown.

They're Trying to Kill Me: A Shu-izmz Interview with Scott T. Barsotti

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:49:11 PST

The most excellent Bryan "Shu-izmz" Schuessler delves deep into the mind of KILL ME's scribe Scott T. Barsotti to hear about his influences, how he got started in writing, and nudity on stage... read on HERE.

Lovecraft in Evanston...Dreamlogic's Elder God's

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:27:54 PST

Color me intrigued...

DreamLogic Theatreworks is known for creating exhilarating performance events at the bleeding-edge of live entertainment. Now, inspired by modern horror's greatest innovator, DreamLogic presents its most provocative event yet: H.P. Lovecraft's ELDER GODS. The production will celebrate its gala opening Friday, February 17 at The Davis, 620 Davis Street, in Downtown Evanston, IL. Preview performances will be open to the public Friday and Saturday, February 10 and 11. The production will run February 17 ? March 3. According to Managing Director David Sweeney, ?at DreamLogic, we believe it isn't enough just to put on a show. We take you inside another world, let you explore it from every angle, at every moment in real time. The voyeuristic thrill our audiences experience is unlike anything you've ever felt in a live performance.? In a recent interview, Artistic Director Scott McKinsey explored why Lovecraft is compelling, terrifying and uniquely suited to the DreamLogic treatment. ?He knows how to get under your skin, in your blood, in your mind,? says McKinsey. ?His horror is visceral, cerebral? very contemporary. It's sexy.? H.P. Lovecraft is one of the great creative visionaries of the 20th Century. Contemporary giants such as Stephen King, Guillermo del Toro, Neil Gaiman, Joss Whedon, John Carpenter and Ridley Scott all credit Lovecraft as inspiration for some of their most iconic work. Without Lovecraft, contemporary science fiction and horror as we know them would not exist. The Davis at 620 Davis Street is an expansive historic structure overlooking the vibrant center of Downtown Evanston. The structure's elegant facade, sweeping floor plan and dramatic construction have all been utilized to the fullest in transporting the audience into Lovecraft's inhumanly beautiful universe. ELDER GODS features Ariel Begley, Colin Jackson, Patricia Lomden, Tyler Pistorius, J. Preddie Predmore and David Sweeney. Scott McKinsey is the Artistic Director of DreamLogic and director of ELDER GODS. Lauren Sweeney is DreamLogic?s Executive Designer and the costume designer for ELDER GODS. David Sweeney is Managing Director of DreamLogic and technology designer for ELDER GODS. Ariel Begley is movement coordinator for ELDER GODS. DreamLogic Theatreworks is a non-profit theatre company founded in 2009. For ticketing and additional information, visit DreamLogic.org

Rondo Voting Time! Vote for Dr. AC's article!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:47:16 PST

Get your horror voting on...

And don't forget to show the love to Wildclaw emeritus member Aaron Dr. AC Christensen in the Horror Article category...

-- 'Invasion: A History of Body Snatchers,' by Aaron Christensen, HORROR HOUND #31. From Jack Finney's novel to Nicole Kidman's takeover, they're here!

Happy Ash Wednesday

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:38:56 PST

Had almost forgotten that today is an important holiday. Thanks to Trelbee and Stephanie for celebrating with me.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:45:49 PST

Taking a little time away from congratulating ourselves on KILL ME. I just wanted to say...

Oh my goodness.

American pop culture has eaten itself, partially digested itself, pooped itself out and re-eaten itself. Autocoprophagia.

That said, I will see this film.

Thank you to Trelbee (aka Mrs. Morlock) for the heads-up.

Broadway World Chicago Breaks Some Big Barsotti News!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:41:14 PST

Congratulations are in order for Scott T. Barsotti, writer and movement designer of KILL ME!

Broadway World Chicago broke some big news about Scott's play BREWED, which will enjoy it's first full production (a co-production, no less!) by two Chicago theater companies, early next year.

The Ruckus Theater and Tympanic Theatre Company have joined forces to flesh out Barsotti's dark world of familial obligations and sacrifice. We can't wait to see the kick ass results!!

Big Gay Horror Fan Interviews Artistic Director Aly Renee Amidei!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:39:13 PST

Two things you should be doing tonight or next weekend....Kill Me or Hunger

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:27:03 PST

Okay...So tonight we open Kill Me. It is freaky and weird and fantastic. Watching yesterday's preview made me sick to my stomach a bit and gave me nightmares. This is a good thing. You should get your tickets as soon as possible. We still have like two left for this evening. If you are not seeing Kill Me tonight....then it better be because you are seeing Hunger over at Lifeline...adapted by WildClaw Associate and Deathscriber of Doom, Chris Hainsworth.

You really only have two options. See them both soon.

Big Gay Horror Fan Interview's Kill Me Author Scott T Barsotti!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:12:29 PST

WBEZ Shows KILL ME Some Love!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:41:07 PST

KILL ME makes WBEZ's Don't-Miss-List this week!

Writes Jonathan Abarbanel: There’s no question that various horrors make their way to local theater stages in the course of any given year, but Chicago has only one theater troupe specifically dedicated to horror as a dramatic genre, and that’s Wildclaw Theatre, now offering the world premiere of Kill Me by company member Scott T. Barsotti.

See the full recommendation here! Thanks for the shout out, WBEZ! We heart you, too!

KILL ME is a Centerstage MUST SEE

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:59:03 PST

Centerstage Chicago has recommended Scott T. Barsotti's KILL ME as a Must See show!!

"Their latest premiere, by "Revenants" author Scott Barsotti, is a creeper about a woman who realizes that, no matter what, she can't die. We can't wait."

We can't either. GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

R.I.P. 2 of Night of the Living Dead ghouls

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:14:37 PST

Sad morning for fans of Night of the Living Dead. I went to bed shortly after reading that William "Bill" Hinzman has lost his battle with cancer. Bill was easily the most recognizable ghoul (and the first to appear onscreen) in Romero's Night of the Living Dead.

After a quick google search to confirm everything, I learned from Dread Central that a second ghoul from the film had passed just hours later. Josephine Streiner who not only played a ghoul in the film and provided the car that Barbara wrecked trying to escape Hinzman's ghoul in the film, but she was also mother of NOTLD producer Russell Streiner and NOTLD soundman Gary Streiner.

Thanks to you both for believing in and taking part in something that has entertained and inspired so many people for generations... and for scaring the crap out of me as a child.

p.s. thanks to Dread Central for keeping us informed.

Walking Dead Trailer - Series Returns February 12

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:09:11 PST

It's baaaaaack.... well, almost. Check out AMC's The Walking Dead trailer. The bloody awesome series returns to AMC Sunday, February 12th.

Watch where you're pointing that thing, Reedus...

Tentacle Dress!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:09:44 PST

Be the most fashionable person slowly losing her mind....Tentacle dress at Thinkgeek.com

They're Trying to Kill Me... the shape of things

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:38:12 PST

Lookin' good, KILL ME word cloud, lookin' good...

Happy Birthday, Mr. Poe

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:43:59 PST

Edgar Allan Poe would be 203 today. That's old. Cheers, sir, from our world to yours.

They're Trying to Kill Me...oh the things we do for theatre...

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:20:12 PST

I just wrote this in an email to our director for Kill Me...

"I can wrap her up in lots of dirty dirty bandages....maybe we think of her less like a flayed fresh body and more like a flayed decomposing body..."

Yup. You heard me.

Happy Birthday Jason!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:40:09 PST

Fright-Rags is saying Happy Birthday to little Jason Voorhees with a sweet retro-looking limited edition G.I Jason T-shirt available for pre-order from today through Sunday at Midnight. It's totally available here, but only for a few short days! The perfect shirt to take off when losing your game of Strip Monopoly!

order soon before the offer expires!
P.S. THIS LINK WILL EXPIRE at 11:59pm (EST) Sunday, January 15!!!

Happy Friday the 13th!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:39:28 PST

Today marks the first of three Friday the 13ths we'll see this year. Whether you're friggatriskaidekaphobic or not, you're sure to enjoy a little Crispin Glover action on this fine day.

Speaking of Mr. Glover, he's in Chicago TODAY! He spoke this morning with WBEZ's Eight Forty-Eight and this weekend he screens his two films at the Music Box. Get yer Crispin on!!

Happy Friday the 13th, y'all!

Presenting...The Kill Me Poster....

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:27:43 PST

I think that our intrepid graphic designer, Charlie Athanas, has turned out our most amazing and disturbing...visually arresting poster yet. I love the way he has combined our central character (Sasha Gioppo playing Cam) and brought in the elements of isolation, nightmare, insanity, and the monstrous. This will haunt you I swear...and hopefully haunt you so much you will come see our play...which will haunt you some more and then you will send us a big donation.

See how it works...I love it when a plan comes together.

Now on with the scary times. Tickets are on sale now! Get em while they are hot and drippy with blood...get it? Cause we're a horror theatre company? Spooky boots yall.

Vampire Paper Dolls..Buy them for your wife...

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:13:00 PST

I saw these in a sale ad. I believe that they are awesome. These would make a fun Valentine's Gift for your girlfriend or wife that loves vampires and paperdolls. Especially if your wife's name is Aly.

Honor Awards...Vote for Wildclaw!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:24:22 PST

So Katy Walsh has put up a best of 2011 survey and Wildclaw is very pleased to be on it! So show us the love by voting for your favorite horror theatre company! Also so the love for our friends at Lifeline Theatre and it's productions of Monte Cristo and Watership Down which was positively filthy with clawvians.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/honorawards2011

I Saw a Man Pursuing the Horizon...

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:34:25 PST

Months ago the clan of deviants known as Wildclaw Theatre Company assembled in an apartment on the northside. We read a play. A play about 3 women, one of whom was unable to die. Or something...

After lots of discussion, brain jammery & revisions we're now in rehearsals for that play.

Kill Me is already one of the most enigmatic processes I've ever been a part of. The options are seemingly limitless and the room is full of beautiful brains challenging the playwright (who's sitting right over there...). Where, when, and how these people are is as fluid as the ink in your pen, and as shifty as that guy standing on the corner of Broadway and Sheridan at 2am. The imagery concocted by the dialogue is following me home at night, and has already worked its way into my dreams. It nags me and posits rusty whispers in my ears.

So it's no surprise that standard prose is proving unsatisfying.

Stephen Crane has been one of my favorite poets ever since I discovered this poem. He's dark, his words growl and 9 times out of 10 I feel uneasy after a stanza or two. Lately, I find myself muttering this particular poem under my breath and thinking, "That poor soul." However, everyone's journey for their universal truth is their own. So, who am I to judge? To question? No one. I'm just as lost & found as my neighbor.

No better.

So, if your neighbor, or your lover says "I can't die." And you deny them their pursuit, they'll just keep running towards the horizon.

Trust me.

I know.

- Michaela Petro, WildClaw company member and KILL ME cast member

"I saw a man pursuing the horizon"
by Stephen Crane

I saw a man pursuing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;

I accosted the man.
"It is futile," I said,
"You can never --"

"You lie," he cried,
And ran on.

Horror Society Presents: Trash Movie Night

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:00:10 PST

Our good friends at the Horror Society are serving up a real treat for you this friday night. I do love me some Critters...and Rawhead Rex is some nice old school weird Clive Barker. Enjoy....

Rawhead Rex (1986)
Ireland will never be the same after Rawhead Rex, a particularly nasty demon, is released from his underground prison by an unwitting farmer. The film follows Rex's cross country rampage, while a man struggles to stop it

Critters (1986)
A massive ball of furry creatures from another world eat their way through a small mid-western town followed by intergalactic bounty hunters opposed only by militant townspeople.

As always, Trash Movie Night will be upstairs at Lucky Number Grill. Doors Open at 9pm, 1st movie will be CRITTERS at 9:30pm and RAWHEAD REX at Midnight!

Drink Specials will be on hand
Free Popcorn!
Vendor Table (more info coming soon)

FRIDAY, JAN. 6TH - 9PM

LUCKY NUMBER GRILL
1931 N MILWAUKEE AVE
CHICAGO, IL

Crispin Glover comes to the Musicbox... again!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:05:32 PST

January 13th and 14th at the beloved Musicbox Theatre will feature Crispin Hellion Glover performing "live dramatic narration of his books." Illustrations will be projected behind the reading, and it will be followed by screenings of his various films.

Let me say at this point that I love me some Crispin Glover. At least... in theory. Let me explain. The first time I ventured to the Musicbox to see him live and in person it was to witness him narrating Guy Maddin's 2006 silent film Brand Upon the Brain! A film which featured, among other things, an 11-piece orchestra, a castratti, and live sound effect. Sounds great? Yes, it does! And yet, why is it that all I can really remember of the event is feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and a rising sense of needing to run away as Crispin Glover screamed "ROMANIA!!" at the top of his lungs (did you know his voice goes to 11? True.) about twenty thousand times, seemingly right at me.

Sure, maybe this was because, during the show, I developed a 103 degree fever and when I discovered it was raining cats and dogs outside and I had on only a t-shirt, skirt and flip flops, I also learned just how difficult walking, nay EXISTING, can be under these kind of challenges. It was, literally, one of the worst afternoones of my life. I have felt worst, but at that moment I felt pretty darn bad in every way.

I can't help but think this was somehow just all the effect of meeting Crispin Glover in person. His smile is boyishly charming and yet has the sense of a thin mask of sanity overlaid upon a roiling black hole of chaos and booming, evil laughter.

So, sure, most of us have seen his interview with David Letterman in 1987, right? You know, the one where he's the craziest person in the world and tries to kick David in the head?

Well, did you ever see his follow-up interview where he tries to claim that wasn't even him??

I will add that I think both of these interview "personalities" are some performance art stunt he was pulling for the day. Each word, each awkward gesture, planned. He's just that guy. And you will get that sense, just like I did, if you see him in person.

So, go to this event at the Musicbox. Or run away from it before you develop sweaty delirium. Either way, you will never forget it. I never did. I won't even tell you what the movies to be screened are, you can find that out for yourself. I'm just saying... naked woman in a monkey mask jerking off a guy with severe cerebral palsy. Decide now if that's your bag or not. You won't want to find out you were wrong later.

Our new look...

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:32:27 PST

Trying some stuff out. pass us no nevermind.

They're Trying To Kill Me - Poster Design 1

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:30:01 PST

This will be a first. Charlie Athanas here. I design the posters for WildClaw's play productions. Normally, if I think there is enough interesting going on in the design process, I put that process up on our website after we have performed the run of the show (The Great God Pan poster and The Dreams in the Witch House poster).

For KILL ME we have decided to lay bare more of our process before you see the show, so possible SPOILERS ahead.

For KILL ME, we have changed the poster design process by including more people in on the decision process. I typically work with just the director to get their vision of the production they are mounting. Sometimes, not even that, because some directors want nothing to do with the marketing of their show. In this instance I am working with the director (Jeff Christian), WildClaw's Artistic Director (Aly Renee Amidei), and the play's author (Scott T. Barsotti). As you will see later, this often leads to hilarious decision processes, but it also brings in a lot of collaborative viewpoints and some clarity on what it is we are trying to sell you.

THE TOP THREE IMAGES
When I first started looking at ideas, I was way off the mark. The idea I wanted to convey was a central character whose suicidal impulses were splattering over into the other character's lives. We also have three very attractive women in our leads (left to right: Casey Cunningham, Sasha Gioppo, and Michaela Petro) and it would be nice to have them on the poster. Plus, the play's title, KILL ME, is powerful in and of itself.

In the fourth image, I was looking to convey the duality of the lead character's dilemma in the script.

But, after meeting with the Jeff, KILL ME's director, I realized I was missing a lot of the subtleties of the production Jeff was putting together. My favorite part of the process is sitting with the director to explore with them what they are trying to communicate with their version of the script. I think it is also helpful to the directors to have to actually verbalize to someone else the absolute essence of the message. It often raises questions that haven't been looked at before in the design and rehearsal process.

THE SKETCHES

After my talk with Jeff, I went away and looked over the notes from our discussion and came away with three sketches to present to Jeff, Aly, and Scott. Here is where we come to the part of the collaborative process that you can either laugh or cry about. They liked all the sketches.

Aly liked #1 the best.

Scott liked #2 the best.

Jeff liked #3 the best.

My preference was #4.

Ah ...

So, now I am at the process of taking in their feedback to produce the final image. It will incorporate something from all of the sketches I suspect and then will be simplified to create a strong. powerful image that can be read from across the street. That's the goal any way.

More to come this week.

P.S. I always find it amusing to here from theatre companies that tell me they are surprised that WildClaw and the director have any input on the poster image. Typically, they get an artist and take whatever they get back and hope it's the right image for their play.

Bob Howard, Plumber of the Unknown Holiday Special...last day!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:31:22 PST

Check out the holiday special "Slay Bells" of the Bob Howard comic. Today is the last day to catch it online for free...

They're Trying to Kill Me-First Rehearsal Tonight

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:35:24 PST

Artistic Director Log....star date January 2nd, 2012. We have our first official rehearsal for our next play tonight: Kill Me by company member Scott T. Barsotti. Exciting times. I am also doing the costumes and I can tell you that the production/design meetings have been extremely exciting. This is a different show for us....more lyrical...less tangible...more monsters...and blood of course. I am most excited by the emphasis and movement and creating a live sound scape for the show. Big things happening. As for my jobs, as the costume designer I need to get my fanny in gear to get several of the costumes done early to help the actors with the movement. A monster needs to know what sort of monster it is before it can move like a monster evidently. As Artistic Director...well I am still not entirely sure what I am doing...just trying to get the tanks filled and the crab to cannery basically.

The whole team will be keeping the blog filled with behind the curtain peaks of the show as we bring it to the Atheneaum Studio Theatre for its opening on February 13th, 2012. Mark your calendars...preferably with a bloody fingerprint.

We Bleed for You...Donate Today!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:51:50 PST

So if you are like me, your inbox and mailbox has been flooded with last minute requests to donate the pathetic remains of your fatigued post-holiday life-savings. I caved last night and sent a sad little amount to the Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago and the Chicago Greater Food Bank. Worthy causes indeed. But I also looked back and made sure I gave a little money over the year to the theaters in town whose art makes my life worth living. It can be easy to overlook how important your charitable contribution to theater can be...we don't have heart-breaking photos of abandoned animals with the sad eyes...we are not saving starving people. We are a horror theatre company...which seems silly when compared with the big world issues.

But what WildClaw brings to the table does make a difference. Entertainment. Imagination. Creation. Metamorphosis. All wrapped up in a spooky, possibly oozing package.

We bring you a thrill that you cannot get in a movie theatre. We bring you talented artists joining together in a crazed zombie Voltron to deliver something unique: Horror on the Stage.

Now here's the ask....we desperately need you to make that happen. Donate a little or a lot today. It is easy. I promise...an in return, WildClaw will bleed for you. How many charities can make that promise?

In 2012, we will be doing monstrous things: Kill Me opening February and a Spring Benefit Party. We plan to do some damage at C2E2 as well. Our Masque of the Red Death event will be back followed by an epic world premiere in the Fall. Then we start off the holidays with our Fifth Annual Deathscribe Event on the first monday of December. Bigger. Badder. Bloodier. Bring it on.

So give a little or a lot. $10 buys makeup for one actor. $75 pays for some postcards. $150 buys five gallons of stage blood. $600 pays for a designer. $1000 covers our rehearsal space for a month. Every bit helps.

So shake your penny jar and check the couch cushions for your missing pocket change. We will take it. And thanks for making our 2011 an amazing year for Wildclaw.

WildClaw Theatre. Storytelling is in our Blood.

-Aly Amidei
Artistic Director...

Guillermo del Toro Interview

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:13:29 PST

Rick Kleffel of the Agony Column interviews Guillermo del Toro.

Don Sharp, Horror Director Dies at 89.

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:21:58 PST

Hammer Horror director dies...we raise our bloody cocktails to you good sir!

Creepy Gifts for Your Favorite Creepers

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:45:44 PST

Haven't found the most special gift for your most special person? Check out these horror-centric gift ideas!

Horrortalk.com suggests....

Horror-movies.ca suggests...

Fearnet.com has oodles of suggestions...

Now get shopping!!

H. P. Lovecraft In Comics

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 09:34:53 PST

Concluding a series of shows about H.P. Lovecraft, Alex Fitch talks to three creators who have recently penned comics inspired by his monsters and scenarios. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning talk about adding a Lovecraftian twist to Marvel Superheroes in their titles Realm of Kings and The Thanos Imperative, which feature alternative versions of Captain Marvel and the Avengers possessed by the ‘Many-angled Ones’. Also Ed Brubaker discusses Fatale, his latest collaboration with artist Sean Phillips, following Sleeper, Criminal and Incognito, which mixes noir storytelling with occult ceremonies and tentacle faced Nazis.

8pm, Sunday 18th December, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / extended podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Ho, Ho, Holy Crap!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:57:21 PST

Hehe.

St. Nicholas...get your spooky holiday theatrics on...

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:35:46 PST

Our good buddies over at Seanachai' are closing a spooky yarn this weekend. You should see it and then have a beer in the awesome pub at the Irish American Heritage Center.

ST. NICHOLAS
By Conor McPherson
Directed by Matthew Miller

Performed by veteran actor Steve Pickering
in the Seanachaí Theatre Company space:
The 3rd Floor Theatre at
The Irish American Heritage Center
4626 North Knox Avenue

TO BENEFIT SEANACHAÍ THEATRE COMPANY AND SHANGHAI LOW THEATRICALS

December 1-18, 2011
Thursdays, Fridays & Sundays at 8:00pm
Saturdays at 5:00pm & 8:00pm
Tickets $20
For tickets, call (866) 811-4111 or

Click here for more information.

Wishing you a Horror-ible Holiday

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 08:40:10 PST

If you're like me, you might go crazy this time of year remembering which of your friends you should wish a "Merry Christmas," and which get "Happy Hanukkah," and is it Merry Kwanzaa or Happy Kwanzaa?

Now that Repeal Day 2011 is over, there's only one celebration that really matters: don't neglect the Elder Gods or you'll piss them off.

This elegant holiday card, designed by WildClaw's own Mr. Charlie Athanas, will appease the gods if you send it to all your friends and family. You can get them here, and don't forget to take a peek at the other WildClaw designs. Great stocking-stuffers, yall. Wait, do tentacles wear stockings?

Studies in Scary - Pan's Labyrinth

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:33:01 PST

Scooty B and I took in 2006's Pan's Labyrinth, written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, a little while back. As usual, Scott had already seen it and I was a viewing virgin. I remember seeing the previews for Pan's thinking, "Wow, that looks magical/whoa, that looks insane!" Twas both...

SPOILER ALERT! This conversation divulges in detail many of the scary twists and turns of the film. If you haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth, you probably won't want to read this!

Scott: When Pan’s Labyrinth first came around it was billed as a horror fantasy. Two hard genres to pull off well, and it seeks to do both. Does it live up to that?

Casey: There are certainly elements of both genres, for sure. The most horrific parts of the film, to me, were the occurrences of violence against humans by humans, of which there were MANY. Really, there was so much graphic military violence and torture, I was sick. I think the suspension of disbelief by a character in a completely surreal situation defines fantasy for me, and there’s plenty of that, too. When you saw the film for the first time, what was your impression?

S: I thought it used fantasy and horror as mirrors for each other. Humans all have both hopeful and dark fantasies. Horror can be gruesome but can reveal unexpected beauty and magic. So, I think the film successfully uses both genres to elevate each other. It has its fairy tale elements, and it’s got its blood and gore, and setting all of this off is the reality of the war. Really there are few things in real life that are as horrific and fantastical at once as war is...a very real phenomenon that people caught in the midst of must ask themselves, “Is this real? This must be a bad dream.” It’s a real nightmare, a fantasy gone wrong.

C: Well put. It’s extremely unsettling, and to grow to care for and root for Ofelia, and know that she and her mother are in constant danger in their own home, is so nerve-wracking. Yeah, the intense violence devastated me, it really stuck with me.

S: Yeah, the violence done by and to the Captain is so extreme. It’s amazing, he gets stabbed, gets his face ripped open, gets drugged, and he just keeps coming. Like a fascist Michael Myers. Now THAT’S scary, the fascist that won’t die.

C: Right?! He’s terrifying.

The fantasy world that Ofelia discovers is so strange and threatening, and yet it becomes her safe haven, her escape, and ours too. Gosh, and I just have to say (did I just say gosh?) that Doug Jones is so, so wonderful. Having met the man (and now finding myself in complete, bashful awe of him as a performer and a person), I find his performance all the more impressive. He has a tough task - he’s the monster yet we have to accept him and want Ofelia’s destiny to be fulfilled through his orders. He’s so expressive, you just want to get closer and get in tune with him.

S: AND he plays double-duty as the Pale Man, who became an iconic monster overnight.

C: Yes! When did you make me watch that scene? Months before I watched the film, yes? God, that scene is SO frustrating. I really started losing my shit when she ate that grape! You broke the only ruuuuuule, child! Kind of biblical, huh?

S: But remember, that girl was sent to bed without her supper. And those grapes looked really good. Also, come on, when you’re that age, you do stupid stuff. You expect to sneak a snack consequence-free. You do not expect to be eaten by a monster with eyes in his hands. But I digress. You mentioned that Ofelia’s “safe haven,” the Faun’s world, is every bit as dangerous as the real world. Why do you think she prefers the fantasy world?

C: She’s sad and lonely and feels abandoned, ignored, threatened. It’s her escape and it’s AMAZING. It’s a bright spot in such a grim place. They’re holed up in the woods, there are rebels in their midst and she’s on a short leash. And there isn’t another person there her age, she has no friends. It’s like a crazy dream, come true. And I also think magic is hopeful.

Ofelia is one of a few characters taking major risks in the film, putting her life on the line for what she believes in. Mercedes and the Doctor have put themselves in grave danger. The Doctor’s last line resonated with me - “But captain, to obey - just like that - for obedience's sake... without questioning... That's something only people like you do.” - it’s a thought that runs through my mind often. What a struggle life can be sometimes, choosing what’s right over what’s easy, or deciding to do what you believe instead of what you’re told. It feels very relevant to me right now.

The color blue figures prominently in the film, I seem to remember. What other stylistic or aesthetic elements stuck out to you?

S: It’s a film of excesses. Everything is lush and magnified, even in the bleak settings. The Pale Man’s feast is abundant. There is an overwhelming amount of those giant cockroach-rolypoly hybrids in the frog’s tree. One image in particular that stands out to me is the mother’s troubled labor; Ofelia comes in the room and finds her stained with what looks like a gallon of blood, she’s slick with it. Guillermo del Toro is a master of that, knowing exactly how far to push an exaggeration.

The color blue does figure in prominently. It feels as though it takes place underwater. Which makes sense, as everyone - rebels, fascists, and innocent bystanders alike - is suffocating.

C: And the score is so grand, operatic. It’s a gorgeous adventure. I nearly tossed my cookies watching it, I was so tense, but it was gorgeous.

S: Thank you for saying “tossed my cookies.” You’re gorgeous.

Holiday Horror Gift Guide...

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:35:38 PST

So we here at Wildclaw believe that you should give the gift of horror this holiday season. Here are a few ideas:

For your techno-geek brother:
Jason Voorhees Flash Drive... By Hemingwayfun!

For the wine-lover...
Tentacle wine-stoppers by Dellamorte & Co.

For that snowboarding teenage boy:
Cthulhu Ski-Mask by Knotty Fingers!

For that teenage girl:
Cute Pink Octopus necklace by Donna the Dead!

For your mom:
A pretty pendant by Red Robin

For the ironic hipster:
Subversive T-Shirts by Dark Cycle Clothing! I am fond of Shark on a Bike.

For the friend who thinks everyday is Halloween:
An awesome mask by Peruresh!

For the College student:
Awesome Horror Posters to put up instead of black light posters...by Artwork by Vlad!

Your favorite Hell Hound:
Get your beast some schoolin' at Animal Sense!

Your potentially homicidal co-worker or boss:
Help them calm the killer within with some Yoga classes at Om on the Range!

Your Narcissist Younger Sister:
How about a private photo shoot with Austin D. Oie!

For the Foodie:
Horror themed plates and mugs by Folded Pigs!

For the Gamer:
Check out the RPGS for the Dresden Files by Evil Hat!

For your Twi-Hard Niece:
Twilight Dolls by Tonner Doll Company!

For your office grab bag:
A gift certificate to the yummy Sazon Light meal plan for a week!

For the Theatre Lover:
Get them tickets for the DCA Storefront. We heart them.

Take them to Blue Man Group...

For the Fitness Lover:
How about a membership at the swankiest David Barton Gym!

And don't forget you:
I adore these silicon 'cut throat' necklaces. I wear mine all the time. Get one from Von Erickson's Lab!

And FINALLY...don't forget to give a little gift to Wildclaw! By giving a little (or a lot) to us you will help support our mission to bring horror to the Chicago Stage! It is a gift that will keep on giving...and quite possibly bleeding. Donate now! Any amount is welcome and will help!

Black Box Acting Studio...learn how to act good.

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:03:43 PST

So you have seen our shows. (If not...stop and mark your calendars for Kill Me opening on February 13th!) Many of our actors and even one of our directors have attended or teach at Black Box Acting Studio. Recent Deathscribe 2011 Judge, Audrey Francis is co-owner along with The Revenants' favorite zombie, Laura Hooper. Classes begin in early January so check them out and sign up. It would make an excellent present for someone in your life..make your inner zombie your outer zombie...a sensitive zombie able to access deep honest feelings and embrace their desire for brains with their whole body and emotional core.

Save Evil Squirrel Comics!...because they are awesome!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:21:50 PST

This is my new comic store. I heart it! Why? Friendly dudes. A nice subscription service. Knitting Night. Kid's Movie Club, A mutual love for horror....did I mention a Knitting Night? Well you should check it out. Its right around the corner from the Mayne Stage (where we rocked it at Deathscribe a few days ago) a hop skip and jump from the Morse Redline stop and close to our good good buddies at the Lifeline Theatre. Evil Squirrel Comics is in a bit of financial woesomeness and I really don't want another awesome comic book store to close yall. They are amazing community centers to meet people and share ideas, as well as being the place that I buy my floppy cartoon fix. We need local businesses like Evil Squirrel. So stick it to the Barnes and Noble Man...buy your comics, games, t-shirts, and toys from a friendly awesome local business like Evil Squirrel!

Also...TODAY there is a Groupon Now! And it is new comic day! Weeee! Ask for suggestions when you get there and you can get yourself a sweet comic or pick up a few Christmas presents. I recommend Locke and Key...or Swamp Thing. I am planning to pick up DC Super Pets, Patrick the Wolfboy, and Tiny Titans for my nieces for Christmas. And perhaps a Munchkin game for the teens? And don't forget a plushy Cthulhu...

Here is a clip of our good buddy and recent Deathscribe judge, Brian Kirst of Big Gay Horror Fan, interviewing Evil Squirrel's owner!

And their most recent you tube video....

Here is an letter from the super-nice and well-mustachioed owner Sparky Bobby King about some upcoming fundraising events for the store. Please attend or just drop in the store and show the love by dropping some green.

Store Update "Save the Squirrel Week"

If you haven't heard yet we're in danger of closing. Our landlord has been very lenient with us the past few months, but as we get closer to the end of the year he does want the back rent we owe. We've been busy, we're making some money, but not enough to be able to pay him, a few other bills that have been on hold and stay open. So we decided a few weeks ago that we would have to close our doors after the New Year.
After we put our announcement up on Facebook, we’ve had dozens of calls asking us to stay. Can we host a fundraiser? Can we cut peoples discounts and if we do that is it worth you staying open? The answer to those questions were all yes, and we have been lucky to have help from all of our amazing squirrels to put together "Save the Squirrel Week" starting on December 11th. We will have a weeks worth of events to tantalize, titillate and hopefully persuade a few of your dollars into our donation buckets.
Kicking of the events will be Sunday, December 11th's Super Hero Bingo at our Favorite bar The Glenwood. Located right down the street from Evil Squirrel Comics it's the ultimate place to come dressed up as your favorite super-hero, play a little Super-Hero Bingo and win some Amazing prizes, and, all of the work, performance and gosh darn love have all been donated to help keep the Squirrel Alive. That's right folks... Super-Hero at The Glenwood.
On Tuesday, the 13th, we will be heading down to the Original Mother's bar on Rush & Division to party hardy with the band Idle Spies and She-nanniga Comedy Winner's Michael Larimer and Anish Shah.
Wednesday, December 13, we have the great fortune of Mind Crusher Tattoos offering Limited Edition Evil Squirrel Tattoos at a price of $30. We are incredibly lucky that Mind Crusher is going to be donating the WHOLE $30 to the shop. Mind Crusher Tattoos is located at 6705 N. Clark Street and on Wednesday they are open from 11am until 11pm. Even if you don't end up with a Limited Edition tattoo that day, you should check these guys out. Great pricing and fantastic work!!
Thursday, December 14, we are having a Craft War with The Glenwood's Stitch and Bitch Crew. Did you know that The Glenwood has a knit night the same day and time we do?? We did and challenged them to war. December 14th will go down in history as the day that Evil Squirrel Comics knit more scarves in one night than The Glenwood Crew. Whichever team knits the least amount of scarves has to buy the other team a shot, but there are no losers in this war. All of the scarves made will be donated to Emmaus Ministries. So it's time to choose sides true knitters; whom will you stand behind, Evil Squirrel or The Glenwood??
And, Saturday, December 17th ends the weeklong festivities at Lifeline Theater. The Theater has generously donated its space for am Evil Squirrel Comics Variety show, Featuring a bevy of talent including Burlesque, Magic and Musical Acts.
We hope to see you at some of the events we have planned. Stay tuned for more... Sparky Bobby King

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Deathscribe 2011 tonight at 8pm! Who will get the bloody axe?

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:27:58 PST

It's here. We teched all weekend....the pieces are killer. My knuckles are swollen from foley work (pounding on cellar doors, pounding on various fruits and vegatables, pounding on pillows....etc). Tonight we descend upon the beautiful Mayne Stage for an amazing evening of live horror radio. It will be a classy night of chaos. Please join us for the fourth annual Deathscribe Horror Radio Play Festival!

MEET THE DEATHSCRIBE 2011 FINALISTS (Part 5 of 5)

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:53:53 PST

We needn't look far for our fifth and final Deathscribe finalist. Matthew George lurks in Chicago. I was going to say something about the long, dark, winding corridors down which this Deathscribe dwells, but Chicago is laid out on a grid. Very few twists and turns. Streets at right angles, perfectly straight, in some cases for miles and miles. Driving down a street in Chicago might just make one feel like they're in an episode of the Twilight Zone...the street goes on and on and on until the vanishing point and beyond, without end. In FALLING APART, a drive that goes on too long lands a young couple in the company of an older pair who are most certainly not what they seem. Audrey Francis directs this eerie trip down the strangest of rabbit holes.

FALLING APART
Written by Matthew George

Directed by Audrey Francis

WildClaw: Where Horror is concerned, what does radio give us that visual media cannot?

Matthew George: There really isn't another medium that can so directly activate the imagination like radio. You have to actively participate to make the world work. How terrifying is that, that you're the only one who can see what you're seeing. What else is like that? And man, to make it a horror play, to have you be truly alone in your experience, with no escape to shut your eyes to make it go away. It's like a little monster is born in your head that might never go away. I HAVE CHILLS RIGHT NOW.

WC: "Falling Apart" creeped us out. What is it about "Falling Apart" that creeps you out?

MG: On a macro level, I'm terrified of the things we can't change. On a micro level, I think old people in rocking chairs are up to no good.

WC: What's the sound cue in your piece that you're excited to hear in foley?

MG: Someone getting hit in the head with a shovel.

WC: What difficulties does a 10-minute constraint present when writing, especially where horror and/or radio are concerned?

MG: Well you have to move more quickly, this is a truth. I found it helpful to think more about atmosphere and tone -- what tools do I have to make a whole world known instantly? How can I use words and sounds to transfer feelings, emotions rather than thought? I think my goal was just to create something unsettling that lingers once the sound stops. It's like cheating, but without cheating.

COME HEAR 'FALLING APART' PERFORMED LIVE AT DEATHSCRIBE 2011

Matthew George is a recent graduate from Yale University with a B.A. in American Studies. His play Cow Play was performed at the 2011 NY Fringe Festival and was runner-up for the National Student Playwriting Award for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. His play Commandments was performed by the Yale Dramatic Association in the winter of 2010 and was part of the Attic Theater Company's Emerging Playwrights program in New York this October. He also co-wrote and performed in the original musical extravaganza Cold Turkey, which was seen in Ars Nova’s 2010 ANT Fest. This past summer he was a member of the Core Company at the Orchard Project, a summer theater workshop run by The Exchange.

Audrey Francis has acted, directed and taught in Chicago for over 7 years. She is also one of the proud owners of Black Box Acting Studio. Audrey is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf, where she now teaches both the Meisner Technique and Text Analysis. She is a Jeff Nominated actor who has worked at The Goodman, Victory Gardens, Writer's Theatre, Northlight, Pine Box Theater and Steppenwolf. Audrey was most recently seen as Julia in Want and Frankie in Where We're Born at Steppenwolf. She's appeared in multiple independent films, commercials, webisodes and television shows including: The Promotion, Dustclouds, Donnie Brasco- The Documentary and the NBC series ER. Directing credits include: Life & Limb and The Most Liquid Currency in the World (Pine Box Theater); The Sugar Syndrome (Chicago Dramatists); Master Harold and the Boys (a.d. Steppenwolf) and Sexual Perversity in Chicago (U of C). Audrey is a graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in Journalism.

A Very Carrie Christmas

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:19:35 PST

Attention Chicagoans! Tomorrow, Sunday, December 4th, Camp Midnight presents "A Very Carrie Christmas" at the Music Box Theatre, 2pm. Featuring all kinds of good stuff, including a moderated Q&A after the film with Carrie co-star Piper Laurie.

What a perfect Deathscribe appetizer!

Hammer Films Launches Poster Site

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:26:38 PST

Hammer Films has launched a poster page for their films! They are UK quad versions of some of their classic films.

MEET THE DEATHSCRIBE 2011 FINALISTS (Part 4 of 5)

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:39:36 PST

Our fourth Deathscribe hails from Tarzana, California, a neighborhood in Los Angeles named after Tarzan. Think I'm kidding? You're wrong. The neighborhood is located on land that was formerly a ranch owned by this guy. But we're not here to talk about Tarzan. We're here to talk about Thomas Misuraca, whose radio play ENTITY is all the scarier for its spare simplicity. Directed by The Factory Theater's Manny Tamayo, this twisted interview between a reporter and an inmate at a mental institution will get under your skin. Plus it's set in Cincinnati...and if that's not scary I don't know what is.

ENTITY
Written by Thomas J. Misuraca

Directed by Manny Tamayo

WildClaw: Where Horror is concerned, what does radio give us that visual media cannot?

Thomas Misuraca: There is nothing scarier than our own imaginations. When you hear about something horrifying, you created your own image of it in your head. That is what radio allows you to do. In visual media, if you show a ghost or a monster or a frightening scene, it may not work for everybody because they don't find that image quite scary. Plus, with radio, the audience needs to listen, and some words can be creepier than any visions.

WC: "Entity" creeped us out. What is it about "Entity" that creeps you out?

TM: I creeped myself out with Sam telling Dillion what may (or may not be) happening to his daughter. Sam talks with such conviction, it becomes hard to doubt him. And then to think that this horrible scene is taking place while Dillion listens and is helpless to act... brrrrrrrrr... [Literary Daemon's note: uh-huh.]

WC: What's the sound cue in your piece that you're excited to hear in foley?

TM: The sound of Dillion banging his head against the metal door. That could be pretty creepy to hear.

WC: What difficulties does a 10-minute constraint present when writing, especially where horror and/or radio are concerned?

TM: It's difficult to create tension/fear in such a short amount of time. But on the other hand, you can't go on too long and lose your audience. In a regular ten minute play you have the difficulty of catching an audience's attention, having a believable story arc in a short time, and then giving an exclamation point at the end. Adding have to scare them on top of that, and it is a little more difficult. But a rewarding challenge.

COME HEAR 'ENTITY' PERFORMED LIVE AT DEATHSCRIBE 2011

Tom Misuraca has had one-act plays produced in New York City, Hollywood, Chicago, Boston, Madison, Long Island and England. He’s won audience favorites at YES’ Summer Shorts, Three Rose Players’ The Writer Speaks, PianoFight’s ShortLived 2.0, Bellarmine University’s Anything Galileo Festival and twice at the Tehachapi Community Theatre’s Ten-Minute Play Competition. www.tommiz.com

Manny Tamayo is thankful for the opportunity to work on DEATHSCRIBE. He is a 9 year Veteran of the Psychic Wars with the Factory Theater. Manny hails from Joliet.

Dream Reapers open for the Holidays!?!

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:10:27 PST

You heard me right, boils & ghouls of the Chicagoland area! The folks at Dream Reapers in Melrose Park are doing Jack Skellington proud this December by opening their doors to spread some Holiday Fear width some holiday-themed frights & delights! Dream Reapers is doing their bloody-best not only to help distract you from shopping, but (sadly) they are doing so to help recover some funds that were stolen from their office on Halloween night.

Details can be found on their Facebook event page after you log in, but short and sweet info is 7pm-11pm on Dec. 9 & 10 and 16 & 17 located at 1945 Cornell, Melrose Park, IL 60160.

I say if Christmas can creep into Halloween & Thanksgiving, it's only fair that we creep into Christmas!!! Am I right?

MEET THE DEATHSCRIBE 2011 FINALISTS (Part 3 of 5)

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:33:34 PST

The time has come for us to get to know a little bit more about Jessica Wright Buha, our third Deathscribe. Jessica, who resides in the chilly grey moor that is Chicago, Illinois, submitted a radio play about the denizens of another grim, soggy world: Mermaids. But there's nothing Disney about Ms. Buha's southern mermaids. Turn your back and they'll snatch your baby. And that's just the beginning. Directed by multi-talented Carolyn Hoerdemann, "Alabama Mermaid" will be unlike any previous Deathscribe finalist, featuring original music, multiple vocalists, and an eerie underwater playground.

ALABAMA MERMAID
Written by Jessica Wright Buha
Inspired by a story from Darren Meyers' family history

Directed by Carolyn Hoerdemann

WildClaw: Where Horror is concerned, what does radio give us that visual media cannot?

Jessica Wright Buha: Radio lets the images take place in the mind's eye, which is always more horrifying than any visual media, because you're drawing from images and settings that you yourself have encountered. Then there's also the general spookiness (even in the best of times) of listening to disembodied voices telling a story.

WC: We found "Alabama Mermaid" haunting. What is it about "Alabama Mermaid" that haunts you?

JWB: I find most haunting the fact that there are instances in life, such as the death of a child, where we cannot reclaim what we have lost. The ultimate finality of such things, to me, is the most haunting thing there is.

WC: What's the sound cue in your piece that you're excited to hear in foley?

JWB: I'm most excited to hear how the underwater landscape sounds in foley! I wrote it as kinda an echoey, sad place, and I'm eager to hear how the director interprets that.

WC: What difficulties does a 10-minute constraint present when writing, especially where horror and/or radio are concerned?

JWB: With a 10-minute piece, you don't have time to waste on character development, so the actual plot is the crucial thing. I think that theatre today puts an emphasis on intense character development, and that's an aspect that kinda has to go by the wayside when writing a 10-minutue piece, which is quite exciting.

I think that both horror and radio actually lend themselves quite well to the 10-minute constraint, as the genre of horror is pretty ideal for these quick, intense vignettes. The general telling-stories-by-a-campfire feel of radio is likewise very compatible with a shorter piece, especially for modern audiences who may not be used to listening to a radio program for an extended period of time.

COME HEAR 'ALABAMA MERMAID' PERFORMED LIVE AT DEATHSCRIBE 2011

Jessica Wright Buha's writings have been performed by the Tempting Fates (Parrot Love, Abbiefest 2011), the Whiskey Rebellion (Sign of Rain, Rhinofest 2011), Tooth and Nail Ensemble (Under Ground, Rhinofest 2010), and Point of Contention Theatre (Acid Rain, Chaos Festival 2009). Locally, she has directed (Owl Theatre’s A New Nation: The American Civil War in Letters, Speeches, and Song), designed props (Lifeline Theatre’s Treasure Island), and worked as a dramaturg (Lookingglass Theatre's Our Future Metropolis). She has been the resident assistant stage manager at Lifeline since 2008, and is a founding member of the Lifeline Storytelling Project, a spoken word group performing weekly in Rogers Park. Upcoming writing projects include the Plagiarists' I Am Saying This Right Now (co-writer), and RhinoFest 2012's Tennyson Spade, both opening in January 2012.

Carolyn Hoerdemann recently appeared in the critically acclaimed OVERWEIGHT, unimportant: MISSHAPE at the Trapdoor Theatre, she just finished up VENUS at the Steppenwolf Garage and the Jeff Recommended SCORCHED at Silkroad Theatre Project. She can be seen at the Goodman this Spring in CAMINO REAL directed by Calixto Bieito. She is thrilled to be part of the best night of horror in Chicago, directing the beautiful ALABAMA MERMAID. Thanks to all the WildClaw folk for having her!

MEET THE DEATHSCRIBE 2011 FINALISTS (Part 2 of 5)

wildclaw8@gmail.com (WIldclaw Theatre) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:16:32 PST

For the second installment in this series, we venture west. Colin Johnson made his submission one dark and stormy night from the steaming, undead-strewn marshes of Berkeley, California. THE DARK MUSE was that submission, a radio play that will have old school radio buffs salivating and shaking in their boots. This Poe-referencing chiller, which will be directed by Chicago star Kimberly Senior, dives into the psyche of its manic, tortured narrator.

THE DARK MUSE
Written by Colin Johnson

Directed by Kimberly Senior

WildClaw: Where Horror is concerned, what does radio give us that visual media cannot?

Colin Johnson: True terror comes from the unknown, the unseen. Radio is an ideal format for channeling raw, primal fear because it's not about what you see -- it's about what the imagination suggests.

WC: "The Dark Muse" creeped us out. What is it about "The Dark Muse" that creeps you out?

CJ: What creeped me out about the Dark Muse was the vulnerability of being at the whim of your shortcomings. With one who's obsessed with creation, as the writer is, the moment he's blocked is the moment his focus will latch onto whatever peaks his interest. It can be booze, women, drugs, etc. In this case, it just so happened to be horrible, mysterious sounds wafting from a nearby apartment. What really creeped me out, however, was the positive effect that the human monster Reynolds has on the main character's creativity. That was not originally intended, and once the story organically veered in that direction, I ran with it. Inspiration can come from some very dark places, and the implications of that is pretty scary.

WC: What's the sound cue in your piece that you're excited to hear in foley?

CJ: I'm excited to hear the bizarre mash-up of noises coming from the apartment. I wrote it to keep it relatively open for interpretation, but they should contradict nature, creating a bizarre, foreign symphony of madness. And the hand saw. Excited to hear that nasty bit.

WC: What difficulties does a 10-minute constraint present when writing, especially where horror and/or radio are concerned?

CJ: The difficulty of writing in super-short format is compressing the narrative. I've done a lot of sketch comedy as of late, which keeps you frugal as a storyteller. You learn to gauge how quickly an idea will run its course. What I did with The Dark Muse, though, was originally approach it as a short story, on account of the extensive monologues. Then I found myself reading some Poe and listening to Tom Waits (Mule Variations, "What's He Building in There") and decided to center the piece around the external stimuli of the character instead of his interior monologues. This streamlined the musings and, after some hefty chopping, it seemed like the mind unraveling proved fertile ground for radio.

As for horror, I've found that, unlike many genres, horror works best in it's rawest form. The simpler the better. The more ambiguous the better. There should never be certain answers, only lingering imagery, unanswerable questions and one or two new phobias.

Good horror knows to not overstay its welcome.

COME HEAR 'THE DARK MUSE' PERFORMED LIVE AT DEATHSCRIBE 2011

Raised in the gloom of the Pacific Northwest, Colin Johnson developed a knack for all things macabre early in life. After studying theatre and film production at Eastern Washington University, he migrated to the Bay Area in 2008 in relentless pursuit of the golden impulse. He's worked with a plethora of Bay Area theatre/film organizations, co-founded BattleStache Studios, works as a writer/producer on Daomu from Image comics and slings literature at Pegasus Books in Berkeley. And he's right behind you.

Kimberly Senior is a Chicago based freelance director. Chicago credits include: Want, The North Plan (Steppenwolf), Madagascar, The Overwhelming and The Busy World is Hushed (Next), Waiting for Lefty (American Blues), Old Times, The Conquest of the South Pole, Uncle Vanya, Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, Fuddy Meers, and Knives in Hens (Strawdog), Bad Dates and Mouse Cop (Fox Valley Repertory), Bug and The Pillowman (Redtwist Theatre), Thieves Like Us (The House Theatre), All My Sons and Dolly West's Kitchen (TimeLine Theatre) among others. Regional: A Few Good Men (Peninsula Players), Mauritius (Theatre Squared, Fayetteville, AR). Upcoming: Disgraced (ATC), The North Plan (Theater Wit), After the Revolution (Next) and Cripple of Inishmaan (Redtwist). Kimberly is an Artistic Associate at Next Theatre, Strawdog Theatre, and Chicago Dramatists. She is on the faculty of Columbia College Chicago (2010 Excellence in Teaching Award Winner). Kimberly lives in Evanston with scenic designer, Jack Magaw, and her children, Noah and Delaney, and is a proud member of SDC. www.kimberlysenior.net