Books are the gateway into worlds unreachable by other means. Within their pages, the darkness of our minds breaks through the cloudy veil of our restrictive lives to take us far and away.
I apologize for not posting in a while, but I hope to get back at it very soon! In the meantime, I just saw that the Evil Jester Presents: Comics and Graphic Novel/Anthologies has exceeded 50% of their goal!! If you haven't already, hit the link below and check them out!
And while you are at it, check out this amazing documentary about the beginning of horror comics!
If you missed your chance to participate in the EVIL JESTER PRESENTS COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVEL/ANTHOLOGIES don't fret! Although the Kickstarter failed to meet its goal, the masterminds behind the project have created an Indiegogo page to keep the dream alive!
The goal is smaller (focusing on one book, instead of four) and the perks are even more fantastic than before! If you pledged to the kickstarter, be sure to head over and re-pledge to the Indiegogo campaign! And if you forgot, to pledge before, now is the perfect time!
Click the link below, to pledge! If you cannot pledge, please share the page with your friends. While you are there, be sure to leave a comment that you are supporting the cause!
If you missed your chance to participate in the EVIL JESTER PRESENTS COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVEL/ANTHOLOGIES don't fret! Although the Kickstarter failed to meet its goal, the masterminds behind the project have created an Indiegogo page to keep the dream alive!
The goal is smaller (focusing on one book, instead of four) and the perks are even more fantastic than before! If you pledged to the kickstarter, be sure to head over and re-pledge to the Indiegogo campaign! And if you forgot, to pledge before, now is the perfect time!
Click the link below, to pledge! If you cannot pledge, please share the page with your friends. While you are there, be sure to leave a comment that you are supporting the cause!
Recently I received a rejection email for a short story I had submitted. I won't lie, I cried a bit inside. Not because I was rejected, I had a feeling I would not be chosen, but because it is a project that I had become very close to and knew I did not submit my best work. In short, I feel like I let the project down.
To be fair, I only knew about the project a few days before the deadline so I did not have any time to re-write/edit the piece. Looking back, I should have skipped this round and waited for the next.
The rejection email was fairly standard and to the point. I know there were a lot of submissions and expected nothing more. I replied with a thank you, and that I was just happy to submit. To my surprise I received a fantastic reply encouraging me to submit in the future. I will.
Some would take the rejection email and let it fester inside. Not me, I took it as an opportunity to re-write my short story and take it into a different direction. A direction I had originally intended it to go. I must say that the final product is now something that I am proud of. I wish I would have had the time to submit this version, then again...why look back?
While re-writing the short story, I came up with an idea for a flash fiction sub. I am actually pretty happy with it, and hope to see it accepted. It is a 500 word piece about the danger of waking for a midnight snack...and yes...there is bacon involved.
Currently, I have four short stories out there awaiting rejection/acceptance. One has been out there for a while, it is for a vampire themed sci-fi anthology that I really want to be part of. The short that I submitted is something that I am VERY happy with, I am just worried that it is not sci-fi enough. The other three are the rewrite, the bacon themed flash fiction, and a short about an alien on a dystopian earth.
Although I am no where new to writing, I am new to submitting my work for publication. There was a time that a rejection would have discouraged me. As I have grown, I now take rejection as a positive motivator. Rejection does not necessarily mean that my submission was bad, it could just mean that it was not the right fit for the project. However, it always offers an opportunity to better the piece.
To be a writer, or any form of artist for that matter, thick skin is a must. Not everyone will like your finished product, and sometimes you need to realize that the story, in general, was a horrible idea. However, use that thick skin as a shield and deflect the negatives, leaving only the positives to add an extra layer of motivation.
Phobias... everybody claims to have at least one. Mine, for example, is the fear of spiders. Constantly, they stalk me with their tiny eight legs, pairs of puncturing fangs, and beady little eyes.
Just last summer, I was confronted by on of my little arch nemesis' as he emerged from under the stove. Me with bare feet, him staring at me while standing on his four back legs, the others taunting me as he held them above his head. Squishing him with my bare feet was not an option, so I left him be. Satisfied with my defeat, he scurried back under the stove to share his triumph with his little spider friends. What he did not know is that I would be back with a poisonous spray to end his reign as champion.
Although arachnophobia is one of the most common phobias, there are countless others out there. And, although many are just as scary as spiders, to the person suffering they could seem even more deadly. Some phobias may seem just plain silly, such as turophobia (the fear of cheese), but they are still serious to those suffering.
I have always found it odd that we sometimes classify our insecurities as phobias and hide behind them as though we are not hateful. For example, let's look at Homophobia. Now, I am sure that there are some legitimate people out there that fear homosexuals. I mean, there are people that fear cheese, so I can believe this. However, too many people that show hate towards the LGBT community classify themselves as homophobic, when in reality they are not... they are just hateful, or have an extreme misunderstanding towards the culture. These people are not to be confused with those that just do not agree with or accept the lifestyle. That is their opinion, and they are entitled to it.
So, if there is a blurred line between an actual phobia and not liking something, how are we to know the difference. The simple test would be to confront the subject with that which they claim to fear. If they run away in tears, it is obviously a phobia. However, it is not always appropriate to do so. For example, I would never place a young girl in a room full of happy clowns to test her fear of them. I think I would just take her word for it.
Do we really need to know the difference between phobia and a strong dislike/hate? Honestly, I don't think so. Too often, we are quick to label someone/thing because we do not understand them/it. Instead of calling me an arachnophobic, let's just say I hate spiders. I do not fear them enough to run from a picture, video, or toy. I am not afraid to stomp on a real one, assuming I am wearing proper footwear. I just hate them and they hate me. So, until I am officially and medically diagnosed with arachnophobia, I cannot say that I have it. The only time I think it would be appropriate to distinguish a phobia from a strong dislike/hate, is when it is taken to the extreme by the sufferer. If the fear is too extreme, they may need appropriate medication to live healthy life.
Many times, those that claim to have phobias seem to find a strange source of enjoyment in confronting their fears in the form of books, movies, and videos. For example, I know people that claim to have a phobia of clowns, but enjoy movies such as Killer Clowns From Outer Space. Or those afraid of spiders watching the video above. I think this is why I love the horror genre. Anything can be made into something scary, you just have to play on people's fears, and those people that fear it will come out in droves to watch. Why? Because they know that they are safe within their homes/theaters.
Some phobias bring their sufferers to tears, and force them to stay within the confines of their homes. Phobias such as menophobia, maniaphobia, levophobia, kolpophobia, and medectophobia seem to be silly reasons to stay at home, hiding from the world. These are phobias that are hard to justify as just being something the sufferers hate, but can really cause someone to experience high anxiety and nervous breakdowns.
Phobias are real, but hate is just as real. Although a world filled with hate is poisonous, I wish people would stop hiding behind phobias and admit their hate. The dialogue that would open is just what we need to reach a common ground, and begin the process of healing our world from the mental harm our hate has branded us with.
Since Childhood, I have fostered a deep passion for comic books. They were an escape from the perils of everyday life. Somewhere down the line I manifested a deep satisfaction for horror as well. When I discovered that the two could not only copulate, but also manifest an utterly perfect child born of their lust...I was hooked.
The visual horror portrayed in comic form is uniquely beautiful and something that a movie cannot seem to fully capture. A movie tends to show you all the gore and presents an adequate amount of jump scares. However, a horror comic gives just enough detail to tickle your imagination. It allows your mind to absorb the images on the pages and twist them to play with your fears.
When I first heard that The Evil Jester Press was expanding into comics, I was intrigued. I have a lot of respect for the Evil Jester and his underlings, and knew it would be a perfect fit. So, as any aspiring writer would do, I quickly wrote a last minute short story (Because I was a little slow and only found out about it a couple of days before the deadline), and submitted it for a chance to be involved in the project. I don't really expect to be accepted, although I REALLY want to be, because my story was rushed. I think it had some nice visuals that could be translated well into comic form, however it was definitely not my best work.
Even though there is a chance I may not be selected, I feel that this project is destined for greatness, and want to show my support. So, to all my comic/horror loving friends, please take a moment to visit the Evil Jester Presents Kickstarter Page. For as little as $5.00, you can enjoy in supporter perks. Even if you can't pledge $5.00, maybe you can spare $1.00? Another fantastic way to contribute to the cause is to share the Kickstarter page with all of your friends!
If you are still not convinced, check out the frightfully amazing authors already chosen for the publication:
GARY BRAUNBECK. Horror icon and winner of both the Bram Stoker and International Horror Guild Award.
RAMSEY CAMPBELL. The most honored writer in the horror industry and often called "Britain's most respected living horror writer."
JACK KETCHUM. Multiple award-winning author who Stephen King calls "The Scariest Guy in America."
JONATHAN MABERRY. New York Times Bestselling author and renowned comic book writer for Marvel comics.
JOE McKINNEY. Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the critically and commercially successful Dead World series.
WILLIAM F. NOLAN. Legendary author of the Logan's Run series with over 80 books to his credit.
Whether you are a fan of comics, horror, books, art, or just a good story, this is a fantastic project to support. As of now, they are $2,421 into their goal of $15,000 with only nineteen days remaining. I have a feeling that they will meet, and possibly exceed their goal, but urge you not to wait until the last minute to show your support.
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