For those that know me or follow my random ramblings on Comic Book Therapy, you might know that I’m a sucker for horror films and anything that comes with it. If you want to get my attention, wave a collector’s edition of Universal’s classic Dracula in front of me. There’s just something about the classic simplicity they offer up that just sendsa zing up my heart strings. IDW’s latest edition of Haunted Horror is right up my alley, bringing to light the classic tales from the 1950′s that housewives and the US Government thought would ruin the minds of children.

In this fifth issue, we see anything from a young baseball star who lets his quest for being the best get in the way of his natural ability, to a bowler who takes things a little to far when his wife slacks off in her wifely duties, to the classic stand-by of a prehistoric creature being let lose on the modern world. By today’s standards, these stories may seem a bit silly and lacking in originality, but take yourself back about 60 years and it’ a whole new ballgame. The stories are short and sweet but tremendously entertaining, and fans of classic horror tales will eat this up.

Top artists from the golden age of comics provide a fitting and well-appointed backdrop for these stories, and you can’t help but smile as you read through the pages, which go buy much faster than you want them to.  As I read this series, I couldn’t help but picture the iconic and witty Crypt Keeper from the now iconic Tale from the Crypt. The tales featured would be a perfect fit to that series and I can picture the low-budget short films being ripped from these pages. That’s how fun and entertaining it is.

If you’re a fan of the horror genre, regardless of the era, this is a series that I’d recommend picking up. Anyone else may look at them and not respect them for what they are: a great collection of comics that combines the golden age of story telling and the classic homage to the horror films that are so important to the genre. You can pick this  little gem up starting June 5th!

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Review: Haunted Horror #5

Lastly, “[REC]4 Apocalypse” will (sadly) conclude the franchise. I have been a huge fan of this franchise since the beginning and I even liked the 2007 american version ”Quarantine,” which was based off “[REC].” Below, you can check out the teaser poster and trailer!

“Angela Vidal the young television reporter who entered the building with the fireman, manages to make it out alive. But what the soldiers don’t know is that she carries the seed of the strange infection.”

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Chuckie Valdez, New Teaser Poster For ‘[REC]4 Apocalypse’; Concludes Franchise

Why, hello there! You ready to delve back into the world of horror? I’ve got some good little tidbits from some potential sequels and prequels, as well as a brand new poster for the latest Spike Lee joint. First up, talk of another sequel to Danny Boyle’s hit “zombie” flick 28 Days Later… is ramping up yet again. Most fans know that Boyle did not return to direct the last sequel, 28 Weeks Later, but he did serve as a producer for the film. While doing some promo work for his latest thriller, Trance, Boyle gives an update on the potential film as well as his feelings on the zombie genre (via Wired):

Wired: Are you surprised that a decade after you made 28 Days Later, zombies are still all the rage? It was such a revisionist take.

Danny Boyle: Who would have thought? I don’t like zombie movies. I never did. We took a genre and f***ed with it. Zombie aficionados, they’re quite precious with all their rules. Like with running: “They don’t do that!” Of course there are so many manifestations of zombies now, the rule book h

as gone out the window. I saw one episode of The Walking Dead, and it was very gripping. But the zombies were stumbling around again, which I hate.

Wired: You produced that movie’s sequel, 28 Weeks Later, and there’s talk about you directing the next installment, which obviously has to be called 28 Months Later. Is that in the works?

Danny Boyle: Given what we’ve just been talking about, it’s very difficult to know whether zombies are overexposed now as a concept. So it’s 40/60 whether it happens or not.
But we did have an idea of where to set it and what it might be about.

He was also asked if he could share the ideas they have in mind, to which he smartly replied “No, because they’ll end up in The Walking Dead.” I’m a huge fan of Boyle’s original film, as it took the zombie genre (you could argue that it really isn’t a zombie movie, but that’s an argument for another day) and flipped on it’s head. The added trait of the running brought with it a whole new fear. The sequel, while not as good as the first, holds its own as a decent horror flick. The question is whether zombies have run their course and can still make a profit at the box office. My guess is that e’ll see them around for a few more years.

Speaking of zombies, one f the better zom-coms to com out in recent year is the Norwegian film Dead Snow, a film that pits a group of snowmobile enthusiasts against a horde of zombie Nazi soldiers. Yeah, the premise is a bit silly, but the film is fantastic, combining elements of Shawn of the Dead and Zombieland, with a touch of Army of Darkness. It’s well written and well put together and just flat out a ton of fun. Fans of the film may or may not be excited to hear that a sequel is in the works and is in the process of filming right now. The sequel, called Dead Snow: War of the Dead, will be filmed in both English and Norwegian and is being helmed by Tommy Wirkola, who directed the first film, as well as the surprisingly popular Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. Here’s an official synopsis for the film:

The film will be shot in both English and Norwegian. In the sequel the story follows the sole survivor of a Nazi zombie attack who battles an even larger army of Zombies with the help of a professional gang of American zombie killers who call themselves the Zombie Squad. 

I’m a bit leery about the plot, but if this sequel is anything like the first film, I’m all for it. I’ve included a couple new images from the set, but you can see more by heading over to Twitch Film for even more!

Headed over to the world of Stephen King, who’s Under the Dome is getting ready to air in a new series, there is a both a sequel and a prequel to tell you about. Not long ago, a marketing video popped up promoting a new take on King’s iconic tale of a rabid St. Bernard, Cujo. The video, which is being used to shop the idea to studios, really came out of nowhere and took many by surprise. Sunn Classic Pictures is the company behind the idea and they’ve set up a Facebook page to help promote the film, which is said to be hitting theaters this year, though that has yet to be confirmed. Check out the video below.

One of Stephen King’s most popular novels is The Shining, which is almost as popular as the Stanley Kubrick film that is based on the book. That film remains among the best horror films ever made, and for good reason. It is with great reluctance that I tell you that a prequel in the works (Deadline). The film, which will be called The Overlook Hotel, centers on Delbert Grady, who served as the haunted hotel’s caretaker before Jack Torrence (played by Jack Nicholson in Kubrik’s 1980 film). They’ve brought in The Walking Dead’s Glen Mazzara to pen the script, which is a good move, but I’m not getting my hopes up and neither is Stephen King. The author has spoken about the project and he seems a bit indifferent about the whole thing, saying “I’m not saying I would put a stop to the project, because I’m sort of a nice guy. I’m always curious to see what will happen. But you know what? I would be just as happy if it didn’t happen.” (EW) Ironically, King is in the process of writing a sequel to The Shining, titled Doctor Sleep,  which is set to arrive later this fall.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Random Acts of Horror: Dead Snow 2, The Shining Sequel/Prequel & Zombie Talk

For a couple years now, there have been two rumors floating around concerning Zombieland, with the most logical being that a sequel was in the works, which is kind of has. Writers have been trying to come up with something, but it doesn’t look like anything will actually come of it. The second rumor is that a television series was being worked on for CBS and oddly enough, that’s the project that may be moving forward, as a casting call just went out.

According to I09, the call went out to cast the series main characters, which would carry over from the film. There are some minor spoilers ahead, so read on with caution. Below are some abbreviated descriptions for the characters, which also includes a couple of new characters. the series looks to delve into the back story of our four heroes.

Tallahassee is still kind of a snarky weirdo, but he seems to have a much less spiky relationship with Columbus. He and Columbus have a pretty amusing thing where they riff on the fact that Steven Seagal movies always have three-word titles like “Marked for Justice” or “May Cause Diarrhea.” But Tallahassee also dispenses homespun wisdom about how to feel happy with your life. He also tells a weird story about being in a trailer park with a perpetually nude Matthew McConaughey. He also has a somewhat heartwarming scene where he tells Columbus that he’s been wandering aimlessly for a long time, but maybe he’s been put here for a reason — to help Columbus and the others.

Columbus is much the same, except that he tracks down his grandma and grandpa (Bubbie and Peepaw) only to find them recently zombiefied. Also, Columbus is trying to deal with his new-found relationship with Wichita, after their first kiss. He has started calling her “Krista,” her real name — but there are some problems, especially after she finds him reading a book about fatherhood. He tries to organize a romantic scavenger hunt for her in the IKEA they’re camping out in, but it goes kind of horribly.

Wichita is still trying to look after Little Rock, trying to teach her math with problems about someone stealing from a liquor store and jumping on a train going 42 miles per hour, with a cop chasing in a car going 88 miles per hour. We also learn a lot more about Wichita’s backstory, including how she ran away from her father after he had her stealing people’s Christmas presents — and later, she found out she had a sister who was also being a grifter with her dad.

Little Rock seems actually kind of excited about meeting Columbus’ grandparents, before they turn out to be zombies. And she shares some of her own backstory, about how her dad parked her at a school while he went off grifting on his own — and then yanked her out of school right before a dance that she was looking forward to.

Fred and Ainsley are two office workers at the start of the zombie apocalypse, obliviously complaining about problems with their iPhones and getting the wrong order at Starbucks, which they admit are “first world problems” with a hashtag — while people are being disembowled just outside the window they’re not facing. Tallahassee shows up to bring them their lunch orders, wearing a green polo shirt.

As you can see, the writers plan to keep much of the same tone to the series that helped make the movie so enjoyable. Not unsurprisingly, they seem to be making the relationship between Columbus and Wichita the main focus, but also seem to be making a family out of the group. Not a terrible concept, especially considering they series will be a half-hour comedy. Things look promising!

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UPDATE! It’s been revealed by Broadcast that this series will actually end up streaming on Amazon, rather than be a traditional aired TV series, much like the resurgence of the cult favorite Arrested Development. No mention of time frame, but as with Netflix, it can be expected that Amazon won’t be restrained by the usual “seasons” as with traditional television series.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Updated! Zombieland TV Series Begins Casting Process

• It’s off to Jotunheim, the land of the Frost Giants as Bruce Banner and his lab team embark on an all-new secret mission for S.H.I.E.L.D! Caught trespassing by the local natives, they’re going to need the help of the mighty Avenger, Thor!

Waid is excited to get Simonson on the book and having the legendary artist draw Thor again. While Thor will be showing up, the question should be which Thor is showing up? Waid makes an interesting  statement about the Thor we’ll be seeing:

Why on Earth would you have the amazing Walt Simonson aboard and NOT ask him to draw Thor? The teasing question is–which Thor will we be seeing? Banner and his team of assistants build a portal to Jotunheim, land of the Frost Giants, in order to obtain a rare metal there–but in doing so, they may have accomplished something totally unforeseen!

While we’ll have to wait and see exactly what Waid means, Simonson touched on revisiting the world of Thor and how he goes about tackling the Hulk:

It’s been interesting drawing Thor and not writing him. (laughs) I like what Mark’s been asking me to draw a lot, and he has kindly allowed me to kibitz a little. My earliest work on Thor was done pretty much the same way when I did layouts for Len Wein to write on the Thor title in the 70s. I also got to draw Thor in some of the Brian Bendis Avengers recently. I’ve found it’s been a lot of fun for me to go back and revisit the old boy again.

Regarding the drawing the Hulk and Thor, there’s an essential difference in their natures I try to reflect in the figure work.
I’ve approached drawing the Hulk with a certain ‘wildness’, since he is essentially a ‘monster’ who is the unfettered version of a mortal. The shapes that make up his figure as well as the actual lines used to define those shapes can be far less restrained that they might otherwise be for a more ordinary character. In other words, the drawing technique itself is meant to suggest the limitless quality of the Hulk’s fury and power. And because of his ‘monstrous’ nature, the Hulk’s figure and face don’t require the kind of symmetry that a character like Thor needs in order to be handsome within the context of the comic. I’m also inspired by the earliest versions of the Hulk by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko where there seems to me to have been a nod to the Karloff Frankenstein monster of the early Universal horror films. All of which means I can pack a lot into my drawings to try to capture some reflection of the Hulk’s wild nature.

If you want to check out the full interview with Waid and Simonson click here. It will be exciting to see Simonson taking on Thor again. The artist did some incredibly work with the thunder god back in the day, so having him return to draw again mixed in with it being a Hulk book makes this a must get. What do you think about Simonson’s return? From what Mark Waid said do you think we’ll get a big twist with the Thor story?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Waid And Simonson Talk Indestructible Hulk

Speaking with Latino Review about Mama, Del Toro touched on horror films, reiterating Dark Universe is moving ahead, and that he hasn’t given up on Mountains of Madness. The director gave fans a lot to look forward to, but he also burst the Hellboy 3 bubble:

Well, a couple of weeks ago or months ago, I did make a couple of phone calls to test, to gage the possibility of doing that because it’s a big movie. There’s no takers for a movie of that size. The two movies made their money back and a little bit. They were financially good, but one was fifty and the other one was eighty, eighty five. This is a hundred and forty. So no one wants to do that leap, from the financial side. So unless we find a way to do the mother of all kick starters.

You can read the full Q&A by clicking here. So Hellboy 3 can’t find the financial backing. This puts the damper on the film for the forseeable future, if not forever. If Del Toro actually follows through on the Dark Universe movie it may ease the sting for some fans. What do you think Hellboy fans? Where you still holding out hope for a third movie?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Guillermo Del Toro Says Hellboy 3 Unlikely

Up for day 2 is the film Paranormal Activity 2. Last year we only spoke of the first one, so this year we’ll get to the rest of the franchise. I’ll attempt to keep spoilers to a minimum. The film is 2 years old after all.

The film opens with the main protagonist, Kristi, talking with her sister Katie (yes, the Katie from the first Paranormal Activity) about experiences they had when they were kids. This shows that the beginning of PA2 is actually taking place before the first part of the franchise. When the main plot of the movie kicks in, the events of the first movie are already happening. We see Kristi’s family (a husband, a step-daughter, and a new born baby) living in a house in California. One night the family comes back to their home that has been broken into and to prevent it from happening again, they install a security camera system.  After the security system is installed the family starts to notice odd things happening around the home. From the nanny quitting because of a bad vide the house gave, to moving objects, to shadowy figures creeping about. When the film ends, it ends after the first film ends.

Personally, this is my favorite installment of the franchise. I think it did everything a good sequel should do. It continued the story if the first film and it built on the mythos that the first film introduced while providing great scares. This one is high on my rewatch list.

Happy Hauntings!

JordanGhastly, 31 in 31 V.2 Day 2

It’s that time once again! Where I, Mike, and my horror fan of a partner Jordan bring you 31 movies, CD’s, comic books, novels, or television episodes that will help get you in the Halloween mood! And yes you read that right we’ve expanded 31 in 31 this year to encompass everything we love about the horror genre and Halloween.

Alright well let’s get this party started with my day one pick and that would be:

The Cabin in the Woods! After watching this just a few weeks ago, I know shame on me, I was awash in amazement that I hadn’t seen this Joss Whedon masterpiece when it was in theaters. A movie that not only follows the plot of other horror movies, but shows exactly why those plots occurred and gives nods to basically every horror genre out there today. Most movies are cast driven, the acting will either sale or crash a movie, but not this time, although it is a fun and versatile cast I was looking forward to the monsters that appear rather than what would happen to the characters, and what gory death they would succumb to.

I mean hell a guy is gored by a unicorn! And I can’t even call that a spoiler because that’s really what drove me to watch the movie, and honestly even through all the death, that one is so well worth the payoff even if you are looking for it through the movie.

Either way see this movie! And stay tuned for Day 2!

Michael Worthan, 31 in 31 V.2 Day 1

Agent Burgos, Dark Horse Horror: Gets Under Your Skin. (1 of 2)

The new series will be written by Henriksen and Joseph Maddrey with Tom Mandrake on art. This marks Henriksen’s comic debut. The series premise:

A deadly curse plagues the small town of Telluride, melting the flesh from its victims-it’s the violent revenge four warriors set in motion when their sacred burial grounds were disturbed for the sake of gold miners’ greed.

The series kicks off December 12th of this year. What do you think Dark Horse and horror fans? Are you ready to ride?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, SDCC ’12: Dark Horse Announces Lance Henriksen’s Horror Series To Hell You Ride!

Throughout his career, hard-rock icon and celebrated filmmaker Rob Zombie has continuously challenged audiences as he stretches the boundaries of music, film and the fan experience. Zombie’s frenetic summer schedule includes a stop as the host of the first-ever Comic Con attendee party, followed by the release of his remix album, Mondo Sex Head, in the midst of finishing up post production on his latest feature film The Lords of Salem, working on his next film project “Broad Street Bullies” as well as a working on a new album in the studio with Bob Marlette, and planning for a tour.

Non-stop and driven by his art, Zombie has sold over fifteen million albums worldwide and has earned seven Grammy® nominations for his albums. He is among only a handful of people to have unprecedented success for six feature films as the writer and director. Zombie is no stranger to working with and pushing the limits of all modern-day art mediums to accomplish his vision.

Now, as the ultimate curator of the fan experience, Rob Zombie will take over San Diego’s Petco Park to ring in Comic-Con as host of the first-ever official Comic-Con Opening Night Attendee Welcome Party, “Dawn of the Con,” on Thursday, July 12, 5:30 – 11PM PT. Presented by VH1, “Dawn of the Con” promises a night full of fantasy, science fiction, monsters and heavy metal for all Comic-Con attendees. Additionally, partygoers will get a sneak peek of his new remix album Mondo Sex Head.

Zombie’s latest project, Mondo Sex Head, features new and unique remixes of Rob Zombie classics by some of today’s top DJs and curated and executive produced by Jason Bentley, Music Director at L.A.’s influential KCRW and Electronic Dance Music expert. With Electronic Dance Movement (EDM) and rock rapidly combining featuring remixes by the likes of KoRn’s Jonathan “JDevil” Davis (“Thunder Kiss ‘65”), Photek (“Living Dead Girl”), Document One (“Let It All Bleed Out”), Ki:Theory (“Foxy Foxy” & “Pussy Liquor”), Big Black Delta (“More Human Than Human”), ††† aka Chino of Deftones (“Dragula”), Das Kapital (“Lords of Salem”), Drumcorps (“Never Gonna Stop”), former Glitch Mob member Kraddy (“Superbeast”) and the Bloody Beetroots (“Burn”), among others. Each track was hand selected by Rob Zombie who road-tested many of the songs in his car, driving the L.A. streets.

Rob Zombie’s upcoming film The Lords of Salem is almost complete. Zombie’s next film endeavor is the story of the “Broad Street Bullies,” the legendary mid-1970′s version of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey. The project has the support of the Flyer’s organization, which will cooperate with Zombie and pull no punches in telling the team’s incredible story. This will be Zombie’s first biographical film, his previous film credits, with box office total of more than $121 million, include the cult smash House of 1000 Corpses (Lionsgate 2003), its sequel The Devil’s Rejects (Lionsgate 2005), the animated film The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (Film Roman 2009), and the blockbuster re-imagining of John Carpenter’s Halloween (Dimension 2007), along with its sequel Halloween 2 (Dimension 2009).

Zombie continues to surprise his fans with every project, but one thing is constant, he always delivers.

Agent Burgos, ROB ZOMBIE TAPPED AS HOST FOR PREMIERE COMIC-CON PARTY

The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego Partners with Make-Up Effects Company KNB EFX Group, Inc. Lead by Co-Executive Producer of AMC’s The Walking Dead Greg Nicotero

The Zombie Apocalypse Event Debuts at Petco Park to Celebrate Robert Kirkman’s
The Walking Dead Issue #100 During San Diego Comic-Con July 12-14, 2012

San Diego, CA – June 19, 2012 – The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego announced its partnership with KNB EFX Group, Inc. and its founder Greg Nicotero, the force behind Special Effects Make-up for TV shows and movies such as AMC’s The Walking Dead, Kill Bill, Predators, Transformers 1-3, Pulp Fiction, Dances with Wolves, Land of the Dead, The Chronicles of Narnia, just to name a few. In conjunction with the release of Robert Kirkman’s Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead Issue #100 at San Diego Comic-Con, The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego takes place July 12 -14 at Petco Park, centrally located near the San Diego Convention Center. Registration is now open at www.TheWalkingDeadEscape.com.

There are three ways to participate in this epic adventure. Participants can be a Survivor and race through the zombie infested evacuation zone; a Walker who becomes one of the undead, embracing the inevitable; or a Spectator who watches the apocalypse from sidelines at the Escape Party. Greg Nicotero and his team at KNB EFX will transform those who sign up to be Walkers into the most terrifying zombies to grace San Diego.

With their work on AMC’s The Walking Dead, Greg Nicotero and his KNB EFX team have deep experience creating some of the most incredible zombies in the industry. Founded in 1988, they have become one of the most prolific Special Make-up Effects Studios in Hollywood. One look at Nicotero’s creations for the undead and The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego participants will know they are in for a zombie experience like no other.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have Greg and his KNB EFX team on board for The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego,” said event producer Liam Brenner. “People who sign up to be Walkers will have the opportunity to be completely transformed into zombies by the leader in the Special Make-up Effects industry. It’s really a chance of a lifetime!”

Skybound.com’s The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego is unlike any obstacle course event in the U.S., expanding on the best-selling The Walking Dead comic book series and graphic novel storylines, allowing Survivors and Walkers to explore the initial days of the apocalypse.

Survivors will climb, crawl and slide in an effort to avoid confrontation by hordes of Walkers, while achieving the ultimate adventure on The Walking Dead-themed obstacle course. The Walking Dead Escape is not a race, and Survivors are not timed, but the end is near, and they must move swiftly. If they’re lucky, Survivors will reach the decontamination zone at the end where it will be determined if they have been infected.

For more information or to register for the event, please visit www.thewalkingdeadescape.com.

About Greg Nicotero & KNB EFX Group, Inc.
Greg Nicotero is Co-Executive Producer, Director and Special Effects Make-Up designer on The Walking Dead. In 2011, he received two Emmy nominations and won the Emmy (his 3rd) for Outstanding Prosthetic Make-Up for a Series for The Walking Dead. The web series “Torn Apart” based on the WALKING DEAD Franchise which he co-wrote and directed, won the 2011 Writer’s Guild Award for outstanding achievement in writing for new media.

His company, The KNB EFX Group (KNB) has contributed to such films as Dances with Wolves, The Green Mile, Sin City, Transformers and Pulp Fiction. Prosthetics and character make-up can be seen in everything from Kill Bill, Splice, Drag me To Hell, The Hills Have Eyes to Boogie Nights, Grindhouse, Austin Powers: Goldmember and Army of Darkness. Nicotero supervised make-up effects on no less than 90 films, from Inglorious Basterds to the Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks HBO series The Pacific and Predator. He also won a British Academy Award for Best Make-Up as well as an Oscar for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

About Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman’s success and passionate advocacy for creator-owned comics led him to become the first person invited to become a partner at Image Comics since the company’s inception twenty years ago and he formed his own imprint there, Skybound, in 2010. Kirkman is the creator/writer of the Eisner Award-winning The Walking Dead, long-running Invincible, all-ages Super Dinosaur, The Astounding Wolf-Man, and new title Thief of Thieves, among many others.

Kirkman has earned the respect of the comic, writing and television communities and topped the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels in 2011 and in April 2012, he took the top five spots on both the hardcover and paperback lists. He’s the creator/executive producer and writer of the hit television show, AMC’s The Walking Dead, the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time in the U.S, also an international success in 120 countries and 250 million households. AMC is developing Thief of Thieves as a potential series with Kirkman serving as creator/executive producer and writer. www.Skybound.com is your destination for all news and merchandise for Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead and all Skybound titles.

Agent Burgos, The Walking Dead Escape: San Diego Partners With Greg Nicotero

When I was 6, my dad took me to the local General Hospital with him to visit a friend of his. My father is an Internist, and his friend was a poorly-controlled diabetic suffering from Warner Stage 4 Diabetic foot (Google it, this ain’t a medical reference site). Diabetic foot loses all sensitivity to pain, so if you cut yourself and get infected, you won’t notice until it’s time to cut it off. That’s pretty much what happened to this poor man, and I remember it like it was yesterday: an intern by his bedside was gently cutting dead tissue away from the stump that used to be his right big toe, and all the while he was bleeding profusely, feeling nothing. Noticing my surprise, he turned to me, smiled like it was nothing and said, half-laughing: “don’t worry, mijo, it doesn’t hurt”.

I have a million anecdotes just like that one; small things that gradually shaped my tastes and views over the course of the years, but this is the one that elicits the fondest memories, because it happened to someone I knew and cared for.

As time went by, I developed a fascination for horror and what most people consider a very twisted sense of aesthetics regarding fantasy. I was pleasantly surprised to read a fairly recent interview with Guillermo del Toro, where he stated that his fascination with horror and fantasy stems from this one time when, as a child, he sneaked into a hospital and saw a pile of dead fetuses waiting to be incinerated.

Suddenly, it all made sense: I’ve had a man-crush on Del Toro’s work ever since he was still working in Mexico. We had a crappy (yet currently cult) horror series in the 80s called “La Hora Marcada” (The Cursed Hour), where Del Toro learned the ropes on SFX, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Cronos, his directorial debut, is a masterpiece of vampires that don’t glitter; and no amount of praise sung can do Pan’s Labyrinth or Hellboy the proper justice. And don’t get me started on his sketch books. I could stare at them for hours.

I was thrilled to know that he would be working on comic books while his future projects were being sorted out, and giggled like a schoolgirl on a sugar high when I got my hands on Strain. My initial impression, though, was far from satisfactory. Reading “Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s Strain” on the cover felt like finally meeting that internet hottie, only to realize her Photoshop skills are way better than yours.

Still, I went on reading and I have to say, even if Del Toro played only Executive Producer on this book, there’s still a sort intangible mojo emanating from it that really gets to you. Although the art is not as detailed or gory as one could expect, Mike Huddleston (famous for Vertigo’s Mnemovore) pulls it off brilliantly, imbuing the book with his own dark style and giving the story the right amount of ambiance. And it has Eisner-laureate David Lapham (Stray Bullets, read it) scripting del Toro’s concepts!

As for the story, it apparently deals with vampires and other mythical creatures from an epidemiological point of view, much like Witch Doctor, but on a more realistic scale. These guys did their homework and CDCs and other branches of the government are depicted with great attention to detail, while parallel stories develop and unravel seamlessly.

Not much is revealed in this first issue, save for the origin of the main antagonist and the familiar dysfunctional family prancing around the hero, Dr. Ephraim Goodweather’s brain. As a plane rolls into JFK International Airport, all of its occupants mysteriously and instantly die, prompting the good Doctor’s response on behalf of the CDC. And that’s pretty much it.

I know it doesn’t sound all that enticing, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers. The book reads wonderfully, the story flows and the imagery vibrates through your mind, aided by exceptional art and a brilliantly crafted story that laces myth and science with a good dose of old-fashioned horror. Del Toro’s amazing capacity to strike the “je ne sais quoi” fibers in your spine transpires beautifully into Lapham’s writing, producing a very interesting combination.

Go on, buy it. You won’t be disappointed.

AlbinoDarkBeast, AlbinoDarkBeast Reviews Strain #1

Not the normal horror movie “Frailty” has a few twists and a lot of surprises for a movie that when I first watched it I didn’t know what to expect. “Frailty” shows you the worst of a fanatic, and yet the possible reality that no one really thinks about. For the Halloween season this is a definite must see.

Michael Worthan, 31 in 31: Day 29 “Frailty”

Cover via Amazon

Up for today’s 31 in 31 we have a little ditty directed by Sam Raimi called “Drag Me To Hell“. The movie was also written by Raimi and his brother Ivan.

“Drag Me To Hell” is about a girl named Christine who works as a loan officer at a bank. She’s trying to get a promotion but is also kind of a pushover. She’ll only get the promotion if she can demonstrate that she can make tough decisions when needed to. An elderly gypsy lady, Mrs. Ganush,  comes in and asks for an additional extension on her mortgage which Christine denies thinking that she is “making a tough decision”. Through a twist of events, Ganush puts a curse on on Christine. Supernatural experiences ensue.

This is a very enjoyable escape into the world of the supernatural. Highly recommended! Raimi does a fine job as he always has in the past. Happy Haunting!

JordanGhastly, 31 in 31: Day 28 “Drag Me To Hell”