Strange But Surf
Official Site
Swimming in Reverb, Rancho Records 2007
Surf can be a strange genre at times. It can both exist independently and be connected to Tiki culture. Despite the name "surf," a surf song can have little or nothing to do with surfing (something that will be made very obvious over the course of the Freaky Tiki Surf-ari). What makes surf music "surf" is its distinct "wet" sound. Said sound is made by the spring reverberator in amplifiers for electric guitars, which can sound like waves. Hence the title of Strange But Surf's second album, Swimming in Reverb. Interestingly enough, the CD's cover shows the band in front of a Tiki bar called Otto's Shrunken Head. This is the essence of Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: the mixture of Tiki, surf music and horror.
According to their Facebook page, Strange But Surf came into existence in 2003. That page also has a great quote from the band themselves: "More than just Surf, we combine Blues, Oldies, Rockabilly and more into our own genre of music, known as Strange But Surf." Their online radio station also lists "Spy, Space, Horror, Tiki, and Lounge" as sources of inspiration. Although Swimming in Reverb is largely a surf album, some of these influences are present.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Sound of Tiki
It all started when Strange Jason sent me a link to "Gateways to Geekery" article about exotica music from the Onion AV Club. Not only was it a great, highly informative read (although the author is laughably wrong about the quality of modern exotica groups), but it made me realize the connections between exotica/Tiki culture and horror.
My realization of this was sparked by noticing how menacing the idols depicted on the cover for Les Baxter's Ritual of the Savage looked. This got me to think of how masks play a big role in both fandoms and inspired me to do further research into the matter. I soon realized that exotica was not necessarily all tropical flowers and sunshine. There is a darker aspect focusing on the forbidden and taboo. There's the shrunken heads of Arthur Lyman's Taboo II, Robert Drasnin's Voodoo series and songs (and album covers) involve frenzied pagan rites, weird cries in the night or strange stone gods on forbidden islands. Is the intended goal of bringing customers into an artificial environment filled with spooky sounds sought by the designers of haunted attractions really all that far off from the goals of those who make Tiki bars and put the animal calls in many an exotica song? And let's not forget the popularity of "zombies" in both Tiki and horror cultures...
Some of you are bound to be asking yourselves questions like "What exactly is exotica," "what is 'tiki culture,'" and "how does the surf music fit in?"
It's tempting to take the easy way out by linking to some very informative websites on the matter and then move on to the next review. Instead I'll explain things by reviewing a CD/booklet combo by the renowned Tiki authority, Sven A. Kirsten.
My realization of this was sparked by noticing how menacing the idols depicted on the cover for Les Baxter's Ritual of the Savage looked. This got me to think of how masks play a big role in both fandoms and inspired me to do further research into the matter. I soon realized that exotica was not necessarily all tropical flowers and sunshine. There is a darker aspect focusing on the forbidden and taboo. There's the shrunken heads of Arthur Lyman's Taboo II, Robert Drasnin's Voodoo series and songs (and album covers) involve frenzied pagan rites, weird cries in the night or strange stone gods on forbidden islands. Is the intended goal of bringing customers into an artificial environment filled with spooky sounds sought by the designers of haunted attractions really all that far off from the goals of those who make Tiki bars and put the animal calls in many an exotica song? And let's not forget the popularity of "zombies" in both Tiki and horror cultures...
Some of you are bound to be asking yourselves questions like "What exactly is exotica," "what is 'tiki culture,'" and "how does the surf music fit in?"
It's tempting to take the easy way out by linking to some very informative websites on the matter and then move on to the next review. Instead I'll explain things by reviewing a CD/booklet combo by the renowned Tiki authority, Sven A. Kirsten.
Tuesday uEtsy: Craftie Robot
[Etsy.com's tagline is "Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Coincidentally, there's a lot of spooky on Etsy, and each Tuesday, we highlight one of the sellers. If you're looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your tomb or get a gift for that special something in your afterlife, Etsy.com is a place for spooky econo.]
Probably wondering 'hey, GdL16. Why is today's Tuesday uEtsy going up so late? I have all this money and I need to spend it supporting home-made goods and independent artists." That's a very good statement-question-statement, anonymous reader we just made up. See, today was a very busy day. June is coming to an end and we're glad for that, since it's been muggy, disastrous and all around tough to handle. Busy work, busy bodies, busy work burying busy bodies. In other words, we've been carrying a heavy workload and it finally caught up with us.
Fortunately, this week's Tuesday uEtsy is great for us and for those of you who need to carry your own work, burden, crosses or tunes. Craftie Robot specializes in spooky, nifty and downright fashionable messenger bags.
Informational and functional, this Zombie Protection mask displays an often overlooked step in dealing with the un- or freshly dead. Plus, it's stylish in that 'gangreen rot' color that can always be used to an advantage when fitting in.
Perhaps you're not so much for protecting against as you are shooting at Zombies. This bag here displays which side of the dead v. alive side you choose. It's a simple and slightly elegant design about the oncoming apocalypse.
It's not all Zombies at Craftie Robot. Here, the classic symbol of death and pirates can be a way for you to tell people you are carrying poison, doubloons, radiation or that it's not a good idea to mess with you on the bus today. Plus, it, like all Craftie Robot bags, fits most laptops and allows you to carry enough oranges to stave off scurvy.
There have been many of times where we needed a cheat sheet when it came to first learning which muscles did what, where the whatis was and what exactly we shouldn't poke with the end of our shovels in case we needed to get a mop. Similarly, you can have your own method of quickly finding nerve points and the right muscles to sever with a prison shank with this lovely anatomic display on your own bag. Probably should avoid the prison and any other situation that involves the word "shank" or "shiv."
Like most on Etsy, Craftie Robot expands to more than just one product. One of their other offerings is this lovely display of the human heart on a wonderful desk lamp, forged from a glass box. Add some atmosphere and some anatomy to your workspace, sleep space or love space. Hearts. Love. Light. Glass. It all goes together.
The final bit is a great item. It's a belt whose buckle showcases a molecule of caffeine. Thank goodness for the stuff. Look, if you need to pick yourself up or pick your pants up, this is the belt for you. Walk into any store, point to your belt, say "THIS. NOW." If anyone doesn't know it, they don't deserve your business. And anyone who gives you a cup of coffee deserves every dime you have on your body.
And so does Craftie Robot, so head on over today. Buy something, carry your weight, light up your light and keep your pants off the ground. And keep coming back here every Tuesday for another Tuesday uEtsy.
Craftie Robot (http://CraftieRobot.etsy.com)
Probably wondering 'hey, GdL16. Why is today's Tuesday uEtsy going up so late? I have all this money and I need to spend it supporting home-made goods and independent artists." That's a very good statement-question-statement, anonymous reader we just made up. See, today was a very busy day. June is coming to an end and we're glad for that, since it's been muggy, disastrous and all around tough to handle. Busy work, busy bodies, busy work burying busy bodies. In other words, we've been carrying a heavy workload and it finally caught up with us.
Fortunately, this week's Tuesday uEtsy is great for us and for those of you who need to carry your own work, burden, crosses or tunes. Craftie Robot specializes in spooky, nifty and downright fashionable messenger bags.
Informational and functional, this Zombie Protection mask displays an often overlooked step in dealing with the un- or freshly dead. Plus, it's stylish in that 'gangreen rot' color that can always be used to an advantage when fitting in.
Like most on Etsy, Craftie Robot expands to more than just one product. One of their other offerings is this lovely display of the human heart on a wonderful desk lamp, forged from a glass box. Add some atmosphere and some anatomy to your workspace, sleep space or love space. Hearts. Love. Light. Glass. It all goes together.
The final bit is a great item. It's a belt whose buckle showcases a molecule of caffeine. Thank goodness for the stuff. Look, if you need to pick yourself up or pick your pants up, this is the belt for you. Walk into any store, point to your belt, say "THIS. NOW." If anyone doesn't know it, they don't deserve your business. And anyone who gives you a cup of coffee deserves every dime you have on your body.
And so does Craftie Robot, so head on over today. Buy something, carry your weight, light up your light and keep your pants off the ground. And keep coming back here every Tuesday for another Tuesday uEtsy.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Defrosting The Minnesota Iceman
For the uninitiated, the Minnesota Iceman was sideshow exhibit featuring a hairy, manlike creature encased in a block of ice owned by a mister Frank Hansen. Hansen originally claimed to have bought the iceman in Hong Kong, which had been brought there by sailors who fished it out of cold Russian waters. Other tellings gave the location as Japan and Mr. Hansen later claimed to have shot it himself while deer hunting, adding that he could obtain another such specimen for the price of a stun gun. The final origin story was the most outlandish: the iceman was owned by a millionaire creationist who wanted to see how the public would react to it without alerting any scientists who might use it as further evidence of evolution. Naturally, he sought out Hansen, loaned him the iceman, and had him take it on tour.
In 1968 (two years after the iceman debuted), one Terry Cullen contacted a scientist with an interest in Bigfoot and other rumored beasts, Dr. Ivan Sanderson. Cullen has actually seen the exhibit in 1967 and was intrigued enough by it to contact numerous scientists in the hopes that they'd examine it. Sanderson contacted a like-minded scientist, Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans (the "father of cryptozoology") and they contacted Hansen to have a look at it. They were not allowed to thaw it out and could only look at it through the thick ice encasing it in a dark trailer. Both men left thinking that the iceman was the real deal. Not only that, but they felt that its popped-out, bloody eye and the shattered arm raised near the head indicated that the iceman had been gunned down recently and was not merely the frozen prehistoric being that was advertised! Could it really be the remains of some unknown hominid or could it have been real human corpse that had been altered for dramatic effect? After all, at least one real human corpse had traveled the sideshow circuit before, so the idea isn't technically unrealistic.
Convinced that what they had seen was real, Sanderson and Heuvelmans got to work on articles about the iceman. They also contacted Dr. John Napier in the hopes that he could get the Smithsonian Institute would look into the matter. Due to the "recently shot" theory, the FBI was even contacted about the matter (although they never looked into it)! Frank Hansen was less than pleased by this when word got back to him (presumably from seeing Sanderson talk about the iceman on The Tonight Show). The iceman was temporarily removed from view while Hansen debuted his "creationist millionaire owner" story in an announcement to the public in 1969 and explained the owner had taken it back and he was now only able to show a replica. Sanderson and Heuvelmans soon reported that the alleged replica was not what they had originally examined.
To make matters worse, the Smithsonian had found a special effects company that claimed to have made the iceman in 1967! Perhaps this is why Sanderson included an overly complex method of making an iceman-like figure in his article about the Minnesota Iceman, which contradicted the paper's earlier claims that it would be impossible to make a fake corpse, hinting at a last-minute insertion. In any case, both of the men who examined it continued to insist that no model could have fooled them and they had seen a real creature (although this contradicts Hansen's later story that he shot the iceman while hunting, stored it in a home freezer, and only displayed the model based on it).
Why would Hansen claim to exhibiting a model of a real creature after the people behind the Iceman model were found? Simple, it because would've killed his business in the long run for him to display something that was commonly known as a fake. But if it was advertised as a "recreation" of something, then there would still be some interest.
Now, despite the owner's constantly changing origin stories for the creature (a classic sign of a liar) and the fact that it was displayed in carnivals, a surprising amount of people cling to the idea of the iceman being a real Bigfoot! Why? When asked, said people often say that the iceman was found to be real by two trained biologists and that the creature bore a striking resemblance to the description of a Vietnamese "wildman." However, that actually doesn't mean a whole lot...
In 1968 (two years after the iceman debuted), one Terry Cullen contacted a scientist with an interest in Bigfoot and other rumored beasts, Dr. Ivan Sanderson. Cullen has actually seen the exhibit in 1967 and was intrigued enough by it to contact numerous scientists in the hopes that they'd examine it. Sanderson contacted a like-minded scientist, Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans (the "father of cryptozoology") and they contacted Hansen to have a look at it. They were not allowed to thaw it out and could only look at it through the thick ice encasing it in a dark trailer. Both men left thinking that the iceman was the real deal. Not only that, but they felt that its popped-out, bloody eye and the shattered arm raised near the head indicated that the iceman had been gunned down recently and was not merely the frozen prehistoric being that was advertised! Could it really be the remains of some unknown hominid or could it have been real human corpse that had been altered for dramatic effect? After all, at least one real human corpse had traveled the sideshow circuit before, so the idea isn't technically unrealistic.
Convinced that what they had seen was real, Sanderson and Heuvelmans got to work on articles about the iceman. They also contacted Dr. John Napier in the hopes that he could get the Smithsonian Institute would look into the matter. Due to the "recently shot" theory, the FBI was even contacted about the matter (although they never looked into it)! Frank Hansen was less than pleased by this when word got back to him (presumably from seeing Sanderson talk about the iceman on The Tonight Show). The iceman was temporarily removed from view while Hansen debuted his "creationist millionaire owner" story in an announcement to the public in 1969 and explained the owner had taken it back and he was now only able to show a replica. Sanderson and Heuvelmans soon reported that the alleged replica was not what they had originally examined.
To make matters worse, the Smithsonian had found a special effects company that claimed to have made the iceman in 1967! Perhaps this is why Sanderson included an overly complex method of making an iceman-like figure in his article about the Minnesota Iceman, which contradicted the paper's earlier claims that it would be impossible to make a fake corpse, hinting at a last-minute insertion. In any case, both of the men who examined it continued to insist that no model could have fooled them and they had seen a real creature (although this contradicts Hansen's later story that he shot the iceman while hunting, stored it in a home freezer, and only displayed the model based on it).
Why would Hansen claim to exhibiting a model of a real creature after the people behind the Iceman model were found? Simple, it because would've killed his business in the long run for him to display something that was commonly known as a fake. But if it was advertised as a "recreation" of something, then there would still be some interest.
Now, despite the owner's constantly changing origin stories for the creature (a classic sign of a liar) and the fact that it was displayed in carnivals, a surprising amount of people cling to the idea of the iceman being a real Bigfoot! Why? When asked, said people often say that the iceman was found to be real by two trained biologists and that the creature bore a striking resemblance to the description of a Vietnamese "wildman." However, that actually doesn't mean a whole lot...
Sunday, June 27, 2010
More Cool Cover Art
While browsing through the recent "Gravedigger's Local 16 Flashback" entry, I couldn't help but find myself drawn to the "Cool cover art" entry. Although the website noted in it (Critical Condition Online) is the undisputed king of online VHS cover art collections, I was inspired to see if there were any other sites devoted to cover art scans out there. I was not disappointed:
Itsonlyamovie.co.uk has a nice selection of British VHS covers from before the infamous "Video Nasties" crackdown.
Retro Slashers has a wonderful collection of the sort of slasher film box art that used to thrill us back in the day.
Both the Uranium Cafe and Friday the 13th: The Website have some cool pages devoted to VHS covers.
The Lightning Bug's Lair has a cover gallery devoted solely to Christmas-themed horror movies.
Toho Kingdom has numerous pages devoted to both VHS and DVD covers.
Last but not least, the Horror Section offers a huge collection of covers from the best section of the video store, along with reviews and other goodies.
Itsonlyamovie.co.uk has a nice selection of British VHS covers from before the infamous "Video Nasties" crackdown.
Retro Slashers has a wonderful collection of the sort of slasher film box art that used to thrill us back in the day.
Both the Uranium Cafe and Friday the 13th: The Website have some cool pages devoted to VHS covers.
The Lightning Bug's Lair has a cover gallery devoted solely to Christmas-themed horror movies.
Toho Kingdom has numerous pages devoted to both VHS and DVD covers.
Last but not least, the Horror Section offers a huge collection of covers from the best section of the video store, along with reviews and other goodies.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Gravedigger's Local 16 Flashback
After getting some good responses to linking to old GdL16 entries on Twitter, we here at Gravedigger's Local 16 have decided to start a new feature spotlighting our older material. Each "Flashback" entry will showcase a variety of vintage gravedigger goodness for you to enjoy.
Why? Because we've put a lot of time and effort into our work and we'd hate to think any of our older material will go unread. This is especially a problem for the material written after the site went on an unplanned hiatus and a lot of our early readers vanished. So, without further ado:
Art Appreciation:
Cool Cover Art
Bob Eggleton Rules
Pumpkin Awesomeness
BEST PICTURE EVER
Graphic Displays of Halloween
Musings:
Pumpk'n
Finally, it's Fall
Happy Halloween
AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Deep(ly Odd) Thoughts
Critters: Special Edition?
The Ghoulies are good enough
Throw back the coffin lid - and RISE!
If you want a job with guaranteed stability, learn to dig graves.
General Goodness:
Relics and Reptiles
The Gremlins Return
The "Ultimate Haunt"
Half a Pint of Snakebite
It Came From Wikipedia
Duane L. Jones (1936-1988)
The (Vincent) Price is Right
Vintage Halloween Insanity
The Gremlins Return...Again!
Grandpa and the Midnight Mutants
Oh May!George Takei and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Why? Because we've put a lot of time and effort into our work and we'd hate to think any of our older material will go unread. This is especially a problem for the material written after the site went on an unplanned hiatus and a lot of our early readers vanished. So, without further ado:
Cool Cover Art
Bob Eggleton Rules
Pumpkin Awesomeness
BEST PICTURE EVER
Graphic Displays of Halloween
Musings:
Pumpk'n
Finally, it's Fall
Happy Halloween
AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Deep(ly Odd) Thoughts
Critters: Special Edition?
The Ghoulies are good enough
Throw back the coffin lid - and RISE!
If you want a job with guaranteed stability, learn to dig graves.
General Goodness:
Relics and Reptiles
The Gremlins Return
The "Ultimate Haunt"
Half a Pint of Snakebite
It Came From Wikipedia
Duane L. Jones (1936-1988)
The (Vincent) Price is Right
Vintage Halloween Insanity
The Gremlins Return...Again!
Grandpa and the Midnight Mutants
Oh May!George Takei and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday uEtsy: Jackie Hates You
[Etsy.com's tagline is "Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Coincidentally, there's a lot of spooky on Etsy, and each Tuesday, we highlight one of the sellers. If you're looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your tomb or get a gift for that special something in your afterlife, Etsy.com is a place for spooky econo.]
Jackie Hates You (jackiehatesyou.etsy.com)
Folks, it's alright to hate - if you hate the right things. We're not fond of moral relativism here at the Local since it opt to leads people to question reputable sources under the 'Who's to say?' Who's to say how deep a body should be buried? Who's to say when to engage in proper excavation rites? Who's to say if it's right or wrong to use the recently dead as extras in your community theatre's production of 'South Pacific?'
Moral mucking is something meant for filmmakers and philosophers. Here, it's okay to hate. It's good to hate fear, hate weakness and hate annoying people talking loudly on cellphones while you wait to order a burger during your lunch break.
That's where this week's Tuesday uEtsy, Jackie Hates, You comes in. There's plenty of inappropriately ways to display your hate and very few socially acceptable ways. As you can see from the woman's t-shirt below, you can proudly display your hate in a way that makes it attractive and sensible.
Granted, and we say this with little involvement, there's the term 'hater' out there. And, as such a phrase has come of it - "hater's gonna hate." And if you hate, or hate haters, you're pretty much establishing that it's okay to hate since there's little to be done about it. So be it the object or the source of the hate, hate goes and hate does.
Of course, there's plenty more than the HATE brand offered by Jackie Hates You. Notice the fine jewelry offered - as this large black skull poison ring. How better to display this hate than by slipping some liquid arsenic into the diet Pepsi of the office coworker who keeps forwarding you those email-chain letters warning you against the death of Christmas or how your elected official is secretly a lizard person? (Note: DON'T DO THIS ANY OF THIS: POISONING PEOPLE OR FORWARDING THOSE EMAILS! damn. really, people.)
Perhaps you hate all those dudes who think that some splattering of grease paint and some old clothes makes an "hip, edgy 'Dark Knight' Heath Ledger Joker costume." Or perhaps you really love bats. Hate or love, this is a really neat bat necklace offered by Jackie Hates You.
Perhaps it's Valentine's day or you've been dumped or perhaps you just hate all things good and lovely? Jackie's got you hooked up with this black anatomically correct heart. Deflate those helium-filled nitwits who keep talking about Cupid and chocolates and blah blah blah with this fantastic necklace. Or, use it as a method to cheat on a biology test and show your hate for both Mrs. Brown and THE MAN for holding you back.
If by now, you don't see how hate can be fun and somewhat profitable, we can't help you. I think it's been spelled out in big bold black letters so you might as well just send all your money to Jackie and hope that you somehow absorb a clue by the time it arrives. One of the finer things you can buy is this fashionable Skull and Crossbones pendant, which will at least make it look like you're one creature who knows where to direct some darkness and fury, even if you listen to nothing but Swedish Children's Techno while painting pink smiley faces on unused popsicle sticks.
Be sure to visit Jackie Hates You on Etsy and check out all the classy and demonstrative products that you can use in every functionable aspect of your life. And be sure to check back here next week for another Tuesday uEtsy.
Jackie Hates You (jackiehatesyou.etsy.com)
Folks, it's alright to hate - if you hate the right things. We're not fond of moral relativism here at the Local since it opt to leads people to question reputable sources under the 'Who's to say?' Who's to say how deep a body should be buried? Who's to say when to engage in proper excavation rites? Who's to say if it's right or wrong to use the recently dead as extras in your community theatre's production of 'South Pacific?'
Moral mucking is something meant for filmmakers and philosophers. Here, it's okay to hate. It's good to hate fear, hate weakness and hate annoying people talking loudly on cellphones while you wait to order a burger during your lunch break.
That's where this week's Tuesday uEtsy, Jackie Hates, You comes in. There's plenty of inappropriately ways to display your hate and very few socially acceptable ways. As you can see from the woman's t-shirt below, you can proudly display your hate in a way that makes it attractive and sensible.
Granted, and we say this with little involvement, there's the term 'hater' out there. And, as such a phrase has come of it - "hater's gonna hate." And if you hate, or hate haters, you're pretty much establishing that it's okay to hate since there's little to be done about it. So be it the object or the source of the hate, hate goes and hate does.
Of course, there's plenty more than the HATE brand offered by Jackie Hates You. Notice the fine jewelry offered - as this large black skull poison ring. How better to display this hate than by slipping some liquid arsenic into the diet Pepsi of the office coworker who keeps forwarding you those email-chain letters warning you against the death of Christmas or how your elected official is secretly a lizard person? (Note: DON'T DO THIS ANY OF THIS: POISONING PEOPLE OR FORWARDING THOSE EMAILS! damn. really, people.)
Perhaps you hate all those dudes who think that some splattering of grease paint and some old clothes makes an "hip, edgy 'Dark Knight' Heath Ledger Joker costume." Or perhaps you really love bats. Hate or love, this is a really neat bat necklace offered by Jackie Hates You.
Perhaps it's Valentine's day or you've been dumped or perhaps you just hate all things good and lovely? Jackie's got you hooked up with this black anatomically correct heart. Deflate those helium-filled nitwits who keep talking about Cupid and chocolates and blah blah blah with this fantastic necklace. Or, use it as a method to cheat on a biology test and show your hate for both Mrs. Brown and THE MAN for holding you back.
If by now, you don't see how hate can be fun and somewhat profitable, we can't help you. I think it's been spelled out in big bold black letters so you might as well just send all your money to Jackie and hope that you somehow absorb a clue by the time it arrives. One of the finer things you can buy is this fashionable Skull and Crossbones pendant, which will at least make it look like you're one creature who knows where to direct some darkness and fury, even if you listen to nothing but Swedish Children's Techno while painting pink smiley faces on unused popsicle sticks.
Be sure to visit Jackie Hates You on Etsy and check out all the classy and demonstrative products that you can use in every functionable aspect of your life. And be sure to check back here next week for another Tuesday uEtsy.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Free RPG Day Is Here!
The Local has covered Record Store Day, Free Comic Book Day, and is now spotlighting Free RPG Day.
Free RPG Day was started in 2007 with the intention of promoting role-playing games to those with little-to-no experience in such matters. To do so, participating stores give out free adventures and "Quick Start Rules" to customers. Besides the fantasy monsters that appear in games like Dungeons & Dragons, horror fans might be interested in the following RPGs (which had free giveaways in prior Free RPG Days):
Call of Cthulhu
Geist: The Sin-Eaters
Hollow Earth Expedition
And to celebrate in our own special way, here are the first two installments of our "Free D&D" series:
Free D&D
Free D&D: Second Edition
For more information on Free RPG Day, the participating stores, and what freebies will be available, please visit the official website and Wikipedia entry.
Happy Free RPG Day!
Free RPG Day was started in 2007 with the intention of promoting role-playing games to those with little-to-no experience in such matters. To do so, participating stores give out free adventures and "Quick Start Rules" to customers. Besides the fantasy monsters that appear in games like Dungeons & Dragons, horror fans might be interested in the following RPGs (which had free giveaways in prior Free RPG Days):
Geist: The Sin-Eaters
Hollow Earth Expedition
And to celebrate in our own special way, here are the first two installments of our "Free D&D" series:
Free D&D: Second Edition
For more information on Free RPG Day, the participating stores, and what freebies will be available, please visit the official website and Wikipedia entry.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Strange Trip: Friday the 13th - Part 3 (IN 3D!!)
Friday the 13th: Part III
Pre-game Strangeness: Stick in 1.25 and get back 21.72. Multiply that equation by a million and we have the reason for PART III's existence. can't blame them, really. It was a movie that didn't central around a specific actor, so no star could hold out for more money. The set is disposable and so are the teens. The only memorable face for the first two movies is Betsy Palmer.
Original Release: August 13, 1982
Part II was a bit harder to handle because I think that Steve Miner, taking over for Chris Cunningham, tried too hard to follow in Cunningham's footsteps. Part I, now that I've had a while to get some distance from it, was nicely shot (albiet, slow for my sugar-soda-rattled brain.) Part II was excissive, with so much cast, drama and attempts to be everything at once. Bad jokes. Good gore. Nudity. You would think I'd be all for piling it on but restraint came be a virtue.
Not like that's going to really come into play here. Part III means "3 as in 3D." Remember to practice excessiveness in equal parts - for every bit that this movie gets dumb, take a drink. It's like a game, where nobody wins.
With that said, let's get this trip started.
00:00:00 - Start
00:00:02 - The majestic Paramount, not to be confused with the majestic Parakeet.
00:00:06 - A Gulf-Western Company. Two places currently full of oil.
00:00:15 - 'Paramount Pictures Present' Positive Punks Pricing Pickled Pears.
00:00:20 - A Jason Inc./Frank Mancuso Jr. Production. Jason Inc.? Nice to know he went bus
00:00:26 - Part 3 - The Return of Steve Miner!
00:00:32 - Woah, woah -HEY! Wait. Pause.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Free RPG Day Is Coming!
Don't forget, Free RPG Day is on June 19th this year! So whether you're a horror fan that already plays RPGs or are just interested in starting, mark your calendars and get ready for free role-playing game goodies!
Tuesday uEtsy
This week, we're taking a break while we continue to look around etsy.com for prime candidates for future Tuesday uEtsy spotlights. We want to thank those who we've spotlighted before, for each artists and creative person who takes the initiative to put his or her own products out for public sale are pretty cool in our book. Putting your handiwork up for sale, especially on the Internet, takes guts and we want to applaud and thank those who do it everyday.
If you want to nominate someone for a future Tuesday uEtsy, email us here with the subject 'Tuesday uEtsy Nom.' We here are the Local enjoy hearing from you. Have a good week and we'll be back next week with a new Tuesday uEtsy.
If you want to nominate someone for a future Tuesday uEtsy, email us here with the subject 'Tuesday uEtsy Nom.' We here are the Local enjoy hearing from you. Have a good week and we'll be back next week with a new Tuesday uEtsy.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Strange Trip: Friday the 13th - Part 2
What happens when half a million dollars makes a TONNNEE of cash? ONE! MORE! TIME!
So here we are for this Strange Trip, going back to New Jersey for Camp Crystal Lake Redux or Friday the 13th - Part 2!
This is a long one so let's get it going. Grab some beers, some bug juice, some strip monopoly and snacks. Because we never know what's around the bend (actually, we do. It's a dude with a BIG FREAKIN' KNIFE!)
00:00:00 - Start
00:00:03 - First movie was Time Warner/AOL. Second movie is Paramount.
00:00:05 - Only good joke from Animaniacs was as follows - "The mink is working for Fox; the par of legs is working for Paramount; and the fat guy who needs rehearsal is working for Universal."
00:00:11 - I should be more ashamed that I watched Animaniacs.
00:00:14 - A New Challenger Approaches! Steve Miner, taking over for Shawn Cunningham.
00:00:25 - Heavy Handed Horror Handguide: Use a kid reciting a nursery rhyme to emphasize innocence. Bonus: tie the kid to your killer by shooting it (in this case, a boy named Jesse) from the knees down right before your killer enters the frame, as you guessed it, shot only from the knees down.
So here we are for this Strange Trip, going back to New Jersey for Camp Crystal Lake Redux or Friday the 13th - Part 2!
This is a long one so let's get it going. Grab some beers, some bug juice, some strip monopoly and snacks. Because we never know what's around the bend (actually, we do. It's a dude with a BIG FREAKIN' KNIFE!)
00:00:00 - Start
00:00:03 - First movie was Time Warner/AOL. Second movie is Paramount.
00:00:05 - Only good joke from Animaniacs was as follows - "The mink is working for Fox; the par of legs is working for Paramount; and the fat guy who needs rehearsal is working for Universal."
00:00:11 - I should be more ashamed that I watched Animaniacs.
00:00:14 - A New Challenger Approaches! Steve Miner, taking over for Shawn Cunningham.
00:00:25 - Heavy Handed Horror Handguide: Use a kid reciting a nursery rhyme to emphasize innocence. Bonus: tie the kid to your killer by shooting it (in this case, a boy named Jesse) from the knees down right before your killer enters the frame, as you guessed it, shot only from the knees down.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Bandit That Wouldn't Give Up
If you've been looking up information on Jonah Hex in anticipation of the upcoming (as of this writing) movie, you might have noticed that (in the comic's continuity) his body was stuffed and displayed in various venues after he died. Sounds far-fetched or something that could only happen in a comic book, doesn't it?
Think again...
Think again...
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Tuesday uEtsy: Monkey Minion Press
[Etsy.com's tagline is "Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Coincidentally, there's a lot of spooky on Etsy, and each Tuesday, we highlight one of the sellers. If you're looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your tomb or get a gift for that special something in your afterlife, Etsy.com is a place for spooky econo.]Monkey Minion Press (http://monkeyminion.etsy.com)
What creeps up on you more unexpectedly than a zombie? Some damned occasion where you need to send out a card. Someone's birthday. Somebody's getting married. Hell, you need to say 'thanks' for getting Freakshow Bernie to bring his truck around and help you move a six-count of dead hikers from the mortuary to a nice plot over at Hillview.
Either way, the Local here encourages good etiquette and often times, it's better to send a card than to raise your voice. Plus, union rules dictate keeping a paper trail - keep it legal and legit, right. The work is rotten but the business is clean.
This is where Monkey Minion Press comes in, and they're the spotlight for this week's Tuesday uEtsy.
Never again be caught in a jam when you need to express a sentiment through the universal medium of the greeting card. Monkey Minion Press has all your needs, and in tasteful, artistic and undead representation of those emotions you may or may not like to express.
Romance in itself is hard enough, but to bring words into the equation? Killer. And kill you shall with this zombie heart valentine. Why wait for the 14th of February, when love, like zombies, smells strongly all year round.
Perhaps you wouldn't be caught dead at your Uncle Harry's wedding? ("Third time's the charm!" he says.) How better to convey that exact idea with this handsome wedding card. Go with something like '
Not all zombies eat brains. Most of them do, though. And look here at this gorgeous birthday card - brains! Look at that face. So happy, so joyous. Recreate that face of pure horror and delight with this card.
The brains behind Monkey Minion Press, Dane Ault and Ashlie Hammond, have put out a picture book called 'The Zombies Next Door.' We haven't read it but we can be sure it's pretty and gruesome and fun for all ages!
Monkey Minion Press doesn't just do zombies, though. They do zombies rather well, we must admit, but their talents do not stop at just the festering and the putrid. As you see with this, they can bust out the skills recreating prints of classic horror monsters. Classic and classy.
And join us next week for another Tuesday uEtsy spotlight!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales
You can find horror anthologies devoted to just about every subject these days. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies, aliens, Frankenstein's monster, H.P. Lovecraft, slashers...the list goes on and on. But one subgenre was sadly neglected in the world of horror anthologies: good old fashioned giant monster attacks!
Thankfully, the fine folks at Agog! Press took notice and corrected this terrible oversight with a trilogy of books. Originally intended as a one-off release, the amount of submissions for Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales was so great that the extra material was split off into two other books: Daikaiju!2 Revenge of the Giant Monsters and Daikaiju!3 Giant Monsters Vs. the World. Although the cover art and contributing authors change from book to book, the fact that they're edited by Robert Hood and Robin Pen remains the same throughout them all.
Thanks to Google Books, you can read lengthy previews of all three tomes. What awaits you? Complete stories and snippets, both serious and comical featuring original creations and, for all intents and purposes, famous daikaiju with their serial numbers scratched off (if you catch my drift). Some give their monstrous creations names and others opt to leave the creatures unnamed. I prefer stories that opt for the second method, as I feel it reflects the mysterious nature of the gigantic beasts that suddenly spring forth from the dark places of the Earth to trample cities while terrified citizens flee rather than concern themselves with naming something.
So please, give these books a try. I'll think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the sheer number of ways there are to tell a story about giant monsters (not unlike my surprise when I found that the first book had a story featuring Frank Wu's "Guidolon the Giant Space Chicken"). There's radiation, magic and even a zombified Paul Bunyan!
Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales
Daikaiju!2 Revenge of the Giant Monsters
Daikaiju!3 Giant Monsters Vs. the World
If that isn't enough, there's Robert Hood's companion website and another story collection which I suspect was inspired by this series.
Thankfully, the fine folks at Agog! Press took notice and corrected this terrible oversight with a trilogy of books. Originally intended as a one-off release, the amount of submissions for Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales was so great that the extra material was split off into two other books: Daikaiju!2 Revenge of the Giant Monsters and Daikaiju!3 Giant Monsters Vs. the World. Although the cover art and contributing authors change from book to book, the fact that they're edited by Robert Hood and Robin Pen remains the same throughout them all.
Thanks to Google Books, you can read lengthy previews of all three tomes. What awaits you? Complete stories and snippets, both serious and comical featuring original creations and, for all intents and purposes, famous daikaiju with their serial numbers scratched off (if you catch my drift). Some give their monstrous creations names and others opt to leave the creatures unnamed. I prefer stories that opt for the second method, as I feel it reflects the mysterious nature of the gigantic beasts that suddenly spring forth from the dark places of the Earth to trample cities while terrified citizens flee rather than concern themselves with naming something.
So please, give these books a try. I'll think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the sheer number of ways there are to tell a story about giant monsters (not unlike my surprise when I found that the first book had a story featuring Frank Wu's "Guidolon the Giant Space Chicken"). There's radiation, magic and even a zombified Paul Bunyan!
Daikaiju!2 Revenge of the Giant Monsters
Daikaiju!3 Giant Monsters Vs. the World
If that isn't enough, there's Robert Hood's companion website and another story collection which I suspect was inspired by this series.
Strange Trip: Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th was released on May 9th, 1980 and with that, our boy Jason turned thirty this year. Three decades of Jason and a lot can be said about him, his mother and the whole franchise.
But really, I'm not the one to say it. Truth be told, I haven't seen every single movie. Butt his is the era of the Internet, where it takes an afternoon on Wikipedia or X-Entertainment and you can know all the important details about any major franchise of the last two decades.
But, I'll admit that is a bad excuse. If I was Catholic, I see it as admitting not knowing who the hell that Ratzinger fuck is, just feigning knowledge as "Oh yeah, the guy in the hat, right? Sure thing."
And this is the 30th Anniversary (the Pearl anniversary) and I feel that I owe it to the Voorhees clan to actually sit down and watch all these goddamn movies. For Jason, THE Jason.
Welcome to this Trip Report. A Strange Trip. A undead (not live) blog of our fond Summers away at Camp Crystal Lake, Manhattan, Hell and beyond. 2010 eyes here, and admittedly, without an extensive knowledge going into this. If this is a train wreck, then I promise as many casualties as possible. If you're reading this, you're probably a horror fiend so you like a little gore. Let's get bloody and down to business, shall we?
00:00:00 - Start.
00:00:02 - And here we go. Warner Brothers Pictures/AOL Time Warner. Already, we're starting in on the scary shit.
00:00:17 - "A Sean S. Cunningham Film." Wonder whatever happened to that guy?
But really, I'm not the one to say it. Truth be told, I haven't seen every single movie. Butt his is the era of the Internet, where it takes an afternoon on Wikipedia or X-Entertainment and you can know all the important details about any major franchise of the last two decades.
But, I'll admit that is a bad excuse. If I was Catholic, I see it as admitting not knowing who the hell that Ratzinger fuck is, just feigning knowledge as "Oh yeah, the guy in the hat, right? Sure thing."
And this is the 30th Anniversary (the Pearl anniversary) and I feel that I owe it to the Voorhees clan to actually sit down and watch all these goddamn movies. For Jason, THE Jason.
Welcome to this Trip Report. A Strange Trip. A undead (not live) blog of our fond Summers away at Camp Crystal Lake, Manhattan, Hell and beyond. 2010 eyes here, and admittedly, without an extensive knowledge going into this. If this is a train wreck, then I promise as many casualties as possible. If you're reading this, you're probably a horror fiend so you like a little gore. Let's get bloody and down to business, shall we?
FRIDAY THE 13TH
ORIGINAL RELEASE: MAY 09, 1980
00:00:00 - Start.
00:00:02 - And here we go. Warner Brothers Pictures/AOL Time Warner. Already, we're starting in on the scary shit.
00:00:17 - "A Sean S. Cunningham Film." Wonder whatever happened to that guy?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Tuesday uEtsy: dugshop
[Etsy.com's tagline is "Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Coincidently, there's a lot of spooky on Etsy, and each Tuesday, we highlight one of the sellers. If you're looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your tomb or get a gift for that special something in your afterlife, Etsy.com is a place for spooky econo.]
dugshop: The Audacity of Soap (http://dugshop.etsy.com)
We here at Gravediggers Local 16 emphasize good hygiene. Sure, when handling dirt, worms, possible dead bodies to sell to mad and not-so-mad scientists, it's easy to forget the smaller points of sanitation. Remember - the Plague can happen to YOU.
So, we're happy to spotlight dugshop on this week's Tuesday uEtsy. A fine seller of soaps, dugshop is a bone-a-fied treasure trove of horror and spooky theme sudsy assistants for all your germ-killing needs. And germs are the only things killed by this soap - the company says each product is 100% Vegan, so all you killers with bleeding hearts (or hearts still bleeding) can know that no animal biproducts are used in this soap.
Which is pretty damn amazing since some of it GLOWS IN THE DARK.
Yes, and with pictures! Here we see a famous scene from that mod-tastic, goofy classic 'Mad Monster Party.' Perhaps you've wanted to shower in the dark for a while, and find that candles don't really do it and fireflies are hard to keep alive. Surely, there has to be a solution. dugshop offers you that. Your soap glows. Get clean in total darkness by the light of this soap bar, all recounting some of your favorite characters from horror and history.
I mean, who WOULDN'T want to take Leatherface in the shower with them?
Perhaps you enjoy the light on while you lather, rinse and repeat? There are soaps for you.
This really can't be stressed - dugshop has the neatest soaps for anything. There are spooky themed ones, yeah, but they have ninja stars, alien heads, a multi-layered earth. It's pretty incredible. If you know of a kid who is at that point where they're not jaded by life and can get really enthusiastic about taking a bath with some bats (bat-bath!) then you owe it yourself for being a reasonably-good human being to purchase said bat soaps. Or, get them some colored skulls.
If you have someone who you think might appreciate either the subtle hint that they smell or might get a kick out of having an imprinted face of Nosterfatu or Dr. Frank N. Furter rubbed up and down their body, hell, this place is for you. Plus, at their most expensive, it's seven bucks. that's a steal.
Look at this. You can have that in your bathroom. Tell us you don't want that right now so we can call you a liar. Or tell us you don't want the Tiki soap below so we can call you a Double Dog Liar Pants on Fire.
There's really not much more to say, is there? dugshop offers homemade, 100% Vegan soaps that look better than most of the furniture in your house. We're surprised that you even got this far without going over there to make a purchase. Or maybe you have, you multi-tasker. Well, let us know (by dropping a note) the soap you just bought.
And join us again next week for another Tuesday uEtsy.
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