It's Women In Horror Month!

More specifically, it's Women In Horror Recognition Month. Started last year by Hannah "Neurotica" Forman of Ax Wound magazine (NSFW), Women In Horror Month is (to quote the official Facebook page) "...a time set aside to focus on and celebrate all the women in the horror industry. Not just actresses but also fx artists, writers, directors, producers, illustrators, female fans, etc."

As far as we here at Gravedigger's Local 16 are concerned, it's about time something like this has come along. While Zombie Awareness Month is fun and all, it's not like zombies were obscure or in serious need of recognition. But when it comes to horror, women's importance tends to be overlooked. When the discussion comes up, it's usually limited to just scream queens and final girls. But women have much wider and more important influences on the genre than just those two categories. After all, can you imagine what the horror genre would be like if Mary Shelley had never written Frankenstein?

As we suspect that the majority of the other sites participating in the event will be focusing on the professional side, we thought it best to turn the spotlight onto the female side of horror. The common perception of horror is that of a wholly male-oriented field of interest and a visit to many of the online horror message boards seemingly confirms this. But joining Twitter has revealed a countless amount of female fans, from the casual to the hardcore. They are reviewers, podcasters, musicians, authors, home haunters, artists and more. In addition the having to deal with the standard stereotypes faced by horror fans, they also have to deal with the confusion by others over their interest in a "male" genre and the occasional clumsy advances by the manchildren that can be found in any "geek" culture. It's tough, but they still persevere.

No genre could survive without its fans, and all of the wonderful contributions of women in fandom help keep horror going strong. So, here's to all you women in horror fandom! Things just wouldn't be the same without you.

To learn more about Women In Horror Recognition Month, please visit the official website.