Friday, February 23, 2024

2023 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot Announced

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has announced the Final Ballot for the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards®. The HWA (see http://www.horror.org/) is the premier writers organization in the horror and dark fiction genre, with more than 2,000 members. They have presented the Bram Stoker Awards in various categories since 1987 (see http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/).

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Unearthing author Joseph Trainor

Courtesy of BLOODY DISGUSTING https://bloody-disgusting.com/books/3719933/joseph-trainor-watery-grave-1983-book/
While researching possible pseudonyms that Canadian author Robin Hardy (1952-1995) had used, "Joseph Trainor" stood out as a potential match, primarily because there's little to no information about him. 

For those who were preteens in the early 1980s, the name may seem familiar: he was attributed as the author of two books in the popular series Twilight: Where Darkness Begins, published by Cloverdale Press--which is where Hardy got his start after moving to New York City, becoming the executive editor from 1987-1991.

Saturday, October 30, 2021

CFP: Global Horror-Local Perspectives, May 2022

From Renfield's newswire: Horror pervades our lives. The emotional experiences based on fear and dread it provides affect us both individually and collectively, and the fascination it exerts is undeniable and ancient, as evidenced by its lurking recurrence in mythologies, folklore, literature, cinema, historical narratives, and virtually every other field of human knowledge and realm of storytelling. 

Growing awareness and appreciation of the rich horror traditions of other countries around the world, including Japan, Korea, India, Brazil, Sudan, and Thailand, has highlighted the importance of considering horror in a global context. 

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Inside FANGORIA 138 (November, 1994)

In November, 1994, I watched Neil Jordan's Interview with the Vampire for the first time, at a theatre in North Vancouver. Having been a fan of Anne Rice's books since the late 1980s, I eagerly anticipated this film adaptation--and was not disappointed. That is why I pretty much bought any magazine with an article about that movie, such as Fangoria 138, so many of these "inside look" posts will likely feature a few magazines from that time. 

This one has an excellent preview of the film, plus a great article about renowned artist Basil Gogos. And there are ads--many, many ads--for a lengthy trip down memory lane. 

Monday, October 25, 2021

Inside HAUNT OF HORROR 3 (September, 1974)


The first two issues of this short-lived magazine were more prose-oriented, while the subsequent three issues were random horror stories. Published by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of Marvel, these black and white tales did not have to follow the restrictions imposed by the Comics Code Authority. 

This issue ran no third-party ads, but there were some ads specific to Marvel titles, which appear below.

Friday, October 22, 2021

Inside FANGORIA 116 (September 1992)


Next up in my quest to preserve horror pop-culture ads come from the pages of Fangoria #119, published in September 1992. 

This was a special "All-Vampire" issue, featuring a great interview with Anne Rice. There are also some great ads, from horror masks, spooky attractions, and horror makeup schools. Enjoy!