Terrors from the Lobby! (part 4: también en español!)

At Horror-Rama 2015, I realized early on (just like last year) that I'd be spending far more than I'd ever make back selling books. But that's OK, because writing isn't yet my day job! And seeing as though Mike from Toronto's Hollywood Canteen would be there, well, I was pretty much guaranteed to spend a few dollars at his booth.

My latest addiction, which I've mentioned in past blogs, is collecting lobby cards from Canadian horror films, and I'm especially interested in foreign-language pieces (this is slowly bleeding into a side hobby of collecting foreign-language film posters, but I'm doing my best to stem this one before it gets out of control). Mike did not disappoint! I picked up a nice set of Spanish-language lobby cards for David Cronenberg's Rabid (1977).

Philatelic Phantoms II: Haunted Canada Collection 2

Canada has its own share of urban legends and spooky folklore, and sometimes even our own government entities like to celebrate this fact. On June 13th of last year (a Friday, of course!), Canada Post unveiled a set of spooky stamps called the "Haunted Canada Collection"; although not quite as quirky as their "Haunted Stamp House" from 1997, it's still a worthwhile investment for those who are interested in such homegrown horrors.

This year, they've returned with Haunted Canada 2, which unearths five more spooky Canadian ghosts from across the country.

The Walker of the Snow

My current phase of research for The Great Fright North involves tales of the Windigo, which is now often written as wendigo. This cannibalistic creature, of Algonquian legend, has taken on many forms including that of a demon, devil, or a supernatural spirit that possesses human beings. (It has since become a popular monster menace in films and on television.)

Many early writings are collected in John Robert Colombo's excellent Windigo: An Anthology of Fact and Fantastic Fiction (1982), which covers three centuries of works from the 1630s-1970s. Long out of print, this tome is a preeminent work on the subject.

Fan Expo 2015

Fan Expo 2015 has ended. The Horror Writers Association had an amazing run this year; we engaged lots of horror fans, talked about writing and other aspects of the craft, and our members participated in no less than eight panels! A record for us, which we'll try to top next year.

Monstrosity & Monstrosity II

Independent graphic novel publisher Alterna Comics produced two volumes of a horror / sci-fi anthology called Monstrosity in 2013/14. Overall, the short monster-themed comic tales are funny and engaging, with some stunning artwork. What's even better is that most of the content was created by indie Canadian writers and artists--including Attila Adorjany, Sanya Anwar, Jordyn Bochon, J.Bone, Rodrigo Bravo, Dylan Burnett, James Edward Clark, Jason Copland, David J. Cutler, Ian Daffern, Matthew Daley, Anthony Del Col, Alex Diochon, Brian Evinou, Toma Feizo Gas, Ryan Ferrier, Adam Gorham, Keith Grachow, Max Haig, Brice Hall, Shane Heron, Fred Kennedy, Eric Kim, John Lang, Marvin Law, Ricky Lima, Jason Loo, Nimit Malavia, Cory McCallum, Brian McLachlan, C.M. Morgado, Jeff Moss, Sam Noir, Gibson Quarter, Katie Shanahan, James Stokoe, Noel Tuazon, James Turner, Kris Waddell, and Michael Walsh. Whew! That was quite the roll call.

OGOM: ‘The Company of Wolves’

The University of Hertfordshire is hosting a conference that will "explore human social existence and its animal substrate, and the intersection between the human and the wolfishly bestial as expressed in narrative media from a variety of epochs and cultures."

The Company of Wolves: Sociality, Animality, and Subjectivity in Literary and Cultural Narratives—Werewolves, Shapeshifters, and Feral Humans will run September 3-5, 2015, and is brought to you by the Open Graves, Open Minds Project.