Alternative Movie Posters by Matthew Chojnacki

As author Matthew Chojnacki notes in his introduction, "film posters aren't quite what they used to be." Traditionally, they were the primary source of advanced promotion for movies, and these one-sheets often became highly desirable as collector items.

The Stanley Hotel Writers Retreat

There are just three days remaining to contribute to the Indiegogo campaign for a 5-day writers retreat from October 23-27, 2014 (note: they've already reached their funding goal, however, their stretch goals include additional perks). R.J. Cavender is hosting this event at the historic and haunted birthplace of Stephen King's The Shining, The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.

Monster Cereal Smackdown: Frute Brute

This is the second post in a series that celebrates the return of the vintage packaging for the "Monster Cereals" from General Mills. Unfortunately, for us Canadians, the retro packaging is only available in the United States. But it's the first time that all five cereals are available at once, so it might be worth a trip over the border to pick up your own set (although you may only find them on ebay by now).

Nonfiction Writing Resources

The following post covers basic questions about nonfiction writing in Canada, which was originally part of my notes for a panel discussion that I was a part of at Fan Expo 2013. Feel free to leave any questions or comments about this document.

A celebration of my mom, at Halloween

My enthusiasm for Halloween can be traced back to my childhood, which at times was a tough one. My father passed away when I was a young boy, leaving my mother to raise five kids on her own. I still can’t fathom how she managed, but she made ends meet, and was the glue that held our family together—in spite the enormous challenges she faced on a daily basis. She excelled as a single parent, and made damn sure her kids had the best childhood possible, despite our heartbreaking loss.

Dracula on NBC: Renfield, we have a problem!

Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars as Dracula, who's unearthed in Romania in 1881. Fifteen years later, he resurfaces in London, England, under the guise of Alexander Grayson, an American entrepreneur who wants to bring wireless electricity to Victorian society. His real goal, however, is to destroy the Order of the Dragon, a secret, nefarious organization noted for its "murder, torture, rape, and wholesale slaughter" that stretches back five centuries. The group was responsible for killing his wife, back when he was human and known as Vlad Tepes, the Romanian warlord. But as Dracula sets his plan in motion, he discovers that Mina Murray, a London socialite, may in fact be the reincarnation of his long-dead wife.

Much of this may sound familiar, because this pastiche of a story really doesn't offer anything new to the Dracula lore. And it's so far removed from Bram Stoker's novel that, except for some familiar faces and places, there's nothing at all to connect it to the original story. In fact, based on the pilot episode, it seems you'll only enjoy this "reborn" Dracula if you know nothing about the novel, nor the historical Vlad Tepes. And if you know anything about Victorian times, the rampant anachronisms throughout the production will drive you batty.