With our Gross Gags book completed and due back from the press in a matter of days, fellow cartoonist Kit Lively and myself have officially began work on our next project. Our love for cheesey b-movies knows no bounds, and never will that be more evident than in the pages of Chainsaw-Wielding Chernobyl Cheerleaders! So far we have a cover…now we just need to fill it with a book. More to come.
Having some fun with my favorite film genre. Perfect for the month of October, don’t you think? A couple of movie ad parodies for a super, secret, project…more to come!
I’ve been neglecting art updates this month in lieu of pimping some top-notch horror movies for the month of October. I will, however, mention that the Jon and Kate Plus Hate comic I mentioned quite some time ago has finally made it to newsstands. Look for the Holiday 2009 edition of HUSTLER, available now, and scoop it up if you want to see my 4-page take on TLC’s most dysfunctional parents. Now on to the good stuff…
In the interest of seeking out great Halloween entertainment, I just saw the 1986 slasher flick Slaughter High for the first time. It was a deliciously, goofy slice of 1980’s style slasher shenanigans. The first thing I noticed was some odd accents going on. Turns out it was filmed in England with many English actors using ‘fake’ American accents. That certainly lent an odd feel to the movie. Also odd, was seeing Caroline Munro, well into her thirties, playing a high school student. 
Too funny. Here she is being stabbed with a javelin for those of you who enjoy that sort of thing. An awesome synth-score, coupled with some Harry Manfredini cues that I’m pretty sure were lifted from the Friday the 13th soundtrack, a bit of gratuitous nudity and totally absurd behavior for people who know there’s a killer in the school adds up to big fun. I really can’t do this film justice by simply describing it but it’s well worth watching, believe me. I would even go so far a to say save this and watch it on Halloween night, back to back with Night Of The Demons for a perfect wet, wacky, and tacky horror double feature. Uh…I would however partake in some kind of mood altering substance first, however. Beer or whatever suits you, heh-heh-heh!
Ho ho! Well, that saucy blonde’s chainsaw-wielding shenanigans must mean it’s time for another Halloween-related, October movie update! We’ve been watching some pretty damn fine horror flicks at the Casa de’ Scotch, including the most recent FULL MOON offering, Skull Heads, directed by Charles Band himself.
Full Moon delivers an odd little film here, that’s helped a great deal by it’s locale. It was filmed at Mr. Band’s Italian castle, which gives it a great, creepy atmosphere, not to mention some top-notch production value that’s been sorely lacking in more recent Full Moon flicks! The film centers around the Arkoffs; a strange, inbred version of the Addam’s Family, who’s castle houses several ancient protectors known as Skull Heads. If one just looked at the box art, you’d easily dismiss this as just another killer puppet movie from the studio that’s brought you a long line of such fare. But this movie is seriously twisted and worth a look…If only for the scene in which Robin Sydney takes her top off. Guaranteed to put a broomstick in yer pants this Halloween. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) I don’t know that I’d save this for your Halloween, movie-watching, line up, but I’d give it a viewing at least one evening leading up to the holiday. After all, that’s what October is all about!
HELL-elujah! It’s just a little over three weeks away from Halloween, and if you’re like me you’re already searching for a nice assortment of dvds for that special night; some odd, long forgotten slasher or grindhouse classic to set the mood. Sure, you could settle for the traditional John Carpenter’s Halloween or any of it’s numerous sequels. You could make do with any of the Friday the 13th movies. Why not? They’re all great. But why not program an epic, schlocky, b-movie night that will knock you and your hallows eve guests on your collective asses? Don’t worry, chumps. Just sit back and I’ll get you started:
I think Brett Piper’s Shock-O-Rama is as good a place to start as any. It’s a fun, refreshing, three-part anthology film (ala Creepshow) featuring sexy, b-movie, scream queen, Misty Mundae in the wraparound story. You even get to see her face off against a zombie with a chainsaw! Nice, eh? Cartoonishly lit with an E.C. comics sensibility, Shock-O-Rama is great, old-school-style, horror fun! Aliens, zombies, disreputable movie producers…and yes, plenty of nudity! I’ll definitely have more movie picks for you in the days to come. In the meantime, reserve a copy of Shock-O-Rama for your Halloween viewing. You can order it as well, directly from Alternative Cinema. Those guys rule! And here’s a nice parting shot I drew of young Jason Voorhees waving to you from the depths of Crystal Lake. Hee-hee!
Hello, my fellow reprobates! Just realized I haven’t updated in a while so here’s the haps. I’m finishing up the final revisions on my 4-page comic, HUSTLER’s ULTIMATE VAMPIRE MOVIE and am getting ready to do my second part to the Sorority Girls and the Egyptian Subterfuge comic. I originally did this as a sequel to the Sorority Girls and the Doll Asylum of Doom story that ran a couple of issues back in HUSTLER Humor, but the editor, Bob Muleady, asked if I’d do a second part to it that may run in the same issue. Very exciting…not sure what I should put those poor sorority girls through next!
Hey, I gotta tell you about a flick I watched the other night. A surprisingly good ghost story from The Asylum called The Haunting of Winchester House. Yep, I said The Asylum and even though some of their past releases have been a bit suspect this one is a damn, fine, frightfest! In fact The Asylum has recently released TWO strong ghost-related movies on dvd, the other being 100 Feet starring Famke Janssen and Michael Pare; y’know, the guy from Eddie and the Cruisers? I’d have no qualms about strongly recommending either of these for your October/Halloween viewing pleasure. More to come!