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Horror Fuel

Interview: Guinness World Record Holder John E. Boylan

The Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Swamp Thing memorabilia consists of 797 unique items and belongs to illustrator and designer John E. Boylan (USA). His collection was verified in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA on March 21 2015. I was fortunate enough to be able to ask Guinness World Record Holder, John E. Boylan, a few questions for this interview and he was gracious enough to provide me with some great answers. STG What inspired your passion to collect all things Swamp Thing? JEB “Good storytelling, other Swamp Thing fans, and enough oddball collectibles to stay intrigued. I was drawn to Swamp Thing, like many I imagine, by the beautiful art and writing. Once I started collecting single issues and chatting with other Swampy fans, I wondered what else was out there relating to Swamp Thing and found a bunch of great collectibles like, chalk, pencil sharpeners and furry slippers. Since Swampy isn’t the most popular/well known

Continue reading →
Sep 15, 2015
Horror Fuel

AMC Orders Season One Of ‘Preacher’

Since I first heard that AMC had ordered the pilot for ‘Preacher‘, the adaption of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s fantastic comic book by the same name, I’ve wondered how AMC would get around some of the controversial content. The biggest concern is the comic’s not so pleasant references to God. I guess they are willing to deal with any drama from fans or groups because AMC has gone ahead and ordered the first season of ‘Preacher’, consisting of ten episodes. The series is set to premier in mid 2016. For those who are not familiar with the comics, let me explain. ‘Preacher’ follows Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), a preacher from a small Texas town, who was pushed into preaching by his effing insane family. Jesse, after being possessed by Genesis, sets out to find God. He is accompanied by his ex girlfriend Tulip O’Hare (Ruth Negga) and Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun), a vampire. Genesis, an entity that is half angel

Continue reading →
Sep 11, 2015
Horror Fuel

The Killer Net by Matthew W. Grant

The Killer Net by Matthew W. Grant is the second audio book I’ve had the pleasure of listening to by author Matthew W. Grant, and it certainly won’t be the last. This story was incredibly unique because it combined a very realistic, modern fear with the eve of the new millennium. It took me back to a time when AOL instant messenger was the primary means of communicating online, and when meeting someone via the internet was a very new, and very scary, possibility. (It threw me off when someone snapped closed their cell phone in anger. Oh to return to the days of the flip phone…) Book Description: Ten little girls sat at their computers Wondering who they’d find on line One entered a chat room with a killer And then there were nine. . . On the eve of the new millennium, thousands of people logged on to the Internet for the first time every day. Some were

Continue reading →
Sep 11, 2015
Horror Fuel

Obama To Present Stephen King With The National Medal Of Arts

On September 1oth Stephen King will be presented with the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. The award is the highest award given by the government to artists. The artists receiving the award are “deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States”. King has made an incredible contribution to the world of literature. King has had over one hundred books published since his first novel People, Places and Things was published in 1960. Let’s not forget the fifty-plus movies and over twenty series based on adaptions of King’s novels and stories. His works are unforgettable and have left a mark on each of his fans and those who have seen the adaptions in the form of movies or shows. The award is well deserved. King announced receiving the medal via Twitter this past weekend. Past recipients of the Medal of Arts includes Maya

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

Face Book: A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller by Paul Johnson-Jovanovic

Face Book: A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller by PJ Jovanovic or Paul Johnson-Jovanovic caught my eye because for a short while I was on a serial killer spree. I’ve now added The Killer Net by Matthew W. Grant to my reading list, so evidently I’m on a bit of a “serial killers utilizing social media” kick. (Better than the Hell/Occult spree I’ve been on for the last few weeks! …and oddly more specific.) Book Description: A cast iron guarantee: you’ve never read anything like this. This novel is pedal to the floor, from start to finish. No lulls. To say that this novel is a page-turner is an understatement. Strap yourself in for a hell of a ride. Justice is about to be served and it’s going to chill you to your soul. This is what happens when social media goes wrong … Down on his luck, Jack Williams heads for the pub to get drunk. He’s lost his job,

Continue reading →
Sep 4, 2015
Horror Fuel

The 90s: Designer Horror

Jordache Horror Somewhere in the 80s, someone got the idea that horror should be less frightening and more sexy and trendy. I am not sure where it happened, but a good starting point might be Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The “World Premiere Video” back when MTV aired videos and before its implosion was the thing to see. Director John Landis was in between the smash hit horror classic, An American Werewolf in London and the public relations nightmare of Twilight Zone: The Movie. Michael Jackson was truly The King of Pop, and his LP, Thriller elevated MTV into something else…exactly what, I don’t know, but Thriller was more than a video. It was a pop culture event and it used horror as its spring board. Vincent Price became known to a the Pepsi Generation as “the old dude who “rapped” in Thriller and laughed at the end. Academy Award winner and makeup genius, Rick Baker did the makeup effects and suddenly

Continue reading →
Sep 1, 2015
Horror Fuel

Review: Dark Horse Comics’ “Midnight Society: The Black Lake #2”

I reviewed the premiere issue of Midnight Society: The Black Lake here and was looking forward to reading the second installment. The first issue blew me away with it’s masterful storytelling, other-worldly artwork, and it’s alluring dialogue. I was sure that the second issue would be just as good, if not better. I was wrong. The suspenseful storytelling was there, the artwork was wonderful again, and the dialogue was brilliant. However, dialogue is basically all there was. The two main characters in this story essentially just talked to each other the whole comic. The buildup to the climax of the story was so long that when the big reveal actually comes it is kind of disappointing. There was very little action whatsoever even though the suspense had you suspecting it at every turn. This issue also left me with more questions than it did answers. The last issue had just enough mystery to keep the reader engaged and wanting more.

Continue reading →
Sep 1, 2015
Horror Fuel

Dark Secrets by Matthew W. Grant

Dark Secrets by Mattew W. Grant is a book I found through one of my horror writers groups. Mr. Grant was trying to find readers/audible listeners in exchange for Amazon reviews, and I have a 45 minute (one way) commute to my day job, so I’m always looking for new audio books to check out! This was my first audio book since “reading” The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer last December, also via long car treks, so clearly I’m not an audio book connoisseur. My last semi-horror audio adventure was Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, so I felt obligated to step away from that family for a little while. (What better opportunity would present itself than to check out Dark Secrets?) Book Description: When the Powers of Darkness infest a small New England town… Rick Williams is the dependable, boy next door type. As his eighteenth birthday approaches, he suddenly experiences violent, unexplainable headaches. Enter Terrence, a mysterious substitute

Continue reading →
Aug 27, 2015
Horror Fuel

Review: Dark Horse Comics’ “Death Head #2”

I reviewed the premiere issue of Death Head here and was excited to read the second installment. I was not disappointed as this title from Dark Horse Comics just keeps getting better. The comic opens up with two utility company workers going down into the sewers to investigate water levels rising due to backed up drains. They find that the tunnel is chock-full of ravenous rats and one of them meets a grisly demise. Next we see Niles at the doctor’s office after coming back from their babymoon. He has a piece of bone embedded in his leg that has to be removed, although it is not his own. He then makes a call to the Shadowcliff National Park Service’s Ranger Station to complain about their vacation from Hell. He is obviously and reasonably upset by their brush with death at the crematorium. Instead of getting some sort of apology, they accuse him of trespassing on private property, and sell

Continue reading →
Aug 27, 2015
Horror Fuel

Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Acquires Rights To ‘Don’t Breathe A Word’

Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert’s Ghost House Pictures will teaming up with Gold Circle Entertainment to bring an adaption of the supernatural thriller ‘Don’t Breathe a Word’, written by Jennifer McMahon, to the big screen. According to JoBlo Ghost House and Gold Circle are now searching for a writer to pen the script. The story follows Sam as his twelve year old sister disappears. Years later Sam and his girlfriend Pheobe face a series of unexplained events that challenge Sam’s view of the world. As both Sam and Pheobe begin to question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made long ago comes to light and threatens to destroy everything they know.

Continue reading →
Aug 26, 2015

More from Books

Horror Fuel

Interview: Guinness World Record Holder John E. Boylan

The Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Swamp Thing memorabilia consists of 797 unique items and belongs to illustrator and designer John E. Boylan (USA). His collection was verified in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA on March 21 2015. I was fortunate enough to be able to ask Guinness World Record Holder, John E. Boylan, a few questions for this interview and he was gracious enough to provide me with some great answers. STG What inspired your passion to collect all things Swamp Thing? JEB “Good storytelling, other Swamp Thing fans, and enough oddball collectibles to stay intrigued. I was drawn to Swamp Thing, like many I imagine, by the beautiful art and writing. Once I started collecting single issues and chatting with other Swampy fans, I wondered what else was out there relating to Swamp Thing and found a bunch of great collectibles like, chalk, pencil sharpeners and furry slippers. Since Swampy isn’t the most popular/well known

Continue reading →
Sep 15, 2015
Horror Fuel

AMC Orders Season One Of ‘Preacher’

Since I first heard that AMC had ordered the pilot for ‘Preacher‘, the adaption of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s fantastic comic book by the same name, I’ve wondered how AMC would get around some of the controversial content. The biggest concern is the comic’s not so pleasant references to God. I guess they are willing to deal with any drama from fans or groups because AMC has gone ahead and ordered the first season of ‘Preacher’, consisting of ten episodes. The series is set to premier in mid 2016. For those who are not familiar with the comics, let me explain. ‘Preacher’ follows Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), a preacher from a small Texas town, who was pushed into preaching by his effing insane family. Jesse, after being possessed by Genesis, sets out to find God. He is accompanied by his ex girlfriend Tulip O’Hare (Ruth Negga) and Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun), a vampire. Genesis, an entity that is half angel

Continue reading →
Sep 11, 2015
Horror Fuel

The Killer Net by Matthew W. Grant

The Killer Net by Matthew W. Grant is the second audio book I’ve had the pleasure of listening to by author Matthew W. Grant, and it certainly won’t be the last. This story was incredibly unique because it combined a very realistic, modern fear with the eve of the new millennium. It took me back to a time when AOL instant messenger was the primary means of communicating online, and when meeting someone via the internet was a very new, and very scary, possibility. (It threw me off when someone snapped closed their cell phone in anger. Oh to return to the days of the flip phone…) Book Description: Ten little girls sat at their computers Wondering who they’d find on line One entered a chat room with a killer And then there were nine. . . On the eve of the new millennium, thousands of people logged on to the Internet for the first time every day. Some were

Continue reading →
Sep 11, 2015
Horror Fuel

Obama To Present Stephen King With The National Medal Of Arts

On September 1oth Stephen King will be presented with the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama. The award is the highest award given by the government to artists. The artists receiving the award are “deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States”. King has made an incredible contribution to the world of literature. King has had over one hundred books published since his first novel People, Places and Things was published in 1960. Let’s not forget the fifty-plus movies and over twenty series based on adaptions of King’s novels and stories. His works are unforgettable and have left a mark on each of his fans and those who have seen the adaptions in the form of movies or shows. The award is well deserved. King announced receiving the medal via Twitter this past weekend. Past recipients of the Medal of Arts includes Maya

Continue reading →
Horror Fuel

Face Book: A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller by Paul Johnson-Jovanovic

Face Book: A Gripping Serial Killer Thriller by PJ Jovanovic or Paul Johnson-Jovanovic caught my eye because for a short while I was on a serial killer spree. I’ve now added The Killer Net by Matthew W. Grant to my reading list, so evidently I’m on a bit of a “serial killers utilizing social media” kick. (Better than the Hell/Occult spree I’ve been on for the last few weeks! …and oddly more specific.) Book Description: A cast iron guarantee: you’ve never read anything like this. This novel is pedal to the floor, from start to finish. No lulls. To say that this novel is a page-turner is an understatement. Strap yourself in for a hell of a ride. Justice is about to be served and it’s going to chill you to your soul. This is what happens when social media goes wrong … Down on his luck, Jack Williams heads for the pub to get drunk. He’s lost his job,

Continue reading →
Sep 4, 2015
Horror Fuel

The 90s: Designer Horror

Jordache Horror Somewhere in the 80s, someone got the idea that horror should be less frightening and more sexy and trendy. I am not sure where it happened, but a good starting point might be Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The “World Premiere Video” back when MTV aired videos and before its implosion was the thing to see. Director John Landis was in between the smash hit horror classic, An American Werewolf in London and the public relations nightmare of Twilight Zone: The Movie. Michael Jackson was truly The King of Pop, and his LP, Thriller elevated MTV into something else…exactly what, I don’t know, but Thriller was more than a video. It was a pop culture event and it used horror as its spring board. Vincent Price became known to a the Pepsi Generation as “the old dude who “rapped” in Thriller and laughed at the end. Academy Award winner and makeup genius, Rick Baker did the makeup effects and suddenly

Continue reading →
Sep 1, 2015
Horror Fuel

Review: Dark Horse Comics’ “Midnight Society: The Black Lake #2”

I reviewed the premiere issue of Midnight Society: The Black Lake here and was looking forward to reading the second installment. The first issue blew me away with it’s masterful storytelling, other-worldly artwork, and it’s alluring dialogue. I was sure that the second issue would be just as good, if not better. I was wrong. The suspenseful storytelling was there, the artwork was wonderful again, and the dialogue was brilliant. However, dialogue is basically all there was. The two main characters in this story essentially just talked to each other the whole comic. The buildup to the climax of the story was so long that when the big reveal actually comes it is kind of disappointing. There was very little action whatsoever even though the suspense had you suspecting it at every turn. This issue also left me with more questions than it did answers. The last issue had just enough mystery to keep the reader engaged and wanting more.

Continue reading →
Sep 1, 2015
Horror Fuel

Dark Secrets by Matthew W. Grant

Dark Secrets by Mattew W. Grant is a book I found through one of my horror writers groups. Mr. Grant was trying to find readers/audible listeners in exchange for Amazon reviews, and I have a 45 minute (one way) commute to my day job, so I’m always looking for new audio books to check out! This was my first audio book since “reading” The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer last December, also via long car treks, so clearly I’m not an audio book connoisseur. My last semi-horror audio adventure was Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, so I felt obligated to step away from that family for a little while. (What better opportunity would present itself than to check out Dark Secrets?) Book Description: When the Powers of Darkness infest a small New England town… Rick Williams is the dependable, boy next door type. As his eighteenth birthday approaches, he suddenly experiences violent, unexplainable headaches. Enter Terrence, a mysterious substitute

Continue reading →
Aug 27, 2015
Horror Fuel

Review: Dark Horse Comics’ “Death Head #2”

I reviewed the premiere issue of Death Head here and was excited to read the second installment. I was not disappointed as this title from Dark Horse Comics just keeps getting better. The comic opens up with two utility company workers going down into the sewers to investigate water levels rising due to backed up drains. They find that the tunnel is chock-full of ravenous rats and one of them meets a grisly demise. Next we see Niles at the doctor’s office after coming back from their babymoon. He has a piece of bone embedded in his leg that has to be removed, although it is not his own. He then makes a call to the Shadowcliff National Park Service’s Ranger Station to complain about their vacation from Hell. He is obviously and reasonably upset by their brush with death at the crematorium. Instead of getting some sort of apology, they accuse him of trespassing on private property, and sell

Continue reading →
Aug 27, 2015
Horror Fuel

Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Acquires Rights To ‘Don’t Breathe A Word’

Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert’s Ghost House Pictures will teaming up with Gold Circle Entertainment to bring an adaption of the supernatural thriller ‘Don’t Breathe a Word’, written by Jennifer McMahon, to the big screen. According to JoBlo Ghost House and Gold Circle are now searching for a writer to pen the script. The story follows Sam as his twelve year old sister disappears. Years later Sam and his girlfriend Pheobe face a series of unexplained events that challenge Sam’s view of the world. As both Sam and Pheobe begin to question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made long ago comes to light and threatens to destroy everything they know.

Continue reading →
Aug 26, 2015