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Lots to do, lots to do… and so little time. You would think we would be old pros at this now, but damn if the butterflies don’t start a fluttering around this time. Paying for shows, flights, hotel rooms, airbnbs… and a whole slew of other things that will cause a bit of anxiety. But it is worth it as we love traveling and seeing everyone at the shows, which will start off Saturday with a one day horror show.
The 4th Annual Spook Show at the Halloween Club in La Mirada is here on March 5th and it will be our third time doing it. It keeps getting better and better each year; artist, crafters, vendors, food trucks, music, and much more. One of our favorite small shows, plus it is a great way to start off the con season. The show is free, but you must RSVP your free tickets to gain admittance. It is from noon til 7 on Saturday and family friendly.
There are plenty of more shows in the coming weeks, so everyone have fun and we hope to see you soon.
When twelve-year-old Abby Force found her attorney father unconscious, he was surrounded by jewelry taken from a secret hiding place in his library ceiling.
There were many books on vampires before Bram Stoker's Dracula. Early anthropologists wrote accounts of the folkloric vampire -- a stumbling, bloated peasant, never venturing far from home, and easily neutralized with a sexton’s spade and a box of matches. The literary vampire became a highly mobile, svelte aristocratic rake with the appearance of the short tale The Vampyre in 1819.
Hope you like this book trailer for my macabre Twist in the Tale compilation of short stories. Perfect to read at Halloween, and certainly NOT for children!!
I feel like this was a less prolific year for me, in terms of reading, so there are fewer titles for this year’s list. Hopefully I’ll pull out of this slump soon (and finally finish that darn challenge — there are new books I really want to read, but my path is blocked by the […]
0 Comments on 2013 Hall o’ Faves as of 12/15/2013 12:32:00 PM
The snow drifts are pushing the door closed so I'm staying in today and working. I actually took a couple of days to get some writing done this week, giving my eyes a bit of a break and stretching some underused creative muscles. I had three illustration to complete before I can finish Maddy, and I have one left to do. I think it'll be done by early tomorrow.
It was a pretty crazy week, really. Only looking back I noticed it was nuts. First Julie got in a car accident. She's absolutely fine but the car was written off. Also, we lost our dog Benny for a full day. i was walking the streets for hours looking for him. I guess he found his way out of the yard. We were pretty surprised because he's a really old dog and can't walk well. Turns out he was at the pound.
Also, in other dog related news, I was driving Henry to school this week on my bike and heard a commotion by the Lake. Turns out a women's dog had gotten trapped under the ice on the Lake. We called 911 and the police, a fire engine and the media showed up. Followed by a marine rescue unit who happened to be training near by.
The dog turned out to be fine, he got out from the ice and climbed up a big stick the police held out for him. He was about 20 feet out on the Lake. It was pretty uncertain for a while. Henry was super late getting to school.
0 Comments on All Snowed In as of 2/8/2013 4:28:00 PM
So, I stopped into my local Caribou Coffee this morning, and today’s trivia question was: ”What novel began as a competition among friends to write the best horror story?” (shout out if you know the answer. I can’t give you a coffee discount, but you’ll get virtual awesomeness points! Or something.) And after successfully showing [...]
7 Comments on Cheesy Halloween game, anyone?, last added: 10/31/2012
The bartender glances up and without even so much as a blink or double-take turns to the glassware shelves.
vabaliukas said, on 10/28/2012 8:15:00 PM
The three look around and find a table near a window overlooking the yard.
Tara said, on 10/28/2012 10:08:00 PM
With a heavy sigh, Voldemort says, “My friends, I have a problem and need some advice”.
LilyM said, on 10/29/2012 5:25:00 AM
Sauron and Frankenstein’s monster just roll their eyes… they have been here before with Voldemort. They all freeze just as the waiter brings their drinks – Guinness,Guinness and a Guinness.
Nerija S. said, on 10/29/2012 6:41:00 AM
LOL, I like where this story is going so far
Nerija S. said, on 10/29/2012 6:55:00 AM
P.S. I’ll take both sentences, but remember — each turn should be just one sentence each.
LilyM said, on 10/31/2012 4:37:00 AM
As they raise their drinks the door to the bar opens and they are covered by the shadow of the person standing in the doorway bathed in light from the outside.
And now this just caught my attention: in her most recent post, Chelle from Tempting Persephone shared this poem by Peter S. Beagle, and it has such a deliciously eerie, haunting, October-appropriate tone and imagery that I want to pass it along. Lines 3 and 4 are the ones that give me that shivery feeling Chelle [...]
3 Comments on Bitter as a dragonbite, last added: 10/11/2012
Lovely poem! I liked ‘the winds reclaim the world’ ….one can feel persephone’s despair….poor thing.
Nerija S. said, on 10/9/2012 7:01:00 AM
Oh yes, and it feels so appropriate on cold, windy days like today. I also like that bit of hope – “Oh surely, surely I will come again!” – that gives her the courage to walk into the winter world.
Risa said, on 10/10/2012 11:30:00 PM
Yes! That’s true…like she is reassuring herself. Poor woman….she does despise her husband!
Frangoline is a girl who is good during the day but loves to sneak out of her bedroom at night to explore the world and the creatures in it. As Frangoline runs wild, the wise moon looks on, reminding her that children should be in bed at night, not out having adventures. But Frangoline does not heed the moon's advice, instead doing as she pleases.
Unfortunately, her nighttime fun wakes the dead, who come crawling out to see what all the noise is about. Suddenly being outside in the dark isn't so fun and Frangoline longs to be in her safe bed. Will she escape the dark creatures of the night? You'll have to read it to find out.
Frangoline and the Midnight Dream is a sweet little picture book that would be perfect to read during Halloween. With charming illustrations and a fun, rhyming story, children and adults alike will have a good time following Frangoline on her midnight adventure.
Pearce's word play and use of rhyme gives the story a great flow and it almost seems to bounce along the page with Frangoline. Though I enjoyed the story, the illustrations were my favorite part. They are super cute and a little "dark" but in a non-scary way.
This might be a good book for the child that likes to avoid bedtime. It also stands alone as a fun read. If you like your picture books a little spooky, definitely pick up Frangoline and the Midnight Dream.
1 Comments on Frangoline and the Midnight Dream - Review, last added: 7/26/2012
Sing a song of seal-folk, A graveyard full of bones, Cats as big as horses, and eerie midnight moans. PRESENTING: THREE REVIEWS IN VERSE Andrea Spalding. Seal Song. Illus. Pascal Milelli. Victoria, BC, Canada: Orca Book Publishers, 2011. Finn, he was a fisher’s son. Hark, hark, the seals do bark! To the waves he’d run [...]
0 Comments on Selkies, ghosts, and blackbird pie as of 1/1/1900
Q: What shouts "Goth" more than a scary graveyard statue of an angel?
A: A statue of an angel with a deliciously nerdy reference... ; D (Most goths I know are uber-nerds as well, so the two go hand in hand, naturally....)
Several projects have kept me from posting in awhile, but this idea has been kicking around for awhile. Sometimes I hear a phrase or certain words and they just conjure a picture in my head. One Saturday afternoon, not too long ago, I had the pleasure of watching the original Scarface on TV, starring Paul Muni. I was actually surprised at how similar it was to Pacino's version. It seems when remakes are made, they take alot of liberties with plotlines, but this seemed almost identical. But I digress... while watching the Muni original, I started to picture the same scenes in my head as played by Pacino... and then I got to the scene where Muni kills his boss Frank... and played back Pacino's Tony Montana calling Frank a COCK A ROACH in my head and it stuck. After an initial sketch that I was very unhappy with, I came up with this, which I'm pretty happy with.
I sketched this in pencil and went over it with my trusted Sharpie, then imported it into Photoshop and colored it. Lately I've been into stippling, so I decided to give the character a little texture on his skin. I also experiemented with the lettering a bit. I was trying to capture that spooky monster slime effect that was popular in the 60's. Those are two techniques I want to play around with and master alittle bit more.
Hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think. Thanks - Marty
I know, Saturday Night Live (or sketch comedy in general?) is a bit of a hit or miss but this sketch is one of my favorites. The guy in the middle (Taran Killam) is just perfect.
I randomly thought of this sketch while re-watching A Series of Unfortunate Events (Jim Carrey). Actually, I’ve been in this re-watching movies/TV shows phase these past few weeks. Anyway, enjoy!
I have been a fan of the Scary Godmother for some time now. I loved the cartoons on television, and was bound a determined to find some of Jill Thompson's books of the same name. It was hard, however, as they seemed to be out of print. Thanks to Dark Horse Books' release of all of the stories bound together in one GORGeous hardcover edition, I was able to go to my local independent comic shop and pick up this coffee table worthy book.
Found inside are 5 quintessential Scary Godmother stories: "The Scary Godmother", "The Revenge of Jimmy", "The Mystery Date", "The Boo Flu", and "Tea for Orson". Readers will quickly get acquainted with life on the Fright Side as well as the main characters of The Scary Godmother, Hannah Marie, Jimmy, Skully Pettibone and the rest. Told with panels, but with straight lines of text as well, Scary Godmother truly blends the lines between graphic novel, illustrated novel and picture book.
The big sell of this collection is, of course, Thompson's art. She is an accomplished illustrator who has worked on everything from Sandman to Wonder Woman . Her spooky palette of orange, black, purple, and green will appeal not only to the youngest tweens, but to burgeoning goths as well. My personal favourite panels are in silhouette with orange background and show such scenes are Scary Godmother swooping down the stairs with Hannah Marie, or a macabre parade of monsters heading over to Scary Godmother's place to find out who she fancies.
Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!
0 Comments on Scary Godmother, by Jill Thompson as of 1/1/1900
Somewhere in the Transylvania countryside is the the idea behind my submission for Illustration Friday's "spooky theme. I love this word so I did this last minute quick and dirty on stonehenge using acrylics and prismacolor pencils;)
2010 valerie walsh
12 Comments on Illustration Friday: spooky, last added: 10/24/2010
Hey Val! When I saw the theme this week, I thought...."hmmm I remember some cool haunted houses that Val did" You threw me a curve! This is hilarious and so cool! You ROCK! I could just see Dracula running to the batroom! :o)
When you purchase an item from MY STORE, 10% of your purchase price will be donated to my favorite animal charities; Last Chance Animal Rescue and Horses Haven, both in lower MI. Which charity the donation goes to, will depend on the item purchased and I will love you forever from the bottom of my little black heart. ...and even if you don't purchase anything from me, PLEASE go to their site and make a donation! These animals deserve a chance!
Have a seat in the yard by the bonfire, in a sweatshirt, with a warm mug of something and browse through the pages of my website ArtQwerks
Donna, your work is amazing! Love, love your dogs and critters! I'm fairly new to Illustration Friday, but it's been so much fun discovering so many wonderful artists. Thank you!
A few weeks ago, the first book in my Haunted series, The Ghost on the Stairs, was listed in the online article “Five Spooky Kids Authors You Need To Know About,” in The Children’s Book Review. It’s always nice to see publicity about your work, but what made it special was the company I was keeping: Mary Downing Hahn (Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story), Alvin Schwartz (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark), Ray Bradbury (Something Wicked This Way Comes), and a personal favorite, James Howe (the “Bunnicula” series. It was an online form of rubbing elbows with the successful and famous!
It’s also another nice reminder that if we are writers, even “pre-published” ones, we are part of the same writing family. When I first started going to writing conferences, I felt awed by the big names. They were so successful, with dozens or even hundreds of books out. They had won major awards. They were household names — some of them I had read as a child. They were part of another world.
As time went on, I sold more books, and while I’m far from famous, I have established my place in the world of children’s books. I now frequently give workshops at conferences, including the big SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles. Because of mutual writing friends, I’ve had dinner with Bruce Coville, walked on the beach with Gail Carson Levine, and slept on the floor of Ellen Hopkins’s hotel room. I realized that it’s not a matter of me way down here and them way up there. Rather, we’re all on the same continuum. Some people may be farther along, and some may be moving faster. But we’re all on the same path. It’s a nice feeling.
Chris Eboch with the Haunted series
Chris Eboch thinks children’s book writers and illustrators are the nicest people.
The children’s book writing world is an amazing place to be a part of. Congrats on rubbing virtual shoulders with Bunnicula and Ray Bradbury
Jay Eckert said, on 10/20/2010 7:12:00 PM
That is some serious shoulder rubbing. Thanks for this post. It’s very much like knowing that you are a writer because you write, and that it doesn’t matter for how long or how well … you’re still a writer. I love the idea of being on that same continuum!
This made me giggle. The kitty sure looks smug in his acheivement, Saying that cats seem to look smug when ever they do anything.
Excellent illustration.
Cassandra said, on 10/20/2010 2:55:00 AM
Great Illustration! I love the kiddies looking up and their outfits are great! I also really love the star filled sky its really beautifully done!
alicia padron said, on 10/20/2010 4:18:00 AM
Cute!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it Linda. )
I really like the action and the moment you’ve captured. I also like the way you cut right to the character’s expressions. Awesome.
This one doesn’t look digital to me, is it traditional medium or digital made to look traditional? It’s great Linda!
hugs
erin said, on 10/20/2010 6:51:00 AM
hee, hee too cute. I’ve always thought we were their familiars, they’re sneaky like that. Sadly we just lost our familiar and now our house is familiarless.
Melissa Liban said, on 10/20/2010 7:24:00 AM
This is fantastic, absokutely love it.
laia said, on 10/20/2010 10:04:00 AM
Wind in his face!
Love it
Judy said, on 10/20/2010 10:17:00 AM
If the broom fits….ride it!
Linda I love it!
studio lolo said, on 10/20/2010 11:31:00 AM
I love everything about this Sketchie!!!
I hope all is well in SoCal-land
xo♥
khwhitaker said, on 10/20/2010 2:34:00 PM
love it, love the hat blowing back, the whole thing is really cute
Suzanne Del Rizzo said, on 10/20/2010 4:38:00 PM
love it love!!! The expression on the kiddies faces are wonderful! and I love the smug kitty-witch- great one!!
I wonder if Michael Paulus and I had the same anatomy professor in college…
I thought a skeletal study/sketch of a favorite 90′s Warner Bro’s cartoon would be a great spooky post for this week…but it still seems to lean towards cute (sigh). Can you guess who it is? This is pretty easy so let’s have fun with this one. First person who guesses who this character is get’s a free 8×10 copy to add to your Halloween decor.
Big Hint: I’m a girl…I’m tiny..I’m toony…we’re all a little looney..and in this cartooney they’re invading your TV..
Email me at [email protected] your mailing address and answer by the end of this week and I’ll announce the winner on Friday, or early next Monday. Good luck!
Illustration for "Halloween Counting Fun" board book. I had the opportunity to use some houses in my village as the setting for this book...it was fun.
0 Comments on One Full Moon. Two Black Cats. as of 1/1/1900
I just added like 6 of these to my Goodreads. I’m ready for some thrills!! <3
So glad you were able to find some book recs for your list! :)
I really want to read THE GIRL FROM THE WELL. That might be next on my list.
I so enjoyed NOS4A2 by Joe Hill — love his kick ass female propagandist and her geeky husband.