I needed a good name for my (monthy?) project updates and ramblings, so for guidance I looked to Khan. Let them eat static! Also, that was supposed to be the name of my college band’s progressive rock album.
Anyway, between a family with three kids, an old dog, horror fiction, podcasting, and filmmaking there’s never a dull moment. Here’s what I’ve been up to…
🍃Personal Stuff
My wife, Erin, and I took the kids to central Illinois over spring break to visit my parents. It’s nice when a vacation actually feels relaxing. Afterwards, everything feels lighter for a little while. In my 9-5 grind I don’t get spring break, so when I use vacation to take one, it reminds me of a certain trip from college. A friend and I drove from Chicago to Minot, North Dakota. Bote Thibeault (The Mythos Minute Podcast contributor and valued friend) was stationed there in the Air Force. We drove through a blizzard and got extremely drunk on gin and tonics in Canada, but unfortunately I didn’t get to see any nukes.
🎙️Podcasting
I want to thank everyone who contributed to The Mythos Minute Podcast. This was the first time I made a real push for contributors, and the response was wonderful. I got a ton of great material for episodes (77-105). Most of the new stuff is flash / drabble instead of haiku, which I’m good with. Since I have so much, I may release 2 episodes per week.
Right now you can find The Mythos Minute Podcast on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Apple, and wherever podcasts are sold. I’m posting them on TikTok too but I’m really not good at TikTok. The app is installed on a completely separate tablet and it’s kind of an afterthought at this point. If any of you have a preferred platform, let me know in the comments below. And hey, maybe a rating wherever you listen? Stars help, right?
🎥Film
I’ve been hard at work on my experimental / cosmic / folk horror film, The Fawn. It required a second shoot, so I built a micro set in my basement. I did make-up tests and built all the spooky props. We’re talking pendants and voodoo dolls. I’m planning to shoot the remaining material in a week or two, then hit the edit hard. Ryan Aldrich (Hunting for the Hag) is composing the score. He’s gonna kill it. My hope is to debut the film at a con this fall.
I started working on The Fawn before David Lynch died, but since his passing it has taken on greater significance for me. The Fawn is much more disjointed than my other work. The story offers no easy answers. Making this movie helped me understand the value of unanswered questions. I love the sense of wonder I get from watching a Lynch movie, and I really tried to channel those vibes with The Fawn. I can’t wait to share it.
✍️Writing
I submitted an 8,300 word story called The Shimmering Chamber to Braced Books’ upcoming anthology, Exotique. It’s animal horror! No release date yet, but probably fall. A lot of the Hibernator authors are returning, so if you like that one, you’ll love this one.
I’ve written about 22,000 words on my debut collection, Book of the Cold Sun. That accounts for 4 stories out of 10. I have concepts for the remaining 6. This book will establish my own little cosmic horror mythology. I’ve been letting it simmer for a long time and when The Fawn is complete, it’ll be my frontburner project.
I had the unique opportunity to contribute to an audio anthology called Describe FEAR volume 2. The concept is to describe fear through sound. littleHEADbutt, a cassette label in Chicago, is producing. My story is called The Hymn That Awaits. I got to sound VERY creepy. The aforementioned Ryan Aldrich wrote the score and I love how it turned out. Dust off your Walkman and I’ll holler when this drops. For those of you non-underground, non-retro types, I believe littleHEADbutt is going to release it on their bandcamp page too.
Watching: I am angry that Apple cancelled Mythic Quest. I am blazing through Invincible. What a fun show. Getting back into season 2 of Resident Alien. At this point, can we say that anything Alan Tudyk is in will be good? Is the sample size large enough now?
Reading: I recently finished Song for the Unraveling of the World by Brian Evenson. This book blew me away. I picked it up because I heard Brian’s interview on The Dark Word podcast and I liked the cut of his jib. Next up: The Amber Enchantress by Troy Denning. It’s part of Dark Sun’s Prism Pentad series. I haven’t read it since high school and I’m not entirely sure I ever finished. I could probably go off on a tangent about how underutilized Dark Sun is by Wizards of the Coast, but I’ll save it.
Oh hey, I made another book haul video.
Listening: Inside of You podcast episodes featuring Cassandra Peterson and Elijah Wood. Eddie Booze Misfits covers. I don’t find new music very often. I did hear Archbishop Harold Holmes by Jack White the other day. That’s new-ish, right?
I’ll end this with a picture of our dog, Louie. Almost 15 and going strong. He likes to steal food off the table now because he’s too old to care.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Are you subscribed? You should subscribe. You’re gonna be happy with the deal you made.
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Love this. So good to hear what you’re up to ❤️❤️