Giving Props to “ParaNorman!”

Over the weekend I made it a mission to see the stop-motion animated film ParaNorman. Since I do a 3-dimentional web comic using real models, I especially wanted to see this film. It seems that stop-motion animated films are rare with what Pixar and computer animation can do these days, and they take tremendous amounts of time to film. Before the film started, two trailers for upcoming animated horror styled films, Frankenweenie and Hotel Transylvania, tells me that animated horror kids films now are a genre.

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“Haunting Tales of Horrorbles” and Svengoolie!

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I hadn’t seen Horror Host, Svengoolie, descend upon Berwyn (a town he’s helped make famous) since he Grand Marshalled their “Houby Parade” last October (story HERE). I can’t recall the last time I’d seen him at their local treasure, “Horrorbles,” but I DO know that it was some time before I became a “Terror Dave.”  It couldn’t happen too much for me, as the two seem made for each other. Not only because the Horror themed store is the official supplier of Sven’s rubber chickens but because they are both hallowed horror institutions of Chicagoland.

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Vocalist Destini Beard releases A Time Forgotten CD featuring music of Midnight Syndicate

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August 7, 2012 (Cleveland, OH) – Vocalist Destini Beard has released A TIME FORGOTTEN, her first full-length album and followup to 2010’s successful THE DARK MASQUERADE EP.   As with her previous release, the album showcases Destini’s lyrics and haunting, alluring vocal performances and arrangements blended with music from gothic horror music pioneers Midnight Syndicate.

Horrorbles: The Best Little Horror House in Berwyn!

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On the outskirts of the Windy City, with the Sears…I mean Willis Tower looming in the distance, lies the suburb of Berwyn. Its a town that made a name for itself for once having a giant garbage sculpture and spindle of cars as prominent local art. They even hold an annual parade dedicated to, of all things, mushrooms (courtesy of its Houby Parade which we covered HERE). Despite these wonderful things that give the town so much character, it would be  a horror host that would REALLY put them on the map, both here in Chicagoland as well as a national audience…

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G-FEST and the Godzilla-sized Heart of Fandom!

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G-FEST, the quintessential Godzilla event, is known for bringing rare and wonderful stars of the Japanese Kaiju genre to the unlikely venue of my sweet home, Chicago. This year was no exception with the return of Akira Takarada & also the original Ultraman, Bin Furuya. Before I delve into that, I feel like I should mention that while I have illustrated in previous posts much of what G-FEST has to offer, there is no way that I can truly convey its essence. Yes, like other fan-based conventions, it offers celebrities, dealer rooms, and eager fans. These are incidental, however, to what really makes it unique. For lack of better words, G-FEST has heart!

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