Masters of Horror

It is that time once more. It's killing time. Killing Time - Horror E-Rag Issue 3-2 has landed in the Battered Spleen Productions store. I hope everyone's been able to patiently wait until now, with a minimum of bloodshed--after all, that duty falls to the E-Rag. The wait is worth it. Don't let that page count fool you. Yes it's about the size of the very first issue, but look at how well that turned out. The first story is titled "Snowfly" and you won't know what you’re in store for until you read it. It's the oldest story to grace the pages of Killing Time. The second story is the second instalment of the new serial story, "Sun Cycle". It is titled "Powerless at Midday" and it keeps the hits coming from last time out. Then I have what you have all been waiting for, the thrilling finale to "PSY3007". It's the final confrontation between Ben and the forces of evil.

On the article front we have "Ghostly Illumination #2" and its look at the man that likes to make you scream and gives you nightmares, Wes Craven. This issue brings you the poem "Constellations" and that is all I going to say about it because you just have to experience it for yourself. "Sommatoria #2" ties all of the portions of the issue together again. Just as I initially did in the first short issues, there is some additional full-page art. Eventually it will make its way into the Grotesquerie, but until then it is only available in this issue. In the midst of the chaos that is putting together the final touches on the PDF and the website I came upon an idea. I'm not ready to unveil it yet, but just watch this blog for it. It's small bit of added fun and I've said enough. You may now go buy your copy of Issue 3-2. The next issue will land on a more regular date, March 18th.

Music: Blastin' Fast & Loud by Twisted Sister.

I am back from my hiatus. So, what did I accomplish? Well... not much of what I had intended; I can tell you that. All the background bits that no one notices until they aren't complete are only caught up to the end of February and I already had January set to rights before I took the time off. As you know, Killing Time - Horror E-Rag(TM) Issue 3-5 was unleashed upon a partly suspecting world. Work of course is well under way for the big third year finale. I started, in May, with the back cover because I had an awesome idea. In fact a big chunk of what I did get done was to complete a large number of art pieces. I also set up the web pages for most of them. There are still some pages to be done before I upload them all though, or I'd be showing those off right now. On that front there is some more news, but I will be a tease and leave that for when I'm done and ready.

Throughout the break the posts have continued from Joshua as he deals with this haunting. I ran a two-part interview with photographer and jewellery maker Amanda Norman in "Grave Photos with Amanda Norman" and "Amanda Norman's Gothic Jewellery Box". That pretty much up sums up what has gone on. What about the future? Well... that is a fine question. The undone work will have to come about whenever and however I can manage it. The blogging has gotten off to a slow start, but will resume its normal schedule. Again, there are projects, plans, and announcements that I will only dangle and you will just have to wait for them to drop. So stay tuned.

Music: Hero of the Day by Metallica.

I have to admit that work is not progressing as it should. I lost one night to watching episodes of ghost and haunting stories as well as some clips and even some paranormal investigations. From that came a nice R.G. Male's Dark Corners about "Of Friends Not There". I meant to do a new TechStop yesterday (Thursday June 16), but it was not meant to be. Instead I was drawn into my 3D rendering software and new PaintShop Photo Pro X3 to use some great new visual tricks and modes. Even there I did not run the experiment I meant to, but what I did came out all kinds of awesome. You will still have to wait for the goods I've been stockpiling for that. Even now I would prefer to be blogging about some particular topic rather than running another update entry. You just have to roll with the punches, and leave some small things up to chance, or pure dumb luck.

In the Of Friends entry I spoke about the past and about imagination. Right now I find myself thinking about intuition and taking a creative leap of faith. As is the case with your favourite authors, and others that the academics and purveyors of fine literature get behind, writing can be about what you unintentionally put into it. Often an author in an interview will tell you that they were not making point X when they wrote their book. Yet the readers find it in there, and sometimes it is droves of readers that see it, meaning that it is a common understanding that they have derived from the story, unintentional or not. I don't benefit from this phenomenon in just non-specifically created themes and subtexts, but also in foreshadowing, revelations, and general plot details. I will clue into what I have done in some previous section and then capitalise on it. Things just fall into place. Like how this entry turned out.

Music: Zero Signal by Fear Factory.