Posted inArnzen News

The Roundtable of Terror

You can now listen to the *complete* roundtable conversation between Lawrence C. Connolly, Lucy A. Snyder, Gary A. Braunbeck and myself, recorded in late September 2008, called "The Business/Life of Writing Horror and Dark Fantasy". It's one of the best panels on the genre I've ever been a part of, in professional studio-quality audio. The discussion goes into very deep, and sometimes very funny, territory, really showing the complexity of the genre and where horror fiction is headed. Hosted by Doug Dangler at the Ohio State U Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing, you can download it from…
January 18, 2009Posted inArnzen News
Posted inBlather

Rejected Wack-ee Packages

PRODUCT NAME: Toast Tito's Corn Chips ARTWORK: Corn Chip Bag brimming with crisped brown foot ailments. REASON FOR REJECTION: Too sick, even for us. The pictured dip is...worse. PRODUCT NAME: Axe Devitalizing Shower Gel ARTWORK: "Psycho" shower scene with axe-wielding maniac in silhouette behind a curtain. REASON FOR REJECTION: This is more an idea than a product parody. Besides, Axe is for men, and the sudsy nude in the shower is cleary female. PRODUCT NAME: BloodGeyser ARTWORK: Brown bottle spraying blood from top. REASON FOR REJECTION: Not bad, but pun is too easy. It would help if the bottle wasn't…
June 5, 2008Posted inBlather
Posted inSnippets of the Strange

Notes from Horror 101

I just finished teaching a wonderful "Horror & Suspense Writing" course at Seton Hill University. Under my office door last week, I found a slip of paper from an anonymous student, who was writing down the weirdest of the wacky things that came out of my mouth during lectures and discussions. Here's a select few snippets of profound wisdom: On point-of view in horror fiction: "You shouldn't be writing in First Person Singular all the time...instead, try writing in First Monster Singular." Responding to a question about sexual perversion in horror fiction: "What do you mean?  Necrophilia is the safest…
May 16, 2008Posted inSnippets of the Strange
Posted inBlather

Grim Henzen Productions

Wormit the Legless Frog Everybody's lovable green buddy crawls back from the grave on his two lanky arms, his backside grotesquely tapered much like the tadpole he once was. He haunts the parking lots of French restaurants...and in his nasal-congested voice cries out for "leggggsss!" He leaves a snotty trail behind him. He is frequently run over by cars. Googee Monster He chaotically throws fistfuls of cookies into his mouth, munching wildly, growling "Gooooogeeee." Sometimes you can see his razor-sharp teeth cutting into his own bloody gums. And sometimes you see human fingers jumbling in the mouth fuzz, and they're…
March 9, 2008Posted inBlather