Random Ramblings from the Vault...

• I recently had the pleasure of picking up Marvel's Essential Man-Thing Vol. 1, and have been reminded of how deeply I love this character. And what an incredible array of writers and artists that worked on him in the '70s--Howard Chaykin, Mike Ploog, Len Wein, Neal Adams, Roy Thomas, John Buscema. Hate me if you must, but I'll always prefer Manny to that other avenging swamp creature over at DC...

• I know this has nothing to do with horror, but while I'm on the subject of comics, I'd like to point out that I think Yul Brynner would've made one hell of a Sub-Mariner. If only someone had had the foresight to do a Namor movie 50 years ago...

• This whole werewolf teenager phenomenon really has me freaked out. Seems to have started in the area of San Antonio, Texas, with Twilight-inspired kids dressing up as some kind of lupine goths. Just another reinforcement of how most contemporary suburban teens would really have gotten the crap kicked out of them if they grew up in my old neighborhood.

• I've also been enjoying the Beware the Moon documentary on the recent special edition DVD release of An American Werewolf in London. I can totally understand why it won a Rondo Hatton Award for Best DVD Extra.

• For my money, there aren't many scenes in all of literature more terrifying than Sam battling Shelob in Tolkien's The Two Towers. Stephen King was certainly right about that one.

• This week has seen Nick Frost tweet my Human Centipede vs. Very Hungry Caterpillar post, and Camille Keaton write on my Facebook wall. I don't think "surreal" quite covers it.

• Looking for a new cheesy '80s horror guilty pleasure? Check out Terrorvision forthwith. Been a favorite of mine ever since it first came out. ET meets Alien meets Saturday the 14th. And I defy you to get that theme music out of your head.

• If I ever start up my own punk rock band, I'm naming it Never Mind the Shoggoths. Just so you know.

• If you happen to be in the Boston area, you would do well to check out the Women in Horror program being put on by Friends of the Vault Mike Snoonian & Chris Hallock of All Things Horror. As part of their monthly film series at the Somerville Theater, Mike & Chris will be showcasing some talented female horror filmmakers, highlighted by a screening of Elisabeth Fies' The Commune.

• I've been invited to be a contributor to the upstart horror site known as The Blood Sprayer, joining a crew of extremely talented folks. I encourage you to give the site a look-over, and be sure to check out the debut edition of my new column, Waiting for Cthulhu, in which I pay tribute to the great Vincent Price.

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