Horror Sequels That Don't Suck
Most horror sequels exist to extract money from audiences who liked the first one. These ones actually tried something. A guide to the rare horror sequel worth your time.
Artist Spotlight: Stephen Willard
Graphic designer Stephen Willard lives in two creative worlds: strict design by day, and abstract digital art that maps the neurological chaos of epilepsy. On order, memory, and release.
From Ukraine to the Las Vegas Strip
Circus and pole artist Yaroslava Slonova on her path from Ukrainian rhythmic gymnastics to the Las Vegas Strip, and writing one of the first practical books on creating original circus acts.
My Life, My Quest, and the Nature of Reality
Fine-art photographer Madhur Dhingra on spirituality, consciousness, and the search that took him through Himalayan monasteries from Ladakh to the ghats of Varanasi.
5 Summer Movies You May Have Forgotten
Five summer movies that slipped from memory, from Flight of the Navigator to Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven director's cut. A Forgotten Cinema deep dive.
Art the Clown, $5,000 Contracts, and the New Rules of Horror
Terrifier 3 grossed $90 million without an MPAA rating. Then came two federal lawsuits. The story of Art the Clown is simultaneously the ultimate indie horror success story and the ultimate cautionary tale.
Tattoo Artist Spotlight: Laura Arroz
Berlin and Barcelona-based tattoo artist Laura Arroz on starting in handpoke, her anime-influenced "cute tattoos," big back pieces, and why kindness is the bare minimum.
What Arthurian Knights Can Teach You About Writing Heroes
A writer's guide to crafting noble, aspirational protagonists, drawn from four Knights of the Round Table: Gawain, Galahad, Percival, and Tristan.
Love in Full Effect
Painter Ilya Black on "Love in Full Effect," an acrylic work about presence, love, and the quiet fear that everything beautiful can vanish in an instant.
The Origins of Horror: When Did We Start Scaring Each Other on Purpose?
Horror didn't begin with Dracula. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a deaf painter's dining room wall, a 13th century funeral chant, and a Boston con artist all got there first. The surprisingly deep history of deliberate horror.
Tattoo Artist Spotlight: AnEcho
Puerto Rico-based tattoo artist AnEcho on illustrative blackwork, the apprenticeship she didn't know she was getting, and the tattoo she couldn't charge for.
Painting Starts Where Words Stop
Abstract oil painter Melissa Friendlich on flow, burnout, motherhood, and finding her way back to the canvas. Why abstraction became the language she'd been missing.
Interview with Actress Dawna Lee Heising
Actress Dawna Lee Heising on building characters from scratch, what strength on screen really means, and the long list of horror, sci-fi, and action roles ahead.
Alien: The Franchise, The Monster, and the Artist Who Dreamed It Into Existence
You've seen the Alien films. Here's what you might not know: the story of H.R. Giger, the nightmare-haunted Swiss artist who created the Xenomorph and fought the studio system for decades to get credit for it.
Tattoo Artist Spotlight: Vic Tamian
Tattoo artist Vic Tamian on apprenticeship, black and gray, chasing trends and handling the pressure of no undo button. Fifteen years between Little Falls and Manhattan.
Remembering Kjell Nilsson: The Humanity of Lord Humungus
Kjell Nilsson, the Swedish weightlifter who played Lord Humungus in Mad Max 2, has died at 76. Remembering the strange humanity of the wasteland's most reasonable villain.
Building Worlds for Stop Motion Animation
Stop motion filmmaker Victor Oliveira (Stopmovic) on building miniature worlds from cardboard, 3D prints, and patience. One handcrafted frame at a time.
When Horror Met Rock: The Bands That Brought the Monster to the Stage
From Screamin' Jay Hawkins rising from a coffin in 1956 to Rob Zombie making actual horror films, here's how horror and rock built one of the great creative relationships in entertainment history.
Original Fiction: Displacement
A figure navigates an ordinary Saturday with extraordinary dread. An original piece of literary short fiction from Phil Allard, author of Returning from Silence.
Artist Spotlight: Samah Kthar
Queens-born, Detroit-based occupational therapist and abstract artist Samah Kthar found painting after grief, a museum visit, and a moment of seeing art that required only honesty. Her 10-year journey in her own words.