The World Tried to Give Me Grey. I Answered With Color.
Ukrainian oil painter Mari Bloom on fleeing war with twenty dollars and a suitcase full of paints, the Between the Wars series, and why beauty is not decoration but an argument.
What I Learned From My First Book Signing
Self-published author Ben Cibula on his first in-person book signing: why Twin Peaks sold his novel, why presentation matters more than you think, and what he'd do differently next time.
Indie-Horror Film Spotlight: OBITUS
Filmmaker Rec Revan on OBITUS: a body horror film about a tongue-eating parasite adapted to human hosts, shot independently in Azerbaijan and scheduled for release November 2026.
Artist Spotlight: Naomi Fisher
Canadian/American artist Naomi Fisher on a decade of environmental body art, building costumes from Spanish moss and chlorophyll, and why what we discard is still part of us.
The Valiant Alliance: Christopher Valentine Completes His Hero Trilogy
Christopher Valentine completes his Damara/Valiant Knight trilogy with The Valiant Alliance: a 1960s sci-fi hero story about hope, DC mythology, and what modern superhero stories have forgotten.
Artist Spotlight: Evgenia Smirnova
Saint Petersburg-born artist Evgenia Smirnova on her ongoing watercolor series: imaginary nocturnal landscapes inhabited by whales, bulls, and black cats, painted from feeling rather than plan.
Dracula: The Story of the World's Most Famous Monster
Before Bram Stoker, people were genuinely burying their dead with bricks in their mouths and sickles across their throats. The full story of Vlad the Impaler, the Vampire of Venice, and how a 15th-century prince became the most famous monster in history.
What I Learnt Publishing My First Book
Self-published author Tye Burroughs on the six steps he wished he'd known: planning, drafts, formatting, ARCs, storefronts, and the soul-crushing part nobody warns you about.
Tattoo Artist Spotlight: Ashish Gupta
Mumbai-based tattoo artist Ashish Gupta on fine line realism, ten years of skin-as-canvas, and why reading a client's comfort level is half the job.
Collecting Decay: Why My Monthly Postcards Travel Without an Envelope
German artist Claudia Schmidt on Candy Decay: surreal paintings where skulls sit next to strawberries, and monthly postcards that travel without envelopes because they were never meant to arrive untouched.
Why Your Attention Is Your Most Valuable Creative Asset
Writer Oleksandra Fomichova on attention as creative currency: why inspiration doesn't disappear, why protecting your focus isn't selfishness, and why you're the one holding the hourglass.
The Toxic Avenger: From Troma Cult Classic to Big Screen Comeback
In 1984 a mutated janitor with a mop became the unlikely mascot of independent cinema. Forty years later Hollywood finally came calling. The full story of Troma, Toxie, and why it took an indie distributor to get the reboot into theaters.
Artist Spotlight: Sada Stavrum
Self-taught artist Sada Stavrum on intuitive painting, daily studio practice, and the Eastern traditions that brought him back to making art in the south of France.
Indie Author Spotlight: Jonah Baird
Autistic indie author Jonah Baird on using generative AI as an accessibility tool, writing three novels, and finally finding a creative process that fit the way his brain works.
Experimental Techniques: The Art of Not Knowing
Australian digital watercolour artist Phillip J Gordon on using mistakes as method, disrupting the grammar of a medium, and following the work past the point where it feels safe.
The Fly. Still afraid. Still very afraid. 40 years later.
Forty years ago on August 15, 1986, The Fly opened in theaters and traumatized a generation. One writer was ten years old in the audience that night. This is what he remembers.
Back to the Oral Tradition
A high school English teacher and oral traditions scholar makes the case that podcasts, social media, and spoken word aren't new — they're humanity circling back to its oldest form of storytelling.
Ninja Girl Is Out: Anthony Sturmas on Building a Street-Level Hero from Scratch
After 26 years boarding other people's stories, storyboard artist Anthony Sturmas launched Ninja Girl: a hand-drawn, street-level hero built for young girls, across Roblox, Webtoon, and beyond.
If I Was an Art Critic
Photographer William Josephs Radford reviews his own catalogue as a hostile critic would, dissecting the provocations, the try-hard concepts, and the grief that runs underneath it all.
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.