Thursday, September 25, 2008

Happy Halloween

No, your calendar's not wrong. It's still September. 

But I looooooove Halloween. It's my absolute favorite time of year. And for me it runs from somewhere around my birthday to just about Spring time. I love the changing colors. The dreariness and the chill in the air. The ubiquitous candy at work. The jack o' lanterns on porches. Everything about it. 

But most of all, I love the horror movies. Not that torture-porn crap or PG-13 pap they call horror these days. But the good old fashioned horror of yesteryear. The spooky chillers like THE EXORCIST. The great old monster movies put out by Universal and Hammer Studios and the cool latex-heavy creature features of the Eighties like John Carpenter's THE THING. I love this stuff so much I even endure the commercial-infested excuse for a network called AMC's movie marathons every year. I simply can't get enough of it. Every week, I've been going to Best Buy and Circuit City, hoping they've stocked up on horror movies like they do every Halloween. Sadly, this is not yet the case. And, sadder still, I've already gotten just about every horror movie I'm interested in. Christian and I are both the horror movie equivalents of "the man who has everything." Christian is worse than I am in this regard. He buys everything. I just buy the stuff I love. 

That's not to say my collection is better. He definitely wins that distinction. As Mike once told me, my movie collection is "90% shit." But it's shit I love. And that includes MONSTER SQUAD which inspired my new (temporary) banner.

Obviously, there have been a couple slow days at work. I couldn't really risk working on the 'Haps in plain view but working on a little sketch like this in my down time doesn't really attract much attention. And, damn, it was fun. I threw in the antagonist from my as-yet unwritten story, just for practice. I really, really like how it turned out. Which is good, because it's going to be up there for a while.

Okay, we're off to Baltimore tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you there.

12 comments:

Squeeze said...

Nicly done sweetie! This is really great- some of the best stuff you've done lately- actually the best thing you've done lately. You just keep getting better and better.

For you Ad Nausea-ites- Matt loves horror movies!! LOVES THEM> I'm so sad that the horror move genre has turned to torture porn and gore-nography- nothing's scary anymore- it's just needles in the eyeball junk. Matt loves them so much I sure wish a good one would come out soon. Nothing good on the horizon though......sigh.

What happened to the days of scary movies being released near Halloween? If they have a horror movie they don't even release them in the right month- October!!

OK- I'm done bitching. SWEET SWEET piece of artwork up there baby. So proud of you.

Josh said...

I'm not that into horror movies. I've got a few. I've got An American Werewolf in London, Shaun of the Dead which is more of a comedy than horror, and Wrong Turn which I got because Eliza Dushku is in it. Oh and Soul Survivors which I also got because Eliza Dushku is in it.

renecarol said...

I love the new banner. Very nicely done. I love horror movies... I start sifting through my collection about this time a year. Well more often than I normally do.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you on the luv for horror flics. Right now, I am hunting the many, many, many, many different versions of the Halloween flics.
btw...I do not like RZ Halloween; the whole origing of MM just sucked, and stereotyped evil...?
Plus, I am looking for this scarecrow movie that came out in the 80's...been looking for that for a while.
Seems the major chains are holding out or not giving it a go this year with the movie deals. Walmart does have a selection in which I picked up a triple feature from them- Alien,Invasion ofthe Bodysnatchers(79), and Lifeforce(which is another I have been looking for).
The head art for the blog is kickASS! and reminds me of the one piece you did many moons ago while you gave the shout out to Monster Squad...always some awesome stuff you got crankin' out!

Christian D. Leaf said...

That psychotic Mummy is the bee's knees. Splendid bit of work, ol' chap.

Sorry I'll be missing Baltimore, but we'll definitely need to set up a horrorfest night—directly.

Josh said...

I forgot to mention the Creepshow movies, with the exception of Creepshow III. Tales from the Dark Side the Movie is the real Creepshow III.

Anonymous said...

Hey Matt,
Too bad the horror stuff isn't happening anymore.
Hopefully someone will decide to make a good horro flick and then the genre make a comeback.

This new banner looks awesome.
Your antagonist character looks great right there in front. So when are you going to finish(or start?) that story?

Anonymous said...

I believe horror has a long way to go on the silver screen. We have GAR giving underwater zombies a go for his next film, and a sequel to RZ's Halloween (thankfully, RZ will not be doing that-which isn't much)... Oi!

Paul Rogers said...

Hiya Matt! Sorry to miss you in Baltimore tonight, hope all is well, be sure to give my best to Suzanne, Todd, Craig & all! You guys are the Best! Anyhow, I've got the super-dooper best Horror Movie ever that you have never seen (or, at least I hope you've never seen)! Ready for this?! 'Weasels Rip My Flesh'! Yes, a film that has to be seen to be believed...And even then, you won't believe it!...*No, really!*...MST3K couldn't even get this one...Bad, Bad, Bad...In that, *WoW*, someone really made this movie and thought, 'Yes, this is a really good movie we've made.', as they smoked, snorted & abused whatever substances known to man! Bad, as in a very long train wreck that lasts for, perhaps a few days, a few very, very long days! And yet, I can not take my eyes away from this Horror of a Horror Movie! You have been warned! Love you, ya big dope! Paul!

Warren said...

Once again, I'm a little late to catch you before you leave town. Hope the Con was fun and that you had a safe trip.

I love the Monster Squad drawing.

I also agree with your assessment of horror movies. Some really good ones have come out of Asia the past several years. Have you ever seen Uzumaki? Or Ringu? (The awesome Japanese version, not the sucky American one.)

"Seeya" when ya get back. :)

Matt Wieringo said...

Thanks evuhbody.

Emilio, we missed you in Baltimore. The plan was to have it written by now but, well, you know. There's a pretty powerful and personal story behind the genesis of my story. I'm saving it for when the book's published to give me some incentive to actually do it. Todd's heard the story and Suzanne lived it with me. Anyway, once I finish the Perhapanauts backup with Christian, the plan is to knock out a script (The story is pretty much worked out in my head. I have a beginning, much of the middle and I think an ending but I want to add a twist...) and start drawing it myself. I'm really stoked about it and want to do it before I get beaten to the punch yet again.

todd said...

WOW!!

MATT!! I LOVE THAT BANNER!!

in all the excitement of getting things together for baltimore, i had misseed this til today!

suh-WEEEET!

i'm off to watch monster squad!