THEDÆMON Lovecraftian horror - trailer and Frightfest news
The Dæmon is a 2024 horror film about a man seeking to understand why his father took his own life. “The Lovecraftian slow burn follows a family attempting to reconcile past traumas, only to face demons infinitely more sinister than their own.”
The movie was written and directed by Matt Devino and David Michael Yohe.
The Isotropic Films-Whalefilm co-production stars Tyler Q Rosen, Oscar Wilson,…
Major Reed Richards (later Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four) meets Sgt. Nick Fury in WWII.
From "Midnight On Massacre Mountain!" in Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #3, September 1963. Stan Lee script, Jack Kirby pencils, Dick Ayers inks, Stan Goldberg colors, Sam Rosen letters.
It's time to meet the competitors, as they have been selected! Polls probably won't be up till after next week as I have finals next week. Reminder that the competitors were selected based on nominations and they can be canonical, headcanon, or coded! Only 2-3 at most from a source and I decided to take some lesser known or talked about ones in the nominations! So now that thats all out of the way!!!
If you have any propaganda for this competition please tag this blog in it and/or use the tag #jewishguyscomp2023
Welcome the contestants!
Barney Guttman (Dead End Paranormal Park)
Cecil Gershwin Palmer (Welcome to Nightvale)
Peter B. Parker (Spiderverse)
Spock (Star Trek)
Moon Knight (Marvel)
Magneto (Marvel)
Benjamin Grimm (Marvel)
Billy Kaplan (Marvel)
Adam Birkholz (Omg Check Please!)
Alter Rosen (The City Beautiful)
Annie Edison (Community)
Isabella Garcia-Shapiro (Phineas and Ferb)
Grunkle Stan (Gravity Falls)
Jake Peralta (Brooklyn 99)
Kronk (The Emperor's New Groove)
Launchpad (Ducktales 2017)
Ragman (Rory Regan) (DC)
Nati (Srugim)
Nadia Vulvokov (Russian Doll)
Yanki (HaSodot)
Avram (The Frisco Kid)
Herschel (Wholly Moses)
Adam F. Goldberg (The Goldbergs)
Coyote Bergstein (Grace and Frankie)
Walter Sobchak (The Big Lebowski)
Eli Moskovitz (Cobra Kai)
Nick Ganz (Mighty Ducks Game Changers)
Worf (Star Trek)
Artie Nielsen (Warehouse 13)
Booster Gold (DC)
Brucie Kibbutz (Grand Theft Auto IV)
Buddy Sorrell (The Dick Van Dyke Show)
The Baudelaires (ASOUE)
Lemony Snicket (ASOUE)
Mabel and Dipper (Gravity Falls)
Harley Quinn (DC)
Jeremy Heere (Be More Chill)
Tegan Jovanka (Doctor Who)
Muscle Man (Regular Show)
Schmidt (New Girl)
Michael Moscowitz (Princess Diaries)
Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)
Sonic the Hedgehog (The Sonic Movie)
Toby Ziegler (The West Wing)
TK Strand (911 Lone Star)
Scanlan Shorthalt (Critical Role)
Patsy (Spamalot)
Nathaniel Kurtzberg (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir)
My most popular posts here seem to be my worldbuilding ones, so I thought I should let people know that I'm opening an online conference marking 200 years since the publication of James Hogg's Confessions of a Justified Sinner, with a creative writing "Building a Hellscape" workshop as a way of engaging with theology in SFF.
My workshop kicks off 09:30AM UK TIME - if you can't make that, it should be recorded so you should get the whole pack of recordings in your conference pack, post-conference when they are all uploaded and accessible.
It's a paid gig for me but as Romancing the Gothic is a project run entirely by one, very overworked person, and exists solely on donations, I've waived the fee.
I'll be getting you to think about some aspects of what a hellscape could be in a SFF context, using prompts like the ones I've posted here, and seeing what people come up with in the hour we have to dig in!
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE:
Romancing the Gothic presents its fourth annual online conference over two days - 24th and 25th August. The conference celebrates 200 years of James Hogg's Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner with a series of talks, events and workshops.
The conference is designed to cover different time zones so the days are long. People are recommended to come for as long as they want. The talks and sessions are recorded so that you don't miss anything even if you can't be there in person for specific times/sessions.
Early Bird Tickets, Concessions and Free Tickets
There will be early bird discounts on tickets until 24th June 2024.
Concession tickets are for students, the unwaged, retired people or anyone whose economic situation makes it necessary.
You can donate a ticket for those who are unable to afford to come.
You can donate directly to a person you know providing their name and email, or, for a random donation to help someone attend, enter the name "Sam Hirst" or "AN Other" in the name fields and email the donation ticket to sam[at]romancingthegothic[dot]com to help cover the cost of a free space for someone who needs one.
(We offer a limited number of free tickets for those who cannot pay the ticket price, please email sam[at]romancingthegothic[dot]com for more information.)
Accessibility
We have live auto-generated captions. We provide slides and, where possible, scripts before the conference with alt-text for images. We have regular breaks and encourage people to take part in ways that are most comfortable for them. There is no forced participation.
If you have any accessibility needs, please get in touch at [email protected] and I will do my best to make sure these accommodations are provided.
Book your ticket below:
PROGRAMME
(All times are UK time, BST. Please check your local timezone so you don't miss you chosen events)
Saturday 24th August
9am - Greetings and conference set up
9.30 - 10.30 - Writing Workshop with author CM Rosens - 'Create a Hellscape: Using Theology in World-Building'
10.30 - 10.45 - BREAK
10.45 - 12.30 - Panel 1 - James Hogg: Work and Legacy
Nick Smith - I have since been induced to look to you as my guardian angel': Hogg's Highland Journeys and their influence on the Jusfitied Sinner
Mizuki Tsutsui - An analysis of Ian Rankin and James Mavor's draft of the film script of James Hogg'sJustified Sinner:Demon, Union and Adaptation
Martina Jauch - Masculinities, Mania, and Modes of Religion - ETA Hoffman's and Goethe's impact on James Hogg's The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
Laila Sougri - The parallax of Evil: Phenomenological Encounters with the Uncanny in the Works of James Hogg, Daphne du Maurier, and Mark Z. Danielewski
12.30 - 13.00 - BREAK
13.00 - 14.00 - Cooking Workshop and lunch with Allie Pino (co-author of The Gothic Cookbook) - 'Whistle While You Cook: Arepa-Making and Venezuelan Demonic Folklore with 'El Silbón' and the 'Dancing Devils of Yare'
14.00 - 14.15 - BREAK
14.15 - 15.45 - Panel 2 - Demonic Politics
Javier Mosqueda - Building the devil: indigenous and Christian elements in Jeronimo de Mendieta's concept of the demon
Jarrod DePrado - “A God is Not So Glorious As a King”: Religion as a Demonic Political Tool on Stage
Jan Marvin A. Goh - "holy mysteries/by the eyes of the dead': Exploring the Gothic in Divine Concept in Nick Joaquin's The Mass of St. Sylvester
Amy Coles - She has to be hammered into shape: Religion-Related Abuse and Female Suppression in Ray Russell's The Case Against Satan
15.45 - 16.00 - BREAK
16.00 - 17.45 - Women and the Demonic
Maria Belén Caparrós - ‘I’m not going to kill you. I’ m going to sacrifice you’: Patriarchal Spectrality, expressive violence and structural demons in Argentinian Contemporary Representation of Femicide
Vale McComb - WhatPuppet History didn't tell you: Examing a Trio of 17th cent. Possession Cases and What Happened Thereafter
Brenda Tolian - Down Into the Darkness of Anne Bannerman’s “Prologue”
Pauline Suwanban - Contemporary Devil Romances and Female Confidence (2020-2024)
17.45 - 18.00 - BREAK
18.00 - 19.00 - First Keynote - Adam Kotsko - 'Faust in the Anthropocene'
19.00 - 19.15 - Author Roundtable - The Modern Scottish Gothic
Anna Cheung, Helen Grant and further authors TBC
20.15 - 20.30 - BREAK
20.30 - 21.30 - Cocktail/Mocktail hours
SUNDAY 25th August
9.15 - Greeting
9.30 - 10.30 - Second Keynote - Martha McGill - "Evil Company": Internal and External Demons in Early Modern Scotland
Gina Lyle - Literary Hauntings in Helen McClory's Bitterhall
Rowan McMonagle - 'Thrawn Janet'
Miranda Larsen - This is a merger, not a possession: Kurama's Complex Morality in Yu Yu Hakusho
12.15 - 13.00 - LUNCH BREAK
13.00 - 14.45 - Panel 5 - The Modern Demonic Imagination
Abhishek Sarkar - Religious Obsession and Murderous Zeal: The Fanaticism of the Serial Killer in Four Indian Films
Efram Sera-Shriar - From Demon World Village to Ghosts 'n Goblins: Popular Occulture, Videogame Censorship, and Satanic Panic in the 1980s
Máireéad Casey - Demon Possession, Sexual Grooming, and Resistance in We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021)
Kyria Van Gasse - I see his face but he's not me: the mental and emotional effect of playing the demonic and the monstrous in Live Action Role Play
14.45 - 15.00 - BREAK
15.00 - 16.45 - Panel 6 - Vampires and the Demonic
Mary Going - I Will not Lie Below: Demons, Vampires, and Contemporary Iterations of Lilith
Madhuchhanda Ray - At the Crossroads of the Hindu Demon and the Western Undead: Reading Satyajit Ray’s Quirky Vampire
Anca Simina Martin - The first Romanian Vampire Novel: The Case of the Vampire-priest Antagonist
Hayley Smith - Welcome to God's Army: Religion and Religious Extremism in Netflix's Midnight Mass
16.45 - 17.00 - BREAK
17.00 - 18.30 - Writing Workshop - Samantha Miles - Playwriting as Ritual: Summoning Demons and Constructing Hellscapes
18.30 - 19.00 - BREAK
19.00 - 20.45 - Panel 7 - Imagining Hell
Susan Vanderborg - "Hell is only a word": The Imperfect Demonic Translations of Event Horizon
Ruth-Anne Walbank - This deep hell of ills: Hellscapes and the Gothic in Lancashire Cotton Famine Poetry (1861-5)
Morgan Daimler - Tenants of Hell: Fairies, the Devil, and Folk Belief in Early Modern Scotland
Rebecca Marks - Blotting and Blurring Demons: Blake's Last Judgement
20.45 - 21.00 - FINAL REMARKS
As always, there is a code of conduct for our events. Please find it here. https://romancingthegothic.com/code-of-conduct/
TICKET PRICES
Early Bird Discount available now until 24th June 2024: £17.50
Full Price ticket after 24 July 2024: £25.00 (INCLUDES BOTH DAYS)
Concession for students, retired or unwaged Early Bird Discount available now until 24th June 2024: £10.00 (INCLUDES BOTH DAYS)
Concession ticket for students, retired or unwaged: £15.00 (INCLUDES BOTH DAYS)
Donate a Ticket: £15.00 (for anyone at any time! to donate one, this price stays the same) (INCLUDES BOTH DAYS)
Read Date: January 14, 2023
Cover Date: January 1968
● Writer: Stan Lee ● Penciler: John Romita ● Inker: Mike Esposito ● Colorist: {uncredited} ● Letterer: Sam Rosen ● Editor: Stan Lee ●
**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers
Reactions As I Read:
● picking up with Spidey having amnesia and being manipulated by Doc Ock
● (pg 2) Car 54, where are you? (I didn't realize I even had that memory! We're talking Nick-at-Nite in the 80s/early 90s playing reruns of old tv shows from the 50s and 60s. There was a show called Car 54, Where Are You? I just looked it up and realized one of the actors was Herman Munster, and that same actor was the old guy in the original Pet Sematary. 🤯 All of that from this little panel, which I have no doubt is an easter egg for that TV show)
● so the nullifier starts to overheat, so they take it back to Doc Ock's lab for him to check it over. he discovers a missing element--isotope 16--which is stored nearby at Ft. Tyson
● Ock tells Spidey to go there and get it
● (pg 7) meanwhile, Gwen and Harry go to Aunt May's to see if she's heard from Peter because no one has seen him in days. of course all this does is worry May, who is already upset over the "poor, misunderstood Dr. Octopus!"
● M.J. shows up with a newspaper saying Spidey has joined Doc Ock
● (pg 8) Captain Stacy--Gwen's dad. Gwen calls him to report Peter missing
● back to Spider-Man, who has just arrived at the base
● (pg 9) Spidey is surprised at his super strength but didn't bat an eye at climbing walls or swinging on webs 😂
● Spider-Man drops the map Ock gave him as he makes his escape
● (pg 12) Col. Jameson and his squad follow the map back to Ock's lab
● Ock turning on Spidey now that he has his isotope 16
● (pg 18) Col. Jameson uses the nullifier on Ock's tentacles
● (pg 19) Spidey still doesn't have his memories, but he realizes he can't be Ock's partner
● Ock is arrested. Col. Jameson tells Spidey that he's detained, too, but Spidey runs for it
● 👏👏👏
Synopsis:
Struck with amnesia from his exposure to a Nullifier device, Spider-Man is convinced by Doctor Octopus that he is one of his henchmen. Spider-Man then assists them to commit crimes, which make headlines. Spider-Man however, doesn't feel right about what he's doing. Meanwhile, Peter Parker's absence has gotten all his friends and family worried as they have no clue where he could have gone.
Meanwhile, Doctor Octopus tries to get Spider-Man to unmask, but Spider-Man realizes that if they were really partners, Octopus would already know his secret identity. Spider-Man realizes that he's been tricked and battles Doctor Octopus. Meanwhile, the military has been tracking Spider-Man since his last theft netted Doctor Octopus' secret missile plans.
During the fight, John Jameson manages to immobilize Doctor Octopus with the nullifier. When Dr. Octopus tries to talk Spider-Man into helping him get free, Spider-Man declines. He tells Jameson that he doesn't remember who he is, but he knows for sure that he's no partner of Octopus. When Octopus is taken into custody, Jameson asks Spider-Man to come with them as well. Spider-Man refuses and flees. Later, Spider-Man takes a look his reflection in the window hoping that it will remind him of who he is, but only sees a stranger looking back at him.
EXORCISTIC: The Rock Musical at The Box New York City
The new rock musical, EXORCISTIC presented by HRS Productions and Orgasmico Theatre will premier in NYC just in time for Halloween. The show will come to NYC for its limited viewing on October 8th through October 23rd at The Box. The unauthorized parody of The Exorcist was brought back by popular demand after their sold-out run at The Three Clubs in Los Angeles.
The musical parody brings about horror, hilarity, and the most powerhouse rock tunes you’ll see in a theater this year! The production brings to roaring life with iconic imagery and an explosive live band, the story of a movie star whose daughter becomes possessed and is helped by priests who try to save her.
Book, lyrics, and music by two-time Ovation Award winner Michael Shaw Fisher. Lindsay Heather Pearce (Wicked and RENT) will be featured in the opening cast. Emma Hunton (Freeform's Good Trouble, Wicked, and RENT) will also star, reprising her role from the LA production. The cast includes: The Summer Set's frontman Brian Logan Dales, Leigh Wolf (Exorcistic 2013), Jesse Merlin (For Love of the Glove, Re-Animator the Musical), Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray, Bupkis), Nick Bredosky (UMPO 10 Things I Hate About You) Kim Dalton (Cluelesque, Toil & Trouble) Mitchell Gerrard Johnson (A New Brain) Gabby Sanalitro (That 90’s Show) and Tyler Olshanksky.
Emma Hunton as “The possessed girl” in new rock musical, EXORCISTIC
Exorcistic is a parody within a parody. The audience watches a struggling theater company make their way to Broadway by the second act, however, their lead, Emma Hunton has taken Method Acting a step too far and is replaced with a Broadway star. This role is a rotating rolodex of stars which you do not want to miss because it changes every night! Each night there will be a different special guest performer who will be played by: Marissa Rosen (For the Girls, Water for Elephants, Modern Love) Nick Cearly (The Skivvies, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown) Jillian Schiralli (CATS, now that’s what i call 90s) Gerard Canonico (Almost Famous, The Dude Ranch) Jordan Donica (Camelot, RENT, Hamilton) Jamie Cepero (SMASH, The Function) and more!
The Box is located at 189 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002.
The show will start promptly at 7:30 pm with the doors opening at 6:30 pm.
Tickets are now available and can be purchased here To view the trailer for EXORCISTIC, please click here
Here’s a quick look back at the Creative happenings and hot topics of the week.
#CreativeReview is a one-stop cheat sheet of everything that happened this week in the digital media world - it’s a weekly summary for creatives, written by creatives and it’s a free/quick read with no registration and we won’t add you to some annoying list that’s impossible to unsubscribe to promise.
Trailer Beat
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And Just Like That Season 2
Max, June 22
Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis
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Glamorous
Netflix, June 22
Kim Cattrall, Zane Phillips, Jade Payton, Michael Hsu Rosen, Ayesha Harris
Todd Strauss-Schulson (Isn’t It Romantic) directed the Glamorous pilot. Kameron Tarlow and Damon Wayans Jr. are also executive producers from their involvement in a previous iteration that was developed at The CW in 2019 with Brooke Shields in the Cattrall role.
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Bird Box Barcelona
Netflix, July 14
Mario Casas, Georgina Campbell, Diego Calva, Alejandra Howard, Naila Schuberth, Patrick Criado
After a mysterious force decimates the world's population, Sebastian must navigate his own survival journey through the desolate streets of Barcelona.
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Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion
Disney+, June 21
Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Dermot Mulroney, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman
Nick Fury uncovers a conspiracy for a group of shapeshifting Skrulls to infiltrate Earth in positions of power around the world, recruiting Everett K. Ross, Maria Hill, and Talos to stop it and save humanity.
Social Media Tips & Resources
To make the most of your social media presence as a musician, it's crucial to optimize your profiles. When you implement the following strategies, you can ensure that your profiles effectively represent your brand, and attract potential fans, and industry professionals.
🔥 Craft a compelling bio that succinctly describes your music and includes a link to your latest promotional content. Whether it's a new track, album, tour dates, merch drop, or music video, provide a direct pathway for fans to access your most recent releases.
🔥 Determine the best approach to showcase your uniqueness and artistic identity through your profile. This can involve using a consistent visual theme, color scheme, or aesthetic across your social media platforms. It doesn't have to be perfect, but when you make a memorable impression on visitors, you create a strong brand image.
🔥 Update your profile picture across all platforms and ensure it is correctly sized for each. Use a high-quality image, that captures your personality and visually represents your brand. This picture will serve as the initial introduction to your page, so make sure it conveys who you are and what you have to offer as an artist.
🔥 Verification: While not necessary at all in the beginning, (some would argue it's not necessary at all, period.), as you gain more press coverage and establish a solid presence, you can consider pursuing verification on platforms like Instagram or Twitter. Being verified with a blue tick may enhance your credibility, making it easier for fans and industry professionals to find and trust your profile.
✅ Remember, optimizing your social media profiles is an ongoing process. Regularly review and update your bio, profile picture, and overall branding to stay relevant and engaging.
✅ Present a cohesive and professional online presence, and you will increase your chances of attracting new fans, industry connections, and opportunities within the music industry.
Influencer Marketing Can Take Your Music To New Heights
Here are a few tips to get you started.
June Spotlight: #TheSoundofPride
Following last week's feature on our #TheSoundofPride playlists - we wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the cutting-edge visuals our #TheSoundofPride artists have created to accompany their musical creations.
Raquel Jones x MEMBA & Fabian Mazur - Not Ready
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Gryffin x Tinashe - Scandalous
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Noa Kirel - Unicorn
Eurovision 2023 finale performance
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Tove Lo - No One Dies from Love
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Global Creative Spotlight
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"Two Brothers" - 2019 Spec Ad for Nintendo made by Alec Helm - never was an official ad, but should've been.
Also, how many Nintendo easter eggs can you spot?
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Dear Brother | Spec Ad | Johnnie Walker (2015)
Dear Brother tells the journey of two brothers hiking the wide valleys and rugged mountains of the Scottish Highlands. A journey to the place of their youth, their home.
The ad started as a spec project made by German students Dorian & Daniel and netted more than 800,000 views in its first 24 hours back in 2015 when it was first released.
Speaking to Adweek in 2015, Dorian said, "We wanted to create an emotional film that tells the story of two brothers that go back to the most important places of their youth.
"We love to connect emotional storytelling with great cinematic pictures. So we followed the two brothers on the paths of their youth through the Scottish highlands. We tried to integrate the brand. The story itself is based on the message "Keep Walking."
Pockets
Adam & Eve DDB created a new campaign for The National Lottery that spotlights a long-lasting love between two Lotto players and the lucky ticket that brings them together.
“Pockets” was directed by Oscar-winner Tom Hooper and follows its protagonists over 3 decades.