Interview with Final Girl's Stacie Ponder

In addition to writing and directing horror films, Stacie Ponder writes about them for Rue Morgue Magazine, AMC TV’s Horror Hacker, and her own beloved site, Final Girl. In her spare time, Stacie enjoys a good laugh and looking at kittens.

Fatally Yours: How and when did you fall in love with horror?

Stacie Ponder: The tale begins in college. Horror and I had a class together- some English Lit class, I just remember reading Jane Eyre – and we got to know each other a bit because of that. We started hanging out after class, getting coffee, whatever…then horror started to take it to the next level, I guess you could say. Leaving notes on my car windshield, calling me just because it was “thinking of me”…the next thing I knew, I was the one thinking of horror! A few months went by, and I finally realized, holy crap- I think I’m in love with horror. Horror felt the same way, and we’ve been together ever since.

OR, maybe it goes that my parents introduced me to horror movies when I was very young – watching Creature Double Feature on the weekends, taking me to the drive-in, buying me monster magazines- and I got hooked on the scary stuff. I can’t recall one specific incident; it was more a sudden, total immersion in the genre.

Fatally Yours: What does horror mean to you? 

Stacie Ponder: If you mean what significance does horror have in my life, well, it’s huge. Simple enjoyment turned into a hobby turned into a passion turned into a career. Now I’m writing about horror movies and making them as well, so it’s pretty all-consuming.

Fatally Yours: What are others’ reactions when you tell them you are involved in the horror genre?

Stacie Ponder: No one seems to think it’s very strange – or, at least, they’re pretty good at hiding it. People who have known me forever are used to it, of course. When I meet new people and tell them I dig horror, I usually go out of my way to convince them that I’m not a weirdo who’s simply into watching women get butchered. I don’t know why I always feel the need to qualify my enjoyment or assure people that I’m normal. It’s weird.

Fatally Yours: Why do you think the horror genre has primarily been a man’s domain?

Stacie Ponder: It’s possible that the more stereotypical elements of horror – violence, blood, and nudity – tend to appeal to men more. That’s a huge generalization, of course. There are men who don’t find those aspects of the genre enjoyable, and there are plenty of women who do…and yeah, there’s lots of horror that doesn’t feature any of the features I mentioned. As fans tend to be the ones who “grow up” into writers and filmmakers, it’s no surprise that it’s largely a boys club.

Fatally Yours: As a woman, do you think you are viewed differently than your male counterparts in the horror genre? If so, how and why?

Stacie Ponder: It probably happens and it’s a bit out of my control, but I don’t want to be viewed any differently in terms of knowledge or ability. How much I know about horror and whatever writing skills I may or may no possess don’t have anything to do with the junk in my junk drawer, you know? Still, my gender is bound to come into play from time to time in my reactions and perspectives, and my views may differ from a guy’s – and yeah, that should be celebrated. But then all the zillions of varying perspectives should be celebrated…eh. I’d love it if women were no longer segregated, if we could simply be “filmmakers” or “writers” rather than “female filmmakers” and “women writers”. For fuck’s sake, I don’t go to the “Lady Dentist” or the “Doctoress”- why does a director need to be singled out based on gender? It’s irrelevant.

Fatally Yours: Even though women seem to be getting more and more involved behind the scenes in horror, why do you think there are fewer female horror directors, writers, producers, etc. in the genre than males?

Stacie Ponder: There are fewer women than men in those roles NO MATTER the genre. Why is that? I don’t know. Maybe these are professions that many women aren’t drawn to, or maybe it doesn’t occur to some women that these options are available to them. There should be more women doing all these things, but that’s largely up to the individual.

Fatally Yours: What elements can female filmmakers/authors/journalists/etc. bring to the horror genre that are lacking in males’ perspectives?

Stacie Ponder: Again, it’s hard not to generalize, but women are likely to be more aware of “women’s issues”- misogyny, sexism, what have you. As far as filmmaking goes, men and women are, at times, going to react differently to the same situation: a man’s “pregnancy scare” movie may vary greatly from the same subject matter tackled by a female. Men and women have different fears, different strengths…but to reiterate, that varies from individual to individual as well, across gender lines. On the other hand, categorizing “male” and “female” viewpoints is ghettoizing, useless, and silly. Clearly, I’m torn on this…ha.

Fatally Yours: Do you think it’s harder for women to be taken seriously in a genre that seems to be dominated by males? 

Stacie Ponder: I don’t think so, but if it is, women can be as much to blame as men. How you handle yourself and how you present yourself can go a long way in shaping peoples’ perspectives of you. If you want to be taken seriously, then you need to take YOURSELF and what you do seriously. If you want to be known for your acting skills, don’t post topless pictures of yourself on Facebook. Perception is largely up to you.

Fatally Yours: Since you’ve been involved with the horror genre, have you noticed a change in women’s roles in the industry? 

Stacie Ponder: I know a lot of women who are making movies – there seems to be a real upswing in the number of female-helmed films, especially in indie horror. Lots of women are writing about the genre as well – new sites and blogs are popping up daily.

Fatally Yours: Do you ever get annoyed at how women in horror movies always end naked or with their clothes ripped off? 

Stacie Ponder: A little, but only when it’s especially gratuitous or somehow hateful- even then, I just roll my eyes and move on. Otherwise, I don’t really have a problem with it. I don’t know if it should always “serve the story”- I mean, sometimes it’s just mindless fun. I’m not sure why there aren’t more gratuitous shots of men, though, outside of the work of David DeCoteau.

Fatally Yours: What are your top three movies with gratuitous chick/boob/sex scenes?

Stacie Ponder: Any lesbian vampire movie! Sometimes they’re arty, sometimes they’re smutty, and they’ve got varying degrees of nudity…but come on. Who doesn’t love a lesbian vampire movie? Linnea Quigley’s naked graveyard dance in Return of the Living Dead truly deserves to be in the Horror Hall of Fame. My favorite, I think, is the sex scene in My Bloody Valentine 2009. If you want to throw around a tired word like “empowering”, well there you go- that’s it. The character is stark naked, in charge of her sexuality, and fighting for her life.

Fatally Yours: What horror movie would you say is equally fair in terms of men being objectified or at least, losing the same amount of clothes?

Stacie Ponder: As I stated above, pretty much ANY film by David DeCoteau. The Brotherhood, for example, features lots of bare-chested guys running around. Lots of homoeroticism…they’re all kinda gay on the down-low. Whatever that means.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel you’ve become desensitized to stereotypical scenes in horror like the half-naked girl screaming and running for her life in slow motion? Or are these types of familiar horror tropes still effective and necessary? 

Stacie Ponder: They can still be effective when they’re used by filmmakers in fresh or innovative ways. We all know that if you’ve got a group of people in a horror movie, at some point you need to split off the group so characters can get picked off one by one. The challenge, then, is to move beyond “Let’s split up and look around!”- otherwise, audiences are going to roll their eyes at the same ol’ same ol’. Everything becomes old if it’s used too many times. Put your own spin on it, filmmakers. Make the tropes YOURS.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel that other people view women as being “soft” and not able to endure horror as well as men? How do you fight this stereotypical view?

Stacie Ponder: I’m sure they do. All I can do to fight it is be myself – I’m a person who watches horror movies and who happens to have a vagina. Not all women are the same…I mean, I couldn’t care less about romantic comedies. It’s just my taste in films and it has nothing to do with my vagina, you know?

Fatally Yours: What women in horror do you admire and why?

Stacie Ponder: Does Kathryn Bigelow count? I know her only dabblings in the genre consist of the stellar vampire film Near Dark, but honestly, she’s kind of my hero right now. She makes movies because that’s just what she does. She’s obliterating gender lines simply by refusing to acknowledge them. I hope someday she’s not considered a “great female director” but simply a “great director” and she won’t continue to be tasked with somehow speaking for women everywhere.

Fatally Yours: What advice would you give women who want to become involved in the horror genre?

Stacie Ponder: If you want to become involved in the genre, then…become involved. Whatever discipline thrills you- writing, acting, directing, etc. – get up and make it happen. Don’t use your gender or cries of “discrimination” to mask for your lack of skills. No one has skills when she (or he) starts out. You need to put in the work, study, learn, and ask questions – that’s the only way you’ll grow. You need to make it happen for yourself – no one’s going to do it for you. And honestly? Chances are good that no one’s going to tell you that you can’t be a writer or a director because you have girl parts. Get off your ass and get shit done.

Fatally Yours: What’s the last horror movie that made you think “this is some effed up shiznit!”? 

Stacie Ponder: Martyrs. A friend who’d seen it before me warned me that I’d kind of hate myself for watching it, but in the end it would be worth it – and she was totally right. I’m still wrestling with my feelings on it, trying to sort out my thoughts. I’d like to write about it in some capacity, but at this point I’m not really sure what to say. I’d need to watch it again, and I don’t know when I’ll want to do that. Really powerful, effective stuff – certainly not for the faint of heart.

Fatally Yours: What’s one horror movie you think is HIGHLY overrated?

Stacie Ponder: May. I like it. I like Angela Bettis and I thought she was terrific; I loves me some Anna Faris…but the movie didn’t really ‘wow’ me as I’d anticipated it would. It was good, sure, but I’m not quite sure why so many accolades are thrown at it. Eh, people connect with different things – I just didn’t connect much with that particular film.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite horror films, books, etc.?

Stacie Ponder: Ah, there are too many to list. I love Mausoleum and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre alike. I love cheesy slasher flicks and new French horror films that push the envelope and make you think. Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is one of my favorite genre novels, and the film it’s based on, The Haunting, is one of my favorite films. Really, there are too many to list.

Fatally Yours: What is your ultimate goal while working in the horror genre?

Stacie Ponder: Writing about horror movies, making horror movies, and working with friends who love the genre as much as I do. I’m already doing all that, so I guess I have nothing left to strive for! Well, that’s just great. Oh, okay…so I can strive to improve myself in all those areas, I suppose.

Fatally Yours: What projects are you working on now?

Stacie Ponder: My first major movie, Ludlow, is in post-production and should be ready for some kind of public consumption very soon. I call it “major” because it’s too long to be a short film, but a bit too short to be a feature…so, “major”. The second season of my webseries Ghostella’s Haunted Tomb, is currently in pre-production. I’m aiming for ten episodes, beginning in April. I’ve got a few other scripts and projects- features, mostly- in various stages of development. Other than all that, I’m writing…a whole mess of stuff for Final Girl and other sites and publications.

Fatally Yours: Where can people find more your reviews and more info on you?

Stacie Ponder: My blog, Final Girl. That’s sort of my hub. If my work (in whatever capacity) appears elsewhere, I’ll still post about it at Final Girl. I love my blog like a…like a…lover.

Interview with Artist and Comic Book Author Dame Darcy

Dame Darcy - "Many Hands" by Marcelle DuJour

Dame Darcy is known worldwide as an illustrator, writer, fine artist, musician, filmmaker and animator. She had the pleasure to do illustrations for writers Alan Moore (DC comics), Poppy Z. Brite, Trina Robbins (Women In Comics), and fashion designers Anna Sui (NYC), Jared Gold (LA), CWC, and Coi Girl Magic (Tokyo) among others.

Her TV series, Turn Of the Century, won many awards for the movies and animations made in collaboration with Lisa Hammer and additional filmmakers and is currently being distributed.

Dame Darcy is presently on her 17th issue (and counting) of Meat Cake, her long standing comic book title published by Fantagraphics. She has also released several graphic novels, including Frightful Fairytales (published by Ten Speed Press 2002), Dame Darcy’s Meat Cake Compilation (Fantagraphics Books 2003), The Illustrated Jane Eyre (Putnam Penguin USA 2006),  Dollerium Book and DVD (Presspop, Tokyo 2007) and Comic Book Tattoo, a comic compilation illustrating the songs of Tori Amos (Image Comics 2008) among other compilations.

Gasoline the graphic novel has an accompanying music release by her current band Death By Doll on Emperor Penguin Records entitled Gasoline. Dame Darcy is also adapting Gasoline into a screenplay. Her next graphic novel projects are Hand Book for Hot Witches and The Excorsisters. She’s also developing an online game based on her illustrations.  Her fine art is currently represented by Sloan Fine Art in New York City.

Fatally Yours: When did you become interested in art?

Dame Darcy: I originally started drawing/writing books (sequential art) at the age of 2. My Dad is an artist, so is my uncle, brother, and a lot of my family. We are related to John Wilkes Booth and many of the guys in my family look like him (like a handsome villain) I contribute a lot of my family’s talent and good looks to Booth but also the craziness. I loved the books my family had on Klimt and Rossetti and the other pre-Raphaelites, Dada, (my first word was dada) Victoriana, and Faeiry tales Greek myths and legends.

They also had a lot of feminist literature and contemporary poetry books and faeiry rock music. My favorite bands that I consider my children’s albums that influenced my psychedelic subconscious are that song by the Stones about the girl with rainbow hair, Donovan’s A Gift From a Flower to a Garden, The Kinks song “Victoria,” The Zombies, Tiny Tim’s album God Bless Tiny Tim, The Beatles’ White Album and bluegrass classics like Doc Watson, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, etc.

My dad plays banjo and taught me when I was 10 how to play and at 5 how to play autoharp. We used to play shows together and he was in a band then too.

We lived in Idaho. Not a very artistic place.

Fatally Yours: What kind of films, books and comics did you read growing up that influenced and continue to influence your work?

Dame Darcy: I loved Alice in Wonderland and the Oz books series. Pippi Longstocking (all the books and the movies), I loved Tales From the Crypt and Edward Gorey. I liked the show Night Flight. Creature Feature would show lots of fun stuff on Friday nights. I kind of thought my family was like the Addams Family and that I would grow up to have an Addams Family of my own which I currently always have incarnations of.

The movies that made me think I would grow up and have a place in the world are Time Bandits, Neverending Story, Beetlejuice, Splash, Twilight Zone The Movie, Carrie (which was like my high school experience), Flash Gordon, Eraserhead, Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the movie Popeye, Watership Down, The Last Unicorn was so much like my life and it is STILL like my life. The Last Unicorn is wandering around with that depressing Cat Stevens song or whatever it is searching for her unicorn sisters while the other characters in the movie fuck with her. Finally a curse is put on her, she becomes human (i.e. The fantasies of childhood are broken and you realize you will have to take on all the human crap of being a woman) and when the unicorn turns into a girl, I looked JUST LIKE the girl, it was sick. Then finally she gets to the ocean and joins her other unicorn sisters who come out of the ocean in a wave and gallop together free. I moved to the coast, near the ocean, like San Francisco and NYC and met the other freaks.

Movies that have influenced me as an adult are Barry Lyndon by Kubrick, Terry Gilliam, anything by Todd Haynes. Michel Gondry does good contemporary work, Spike Jonze does good movies as well. I love those really Dada Betty Boop cartoons from the 20′s that Cab Calloway sings on, Night Of The Hunter where Lillian Gish plays an old Christian lady battling a demented preacher with a shotgun while she sings a hymn in harmony with him. This movie stars a doll. Beauty and The Beast by Cocteau, The Blue Angel with Marlene Deitchrich is also a great cabaret film and is sort of like the movie Freaks I just realized. The Devils by Ken Russell 1971, an account of the apparent demoniacal possession of the 17th-century nuns of Louden, climaxing in the burning of their priest as a sorcerer. There is the cutest cabaret scene in it where a gorgeous gay boy plays the Venus Di Milo. This is also like the 1971 release of Wicker Man. A lot of the best movies came out in 1971. Dark and psychedelic.

I think Interview with a Vampire is the most hilarious movie in the planet! Just a laugh riot all the way through. Speaking of vampire movies, Valerie and her Week of Wonders is THE BEST! Salem’s Lot is the scariest. Herzog does a great Dracula too with Klaus Nomi (he is also the star of a documentary called My Best Fiend) and the one where William Defoe plays Dracula is awesome, Shadow of the Vampire. These two were obviously based on the original movie Nosferatu. And lest we not forget The Hunger. That movie I clung to like a life raft when I was a teen in Idaho. I want to see Let The Right One In but have not yet.

I always draw the endless pages and commission designs while watching movies, and crafting.  I watched Gone with the Wind (which is a costume drama AND an apocalyptic movie all in one) over and over for a month one time. I just didn’t care to see anything else. The song that the slave men sing in that movie as so poignant and creepy it sends chills up my spine.

Fatally Yours: What sparked your interest in creating your comic book, Meat Cake?


Dame Darcy: I began self publishing Meat Cake when I was 17. It was picked up by Fantagraphics in 1991 when I was 19 and Fantagraphics is releasing a graphic novel compilation of Meat Cake with stories up to issue 10 I think. I am currently on issue 18 and am reissuing out of print Meat Cake issues as part of my new self publishing company Dame Darcy Publishing Ink, found at Dame Darcy.com. Anyone can get them directly from me on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/damedarcy.

I had this dream place, a little sea coastal town called Sobriety Straight where freaks lived together. A mermaid that thought death was funny and liked to flirt with and torture men. Hindrance (a hindrance to Perfidia) and Perfidia (meaning two-faced), a Siamese twin that was always fighting with itself (I am a Gemini on the cusp of cancer, need I say more). Richard Dirt, named for the pen name I once considered when I thought I would create an alter ego like George Sand the lady Victorian writer did, but instead I created a comic book alter ego which I am really glad I did not make my pen name Richard Dirt, that is sooooo confusing! Strega Pez is a hard working gal who is also an orphan, when she was born she came from her mother’s throat, thus killing her, and was cursed by only being able to talk through her throat on Pez. I invented this character because I felt like I always had to work mundane jobs like that before I became a freelance artist. Later Strega Pez becomes a world renowned scientist and invents invisible strong string made from goat’s milk and spider webs and gets out of poverty. Friend the Girl is inspired by Louise Brooks and is a good friend, she has a boyfriend named Friend the Boy. Wax Wolf is a cad zombie werewolf made from real wolf hair and wax who is the undead so is killed thousands of times in different ways and always comes back.Granny was once a flapper mobster moll who puts poison in her cookies out of habit. Scampi the Selfish Shellfish is Richard’s pet. And then there’s the sundry pirates and hot sailor lads from the port town.

Fatally Yours: Besides being well-known for Meat Cake, you also make dolls, create music, design clothes, create fine art, make graphic novels, are a filmmaker and are a cartoonist. How and why do you find yourself pursuing so many different avenues of creativity?


Dame Darcy: I always wanted to make feature films, which combine music, animation, film and are themselves fine art. So until I get my big break I make everything separately and keep pitching my feature film concepts which are based on graphic novels.

Fatally Yours: How would you describe your art and artistic style?

Dame Darcy: Like a demented tortured Gypsy that wants to escape this place and time into a faeiry fantasy world near Atlantis. Place beyond place time out of time.

Fatally Yours: Your art contains many Victorian motifs. What attracts you to the Victorian period? Do you ever find yourself gravitating to other eras?


Dame Darcy: Did you know that glass (like glass windows) is always in a permanent liquid form? This is why the stained glass of the Byzantine churches have some images where the colors have melted from one frame into the next. And also why the cut glass windows in the craftsman house I grew up in were warped from the windows slowly melting over 100 years. It’s always this way in old houses.

The Victorian era is a romantic and tragic place at the dawn of industrialization. Mother earth had not been completely slaughtered yet then. Women were oppressed but there was a chivalry to it all too. As a kid I had nostalgic longings and still do for the smell of Victorian cotton curtains blowing in the half open window of an attic room while it’s raining outside on the roses and ivy that have grown to cover the dirty, spider webbed glass that is slightly warbled from the glass slowing melting over time.

In my graphic novel Gasoline the Witch family lives in a post apocalyptic utopia which is in a simultaneously existing time /space mirroring this one. I am writing a new one called Gold Leaf about how I channeled my past life as a Druid in 500 AD. It is called Gold Leaf because that what the illuminated letterers of the time used, and will be drawn as if stained glass windows were panels of a comic book (which is essentially what they are). Other than that I am currently in the process of publishing my latest graphic novel, The Hand Book For Hot Witches. It is modern, but touches a lot on ancient magic lore and is basically a practical guide to magic of all lineages.

Fatally Yours: When you first started out, did you encounter any gender bias as a woman in a mostly male-dominated world of comic books and graphic novels? Or were people pretty open to your ideas, regardless of your gender? Do you find your gender makes a difference in how people view you nowadays?


Dame Darcy: Again, I feel like The Last Unicorn because I am well aware that the comic book world and feature film and animation world is a boys’ club. In a way it’s good to be different and naturally stand out from the crowd, but at the same time my people are the gothic Lolita fashion and weirdo darkwave music scene which doesn’t necessarily know or care about comix. To fix this problem and combine all of it I am creating a special Doll Game which will be seen soon on Dame Darcy.com and whose details I can not disclose yet.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel that your art has a feminist subtext? Please explain.


Dame Darcy: I am a hardcore feminist so I wrote The Hand Book For Hot Witches, here’s what it’s about…. I also created the EZ Bake Coven which I encourage everyone to join and post and enact on the forum and in real life…again here’s the Manifesto for that too…I made these things because WE NEED THEM!

Hand Book For Hot Witches: Combine graphic novel with a “how to” guide, add a dash of cook book and a fairy sprinkle of witch spell, wrap it all up with women’s history and you have the Hand Book For Hot Witches. This is a girl’s guide to the apocalypse. This book addresses the unique needs women have, and covers heavy issues like sustainable living once water, heat, and food have become scarce. It harkens back to an ancient time when women lead as the herbalist healers, nurturers and disciplinarians of the community. But also looks to the future and gives advice on how to handle crisis in a time of global extremes and addresses mood fluctuations and how to handle inner turmoil.

Hand Book For Hot Witches addresses our need for self defense. It celebrates and acknowledges our inherent power of creativity, intuitiveness, and every female’s role as a conduit to the spirit realm.

This guide book is for girl scouts grown up and facing the realities of surviving in the jungle of today’s political society with complex ecological implications. And  gives them simple answers through philosophy, skill, crafts and song to deal with these issues one step at a time through comics, fully illustrated step by step how to’s, in depth text with spot illustrations and resource guide.

Most of women’s history is blotted out from the pages of society. Hand Book For Hot Witches recognizes and profiles “witches” who stood out of the crowd changed the world and fought for not just the rights of women but for humanity and for justice. This book will help their legacy live on.

There are many “how to” books, and post petroleum guides of how to live sustainably. The Hand Book For Hot Witches stands out from the rest because it has a unique view that addresses the needs of women. Although it brings up topics that at some times are hard to face, the visual style and literary sense of humor make these overwhelming concepts and problems easier to handle and thus easier to solve.

This book is here to inspire individuals to make a change and inform them how to do it. It’s also here to empathize with the current situation the world is in and does not ignore the symbiotic relationship that women have to Mother Nature. Respecting the earth is respecting womankind, and respecting yourself.

The information and insight within is something daughters, mothers, and grandmothers can all relate to, connect with, and remember. To proactively create a future so all girls can inherit a legacy.

The E Z Bake Coven has been going for 10 years now, and now has an exciting new look. We are creating a forum to profile artists and a place for ladies (and the men who worship the Goddess) to live chat, video blog, and even create their own local covens virtually and in reality. It is located in the EZ Bake Coven section of Dame Darcy.com

Fatally Yours: What elements do female artists offer that differ from males’ perspectives?


Dame Darcy: The sense of entitlement that all women, the earth, animals and all plant life is here to serve “man” was invented by Christian white guys a while ago and just because it’s been the mainstream way of thinking for a long time, does not now nor never was right.

Jocks think this way and to this I say “FROCKS NOT JOCKS” they do not think or consider the perspective of women or other races and to this I say “I AM THE CRACKER ATTACKER” and women are bitches who are not feminist and do not see other ladies as their sisters. So they I say “WITCHES NOT BITCHES”.

Fatally Yours: What women in your industry do you admire and why?

Dame Darcy: Natasha Rambova, [who] was born Winifred “Winnie” Kimball Shaughnessy on January 19, 1897. [She] grew up to not only to be the creatrix of Hollywood [to] its biggest and most influential star Rudy Valentino, but also is the inventor of the Art Deco style. She was a costume and set designer, artistic director, screenwriter, producer, actress, fashion designer, and was also influenced by German Expressionism. She earned more than her husband Valentino, who had notoriously bad contract deals and had a career due to her styling and marketing of him. Their break up and his death ensued when the big money guys at the studios wanted to take her influence away. She designed for a film Nazimova wrote titled, A Doll’s House. Rambova’s designs for the movie Salome were seen as extremely daring and risqué. She based them off drawings by Aubrey Beardsley for Oscar Wilde’s version. Plus look up her photo she is the hottest and most beautiful witch ever. Truly amazing! Also the German animatoress Lotte Reiniger and her film Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (1926), the first feature-length silhouette animation. Really ladies, I’m not kidding look this up and watch it somehow, it will change your life.

Fatally Yours: What advice would you give women who want to pursue a career in art?


Dame Darcy: LIFE ALIGNED WITH PASSION

When you have a big or unusual goal you may be daunted by trying and failing a million times, but just keep throwing your work out into the public and researching who to talk and pitch your ideas to /show your art. And keep going. The way big ideas get made into reality is by trying time and time again, each try is one try closer to manifesting your goal. No one manifests anything who didn’t try and your convictions will make all obstacles fall away of their own accord.

So many people when they ask, “What do you do?” they mean, “What do you do to make money?” They are trying to judge who you are by what you do to make an income. To which some people take offense if their passion does not make them money and does not align with their work.

If you choose to favor your passions above and beyond all else and stay committed, the life of your choosing will manifest.  Daily responsibilities and expectations arise all around you.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite dark works of art, horror books, comics, etc.?

Dame Darcy: I love Suhiro Maruo , a Japanese graphic novelist who does stories about a dark circus and vampires. The Strange Tale of Panorama Island is his latest book. Sandman series by Neil Gaiman was always a beautiful but sad story and From Hell about Jack the Ripper written by Alan Moore has an extremely enlightening section in the back pages about the dark occult underbelly that London’s streets and politics are based on. His latest book Promethia has very enlightening occult information. I have always admired Ralph Steadman’s drawing style and was inspired by Sue Coe in my early days. I also as previously mentioned Charles Addams’ Addams Family comics and Edward Gorey’s comics as a kid. Egon Sheile illustrations/paintings look so contemporary and Francis Bacon is a beautiful sicko and just had an amazing exhibit at the Met in NYC last summer. Hans Bellmer (the one who did those weird sculptures of dolls) also did illustrations which were amazing as well. Aubrey Beardsley of course. All Art Nouveau.

Fatally Yours: Who are your current favorite artists?

Dame Darcy: Camille Rose Garcia, Joe Coleman, Joanne [Burke] of Chromium Dumb Belle is a genius! Kime Buzelli. Marcelle DuZama , Matthew Barney , Cindy Sherman, I love Grandma Moses (but she’s not current) Christy Kane, Jared Gold, Adam Dugas, Machiene Dazzle, Madeline Von Forrester and so much more but I’m going crazy.

Fatally Yours: If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, on a comic book or graphic novel, who would it be and why?

Dame Darcy: O M G ! It would be to illustrate Alice in Wonderland. Also, I LOVE Hunter S. Thompson, Urusala K. Leguinn and Philip K. Dick. I would love to turn any of their books into graphic novels.

Fatally Yours: Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?

Dame Darcy: I already mentioned myself publishing company Dame Darcy Publishing Ink, The E Z Bake Coven, my darkwave band Death By Doll’s upcoming album Goth As Fuck, Meat Cake comic book series, Gasoline graphic novel,  Hand Book For Hot Witches, Turn Of The Century DVD of my TV show was just re-released. All my current and past multimedia projects and current shows and events can be seen at Dame Darcy.com and can be acquired at my Etsy store which is the arts/crafts section on dd.com

Fatally Yours: What goals do you hope to accomplish in 2010?

Dame Darcy: To live in a state of enlightened tranquility. To learn Spanish, to learn how to sail, to find my home, or at least get an idea of where it is, to have my feature film go into preproduction, to get the biggest publishing deal possible for Hand Book For Hot Witches, to master and release Death By Doll’s new album, to start my doll game , to make the EZ Bake Coven Forum the best it can be, to get a licensing deal for my designs, and to make my 84 year old doll Isabelle finally happy so she can stop bitching at me.

Fatally Yours: Where can people find more info on you?

Dame Darcy: For everything me go to: www.damedarcy.com

And I also want to thank my business partner and Gemini twin Vincent D. Dominion. He is an artist as well and you can check him out at myspace.com/vincentdominion

Thank you for everything and best wishes and magic blessings to you!

Interview with Central Valley Horror Club Founder Kaci Hansen

Kaci Hansen is an artist, musician, writer, performer, dancer, director and special effects makeup artist, with a passion for all things horror, who tries to find as many ways as possible to integrate her love of the genre in with everyday life. Kaci was one of 13 lucky finalists in Fangoria Magazine’s nationwide search for their 2010 Spooksmodel, where she came in first place in the first fan-voting segment of the contest.

Kaci works with Nothing is Safe Films where she not only acts, writes, and directs, but also aids in production and special effects makeup. She recently completed her roles in The Orchard and Side of the Road, and is working on a five-part film project called The Apartments where she not only stars in one segment, but also directs her own segment and aids in FX/makeup on all of the segments.

Kaci also founded and dances with Central California’s first and only horror-themed dance troupe, The Horror Dolls.

In 2008 she founded the Central Valley Horror Club (the first and only horror-themed organization in Central California), who host numerous horror-themed events throughout Central California, including free movie nights and concerts. This past year, Kaci and the Central Valley Horror Club hosted their city’s first-ever Zombie Ball, Vampire Ball and Monster Mash. The Central Valley Horror Club has had an enormous amount of support from the community, being featured in several in publications, and hopes to continue offering horror themed entertainment for a long time to come.

In 2009, Kaci began working with Comic Book Divas on her very own horror-comic, titled Kaci Hansen Presents… The comic will be available for purchase in early 2010 through ComicBookDivas.com

Kaci is currently in the process of writing music with her band The Homicidal Housewives, doing various horror conventions promoting The Horror Dolls and Kaci Hansen Presents…, and is working on various screenplays for films that will soon be available from Nothing is Safe Films.

Fatally Yours: How did you fall in love with the horror genre? 

Kaci Hansen: It actually began at a young age, when I fell in love with television shows of a darker aesthetic, such as The Addams Family and The Munsters. I would often stay at my great-grandparents’ house, and they didn’t have cable, so I often would watch reruns of these shows. I was always a big fan of the Halloween season and all of the spooky things that accompanied the holiday. What can I say? I ate the monster cereals for breakfast as often as I could, with Count Chocula being my favorite (it has since shifted over to Boo Berry).

My parents are actually huge horror fans, and they would always make me watch films with them. I would be absolutely terrified, sitting with my hands covering my eyes, occasionally peeking through my fingertips…and as scared as I was, I couldn’t get enough of it. As I got older, my interests peaked even further; my mom would always tell me, “It’s not real, you don’t need to be scared,” so naturally, I was fascinated that one could obscure that line between reality and fantasy, and create such an emotional and visual impact on the viewer. I believe that is what intrigued me to get involved in special FX artistry, prop making and development, and eventually, writing and directing my own projects.

Fatally Yours: How and when did you get involved in the horror genre?

Kaci Hansen: Many people just did not (and still do not) understand my fascination with the genre. I’d often bring up films or scenes from movies, and people would stare blankly at me, not having a clue what I was even referring to. I decided to change that, so in 2008, I founded Central Valley Horror Club – the first and only horror organization in Central CA. I began having free, public all-ages movie nights at a pizza place, so I could meet other horror fans, and hopefully ‘convert’ a few more. Our first event brought in over 60 people, and the support has been continuous! One thing we really try to touch on is playing lesser-known movies, to expose them to new horizons within the genre.

In 2009, I decided to introduce my city to something else they had never experienced before – horror-themed concerts and events. I hosted Central CA’s first Zombie Ball, Vampire Ball and Monster Mash in 2009. To say that I was humbled by the support and appreciation that the community showed towards my efforts, would be an understatement. I literally receive emails every week asking when the next event will be.

In 2009, I also formed The Horror Dolls, which is the first and only horror-themed dance troupe in Central CA. I wasn’t sure how the community would react to it, but a local publication actually featured us on the cover of their October 2009 issue, and wrote an entire article on us.

I also became involved with Nothing is Safe Films in 2009, where I not only act, but I also write, direct and do makeup/FX. I had a small role in the films The Orchard and Side of the Road. I am currently working on a project titled The Apartments, where I am acting in one segment, writing/directing another segment, and doing makeup for all of the segments. It’s been a tedious project, with a lot of hiccups, but it’s been so much fun working on the set. We have a good group of people at Nothing is Safe; I love them.

I have a horror comic coming out through ComicBookDivas.com in early 2010, called Kaci Hansen Presents…Hello Dollies.

Fatally Yours: What is one thing you’ve done within the horror genre that you are most proud of?

Kaci Hansen: I would have to say that forming Central Valley Horror Club would be exactly that. Hearing people thank me for making fun, affordable and unique events in our area makes all of the hard work and planning worth it. People would often complain that there was nothing ‘cool’ or ‘fun’ to do here, and it was my goal to change that. And I truly believe that I have.

Fatally Yours: How would you convince people who aren’t horror fans to give the genre a try?

Kaci Hansen: I always suggest watching a really, really cheesy horror flick – the kind that make you smile, even if it’s not supposed to. My recommendations would be Slumber Party Massacre II or Dead Alive…not that I think those are necessarily considered cheesy, but I have witnessed them bring smiles to the faces of many.

Fatally Yours: Do you feel women in horror get the proper recognition when compared to their male counterparts?

Kaci Hansen: It really depends on what role you’re referring to. In the past, it seemed that films written or directed by women were not taken too seriously, but I have seen what appears to be a tremendous change as of late. With film festivals like VISCERA, the creation of Women in Horror Month, and the unity between females involved in the genre, that is rapidly changing.

Fatally Yours: As a woman in horror, have you found it harder to be taken seriously in a genre that seems to be dominated by males? 

Kaci Hansen: Actually, quite the opposite. Occasionally, people seem to be taken aback a bit at first, but once they talk with me and see what a passion I have for the genre and what I do within it, they seem to hold a lot of respect for me, what I do, and why I do it. From time to time, people still seem surprised that Central Valley Horror Club was founded by a woman; they love it.

Fatally Yours: Since you’ve been involved with the horror genre, have you noticed a change in women’s roles within horror whether it be roles in horror films, women behind the camera, women writers, etc.?

Kaci Hansen: Absolutely. I’m really excited that more women are getting recognition for being behind the camera and utilizing their creative sides.

Fatally Yours: What women in horror do you admire?

Kaci Hansen: Oh, there are so many, and for so many reasons…I’ll end up typing here all evening if I don’t narrow it down to one! I’m going to go with Bette Davis for this answer. I recently watched Dead Ringer again, and just love the way she could turn-on/turn-off that crazy, psychotic side yet appear so kind and sweet directly after…much like her role in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? I have always admired her work.

I also love the iconic horror hostesses – Vampira and Elvira. Most people seem to only like one or the other, but I think they’re both great.

I also want to take this time to give a huge thank you to Hannah Neurotica for her efforts for Women in Horror Month, Shannon Lark for her efforts with The Chainsaw Mafia and VISCERA, and all of the other amazing women out there who are taking action every day to unite us all.

Fatally Yours: What inspires, influences and motivates you?

Kaci Hansen: Every film I watch is an inspiration to me to work hard, and to do my best. I always try to remind myself that EVERY film used to be an idea in the back of someone’s head; it was all up to them to put forth the effort to execute the idea.

I also just flat-out love what I do, and seeing how I’ve made a change in the community here really makes me happy. Seeing the support that Central Valley Horror Club has gotten is enough to make me continue working hard to enrich our city for horror fans.

Fatally Yours: What are your favorite horror films and books?

Kaci Hansen: This is the question I’m asked the most, and it’s always the most difficult one to answer!
I already mentioned my love for Slumber Party Massacre II…and if you can’t enjoy a guy who looks like the love-child of Andrew Dice Clay and an Elvis-impersonator swinging around a guitar with a drill on the end of it, then I don’t know what to tell you. I really love The Tingler, Mr. Sardonicus, House on Haunted Hill (you’ve gotta see the RiffTrax version of it!), Night of the Demons (1 and 2), Demons, Sleepaway Camp, Day of the Dead, Dead Ringer, The Gates of Hell, Return of the Living Dead…the list goes on and on.

Fatally Yours: Outside of horror what do you enjoy doing?

Kaci Hansen: I’m a Fine Art major, so all things related to art really interest me. I really love graphic design, web design, cooking and baking. JELL-O brains seem to be a staple in my household. I love animals (I have four dogs, and one kitty). I’m very close with my little brother (he’s 10) and have done a splendid job with exposing him to the genre so far. He actually led our zombie walk that took place before our Zombie Ball. I also love music – whether it be listening to it, playing it (I play guitar/keys), or going to a concert.

Fatally Yours: What are your goals for yourself within the horror genre?

Kaci Hansen: Just to do whatever I can to help artists, filmmakers, actors and actresses to get involved and recognized, and to unite other horror fans. Also, to continue bringing fun and exciting horror-themed events to the area. I really would like to get more involved with acting, as I have really enjoyed being in front of the camera as much as being behind it.

Fatally Yours: Where can people find more info on you?

Kaci Hansen: Feel free to add me on Facebook, or on Myspace. My website, www.kacihansen.com, is currently being renovated, and with all of my projects going on, it’s taking me a little more time than I anticipated.

Central Valley Horror Club on Facebook
Central Valley Horror Club on Myspace
The Horror Dolls on Facebook
The Horror Dolls on Myspace
Kaci on IMDB

Fear(s) of the Dark (2007)

Fear(s) of the Dark is an animated anthology featuring black and white shorts of varying artistic styles. The result is simply stunning and there is no doubt that fans of animated horror and comic books will dig this amazing French film.

The stories all deal with different kinds of horror, from classic Cronenberg-like body horror to the horrors of growing up and relationships to the overarching theme of the anthology – fear of the unknown.

The film begins with a wrap-around story by Blutch featuring a scary old man dressed in period clothing walking a pack of menacing dogs. Between segments he ambles across the rugged countryside and decrepit city, loosing his dogs on unsuspecting people. This wrap-around segment is just beautiful to look at and is artfully rendered in what looks like charcoal. Out of all the segments, this was my favorite aesthetically. It has such texture and wonderful depth! Plus, the old man is frighteningly and hideously scary!

The style of most of the stories was simple black and white line drawings, so don’t be expecting too much fancy animation (with the exception of the wrap-around story mentioned above). Yet, even though the animation was simple I really enjoyed each and every one of the stories. They were each different, both in style and in narrative. My favorite of the tales was probably the last segment, about a haunted house of sorts, by Richard McGuire. The use of lighting (which was mainly candlelight) here really helped the narrative and created a tense atmosphere. I also loved Charles Burns’ tale of a humanoid insect that burrows under the skin of its captor’s girlfriend. The gaping wounds and body horror associated with the story reminded me much of Cronenberg’s films.

The only portions I wasn’t too fond of were the interspersed segments where people talk about what they fear (both irrational and rational fears) against a background of abstract black and white shapes. These segments just made me feel like I was sitting in on a psychiatrist’s appointments having to listen to people’s strange neuroses! I really feel these took away from the stark beauty of the rest of the stories.

All in all, though, Fear(s) of the Dark is an exciting, unique and beautiful anthology of stories fit for anyone who appreciates animation.

Order it on Amazon!

Cottonmouth (2008)

Need something to perk you up on this drab hump day? Need to kill some time at work or in-between classes? Looking for a surreal revenge story to watch? Well, I’ve got just the remedy for your case of the Wednesdays…

Christopher P. Garetano follows up his intriguing Horror Business documentary with Cottonmouth, a short film based on Stephen R. Bissette’s (Taboo, Swamp Thing) comic of the same name, which originally appeared in the underground horror comic Gore Shriek in 1986. Garetano read the comic at a young age and Cottonmouth stuck with him all these years.

And how lucky we all are that Garetano finally decided to adapt it for the screen!

Cottonmouth tells the tale of a group of ladies who return from their premature graves to seek revenge on the company executive that put them there with his company’s shoddy products.

Though Cottonmouth is a short film, its surreal visuals and revelation of just why the rotting-away ladies are so pissed make it a fine film! I loved the look of the film, with the wispy fog and ominously-colored background in shades of bruised purples, reds and blacks. The look of the rotting corpses was also very shocking and extremely well-done.

My favorite part, though, had to be the revelation of just what defective, toxic product killed the women! It’s a clever little surprise that you don’t expect but will appreciate!

The best part of Cottonmouth? You can check it out for FREE by going to cottonmouth.tv!! So take a few minutes to add some spark to your otherwise ho-hum day…check out Cottonmouth!!

Cottonmouth’s Official Site!

The Dead One (2007)

Another day, another comic book adaptation to film, eh? Today it is Javier Hernandez’s El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie that has been remade into The Dead One (El Muerto).

As a young boy crossing illegally into the United States, Diego (Darien Dikeos) follows an old Indian (Billy Drago) who makes him give a blood sacrifice to the Aztec gods. Years later, Diego (Wilmer Valderrama) is all grown up and passionate about celebrating the Day of the Dead. He paints his face to look like a skull, puts on his best black mariachi-inspired suit, complete with bone tailoring, and begins driving to the festivities. Problem is, he never gets there. He crashes his car and dies. The Aztec gods have returned to claim their blood sacrifice.

Diego wakes on the Day of the Dead, in his now permanent costume, to find that he’s been dead a whole year. He sees his friends and girlfriend, Maria (Angie Cepeda), praying over his grave in the cemetery. After being lost and confused (for a little too long), he discovers that the Aztec gods have tapped him to help them reclaim power and kill those whose bloodline was responsible for wiping out the Aztec religion.

Through the love of his amor, Maria, and help from his best friend Zak (Joel David Moore), Diego is able to resist the evil and fight against it. Still, people close to Maria and the church where she works continue to die horrible deaths. Can Diego stop the old Aztec evil from bringing about the end of the world or will he succumb to it?

When I originally heard about this film and its mix of Aztec mythology and Mexican folklore, I was really intrigued. It sounded very original and one of the few horror movies that focused on the Latino community. Then I watched it…and while it has some pretty nifty ideas floating around there somewhere, it was all lost on the presentation.

The Dead One falls victim to a slooooowly-moving story line. I appreciate the fact that it dives headlong into the story at the beginning and doesn’t waste time explaining the Day of the Dead to the audience, but from the time Diego comes back, undead, it just halts and we see the same scenes played out a few too many times. Diego looking confused. A bad CGI storm signifying the arrival of the evil Aztec gods. A dewy-eyed Maria, remembering promises of undying love. Diego running and hiding from police, friends, etc. Over and over again, we get these same scenes. Not to mention the anticlimactic fight scene between Diego and an Aztec baddie (funny, Billy Drago doesn’t really look Aztec…).

For a slow moving, repetitive flick, it sure doesn’t explain much. Anyone not familiar with Latin culture, Aztec mythology, Catholicism or Mexican folklore may have a hard time following along. I wasn’t too sure what was going on most of the time. One minute, they are talking about the end of the world and the next the Aztec gods are just planning on reclaiming world dominance. I was a bit fuzzy on the whole Aztec mythology and Diego’s reason for coming back one year after his death. Was he called back because of the love between him and Maria or because the Aztec gods sent him back?

The movie wasn’t all bad, though. Despite its poorly paced and convoluted storyline, the acting was pretty decent. It was a kick to see Billy Drago both as an “old Indian” and in drag and Wilmer Valderrama did a fine job as someone other than “Fez” from That 70’s Show. It also has good performances from familiar faces Michael Parks (Kill Bill), Tony Plana (Ugly Betty), Maria Conchita Alonso and Tony Amendola. This film showcases a very talented Latino cast…if only they had had a better script to work with!

The direction by Brian Cox (no, not the actor) was pretty basic and pedestrian, but still above average for a low-budget film. Still, since this was a comic book adaptation, I expected more KAPOW! and WHAM! action and instead of just dreary interior scenes over and over again. The only real “showdown” scene is at the end and it really is a sad sight for a comic book movie. Cox also wrote the script and shows the same problem…no clue on pacing and he makes it more of a teenybopper love story than one it’s supposed to be, which is a action-packed horror film.

Besides lack of action, there is also a serious lack of horror in the movie. Instead of horror, it really should be classified as drama (or the previously mentioned love story). Besides all the supernatural happenings and the scenes of the laughable Aztec god, there really isn’t anything remotely scary about The Dead One. It’s mostly about the love between Diego and Maria, but, DAMMIT, I wanna be watching a horror movie, not an Oxygen Network flick!

No matter how much I wanted to enjoy The Dead One (El Muerto), it was pretty near impossible not to wish I was six feet under instead of watching this dreary excuse for a horror movie. Still, I did enjoy the acting and it is a great Latino cast. The real fault here is the direction and script, which is a real shame because of the rich foundation laid by Javier Hernandez in his comic book.

Available from Amazon!

Dead@17 (2007)

Based on Josh Howard’s Dead@17 graphic novels, this short film by the same name stays true to the source material and by the end of its short run, you’ll be begging for more zombies and ax-wielding schoolgirls!

Nara and Hazy have been the best of friends since the 6th grade. Now they are in high school and Nara is offering support to Hazy, who has just broken up with her boyfriend. Hazy drops Nara off at her house that night, and Nara bounds up the stairs and into her bathroom to get ready for bed. After stripping off her pants, Nara starts brushing her teeth…until she hears and ominous noise. Figuring it’s her parents, she peeks into the hallway, where she sees a figure enveloped in shadow. He unsheathes a knife and Nara stumbles backwards into the bathroom, The killer, wearing a black mask, rushes at Nara and stabs her several times, leaving her to die on the bathroom floor.

Hazy is distraught at Nara’s death. One day, while visiting her grave, she is approached by two investigators who insist she come with them to the station. They tell her Nara was involved in the occult and even kept a diary chronicling the voices she heard. Hazy doesn’t believe it, but steals Nara’s diary anyway. Her friend Elijah picks her up from the police station and he also recounts a strange occurrence with Nara.

Hazy can’t believe what she’s hearing and heads home to her trailer park home. There she takes a peak at the pilfered diary and the undead come crashing through her thin walls! Guess Nara did have a little something to do with the occult… Just before all seems lost, a mini-skirt clad, schoolgirl-uniform wearing, ax-wielding and very dead Nara shows up and dismembers the zombies. Things are a little more complicated than Hazy originally thought, and now it’s up to the two of them to save the world…

Yowza! In its short 10 minutes, this film sure does pack a punch!! Fans of Howard’s comic will be pleased that director Mark Steensland closely follows the story, so much, in fact, that each shot looks like it was lovingly lifted from each of the the comic’s panels! This is definitely a film made by a fan for the fans. Even if you’re not a fan, this film will turn you into one and you’ll be Googling Dead@17 comics in no time! (Hint: They are published by Viper Comics, where you can get a sneak peek at volume one).

Everything about this short was a joy to watch, from the actors to the lighting to the cinematography to the zombie makeup. Right away you get wrapped up into the story and can’t wait to see what happens. The actors chosen to play Nara (Katelyn Gracy) and Hazy (Jessica Ciccone) look strikingly like the two characters and do a wonderful job of developing their characters within the first few minutes. We get a feel about who these girls are right from the get go and are behind them 100%.

The gore in the flick is short-lived, but, boy, is it sweet! We get stabbings, a pool of blood, zombie attacks, decapitations and dismemberment! This film is not a straight-up gore flick, but the gore it does contain looks great! I love the zombie slayage scene! Nara kicks some serious ass with her ax!

Dead@17 really brings Josh Howard’s work to life, capturing it’s energy, mystery and grue. Comic book or graphic novel adaptations are a tricky thing and no one wants them coming off goofy or silly, but Mark Steensland’s Dead@17 stands apart as an independent adaptation done right. It might be low budget, but it definitely has the spunk and charisma to garner the approval of fans and non-fans alike. Heck, it even has Howard’s approval!

When asked if he would make a full-length feature out of Dead@17, director Mark Steensland told us that, unfortunately, the rights to a movie have already been snatched up by some big budget studio. Here’s hoping this studio has the smarts to employ Steensland as director, because with his short Dead@17 film, he has created something truly special – a film both fans and non-fans love!

The film isn't available, but you can buy the comics on Amazon!

Hellboy: Blood and Iron (2007)

I have a confession to make. I am not a rabid fangirl of the comic book realm. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with being such a devoted fan of comics, I’m just saying I never got into that particular genre. Therefore, I really don’t know anything about comics or comic book characters. You can imagine I was a bit surprised and perplexed when I received a screener for the new Hellboy animated movie, Blood and Iron. I have heard of the comic, but I’ve never seen the live-action movie, never read the comic and never seen any previous animated movies featuring Hellboy. Despite not being familiar with the material, I found myself wholeheartedly enjoying Hellboy: Blood and Iron.


When Hellboy (Ron Perlman), Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) are assigned to investigate the ghost-infested mansion of a publicity-hound billionaire, they uncover a plot to resurrect the beautiful yet deadly vampire Erzsebet Ondrushko, who is connected to Professor Broom’s (John Hurt) past. Before becoming a vampire, Erzsebet enjoyed bathing in the blood of young girls to maintain her beauty and continued the tradition when she turned into a vampire and became the goddess Hecate’s right-hand woman. She’s killed over 1,000 people, mostly young women, and their ghosts have come forth to warn Hellboy and the others of the plot for her resurrection. Hellboy will have to face the hounds of hell, witches, harpies, a giant werewolf, Erzsebet and the Queen of Witches, Hecate, before this case can be closed.

Watching Hellboy: Blood and Iron, I was reminded of watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid. The only thing that I was missing was a big bowl of Lucky Charms! The movie was fun, moved at a brisk pace, and kept me glued to the screen. Despite not having much previous knowledge of the Hellboy franchise, I found it extremely easy to follow along and become familiar with each of the characters. The writers wisely don’t go too far in-depth with the characters as to not bore the established fans, but introduce them just enough for any newbies (like me!) to easily follow.

The voice acting by all of the actors is superb; the skill in which they become their respective characters is astounding and really adds to the story. I loved the performance by Ron Perlman as Hellboy! He’s gruff, cheeky and just doesn’t give a crap about a lot of stuff. Perlman definitely gets into and really becomes his character! I was hoping to see more of Selma Blair’s character, Liz Sherman, but she doesn’t get too much memorable screen time.

The story of the resurrected vampire Erzsebet (which closely resembles the story of 17^th century real life serial killer Elizabeth Bathory) is a little tired, but it still manages to work rather well with the added subplots of Hecate and the other demons Hellboy and Co. must face. The inclusion of the Professor’s flashbacks to his first confrontation with Erzsebet and the priest’s own story also added depth to the story and made the film much more interesting.

The only thing that disappointed me was the fight scenes. In animation, so much more is possible than in live action and I was expecting some pretty brutal scenes. I was a little bit let down when the fights weren’t all that spectacular. The film opens right away on a battle between Hellboy and a few demons in the sewers, which is probably one of the better fights in the film. The rest of the battles are just so-so…

The extras on the disc are impressive, including Reversal of Fortune: Professor Bloom’s Story, Tales from the Tomb: A Look Inside Blood and Iron, Iron Shoes: The Animated Debut with Introduction by Mike Mignola, The Penanggalan: An E-Comic Exclusive with introduction by Mike Mignola and Audio Commentary featuring Mike Mignola, Tad Stones and Vic Cook. Also included with the DVD is an exclusive 32 page Hellboy comic.

Hellboy: Blood and Iron was a highly entertaining and fun animated movie! I highly recommend checking it out, whether you are already a fan to the series or are a newbie! After seeing Blood and Iron, I am tempted to pick up the Hellboy movie and the other Hellboy animated feature.

Available from Amazon!