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Compiled by Monica S. Kuebler for Rue Morgue Magazine.
We've taken our monthly magazine feature online! Join us as we investigate horror in all its myriad forms on the weird wide web.
Surfing the 'net has never been so strange...
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August 2009
liveleak.com/view?i=890_1246374233
The Blob's cousin? The Thing on summer vacation? An egg sac full of C.H.U.D.lings? Apparently the disgusting, throbbing mass featured in this video - allegedly stuck to a sewer wall in North Carolina - is actually a writhing nest of worms, or so the scientists say. More likely it's special effects and viral marketing (but for what?). Regardless, it's still the stuff that nightmares are made of.
iwantyourskull.com
Heads up! This art blog is devoted to the human skull and anyone who has ever "impacted the world with skeletal expression." Updated daily, the site is a vast resoure for artists and collectors. The fine folks behind it also curate an annual art 'zine featuring beautifully reproduced, macabre works from some of today's top illustrators.
ominous-events.com
All dressed up, but nowhere to go? No problem. Just swing by Ominous Events. The sole purpose of this expansive online repository is to round up info about genre cons, film fests and other morbid happenings. Scroll through the active events, view the calender or use the search feature, and find something fiendish to do today!
dayofwoman.blogspot.com
Brittney-Jade Colangelo's Day of The Woman blog seeks to explore "the feminine side of fear." The result is a smorgasbord of horror movie reviews, trailers, spotlights on women working in the genre, and a deep abiding hate for the Twilight franchise. Colangelo also goes off on the occasional tangent, including one in which she makes a case for an Attack of the Nutrias horror film.
brainchef.com/securom
Zombies, activism and pixelated baddies - that's just some of what one can expect from this lo-fi web-based RPG, in which your character must kill a variety of baddies (monsters, RIAA execs, you name it!). It probably shouldn't be as entertaining as it is, but the snarky humour that permeates the proceedings helps make up for its many shortcomings.
July 2009
youtube.com/watch?v=Tfe2FU3SoT
Everyone's favourite undead Texan cowboys Ghoultown pay tribute to Elvira: Mistress of the Dark in this cheeky video directed by artist/author/filmaker Gris Grimly. Once you've checked that out, be sure to click on the link on the left side of the screen to watch the making-of doc.
jeremycshipp.com/bizarrobytes.htm
Author Jeremy C. Shipp (acation) recently launched Bizarro Bites, a online fiction subscription service. For just $12 USD a year, subscribers will receive one of his previously unpublished horror stories each month. For slightly more, Shipp will use your own name or title in a tale, or pen a story that includes five items of your choosing. Go get fictionalized today!
morbidanatomy.blogspot.com
Are you intrigued by atiquated medical practices? Hae you ever wanted your own cabinet of curiousities - or perhaps you already have one? If so, you'll likely fall in love with this morbid anatomy blog, which not only collects old medical drawings, photographs and otehr oddities, but also provides event listings for the morbid minded.
marshallalexander.net
Origami meets monsters (and bats and robots and other oddities) on Marshall Alexander's innovative website. While there, click on any of the wee kitschy paper mutants to access a PDF, whih you can print, cut out and assemble. Your creepy creature ary awaits.
zombieresearch.net
Preparedness may be your only hope, after all, as the Zombie Research website slogan goes, "What you don't know can eat you." The site seeks to raise zombie awareness in both scence and the arts, and boasts an advisory committee, which includes Zombie CSU author Jonathon Maberry. Only one question remains: which side of the undead apocalypse will you be on?
June 2009
video.yahoo.com/watch/4743571/12669301
Meet Neil Swint, a rather ambitious fellow who spent (according to the info provided on the site along with this video) "three thousand, six hundred and fifty days" re-scoring 1922's Nosferatu with Black Sabbath music from 1970 through 1989. Was this labour of love worth it? Tune in and judge for yourself.
eerie-coterie.blogspot.com
An online blog that devotes as much space to horror literature as horror movies? A rarity indeed, but that's exactly what The Eerie Coterie is. Run by a pair of bookstore owners who go by the online handles Mimik and The Nobody, this site delivers a wealth of valuable news and reviews, as well as enough horror-related links to keep you surfing for days.
thedesignblog.org/entry/shelves-for-life-and-death
If you're looking to reduce your environmental footprint, designer William Warren has a unique idea; his shelving system, Shelves for Life, can be dismantled after your death and turned into a coffin. Visit the website to see photos of the unit and a blueprint of how it all works. Now you can take it with you when you die!
haikucomics.com
Last year in RM#83 we reviewed a book of zombie haiku; if that tickled your fiendish fancy, just wait until you get a load of haikucomics.com, which takes the conceit even further and melds haiku poetry with gritty black and white horror comics. Terribly clever and surprisingly compelling, the site features new 'toons three times weekly.
thehorrorofitall.blogspot.com
Feverishly devoted to pre-Comics Code funny books, this Rondo-nominated website regularly posts scans of all those vintage four-colour titles that caused the hysteria that resulted in the formation of the Comics Code Authority in 1954. Click any image for a fullsize, readable version of the page and delve in. Horror history awaits.
May 2009
youtube.com/watch?v=-RY8xWHYCGU
According to Tom Savini, this clip features footage from his personal Day of the Dead home videos, which were stolen when he lent the tapes out for inclusion in the bonus features on a DVD release. It features a zombe test makeup that he created in his basement on animatronics specialist Dave Kindlon, in all of its latex-y glory.
annekarsten.com/stuffed-monster-gallery
Much like how Dave Devries re-envisioned kids' drawings as fine art renderings, Anne Karston has taken the artwork of fourth and fifth graders and translated it into three-dimensional plush toys. You can view the whole "Stuffed Monsters" gallery, complete with before and after images, on her blog.
downloadhorror.com
Got a hankering to watch a horror film on your computer or iPod? Well, downloadhorror.com might be worth a peek if you are craving some low-budget fare. Despite the fact that the selection here is still pretty slim, they do offer DRM-free downloads. Seek out the schlock!
hyaenagallery.com
Horror art galore resides on the official website for Burbank, California's Hyaena Gallery. Much more than just a tool to promote upcoming exhibits, visitors to the site can also view and purchase artwork from a rogues gallery of horror artists, including Gris Grimly and Erick De La Vega. Eye candy lives here.
zombieliquorice.com
For those who like to wear their zombie-lovin' horror fandom loud and proud, consider sporting some Zombie Liquorice swag. This Toronto upstart hit the ground running with a series of colourful, retro '80s styled tees - guaranteed to frea out your conservative neighbours. Get into something gruesome!
April 2009
dreadcentral.com/news/30389/exclusive-coffin-joe-animated-short-undertaker-here
(or Google "Coffin Joe Dread Central")
This surreal animated short, created by Claudio Ellovich (who also handled the animation segments for the new Coffin Joe film Embodiment of Evil), takes viewers deep inside the sinister undertaker's psychadelic lair, as one man desperately attempts to find and free his kidnapped lover. Bleak, angular and evil!
cinesploitation.com
If you can't live without horror and the sex-and-violence thrills of retro exploitation flicks, you need to bookmark this website immediately. Here you'll find news and reviews, as well as loads of lurid images - though be warned: many are not even remotely safe for work.
skulladay.blogspot.com
Skulls are to horror fans what big belt buckles are to cowboys, thus it shouldn't come as any surprise that someone's started a blog specifically for them. Each day brings a new photo of a skull, whether it be a real one, or an artistic rendering in print, on clothing, glassware or baked goods - proving there's a cranium for everyone!
robertmonell.blogspot.com
Robert Monell is serious about Jess Franco, so serious that he's been devoted his entire blog, titled "I'm in a Jess Franco State of Mind," to the Euro-sleaze auteur, his works, his stars and other tangentially related subjects. Those who think they know Franco as well as Monell can even take a stab at the latest DVD quiz and claim their bragging rights.
upcominghorrormovies.com
Upcoming Horror Movies is one of the best online sources for finding out what genre titles are being released and when. It's a shame, then, that this site is so cluttered, and as a result, somewhat frustrating to navigate through. But, if you need the scoop on forthcoming fright flicks, patience pays off here.
March 2009
myspace.com/therealzombiezombie
If you have yet to see Zombie Zombie's music video for "Driving This Road Until Death," you're missing out on a six-minute stop-motion "remake" of John Carpenter's THE THING... with GI Joe Figures! This is Parisian undead analogue disco at its most weird and pissed off, people. Watch Clark! Now!
horrorreanimated.com
Horror Reanimated is a genre lit lover's wet dream. Run by Bill Hussey and Joseph D'Lacey, two UK-based authors, as part of the Bloody Books imprint, there is plenty to devour here, from knowedgable reviews and original fiction to interviews with novelists and screenwrters. Once you sink your teeth in, you'll be hooked.
mirrormirrormilwaukee.com
Is a typical hair salon too mainstream for your dark aesthetic? Well, if you live in Milwaukee, you can get your locks cut and styled by the fine fiends at Mirror Mirror. While there, be sure to take in the shop's gothic atwork, before settling in to watch a flick on the wall-mounted theatre screen whilc ethe scissors do their work.
blacksheepandprodigalsons.com
Fans of sinister trinkets will find themselves in a state of sheer bliss as they flip through page after page of this website's must-have, antique-styled oddities. Here you'll find everything from handcrafted book boxes to engraved necklaces featuring cephalopods - great gifts for that grim guy or gal in your life.
bloodee.com/HorrorGames/Billy-zombie-Genocide
You'll come for the cool Flash animation but stay for the zombie head-smashing goodness in this gory on-line game in which you play Billy, a former musician, who must now use his electric guitar to bludgeon his way through a zombie apocalypse. Rot '' roll, indeed.
January/February 2009
mscorley.blogspot.com
Though not limited to genre works, M.S. Corley's art blog showcases some of the illustrator's great ongoing macabre pieces, including "Horror's [sic] of Literature," which features his renditions of some of fiction's creepiest monsters and madmen. Behold: The Horla, The Deep Ones and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!
fearnet.com/blogs/jt_petty/
If you enjoyed our recent CineMacabre screening of The Burrowers, why not check out director J.T.Petty's blog? Here you can find details on upcoming screenings of his movies, film fest reports, viewing recommendations and just how his keyboard got all bloody.
searchmytrash.com
Covering horror and various points beyond, there's plenty here to satiate fans of weird, trashy cinema and television. Search My Trash houses a searchable database of info, but even better is its in-depth "articles and interview" section, which includes pieces on H.G.Lewis, Tod Slaughter and Joe D'Amato. The site is a bit difficult to navigate, but a little patience goes a long way here.
myspace.com/theunspeakableandtheinhuman
The Unspeakable and the Inhuman is a Lovecraftian audio drama podcast that uses music, sound effects and a humorous script to tell the tale of the unusual inhabitants of Dagon Island and the mainland journalist who falls into a mysterious coma there. It starts off weak, but the voice acting and production values improve greatly after the first episode, making it worth a listen.
realmofdarkness.net/games/flash/horror/horror-4.php
If the winter blahs are getting ou down, try out one of the 25 horror flash games housed at the Realm of Darkness. With titles such as Haunted Bowling, Kill Zombies, Skeleton Drummer and Monster Basement 2, there's plenty to sink your teeth into.
December 2008
jimhorwat.com
Jim Horwat scribbles homages to slasher films in a campy cartoonish style that even Jason's mother would love. Rendered in pen and ink, Horwat's talent for composition and design guides the viewer through a visual maze of mayhem. Get lost in the gory details!
monkeygoatboy.com
Freak Central is a webcomic about a newspaper crew that investigates supernatural and paranormal occurences. Join Steve (the literal monkey goat boy) and his fellow staffers as they encounter oversized praying mantises, sentient ventriloquist dummies and other creatures in this clever, mostly black-and-white tale.
thehorrorsection.blogspot.com
Jay Clarke populates his blog with horror film reviews, vintage VHS box cover scans (Lorimar's Trick or Treat, anyone?) and photos and reports from various Southern Ontario genre events. It's a smorgasbord of content for horror film fans of various stripes and inclinations.
executedtoday.com
If you've got a hard-on for morbid historical facts, this daily execution blog is the online destination for you. Each entry features a new deat - historical or recent - along with pictures and a brief synopsis of what led to the person's capture and conviction. Justice is served...
cthulhupalooza.protoncharging.com
Did you miss this year's H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival? Well, fear not, because there's still time to attend Cthulhupalooza. The event takes place in Vancouver, on December 6 and will feature theatrical screenings of Lovecraftian films and music videos, a live concert by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets and more. Go party with the Old Ones.
November 2008
1959yd.homestead.com
Archived here: each and every card in the 1959 Funny Monsters "You'll Die Laughing" trading card series. With artwork courtesy of Jack Davis, these one-panel cartoons are still amusing almost fifty years later. The site also hosts a page for collectors looking to find, trade or sell their own Funny Monsters cards. Guaranteed to please the creature-lovin' kid in everyone!
danhillier.com
In Dan Hillier's altered engravings various appendages and clothing sprout Lovecraftian tentacles, while humans merge with mammals, birds, snakes and even insects to form mutated, otherworldly creatures. There's even a section brimming with artwork featuring the human skull. Stop by to shop or browse; we promise you won't be disappointed.
hellpizza.com.au
If you live in Australia you could do far worse than ordering eats from Hell Pizza. With specialty pizzas featuring names like Cursed, Brimstone, Damned, Grimm, Mayhem, Purgatory and Sinister, the only question remaining is why nobody has opened a North American franchise yet?!
deadbooks.com
While not everything about this multimedia hybrid novel works, it's still an interesting experiment in re-imagining more traditional forms of storytelling. The 150-chapter sci-fi horror story concerning the strange town of Landsgate, Vermont utilizes a small army of actors and musicians to tell it's tale, and can be previewed for free on the site.
pumpkin-porn.com/zombies/
This "not safe for work" cartoon-illustrated sex guide for zombies covers just about every situation one might encounter during post-life intercourse, including why blow jobs can be a simply terrifying and terrible idea for shamblers. Get some dead good pointers today!
October 2008
joshuahoffine.wordpress.com
Joshua Hofine's disturbing photography is absolutely haunting, but don't let that stop you from checking out his official blog, as this is where he gives fans a sneak peek at his new works, discusses his creation process, upcoming projects and even spotlights his own favourite artists. It's a must see/read.
babysfirstboo.net
If your little boy is made of "snakes and snails and puppy dog tails," you may want to dress him in appropriately spooky duds. Well, Baby's Fisrt Boo has you covered with diapers, knits, blankies and wipes, all adorned with skulls, bats, black cats, etc. And yes, they have designs for ghoulish little girls too!
monstersnapshots.com
If you have a hankering to view some olde tyme Halloween photos or candid pics of horror's royalty, Monster Snapshots is just what you're looking for. The site not only sells 8x10s of all the nostalgic pictures pictures featured on it, but also has a dedicated Planet of the Apes section. Relive your wonder years here.
murderauction.com
Murder Auction may very well be the first online auction site dedicated to selling murderbilia (a.k.a. serial killer collectibles). You'll find everything from original artwork ad letters to crime scene photos, CDs and other sundry items available for purchase. Sure, it may be grisly, but it isn't actually illegal.
newsandentertainment.com/zFzombiequiz.html
The web may be well saturated with zombie survival quizzes, but not many are as thorough as this one, which, through several dozen challenging questions, determines how you'd fare in a zombie apocalypse. Results are based on your emotional integrity, physical prowess, intelligence ad several other factors. Check out your chances now.
September 2008
boom-studios.net
RM comics columnist Gary Butler has long praised Boom Studios' horror line. Now you can check our what all the hoopla is about - for free, no less. The company has just made some of their popular titles, including Cthulu Tales Vol.1 and Zombi Tales Vol.1, available for online reading. Whatcha waiting for?
pumpkinrot.com
With Halloween approaching, it's never too early to get into the spirit. For a little inspiration, check out the website of this award-winning "home yard haunter," featuring pictures and videos of his various spooky displays. While there, you can prepare to scare, by purchasing one of his props for your own lawn.
serialkillerdatabase.net
Though nowhere as detailed as crimelibrary.com, the serial killer database will get you by in a pinch. It offers point-form info about its profiled murderers, including birth and death dates, nicknames, kill locales, body count, preferred prey and trophies. Some of the entries include pictures of the victims and copies of alleged correspondence for the killers. Get grisly!
sinistergreetings.com
Sick of sending your favourite friends inappropriately cutesy e-greetings? No more: Sinister Greetings has got all your holidays (and other occasions) covered with their large line of horror e-crads, which range from creepy to gory to cartoonishly fun and evil. Send someone your beast wishes today.
zombieharmony.com
Even zombies need love. Now they can hunt for it on this dating site for shamblers. Unfortunately, you can't really sign up to find the rotter of your decomposing dreams because its intent is more humour than happily ever after, but it's still fun to wonder "what if?"
August 2008
monstrous.com
If you enjoyed getting your feet we last issue with monster website templeofthedemon.com, prepare to dive into Monstrous, purportedly "the largest site about monsters" on the internet. And sure enough, there are pages upon pages of creatures and folklore to stash your way through. From bios of your favourite beasties to vampire-killing advice, it's all here.
weirdtales.net
This website may be the home of Weird Tales magazine but for one year it is also the dwelling place of musician/artist Steve Archer's Lovecraft-inspired artwork. A new ominous painting appears each day on the site, where it can be admired and, if the dark desire strikes you, bought directly from the artist. Cthulu lives!
cottonpopcorn.com
If you suffer from coulrophobia, let me be the first to warn you to stay far, far away from this website, becasue despite its innocuous-sounding name Cotton Popcorn is an nline blog/repository of seriously creepy clown photos, artwork and even video. Mind you, after oogling these entries, you may better understand some people's not-so-irrational fear.
adultswim.com/games/game/index.html?game=surgeon
Adult Swim rarely disappoints when it comes to gory, over-the-top online games. Take Amateur Surgeon, for instance. In it, you are a pizza delivery boy/wannabe surgeon who operates on some very unfortunate folk under the guidance of a disgraced doctor/hobo - like that old game Operation, but with more screaming and spurting red stuff!
July 2008
zombiecon.co.uk
UK zombie enthusiasts, listen up! ZombieCon is coming, and it isn't taking any prisoners. Visit this website for more details on the event which will run September 5 to 7 ad feature celebrities, undead makeup workshops, zombie choreography lessons, a masquerade party and much more. Dead is better!
anthonyclarksonart.com
When not on graphic design duty at Century Media and Nuclear Blast Records, Anthony Clarkson paints demented cartoons. Inspired by the likes of Jhonen Vasquez and Gris Grimly, we wouldn't be surprised if the creatures in his grim wonderland appeared in a storybook of their own in the near future.
templeofthedemon.com
Monster lovers unite! Temple of the Demon investigates your favourite monsters (werewolves, vampires, zombies) ad deviations (science run amok, evil toys) from film and literature. While not overly indepth, there's still plenty here fr budding horror fans to sink their teeth into.
oneplusyou.com/q/v/cannibal_lunch
If you're planning an expedition to the African Congo, it might be handy to kknow how appealing you'll be to the local cannibal tribe. By answering a series of questions concerning your height, age, body type and exercise regime, this site determines just how many human-meat eaters you'd feed.
June 2008
tale-of-tales.com/TheGraveyard/
The Graveyard is a very on-traditional video game that's had an unprecedented amount of media attention for something so inherently simple. In short, you are an old woman who wanders around a cemetery, where you can sit on a bench and listen to some music. Though exploration is the only goal here, the complete version (which can be purchased for $5) adds the possibility of grandma's sudden death.
jasondaquino.com
Artist Jason D'Aquino has a new website and a solo art show at the Fuse Gallery in NYC this month. So why not drop by and ogle the obsessively detailed miniature drawings he creates on matchbooks, found objects and other vintage materials. Brimming with entrails, skeletons and a vision that's equal parts innocent and sinister, there's plenty of new works on display here.
vestaldesign.com/blog/2005/07/diy-ikea-coffin/
As the economy continues to slow, even vampires need to do things on the cheap. Those frugal-minded sorts of bloodsuckers will no doubt appreciate the ingenuity of artist Joe Scanlan's DIY IKEA Coffin (constructed from the assemble-at-home parts of an IKEA bookcase). Build your own burial box today - makeshift shower curtain cape not included.
bloodlinesofsalem.org
If you study the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, you might be referred to as a "Salemtologist" which is exactly what the folks behind Bloodlines of Salem are. This website aims to be the definitive online information source regarding the history, trials and family lineage of those involved. Highly recommended for all morbid history buffs.
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