A small list of amusements and delights and wonders from around the internet over the past few weeks.

How To Grow A Black Garden over at The Live Box Magazine.

 


Future travels include transporting myself into every one of Didier Massard’s photographs.

 

Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place is now on Hulu!  I heard about this weirdness a few months back and never bothered to look into it, but now it’s just too easy.

 

Ukraine-based designer Anna Mo creates super chunky cozy knit blankets, hats, scarves and other accessories that you can find in her Etsy shop called Ohhio. Each piece is handmade using 100% Australian merino wool. Beautiful!

An interview with one of my favorite artists and talented friend, Carisa Swenson over at Rooms Magazine, about her work and process.

 

Dream-land (ca. 1883), an etching by S.J. Ferris after a painting by C.D. Weldon

The Art of Dreams, via The Public Domain Review

 

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I’m a little bit addicted to this tee shirt app https://yoshirt.com/

Here’s to giving up, by Alice Lee “Here’s to celebrating the work that was done instead of constantly worrying about what is to come. I am really bad at that and I would like to get better, if only because thinking the things you spend your life working on lose value ten minutes after they are released is also no way to live.” <—Amen to that!

In Praise of Darkness: Henry Beston on How the Beauty of Night Nourishes the Human Spirit, over at Brain Pickings.

How To Be A Lady In The Streets And A Haunted Clock Tower In The Sheets
“Your bed is nothing if it’s not buzzing with high-pitched screeches that seem to be coming from NOWHERE … yet also from EVERYWHERE. Bonus points if you can open up a mysterious time portal and get some screams from the past in there, too! SpOoOoOoky!” (h/t to Jack, Jennifer, my beardo and everyone else to shared this with me!)

My favorite thing right now is Nihilist Arbys on twitter

Purify Your System With The Seven Day Chili Dog Cleanse over at McSweeney’s

 

 

 

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US Map of Horror Movies: Around 250 horror movies (and horror themed thrillers) for 50 States plus Washington D.C

 

Do you know your tikbalangs from your duwendes? Says Mikey Bustos ““We Filipinos have some really crazy mythical beings. Imagine they were all rap stars!” I have seriously watched this video, like 20 times in the past 12 hours.  It’s fantastic.
(h/t Madeleine Spencer)

 

From Chanel to Valentino, a First Look at the Dresses in the Met’s “China: Through the Looking Glass”

 

Though I stumbled across Evi Vine only today, I am fairly certain just from this stunning teaser-trailer alone, that debut album, Give Your Heart To The Hawks, is going to quickly become a favorite.

 

This Sunday, April 26 2015, be certain to head out to Brooklyn Zine Fest from 11am to 6pm at the Brooklyn Historical Society and visit the Heretical Sexts booth, manned by brilliant mastermind, Tenebrous Kate. Copies of all HS zines plus buttons, stickers, and exclusive mini zines will be available! Also -debuting at the fest is the Witch Women zine, in which I am honored to have been a contributor.  (Images via Kate’s instagram)

How to be polite. An extremely worthwhile read. This piece really resonated with me, on so many levels. I have felt this way since always. (h/t Amit)

The soundtrack that made Twin Peaks. I was just trying to explain to someone yesterday that while I love the music for this show, the main theme in the opening credits literally, *literally* made me want to puke.  It was such a visceral reaction.  I love the rest of the music in the show, and I appreciate the different character’s themes, but there’s just something about the track for the opening credits that plucks uneasily at my guts. I can’t even describe it without sounding like a dummy, but it hits me right in the dummy feels, I think. Not something I can articulate on a higher-brain level. It’s like…bland, benign…yet blighted (?) hold music. And you’re on hold forever. It speaks to some fear I have of waiting forever for the other shoe to drop. The big, doom-filled shoe in the sky that you can’t even see but somehow you know it’s there and it’s a cloudless, sunny day…and you are just waiting…waiting…waiting…to be stomped into oblivion. (h/t Drax)

A role playing game about ghosts, in just 150 words.  You and your friends play spirits of the dead, each with something holding you back from crossing over. With a brief, structured question and answer set and a single die, you discover and resolve your unfinished business. That’s it. (h/t John H.)

Helpful Spring Cleaning Advice From Gothic Novelist Shirley Jackson
“You may not know why you do it, but it must be done for it has always been done and so it will always be done. Never question the cleaning, just give in to the gentle sweep of the brush and the delicate glug of the bleach slipping down your throat.”
(h/t Sarah )

Trash Twins Podcast: Italians Do It Better, part 2. Sarah Horrocks and Katy Skelly talk Milo Manara and Guido Crepax.

20 THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT WHEN YOU’RE TOTALLY STUCK. There’s actually some decent ideas here, or at least some good jumping-off points.

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The Royal Dress-Maker game by sarriathmoonghost is inspired by old dressup stickers and paperdolls and features influences from historical clothing during the Medieval, Renaissance, Rococo and Victorian era. It is too much addictive fun. My creation (above) is just one of many that I spent an obscene amount of time playing around with.

 

Texts From Your Existentialist is my new favorite Instagram account

 

The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2015, by Bess Lovejoy over at the smithsonian.com, featuring haunting hotels, whaling museums, burial grounds and crystal caves seems like the perfect guide for a summer roadtrip.

 

Have you ever wondered what the play poster for Hellraiser would have looked in Victorian times? Ari Pramagioulis certainly has and his vision is really quite wonderful.

 

This Sailor Moon tarot by Deviant Art user sillabub429 is so perfect and spot on.  How I wish it were a real thing!

The Joan of Arc Museum Opens in France

The “incatatory”, “incendiary” poetry of Janaka Stucky, featured over at phantasmaphile

Dario Argento’s Suspiria to be developed into a television show?

Honey from a Dark Hive has the most exquisite screen captures from some beautifully intriguing films.  I basically have my “to watch” list for the next year.

Never enough photos of star trails.

Ethereal, diaphanous….pleats? Strangely, this works for me. Michael Lo Sordo – Runway – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia 2015

Oof.  Heartbreaking and informative. PTSD: The Wound That Never Heals (h/t theremina)

Jamie Dee over at WolfNWhisky has some fantastic Record Store Day Tips for us!

 

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21 Dresses, a story of the discovery of an an exquisite cache of dresses from atelier “Callot Soeurs”. Though barely remembered now, the fashion house was one of the great names in Belle Époque fashion. h/t OTB

 

Marina Bychkova, of Enchanted Doll, had a 2015 birthday contest, in which the participants are requested to design a tattoo for an Enchanted Doll!

 

Just look at these gorgeous soaps from Eden Gorgós’ Art of Dying Soaps kickstarter campaign. Shut up and take my money! h/t liquidnight

 

Mysterium is a co-op game of “ghosts, murder and hilarious incompetence”. After reading this review I decide that I MUST have this game, it sounds like an amazing good time.

 


“Somethin creepy goin down at da crib called 124,” indeed! I wish Thug Notes had been around when I was in 11th grade AP English.  I have a sense that Beloved was a book I might have loved…had I understood it better.  Thanks for breaking it down, Thug Notes. h/t Jack

 

For fans of creepy dolls, trulyrealro is the most magnificent instagram account you can hope to find.

 


In Episode 7 of Under The Knife, Dr Lindsey Fitzharris discusses how a pot of pee used to be a crucial diagnostic tool in the past. Learn all about piss prophets and medieval urine wheels!

A Poem Composed Entirely of SXSW Panel Titles

Slutist’s Feminist Festival Is Going To Be Amazing

Everything Is Awful and I’m Not Okay: questions to ask before giving up

I still love the Ghostly App for listening to mood-based music

5 Graves That Were Lost, Then Found

Sara Taylor (from The Birthday Massacre) has written a book!

A harpsichord likened to “two skeletons copulating on a tin roof” and other weird descriptions of sound h/t BGF

 

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Stunning Transylvanian landscapes by photographer Alex Robciuk (h/t Yvan)

 

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A gorgeous SXSW poster for Ted Geoghegan’s We Are Still Here, designed by Erik Buckham and Jesse Vital.  Take a peek at the teaser trailer over at Broke Horror Fan.

 

From Morbid Anatomy Presents: The Phantasmagoria shows of the early 1800s were our ancestor’s equivalent of the modern horror film or spook show. Magic Lantern historian Mervyn Heard takes us through brief history of the Phantasmagories and our cultural need to be terrified through ghosts, demons, skeletons and more… (h/t Ben)

 

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Paintings of Witches Sabbats That Resemble Parties I Have Attended (h/t Carisa)

 

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Frizzled hair, tiny ruffles, drooping roses, yes! Alexander McQueen Fall 2015 Runway is an all around win for me.

 

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Seven Stories with Nona Limmen over at CVLT Nation; a really lovely peek into the head of one of my favorite photographers

 

Spooky new sounds from Mater Suspiria Vision

For people “who think entirely too deeply about the absurd things they watch”:Splatstick and the Specters of the Past – insight from the inimitable Tenebrous Kate on Tommy Wirkola’s Nazi Zombies and Killer Witches.

The Last Supper: Artist Paints The Final Meals Of Death Row Inmates Onto Porcelain Plates

Can the world’s weirdest library survive? (h/t Dustin)

Werner Twertzog on twitter

Edison’s ‘Lost’ Idea: A Device to Hear to the Dead (h/t Drax)

The 20 Greatest Original Horror Scores (h/t Drax)

Death Cafe Orlando made it into the news!

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Vintage skull art in the pun-ishingly titled Popular Skullture: The Skull Motif in Pulps, Paperbacks, and Comics.  This neat little book contains copious reproductions of cadaverous crania; “… a wide and weird range, from stunningly stimulating creativity to ghastly, schlocky hackwork…”, making it a true picture of the era.”

 

Over the span of a month, Adam Savage designed and built an accurate replica of the hedge maze architectural model from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. (h/t Yvan)

 

MA textile student Zsanett Szirmay’s project “Soundweaving” combines the borderlands of folk art, design and music by way of Hungarian and Transylvanian embroidery designs set to music. (h/t Lisa)

 

 


To Catch A Dream from The NEST Collective on Vimeo.

Ajuma – a grieving widow – is desperate to stop her recurring nightmares. In an effort to end them once and for all, she explores a forgotten fairytale remedy that leads her to unexpected discoveries. To Catch A Dream is The NEST Collective’s second fashion film project in collaboration with Chico Leco.

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Fashion Week Fall 2015!  Giles Deacon (top row) and dramatic dark lord Gareth Pugh (bottom row) are my current favorites.  I am pretending Gareth Pugh was inspired by Garth Ennis’ CROSSED series.  Heh.

Time for a trip to Tokyo!  First on the agenda: the Tokyo Ghost Bar.  Then we shall stay the night at the Godzilla hotel.  Good times! すごい!

Sex Criminals to be adapted to series! Have you read Sex Criminals?  I’ve never read anything quite like it.  SO GOOD.

And the meek shall inherit Pawnee. I’ve not watched Parks and Rec for a while, but this article made me a little teary.  I’m going to make it a point to binge on the last two seasons sometime soon.  The meek and the farty, indeed.

50 Shades of Socialist Feminism by Laurie Penny. I think it is safe to say I have never laughed so hard at anything in my life.  Well done.

“My desires are…unconventional,” he admits

“So are mine,” I say. “I want to overthrow the government, eliminate the money system, institute complete automation and destroy the male sex.”

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Showgirls from the 1926 film Hell’s 400

Look at these sassy beelzebroads! Though the imagery might lead you to believe this is a film about Hell’s Elite “cackling diabolically over the latest batch of the damned”, it is but a story of common gold diggers and larceny. (h/t Cabinet of Curiosities)

 

Speaking of Sarah Troop over at Cabinet of Curiosities, do be sure to take a peek at her new project, Death and the Maiden, a blog exploring the relationship between women and death. The site launches today and there is a giveaway for Kate Mayfield’s The Undertaker’s Daughter!

 

One of my favorite instagram accounts lately is creepycomics, which is brimming with cheesy, pulpy horror goodness from yesteryear.

 


Oh my goodness. I cannot wait. Crimson Peak is going to be marvelous.

 

Osmo, A beginners guide to constructing the cosmos from Loop.pH on Vimeo.

OSMO is an experiment in totally transforming the experience of an awkward public space into something of wonder and tranquility.

 

VIDEO LUST: moments of romantic obsession for video memories of the past. “…a plethora of horror, fantasy and sci-fi soundtracks that work magically together. This mix arrives right on time for Valentine’s Day and should be used to guide you in whatever direction your night takes on the 14th.” (via)

 

Adult Wednesday Adams vs. Catcallers. I love you, Adult Wednesday Adams. (via Jon)

 

“What Kind Of Man” the first video from Florence + The Machine’s new album, ‘How Big How Blue How Beautiful’.  It is a heavy one; frighteningly intense and strangely cathartic, and brimming with that strange, dazzling energy unique to this lady.  I think I love it.

John Allison revisits university life in Giant Days. There are very few webcomics I read anymore, but I have been peeking in at John Allison’s work for over a decadeI even had the opportunity to interview him a few years ago! Most recently he has been collaborating on a short run print version featuring some much beloved characters.

Horror’s scariest trend is the nonexistent black film maker.

Explore the world’s most morbid tourist attractions.

The ANGRY MORON is back!

John Coulthart’s psychedelic playlists

Seven cocktails based on L’Atelier Givenchy fragrances

Comics and the Gothic (h/t David!)

Cathy CK: Cathy comics replaced with Louis C.K. quotes

 

 

 

 

 

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After another one of their pals posts a stolen baby pic on Faeriebook, Moth Catfrost and Feathers Peppershimmer wonder if they will ever kidnap a human baby and replace it with a changeling, or if they are destined to be alone and unhated forever. (via Carissa)


Heilung is a new project between Kai Uwe Faust and Christopher Juul. Heilung is sounds from the northern european iron age and viking period, “using everything from running water, human bones, reconstructed swords and shields up to ancient frame drums and bronze rings in the songs.” The lyrics contain original texts from rune stones and preserved spear shafts, amulets and other artifacts. (via Jennifer)

If you enjoy the aesthetic appeal of animal antlers but hate the idea of taxidermy, Elkebana might be just the thing for you. The wall-mounted system relies on symmetrical sets of flowers or tree branches and gets its name from ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement.

Harper Lee to publish new novel, 55 years after To Kill a Mockingbird  …which sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? Until you read this, which is troubling to say the least: Questions I Have About The Harper Lee Editor Interview 

Iceland to build first temple to Norse gods since Viking age   “I don’t believe anyone believes in a one-eyed man who is riding about on a horse with eight feet,” said Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, high priest of Ásatrúarfélagið, an association that promotes faith in the Norse gods. “We see the stories as poetic metaphors and a manifestation of the forces of nature and human psychology.” Well, that’s a bummer. But still, something else to visit on our next trip back!

Dead Dads and other Ugly Things. Ashley Tibbets talks about her dead dad and how we all have our “dead dads,” the things in our lives that are “decidedly unpretty, undesirable, imperfect, and that might make people feel uncomfortable. We all have our cross to bear and maybe life would be richer if we weren’t afraid to expose them, if we weren’t afraid to let others expose theirs.”

Jeff Bridges wants to help you fall asleep “The album is essentially Jeff Bridges, quietly, creakily musing on things like sleeping and waking, the irony of waking his wife up to record her for a tape that’s supposed to induce slumber, and whether or not people can meet in dreams.”

Monsters of Grok: Fake band tee shirts for histories biggest thinkers. So cool!

Valentines Gift Guides? I suppose I could make one, but let’s face it, I am lazy and these ladies already did a fantastic job with it.  Victoria at Eaumg has one focused on treating one’s self to life’s little luxuries, and as her taste is exquisite, I probably want all of it. Haute Macabre has another great one, and lastly, the Morbid Blonde over at The Chick and the Dead has put together a rather salty list.  Also over at Renee Ruin there is a sort of anti-Valentines day gift, if you will: The ANTI necklace collection. I’ll take all three.  But I guess I’ll have to buy them for myself.

 

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Precious Australian weirdies The No Frills Twins have released their debut single, “God Bless The Internet”.  I am probably too old to love this as much as I do, but these two really seem to get it.

“No desire to meet real people
We chat once, no need for sequel
Quick and easy, cyber mateship
No attachments, use it, ditch it

Put my head down, put my screen up
Make it seem like at night I raise my red cup
Don’t tell me I’m wasting my youth
Got my headphones in to block out the truth “

 

The vision of the skinless man as a twisted modern-day fairytale, ‘He Took His Skin Off For Me’ is an adaptation of the original short story by award-winning writer Maria Hummer. Think Margaret Atwood meets David Cronenberg.

 

Isabella Mazanti’s illustrations for Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla. I believe it is a special edition for the 200th anniversary of Le Fanu’s birthday (published October, 2014).

 

Forever Doomed includes essays and comics by Tenebrous Kate that take a tongue-in-cheek but loving look at the theme of doom. Includes the widely anticpated “Erotic Rites of
the Nazgûl.”



Mothmeister’s strange and surreal ‘Wounderland’
– a weird and wonderful universe in which the creators portray anonymous, ugly masked creatures as “a reaction against the dominant exhibitionism of the selfie culture and beauty standards marketed by the mass media.”


Björk has announced Vulnicura, her March 2015 follow-up to 2011’s Biophilia!

Fans of board games (or those trying to coax new players into a game) might find this chart helpful.

Sexts from the void, where typical sexts take a hard left turn into the abyss.

Must be something in the air – these two related items crossed my path in the same day.

Lecterings: what if Hannibal told cheesy jokes instead of implying cannibalism?

What fun! Kathack, a bookmarklet that turns any page into Katamari Damacy. Works best in text-heavy pages, like wikipedia.

Death Salon at the Mütter Museum in October 2015!  I am so there.

Headphone Commute’s year end lists are always a treat.  I always know I am going to love their selections for Watching the Snow Fall Slowly in the Moonlight.

The Valentino Pre-Fall 2015 collection is full of wonderful folk art and celestial embroidery…all quite different and very beautiful.

Chris Ovdiyenko, creator of the Oracle Mystifying Playing cards has a new Kickstarter for his latest project, a playing card deck based off of the Arcana of the Tarot. 

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2014

I was once accused of being overfond of “melancholy piano tinklings”. Dance With the Dead, my current aural obsession is as different from that sort of sound as you can possibly get. Think retro 80’s synth on slasher night.

 

On another music related note, John Carpetner’s Lost Themes – the iconic filmmaker/composer’s debut solo album – will be released on vinyl, CD and digitally on February 3 via Sacred Bones Records. In addition the album’s nine original tracks, the deluxe edition includes six remixes by Zola Jesus & Dean Hurley, ohGr (of Skinny Puppy), Silent Servant, Blanck Mass, JG Thirlwell and Bill Kouligas

 

The adorable trailer for Song of the Sea, from the same folks that brought us The Secret of Kells

 

I’ve been a long time admirer of the haunting ladies caught on film by photographer Andy Julia. This shot from the Carmilla editorial for LUSH magazine is beyond gorgeous.

 

These exquisite landscapes of the brain in gold, ink, dye, and metal, by neuroscientist-artist Greg Dunn, are inspired by the sumi-e style of ink wash painting.

 

Shitty horoscopes, written and illustrated by Amrit Brar, are so hilariously perfect. I should probably just get badges of the taurus ones and pin them to my clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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