Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Whether y’all like it or not, it’s Valentine’s Day, and yer either that lucky stiff bein’ showered with affectionate nick knacks sweet ‘nough to tease a diabetic coma or an apathetic wreck drownin’ some disturbin’ loneliness in top shelf depressants while soul churnin’ emo tunes play at full blast. Or maybe yer butt’s in the recliner happily rewatchin’ some of yer favorite holiday horrors like Valentine or the My Bloody Valentine flicks.
However y’all celebrate this greetin’ card invention, we hope yer lucky ‘nough to love and be loved today, especially durin’ such crazy times that’ve more than tested relationships new and old. As fer you Scream Freaks still lookin’ fer that arm candy of yer twisted dreams, we have just the thang!
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Last Valentine’s, we introduced a new line of grade school inspired Valentine’s Day Eeeh-Cards! featurin’ our monstrous mugs, and folks got pretty good mileage out of ’em. No idea if they led to any weddin’ bell marches or awkward pump and dump flings but feedback was positive ‘nough fer us to produce a second wave of cards featurin’ even more of our enticin’ antics. Whether yer breakin’ the ice with Deadbeat, introducin’ yerself with Voodoo Bitch, reaffirmin’ a love connection with Rebel Devil, or cheerin’ folks up with Fera, these new Eeeh-Cards! are sure to help y’all reach out and touch someone yer interested in with the most minimum of creep vibes. Use ’em wisely!
Catchin’ y’all up on current updates, we’re still gunnin’ fer Screaming Soup! episode #52 to be released by the end of this month. We’re animatin’ the episode’s final cast member right now, after which we’ll be hastily pluggin’ in the music and sound effects ‘fore postin’ to our YouTube channel. With that checked off our list, y’all can expect us to follow it up with our special Kane Hodder interview sometime in March. It’s real excitin’ stuff, so we can’t wait fer y’all to see it!
Other than that, please show your support for our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74 .
Howdy there, Scream Freaks! New year, new – – – aw, forget it! We’re still the same ol’ animated misfits ya love to throw a few drinks back with, and have we gotta buncha irons in the fire over here at Screaming Soup! HQ!
So, y’all may have noticed thangs ’round here have been draggin’ a little. Sorry, ’bout that. Until we get more fortune with our fame comin’ through our Patreon, we’ve had to shift focus over to some more profitable gigs fer a spell, but believe you us — we’re still in the thick of bringin’ you more wild weird west adventures! In fact, we’re jugglin’ three in production right now!
First, Episode #52 of Screaming Soup!’s Mad Monster Mash season. The reviews already done, and ’bout 4/5 the animation is completed with aims for premierin’ next month. Our gang takes our first big step helpin’ Count Ted be the new king of the vampires with a house call from an ol’ friendly foe of Dracula’s, and things get so outta hand, none other than our fellow horror host in arms, Doctor Wolfula, can help! To boot, expect a surprise cameo by an actress from one of our favorite horror flicks!
Second, our long awaited interview with the meanest boogey stuntman ’round, Kane Hodder. This wasn’t one of our normal interviews at Toy Federation and required a more creative approach which is why it’s taken so long to produce. Snaggin’ an interview with this horror icon was no easy feat, and we’re pullin’ out all the stops to present it as such.
Finally, we’ve been workin’ on a top secret video project this past year regardin’ a series of movies we hold near and dear to our hollow chests. We don’t want to give too much away now, but we promise it’s gonna make up for the lack of vids lately when y’all see it. Hint: Ya better eat ’em ‘fore they eat you!
That’s it fer now, Scream Freaks. Remember, even if our YouTube channel ain’t jumpin’, we’re just a tweet or email away!
Other than that, please show your support fer our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo’s OSI 74!
Howdy there, Scream Freaks! With convoys of speedy delivery trucks hurlin’ material goods at houses covered in fire hazards, frostbite nippin’ at our extremities, and painfully long out of date tunes loopin’ on the radio, that can only mean one thang — it’s Christmas! Like, the real Christmas. Not Christmas in July or pre-game Christmas that jumped the gun ‘fore Halloween even got here. No sir, the legit Christmas full of sing-song strangers holdin’ concerts in yer yard like Purge night for loiterers, parents ignorin’ the rules of stranger danger fer any rando in a Santa suit, and folks battlin’ with their inner Grinch in an effort to be good fer the sake of others.
When we think of Christmas here at Screaming Soup! HQ, the yuletide season means a few things. Jammin’ to Christmas rap albums, fightin’ with the assembly of mema’s tree on the family farm, engorgin’ ourselves on crockpots full of holiday meatballs, wearin’ ugly sweaters that surprisingly have some mistletoe magic to ’em, and gettin’ bent outta shape knowin’ how much happier we’d be with cold hard cash than the useless pile of last minute nick knacks it was blown on. But most importantly, it means holdin’ our horses long ‘nough to break outta the day-to-day routines and appreciate what we got goin’ fer us, and those we’re lucky ‘nough to share it with.
And that includes y’all, Scream Freaks! So, Merry Christmas!! When it comes to our show, we couldn’t ask fer a better bunch of supporters to cheer us through our animated antics these past seasons, and we’re lookin’ forward to many many more. We’re still hard at work on our next episode featurin’ a crossover with Doctor Wolfula (which will be premierin’ soon), have more Toy Federation interviews and secondary vids planned that includes a chat with our favorite Jason, Kane Hodder, and even snagged an animated cameo with an actor from one of our favorite cult films we talk ’bout all the time. It’s all very excitin’, and there’s more where that came from (like ‘nother 50 episodes of Screaming Soup! worth)!
So, sling some soup at a shelter, leave Santa a stiff drink, grab someone to kiss at the strike of the New Year, watch a scary flick full of mutant reindeer, snowmen stalkers, and axe wieldin’ Kris Kringles — however ya celebrate, live fer the moment and dream big in 2022!
Other than that, please show your support fer our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo’s OSI 74!
See ya later, Scream Freaks!
And enjoy the holiday rap album by Crew X that warped us as young’ns!!
Howdy there, Scream Freaks! It’s that sappy time o’ year ‘gain when folks reflect on everythin’ worth reminiscin’ ’bout and what better place to vent our tear jerkin’ thanks than here with y’all?
Most recent stuff first, we’re super thankful to the fine fellas at our favorite toy chest of yesteryear and today’s playful plastics, Toy Federation, and had an incredible time at their momentous event this past weekend, Retro Toy Con. It was a full weekend cuttin’ up with ol’ friends, networkin’ with new talents, and meetin’ excited Scream Freaks in person.
We drew doodles of fans with their favorite pop icons from Michael Myers to G.I. Joe, haggled fer a buncha new wall art to hang at the Howl Inn Grub & Spirits, and had fun makin’ joke announcements over the intercom like requestin’ Sgt. Slaughter move his Sherman tank ‘fore it’s towed for bein’ double parked. The most memorable moments, however, had to be the accidental encounters we had sittin’ down with the celebrity guests over lunches. We got to shoot the breeze with Sgt. Slaughter fer a bite while talkin’ ’bout his amazin’ career from cameos on Super Mario Bros. Super Show to bein’ a He-Man figure this past year, then later found ourselves discussin’ the value of takin’ an actin’ class over pizza with Dan Gilvezan (voice of the original Transformers’ Bumblebee and Spider-Man from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends) and François Chau (Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze). Freakin’ awesome!
One truly amazin’ thing we saw that could be a new trend on the horizon for cons is a mobile service that turns folks into their own action figure size statues! Yup, a little company called Shrunk 3D hauls a trailer ’round the country containin’ this sophisticated camera booth, and when someone steps inside, it instantly snaps every visible nook and cranny of their essence. Feedin’ that info into a super computer, the photos are then crunched into a 3D image over the next few weeks that’s eventually spit out of a 3D printer in uber detail, colors and all, and shipped back to its life-size doppelganger. Jumpin’ jack-o-lanterns, that’s cool as hell! With six different size figures to choose from, we so badly wanted to create our first ever Deadwest figure but ultimately decided our miniature lifelike double would come out a little too fragile and misshapen compared to the sweet hand sculpted look we imagine in our heads. Still though, a fantastic idea fer anyone who ever wants to immortalize themselves in plastic, so look this travelin’ business up in time fer the holidays!
We’re also thankful ‘gain fer the Silver Bolo Award we received from Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder’s The Last Drive-In. The announcement was made back in April this year durin’ the premier of The Last Drive-In‘s third season, but we just now got the silver painted bolo and certificate in the mail which was just as excitin’! We value this win so much, we made a copy of the certificate to show off at Retro Toy Con and proudly wore the Silver Bolo from our necks for all to see over the weekend. It’s now a permanent accessory with our attire!
Somethin’ else we’re thankful fer is the new Ghostbusters flick not suckin’ and stickin’ with the canon of the first two movies which would have made up fer a lot of the problems we had with the 2016 version. Granted, we still had issues with the filmmakers recyclin’ the whole Gozer storyline, but it was still a fun and satisfyin’ return to a childhood favorite of ours.
GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE (2021)
Ditchin’ the Ghostbusters decades ago, Egon passes away on a dirt farm and leaves his inheritance to his grand young’ns he haunts into continin’ his fight as junior Ghostbusters’ gainst Gozer’s apocalyptic return. A fantastic sequel in spirit that keeps within the canon of the first two Ghostbuster flicks, this amazin’ lookin’ film boasts heartfelt actin’, stellar effects, one of the best scores since Back to the Future, and the triumphant return of the original paranormal eliminators I know and love for one brief moment. My only gripes with this sucker is I wish the filmmakers had come up with a whole new big bad to threaten the world ‘stead of recyclin’ Gozer and all his/her predictable plot points. I also didn’t like how quickly the story rushes to the final fight with Gozer as soon as the young’ns encounter their first free floatin’ booger, and the inclusion of Ivo Shandor was cool but pretty pointless overall. Spook chasin’, RC car ghost traps, spirit photography, possessions, spectral comets, ghost traps galore, CGI Egon, ghost chess, hidey hole puzzles, proton stream crossin’, slammer sequences, metal munchin’ boogers, terror dogs, mini-Marshmallow Men antics, Real Ghostbuster toy nods, soul pits, and ancient ruins! 4/5!
And finally, we’re thankful fer everyone who gave our show an opportunity this past year. We’re thankful fer Mr. Lobo, Sluggo, and Uncle Pete fer sharin’ it on their platforms. Thankful fer the fine folks at HorrorHound Magazine fer includin’ us as guest hosts at their virtual film festival. And most importantly, thankful to all you Scream Freaks fer watchin’ our show and sharin’ it with whoever would listen. All this has helped the show grow and fuel the creative fires fer us to continue doin’ what we love.
Other than that, please show your support fer our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo’s OSI 74!
Last we wrote y’all, we were in mad preparation fer an unforgettable night with one of the original Michael Myers, Tony Moran. Thanks to our amigos at our favorite toy chest for today and yesteryear’s playful plastics, Toy Federation, we were lucky ‘nough to kick off the holiday season hostin’ a QnA with Tony, whose claim to horror fame is playin’ Michael when he’s unmasked at the top of the stairs by Laurie in Halloween ’78. Needless to say, the night was electric!
After spending hours at Toy Federation with arms full of Myers memorabilia for Tony to grace with his John Hancock, Halloween die-hards eagerly followed the slasher of the hour over to the theater around the corner for even more unforgettable face time ‘fore kickin’ back to a candid QnA followed by a big-screen showin’ of Michael’s screen debut. There were Michael Myers cosplayers roamin’ the theater, folks teasin’ each other with the jingle from Halloween III, deep geek discussions over who Michael can whoop in a fight . . .
The highlight of the night fer us, however, was this one uber fan who rolled up without a clue what was even happenin’. With her car blinged out in bumper to bumper horror flick decals, we happily welcomed her, believin’ she could only be there for Tony and Halloween. Much to everyone’s surprise, she actually came to see Venom: Let There Be Carnage but began hyperventilatin’ at the mention of an actual Michael Myers actor makin’ an appearance. Things only escalated after she parked, ’cause she so happen to stroll up to the theater the same time Tony arrived, meltin’ her into a fan girl puddle. Ever grateful, Tony gave her one of the most genuinely down to Earth greetin’s we’ve ever seen from a celebrity and was kind ‘nough to sign the dashboard of her horror-themed ride with Michael proudly displayed ‘cross the top of the windshield. Class act if we say so ourselves.
After ‘nother round of photos and autographs in the lobby, we finally made our way to the theater to host the QnA, and let us tell ya —- Tony’s a hoot of a storyteller! Now, some convention videos on the web wanna spin Tony’s brash stories into portrayals of him bashin’ on the horror genre, its fans, and especially the Halloween franchise, but that’s all out of context. Tony does knock these things, but ’cause he’s sharin’ his initial thoughts and feelin’s as a twenty somethin’ actor bein’ cast in a little obscure horror flick. He admits he thought it was all nonsense 40 plus years ago, but has since come to appreciate the movie(s) and its impact on fans worldwide who he now has a deeper respect and love for.
So, after ’bout an hour of where-when-how he became involved in Halloween with reservations over wearin’ a mask in a non-speakin’ role for what he feared was a porno for a hot second (on account of a prominent jar of Vaseline that was actually used to prevent his hair from stickin’ to the inside of the mask), Tony gave his final heartfelt bow of the night and exited to a uproarious round of applause as the flick that brought him there began playin’ ‘cross the silver screen. It was a pretty memorable night, and we’ll be sharin’ video of it as soon as possible.
Even better, Tony teased at his involvement in the newest Myers flick, Halloween Kills, which most of us were pretty pumped ’bout this month. We say most, ’cause if you saw our latest Graphic Violence video reviewin’ every Halloween funny book ever published, then ya heard our rant on how dumb we think Laurie’s mission to kill Michael is now that they’re no longer related. We still had alotta respect fer the 2018 resequel, however, and was moderately anxious to see the latest installment in this revised timeline of the Halloween continuity. Already goin’ in with low expectations, no one could’ve prepared us fer the dumpster fire of a storyline we would witness!
HALLOWEEN KILLS (2021)
An immediate follow-up to Michael Myers’ newest mulligan timeline introduced in 2018’s Halloween, the infamous bogeyman remains at large and continues ruinin’ Halloween for everyone in Haddonfield with an indifferent murder spree that gains the attention of a town wide lynch mob led by survivors of Michael’s first holiday massacre in 1978. Easily one of my least favorite sequels ‘mong the Halloween movies, Halloween Kills is just a string of ridiculous moments that feels like some teenager’s attempt at fan fiction that’s neither fun or rewatchable. The dialogue’s wildly over the top and repetitive (“Evil dies tonight!), there’s way too many folks spillin’ a buncha needless exposition, most the characters returnin’ from the ’78 flick are shoehorned in as opposed to bein’ organically introduced with an actual role to play, there’s the stupidest case of mistaken identity that drags out waaay too long in the middle, and the biggest dick slap to the mug is the anti-claimatic endin’ the movie spends its whole runnin’ time buildin’ up to. Besides an impressive stand-in for Loomis in flashbacks and the funny scenes of the couple livin’ in the Myers house, the only positive thing I can say ‘about this farce is it absolutely delivers what the title promises, and that’s a non-stop gore-fest of brutal deaths that’s perfect for background horror at Halloween parties. Stabbin’ galore, vigilante justice, street pizzas, fatal freefall suicides, head smashin’ galore, home invadin’, carjackin’, house infernos, firefighter massacres, axes to the face, saws to the fact, lotta broken windows, impaled faces, keep away, turkey baster injections of courage, gushin’ neck wounds, gunshots to the chest, and panicked mobs! 3/5!
Thank Craven we at least had Chucky to save Halloween this year with his new show on Syfy/USA. That sucker’s a homerun in our opinion! The last couple of movies struggled to back off the laughs in favor of the fear inducin’ tension the first three Child’s Play flicks had, but this series perfectly strikes that delicate balance with dark nerve wrackin’ humor as well rounded characters are given meaningful deaths in contrast to Chucky’s laughable antics. If you recall our previous posts, we threw our hats in the ring to be one of the few lucky artists hired to animate show bumpers and design thumbnails fer the episodes, but we’ll be damned if any of that’s been seen anywhere yet. What’s up with that?
In other news, we got some Halloween goodies fer y’all! Below you’ll find our newest Halloween Eeeh-Cards! fer y’all to share with yer friends and frienemies, and we just released our latest horror celebrity interview with none other than Roger Jackson, the creepy voice of Ghostface from the Scream franchise! Roger was a riot to corner fer a conversation, and he really shows off what all his pipes can do fer our amusement. A voicebox dynamo all ’round, watch the vid and learn all ’bout his work in video games and yapp happy toys.
And BIG UPDATE! Screaming Soup! is back on the con scene! That’s right, November 19-21, 2021, we can be found at Retro-Toy Con in Greenville, SC. Yessir, we’ll be lined up with the likes of Sgt. Slaughter, a buncha G.I.Joe voice actors, and the fella who played Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, all thanks to our amigos at Toy Federation! So, if ya ever wanted to meet an animated horror host, stop on by, and we’ll shoot the shit while makin’ art and takin’ pictures together. It’s sure to be alotta fun, so don’t miss out! More information HERE!
Other than that, please show your support for our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!
Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Trick ‘r treat, smell our feet, and give us somethin’ good to review! The Halloween season is upon us, and what better way to break it in than with an in depth look at Michael Myers’ stint in the funny books as everyone’s favorite killer shape.
Yessir, we’ve been mired in Michael’s continuin’ murder spree as a sequential slasher, and what a turbulent history it is. From indie publications to mainstream comic racks, these graphic exploitations are just as controversial to the splintered Halloween continuity as they are gore-tastic reads. We cover the sweet return of some of Halloween’s most popular characters, wince at the sours of some ridiculous retcons, and lap up the amazin’ artwork it’s all told through.
And if that weren’t ‘nough, we go deep into the talents behind these various publications and the events they were tied to, gloss over each comics’ impact on Halloween’s competin’ timelines, and give our two scents on the newer 2018 requels while throwin’ in stuff ’bout the young adult novels for a bonus. What more could you possibly ask for?!
Phew! After all that work, you’d think we’d be sick and tired of Billy Shatner’s disfigured mug in our faces, but Michael ain’t done with us yet. Thanks to our amigos over at our favorite toy chest of yesteryear and today’s playful plastics, Toy Federation, we’ll be spendin’ this Friday, October 1st, with none other than Tony Moran (aka Michael without his mask at the top of the staircase in the 1978 Halloween), and hostin’ his QnA with fans ‘fore enjoyin’ a late night screenin’ of John Carpenter’s original masterpiece that started it all. Who could ask for a better way to kick off our favorite holiday, right?
It’s gonna be a killer time, so if ya happen to be in the neighborhood, stop on by and catch us all at Camelot Cinemas in Greenville, SC. Find all the details HERE.
Other than that, please show your support for our show with donations through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi, catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!
Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Lots of stuff happenin’ here at the Howl-Inn Grub & Spirits, and lucky fer y’all, it’s all at your greasy fingertips below!
Fer starters, we’re proud to premier none other than our long anticipated SIXTH SEASON, Mad Monster Mash! Woo wee! Yessir, it’s an all new storyline, new cast of friends and foes to meet, and especially — more fully animated reviews featurin’ some of the nuttiest flicks we could get our mitts on. You might be wonderin’ how we can possibly top ourselves sailin’ into the bowels of hell to delay the apocalypse ‘gainst the Iron Horsemen of Doom last season, but rest assure, there’s plenty more trouble where that came from for yer favorite animated horror host to tangle.
As you’ll see in our latest episode below, this season is gonna be an ode to some familiar movie monsters with a Screaming Soup! twist as we’re wrangled into some unlucky sap’s mess involvin’ lotta royal melodrama in the classic hierarchy of monstrous stereotypes. And you bet yer britches, with each Hollywood horror we spotlight, we’ll dig up some obscure B movie you may have never heard of and likely wish you could scrub from yer noodle.
And keep yer peepers peeled, ’cause we’re reintroducin’ our I-Spy game from Season 4, but ‘stead of searchin’ high and low for the Full Moon Empire’s Dollman, we’re now askin’ y’all to keep a look out for the Crosslands biggest mini-menace, Ralphie Rottenhead. The first Scream Freak to spot this fella onscreen need only email us the timecode or a screenshot of his onscreen presence to ScreamingSoup@gmail.com, and the first one to shoot us the correct answer wins a free horror movie and an original piece of Screaming Soup! artwork! Pretty damn cool, if we say so ourselves!
And fer the first time ever, y’all can show your support as a Scream Freak and donate to our show through one of our new accounts at Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, and Ko-fi. Took long ‘nough, right? Pitch in now and take advantage of some cool perks from monthly podcasts ’bout what all we’re watchin’ to alotta behind the scene looks at what it takes to make a Screaming Soup! episode!
Other than that, be sure to catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!
Howdy there, Scream Freaks! We’re comin’ at ya off the heels of some sucky news, so bear with us. Nothin’ terrible or even all that awful mind ya, but we ain’t thrilled ’bout it none the less.
Ya ever have yer sights set on somethin’ ya really thought was yours for the takin’, just to find out the cosmos had other plans for ya? A couple of week’s ago, the Syfy channel announced they were takin’ pitches for animated bumpers to be produced for their upcoming Child’s Play TV series scheduled later this year, and each pitch selected would guarantee a $2000 payday. The Syfy channel? Chucky?! Greenbacks for doin’ what we love and gettin’ it seen on TV?!! Sign us up, right?
So, naturally we dropped everything we were doin’ and threw all our energy into this pursuit of small screen fame and fortune. With a turnaround of a dog’s hair more than a week, we had to work fast to maximize our chances at bein’ picked. With an allowance of five entries, we hit the drawin’ board and came up with numerous 10-20 second situations that humorously showcased Chucky as the deceptive little bastard we love him for. Followin’ the rules of submission, we wrote all the synopses, pulled together the different treatments, drew up detailed storyboards, and even went the extra mile to record a last second face-to-face video to verbally express our take on what makes our ideas so special. Lotta work. Lotta effort. Worth the potential reward.
Well — as you’ve already guessed, we weren’t picked. One of our ideas was a finalist, but six other creators’ pitches were deemed better options for Syfy’s needs, and they’re all rushin’ to get their TV spots in production as we’re writin’ this. Are we fightin’ mad ’bout it? Naw. Are we disappointed by it? Sure. Who wouldn’t, right?
The most important thing, however (and the whole reason we felt like sharin’ this), is none of this diminishes our self worth as creators. We accept there’s always gonna be someone better than us at certain things out there, but we also believe our stuff is just as good as the winnin’ pitches, and it just came down to a matter of preference as the decidin’ factor. It always helps to remember even award winnin’ masters of their field lose gigs every now and again. Like when special effects wizard Stan Winston’s pitch for turnin’ folks into monkeys for Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes lost to Rick Baker’s make-up concepts. It didn’t mean Stan was any less an amazin’ fabricator of fantasy. Burton just preferred Rick’s approach at the time.
Who knows? All the examples of our work we included with our submissions were Screaming Soup! videos, so maybe the powers that be at Syfy got a good gander at who we are and will end up wantin’ to add us to their Saturday night line-up of toons. It could happen.
On a cheerier note, we’re proud to return to our favorite one-stop toy chest for yesteryear and today’s playful plastics, Toy Federation, and hang out with the latest celeb passin’ through, Michael Bailey Smith! Now, if ya don’t recognize him, that’s no surprise given he’s been under alotta monster make-up for most his career. First hittin’ the screen as Super Freddy in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, that accidental castin’ launched Michael’s career as a heavy favorite from the mutant cannibals in The Hills Have Eyes remakes to playin’ several supernatural villains on TV’s Charmed.
A top shelf personality we could really pal ’round with, Michael was a hoot to meet and kind ‘nough to let us pick his noodle for ‘nother thrillin’ interview guarantee to shed some excitin’ light on his impressive filmography. We laugh, we poke fun, we get our tailbone kicked into ‘nother dimension . . . just check it out below!
Other than that, be sure to catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!
Howdy there, Scream Freaks! As you may already know, bein’ a happily employed artist ain’t the easiest thing to pull off, but bringin’ in sustainable income as a horror host is infinitely harder. Very few ambassadors of hosted cinema have ever pulled this off who weren’t already employees of a TV station assigned the task of creatin’ movie mascots for a paycheck. These off the street talents for hire ‘clude the likes of Elvira, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and Joe Bob Briggs (just to name a few), all of who were brought in as folks with their own ideas and spins on hostin’ televised movie blocks that luckily boomed into bankable careers that were eventually recognized and celebrated on an international level.
Between the local news station ghouls with dental insurance and world renowned mon-stars sellin’ licensed merch in their likeness, however, is an ocean of hopeful horror hosts yearnin’ for the same success — company included. There’s the neighborhood horror hosts broadcastin’ from local TV stations on their own dime who hope fame and fortune might swing their way, and of course, the endless line-up of online personalities committin’ countless unpaid hours to bein’ color commentators on B movies in exchange for social media fanfare they hope will eventually turn a profit. Now, some of these cyber horror hosts have found considerable success like the Silber Bolo winnin’ YouTube channel Dead Meat who impressively has over a million more subscribers than the Angry Video Game Nerd, but it’s a real toss up as to who really makes ‘nough dough through YouTube ads and Patreon to pay their bills and still have the luxury of eatin’. It’s a safer bet to assume most these web based hosts still work wage slave jobs to make ends meet while masterin’ alchemy in their free time.
That said, we here at Screaming Soup! HQ have been strugglin’ with this starvin’ artist issue and brainstormin’ some solutions. As one of the more ambitious horror host programs out there given our entire production is animated, we identify with those creators pourin’ themselves into their work with no financial appropriation to justify the time and effort they invest. Now, make no mistake, it’s our fanfare for horror and passion as artistic creators that drive us to produce 50+ episodes of Screaming Soup! with you Scream Freaks’ praises as a sweet bonus, but ’til all this hard work puts food in our mouths much less keep our lights on or help save up for rainy days down the road, it’ll always be a time demandin’ hobby.
So, how do we turn horror hostin’ into dependable dream job we can put all our focus on, ya ask? Way we see it, there’s two options, and we’ve been pursuin’ ’em both this past month; sale ourselves to the corporate mainstream or become more resourceful as indie creators.
The mainstream route is not for the easily dissuaded, let us tell ya. This is us essentially throwin’ ourselves at every network and talent agent we can find, hopin’ one of ’em will be so hooked by our irresistible tease of an email, they’ll wanna hear our show’s pitch and be so floored by it, they immediately run it to all the right people who wanna write us a fat check to produce a compromised version of Screaming Soup! for a national audience full-time. So far, we’ve reached out to a whole slew of directors, cable networks, animation studios, streamin’ services, and no less than 40 different talent agencies in search of a writer/producer agent who can get us in front of folks with the pull to turn our passion project into a payin’ gig. We’ve had some passes, pitch packages chewed up and spit back at us in the mail, helpful advice here and there from friendly ears, abrupt hang-ups, and even partnered up with other talented creators in the same boat seekin’ a boot in the door to the big leagues. The craziest replies we’ve gotten by far were the agencies requiring interested parties to have an agent refer ’em for possible representation by one of their agents. Putrid polecats! Yer tellin’ us we need an agent to get an agent? Brings to mind that image of a snake eatin’ its own tail.
The indie route is a little less frustratin’, but not without its own share of challenges. Rather than depending on the financial backin’ of a network with deep pockets to support our show and grow our brand, we adopt the business model of a independent comic creator and put a worth on our entertainment. With YouTube makin’ it difficult for horror themed channels to exploit their ad revenues, WordPress not allowin’ ads on their websites without a pricey business membership, and third party merch sites like Zazzle leavin’ folks with pennies for every $20 t-shirt sold with their art on it, Patreon’s just ’bout the only option left for a creator to make a buck. We’ve flirted with the idea of Patreon ‘fore, but always shied away, ’cause we saw it as a somethin’ for somethin’ kinda practice we weren’t confident wouldn’t interfere with our already packed production schedule. After some considerate thought, however, we think we’ve finally settled on some feasible rewards we can manage that won’t derail the show’s production. The plan right now is for these Patreon rewards to go live at the premier of our sixth season ’round the corner and will offer five levels of support that range from behind the scenes exclusives to IMDb credits on the show as an associate producer.
All that said, we don’t want to needlessly put all our eggs in one basket, mind ya. Which is why for now, we’ll be chargin’ down both warpaths ’til one of ’em yields the kind of success that allows us the benefit of creatin’ to our twisted hearts’ desire without worry for the basic comforts of livin’. Ya know, in the midst of all this, there was a piece of advice we came ‘cross from the fella who use to run the long defunct NOW comics company, and it really rings true to us as somethin’ everyone should keep in mind no matter what their goals in life are. He basically said, “No one ever fails. They just give up.” Makes a lot of sense when ya look at big shot horror hosts like MeTV’s Svengoolie who admits he became an overnight success in 40 years!
What do you think, Scream Freaks? Do you hope yer favorite animated horror host manages to land a spot in a late night line-up on your favorite TV channel or would you rather keep Screaming Soup! the way it is with regular donations bringin’ you closer to the inner circle of our creative process? The Patreon rewards we have in the works aren’t set in stone just yet, so if you have any suggestions, now’s the time to let us know!
Other than that, be sure to catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!
Howdy there, Scream Freaks! Lots to catch up on since last we yapped, so let’s get to it, what do ya say?
First off, the Virtual HorrorHound Film Festival we were invited to host with Clownvis and Raggedy Dead Ann was a hoot and a half! We got to watch a butt load of flicks from some very promisin’ filmmakers we need to keep tabs on, mingle with a buncha comedians in the livestream’s chat rooms, and cheer our fellow horror hosts durin’ their segments. Raggedy reeled us in with her deceptively cutesy act, but Clownvis had us rollin’ with his oddball music video, Trafficula, y’all gotta see to disbelieve. And much to our devilish delight, the crowd had just as much fun watchin’ our short film block with us havin’ to keep the film festival’s livestream safe from a couple of malicious viruses found in a VR machine Doc Rex drug outta storage to enhance our virtual experience. Lotta fun, good times, and thanks again to master wordsmith Jessica Dwyer for makin’ this happen. In case any of you Scream Freaks missed the festival, below is our segment minus the short films fer yer enjoyment!
Now, last time we wrote y’all, we teased at an upcomin’ video interview with Alex Vincent, better known as Andy from the Chucky movies. Everyone involved thought this would be a shoe-in to happen since he’s not some pretentious A-lister flyin’ in from Beverly Hills, but lo and behold, we couldn’t twist this former child star’s arm to save our tailbone for so much as a single question. After lookin’ worried he’d be seen talkin’ to a skeleton cowboy, Alex said he wouldn’t do an interview for less than three digits and even hinted he might be a bit gun shy from some cyber bullyin’ he’s experienced lately. With no choice but to respect the fella’s wishes, the best we could do is ask our question and report it back here for you Scream Freaks.
In case you trivia nuts and jokesters didn’t know, ‘long ‘fore Alex popped back in the Chucky movies with Curse of Chucky, he actually had one last literal throwdown with his friend to the end in a little movie called My Family Treasure in 1993. A family friendly flashback flick ’bout a household’s claim to a Faberge egg from the Russian Revolution, the reason horror fans will wanna check this respectably made fluff out (other than Dee Wallace playin’ Alex’s mama) is ’cause Alex has a humorous confrontation with a store bought Chucky doll. Most the movie takes place in a livin’ room littered with toys, one of which is a Chucky doll Alex immediately picks up the moment he enters the scene. He and the chew toy lookin’ Good Guy lock eyes long ‘nough to let the inside joke set in, then he throws the little guy down to haunt the background the rest of the movie. When we asked ’bout this gag, Alex admitted this was all the director’s idea after he figured out the heroic little boy from the Child’s Play franchise was cast in his movie, and he was the one who brought the toy to set. For those of y’all interested in seein’ My Family Treasure in its entirety, it’s still up on YouTube last we checked.
We also owe a long overdue shout out to ‘nother supporter of our show. James C. Harberson III is a brilliant writer who first hit us up to review his graphic novel, Stay Alive (which is currently nominated for a Rondo Award for the Best Graphic Novels or Collections category. Check out our review in our Sequential Slime blog HERE), and is now spreadin’ the good word ’bout his new terrifyin’ anthology, A Disgusting Supermarket of Death. A mish mash of horrific characters and twisted fates, we encourage ya’ll to give yerself a good scare with these gross out pros and head over to its Amazon link HERE to snag it digitally or as a traditional paperweight. And if ya need more convincin’ to read this sucker, just see what our favorite ghost girlfriend Mandy has to say ’bout it with her in depth review HERE! And don’t forget to vote for ’em in the Rondos and throw us a vote while yer at it for favorite horror host HERE!
Finally, the biggest news to happen ’round here lately is the announcement we won a Silver Bolo Award for excellence in horror entertainment from one of our show’s biggest inspirations, Joe Bob Briggs! Yeeeeee-Haw! Kickin’ off the premier of The Last Drive-In‘s third season on Shudder with a double feature of Mother’s Day and The House By the Cemetery, we’re honored to be the first recipients of this season’s winners and happily join the exclusive ranks of those who won ‘fore us. We’ve had our eye on this sucker since Darcy the Mail Girl first made it part of the show in 2019, and persistently suggested our show for the award with the help of you Scream Freaks as a lesser known horror themed series that could use the exposure. Never missin’ an episode of Last Drive-In since its original marathon that broke the internet, it’s surreal this happened the one time we had to miss the live feed due to plans out of town. Thank Craven for social media. As if designed by fate, we just so happen to look at social media the very minute Shudder congratulated us for the award on Twitter!
Thank you Joe Bob Briggs for bein’ such an inspiration all these years. Thank you Darcy for believin’ our show is worthy of this attention. Thank you Shudder for givin’ the horror community somethin’ to rally ’round like The Last Drive-In. And most importantly, thank you Scream Freaks for all your support these many years. It’s your die hard enthusiasm for our show that fuels our creative fires to achieve milestones such as this.
What’s next on our agenda, ya ask? We just snagged a couple more sweet interviews this past weekend with Tyler Mane and Paul Taylor, better known as Michael Myers and Pinhead, so expect to see those vids drop sooner than later. And it’s that time of year ‘gain when we help our favorite horror fam, the Horror Addicts, celebrate their own annual award show recognizin’ the best in horror entertainment, the Ahhh Scares! Scheduled for 4/25/21 on their YouTube channel, we’ll be there to hand out the award for best animated horror of 2020!
Other than that, be sure to catch up on all past Screaming Soup! Seasons, check out this week’s Howl’n Hottie, read recent reviews for the newer horror films and comics we’re checkin’ out in our blogs, R-Rated Reviews and Sequential Slime, and help us get the word out about the web’s #1 animated horror host show! Please use our social buttons in the upper right corner of the site and follow our tweets, subscribe to our video channels, like our Facebook, watch and share all our vids, and keep that fan mail comin’. You can also warm up some Screaming Soup! leftovers with reruns currently playin’ on Beta Max TV, Sluggo’s The Vortexx, and Mr. Lobo‘s OSI 74!
Screaming Soup! 