Hi friends, It’s ME It’s HIM, It’s T-I-M back once again to update you on life and pop culture in my corner of the world.
This week has been a blur of activity as I’ve worked the National Association of Broadcasters event in Las Vegas. I’ve heard so much geek-speak and nerd tech talk I never want to hear about meta tags or MAM again. Whew, I’ll stay on the creative side; you can keep the ever-changing tech side it’s too much for me!
WonderCon was a blast in Anaheim, CA. Lots of costumes, celebrities and I was honored to once again be on a panel of industry greats like the owner of the site as well as Headlocked Comics’ Michael Kingston. I’m including all kinds of pictures to show you the fun. It’s especially great being able to watch first-timers reactions to the hoopla. I LOVE COMIC CONS! They are my people, my tribe…
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One of the coolest people I ran into at this year’s WonderCon was RC Young. She is a Chicagoland native and lives in the city of Chicago currently, but had a seven-year stint in LA working in the TV and web animation industry as an animator. She started doing comics on the side as a creative outlet because even though she always wanted to be an animator, the jobs just weren’t satisfying my own creative needs. Here’s what she has to say in her own words…
“My first and currently only series is called Witchman. It’s a superhero story that takes place in a medieval fantasy world, where magic is power and evil comes in monstrous forms (I can dive deeper into what it’s about if you want). I’ve been working on it for a decade now, with ten 52 page issues that are also collected in two hardcover trades. The story arc will conclude with a third hardcover once I’ve gotten that far. In addition, I’ve partnered up with my sister and watercolor illustrator, Carla Wyzgala, to form Hidden Door Comics and write large format fairy-tale inspired romance graphic novels, the first of which is titled Blue Eyes and the Beastling. It was Kickstarted last year and has come out this year. I am already writing the second book, each completely unrelated to each other, and of course, am continuing to work on that next issue of Witchman. I am otherwise a stay-at-home-mom of two.”
I can be found on Instagram @rc_young, @HiddenDoorComics, or follow the FaceBook pages for Witchman or HiddenDoorComcis. You can also read the entirety of Witchman on Official Witchman Website – independent comic by RC Young Book 1 Issue 1
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The HORROR WRITERS ASSOCIATION now has a Las Vegas chapter and I am one of the Co-Chairs of said branch!! HWA is the world’s only organization dedicated to the support of authors of dark literature. HWA welcomes horror writers, screenwriters, graphic novelists, young adult authors, poets, academics, booksellers, librarians, editors, publishers, agents and anyone with an interest in dark fiction. Members receive the monthly newsletter, access to exclusive online content, the power to recommend works for the Bram Stoker awards and much more!
We have a gathering of dark souls each Last Thursday of the month in Las Vegas, NV at 7pm at vampire-themed rockstar hangout Count’s Vamp’d. I’d like to invite you to join us if you’re in the area or seek out your own local chapter.
For information on becoming part of the largest networking and supporting group for those in the horror field please visit this site: Horror.org
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Physical death is unfortunate but inevitable. 100 out of 100 people die. What you choose to do then when your loved one is no longer a being but “the body” is up to you and your family. Many people are choosing to preserve the memory by creating loving mementos that infuse the ashes of a loved one into jewelry or glass.
Since 1996, Californian glass artist, silversmith, and spiritual intuitive Christina Nixon-Cole has been amalgamating her many talents into what has become Together Again: a poignant, inspired jewelry service delivering exquisite, hand-rendered pieces which capture cremated ashes, hair, fur and other sentimental relics forever in time.
A master lampworker, Christina takes the art of molten glass shaping beyond its traditions and customs, infusing memory, life force, and soul into significant, wearable pieces. Having bloomed to life in 14th century Italy. Together Again’s modern take on this ancient practice brings together the remains of those passed with friends and family, keen to keep the connective flame alive.
First sparked by the passing of her grandfather and her subsequent incorporation of his ashes into glass beads as a gift to her grandmother (who would make her own transition to the afterlife soon after) personal loss and artistic flair acted as major motivators behind Christina’s serious and committed foray into cremation glass; a process that has proven to be both expressive, affecting and of service to a multitude of delighted clientele from around the globe who seek a special keepsake for a beloved person or pet.
Together Again’s vast offering of jewelry and trinketry includes beads, pendants, earrings, bracelets, rings, vials, boxes, and urns. Meticulously crafted from an incredible spectrum of colored glass by Christina herself, and finished with the most precious of metals, each collection conjures unforgettable imagery of celestial bodies, heavenly fruit, rippling water, and mystical prisms. Opalescent, spectral, luminous…these are just a scattering of adjectives that could be used to describe each piece.
With a degree in Art and Jewelry Design, and a working background in Hypnotherapy and Grief Coaching, Christina has melded her talent for artistic conceptualization and handiwork with her deep understanding of the vital principles of life, the process of bereavement, and the preservation of spirit.
Together Again is more than just another American jewelry brand. It is a specialized service, the continuation of ancient tradition, and a bespoke accessories collection infused with life-affirming value and beautiful vibrations.
For more information on this please visit:
www.togetheragainmemorybeads.com
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In closing, I also wanted to add that I have recently read an amazing book which deserves your attention. It is the best thing I’ve read since Mike Duke tortured my skull with centipedes. Her novel is so good I didn’t want to finish it, it’s an odd mix of beauty and violence, fear, and yearnings of something greater. I encourage you to read it.
“Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love”
A Book by Mercedes M. Yardley.
Here’s some info on the lovely and creepy, grim yet whimsical tale…
Streetwise Romeo and Juliet meets Stephen King’s Firestarter.
HER MAMA ALWAYS SAID SHE WAS SPECIAL.
HIS DADDY CALLED HIM A DEMON.
BUT EVEN MONSTERS CAN FALL IN LOVE.
Montessa Tovar is walking home alone when she is abducted by Lu, a serial killer with unusual talents and a grudge against the world. But in time, the victim becomes the executioner as ‘Apocalyptic’ Montessa and her doomed ‘Nuclear’ Lulu crisscross the country in a bloody firestorm of revenge.
MERCEDES M. YARDLEY wears red lipstick and poisonous flowers in her hair. She writes dark and lovely tales full of whimsy and terror. She is both a Bram Stoker award winner as well as the recipient of the much coveted fan-voted Stabby Award. Mercedes lives in Sin City where she is Co-Chair of the Horror Writers Association Las Vegas chapter with some loud fat guy whose name shall remain a mysteryyyy….
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