Respect and Consideration in The Horror Community

One of the Wolf Pack, Lucas Marlone, asked me if I ever thought of walking away from the horror community. I admitted to him that I have considered it on a number of occasions, but I end up stopping myself by thinking that I’m not going to let the shallow self involved fucks that made me consider that option win.

I mean look at the horror community as it is at present. You got convention organizers who think so much of themselves they’ve lost the concept of who they are doing these conventions for. It’s no longer for the horror fans to meet the various people of horror and learn more about the productions. No, now it is an ego trip so that they can invite only their friends and screw the public out of as much money as they can. That became obvious when I talked to John Dugan (Grandpa from Texas Chainsaw Massacre). John, who had the guts to speak out, said that convention organizers had banned him from a number of conventions simply because he asked the fans to request him. Sounds familiar. I’m in the same boat myself and I think it’s total bullshit.

Oh, and how about the scene itself? It’s not about how much blood and sweat you’ve given to horror. It’s what fucking “clubs” you belong to or who you’re brown nosing to get guest appearances on podcast or even articles on websites or horror magazines. Look at me I’m a six time published author, you would think I’d get invited on podcasts once in a while or once in a blue moon my books would be mentioned in regard to the Friday the 13^th franchise, but no. I’ve seen Fangoria write article after article on the Friday the 13^th comic books, Crystal Lake Memories, and even the fucking documentaries like My Name is Jason. But, The Camp Crystal Lake novels get treated like garbage.

The reason for this is because the horror community has been turned into a cheap brothel full of soulless whores. There is no consideration about respect or consideration anymore. If there was Reyna Young and Michelle Shields wouldn’t have come out of the crap they pulled on me smelling like roses. It wouldn’t be a situation where people I’ve know for seven years and showed nothing but respect and support turn their backs on me in favor of  the shallow assholes and their buddies who have hurt me. And, what about the independent filmmakers who came onto the scene and had such passion and enthusiasm and pluck. I made friends with them and supported them. Now they are all into themselves, post fifty pictures a day, and could care less about helping a friend with a half hour interview or even take two minutes on the phone to wish him well.  It is damned sad and pathetic when people you once highly respected show you they are nothing but scrounging brown nosers looking for the better deal and turning away from those who have honestly cared and supported them. I’ve seem this too much of this the last couple of years.

It’s no wonder in the past year alone I’ve seen a number of friends who have considered walking away from the horror community out of complete and utter disgust of what it has become. One and his family saw how I and my co-host Derek were being abused and lost hope and nearly walked. Another friend of mine, the senior editor of a horror site also walked away because she was tired of people acting like high school idiots. So, there you have it, horror community, you need to clean up your fucking act. Get out of the fucking dumps people and start building a community where respect and consideration mean something….


And when I feel like quitting I listen to this lady and she gives me strength and inspiration...

 

No Value

Earlier today I was talking with my co-worker, PJ. We were chatting about how now a days I download most of my movies, due to my lack of funds, and how I miss all the extras they have on DVDs. PJ in answer to me said “I don’t know what your problem is to me all that is just crap and has no value.” I have to say my jaw dropped. I told him how I loved to watch “The Making of” videos and hearing the filmmakers’ thoughts on their film. Again, I got the same response that all of that material has no value.

Well, honestly, I’ve heard a lot of that in the horror community, especially from convention organizers. Seriously, you ask them about signing horror writers or horror screen writers you get the same attitude, it’s like you’re wasting their time, because in their eyes writers period are of way lesser value than filmmakers, actors, painted up scream queens, horror hosts, and documentary filmmakers.

I want to know when the fuck did writers lose their value and who the fuck made that decision? I mean give me a fucking break. I remember years ago when I would go to conventions, the old Fangoria Weekend and Creation conventions, that you had authors as regular guests. Hell, there used to be panels for horror and science fiction writers. Hell, screenwriters were treated like stars at the old conventions. I remember attending panels lead by Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, and even by Dean Koonz. It was what inspired me to start writing.

 Think about this, assholes…What would Friday the 13^th be without that wonderfully crafted script written by Victor Miller? Or how about Scream without the genius of screenwriter Kevin Williamson. Or Texas Chainsaw Massacre without writer Kim Henkel. Oh, and what about Halloween without John Carpenter and Debra Hill…Oh, but I forgot John Carpenter is also a filmmaker so he does have value. And, what about authors? Why is Bentley Little, who has been bleeding and writing his art for years, so inferior to some jackass who edits together film clips and interviews actors for a direct to video documentary on a film franchise? What makes them such stars over a person who sits in a room for months at a time ripping their soul apart and creating entire worlds and people in his mind and slaving to bring their vision to the world. Excuse me, but how fucking dare you arrogant pricks say such a thing. If it wasn’t for the dedication of writers the filmmakers, who you fucks so admire so much, would be sitting around shooting films of trains coming into stations. All writers are important to horror. They are way more important than the fucktards that put out My Name is Jason or Never Sleep Again. If it wasn’t for the dedication and sweat of screenwriters these fucks wouldn’t have any material to do their fucking documentaries about. Yet, unless a writer isn’t a Stephen King or Clive Barker they are considered trash by convention organizers and thus only worthy of a vendors table in the back of the vendor’s room. Fuck you, you arrogant bastards. It shows how totally fucked up the situation is that a number of writers ended up emptying their own pockets to put on their own gathering in Kentucky to connect with fans, because they were sick of being treated like garbage by convention organizers. Look at the world you ignorant fucks. Computer tablets and E books are on the rise. People are reading again. The written word is not dying, it is like a phoenix and being reborn, so in the world writers have value. The horror community, and especially convention organizers, need to keep up with the times…Give horror writers and screen writers the respect they deserve, because they have value....